Undiscovered Frontier Season 3 The Coming Storm Multiverse X-over
by sbbigsteve
Summary: Change has come to the crew of the Starship Aurora and their courage and skills will be tested as never before. Ancient forces are stirring, their enemies grow in power, and a terrifying machine of destruction threatens to unleash its kind upon the Multiverse. It will take everything they have, and more, for the crews of the Aurora and Koenig to withstand the coming storm...
1. Episode 3-01-1 Consequences

**Teaser**

Golden wheat swayed softly in the summer winds. Sunlight bathed the bedroom until the occupants of the bed awoke from it. For Robert Dale, another evening of quiet sleep without dreams left him feeling refreshed and ready for the day.

Warmth pressed against his back. A pair of lips caressed his ear. "Good morning," said his wife. Julia rested her head beside his. "Do we have to get out of bed yet?"

"Spring planting's done, so maybe not," he said. "But don't you have places to be today? That _t'ai chi_ class in town?"

"I'll get there, don't you worry." She was ready to plant a deep, full kiss on his mouth when he turned onto his back. "But I want to start the day off right."

"Ahhh…" He smiled at her. "Well, I think I can help with that…"

They kissed again.

* * *

The smell of sausage and eggs had made it upstairs by the time the couple emerged into the house proper. When they arrived downstairs Robert found Little Robby seated in his chair looking at a book. He was just old enough that he no longer required a high chair or booster seat. He looked on his parents with the eyes of his mother and said, "Good Morning… _Goooten Morgen_."

" _Guten Morgen_ ," corrected a wizened voice from the kitchen. Robert's Grandma Anna emerged with a plate of sausage links and scrambled eggs, which she set before the boy. He smiled his happy child's smile at his great-grandmother giving him a peck of a kiss on the cheek. "But very close, my little one," she added with her German-accented English.

"Thank you Great-Grandma." Robert Junior turned his head and smiled at his parents again.

"It sounds like someone's German is improving," Julia remarked before taking a seat beside him. Robert took the next seat over.

"He's doing better than I did at that age," Robert agreed.

"You almost missed breakfast," Robby said reproachfully, or rather with a reproachful tone borrowed from his great grandparents. "Why?"

"Oh, we just… slept in a little," Robert said, taking Julia's left hand with his right and grinning at her.

The phrasing worked on a child, but the adults weren't so easy to fool. Allen Dale, who had been quiet in his corner chair, had a mischievous twinkle in his brown eyes. "What they were doing was trying to make you a new baby sibling, Robby."

"Grandpa Allen!" chided Julia.

The boy's eyes widened with glee. "Make it a baby sister!" he insisted. "I want a baby sister!"

"We'll, uh, we'll see what we can do," Robert assured his son.

"How are you gonna make her?" Robby wanted to know.

That brought a hoot of laughter from the Dale patriarch across the table. "It's chemistry," he said. "You see, they mix this stuff together, and it has to be the right mix, and poof, you've got a baby. And then you have to put the baby into the momma's tummy, y'see."

"Is that how you made me, Mommy?"

"Grandpa is teasing you," she answered, giving him a sarcastic look.

"Can I see the chemistry set?" asked the boy, still earnest.

"Allen, what are you filling our little _kleiner_ 's head with?" Anna demanded to know, bringing out more plates of breakfast.

"Grandma, you didn't have to cook," Robert said, accepting the offered plate anyway. "You should take it easy."

"I _like_ to cook," she retorted. "Now Robert Allen, don't you dare go treating me like a…" She started to scold him in German, much to the bemusement of Julia and Grandpa Allen. Robby listened intently, clearly interested in picking up more German.

The tirade, mild as it was, was interrupted by the opening of the door. "We're back," said Michael Dale. Robert's parents and sister stepped in, holding bags of groceries from the nearest country store.

"Ah, there you are. Did they have everything?"

"Yes, _Mutter_ ," Michael said, showing the contents of the bag. "Old Rudd's been good about keeping the stock up."

"Good. Now, take seats, breakfast is ready."

As they did so, Robert eyed the table and tried to keep the tears from his eyes. Four generations of his family, together for breakfast. It made him feel warm and happy.

 _Why do I feel like this every morning_? he wondered. They'd had family breakfasts like this for years. Why did it seem so special now?

Robert looked into the cup of coffee that Anne brought in from the kitchen. His eyes met the swirling dark surface of the coffee, almost reflective. And yet, it didn't seem to reflect him. Instead it seemed focused on some science fictiony-looking place, with consoles covered in colorful keys and figures seated at them. A dark-haired man and another with lighter, almost auburn-toned hair were in the forward seats, wearing black uniforms with beige trim on one and red on the other. Behind them, in the middle chairs, sat two more figures, both with the black uniforms trimmed in red. He blinked at the image.

It was him. He and Julia were sitting in those chairs, wearing those uniforms.

And it felt right. That was the weird part. It didn't feel like a dream of any kind, or an idle fancy. It felt… _real_.

But that was silly. Utterly silly. Why would it…?

"Hey, Rob, what's so interesting in that coffee?" asked his mother.

He glanced upward and noticed everyone was looking at him. He shook his head and blinked. "Sorry, I just… I suppose I spaced out." He picked up the mug and took a big drink, allowing the coffee to begin jolting him to wakefulness. When he set it back down, the surface of the drink reflected nothing. "There. I'm awake now." He smiled at them. "I'm ready to start another day." 

* * *

The Earth of Universe L2M1 had one of the largest fleet facilities in existence orbiting over it. Built to be the fleet base of the Federated Stars, it now served as the primary fleet base for the United Alliance of Systems, a union of multiple interstellar nations and species from over a dozen universes now in one body. Tubes protected the transport lifts that flitted between different segments of the colossal facility, allowing civilian and Alliance Stellar Navy personnel to move between the great structures on whatever tasks they had.

Julia Megan Andreys had been waiting for this day for months. Her thoughts dwelled on it as the lift carried her from the central terminal structure to the dock structure where the largest starships were being built. She watched Earth while it was visible. It was always a sight to see the planet of her birth from orbit (or rather a copy of it, as she hailed from Earth H1E4). It reminded her of the incredible luck and fortune that had brought her to this place and these wonders.

From the lift it was a short journey down carpeted corridors to the dock lounge for Docks 20 and 21. She stopped to straighten her uniform appropriately and make sure her rank tab was properly aligned with her collar. The tab had four slanted stripes of gold color on them, the insignia of a Captain in the Alliance Stellar Navy.

The lounge was already full when she arrived. Bartenders were serving drinks to the assembled and a table of various finger foods had been arranged. Her eyes swept over the gathering. Most of those present were Stellar Navy officers and Alliance officials. The members of the Defense Committee were present. Dockyard officials were obviously attending too, as were various officers and even some diplomatic staff from other governments. She recognized Federation Ambassador Yal Nuren, a Bolian woman identifiable by her blue skin and the ridge of flesh along the midpoint of her bald head down her face to her neck, discussing the current conflict her government had with the Klingon Empire with Ambassador Jasina Sallina of the Asari Republics, who was a similar shade of blue but with the crest of head pieces that Tom Barnes still called "tentacles", although they were hardly long enough to warrant it. The Turian ambassador was discussing the war with the Nazi German Reich in Universe S4W8 with the white-and-purple clad ambassador from the Free Worlds League of F1S1 and the white-and-orange-uniformed ambassador of the Federated Commonwealth of the same universe. An eight foot tall, muscular woman in tight leathers stood by herself. _Do the Clans even do Ambassadors_? Julia pondered at seeing the bored genetically-engineered infantrywoman.

"Do pardon me," an electronic voice trilled. Julia looked to her right and downward to see a Gl'mulli looking up at her. The green-toned alien was a gelatinous being who could only converse with the help of the electronic translator bonded by a bio-molecular material to her outermost membrane. The translator didn't just translate language, but sight as well, allowing a Gl'mulli to sense her surroundings visually instead of through the electromagnetic sensations the species typically used. Even the thought of referring to a Gl'mulli by a gendered pronoun was flawed, as the species didn't have genders in the way many others did.

"My apologies," Julia answered. She moved out of the way so that the Gl'mulli could continue on to a purple-skinned, silver-horned Dre'kari that was talking with Councilman Zoral of the Alliance Defense Committee.

An electronic tone sounded in the room, silencing all conversation. Heads turned toward the front of the lounge, where two windows looked out upon the docks the lounge was built between. The ships beyond were of a familiar shape to Julia. She'd seen them both before, and even if she hadn't, she'd recognize the shape. It was the same as the ship she had spent so much time on, the _Starship Aurora_ , first by supporting _Aurora_ 's construction back in the pre-Alliance days of the Facility, and then by serving on her as First Officer with the ship's captain, her dearest friend Robert Dale.

Thinking of him was painful. She stopped for the moment.

A figure in an Alliance Stellar Navy uniform stepped to the front of the lounge, between the two docks. Admiral Maran looked Human, like all of his people did, and you had to have a bio-scanner or knowledge of accents to recognize him as a Gersallian. His gray beard and hair still retained some dark hairs, more than one might think for someone directing a war effort that had already cost the Alliance nearly two thousand starships and a few million lives.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he said to the assembled. "I welcome you to this formal commissioning party for two of the Alliance's finest new starships. To begin with, I would like to introduce you to the captains of these new vessels, who I am confident will live up to the expectations that the Alliance and her allies have placed in them. Fellow beings, I present to you the new commanding officer of the _Starship Excalibur_." Maran nodded to a woman in the group. "Captain Elizabeth King."

From the crowd, a woman in her late thirties emerged. She was solidly built, with brown hair pulled into a regulation bun. Sharp brown eyes surveyed the assembled when she joined Maran. Her uniform had the branch color of red for its trim, with four gold slanted strips on the rank insignia tab on her collar.

There was polite applause. Julia joined them.

King took a place beside Maran. "I am grateful for the honor, Admiral," King said, her accent the same as ever, a prim, almost aristocratic English accent. "I will serve the Alliance to the best of my ability and expect the same from my crew."

"Of course. And now, the new commanding officer of the _Starship Enterprise_..."

Maran's eyes met Julia's as his head turned to look over the assembled. She didn't react at the nod he made. This was the moment that had been planned for, the moment he'd wanted her present for since the prior May.

And then he spoke the name.

"Captain Ariel Shaham."

From a few feet away, the former leader of the surviving Jews of Universe S4W8 stepped through the crowd. The gray in his hair had expanded just a little in the rough year and a half since Julia had last seen him. He was built solidly, if not with size, his skin faintly tanned. When he stepped up beside Maran his brown eyes looked into the crowd. For a moment they met Julia's. She saw his face briefly twist into a look of guilt before he remembered himself. "Admiral Maran, I accept this posting with gratitude," he said. "I look forward to serving this Alliance that has sheltered my people and given us new lives."

There was applause. Julia joined them despite the knotted feeling she felt within. A part of her couldn't help but think _That's supposed to be my ship_. She was supposed to be the Captain of the _Enterprise_.

She watched as Maran directed the two Captains to slots in the walls facing the docks. He gestured to a box and they each removed a bottle of fine champagne. Together they placed the bottles into the slots and hit the keys beside said slots. There were a pair of _whoosh_ sounds and the bottles were shot out of compressed air launchers. Holo-viewscreens showed their motions until they slammed into their respective hulls within a second of each other. Glass shards rocketed away from the points of impact with a spray of champagne into the zero G construction docks.

There was more applause at that point. When it was over Maran silently made his way to Julia. "Hello, Captain," he said formally.

"Admiral, sir." Julia nodded. "Given you said you wanted me here, I couldn't pass this up."

"You didn't have to come, not with the changed circumstances." Maran's expression betrayed his unease. "I'm aware that command of a ship named _Enterprise_ is a great deal for people from your culture. I'm sorry you have been denied that privilege."

"I'm sorry too. Although there's a part of me that believes my place was always meant to be on the _Aurora_."

"The repairs are nearly complete, I've heard."

Julia nodded. "Mister Scott tells me it'll be a week before we're at full readiness. We do have warp power ready and shields, but some of the power systems are finishing their rebuilds and the teams are still finishing some work on the new plasma emitters that Fleet Operations installed in place of our old phasers."

Maran replied with his own nod. "And Robert?"

Julia shook her head. "No change."

"You may wish to consider transferring him to the Fleet Hospital."

"If he's still in the coma when we're ready to leave, I'll ask Leo to do so."

"Very well."

King and Shaham emerged from the crowd to join them. "Captains," Julia said. "My congratulations."

"I suppose it would be out of place for me to extend the same, given the circumstances," King said. "Still, it's good to see that fourth strip on your rank tab, Captain Andreys. You'll do the service well."

"Thank you, Captain King." She looked to Shaham, who evinced some slight discomfort. "Congratulations again, Captain Shaham. Although I was surprised to hear you signed up for the fleet. I thought you would be sitting on the Council on New Liberty."

Shaham made a face. "I'm not a politician," he protested. "Now that we are not running for our lives from the Nazi, our people are rediscovering the full range of politics. The other Jews on New Liberty have helped with that."

"In a good way or bad?" Julia asked.

"Both," Shaham sighed. "EIther way, I was going mad. And since Yoni is commanding the _Eagle_ quite well, I had no wish to take it from him. I told Admiral Maran I wished to be a Captain in the Alliance. He put me through tests and told me I would get a Star Cruiser." Shaham shook his head. "I just never imagined it would be the _Enterprise_. I feel like I have stolen her from you."

"It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault, except maybe the Daleks and Cybermen," Julia replied. "Just treat her well and make the rest of us proud. I'll be doing the same on the _Aurora_."

"That's very magnanimous of you, Captain," King observed. "I'm sure others might not have been so kind about losing a chance to command the _Enterprise_." It was clear King could see that it did bother Julia, at least a little.

"Maybe not. But the _Aurora_ is also my ship. Being in command of her is more than enough to make up for it." Julia smiled slightly. "Given what might have happened, these consequences are something I can live with."

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier**  
 ** _"Consequences"_**

* * *

 _Ship's Log: 7 January 2643; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys recording_. _Nothing has happened today. The ship is still finishing its repairs. Part of the command crew is still off on leave or other assignment. Robert is still in a coma._

 _And I find myself getting impatient over it all. Over the coma, over the repairs, over everything. It's been eleven weeks since the battle over Earth W8R4 and despite everything, I feel like I've been spinning wheels in the mud. Perhaps it's just eagerness to get back out into service. The war is still raging in S4W8, and there's tension in S5T3 over the Maquis and the Federation-Klingon conflict regarding Archanis. The Alliance needs us completing missions, not sitting in spacedock._

 _But maybe… maybe I'm just avoiding the matter. The fact that Robert hasn't woken up yet. And with each passing day my fear grows. Maybe… he never will_.

Julia decided to have dinner in the Lookout. It wasn't as busy as it would ordinarily be, given how much of the surviving crew was either on leave or reassigned. Only three or four other people were present when she walked in just past 2000 hours.

It was little surprise for her to see Hargert present. He brought out a piece of pot roast and assorted sides for her with a soda drink. "It's still quiet around here, I see," Julia said.

"Yes, it is." Hargert drew in a sad little sigh. "It seems so many of the others are gone, still."

"Caterina's still off at that Vulcan Science Academy conference in the Federation with Ensign Arterria. Jarod's visiting his family on New Liberty. Nick's still off training pilots at the Phobos Flight Academy. Meridina and Lucy are on Gersal, and Angel is… hell, I don't have a clue. She just wanted to 'get away', as she said, and it's a big Multiverse." Julia nursed the soda. "I'm not sure I like how empty the ship feels."

"It has been quiet, yes. But I do not think it will remain so. The others are all due to return soon, yes? For when the ship departs."

"Yeah. And if Robert's not awake by then, we have to leave him behind."

The starboard-side door to the Lookout swished opened and admitted Leo. Doctor Leonard Gillam was in a normal uniform, blue for the branch color on the trim, and had ditched his usual white lab coat. Julia nodded at him; he had a strong, rounded face, and now a beard of black hair was showing on his chin and jawline, giving a darker shade surrounded by already-dark skin. He walked up to them and asked, "Mind if I take this seat?" His brown eyes looked from Hargert to Julia.

Julia shrugged and Hargert, obviously, had no quarrel with the idea. Leo slipped into a seat while Hargert went off to get him something to eat. "You look like you've had a sour day."

"I haven't had a day. Not a real one. Even the paperwork load is light."

"What's our crew situation like?"

"Well, 1,400 survivors of the Daleks and Cybermen, roughly, and about half have been promoted or transferred, especially the wounded." Julia tapped her spoon against her plate, ignoring for the moment the yellow corn at that corner. "Outside of the engineering crew and some of the ops officers, most of the rest are doing other temp assignments with fleet HQ or they're on leave." She crossed her arms. "When we get back out there, over half of the crew is going to be new."

"Ah." Leo put his hands together on the table. "And how are you holding up? You have the look of someone very displeased with the world in general."

"Is this another of those attempts to get me back for all the times I was trying to make you more cheerful?"

Leo pretended to think on it for a moment. "I have to consider that one… yes. Yes it is. So, do you want to tell me what's bugging you?"

Julia considered deflecting the question. At the last moment she didn't. "I've known since the first of the year that I'm the full captain of the _Aurora_ now but it still feels like, on some level, I'm not supposed to be here." She rested her head on her hand. "And then when I think about it… Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm supposed to be on the _Enterprise_. Maybe I'm supposed to be dead from blowing the ship up to stop the Daleks and that 'Darkness' that was going to come out of the rift they formed. Because Rob should be here." She gave him a knowing look.

"No change," Leo answered. "I'm sorry."

Julia sighed. She hadn't dared to think there would be one. "Any luck with the telepaths?"

Leo shook his head. "There's no response from his mind."

That caused Julia to swallow. "So he's, what, brain-dead?"

"No. His brain's functioning just fine," Leo insisted. "Hell, I'd almost think he was awake with the EEG readings. But he's just not awake. Whatever that TARDIS thing did to him…"

"Right." She frowned. "Maybe we should ask Cat if there's a way to reach the Doctor."

"The Doctor made it clear he didn't have any idea what would happen," Leo pointed out. "Honestly, Julia, I think we just have to wait and see. I've seen reports of people remaining comatose for _decades_ and then waking up like nothing happened."

Leo quickly regretted proposing that possibility given the look of sheer _pain_ that appeared on Julia's face. "We're going to have to leave him behind, you know," she said.

"I figured. Doctor McPherson left me a message today on scheduling his transfer to the long-term treatment wing."

Hargert returned at that moment, carrying the same meal for Leo and a glass of Leo's favored tea. He smiled at them quietly before departing, leaving them to their conversation.

Julia waited for Leo to take his first bite before saying, "Beth's talking about transferring him to the Colony Hospital."

"I can understand that," Leo said. "But it's probably for the best that he remain here. At least until we understand his condition more."

"Right." Julia took another bite of her rapidly cooling meal. The subject matter was killing her appetite, but if she didn't eat, her stomach would be grumbling when she tried to get some sleep.

Sensing that she needed a change of subject, Leo asked, "Have you heard anything about Zack?"

"Zack?" Julia finished swallowing. "The _Koenig_ is still with the 10th Attack Squadron based out of Eta Leckie."

"I heard they have him escorting transports and hospital ships," Leo said. "I imagine he's bored out of his skull."

Julia shrugged. "I'm sure he's staying busy."

* * *

Bright white energy streaked across the void, launched from a ship that was even now fading from view. The torpedoes were on course to hit a single vessel, a transport ship with large cargo pods laid out on both sides of the central spine of its structure. One pod had already been opened to space by a hit through shields that had long since failed. Now these torpedoes would possibly add to that loss or, if on target, destroy the entire ship.

They didn't get the chance. Another ship intercepted them. Their electronic systems attempted to evade, but the maneuver of the intercepting ship hadn't made it possible for the torpedoes to do so. They slammed into the ship's shields and detonated. The shaped anti-matter charges pierced the shields of the _ASV Koenig_ and scorched the ship's azure hull along the ventral side.

On the bridge of the _Koenig_ the vessel rocked from the direct hit. "We took bleedthrough damage to Deck 4," reported Lieutenant Magda Navaez, operations officer for the ship. The Colombian-born woman looked over her sensor screen from her seat on the port side of the bridge, her console facing outward like the others along the sides. "They've already recloaked."

"I couldn't get a lock before they did," said Lieutenant April Sherlily, the tactical officer one station astern of Magda's.

Commander Zachary Carrey was seated alone in the center of the bridge. In front of him, the sole bow-facing station was the helm, where his First Officer Lieutenant Creighton Apley was seated. The two were roughly of the same build, but Zack's brown hair contrasted with the lighter brown hair of Apley. Zack's thoroughly 20th-21st Century Midwestern accent, the product of an upbringing in Kansas, was also quite different from Apley's Midwestern accent that had developed in the future timeframe of Universe D3R1's Earth. "Status on the _Rochester Comet_?" he asked Magda.

"Their shields are still down and they've got structural damage, if they take another hit it could destroy the entire ship," was Magda's answer.

"Damn." Zack frowned. "If they couldn't keep up with the convoy they shouldn't have left Eta Leckie Base." He would have to file a very negative report on Captain Kelton, presuming they both survived this. "And we can't keep this up forever…"  
"We need distance," insisted Sherlily. "Then I can get a shot when they try to decloak."

"But then we'll be out of position to stop incoming fire," Apley pointed out. "The transport won't survive the hit."

Zack considered the problem quietly. A solution was forming in his mind as he considered the likely attack vector of the Reich attack ship, and said ship's situation. The Nazi attack ships weren't made to fight like his ship were, after all; they were made to decloak, fire torpedoes, and then recloak and run if they had to.

He tapped a key on his chair. "Bridge to Engineering."

" _Engineering here_ ," replied Lieutenant Karen Derbely, the ship's Chief Engineer.

"Karen, do you think our tractor beam could be set up to push the _Rochester Comet_ out of the way?"

" _For a few seconds, perhaps. It's at just the right size that our tractor beam could pull or push it for that long_."

"Then make the necessary preparations," he ordered.

" _Standby… done_."

"Magda, use the tractor beam to repel the transport the moment that Nazi decloaks. Apley, put us above them and to starboard, and I want the tractor beam emitters lined up to face the ship. April, I want a spread of solar torpedoes set to detonate automatically when they reach a certain distance."

Apley nodded and maneuvered the ship. Magda confirmed her readiness as well.

All that was left was to wait. That was the worst part since Zack couldn't be sure this is what the enemy ship would do. He was trying to guess what this commander would do. Would he recognize this was a trap and attack from somewhere else? There was no way to know. All he could do was wait and see what happened.

The Reich attack ship decloaked after another thirty seconds had passed. The captain had placed his ship below and to the port of the _Rochester Comet_. Just as Zack hoped he would.

Even as the torpedoes launched from the squat, shark-like ship's forward section, the tractor beam on the _Koenig_ flashed to life. A ribbon of blue energy linked _Koenig_ to the transport she was protecting and sent it flying sideways through space. From the bow of the _Koenig_ a spread of solar torpedoes launched and turned toward the enemy attack ship, even now cloaking.

Its shots missed, and the dorsal phaser array dispensed with them before they could turn back.

Meanwhile the solar torpedoes reached their programmed distance and detonated. There was a sudden flicker in space. The Nazi attack ship reappeared, debris and atmosphere flowing from a sudden wound in its side.

The _Koenig_ orientated on the enemy ship under Apley's control. Sherlily triggered the forward pulse phasers as soon as she had a lock. Amber energy burst from the forward emitters. The Reich attack ship's shields snapped into place. But the firepower they were facing was beyond the shields' endurance, especially with the damage the ship had taken from the torpedo blast wave. They failed under the _Koenig_ 's barrage, allowing the final shots from the barrage to smash into unshielded hull. There were more bursts of flame and gas and debris from the enemy ship followed by an intense white fireball that all who saw it recognized as the result of a anti-matter losing containment. When the blast receded, there was nothing but small pieces of debris to mark the defeated foe.

"Ha!" shouted Zack, and the others cheered as well. "Magda, get Kelton for me," he said. "Find out how long before his warp drive is back online."

"Yes sir," she said, plainly happy. And for a good reason.

"And let him know I'll send our engineers over if we have to in order to get him moving," Zack added. "I'm not letting this jerk and his crappy ship keep us from getting our leave time."

"A week of leave and then back to the _Aurora_ ," Sherlily said with a little sigh. "I can taste Hargert's sausage stew already."

"It sounds like you are looking forward to that more than your leave," Magda said.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. Roliri, Karen, and I have five days of kayaking on the Ulysses River on New Appalachia coming up," Sherlily announced. "What about you?"

"I'm going home to New Liberty to visit my family," was Magda's reply.

"I'm heading home myself," said Apley.

"And I'm sure you'll enjoy yourselves," said Zack, smiling.

"While you're off on New Caprica visiting your girlfriend," Magda said.

"Yes," he said, feeling palpable eagerness to make the trip. "If only we can get this idiot in gear. If this takes much longer I'll make Kelton get out and push his damn ship back to Eta Leckie."

That mental image made everyone chuckle. 

* * *

The Vulcan lecture hall reminded Caterina somewhat of a high school auditorium, at least in basic structure, with a wide range of seats facing a central stage with a podium and a number of monitors. Currently a Vulcan scientist, Suvel, was standing and giving a lecture on the interaction of subspace with the other forms of faster-than-light travel discovered since Multiversal Contact for the Federation. Cat was seated five rows back and toward the speaker's left. On one side she had Violeta at the row's end-seat, who looked like she was falling asleep. On the other side the seat was an Efrosian woman in a Starfleet science uniform. Beyond the Efrosian was an Asari, a Brakiri, a Hermat, and another Human; a Turian and a Minbari were behind her.

"...testing on Stardate 49538.4 demonstrated the correlation between the Mass Relays of M4P2 and the theorized possibility of subspace tunnels," Suvel was saying. "With this discovery the possibility of new avenues into subspace-based transportation…"

Caterina glanced over to Violeta, who now seemed completely asleep. For the moment Cat tuned out the Vulcan professor to look at Violeta and feel very guilty about bringing her to this. _I had a leave that we could have used to do anything, and I insist on coming to this conference. And it's not even a good one_. _Some of the things these people are saying are…_

She stopped herself. It wasn't fair to think those thoughts, not to these scientists. They hadn't had the opportunity to see other things that she had enjoyed. They hadn't seen time and space in the company of a being like the Doctor.

The Doctor! To actually have met the being listed in the Darglan databases was one thing, but getting to travel with him? That had been the kind of experience Cat had never dared dream of, even after they found the Facility. From her perspective they had spent a year traveling across time and space in his universe, hunting for a breach in the fifth dimensional barrier he could use to contact Rose Tyler or, perhaps, even bring her back. In the end the best they'd managed was an indication of a breach several months after the Battle of Canary Wharf, and a supernova that could be used to fuel a communication via the TARDIS through said breach. With the ostensible reason for her presence on the TARDIS over, the Doctor had brought Caterina home to within minutes of when they left. Since then she'd had to re-adjust to the old routines, and make up for her lost time with Violeta and Angel.

Suvel's presentation finished. Caterina was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had forgotten she was next. It wasn't until Professor T'Rya, the presenter of the conference, called her name that Caterina remembered herself. She blinked before standing up. Violeta stirred as well and stood with her, giving Cat a kiss on the cheek for good luck. Cat responded with a smile and walked down the aisle stairway toward the central stage. She activated her omnitool and linked it to the presentation projector to load her presentation to the conference.

Seeing the crowd made her swallow with apprehension. But it was with a clear voice, and no sign of the shy stutter she once might have suffered, that Caterina introduced herself. "Greetings to my esteemed colleagues," she said, looking at a crowd that was composed of scientists from across the Multiverse. "I am Lieutenant Caterina Delgado of the Alliance Stellar Navy, Science Officer of the _Starship Aurora_." She noted the bottled water and gratefully picked one up to wet her throat. "And I'm here to present new research into the nature of subspace's interactions with hyperspatial domains. Since the Multiversal Era began…"

As Caterina began her presentation, she felt a pang of regret. She was here, speaking to a crowd without a moment's stutter, and her girlfriend was watching happily…

...but her sister was nowhere to be seen.

 _I wish you were here_ was one thought that came to her. As she activated a display showing the E5B1 universe's preferred layer of hyperspace, a second thought crossed her mind.

 _Where are you anyway, Angel?_

* * *

One common concept for space-faring species and nations was the idea of the permanent frontier. Unlike a pre-spaceflight species stuck on one world, there was no innate, finite amount of territory that could be settled. The frontier had no limit. Certainly a world could grow to the point it was no longer on the frontier, but there was always another star, another planet, just beyond the metaphorical horizon, waiting for someone to settle upon them. And so the frontier would move onward.

The thing about frontiers, of course, is that they tend to be unkind places. Which was certainly a fair way to describe the colonial town of Hendonville, on the planet designated Corwin.

The roar of the crowd in the grungy backroom washed over Angela Delgado and brought back old memories, memories of amateur fights in gyms throughout Kansas and into neighboring states. Her current location might have passed for such, in fact, if not for darker lights, the money changing hands among those in attendance, and the cage.

And the lack of safety equipment. That was another telling factor.

The fact that the cage was electrified was a rather unnecessary detail at that point.

Angel slipped off her jacket, revealing the black sports bra she was wearing underneath, as well as the rippling, defined muscle on her arms, shoulders, stomach, and much of her back not covered by the fabric of her top. Had she been wearing shorts and not sweatpants the muscular definition of her legs would have been on display as well. Her skin was one of the darker shades in the room, a brown that had regained color in the prior weeks since her return to living under suns.

She stepped through the cage door and heard the click of the lock behind her. A very low buzz came seconds later as the electrical current for the cage was turned on.

Standing across the way was the current champion. He was six feet tall and shirtless, showing off the muscular build on his lightly tanned skin. A scar ran down the side of his left cheek. Brown eyes glinted with malice as a sneer formed across the man's face. "Well ain't that precious?" he asked rhetorically, although he didn't sound like the kind of person to understand what that meant. "Cute little girl muscles."

The crowd laughed.

Angel considered a retort and decided anything would be wasted on her opponent, and probably on the crowd. Instead her hazel eyes smoldered with disgust and contempt for him. She finished flexing her arms as a warmup and tilted her head to either side, loosening the muscles in her neck. A quick check confirmed the dirtied white bandages around her knuckles and fingers were intact. It was the best she'd get instead of proper gloves.

The bell rang. Her opponent charged. His fist flew in for her face. She caught the blow with her forearms. A second blow she dodged by ducking slightly. He snarled and tried to kick her, but Angel side-stepped that blow

For several seconds he wailed at her and Angel deflected or avoided the blows. It wasn't her usual fighting style to be sure. Every fiber of her being burned to retaliate, but she wasn't going to do that. Not just yet. She wanted to get a feel for this fellow and how he fought.

Perhaps it was her unfamiliarity with defensive stances that finally gave the champion his opening. Or he moved faster than anticipated. Either way, there was a sudden impact and rush of pain on the left side of her face. Raw force drove Angel back into the cage. Electricity surged from the metal and into her body, causing her to cry out until she fell away from it. Angel dropped to hands and knees. Some of her muscles spasmed in pain and she knew that she'd have a bruise on her face tomorrow. Blood trickled around her nose and mouth.

"Aww, does the girlie have a boo-boo?" her opponent asked mockingly. The crowd laughed.

Angel wiped the blood from her face and smiled.

Fight long enough, and you can get a feel for opponents. Specifically, you can tell the real ones from the fakes. Angel had been in enough fights to learn this herself.

Which is how she knew her opponent wasn't the real thing.

A real fighter, even a showboat, would have put her down first. He certainly wouldn't have turned his back to raise his arms to the crowd. But this guy wasn't that. Local top of the heap, maybe, but ultimately just a guy with muscles and a barroom brawl-level knowledge of fighting.

That could be dangerous, of course. Angel had met some damn good brawlers in her time. But they'd put this guy in his place just as easy as she intended to.

She stood up. Her opponent turned toward her and smirked, but that didn't match the mocking smile on her face. Angel flexed an arm, assumed a stance, and made a "Come get me" wave with the four fingers on her left hand.

He came at her again. His fist was raised for another punch. Nor he and the crowd saw it coming.

Suddenly her hand was flat and smacking his throat. His eyes widened in shock and pain. He stumbled, trying to regain breath, and Angel whirled about and kicked him in the jaw. Blood and a tooth flew free from his mouth. He fell over in shock.

Angel could have gone for the submission hold. But she held back. This fight wasn't over until she decided it was, and so she waited patiently for the champion to stand back up. He was livid with rage and didn't bother with anything but a furious charge.

This time Angel side-stepped him entirely. Before he could recover, she delivered a kick to his back that sent him on into the cage wall. His body spasmed upon contact with the electrical current running through the metal. He stumbled back and fell, landing onto his back and rear on the mat.

Angel let him recover. Pure rage burned in his eyes now, mixed with a fear not present before. He realized he was fighting someone beyond his usual foes. Angel wasn't someone he could intimidate or easily overpower. He avoided a heedless charge and brought his arms up into a defensive stance. "I can take whatever you dish out, bitch!"

That made Angel grin. She wiped a bit of the blood still trickling from her mouth and nose away before charging at him. Her attack started with a couple of jabs and kicks at him to test his defensive stance and let him block those without giving him any openings.

This led him into a false sense of security as well, which was just what she hoped would happen before she cut loose.

For the crowd, the site was astonishing. Their scar-faced champion was suddenly reeling. Punches too fast for him to catch pummeled his face, then a kick took him in the belly. He flailed back toward the edge of the cage and caught himself just shy of it.

Angel dropped low and threw a punch she'd been holding back for the right moment. Said punch struck her opponent between the legs with the full force her arm permitted.

The crowd's reaction was a mix of surprise, anger, and cheering.

The champion, on the other hand, squeaked a cry of sheer pain and doubled over before dropping to all fours. The strike left him stunned and on all fours.

Angel knelt down beside him and put him in a headlock. "That was for the girls," she hissed at him in a voice low enough that only he could hear her.

"What?" he squeaked back.

"I know what you are, Mr. Talbot. They told me what you did to them. If you don't want me to pummel the ever-living shit out of you, _stay down_."

"Bitch!" was the response, and a wild punch that nausea and disorientation made far too wild to connect. It did extend his arm enough for Angel to grab it. She twisted it out of place and, with an extra twist, bent and twisted it enough to dislocate his shoulder. He shrieked in pain.

Angel threw a punch across his face that nearly broke her knuckles. It did break his nose as a side-effect to knocking him out.

As the crowd cheered and booed, the organizer outside of the ring started counting down. With her adrenaline pumping Angel couldn't be too sure of the count's accuracy, but she suspected that it was slower than it should have been, with ten seconds being more like fifteen or twenty. But Talbot remained unconscious the entire time.

After reaching a very reluctant ten, the fight MC shut down the electricity on the cage and unlocked it. He stepped in and went up to Angel. She didn't resist him gripping her right wrist and lifting her arm up in triumph. She gave the crowd a triumphant grin and raised her left arm over her head as well. "Ladies and gentlemen, your new champion, the Angry Angel!"

Applause, boos, and some wolf whistles came from the dozens in the crowd.

Angel left the cage. One of the other staff for the ring walked up and handed her a wad of bills, representing her prize for the fight. She could feel malevolent gazes on her as she walked toward the exit. Talbot had clearly been the favorite of many, and more importantly, the one they'd bet on. She had just cost a lot of angry people money.

Angel was just shy of the door leading out when a familiar voice said, "Nice fight." She turned and faced a man who looked in his mid to late thirties, dark-haired, in a dark brown jacket, trousers, and gray shirt. "We might want to get some ice on your face, though."

" _Jarod_?" Angel asked, incredulous.

Her friend and comrade from the _Aurora_ , the Operations Officer compared to her role as Chief Tactical Officer, answered that with a grin and a nod. "So, where are you staying?" Jarod indicated the sullen, angry faces still in the crowd. "Because we might want to leave before your new fans come looking for you."

Angel sighed and nodded. "Follow me," she said. "I wasn't going to use the shower here anyway." 

* * *

The trip into town went as it usually did for Robert and Julia. She went off for her _t'ai chi_ class and he visited the contractors the family farm worked with.

After a day of checking on them, Robert was waiting outside of Julia's training studio when he noticed the shadow loom beside him. He turned his head to face the newcomer. The black and purple-striped jacket with dark trousers and a proper matching shirt spoke of someone with specific taste. The tall man's brown eyes focused on him and a friendly smile crossed his face. "Hello there," he said in a cheery voice, one with a clear English accent. "You're Robert Dale, right? The new Chairman of the Family Farm Association?"

"I am," answered Robert. He extended a hand and the Englishman accepted it. "I've never seen you around before."

"Oh, I just moved in. I'm the new doctor in town. Honestly that's what people usually just call me. 'The Doctor'."

"Just that?" Robert chuckled. "Don't you have another na-..."

Suddenly a sharp pain stabbed Robert in the forehead. He cried out and fell into the Doctor's arms before everything went black.


	2. Episode 3-01-2 Consequences

Julia hadn't bothered putting anything but her nightrobe on over her nightgown before storming to the medbay. Doctor Singh intercepted her halfway to the door to the care ward. "Captain, it's alright," the Sikh woman insisted.

"What happened?" Julia demanded. "Leo said something…"

Leo stepped out of the ward. He glanced toward Julia and shook his head, sighing. "That's really not necessary," he said to her.

"Is Rob okay?"

"He's still alive and his vitals are strong." Leo gestured to the door. Julia looked into the ward and saw Robert still on his bed, unmoving. "The EEG spike was peculiar. I wanted you to find out in the morning."

"I was up looking over Scotty's repair log for the day," Julia said, trying not to sound too defensive about her own reaction.

"At five in the morning?" Leo asked without bothering to hide his skepticism.

"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep," she answered.

"Ah." Leo nodded. He turned to Doctor Singh, who smiled back and stepped away. "Doctor Singh's going to give you a mild sleep aid," he said to her. "Then you can go back to your quarters and get some proper sleep."

Julia crossed her arms and glared at him. "You're just trying to shoo me away."

"You could say that," said Leo. "Or you could say I'm trying to preserve the Captain's dignity by not having her tromp around the ship in her nightgown."

Julia answered with a frustrated little growl. "You're enjoying this far too much," she charged.

"I am," Leo admitted.

"I need more sleep anyway, but I still want updates."

"I will make sure you get updates every morning. Around 0800."

"And what about you? You don't come on before 0700 usually."

"I'm also the Chief Medical Officer, and I'm responsible for all patients. When our coma patient has a new change to condition, I get called. That's because this is actually my job." Leo nodded to Singh, who stepped up and used a hypospray on Julia's partially-bare left arm. Julia rubbed the injection point absent-mindedly. "Now you've got maybe five minutes before that starts to kick in. Plenty of time to get back to your quarters if you catch the lift."

Julia took the hint and left.

Leo watched her leave with a small smile, one tinged with sadness. "I think she blames herself," said Doctor Singh. "That's what it feels like."

"Survivor's guilt," Leo murmured. A yawn escaped his throat. "I'm going to take my own advice and get some more sleep as well. See you in the morning, Doctor."

"Of course, Doctor," Singh answered. "Get as much rest as you need."

* * *

The ER room in the county hospital was not the kind of place Robert liked to be. He hadn't been in one since rushing Julia to the hospital for Little Robby's delivery, in fact. But now he was the patient, hooked up to all sorts of monitors and medical things.

Having Leo shining a bright light into his eye didn't help his mood.

"I'm fine," grumbled Robert.

"People who are fine don't get sudden stabbing headaches that cause them to black out," Leo pointed out.

Robert might have appealed that. But one look from Julia and he didn't. She clearly intended for him to take full advantage of the offered medical care.

"We're going to run a full battery of tests on you to make sure this won't be a recurring issue," Leo said to him, but for the benefit of Julia. "I'll go arrange that now."

After he left the room Robert laid back on the hospital bed and turned his head to Julia. She gripped his right hand with her own and smiled softly at him. "I'm sure it's nothing major," she said. "Sometimes things just happen."

"Yeah," Robert said. "Sometimes."

"So, who was that tall English guy, the one who called 911 for you?" Julia asked. "We didn't get to talk."

"He's a new doctor in the area, I didn't catch the name," Robert answered. He put his left hand to his forehead.

"Well, hopefully you'll see him again," she said. "Then I'll get to thank him."

"We both will," was Robert's answer to that. 

* * *

Jarod had helped Angel pack up after she was out of the shower. After donning a set of civilian clothes - blue sports jacket, white sleeveless tank top, gray sweatpants - she checked out, much to the gratitude of the manager who had heard of her victory and was worried Talbot's friends and fans might show up, and Jarod drove them out of Hendonville for the planetary capital of Corwinville. On the open paved highway that linked the two towns there was no speed limit, and Jarod had a full-speed aircar at his disposal. The two hundred kilometer distance thus disappeared in the space of ninety minutes.

Only when the lights of Corwinville beckoned ahead did Angel finally speak. "So, how did you find me?"

"It took me a little effort," Jarod said. "You've been pretty careful about paying cash. But your identity card still gets scanned on most worlds."

"But not here. Corwin's an independent world with barely any government, they wouldn't scan anyone."

"That was guess-work," Jarod admitted. "I looked at everything close to the last Alliance system you passed through. Corwin stood out, especially when I read about the attacks." Jarod frowned slightly at that. "Do you think kicking Talbot around will keep him from forcing himself on any more young women?"

"I hope it'll give him a second thought," Angel said. "And beating his ass felt good too."

"I'm sure it did. I'm just not sure it helped much in the long term. He might take it out on more victims."

"Maybe. Or maybe the others will hear about him getting his ass handed back to him by a girl and he'll have more trouble than it's worth getting frisky." Nevertheless Angel was frowning. "Maybe if I had the means I would have done something more permanent."

"Why not turn him in? To the authorities?"

"What authorities? This planet's virtually run by a mining company," Angel guffawed. "And their managers are making money off the fighting. And on a crappy world like this, even a half-baked talent like Talbot can become king of the ring."

"Or the cage." Jarod shook his head.

"So why did you come after me anyway?" Angel asked. "I told Julia I just wanted some time to myself."

"Yeah, and she passed that onto me." Jarod didn't take his eyes from the road. The car was slowing; they were reaching the outskirts of Corwinville. "So I decided to keep an eye on you."

"I don't need a damn babysitter," Angel growled.

"Normally, no. But you know me. I've studied psychiatric medicine before."

"Jarod, you've studied _everything_ before."

" _Touche_. But my point remains. I knew you were going through problems…"

"And you can stop right there," Angel insisted.

They came up to an intersection. A red light lit up overhead from a holo-emitter prompting Jarod to stop. "Angel, you can't bottle this up forever," he said.

Angel frowned at him. "One more word and I'm out."

Jarod sighed openly. "You're being…"

Before Jarod even started with "stubborn", Angel stepped out of the aircar. By the time she made it to the side of the road, the light turned green. Jarod had to turn and leave the road to pull up beside her. The anti-gravs under the aircar sent up plumes of dust and grass. "Alright, point made, you don't want to talk," he said.

Angel nodded briskly and climbed back into the passenger seat. "Do you have transportation?" she asked.

"I called Beth Rankin and got a courier shuttle from the Colony's shuttle pool," Jarod confirmed. "One of the old Darglan drive models we built back in the Facility days, so it's capable of Warp 6. If we leave tonight, we'll be back in Alliance space by tomorrow." Conscious of his own growing need, Jarod asked, "Are you hungry? There's a diner near the starport that looked good."

Angel nodded. "Sure. I'm always up for a greasy spoon after a good fight." She smiled at him. "You're paying though."

"Oh? You're the one with a wad of fight winnings in your pocket."

To that, Angel's smile turned almost malevolent. "Oh, that? I already spent it."

Jarod blinked. "On _what_?"

"A bribe," Angel admitted. "It turns out that whatever Talbot's paying the sheriff in Hendonville to cover up for him, it's really not a lot."

"It's got to be more than the prize money of a single fight."

"Oh, it is." Angel settled back into her seat, arms raised and hands behind her head in a pose of relaxation that pulled up her tank top enough to display the muscled abs around her navel. "Which is why I placed a bunch of bets on myself before the fight. It turns out you can make a lot of money betting against the local champ if you know he's going to lose."

Jarod couldn't help himself. He had to laugh at that. "Nice work," he said.

"Thank you. Now, let's go get some food, and get off this crappy planet."

* * *

Robert's return home was met with a meal. After enjoying his grandmother's cooking yet again, the family gathered in the den to watch the large plasma screen television that served as another reminder of how well they were doing these days. The channel was set to a pay-per-view professional fighting bout being waged in St. Louis. They cheered the sight of Angel fighting another woman, a blond Caucasian, and overpowering her in round after round.

"Why is Auntie Angel fighting?" Little Robby inquired from his place on the main couch between his parents.

"Because she likes it," Robert said to him. "It's like a sport to her."

"But Uncle Zack doesn't hit people with his bat," the boy pointed out.

"Or at least, he hasn't in awhile," Robert said, remembering an old game during their high school days. He tousled his son's blond hair. "Uncle Zack plays a different sport."

"Back in my day, girls didn't punch each other like that," Grandma Anna remarked. "Not on television, anyway."

"Did girls have muscles?" Little Robby asked.

"Only on farms," she replied.

On the screen Angel threw a punch that sent her opponent flying onto her back. The ten second count commenced and ended without the other woman getting up. The room filled with applause at the count of ten. The referee raised Angel's arm in victory and a commentator started speaking about the fight's outcome.

"Angel's only a couple victories away from a championship bout now," Julia said. "She could win it all."

"I'm sure she will," said Robert. "So, who wants some dessert?"

Naturally the first response was from his son, a jubilant " _Ice cream!_ " 

* * *

Kerri's Diner and Bar reminded Angel of a whole number of small family diners she'd seen, and eaten at, during her lifetime. The booths were modestly comfortable with their green-colored plush seating, the table a pleasant brown wood pattern even if it was obviously a composite plastic table and not actual wood. The usual condiments for a diner were present at the window end of the table. Salt, pepper, sugar packets, and small containers of various fruit jellies flanking the napkin dispenser.

The remnants of two meals were on the table. Angel used her straw to take another drink of orange juice while Jarod finished the last piece of a toasted roast beef sandwich. "I can't believe I missed this place when I landed," she said, contented.

"I think it's funny that this places looks like it could fit into the 20th Century with just a few changes." Jarod motioned to the bar counter where other customers were eating.

"Some people like the classics."

After that was noted, silence fell. The awkward moment passed when Angel asked, "How is the family?"

"They're doing well." Jarod sipped at the coffee from his mug for a moment. "Emily's making her way as a reporter. Apparently Beth considers her to be something of a pain."

Angel laughed, although it came out as something of a snort. "And your dad?"

"He's trained as a transport pilot and joined a carrier transport service."

"I'm glad they're settling in," Angel said. "After everything that happened with the Centre…"

Jarod nodded without a word at that sentiment.

"Have you ever finished sorting through that data we stole?" Angel asked.

"To be honest, I haven't touched that lately," Jarod answered. "My family's safe. I can't imagine Mister Raines is still alive, and Miss Parker…" Jarod shook his head. "She made her choice. I'm not sure where she would be, but I'm not going to risk everything to look for her."

"And your Mom?" Angel picked at a last scrap of her hashed potatoes. "I still wonder why we didn't pick her up once we got back to the ship."

"We had other concerns at the time, and my father insists that she's safe," Jarod answered. "If we had remained in orbit, the Centre might have tracked our activity. And there was the fact that we had wounded and tired people."

"Right." Angel crossed her arms. "Did you ever get that request through to get your mother out?"

Jarod nodded. "I submitted everything to Admiral Maran. But I've yet to hear back from him."

"Considering all of the permissions he has to get from the officials in the government…" Angel frowned. "Back in the day, we didn't have this. We'd have just flown a ship to pick her up."

"This isn't then."

"Yeah. Now we've got chains of command, authorities and laws…"

Given the look coming over his face, it was clear Jarod knew where this line of discussion was going. "There are tradeoffs, yes."

"It's ridiculous," fumed Angel. "I get it, they don't want to cause your home Earth to go nuts on finding out all of this insane Multiverse stuff. Fine! We sneak into orbit and get your mother out, bam, we're done. But nope, that would be against the law. Just like every other good thing we did back then was supposed to be, y'know? And… and here we are, on a world where I had to bribe the authorities to put a rapist piece of crap in jail, and we don't do crap about it."

Jarod finished taking a drink by the time she finished. "It almost sounds like you want to leave."

"I guess so, and why not?" Angel shrugged. "Cat's got her life now. She doesn't need big sis hovering around her protectively anymore. Robert and I are done, for good. That's not changing whether or not he wakes up again. He doesn't need me around to remind him of how we screwed that up."

"And you don't need him around to remind _you_ ," Jarod pointed out. When she scowled at him, he continued, "So you feel lost. You're not sure what you're doing anymore."

"Don't psycho-analyze me, dammit."

"This isn't psycho-analyzing," Jarod retorted. "This is obvious fact. You're used to being Cat's guardian and to watching Robert's back. Now they don't need that, and you're not sure of what you're doing anymore. And you're thinking of walking away."

"Okay, sure, yeah," she said. "Maybe so."

"Then why did you ask to go to the _Enterprise_ with Julia?" asked Jarod. "If you're not sure you want to be a part of the Alliance anymore, why ask for that transfer?"

For a moment Angel didn't answer. "Because she's my friend," was what she ultimately said. "Because I wasn't thinking the same way at the time. I… I just wanted to get away, I guess."

"From Robert," Jarod remarked.

"Yeah." Angel chuckled. It was a bitter noise. "Boy did I get that wish. Now he might never wake up."

"You don't blame yourself for that, do you?"

"No. That was Robert being the White Knight again. For all the good it's done him." Angel gave him a gloomy look. "I just… I feel like a fifth wheel right now, Jarod. And I'm asking myself what I'm doing, sitting shifts at the tactical station with nothing going on, filling out reports, running exercises. I miss the old days when we didn't have to put up with that."

"I know the feeling." Jarod nodded. "And I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it sometimes. But let's be honest. We need something like the Alliance to fight things like the Dominion, the Batarians…"

"...the Nazis," Angel finished for him.

"I figured that one was obvious. Because we both know we'd have been nothing to them but maybe a nuisance back in the old days."

Angel didn't bother replying to that.

"Are you going to leave?" Jarod asked. "I mean, resign from the Alliance?"

There was a heavy moment when she seemed unwilling to answer the question. When she did, she shrugged and said, "I don't know yet. I can't leave until the war is over anyway, so I'll think about it."

Jarod nodded at her response. After several seconds to show he was dropping the conversation subject, he said, "Well, let's go pay for the meal. I need to get that shuttle back to New Liberty before we return to the _Aurora_."

"Right. Remember what I said."

"Yeah, I do." He smirked before standing up. "I'm paying."

Angel responded with a slight grin.

A similar grin was on the face of a figure in the far corner of the diner. Neither noticed it, nor said figure moving to follow them after they left.

* * *

There were many sights for one to see on the planet Gersal. Jantarihal's grand spires, the majestic round structures of the Great Temple of Swenya, the rainbows thrown up by the Falls of Hentan.

Lucilla Lucero - Lucy to her friends - was ready to add the Temple of Perception to that list.

The Temple of Perception, as it was called, was more of a cave, carved into the mountain of Talmatan in the southern mountain range of Jaldiran. The continent of Jaldiran was across the Inner Sea from the main continent of Pantiram, where Jantarihal and the Great Temple were found. But it was also the continent where Swenya was born, and Talmatan was a mere twenty kilometers from Trubin. Today one of the largest cities on Jaldiran, it had been nothing but a poor village when Swenya was recorded as being born there, and its importance was such that the Order maintained a Temple there and supported the pilgrims and visitors who came to examine the preserved elements from the Grand Foundress' birth.

Talmatan had a similar importance. By her own memoirs and the traditions of the Order she had created, the mountain of Talmatan was where Reshan had trained Swenya in the art of _swevyra_ \- of life force energy connected to the universe, wielded by one attuned to it - and guided her to become the great heroine to her people she would one day be. By those same traditions, Reshan and Swenya had descended into the cave after being guided to it by their connection to the universe, and they had experienced visions there.

It was easy for Lucy to realize why even before she entered the Temple, wearing a simple brown robe and white vest and leggings. She could feel the energy inside the cavern. It was energy steeped in light and dark, a powerful focal point within the Flow of Life.

The attendees had greeted her respectfully. All could see the weapon dangling from her belt, the _swenkesh_ , or "lightsaber" by Lucy's own words. The entire Order had become aware of her learning how to build new ones, just as they had earlier watched her repair Swenya's Blade - revealed to be the same kind of weapon - and defeat the mad _Mastrash_ Goras with it. That she was still deigning to take the Field Trials to prove her worthiness to be a _swevyra'se_ \- a Knight of Life as the Gersallians considered it - was another mark in her favor.

Once she was fully admitted, Lucy was left alone in an interior grotto. A mat was laid out for her to kneel on and meditate. She did the kneeling part, but meditation was not something she did right away. She considered instead what she was doing here, why she had agreed to take these Trials, this particular act being the last of them. She'd gone to the extent of asking Meridina what would happen.

" _I cannot tell you what it is you will experience_ ," Meridina had warned Lucy. " _All face their own challenges._ "

Lucy felt the power resonate around her. For a minute, then another, nothing further seemed to occur. The silence of the cavern around her was absolute.

The faint sound startled her for just that reason. Lucy felt out for what was there just to feel there was nothing apparent.

But the faint sound continued. It continued until it was clearly footsteps.

Lucy looked up at an old, wiry woman. A crown of wispy white hair surrounded a balding head. Her eyes were dark in color, her face drawn and gaunt. Dark and gray robes covered the body. "Come with me," she instructed.

Slowly Lucy rose from the mat. "Who are you?"

"An ally," the woman said. "Come."

They walked deeper into the cave. It actually seemed off, actually. Could the cave really be this deep? Around her the surroundings grew so dark she could barely see. She felt out for any signs of danger and found none.

That made the fall all the more perplexing.

One step the floor was there. On the next it wasn't. Lucy cried out in surprise and reached out to try and find purchase. But there didn't seem to be any surface around to grab.

And then, like that, she was on solid ground again. Her surroundings were just as dark as before. But this time the darkness felt unnatural, as if it had gathered for the purpose of obscuring her surroundings.

"There you are," said the old woman. "Come."

Lucy looked through the haze. Wherever this was, or at least whatever it was, she could see glinting patterns ahead of her. The old woman walked toward the haze and Lucy followed. She still couldn't make out who this was supposed to be. "Where are you taking me?" she asked. Around her more light glittered through the haze.

There was no audible reply from the woman. They continued on toward the heart of the chamber.

"What is this place?" Lucy asked. "The Gersallians didn't say anything about it."

"Can't you feel it?" the woman asked. "This place is one of power. At the heart of this machine, the power to save us all can be found."

Lucy's senses felt something from the machine. Power. But instead of the teeming energy of the Flow of Life, it felt… different. Almost wrong to her senses.

"Why do you hesitate? The stakes do not allow for it," the woman insisted. A frown crossed her face. "The Darkness are coming for us all. This is the power that can fight them."

The vision swept over Lucy. Dark, nameless things that seemed to be made of nothing but destructive hatred. She saw planets crumble, stars die out.

And then she saw herself. For a moment she looked deceptively Human, or rather as she always did. Not short but not tall, long dark hair with curls, blue eyes, a face that was just a tad too round to be considered oval-shaped. No muscle definition, just a solid body of about five feet ten inches height, with a light brown complexion hinting at her Mexican-born mother's _mestizo_ background.

But there was something in the eyes, something in the way she looked, that wasn't right. It didn't fit who Lucy was. Instead there was a different form of power, something terrible and without the Light of the Flow of Life. Lucy watched this other her wield this enormous power against those dark things, against other things, with more planets dying, more stars going out. Dying, it seemed, at her own hand.

"Follow me, I will show you to the heart of this machine." The old woman beckoned. "None will stop you. They would not dare. Only you can claim this power and change the fate of the Multiverse with it."

"I…" Lucy looked on through the haze. Felt that terrible power. Something beyond anything she'd seen or felt before. But it felt like death, like something inhuman, and she didn't want that.

"It is not death, girl. You will be beyond death. Beyond anything and everything, free to impose your will as you see fit."

"But it's… wrong," Lucy insisted. "The Flow of Life isn't moving in here. Whatever this is… it's not part of that."

"It is _superior_ to it. It will free you from the Flow of Life."

"But I don't want that!" Lucy shouted. She reached out for the Flow, for what flickering bits of it she felt, and tried to gather it. "I'm not using this thing. It's wrong."

"It is our future!" the woman shrieked. "Without it, we will lose everything. You will lose everything!" A twisted, angry look came over the old woman. "Can you accept that, Lucy Lucero? Losing the ones you love? Just as you lost your mother?"

That old pain surged inside of Lucy with surprising fierceness. She could remember her mother's last words on the hospital bed, pleading with Lucy to go and do great things. She could remember her own hot tears running down her cheeks as her mother slipped away. That open, raw void from the piece of her heart that was torn away.

The old woman smiled with bitter vindication. "And now imagine losing the others. The ones you call your family."

That was a prospect Lucy had already experienced. She thought of the others dying as well. Tearing new, terrible gaps into her heart, more painful than anything Patrick Duffy might have tried.

"You can save them. With this, you will never know loss again. Take the power. Accept it."

The thought went through Lucy's head. This wasn't real. She'd come to meditate, to take a trial, and this must be it. It had to be, didn't it? The alternative was that some old woman was hiding a mysterious device beneath the mountain, and somehow that seemed more ludicrous than the things she had seen since that day when Julia had rescued her from the Duffy house.

But this felt so real. More real than a dream. She was here. And this thing was. She could imagine the power it held. With it… she'd never lose another loved one. She wouldn't lose Julia or Leo or Rob or Cat or Jarod…

...she wouldn't lose Meridina.

Somehow, that thought was the most terrible one. At the same time, the thought also led her to consider how Meridina would react to this. To the idea of turning away from the Flow of Life and embracing… whatever this was. She could imagine Meridina's horror at the idea. And her disappointment at Lucy ultimately rejecting the things she'd spent so much time teaching her.

"I sense how much you care for your mentor in these arts," said the woman. "But her way is to accept death. It can only bring pain. Use the machine, Lucy Lucero, and you and those you love need never die."

The words alone did not move Lucy. But she could sense images. Images of her friends, those she considered family, dying. Robert, Julia, Tom and Scotty, Jarod, Nick, Leo… their lifeless faces cycled in a montage.

Meridina's hurt the worst. The idea that she could lose her, this wonderful and brave woman who had done so much for her, introduced Lucy to this potential that had always been inside her… that hurt and frightened Lucy.

The idea that she could do something that would ensure she never lost Meridina, she never lost anyone… that was a possibility Lucy found she couldn't just give up on. After all, hadn't she lost enough? Her mother had gone. She'd tried to do the right thing and ended up the plaything of a sadistic monster for her efforts. Only a miracle had saved her from that, and that had led to a life of desperate fights and close calls. How close had they come against the Daleks? How close to death had she been? And Meridina? The others?

Lucy approached the opening. "Yes," said the old woman. "This is your destiny. Fulfill it, raise up yourself and those you care for, and strike down the darkness that threatens us all." The hazy opening itself seemed to beckon her, for all that it felt… wrong.

 _It is wrong_ , thought Lucy. _Whatever this is… it's wrong. This power isn't of the Flow of Life. It's different. It's dangerous._

 _I… I can't…_

Tears trickled down her cheeks. Again the thought of what she'd lost, what she could lose, came to her. If this was a way to prevent that, shouldn't she take it?

 _But at what cost?_ To be cut off from the Flow of Life? What would that do to her? What would it do to the others? Would they accept this as well? Would Meridina? What if they didn't, what if this was as wrong as she felt?

 _But I don't want to lose them!_ The protest filled her mind, and she felt it ring both ways. She was afraid of losing them to death. But if they rejected her for this, if it made her something terrible… she would lose them anyway.

"Why do you hesitate?" demanded the old woman.

Lucy didn't hear her. Indeed, as far as she was concerned, this strange, hazy place was gone. She was in a hospital room. Her mother was on the bed, weak, dying. She had Lucy's hand clasped in hers. "My little one. Please, you must move on. You have a life."

To that, Lucy shook her head. Her voice choked out, "But I love you, Mama. I don't want to be without you."

"I'm always with you, my precious little one. No matter what." Hands coarsened by hard labor and time were nevertheless gentle against Lucy's cheek.

And then the hand fell, and it never moved again.

 _It didn't happen that way_ was Lucy's first thought to this. Her mother could barely speak at the end. Her last act before falling asleep for the final time had been to smile at her while her eyes, normally filled with pain, suddenly showed nothing but love. As if she had known she wouldn't wake up.

"Go!" urged the old woman.

But Lucy couldn't. That false memory of her mother's deathbed still had a power over her, as if she knew those were the words Isabela Lucero would have used had she been able to speak. And those words were true. Lucy had always kept her mother with her. Not to dwell over her loss but to remember her life, and what they had shared. And to think of how she would feel about Lucy now, about all that she had accomplished.

This power… this wasn't for her. This wasn't what Lucy was. It was something terrible and she knew it would change her if she touched it. It would do something to her and make her different, make her something her mother may not have recognized… something her friends never would. Something Meridina would feel only pain over.

"I'm not doing it," Lucy said. She turned to face her host. "Whatever this is… I don't want it. It's not for me. It's not what I am."

She could feel the anger and frustration from the old woman. And with it came another sensation, something Lucy was angry with herself for missing before. The old woman did have power, a lot of it… and it was cold and dark. Her eyes blazed in fury and turned yellow and then red. "If you will not serve my purpose willingly, you leave me no choice!" barked the old woman, as cold dark energy swirled around her. Stronger, nastier, than it had when Lucy had felt it inside _Mastrash_ Goras.

Lucy reached for her belt. But her lightsaber wasn't present. Nor might it have been much use, as the attack didn't come physically but mentally. The old woman's rage permeated her sense of self as it slammed into Lucy's mind. _I will make you my own_. _I will have that power!_

To that Lucy gathered her own. She grimaced and dropped to a knee before her standing opponent. But she kept her head up and her face defiant. Given the power she was facing, Lucy reached out beyond her own connection and felt the warmth of the Flow of LIfe. It was strong now. Vibrant. And she could channel it in this place.

And she did so. Everything that was Lucy Lucero - her fears and her joys and her desires and her devotions - struck back at the invader of her mind. "No," rasped the old woman. "You will give in! I felt it! You are ready to accept what I offer!"

"No," Lucy insisted. "I was tempted. But you're asking me to be something I can't be."

"But the power you would wield…"

"I don't want power."

"Lies!" snarled the woman, who dropped to a knee. All of her efforts were being expended at Lucy, and none of it was working for her. "You let yourself be taught in these ways. You opened yourself to power willingly, you wanted it!"

"I accepted what I already had in order to protect others," Lucy corrected. "But I never _wanted_ this." A small, bemused grin crossed Lucy's face. "To be honest, I sometimes think _swevyra_ is a pain in the ass. And I'm pretty sure that whatever this is… I don't want."

The old woman went down to all fours. "You must take it!"

"No, I don't." Lucy knelt down in front of her. "Now… get the _hell_ out of my mind!"

With a final surge of effort, Lucy pushed the old woman out.

Everything around her vanished. The old woman, the hazy glittering surroundings, the chamber. She was all alone in near-darkness.

"You are an interesting one," said another voice. A woman's voice, with the quiet lilt that Meridina often had when speaking English.

Lucy turned to face the newcomer. She was a woman, young but approaching middle-age, wearing a blue robe over a brown shirt and leggings. A very familiar weapon dangled from her belt, just as familiar as the open sandals on her feet. Her complexion was fair, her hair dark brown, and blue eyes met Lucy's own. Lucy felt her mouth hang open.

She'd seen this woman before.

"Swenya."

"So to speak," said the figure.

Lucy stared in surprise. Meridina hadn't mentioned this might happen.

"Oh, I do not appear very often," said the old heroine of the Gersallians. "Honestly, you could possibly consider me nothing more than a personification of your connection to the Flow of Life."

" _Swevyra_ makes a lot of things possible," Lucy pointed out.

To that Swenya grinned. "You have no idea how true that is," she said. "What do you think is happening? Right now?"

Ever since the old woman and the hazy machine chamber had disappeared, Lucy had gradually recalled what was going on. "This is a test," Lucy said. "I wasn't told what was being tested…"

"I would hope not. The expectation would ruin everything." Swenya stepped toward her.

"I could never have expected _that_ ," Lucy said. "I've never been to a place like that. And I've never seen the woman."

"Of course not. The test is not fixed, it can be anything from your imagination to experiencing a potential future. What is important is what you carry away from it."

That prompted a nod. "And how did I do?"

"How do you think you did?"

"Well, I said no. Not as quickly as I would have wished I did…"

To that Swenya grinned and chuckled. "Yes. But you did it more quickly than I did. I actually entered the inner chamber before I stopped."

Lucy blinked at that admission. "Then you know what it was? What that place is for?"

"It was… a relic," said Swenya. "One of only a few remaining, held in waiting by one of the last of its creators. Or creations, one might say. Either way, you were right to step away."

"I still don't understand what it does."

"It is something you may learn with time." Swenya's expression showed how grave she thought that possibility to be. Said expression softened after a moment. "Allow the future to tend to itself, Lucy Lucero. We do not live in the future, after all, but in the present moment, and understanding that distinction is always necessary for those like us."

Lucy nodded. "The profound wisdom is nice, but I'm still wondering if you're really Swenya or just a figment of my imagination."

The answer to that was a cryptic smile. "That you will need to figure out for yourself, I think."

Lucy's eyes opened. She found she was still seated on the mat in the cave. Gentle candlelight flickered over the beige-tinted walls of the cavern. All she could hear was the beating of her own heart, accompanied by her breathing. "Was that it?" she murmured to herself. "Was that my trial?" She remained where she was for the moment. Minutes passed as she considered what she'd seen, or rather what she'd dreamed, and if that was what she was supposed to see all along.

When nothing else happened, she finally stood up and left.

* * *

The sun was low in the sky and the waning light of twilight played over the field of wheat visible outside the window of Robert's home. The old family home where his grandparents still resided was visible as well, nearly to the road. The edge of the barn was covered in shadow, facing away from the setting sun.

Looking at the vista gave Robert a sense of profound joy. Anything, everything, he might have wanted in life, and it was here. Everything was just right. So right that it actually felt unreal.

Something inside him seemed to resonate with that thought. As if this wasn't real but some great fantasy he was living in. How else could he explain it? Everything going right?

But why can't it be going right? Why did this feel wrong sometimes?

"How're you doing, Rob?"

Robert turned his head and faced his grandfather. Allen Dale was in casual T-shirt and shorts. His weathered face was creased with age and worry, as it had been growing up. Now Allen was well through his eighties, although he didn't seem too different than he'd been while Robert was growing up.

That thought went away as Robert answered, "I'm alright. Whatever it was, it's not happening now."

"Right." Allen gave him a pat on the shoulder. "I'm just a worried old man, I suppose. You can be hard on yourself, Rob. Always trying to do the right things and be the good guy. Sometimes you have to remember to take care of yourself."

"Leo said something like that."

"Good doctors always do." Allen's eyes remained fixed to his. "Are you sure you've got nothing troubling you, Rob? It looks to me like you do."

"I'm just…" Robert drew in a sigh. "Sometimes, lately, it feels like things are going too well. I have everything I might have wanted in life. And it feels like something's just… I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, I guess. Maybe today was it. Maybe I've got something wrong with me, and that's to balance all of this out."

"Well, I can see that. But you can't go through life wondering about things like that. You'll lose your mind." Allen tilted his head towards the dining room. "Now, your Grandma has a dinner ready and will be mighty angry if you come to the table looking morose."

A smile came to Robert's face. "Yeah. And I wouldn't want to get Grandma angry." He nodded and joined his grandfather in stepping away from the window.

* * *

Tom Barnes walked into Main Engineering on the _Aurora_ through one of the aft entrances. The lanky, red-haired engineer's head swiveled from side to side, taking in the banks of naqia reactors that were inactive but ready to be brought to life to power the _Aurora_. He walked around the corner to the alcove where the master systems display showed a two and a half meter long likeness of the ship. Below the display, a table with multiple consoles allowed the Chief Engineer, assistants, and watch officers to check the status of systems across the ship and relay damage control teams and repair crews to needed points as well as interact with whoever was manning the Bridge Engineering Station. It, like the display, was new, both having replaced older counterparts from before the partial rebuild of Main Engineering over the past ten weeks.

Ten weeks. And yet it sometimes felt more like ten days, or even ten hours, since the Cybermen and Daleks had made their attempts to take the ship and killed hundreds of crew in the process. Nearly half of the engineering crew was made up of new faces, and there were now missing faces that Barnes knew he would never see again.

He stepped up to the control board and made a few perfunctory checks. The repairs were mostly complete. Rebuilt systems had been upgraded in some cases, and most of the ship's weaponry had been overhauled. The phaser weapons that Captain Farmer and Scotty had installed had been removed, replaced with new plasma beam emitters found in recovered Darglan technological data, weapons based off Asgard technology according to Robert.

That thought haunted Barnes. He had always been closer to Zack, true, and there were times he thought Robert took things too far, but he also knew Robert was always looking out for them. Even when Barnes was being an idiot. Now he might be gone. Losses to the engineering crew had been bad enough, but this was a wound that went even deeper. The idea that Rob might never wake up…

"Aye, there ye are." Scotty stepped into the alcove. While Barnes was wearing the standard engineering uniform for the Stellar Navy, with the black main color and beige branch color, Scotty always preferred his white long-sleeve jacket under a black engineer's vest. "What did ye find?"

"No sign of any lingering hull breaches in the sector. I detailed Salehi and Iktana to check the local sensor clusters. We might have a bad one in the rebuild."

To that the older man sighed and shook his head. "I told th' installers they dinnae have t' rush it."

"Yeah, well, the dock teams are more worried about how fast they finish things, it makes them look like badasses or something." Barnes checked over something minor before asking, "So did Nesay go?"

"Aye. She transferred t' th' _Pathfinder_. She'll make Chief by th' end o' th' year, I imagine."

"Another face gone then." Tom tapped a couple of keys. "Hey, Scotty?"

"Hrm?"

"Do you ever get used to it?" Barnes asked. "Having the people you work with leave?"

"Ye do. But that dinnae mean anythin' when it comes t' feelin' upset about it." A thoughtful look crossed Scott's face. "Ye're always goin' t' miss th' men an' women ye serve with. An' ye get auld enough an' th' list of them gets longer than ye'd ever expect. It makes ye miss yer youthful days even more, I've found."

Barnes nodded in reply. It was clear the words were coming from bitter experience given Scotty's age. "It's a Goddamned cycle, I guess," Barnes said. "People are gone, new ones show up, you get used to them and make friends, then the whole damned process repeats."

"That sounds about right," Scotty confirmed. "Just a part o' life, lad. Ye cannae dae anythin' about it. Ye just live with it like anythin' else. An' since ye brought th' matter up, let's take a look at th' shift rosters. I'd like t' have everyone ready when we're launchin'."

Barnes nodded. He moved one console down and used it to bring up the current active roster. "Alright, let's get this done," he murmured as names and open shift positions popped up.

Scotty's words refused to leave his mind, however. The idea that his friends might be gone one day gave Barnes a sense of possible loneliness. What would life be like without Zack or the others?

It was a question he decided he didn't want to answer.

* * *

Meridina walked through the halls of the Order of Swenya's Great Temple with enthusiasm in her gait. It was out of place here, and certainly not what she would have done just months before. It wouldn't have been right for her, not as a _swevyra'se_ of the Order.

But she wasn't one anymore. She was merely Meridina of the Lumantala now, or rather Lieutenant Commander Meridina of the Alliance Stellar Navy, the chief of security for the _Starship Aurora_. The only reason she was here, in this hall, was the invitation of _Mastrash_ Ledosh, her teacher and mentor, otherwise the red-robed Temple Knights would have never granted her entrance to the building.

It was a strange feeling, in fact, to be walking these halls, dressed in a simple, sleeveless violet vest that showed the smooth skin of her bare arms. The sea-green skirt ended just at the knees, revealing the curved shape of her lower legs. Given the warmth of the season outside it was not out of place, but an occasional sensation of being underdressed did strike her whenever she noticed a member of the Order pass wearing the full proper robes.

She arrived at Ledosh's office to find him with Gina Inviere. Gina looked Human (and thus Gersallian), but the blond woman was partly artificial in truth, a human-form Cylon once sent to infiltrate the Colonies of Kobol. Several terrible trials and betrayals later and she was here, Ledosh's current apprentice, looking to overcome the darkness in her past. She was in blue robes with a cream white-colored tunic and leggings, blond hair pulled into a ponytail.

Ledosh had the same color of tunic and leggings while his robe was purple with a blue trim line, marking him a _Mastrash_ and member of the Order Council. He looked up and revealed a worn face, slightly rounded, with graying hair and a similarly-graying goatee. A look of weariness was present in his light brown eyes. It didn't go away entirely when Meridina returned the look. She had the feeling there was a lot on Ledosh's mind. "The Temple of Perception's rector informed me that Lucy emerged from the Inner Sanctum. He believes she has completed her vision successfully."

"Then she has passed the Trial of Perception," Ledosh noted. "Lucy Lucero is, by custom, a _swevyra'se_." He smiled slightly. "Her success does credit to her teacher."

To that Meridina smiled and shook her head. "It was her accomplishment. I cannot take credit."

"Your humility remains one of your strong points," Ledosh noted. He nodded to Gina. "You may go, Gina. I will call for you if you are needed."

"Of course." Gina nodded back and then gave another respectful head bow to Meridina before departing.

As she left, Meridina noted that the weapon on her belt was not a _lakesh_ , but a gray and gold handle of what could only be a _swenkesh_. One of Lucy's "lightsabers". "Gina completed hers?" Meridina asked.

"Yes. It took her some time, just as it took me." Ledosh folded his hands together on his fine wooden desk. "Now that she has completed the Trials, your decision to train her has been completely vindicated. Lucy's reputation with the Order can never be higher."

"It merely confirmed what many already sensed about her," Meridina pointed out. "And she has spent most of her time between Trials showing others how to assemble their own _swenkesham_."

Ledosh nodded. "Yes. The Council is already preparing new training directives to take her weapons into account. But it will be some time before the weapon is universal, I believe. A number of our people have not yet mastered the practice. Others have no desire to learn it. _Mastrash_ Owan, for instance, has insisted he will never give up his _lakesh_."

"He is, as always, a traditionalist," Meridina remarked. "And I am sure Lucy will provide the requested lessons."

"Yes."

Again Meridina had the sense that Ledosh was concerned with something. He seemed weary, distracted, and that was not his usual demeanor with her. "Is anything wrong, _Mastrash_?"

"Nothing tangible," he answered. It indicated where his concern was coming from. He sensed something amiss. "But I have felt a vague threat forming over the last few months. And there are implications for us all."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There is a growing malaise in certain sections of the Order," Ledosh said. "I have sensed it, as have others."

"It may simply be from _Mastrash_ Goras' fall," Meridina proposed. "Many respected him. To be reminded of the ease by which we might fall was not pleasant."

"That may be a contribution, yes." Ledosh nodded. "And it explains the reluctance to do anything more than leave Goras in confinement."

"The government has not asked for him to be tried for the Dissenter attacks?" Meridina asked, surprised at her mentor's admission.

"They have remarked upon it, but the Dissenters are still a concern. They would rather we deal with Goras as normal. But there are those on the Council who argue for patience. That given time, he may rediscover his inner light."

That was something Meridina could understand. Returning Goras to the Light would be a victory, and might calm any lingering Dissenter problems. But there was something in Ledosh's manner that made Meridina worried about the situation. "Is there anything else you would like to tell me, _Mastrash_?" she asked.

"For the moment, no," he said. "I am continuing some personal inquiries into various subjects. If those inquiries provide me with specific answers, I will inform you." He smiled at her and nodded. "Go on, Meridina. Meet Lucy when her shuttle lands and spend time with your family. I know you are due to return to the _Aurora_ shortly. You needn't spend your entire time home attending to our business."

"Of course, _Mastrash_ ," Meridina said. He was right, she didn't need to spend all of her time in the Temple. She was no longer a member of the Order, after all, and lingering would only be a reminder to all about her choice in leaving. " _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_."

" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ ," he answered.

After Meridina left, Gina entered, giving Ledosh a concerned look "You did not tell her everything, " she said.

"All I could speak of are suppositions and suspicions," Ledosh answered. "I will speak with her when the time is right." He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the volume he had been holding onto for months now The fine golden calligraphy on the dark, leather bound book read _The Life of Reshan_.

"You've been reading that book for months," said Gina.

"Yes. The old language within is harder to decipher than I had expected," he answered.

" _Mastrash_ Inrama is said to know much about…"

"No," Ledosh said, his voice firm though not loud. "For now, I will continue my investigations alone."

That caused a frown to form on Gina's face. "I wish you would share more of your concerns, _Mastrash_ ," she said. "With me or with Meridina."

"In time, I will," he promised. "But only when I have something tangible to share."

* * *

Jarod parked the aircar in the rental service's return lot. Scanners determined the return and logged it, securing the vehicle from further use while Jarod and Angel retrieved their things. The spaceport was small enough that it was a short walk to the private hangar where Jarod had parked the shuttle. "How did you afford this?" Angel asked as they neared the hanger Jarod had rented.

"Private hangers aren't that expensive on a world like this," Jarod answered. "And Sydney offered to help pay for anything I needed."

"How is it?" Angel asked. "Having both Sydney and your Dad back? He was your second dad, I mean."

"Honestly?" Jarod shook his head. "Sydney's the only real father I've had in my life. I don't hold it against Charles. It isn't fair to him that I got stolen from him as a child. But he and I aren't as close."

"I don't know if you could be. I mean, Sydney effectively raised you, even if he was working for those bastards in the Centre."

Jarod tapped in his entry key at the side door. It confirmed his entry and slid open. They stepped in to find the hanger darkened. "We've always had a complex relationship," Jarod admitted. "But in the end, Sydney…"

Angel noticed the stop. "What?"

Jarod's face went blank. "The lights should be coming on," he said. "Why aren't they?"

An instinctive tension came over Angel. She let her bag drop to the floor and braced herself.

The attack came a second later.


	3. Episode 3-01-3 Consequences

The figure that zipped out of the deep shadows of the hanger moved with great speed. He or she - they couldn't tell given the suit the figure was in and how fast it was going - slammed into Jarod first and sent him flying. Angel threw a punch that caught the figure in the jaw. It stumbled backward for one step before catching itself. Angel's leg came up in a snap kick aimed at the solar plexus. The attacker's hand moved in a blur and caught her by the ankle. With one powerful pull the attacker sent Angel flying. She cried out in surprise and slammed into Jarod as he started to get up. Both fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

Angel looked toward their attacker. Pale skin showed in the shadowed face. Whomever it was had a pair of sunglasses, or something like them, on their face. A devilish grin came to the attacker's face. "I saw you fight," the figure said, voice raspy and nearly inhuman. "I wanted to see how well you could do for myself." A gloved hand came up and wiped a streak of blood from the side of the mouth. The attacker gave the blood a thoughtful lick. "You actually landed a punch and drew blood. Very good."

"What are you?" Angel asked. Beside her Jarod was starting to stand.

"Death."

The figure surged ahead again, moving with a speed that Angel hadn't seen since that desperate fight with _Mastrash_ Goras. Despite all efforts, Angel couldn't land a single hit. Every punch or kick was blocked.

The figure stuck, a punch that sent Angel flying back into the wall. Blood trickled down the left side of Angel's mouth. The attacker turned and grabbed Jarod's right fist as it came in for a blow. He cried out in pain. The figure squeezed and the cry became louder until there was an audible crack. Jarod collapsed, cradling the twisted fingers of his broken right hand. The attacker picked him up by the collar and threw him into Angel. She tried to catch him but the speed he was moving at was simply too much. The impact smashed her between Jarod and the wall. The sharp stab of pain in her torso made it clear she'd broken a rib.

"That was fun." Again the inhuman rasp of the voice. "But now… it is time for you to die." The figure hissed and lunged toward them.

The door to the hanger slid open suddenly. Another figure rushed in and slammed into the attacker. Growls and grunts of effort turned into a cry of pain and then an even louder cry. By the time Angel and Jarod were getting back to their feet, they heard a particular snapping sound. Their attacker hit the floor with a broken neck.

Their rescuer, not finished apparently, promptly drove a knife into the attacker's heart.

"Was that really necessary?" Angel asked.

Despite the poor light, there were a few things that could be made out about their rescuer. She looked female, with a black biker jacket over a black halter top with dark blue slacks. Her skin was pale as well. And like their attacker, she wore what looked like sunglasses. "Just making sure," said the woman, in a plain American accent from their own era. She yanked the knife out of the attacker's body, which she picked up. "You're not hurt?" For a moment she said nothing further, just staring at them sharply, before she added, "Broken rib and broken hand. You'll both live." She turned away as if the conversation were already over.

Angel wasn't satisfied with that, however. "What the hell is going on?"

"I just saved your lives." The woman bent down and picked up the dead body. "That's all that matters. So you should shut up and get outta here."

But Angel was in no mood to be dismissed. "And what the hell is that thing? Some sort of cyborg?"

Their rescuer was clearly annoyed with the question. "They're called Pretenders. They're nasty, murderous, and completely loathsome pieces of crap. You're just lucky I was already hunting this one."

The reference to their attacker as a "Pretender" clearly drew Jarod's attention. "I've never moved that fast," he winced while trying to support his broken hand.

The woman smirked at him. "There is more than one kind of 'Pretender' in the Multiverse, Commander Jarod."

"So you know who we are?" Angel asked.

"Yeah. You'd be surprised how many people keep an eye out for the crew of the _Aurora_. You're getting a reputation for doing crazy shit and getting away with it." She hefted the dead attacker onto her shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a bounty to collect."

"So who's…" Jarod didn't bother finishing his question. Their rescuer ran out the door, which shut behind her.

"Okay, we've seen some crazy stuff, but that takes the damn cake," grumbled Angel. "I don't suppose we could investigate?"

"I need to treat my hand and your rib," Jarod answered. "I've got a medkit in the shuttle."

"That won't heal a broken bone."

"No, but it'll make us functional enough to fly back to New Liberty, where Sydney and the doctors can patch us up," Jarod pointed out. "Let's go before the authorities start to wonder about what's going on."

Angel frowned. She didn't like what had just happened. A random attack that just happened to target them? She didn't believe in coincidences like that. But the pain in her chest reaffirmed Jarod's wisdom. With a wince and a little gasp of pain, Angel retrieved her bag from the floor of the hangar and followed Jarod to the shuttle. 

* * *

In a nearby hangar, within a dampening field, a pure blue energy beam struck the corpse of the assassin and vaporized said corpse immediately. The woman in the dark jacket climbed into her own starship and went to her comm system. She activated her highest encryption channel and connected to the encrypted comm server on the other end. Moments later, her current employer appeared on the screen. "Your intel was right," she said. "They made a play against one of the _Aurora_ crew. Two, in fact. Do you want me to check on the others?"

" _No. I have other sources for them. And Angela Delgado was the one in the most danger given her traveling plans_." Her employer was turned partly away from the screen. " _As always your work is superb, Ms. Blue. I've just added a generous bonus to your payment._ "

"Thanks, Mister Hank, I guess," Blue answered, with a hint of petulance. "Anything else?"

" _Nothing for the moment_ ," replied Sidney Hank. The Solarian businessman, one of the Multiverse's wealthiest individuals, gestured lightly with a hand. He ignored the lack of politeness, having known the woman for a very long time and knowing she rarely did anything for anyone; even the contract had been a favor. " _I've got your comm line if I have another job for you._ "

"Black's too busy for this crap?" she replied rhetorically.

" _As you well remember, my rival has ten of your kind on permanent retainer. I have one._ " Sidney frowned, and then shrugged. " _If you don't want the money, I could always ask Red._ "

The woman calling herself 'Blue' snorted. "Yeah, fat chance of that. If it's about the _Aurora_ people, go ahead and contact me again. I get the idea they're important."

" _Extremely so, although I'd rather they not find that out just yet._ " Hank's expression turned to wry amusement. " _They're trouble enough already. Hank out._ " 

* * *

Space tore open in orbit over the planet New Caprica. The swirling green vortex of an interuniversal jump point formed within seconds. The ship that emerged was a blocky vessel with twin warp drive nacelles built into its upper hull area. It curved toward orbit. Seconds later its transporter systems engaged, after which it moved away.

When Zachary Carrey materialized on the surface of the colony world, he was wearing casual clothes; an ash-gray full-sleeved shirt and navy blue pants with casual sneakers over white socks. A duffel bag of belongings was slung over his shoulder. The only people who had beamed down with him were a dark-skinned woman in the Colonial Navy uniform and a second, tanned woman in a hooded jacket and green slacks.

As it turned out, the welcoming committee was there just for him. A banner had been erected in the transporter receiving terminal that read "WELCOME BACK COACH CARREY!", and a chorus of young voices cheered. Zack grinned at the children, ranging in age from five to seventeen, wearing their baseball uniforms and applauding with their parents watching with smiles.

There were no hard feelings when he didn't react immediately. Clara Davis was quick to step up and plant a kiss on Zack's lips that quickly became a deep one, lasting several seconds and prompting giggles from the smallest children. "Welcome back," she said. Her long dark hair flowed past her shoulders, some of the locks spilling over the front of her light blue short-sleeved blouse. Blue eyes met his brown eyes, affection intensified by distance reflecting between them. "I've been waiting for that."

"So have I." Zack ran a hand over her cheek. Clara's happy smile warmed his heart. To those observing, it was the quintessential look of a war hero returning home to his sweetheart.

They shared the embrace for several moments, after which they kissed again, a shorter and quicker meeting of the lips. Clara turned toward the children first. "So, how was the last season?" he asked them.

"It was great," one of the older children said. He gestured to another child. "Mark Atreiad threw a no-hitter!"

"I knew that kid was going to be good," Zack crowed. "I guess he's busy?"

"He's with his Uncle Will," another kid said. "He's on the _Pegasus_."

"Well, good for them." Zack stepped forward and began shaking the hands of the various players. "I'm sorry I missed your games."

"It's alright," Clara said.

"Yeah." The boy who had brought up Mark Atreiad spoke up again. "We're going to throw you a welcome home tournament!"

Zack answered that with a laugh and a grin. "Well, that's great. I've never had a tournament in my honor before. I can't wait to see what your teams will do!"

After more handshakes and well-wishes, the children were led away by their parents. In that part of the terminal, it was just Zack and Clara. They pulled each other close and kissed again. "So you consider this to be your home now?" Clara asked after the kiss.

"Hmm?"

"The kids are calling it a 'Welcome Home' tournament," Clara pointed out. "It implies that this is your home."

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Zack answered. "What do you think?"

Clara smiled softly. "Well, Doctor Zhu offered me a position at the New Caprica Hospital. And I'm going to take it."

"And leaving the New Liberty Volunteer Corps?"

Clara nodded once. "This has become a home for me. I get along with the people. And you haven't seen Artemis' Falls yet, have you?"

"No, I have not," Zack confirmed.

"Well, I think I know where we're going during your leave," Clara answered. A pleasant smile came to her lips. "You'll love it."

"I'm sure I will." Zack took her hand and let Clara lead him out of the terminal. The thought rolled in his head. This place as home? He'd thought about it before, but was he ready to commit to it?

Yes. Yes, that would work for him if it was what Clara wanted. It would work quite well… 

* * *

Another day came, and with it a trip into town. This time Robert went by himself given how early he had to leave to make it to the county commission meeting he was scheduled to attend. Such meetings could be terribly boring and he didn't want to subject his wife and son to this one. He didn't want to go either, but water codes were due for adjustment and he had to be involved in that on behalf of the family farms.

The sun was nearing its zenith in the sky when he finally stepped out of the county building, content with the outcome. He checked his pocket for the grocery list that his mother and Grandma Anna had written out. Satisfied that it was still there, he looked back to his car.

Someone was standing beside it. After a moment Robert recognized the figure as the tall Englishman he'd met the previous day. "Can I help you?" he asked as he approached.

The English doctor looked over at him and grinned. "Ah, hello there. You're looking better today. How's your head?"

"Better." Robert stepped up to the side of his car. "Thank you for calling 911 for me, by the way."

"Oh, no bother there," said the Englishman. "You needed the help. And it's good to know you're feeling better. I figured we could talk."

"About?"

"Things that need talking about, of course."

Robert responded by slipping by the man and going for his car door. "Listen, I've got shopping to do and then I've got to be back home, I don't have time for word games." He opened the car door and got in.

The man leaned against the window until Robert lowered it. "Is that it? Or would you rather not think about it?"

"Think about what?"

"About how it doesn't seem right," said the Doctor. "Does it?"

With his patience wearing down, Robert asked, "What doesn't seem right?"

"This." The man spread his arms out. "All of it. This life. This world. It doesn't seem right, does it? It's all too convenient. It fits together too well."

Something about those words struck at Robert. His protest died before it could reach his throat.

"Take your grandparents, for instance. They're well into their eighties, but they act like they're a few decades younger."

Robert frowned at him. "Just what the hell are you getting on about? How do you know my grandparents?"

"And all of your friends just so happen to have the lives they've wanted? Or rather, the lives _you_ would want them to have," the man continued. "They're doing the things that you think would make them happy."

"I don't have to listen to this. You stay away from us," Robert demanded. "Or I'll call the Sheriff's office."

"You can't go on ignoring this," the Englishman insisted while Robert's hand gripped the car key. A single twist brought the engine to life. "This world isn't real and you know it. Deep down you…"

With a flick of a switch Robert rolled up the window to his car and peeled out, ignoring the strange man saying things he didn't want to hear. He turned onto the main road and started on his way to the store.

He made it a half a mile before the pain in his head returned. Realizing what was happening, he pulled off the road and sat there. A cry of pain came from his throat. His hands gripped at his forehead.

And then the images started. That bizarre room with the consoles, the dark-haired man and the blond-haired one, and Julia in a uniform. Now he saw Angel and Cat too, wearing black uniforms with beige and light blue trim respectively, sitting at stations. It made no sense to him… yet the scene felt so _familiar_.

Then more images. A woman with a roundish face, not exceptionally pretty but plain-looking, sat in front of him in a white vest and leggings, looking like she was some Eastern monk meditating. Then there was a man, in a finer version of the black uniform, with a well-trimmed beard of graying black that matched his head. And another man, bald and light-skinned with a fringe of gray hair on his head, with a different uniform of predominantly red with black.

The images flipped through his mind faster and faster, images of people and cities and spaceships and space stations, bringing pain as they did, beguiling him with how real they felt, and he nearly passed out as it reached a crescendo.

And then it stopped. He was in the driver's seat of his car. And he was parked at the grocery store he had intended to drive to, as if nothing had happened. As if his head had never started hurting again, as if he'd never pulled off the road…

Fear drove his heart to beat faster. His breathing picked up. Robert wondered what was going on. Why was this happening? Just who was that damned English guy? Did he even exist? Was he a figment of Robert's imagination?

 _Am I going mad?_

It took a minute for him to regain control. No. No, whatever this was, he wasn't mad. He was here. He had things to do for his family. His family, which was the most important thing in the world. That was all that mattered.

It was all that mattered.

He got out of the car and went into the store, eager to get home. 

* * *

New Caprica made Zack think of New Liberty. The comparison wasn't complete and the differences between the two were telling, but nevertheless they seemed to share common traits. Both formed as new homes for refugees driven from the homes they'd known and now both had also become homes for a number of other beings who had come for their own reasons, whether it be finding new homes of their own or wishing to help the New Capricans establish themselves. Walking the streets of the main settlement, Zack noticed people wearing Gersallian-style clothing and some Dorei were walking or riding with the Humans in the settlement.

"The population's at 85,000, if you're wondering," Clara said. They continued on their way through Remembrance Plaza. The north side of said Plaza had the Government Buildings, where Baltar's Presidential Mansion and the Quorum Meeting Forum were now mostly complete. Businesses lined the other sides while the center was a monument depicting the Colonial seal in marble and granite, dedicated to the dead of the Colonies. "Baltar's been encouraging some immigration, although the Quorum's still placing limits on permanent residency and citizenship."

"They don't want to get flooded and made a minority in their own settlement." Zack shrugged. "I can get that. Are you…?"

"I've already applied for the residency," Clara said. "After we talked last year about settling here." Her blue eyes seemed to sparkle. "And you won't have any problems getting a residency. Admiral Adama made you and the _Koenig_ crew members of the Fleet so you get permanent residency just by asking for it. Between Adama and Baltar, I don't think anyone would say 'no' to you."

"Then all we have to do is worry about a house."

Clara smiled and nodded. They passed by a shop and stepped into a small diner. A young woman came up and guided them to a table halfway back. After ordering sodas, they were left alone to continue talking. "Is everything okay?" Clara asked. "I mean, with the war."

Zack let out a small sigh before shrugging. "It's war. People are dying every day, every hour, and I think we're winning. Doesn't feel like it sometimes."

"Have you lost anyone?"

"Crewman Childers and Petty Officer Hrik," Zack said. "We took damage in an attack on a crippled Nazi dreadnought about a month ago. A direct hit from their main cannon. It was my fault."

Clara took his hand within hers. "Was it?"

"I wasn't careful enough," he replied. "So I lost two of my crew. They're not the first I've lost and they're probably not the last." Zack brought his other hand up and gripped one of Clara's, leaving both clasping one another's hand. "I love flying my ship. I always have. But… I never wanted to be a killer. And that's what I've become."

"No." Clara shook her head. "You're… you're a soldier. It's different."

"It's supposed to be. But sometimes I wonder." Zack shook his head. "I mean, we're fighting the good fight. I mean, Nazis. They don't get any worse than Nazis. But I just want it over."

"And then?"

"And then…" Zack shrugged. "I'm thinking of resigning. Of coming here and living with you. You deserve better than me being a universe away fighting a war or doing whatever else I have to."

Clara smiled at him and pulled his hand toward her. She leaned in and planted a kiss on his knuckle. "You're so sweet."

"Thanks to you."

"No." She shook her head. "You were always sweet. Even in high school."

"I wasn't. You know what I was like."

"I know what you wanted everyone to think you were like. But if you weren't sweet, you wouldn't have spared me when things didn't work out."

The waitress returned with their food. Their hands separated to make room on the table for it and took up the utensils to begin eating their meal. 

* * *

The hooded woman who had beamed down with Zack had walked across the Capital to a prefab house on the outskirts. By lowering her hood, she allowed curly dark hair to spill out onto her shoulders. She took the jacket off and walked across to the living area, where her blue eyes focused on the chair made ready for her.

The lone occupant of the house looked up from a chair. "You made it," he said. "No complications?"

"None of consequence for our plan," said the woman. "The others will handle things on their end."

"Good. Our own time table has been kept."

"Everything is in place then. Give me a time and I will act."

The man smiled thinly. He gave the time.

* * *

Something Lucy had gotten used to over the years was learning how cultures could have different practices, and yet could sometimes be exactly the same in other ways. The idea of dining together as a family was fairly universal among cultures. Throw in guests, however, and all sorts of small rules could be at play. Things as simple as who sits where, or what food is offered, or even if you should eat everything given. Lucy had seen a number of different approaches to the matter.

Thankfully, the Gersallians didn't seem to have any complex rules in that way.

Lucy sat between Meridina and her sister Gamaya on one side of the circular table. Leniraya, the other sister, was across from them sitting with her girlfriend Penrine. And her parents Karesl and Drentiya sat together toward one end. Only Meridina's brother, Qalkrsl, was not present, but his lack of presence hadn't kept Meridina's mother from loading the table with several dishes.

The meal went by with little conversation, at least until everyone had finished a plate. "I understand that congratulations are in order," Drentiya said to Lucy. "You have finished the Field Trials."

Lucy nodded. "And they were every bit as difficult as Meridina warned."

"And you overcame those challenges just as I foresaw," Meridina answered, grinning at Lucy. "I can call you student no longer."

"Have you given thought to how you will organize a Human Order?" asked Karesl.

"Well, I'll have to find students first, I imagine," Lucy said. "I'm the only one to do so. At least, until Robert wakes up."

The Lumantala family were already aware of what had happened there. "Will you be able to do so while serving on the _Aurora_?" Leniraya asked.

"Well, maybe," said Lucy. "There have been other sensitives. Lieutenant Seldayiv, for instance…" Lucy turned her head toward Meridina. "Whatever happened with her anyway?"

"She went to Doreia to train with one of the Orders," said Meridina. "I am uncertain if she will remain with the crew or not."

"Right…"

"You will be returning to your ship?" asked Karesl.

"Yeah," Lucy answered. "I mean, maybe I'll eventually leave to focus on other things, but I can't walk out with the war still on. And the others need everyone who's left to remain. We lost a lot of good people."

"So I have heard." Karesl nodded. He looked to Meridina next. "And the same for you?"

"I have obligations to the Alliance to fulfill," answered Meridina, knowing her father's view on that… and that it was just one more reminder of her departure from the Order.

Karesl, for his part, merely gave a short nod. "I understand. You depart tomorrow?"

"Yes," she answered. "We are due on a transport in the morning. With the _Aurora_ soon to launch, I will be busy acquainting myself with the new security officers and personnel."

A look of sympathy appeared on the faces of Meridina's parents. The lingering sense of loss Meridina had for her slain subordinates could not be hidden from them. "I understand," said Karesl.

"Have any _farisa_ examined Robert?" Drentiya asked. "It is possible that one could reach his mind and help him awaken."

"There are _farisa_ on duty with the Fleet Hospital who examined him," Meridina replied. "But they could not reach him."

"I understand." Drentiya shook her head. "I hope he awakens with mind and soul intact."

"So do we," Lucy said.

Quietly, everyone returned their attention to their meal. 

* * *

The rest of the family knew something was wrong. Robert could tell that from the way they spoke at dinner. Try as he might, the day's experience had shaken him.

It was his mother who finally spoke on it when the family gathered for the post-dinner movie. "You should have Leo run more tests," said Leigh Dale when she and his father settled into the love seat they commonly used. Allen and Anna took to their recliners and Susanna was on her favorite bean bag, leaving the couch for Robert, Julia, and their son. "This could be serious."

"It may be nothing. I don't want to waste…" Robert stopped at seeing the looks of his grandparents and parents and sister. He didn't need to look to Julia to know she had the same look. "I'll call him in the morning."

"You'll call him after we put Robby to bed," Julia corrected him.

"Alright, then," Robert conceded.

"Why can't I be there?" the little boy asked from his lap.

"Because you're going to bed as soon as the movie is over," Robert said to him, putting a hand on his head and ruffling his son's blond hair. "What movie is it anyway?"

"I was going to put something random on," Michael Dale said. His father picked up the remote and switched to a movie channel.

What they ended up catching was the end of a kung fu movie. It wasn't one Robert recognized, but in general tone it was little different from the ones he'd grown up with. Robby was excited enough by it, cheering and clapping at the hero beating up bad guys. It brought a smile to his face at seeing his son enjoy himself so much. It reminded him of what life had been like when he was growing up, before Grandma and then Grandpa died…

That thought stopped. Why had it entered his head. His grandparents were still alive. All of them. Why had he thought they were dead?

"Looks like the movie's over," said Julia, bringing his attention back to the screen. "I wonder what the next one will be?"

When they were greeted by an empty spacefield, Allen was the one who remarked, "Looks like science fiction." Credits and names appeared, names Robert thought he recognized. "Henry Morgan" and "William Davies" and "Sriroj Thiang" appeared among them.

As the credits concluded, the opening shot moved to reveal a starship. It looked sleek and powerful from the front. About a quarter of the way back from the bow it slanted downward to show a large blue and gold piece, a dish of some sort, and more hull behind. As the ship moved by the screen, he saw that the top slanted downward not quite halfway down the length, going down by at least a third of the height before leveling out, with a prominent set of bay doors and one fairly large dock door present. The camera panned to show the rear section of the ship had four large engine pods arrayed in a flat X-shape around it. The whole thing was massive, looking like it would easily dwarf a modern day aircraft carrier.

The camera panned back up and toward the front, showing the ship as if it was flying toward the camera. On the hull, black letters gave its name: _ASV Aurora_.

This wasn't why Robert looked surprised. What surprised him was that he had known the name the moment he saw the ship.

The camera panned in on the bridge, where Robert was stunned to see he was sitting in the center chair. Julia was beside him, both in those dark uniforms with red trim. The two men manning stations in front of them were from the images Robert had seen in his head. Angel and Cat were also present, sitting at various stations. "That's strange," he said.

"What?" asked Julia.

"The actors, I mean, they look…"

Everyone looked at the screen, as if to see what he was talking about. Even as they did, Robert heard his own voice say, "What's our ETA, Nick?"

The man to the left of the screen and Robert's right spoke up. "We're coming up on the colony now."

"Oh, I see," Robby said from his lap. "The man in the middle chair looks a little like you, Daddy."

"I suppose I see the resemblance," Michael Dale agreed.

 _Resemblance? It_ is _me!_ Robert didn't say that, though. "And the lady beside him…"

"Well, she has Julia's hair," Anna agreed. "But the face isn't right."

"And Angel and Cat…"

Julia shrugged. "She's got muscles, but that's it." Julia gave him a concerned look. "Rob, are you okay?"

"I'm…" Robert shook his head. "I guess I just found it strange to…"

He didn't finish the line. Searing pain filled his head. He cried out. "Daddy?!" he heard his son shout, and panic flashed across the little boy's face before Robert lost sight of him. Again the images filled his head. The ship, _that ship_ , and those people. He knew them.

Everything went black for what seemed to only be a moment. But when Robert's vision came back, he could tell more than a minute had passed. He was in the bedroom alone, lying on the bed. The space where Julia should have been laying was vacant.

At first Robert thought he was alone. He realized he wasn't when a voice spoke up. "Ah, you're awake again," said the Doctor. He was standing at the foot of Robert's bed.

"What…" Robert blinked. "What are you doing in my house?"

"Well, I came to talk to you. Arrived just after your latest attack. Bit of bad timing, really." The Doctor shrugged. "But it's why I'm here."

"Who…" The pain in his head throbbed, but it wasn't debilitating at the moment. "Who are you? What are you doing to me?"

"Nothing, actually," he said. "This is all a side effect of what this place truly is." Seeing Robert's bewildered look, the Doctor shook his head. "You're feeling your memories intruding on this world. The two don't mix well, it's why you've been having these attacks."

"My memories?" Robert shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, what else? Memories?" The Doctor plopped into the spare chair across from the bed. "Specifically, the memories of who and what you actually are."

"Meaning…?"

That caused a sigh and a roll of the Doctor's eyes. "Oh, you're going to draw it out. I don't want to draw this out, it's too important to draw out." Before Robert could ask what he meant again, the Doctor quickly added, "The real world!"

"The real world?"

"Yes. I'm here to help you with that." The Doctor gestured around the room. "Because this isn't the real world. It's a dream… well, it's rather more than a dream, actually, but I'm digressing. The point is that you're essentially asleep. And I'm here to help you wake up."


	4. Episode 3-01-4 Consequences

There were several ways Robert could have responded to the Doctor. That he decided to laugh at him was perhaps not the most diplomatic.

"So this is all a dream? And you're… what? The part of me that wants to wake up?" Robert asked without hiding his skepticism.

"Well, it's more than a dream. And I'm not part of you. Well, more to the point, I'm a part of you made from the Doctor to help you stay sane given what you did." The Doctor shrugged. "Of course, I never expected you to be in something like this."

"You mean you expected me to be in, what, a different dream?"

"I expected you to be trapped in a recurring cycle of images and places from across time, going mad from exposure to the Time Vortex," he answered. "I didn't expect you to be here. I'm not even sure where 'here' is, but I'm pretty sure how you got here. You've got that life energy connection going for you. That may have shunted your mind in here to protect you."

Robert crossed his arms. He thought of calling for Julia, or his parents or grandparents, and asking why they let this man into his room. Then another thought came to him, and he couldn't quite hide his fear when he asked, "Where's my family?"

"Hrm?"

"My family," Robert repeated. "Where are they? Why would they let you bring me in here and not come in?"

"Because I told them you needed rest and quiet," the Doctor said. "Although they really didn't pay me much heed. This place doesn't know how to deal with me. I'm inside of you, but I'm not really you… it's rather complicated, actually."

Robert got off the bed and went to the door. The Doctor shook his head but said nothing, following Robert out into the empty house. "Julie? Robby?" Robert walked across the second floor and looked down to the dim lights of the dining room and kitchen. "Mom, Dad? Grandpa? Grandma?" He went down the stairs and looked around the dark house before looking back up at the Doctor, still standing on the second floor. "Where did they go? What did you do with them?"

"Nothing," he replied. "I imagine you'll be told they went out. Although it's more likely this realm removed them for the moment so we could talk."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Robert shouted. "You keep saying things about this not being the real world, but it doesn't make sense!"

"You and I both know that's wrong," the Doctor said. "I can sense it in you. You keep having glimpses of the life you had before. Of your ship, your friends, the world you came from. And it hurts, and that's why you keep having these blackouts. But you can't deny who you are forever. You have to accept the truth and recognize what this place is."

"I don't have to do a damned thing," Robert shot back. "I want my family back and now."

"You can't just ignore this, it's going to get worse. The fact is that you are not Robert Dale, member of the local farming family. You are Robert Dale, Captain of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_."

Again the name was familiar. Robert bit back his response as he considered just how familiar it sounded. How right it sounded. He swallowed at the thought he'd felt earlier in the evening, about his grandparents being dead since he was a child.

A real, terrible fear came to him. What if this man was right? What if this was all a dream of some sort, so powerful he forgot what was real and what wasn't? If it was… then what was the truth? What had happened to his family? Were his grandparents really dead? His parents? His sister?

The Doctor nodded. "Yes," he said. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

* * *

Julia arrived at the medbay as quickly as she could once she received Leo's call. She found him looking over Robert. "What happened?"

"We've had more anomalous behavior in his brain," Leo said. "The last was severe enough that I gave him a mild neuro-sedative."

"Any idea what's causing it?" she asked.

"I've got no idea." Leo nodded to the biobed display. "Honestly, I've looked through records on coma patients, and I've yet to find anything like this in them. Whatever's going on with Robert, it's something we've never seen before."

Julia nodded and looked at her sleeping friend. She set her hand on his and grasped it. "Is he awake somehow? I mean, could that be it? He's awake but paralyzed?"

"I can't tell. He can't be fully awake, not going by these scans, but there is something going on in his brain."

"Then… do you think it's time?"

"Time?" Leo asked the question a second before realizing what she meant. He quickly added, "If you're talking about transferring him, it wouldn't matter. There's nothing that the Fleet Hospital can do that I can't. Whatever this is…" Leo shook his head. "I can't tell you how it'll end."

It was painful for her to hear that and to see Robert's condition. She could see the same was true with Leo. "Just… tell me if anything more changes?"

"Like you have to ask."

Julia sighed and nodded, accepting the point. "I just wanted to…"

The blue light of her omnitool lit up at the back of her left hand joined by a tone. She tapped the light. "Andreys here," she said.

" _Captain_." The voice was accented. It took Julia a moment to realize it was Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi, one of the new officers assigned to the ship due to their casualties and transfers. " _Admiral Maran would like to speak with you. And Commander Locarno has returned_."

"I'll see both in my old office on Deck 3."

" _Very well_. _I shall relay the call._ "

Julia lowered her left arm. "That's Jupap's replacement, right?" Leo asked.

"Yeah," Julia said.

"A lot of changes, a lot of new faces," Leo said. "It's funny how life changes sometimes."

"And sometimes it's not." She said nothing else before walking out.

After the lift trip to Deck 3, Julia went to her office. Or rather, her old office as First Officer. Once she was in her chair Julia tapped a key on her desk's control panel. Admiral Maran's image appeared on the screen. "What can I do for you, Admiral?"

" _I'm just checking in, Captain_ ," he said. " _Commander Scott's filed his final report on the repairs. It looks like you're good to go in six days_."

"All we're missing now is a full crew," Julia noted. "Will we have them all by then?"

" _I've made sure Fleet Personnel is on the ball. I'm aware that you've had difficulties before due to certain influences._ "

"Davies and Hawthorne," Julia murmured.

" _It's not my place to remark on how the Defense Minister and the Vice Chief of Naval Operations do their duties_ ," Maran remarked. He knew how the political game was played too. " _The reason I called is that I notice your command crew is missing someone_. _Have you found a First Officer_?"

"I'm going to interview Commander Jarod and Commander Locarno," Julia said. "If not them, well, I'll let you know if I can't find someone." Even as she said it, Julia knew her face gave away the truth.

And it was clear Maran knew it. She was grateful he didn't outright remark on it. " _I understand. But if they don't accept, I'll need to find a replacement from the officer listings. There are some promising young officers coming up._ "

"And how many of them have politics involved in putting them on this ship?"

" _More than I care to count. But I wouldn't stick you with a political officer, Captain, rest assured the officers I'm proposing have been thoroughly vetted_. _I want to avoid any more issues like you had with Captain King when she was commanding the_ Sladen _._ "

Julia didn't bother hiding her distaste at that memory. King had been in command of the ship filling in for the _Koenig_ while it was escorting the _Galactica_ and its Refugee Fleet. But she hadn't been full command branch; she had been a Naval Intelligence officer sent by Admiral Davies to spy on the _Aurora_ crew. The prospect of Davies doing that again was one Julia had already considered. "I'll give them a look if it comes to that, sir. But I'm hoping to get one of the others into the position. I think the remaining crew will find that… easier."

Maran gave a nod of understanding. " _Of course. Maran out_."

Julia let the call end and looked to her digital readers. She'd just started looking over a list of further officer replacements when the chime went off. "Come in," she said. She watched Locarno enter and said, "Welcome back, Nick."

"Thanks." He nodded once and gave the room a close look. "Still in your old office?"

"I'll move in a few days," she said. "Or whenever I have a First Officer selected."

"Ah." Locarno smiled slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I imagined you'd bring this up again."

"Well, we're not getting split up anymore," she noted. "So I'd like you to reconsider."

Locarno plopped into the chair and shook his head. "I'm not interested in a command position right now. I… I just don't think it's right."

"It's got to be someone," Julia pointed out. "And you've come a long way since Nova Squad."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to command," he pointed out. "My answer is still no."

For a moment Julia considered continuing to ask. But she stopped herself. If he didn't want to do it, forcing him to wouldn't work. "I suppose I was hoping you'd decide otherwise," she said. "Alright. I'll find someone else." She smiled at him despite the feeling of being let down. "How was the Academy?"

Locarno shrugged in reply. "It was good. I had no trouble with the trainees. They're all great pilots and will make great helmsmen and helmswomen. Or helmspeople, in the case of the Gl'mulli recruit."

"A Gl'mulli? Really?"

He nodded. "We're getting volunteers from a number of the other species. We even had an Andorian and an Asari."

"Huh. That's good, I suppose. Anything interesting happen? Any funny stories?"

"Well…" Locarno cracked a grin upon thinking of one. "There was the point when Trainee St. Clair messed up his pre-flight check and missed the faulty thruster."

"Ouch. I bet he hated missing his flight time."

"Oh, he didn't." Locarno's smile became bemused. "I thought it might be character-building to make him do his full training flight with just one working maneuvering thruster. I had a shuttle ready to tractor him the entire time, of course, but seeing him spin around like a dog chasing its own tail was funny. And it works as a good reminder to everyone to pay attention on pre-flight checks."

"I'll bet…" 

* * *

The moments stretched on like a yawning abyss that threatened to swallow Robert whole. He wanted to reject everything this strange 'Doctor' was telling him. But when he tried to, he found he couldn't. Within his heart Robert could sense that truth, that his family wasn't intact, that he had lost them. So many of them. This world where he woke up every day surrounded by those he had grown up loving was just an illusion.

And that horrified him.

Even worse was the Doctor's apology, which seemed to confirm his worst fears. His family wasn't with him anymore. Some, maybe all, were dead. He was alone.

Robert went over and dropped onto the couch, where he cradled his head in his hands. The thought of being alone, of lost family, was tearing through him. Images came to mind of hospital beds and funeral caskets. A sheriff's deputy knocking on his door. The sterile halls of the county morgue.

And three mangled, broken bodies on mortuary tables.

"They're all dead," he murmured. "My grandparents. My parents and sister. I… oh God, they're all dead." He looked up at the tall figure calling himself the Doctor. "And the others. Their parents are all…"

"It would appear so," said the Doctor.

"And I'm… Julia and I aren't…" He swallowed. "And Little Robby isn't…"

"You still have the others," the Doctor said. "And you nearly destroyed yourself saving them."

Another series of images came to Robert. Of pleading with some sort of control console. Golden light erupting from within it when the console opened up. The bridge of that ship again… and Julia pleading with him to stop.

She had kissed him. He could remember that. And he remembered the feeling of a link between them. Energy flowing from one to the other…

"Julia saved my life," he said. "We… we connected. And it's what saved me." After a moment his head snapped up and his eyes focused on the Doctor. "Julia, she… is she okay? If that stuff nearly killed me…"

"Well, that's a tricky one. I'm part of you, remember? I know what you know, roughly speaking. And you don't know how she's doing. Of course, if you're alive, there's good odds she is."

"But that's not a guarantee," Robert pointed out. "I… she might be gone too." The thought hurt and brought forth tears to join those he'd felt over his lost family. "I can't… it's not fair." His voice grew hoarse. "Why do I keep losing the people I love?"

"It's part of life. You know that," the Doctor said. "The others have suffered the same."

This was true. But at that moment, at that time, it was a truth Robert found more painful than useful. In this world, everyone was happy. All of the families were intact. His family, Julia's, Zack's…

They were all still alive. And everyone was _happy_.

"You want me to leave," Robert said. "To leave this world and go back to… to whatever that other place is."

"It's where you belong. This?" The Doctor gestured around. "Whatever this is, it's not real. It's…"

" _It's real enough_ ," Robert insisted. He reached over to the coffee table and picked up a photo of his son, which he thrust at this interloper. " _He's_ real. I know that every time I hold onto him, every time he smiles at me and I feel that lump inside of me. He loves baseball and basketball. He loves to sit in my lap and watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. Whenever he has a nightmare he comes to us and climbs into our bed, and Julia puts one arm over him and I put another, and he gets this look like he's the happiest little boy who ever lived..." Robert stopped at that point and set the photo down, his point made.

"He's a creation of this place," the Doctor insisted. "That's all."

"He's more than that to me!" Robert shouted. He stomped up to the figure, who stood and met his glare. "I'm not leaving my family."

"They're not your family. Out there is where the people you care for actually exist."

Out there. In a world where his family was dead. Where his precious, sweet, loving little boy didn't exist.

Outside there was a rustle of wind. It was already dark, but even the moonlight vanished behind dark clouds. A storm was forming.

"You're needed," the Doctor insisted. "I'm sorry, but you need to wake up."

Robert heard him and walked over to the window. Lightning flashed outside. The wind continued to grow stronger. As he listened to it, more images came to him. Images of struggle and strife and pain and fear.

Images in contrast to this place. This warm, pleasant house, with his family alive, with all of his worries about romancing Julia meaningless. With a little boy he cherished.

"I don't want to," Robert said. "I don't want to leave. You… you say this place isn't real, but for me? It's real enough. It's everything I could ever want in life, with everyone happy."

"Except nobody else is happy," the Doctor pointed out. "Nobody else in this world is really alive. They're just extensions of your memories and desires."

"And what does that make you? Some… mental program left by someone to steer me in the right direction? Or you actually a part of my mind in the end?"

"If I weren't a part of you, I wouldn't be here," came the reply. The tall man drew up to him and met Robert eye-to-eye. "I'm here to bring you back to reality. To make sure you survived the process. And to tell you that you can't stay here forever. This…" He gestured around the house again. "...it's not what's real, and for that I'm truly sorry. You deserve to have a life like this."

Their eye contact continued until Robert looked away and drew in a breath. The more he thought about it, the more this conversation continued, the more his memories asserted themselves. The bridge of the _Aurora_ kept appearing in his thoughts. His friends and comrades on the ship and how often he had felt awed by the fact they let him lead them. That was where his life had led him.

 _A life that ended_.

The voice of the TARDIS sounded in his head. _You were warned. That life is over now. You cannot go back to it_.

"I was told I can't go back," Robert said quietly. "That my life was over. I'm supposed to be dead."

"There are a number of ways to interpret what the TARDIS meant," the Doctor pointed out. "Odds are that your life will change from everything you knew before. That's what happens when you look into the Time Vortex."

Outside the storm was howling now. Rain and hail beat against the walls of the house. Robert listened to the roar of the wind against his home. "I don't want to go."

"I know."

"You said I deserved this."

"You do. But this… isn't real living. And you can feel that now."

He could. The memories flooding into him made that clear. His eyes kept moving to the family pictures. The pain in his heart grew to fill the loss he was feeling as he understood that they were gone.

Finally he asked, "What am I supposed to do, then? How do I leave here?"

The being in the form of the Doctor stepped toward the main door. He pulled it open, revealing the raging storm outside. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Robert felt the cool, vicious wind of the storm press against him. "You want me to go out into that?" Robert asked. "Why is it storming?"

"Funny thing about these things. The metaphors can be rather unpleasant." The Doctor motioned to the outside. "You know that there is danger in the future. You've seen it in your dreams. This place responds to that knowledge. Stepping out into the storm shows you're ready to accept facing it. And you and I both know the answer to that."

To that Robert swallowed. Every fiber of his being resonated with tension, the struggle between the part of him that was indeed accepting this, and the part of him that didn't want to leave the warmth and comfort of his family.

His foot moved and he took his first step toward the door. 

* * *

Meridina and Lucy left the Lumantala home after a family breakfast and heartfelt goodbyes. Karesl provided them transportation to the Jantarihal Spaceport, where they would catch a shuttle to a transport ship about to jump to Earth L2M1. His driver remained behind while he escorted them to the terminal. "Again, my congratulations are to you, Lucy Lucero," he said, bowing his head toward her. "I am not so prideful to be incapable of admitting my error. My daughter showed great wisdom in training you."

"Thank you again, _Mastrash_ Karesl," Lucy said. She returned the head bow.

Karesl turned his attention to Meridina. "I miss having you in the Order, Meridina. But I am happy with one consequence of it." He extended his arms toward her, prompting Meridina to moved toward him and embrace him. "I am no longer obligated to treat you as anything but my daughter."

"And I am happy that you are my father again," she replied.

"I look forward to hearing more of your accomplishments in the Alliance," Karesl said before letting go. " _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , daughter."

" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , father."

With that, the two separated. Lucy and Meridina took up their bags and headed for the shuttle terminal.

* * *

The storm howled outside of the door. The vicious wind blasted Robert in the face as he took another step toward it. Another step toward a life of loss and danger and away from the life of family, of happiness and safety, that he had been enjoying. With each step his memories became clearer. He looked toward the Doctor, or rather the piece of him touched by the Doctor and made to help him, and drew in a breath before taking his next step.

Every step was pain. Every step was one he didn't want to take. He didn't want to be without his grandparents again. Without his parents and sister. To see the pain in the others whenever their lost family was brought up. To go back to that existence where he and Julia were afraid of letting their relationship become romantic.

To lose the son he never knew he'd wanted.

The steps became harder to make from these thoughts. He felt like he was wading through mud instead of walking toward his front door.

"It's for the better," the Doctor said to him as Robert finally stepped up beside him. Outside the door the winds drove on rain. Lightning flashed, thunder roared. Something terrible was out there, and it would fall to him to fight it.

Robert couldn't help it. He stopped at the doorway for the moment. He couldn't move forward without focusing his will on it. He felt like he was about to tear out his own beating heart. "Right," he murmured. "I have to do it." He nodded to the other figure. "Let's go."

He lifted his foot and moved it toward the door.

"Daddy?"

Robert stopped. He set his foot back down inside of the house before he turned.

Little Robby was standing at the base of the stairs wearing his pajamas, with an unfamiliar comic book character as the prominent feature of the otherwise blue and green nightclothes. On the second floor was the rest of the family - Allen and Anne, Michael and Leigh, Susanna, Julia - standing and watching quietly. "Daddy, why are you going?" Robby asked.

Robert swallowed. His throat felt parched. "I… I have to," he managed.

The little boy ran up. "Please don't go, Daddy," he pleaded. "I'm scared."

Sheer paternal instinct brought Robert down to a knee, allowing Robby to stretch his arms out as wide as he could and embrace Robert. The little boy and his head of golden blond hair pressed against his chest. "I don't want you to go," the boy cried. "I'm scared."

Robert's arms came up and wrapped around the boy. "Don't be," he said softly. "Don't be scared."

"Why are you going?"

"Because…" Robert swallowed and considered the answer. So much of him didn't want to go. Wanted to stay here with those he loved. "I have to," he finally managed. "People need me."

"But I need you. And Mama and Grandpa and Great-Grandpa…"

Robert's eyes journeyed back up to his loved ones on the second floor. "This is where you belong, Rob," Allen Dale said. "You've done enough good. It's time for you to be happy with us." Allen's arms stretched out to take in Anne, Leigh, and Michael. Susanna and Julia stood to either side, putting their arms around the waists of Michael and Anne. "We're your family, and family is what matters."

Pain filled Robert's heart. He knew this wasn't reality. This was something else. He should accept that those he loved were gone.

But here they were. This wasn't some illusion. It was his grandparents. His parents. His sister. Alive, well, happy. With him, back on the family's farm, where generations of Dales had lived out their lives.

And there was Julia, with him, all of their doubts gone. And the son they had brought into the world together, the sweet little boy crying in his arms. "Don't go Daddy," Little Robby pleaded again. "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to either," he whispered back. His tears dripped from his chin and fell into the boy's hair.

"They're not real," said the Doctor. "You know that."

Not real. Robert heard those words. He knew they were right.

But they didn't feel right. Not when he could feel the warmth of his little boy. Or the very real hair from where his hand was holding Robby's head. And Robby's wet tears through the fabric of his shirt... How could this _not_ be real?

"I love you Daddy, please don't leave," Little Robby pleaded. Robert's eyes blurred from the tears in his eyes. Everything about this hurt.

Especially the fact that he was hurting his son.

A hand touched his shoulder. "You know what you have to do," said the Doctor. His voice sounded over the growing howl of the winds outside.

Robert drew in a breath. He let go of the little boy and gently stood up. He looked down at the pair of aquamarine eyes, reddened with tears, and thought his heart would rip itself in half.

That feeling persisted when he turned to the open door and to the Doctor. The Doctor nodded and gestured to the door again. He held his arm out.

In one lightning move Robert grabbed two fistfuls of the Doctor's shirt. The being, whatever he was in this place, stared at him in surprise in the second before Robert snarled and shoved him into the doorway. "What are you doing?!"

"Get out of here!" Robert shouted. He gave the tall figure another shove, sending him flying out the door and into the storm. "Stay away from my family!"

The suited figure scrambled to his feet. But he was too late.

Robert slammed the door in his face.

"You can't do this!" the Doctor cried through the door. "This isn't real! You've got to move on!"

The words fell on deaf ears. Robert's hands gripped and turned the deadbolt lock and the knob lock next. Once the front door was secure, he turned and lifted his son into his arms. "I'm not leaving you," he promised Little Robby, while his tear-filled eyes glistened at the sight of his smiling, relieved family. "I'm not leaving any of you. Never again. Never again!"

Outside there was more frantic knocking on the door. The winds howled louder, the lightning was brighter, and the thunder sounded like the roar of an offended sky god.

Robert ignored it all. He walked with his smiling little boy back to the warmth of the living room, where his family waited for him.

This was the life he wanted. The life he deserved. And the smiles on the faces of those he loved? That was all that mattered.


	5. Episode 3-01-5 Consequences

Zack found that he was indeed enjoying New Caprica. The colony had a similar feel to the New Liberty Colony save the different makeup of its residents. And the planet itself was a pleasant garden world for human life, with the local season approximating spring.

It made his decision quite easy to follow through on.

Another sunny day was promised and with Clara attending a morning shift at the local hospital, he had the day to himself. He left Clara's apartment and started to walk around the colony again. Part of it was simple sight-seeing, but another part was a personal errand.

The blue light of his omnitool came to life over his left hand. He was getting a comm call. He tapped the light and was pleasantly surprised to see Julia's face appear on a holographic image hovering over his left forearm. "Hey," he said.

" _Hey_ ," she answered. " _How is your leave going_?"

"It's great. Clara's been showing me to all of the fun sights on New Caprica," Zack said. He stopped walking and leaned against the nearby building. "Anything new?"

" _Rob's still in the coma_ ," Julia said, shaking her head. " _Leo thought he was picking up signs of increased neural activity but he's not sure what it means._ "

Zack nodded once in acknowledgement. "Right. Well, I suppose we'll see how it goes. I guess you'll be transferring him to the Fleet Hospital?"

" _In a few days, when we're officially back on duty_." Julia leaned forward at her desk. " _Although that's going to be tricky if I don't find a new first officer_."

"I guess Nick's still saying 'No'? You can ask Jarod."

" _I will, but I'm not sure he'll take it either_."

Zack shook his head. "If that's an attempt to get me to say yes, sorry Julie."

" _Rats_ ," she sighed, but there was a small smile on her face. " _I didn't think so. But I figured I'd give it a shot._ "

Zack chuckled at that. "Well, I'm sure Maran's going to have a list of good candidates for it, at least."

" _Oh, he does. But I think it'll be easier if it's someone already with the crew. Anyway, don't let me keep you from enjoying your leave. Say hello to Clara for me?_ "

"I will," Zack promised. An amused grin came to his face. "And I'll do the same for Lee Adama." He tapped the control to end the call just as Julia's expression showed her (likely slight) irritation.

With the call ended, he returned to the errand at hand. Not even a block further down the street was his destination, with the sign above the door reading "New Caprica Jeweler" in blue lettering on a white background.

Had Zack not been thinking of other things, he might have noticed the hooded woman he beamed down with walking down the street as well. She ignored his presence in turn, continuing on from the Jeweler until she arrived at a side entrance to the Government Building. With rapid key presses on the holographic interface beside the door, she triggered it to open and went inside. 

* * *

Julia was still working on her paperwork before she received a call confirming that Jarod and Angel had arrived and wanted to see her and the others immediately. She agreed and called an impromptu conference in the senior officer conference lounge off of the Bridge.

When Julia arrived, she found Leo had arrived ahead of her. Jarod and Angel were in seats and he was actively examining them. "They do good work on New Liberty," Leo said. "Although I wish you hadn't let it go so long without direct treatment."

"We needed to get out of there," Angel pointed out. "Getting medical help was out of the question." She turned her head. Concern and a little fear were in her hazel eyes, which were now looking directly at Julia. "Where's Cat?" she asked.

"Still on Vulcan attending that science conference," Julia said. "She's due home tomorrow. Why? What's wrong?"

The door opened behind her. Nick Locarno entered. Several moments later Meridina joined them with Lucy in tow. Julia let her question go unanswered until Scotty and Tom Barnes arrived.

Once everyone was paying attention Jarod informed them of their encounter at Corwinville. "I don't think this was random," he said, displaying an image of their attacker. "I think we were deliberately targeted."

"Just what was this thing?" Julia studied it. "It looks Human, at least."

"Apparently they're also called 'Pretenders'," Angel remarked, giving Jarod a look. "I hope you haven't been holding out on us, Jarod."

"There are times I wish I could have been that fast," he answered.

"Maybe they had cybernetic enhancement," Leo proposed. "If the cybernetics were all internal…"

"My omnitool's passive sensors showed no sign of any cybernetics," Jarod said, shaking his head.

"Besides, I doubt cybernetics were responsible for that thing's voice," Angel added. "It was raspy. Like a Zigonian with laryngitis. And that thing was unbeatable with how quick and strong it was."

"What about your rescuer?" Meridina asked.

"She didn't give a name, and she certainly had an attitude of her own," Angel remarked. "Some kind of bounty hunter, I think."

"And again, it's just a coincidence she happened to come after this thing when it attacked us?" Jarod asked. "She even knew who we were." He shook his head. "There's more to this than a random attack."

"I concur with Jarod," said Meridina. "This cannot be random chance."

"Until we know for sure, all we can do is be careful," Julia remarked. ''Put together reports and file them with Maran. Alliance Intelligence can look into what these other 'Pretenders' are. If there's nothing else?" When nobody responded, Julia nodded and said, "Then you're all dismissed. And it's good to have everyone back."

"Almost everyone," Angel said, sadness in her voice.

Julia nodded and felt her mind drift at that remark. Not knowing if Robert would ever wake up… she reminded herself it was better than him being dead, but the uncertainty of his situation was a terrible pain in its own right.

She pushed away that thought and called out, "Jarod, a minute?" She had spoken just as he got to the door. He turned and walked back to the table while the others continued to file out. "I need to discuss something with you."

Jarod nodded without speaking a word.

She went right to business. "I need a new first officer," Julia said. "Your name is on the top of the list automatically."

Jarod initially responded with a chuckle. "I imagined you'd ask sooner or later."

"And?"

"I am not interested, and you know that," he replied, shaking his head.

A resigned sigh was Julia's first reaction. "Well, it has to be someone," she insisted. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Jarod shrugged. "Honestly I'm not sure anyone on the crew is interested. I know Nick isn't. Scotty's happy in Engineering. Angel likely isn't, and I don't see them giving her a two-grade promotion either. And that just leaves…" Jarod stopped. His face turned thoughtful.

Julia gave him a quizzical look. Said look became one of realization when she figured out what Jarod had meant. "Do you think…"

"All you can do is ask," he said.

* * *

With his errands for the day done, Zack spent the rest of his free day seeing to curiosity. Said curiosity led him to the primary school, where he waited outside for the day's instruction to end. Children there waved at him, and some even approached him to ask when he would come back to see their leagues play. He gave them the best answers he could and sent them on their way.

"You've become very popular with the children."

Zack heard the words and turned slightly to face the speaker. Laura Roslyn was in a simple civilian jacket of blue color over a dark-colored shirt, with a blue skirt. Zack almost called her "Madame President" but stopped himself. "Ms. Roslyn."

"Commander." She nodded. "It's good to see you. I hear you've been busy."

Zack furrowed his brow. "Does everyone here interest themselves in what I'm up to?"

To that Roslyn laughed. "Only those of us who stay in contact with Ms. Davis," Roslyn said. "I see her often enough."

At that Zack winced and said, "Sorry, I forgot. How are you feeling?"

"The cancer's been gone and isn't coming back, thank you," she answered. "But that's not the only reason I see Clara. She's our on-call nurse for tending to the children."

"Right." Zack looked over the small building that functioned as the colony school. It was a prefab structure made to resemble a brick-built building, three stories high and about a hundred and twenty meters by forty in size. From the front he could just make out the fence for the outside recess area. "You enjoy this more, don't you?" he asked her.

"You mean am I satisfied going from President to the head of a school?" Roslyn laughed. "I started in this profession. I got into politics to promote education. As far as my heart is concerned, this is where I belong."

"Is that why Baltar supported the appointment?"

"Possibly. Although given his mentality, he may have seen it as putting me in my place, so to speak," she said.

Zack was suspicious that was the true motivation. Baltar had always struck him as being full of himself and convinced of his own superiority. "And how is the President of the Colonies? Clara tells me a lot about life here, but not how the politics are going."

Roslyn chuckled softly. "Baltar is busy being Baltar. Zarek is running the show in the Quorum."

"Well, I suppose it could be worse."'

"Yes, it could be." Roslyn smiled at him. "Your people are the reason it's not."

"The pleasure is ours, ma'am," he answered. 

* * *

Angel was waiting at the terminal of the Fleet Base for Caterina's shuttle when it arrived. She smiled despite herself at the sight of her happy sister emerging hand-in-hand with her girlfriend Violeta. "So, how was the egghead party?" Angel asked teasingly.

"Angel!" Cat ran up and hugged her. "Where have you been? Everyone said they had no idea where you were off to."

"Oh, just wandering," Angel said, completely truthful in word without giving away a bit of the truth. "And you didn't answer me. How was Vulcan?"

"For my poor Vee, boring," Cat said. "It was pretty exciting for me, though. The combination of scientific communities in different universes is leading to a lot of new ideas and discoveries about subspace, hyperspace, and other fields related to exotic physics."

"Sounds boring to me too," Angel teased, wrapping an arm around Cat's shoulders. "And is it just me, or did you grow taller in that time you were with the Doctor?"

"Oh, maybe an inch. I doubt I'll grow any taller though."

"So you're still my little sister. That's a relief."

Both giggled in amusement at that while Violeta smiled quietly. With Angel's arm still on Cat's shoulders, they started walking through the terminal on their way to the terminal exit. 

* * *

Meridina found a sense of relief in returning to her quarters for the first time in weeks. It surprised her how much she missed the ship, and her place on it, and that prompted a moment of reflection on how her life had changed over the past year. The way her decisions had played out, and how different things were compared to what she had expected.

Looking back, one thing was clear; she did not regret any of the major decisions that brought her to this point. Lucy's success had confirmed the wisdom of those decisions.

Meridina finished swapping out her uniform for her basic garments and sat at her work desk to begin examining the security roster. She was pleased to see Lieutenant Richmond was remaining with the crew as one of her assistant chiefs. But the number of new names were a painful reminder of those who were not present any longer.

She began to write up a short address to the new officers and security personnel. Her progress had brought her to the third paragraph when her door chime sounded. For a brief moment Meridina thought it might be Lucy, but her senses felt Lucy to be too far away to be the one at the door. "You may enter," she called out from the desk.

The door slid open and Julia stepped in, still in uniform. "Again, welcome back," she said. "How was home?"

Meridina looked up from her screen. A thoughtful look came to her face. "It is an interesting question for me, Captain."

"These are your quarters, Meridina, first names work for me here," Julia insisted. "And what do you mean by that?"

"Because I am thinking of this ship as my home," Meridina replied.

Julia smiled at that. "You and me both. Then how was Gersal?"

"More quiet and safe than it was during my prior visit," she admitted. "Lucy's training has ended. She has proven herself to be a powerful knight."

"That's good to hear. So what's next for you?"

"Duties. Lucy will remain my training partner if not my student, but that is for my off-hours." Meridina gestured to her system. "I am currently preparing a statement to give to my new security staff."

Julia nodded once. "Right," she said. "Actually, that brings me to what I was going to ask you."

"What is it you wish to ask?"

"Well…" Julia sat down in one of the few spare chairs in the room, usually Lucy's. "I know this wasn't really your calling," she said. "You joined up to watch over us specifically due to all of this 'Bearers of the Dawn' stuff."

"Yes," Meridina said. "I never intended to make my place permanent. But my destiny took me down a path I did not expect. I am an officer of the Stellar Navy and nothing else, now."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because that's why I'm coming to you." Julia leaned forward. "I need a first officer, Meridina."

Meridina tilted her head slightly, seeming a little confused. "Well, I shall be glad to assist you in determining who best suits…"

"That's not what I'm here to ask," Julia said. "I'm here to ask you if you'd take the post."

Meridina's expression betrayed her surprise, and more than a little uncertainty. "You want me to be the first officer?"

"Yes," said Julia. "I do." 

* * *

**Tag**

The sun was out again with few clouds in the sky over New Caprica. Given the months he'd spent in space, being under a sunny blue sky yet again was something Zack was thoroughly enjoying. After another day of walking around the colony (and checking up on things at the jeweler) Zack walked into the main entrance of the New Caprica Hospital. The lobby area had a fine gray carpet with red lines running a pattern over it. Plushy chairs were available for those waiting to see the administration or simply waiting.

Zack never got a chance to sit. Clara emerged from the offices with a young woman with a round face and brown hair. After a few moments Zack recognized her as Cally Tyrol. They walked up to him and Clara planted a small kiss on his cheek. "Did you wait for long?" she asked.

"Not at all," he said. He looked to Cally. "Cally Tyrol, right?'

"You remembered me," she said, grinning.

"Yeah. Although I thought you were in the technical crew for the _Galactica_?"

"I applied for early release to begin medical studies," she answered. "I'm trying to get into dental school."

"You want to be a dentist? I never knew that." Zack extended his hand. When she took it he said, "Good luck with that."

"Doctor Zhu offered to give her a recommendation to a dental school on New Canton L2M1," said Clara. "She's working toward that now. And she was a big help this morning, so I'd like to invite her to lunch."

"You don't have to," Cally said. "I should probably get home to my baby."

"Isn't Galen watching little Nicky?" Clara asked.

"He is. But I don't want to make him wait."

"Call him up and ask him to meet us at that Italian place on 2nd, then. I'm buying," Zack said.

Cally smiled at that and reached into her pocket for a comm unit. While she spoke with Galen Zack and Clara stood by the door, giving her space. "That's sweet of you," said Clara. "All of your war hero earnings burning a hole in your pocket?"

Zack chuckled. "Yeah. Well, I've gotten some prize money for shooting up Nazi troop transports and cargo carriers," he admitted. "It's something to make up for not having my quarters on the _Aurora_ for all that time."

"You didn't when you were traveling with the Fleet," she pointed out.

"No." He grinned at her. "But I had other benefits as soon as a lovely nurse showed up to brighten my Fridays." Clara giggled at that in the moment before their lips met for another kiss.

The kiss ended when Cally stepped up to them, grinning as well. "Galen's going to meet us. Although he's not entirely sure what 'Italian' is."

"Pasta, nice cheese, and tomato-based sauce," Zack answered while they stepped out of the door. "That about sums up Italian if you ask me."

"It's a _little_ more than that," Clara pointed out.

"Well, yeah, I forgot to mention pizza," Zack agreed.

"Oh, I know that one!" Cally nodded, grinning. "It's that big wheel of baked dough with stuff on top."

"Just another wonder that came from the country shaped like a boot."

Again a confused expression came to Cally's face. Clara activated her multidevice and, with a couple taps, brought up a general information page on Earth and zoomed in on Italy. "Ohhhh," was Cally's response.

The three crossed the street and stepped up to the waiting station for a public bus. On this side of the street was a line of shops, including a candy store and a florist, "Remind me to get you a car," Zack said to Clara.

"There's not much to drive on yet," Clara replied.

"Yeah, but it would mean less walking."

"The bus will be here any moment."

Clara's prediction proved accurate. The bus came around the far corner to their left and approached. Zack urged it onward if only to get off his feet.

In the upper periphery of his vision, he noticed flashes of light. Out of curiosity he looked up while a shadow blotted out the sun.

His jaw dropped in utter surprise. A moment later instinct took over.

Cally and Clara both cried out in surprise at having Zack grab them and pull them toward the ground. As they went down the air filled with the telltale roar of weapons fire. The bus they had been waiting for was perforated by high velocity rounds that cut it, and the occupants, to pieces.

All three looked up. " _Oh Gods_ ," came from Cally, her voice brimming with absolute terror at the same sight Zack had just seen.

The sky over New Caprica Colony was no longer clear.

The Cylons had arrived.


	6. Episode 3-02-1 Sundered Bonds

**Teaser**

The day began with a new level of energy on the _Aurora_. There had been little to do while they were still in drydock, but with departure due in a few days the activity level on the ship was increasing. Stores were being brought aboard and more of the new crew were arriving to take up their assignments, with the command staff back in place to oversee the process. It would be a bumpy one. Over half of the _Aurora_ 's crew was now new to the ship. Considering the new weapon systems and the rebuilt elements to the ship, a shakedown cruise would be required before they returned to duty full-time.

Julia took breakfast in her quarters while looking over more of the morning paperwork. With a fresh cup of coffee in her system and her stomach digesting the decent (if replicated) breakfast, she arrived on the bridge via the port side aft-facing turbolift. The night staff were still on duty. Ensign Crane, a lanky young man from a FedStar colony world toward the frontier of L2M1, was at tactical; Operations had a female Alakin officer of blue plumage with gray skin, Lieutenant Jakeet, and the helm was manned by Ensign Talara, an alien woman of a species called the Falaens from Universe A7R6. The pointed ends of her ears made her look almost elven. She had bright blue eyes over similarly-blue painted half-moons on her cheeks, a bronze complexion, and silver-blue hair pulled into a formal bun at the back of her head.

The figure that rose from the command chair, wearing a uniform with burgundy red command trim joined with the basic black material, was a full Lieutenant, a Human male from the Southern regions of Africa. He stood at attention and nodded. "Good morning, Captain." Lieutenant Tinashe Takawira spoke English with an accent from the Zimbabwean-founded colony world of Nkomo in Universe L4R2, his world of birth. "Did you sleep well?"

She smiled a little and nodded. "I did. Thank you, Lieutenant. Anything special to report?"

"The engineering teams are still working on final connections for the shields," said Takawira. "And we had another three dozen crew report directly to the ship. They were transferred from the _Libra_."

Julia nodded. "Well, I imagine they'll enjoy serving on the _Aurora_ a bit more than on a _Scorpio_ -class. I hear those are more cramped for room."

"Like any of the rushed war designs, I imagine," said Takawira. "I have nothing else to report."

"Then you're relieved," said Julia. "Go ahead and get some rest. Tonight I'm holding a bridge officer conference at 2000 hours to go over what I expect from the shakedown run."

"I'll be there, ma'am," Takawira pledged. "Now…"

The sound of a loud electronic warble came from Operations. Julia blinked and looked toward the station and Lieutenant Jakeet. "That's a priority fleet signal," she said. "What are we receiving?"

Jakeet's taloned fingers tapped the comm control. The speakers on the bridge activated.

" _...not a drill_ ," said a male voice with one of the Dorei accents. " _This is General Yamatin D'liros of the Dorei Federation Armed Services to all Alliance commands. I am issuing a Condition Red Zulu for all sectors facing_ …"

The night officers noticed the color drain from Julia's face. The look on Jakeet and Takawira made it clear they knew what this meant, although it was clear Crane and Talara didn't. "Captain?" asked Talara. "What is it?"

"There's only one reason why a Condition Red Zulu is called by anyone," Julia said. "It's an invasion warning."

Before anyone could ask the obvious question, the message made it clear.

" _The colonies on Yati, Tupana 3, and Egtama have all been attacked and we have lost contact with the Utamli Sector Fleet Station. Attacking ships have been tentatively identified as Cylon. Again, I am issuing a Condition Red Zulu_ …"

"The Cylons." A moment later Julia gasped, "Oh no."

"Captain, what's wrong?"

Takawira looked to Crane with a grim expression. "Commander Carrey from the _Koenig_ is on leave on New Caprica."

"Right." Julia drew in a breath. "And if the Cylons are attacking us, then that means they're hitting New Caprica too. And he's right in the middle of it."

* * *

With Cylon fighters zipping overhead, firing down into the streets apparently at random, Zack led Clara and Cally into the nearest alley. "Not again," Cally cried. "It's happening again!"

"What's going on? Zack, are those…"

Zack nodded at Clara and stopped her mid-sentence by answering, "Yes, it's the Cylons. They must have jumped right into the atmosphere."

"I thought you could see them coming?" asked Cally.

"There's supposed to be a defense perimeter, but there's no telling what's going on. The important thing is that we need to get to safety." Zack motioned further down the alley. "If we can get to the bunkers we'll be safe. Let's go."

They started running down the alley. The sudden exertion did nothing to distract Zack from the thought in the back of his mind.

 _Why are we still alive?_

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
" _Sundered Bonds_ "**

When Admiral William Adama arrived in the CIC of the _Pegasus_ , he demanded an immediate report.

The reply came from the current officer on watch, Lieutenant Kendra Shaw. "DRADIS shows Cylon fighters jumped straight into the atmosphere over the colony."

"Launch Vipers to shoot them down." For a moment Adama paused. "Why the hell didn't we get any warning from the Alliance perimeter beacons?"

"Unknown, sir."

At that moment the ship's commander stepped onto the bridge. Commander Lee Adama knew from his father's expression that something was horribly wrong. "Sir," he said, stepping up to his place beside the central table in the CIC.

"Commander." Adama nodded. "We're in the middle of a Cylon attack on the colony."

Lee's expression paled. "How bad? Did they get shields up before the nukes hit?"

"There's no sign of radiological weapons being used," said the young officer sat the sensor station, a young volunteer officer named Will Atreiad. The old solid screen display there was now augmented by a holographic flat display using the advanced sensors installed on the ship during its refit by the Alliance.

"Lieutenant, what are they doing?"

"Their flight pattern indicates they're making strafing runs on the ground, but only with guns. No missile launches detected. But the colony isn't raising shields."

"Get me President Baltar, now," Adama demanded.

Shaw was now at communications, with the headpiece firmly on her head. "I've been trying to reach the planet, but no communication protocols are working."

"A virus?" asked Lee.

"Knowing the Cylons?" Adama shook his head. "What about our protections? Are they still up?"

"All protections still active," said Atreiad.

"Vipers launching," Shaw said.

The CIC went quiet while the DRADIS screens showed their fighter complement approaching orbital space. Some of the Cylon fighters flew up to meet them. A dogfight broke out in orbital space. The Vipers had the numbers against the immediate enemy, drawing yet more up from the orbiting attack.

But none of this sat right with Bill Adama. The Cylons could have wiped out the colony a dozen times by now if they'd mounted nuclear weapons. Why hadn't they? What else were they hoping to accomplish?

"Where are the other ships?" he asked.

"Still in their places in orbit, sir," said Shaw. "They are awaiting orders."

"Have them jump to the rallying point. We need to get them out of harm's way."

"I'm sending your order now."

One by one the ships on DRADIS disappeared. Adama kept watching the screen even after they were gone, clearly in anticipation.

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait for long.

Several new contacts appeared on the screen. Atreiad identified them immediately. "I'm detecting several Cylon Basestars in near-orbital space, sir. They're launching fighters."

"Bring us about," Adama said. "Prepare to…"

"Sir…" Atreiad was looking intently at the screen, as if he couldn't be sure what he was seeing. "There's something off about their profiles. I'm reading…" He blinked. "I think I'm reading _deflector_ shields."

Lee frowned at that. "You mean the Cylons have upgraded to shield technology too?"

"That's what it looks like…" A tone sounded on his board. "I'm picking up a weapons lock. They're firing missiles!"

"Return fire," ordered Lee.

The _Pegasus_ ' newly-installed phaser cannons opened up. Solid beams of amber light struck at the lead Cylon ship. The vessel, which looked like two three-bladed circles joined slightly off-center, wasn't touched by the shots. Blue energy shields met the phaser beams and absorbed them.

Meanwhile the Battlestar's defensive weapons engaged the incoming Cylon missiles. Several were blown apart on their approach, with explosions that Atreiad quickly identified. "They're using anti-matter warheads, sir."

Seconds later the first missiles hit home on _Pegasus_ ' shields. The ship shuddered from the impacts. "Shield efficiency down to eighty percent," said Atreiad.

"What's the status of the enemy Basestar we hit?" Lee asked.

"Shields are holding at ninety percent. We're firing again… enemy shields at eighty-two percent." Again the _Pegasus_ rocked as more missiles hit home. A second Basestar was engaging. "Our shields are down to seventy-three percent."

The arithmetic of the situation made Adama's tactical position starkly clear. Staying and fighting would only get the _Pegasus_ destroyed needlessly, and the _Galactica_ was still finishing an exhaustive rebuild in the Alliance's shipyards. If he wanted to maintain any possibility of independent action, he had to get the ship clear. "Recall all Vipers, now," he ordered. "And prepare the ship to jump to the rallying point."

There were uncomfortable looks on the others' faces. But they knew this was the best, the only, choice they had. "Recalling Vipers now," said Shaw. A moment later she said, "We're getting a call from New Caprica. It's Colonel Tigh."

"Put him on."

A holographic screen blipped into existence over the conference table, showing Tigh's face in a room of uniformed officers. " _Admiral, everything's going wrong down here_ ," Tigh said. " _The defense systems have been disabled by a computer virus_."

"How did they get into our defenses?" Adama asked.

" _I don't know. But we can't raise the colony's shields or activate the defense guns._ " A dull thud sounded in the distance. " _Although they're not nuking us, just bombing and shooting everything._ "

"What about Baltar or Zarek?"

" _Zarek was off on a public tour and is out of reach. And I haven't been able to get anyone to check up on Baltar._ "

Again the _Pegasus_ shook. "Shields down to forty percent, Admiral," warned Atreiad.

" _Bill, you'd better go_ ," warned Tigh. " _You can't stop them all. We're going to need help._ "

"Until we return, you are in command of any military efforts," Adama said. "Don't do anything that could provoke a massacre. Try to find out what the Cylons are up to."

" _Will do. Tigh out_."

The next shake of the ship brought with it Atreiad's warning that the shields were down to twenty-five percent. After another shaking, Shaw confirmed the last Viper had landed.

"All hands, secure for jump," Lee ordered. Everyone braced themselves.

The _Pegasus_ jumped away from the New Caprica Colony. And Adama could be forgiven for wondering if there would ever be somewhere safe for his people.

* * *

Had Baltar known what the day would bring, he would have done things differently.

For starters, he wouldn't have slept in. He would have made sure to have more guards.

And he definitely would have picked another night for his liaison with the pretty young Dorei girl who had joined his staff. That particular combination of lust and scientific curiosity had proven impossible to resist.

The young woman, Linava, was still asleep in his bed, light purple skin mingled with the fine white sheets, when Baltar emerged from the shower. Today would likely mean more of the same for him: stuffy, suffocating official work. Quorum members trying to meet with him over this or that legislative proposal, community leaders wanting his support for some initiative or another, and communiques from the various governments he had to deal with. He was thankful that Zarek was out on his tour, since it at least meant marginally more peace and quiet instead of more haranguing about Zarek's economic proposals. For all that Zarek had helped make his victory possible, Baltar was long past being fed up with his politics, which had only grown worse after Zarek had met the First Minister of the Dorei Federation, Fynra Henzi, who supported his economic initiatives.

Thinking about foreign leaders brought a scowl to Baltar's face. He'd met a few as well and he always had the feeling that they were trying to sit in judgement of him. That he somehow wasn't good enough to be their peer despite the fact that he was smarter than the entire bunch put together.

Those were the thoughts that Baltar was having when there was a commotion at his door. Not particularly interested in putting up with questions about bedding an alien, Baltar quickly finished pulling his bathrobe over himself and strode with deliberate steps toward the door. He got to it just as it opened, allowing him to keep the others out.

The others, in this case, was an aide and the Colonial Marine guard outside the door. The young lady was like all of the women Baltar hired - attractive and devoted to him.

But there was no devotion this morning. Baltar could see the utter terror on her face. "We've got to get to safety, Mister President!"

He didn't ask. He didn't need to.

Baltar didn't go back to wake up Linava. There was no time. If the Cylons were attacking, then a single nuke would be all that was necessary to wipe out New Caprica. They had to get to the bunker. He followed his guard and his aide down the hall, as if heading to his dining room. But just short of the dining room they turned off into another hall leading toward the rear. At the end of the hall was another adjoining corridor, leading mostly to meeting rooms, while the door right ahead of them was the door to Baltar's office.

Inside the office was furnished to his tastes, Fine furniture, a fully stocked cabinet of fine liquor and elegant glasses to drink it out of. His desk was made from an elegant tropical wood with a deep brassy color.

To the right of the office was a steel door. It was their final destination; the door led to the protected bunker beneath that he shared with the Quorum.

He tapped the panel beside the door and entered the first digits of his personal code.

The door flew open. Baltar and his two escorts turned to face said door. A woman in a hooded jacket entered. Her blue eyes focused on him.

The bodyguard raised his gun. "On the ground, now!"

The woman responded by extending a hand and making a gripping motion. The Marine made a harsh choking sound. He dropped his weapon in a vain attempt to reach at his throat.

The aide shrieked. All Baltar could do was watch in horror as his bodyguard spasmed and thrashed in mid-air until he stopped moving. A second hand movement sent the lifeless body flying into the far wall.

"What are you?" asked Baltar.

"Your captor for the moment," said the woman. "You will surrender New Caprica to the Cylons, President Baltar, or you and every being on this planet will die." 

* * *

Running into the alley meant safety for the moment from strafing Cylon fighters, but for Zack, Clara, and Cally, the respite could only prove temporary. There was no telling when or if the Cylons might lob a nuke into the city. And Zack figured that being outside if Cylon combat troops started landing would prove just as deadly.

"Oh Gods no," wailed Cally. "They're going to kill us! They're going to kill us all!"

"It's okay," Clara insisted. "We're going to make it. We just need to hold out…"

It didn't look like her efforts would particularly work. Zack left her to them, however, as he was busy with his omnitool and a display of the Colony's bunker network. It had been installed with the help of Alliance engineers to provide a secure place for the population of the main colony. It had multiple entrances across the Colony, at least one per street. Now he had to find the nearest entrance.

"How can this be happening again?" Cally asked. "We were supposed to be safe!" She looked pleadingly at Zack. "You were supposed to keep them away!"

"I think we may have underestimated the Cylons," Zack said darkly while examining the road plan. "Alright, follow me." He started walking toward the other end.

But Cally didn't. "If we step out there they'll kill us," she protested.

"And if we don't, they'll still kill us," said Zack. "They might decide to nuke the colony anyway, or they might land troops. If we want to be safe, we have to get to the bunker network." He held out his hand toward her. "Please. I'm sure Galen and Nicky are already on their way there."

The look on Cally's face said it all. A year of relative comfort, a year of feeling safe, was gone. In minutes the Cylons had stripped it away. It was heartbreaking to see it, and even worse to know it was a despair being felt across New Caprica now.

Zack walked back up to her and offered his hand. When she didn't move, Clara did the same.

This time Cally accepted.

Leaving the alley was easy. Trying to keep an eye skyward to watch for any strafing attacks was rather more troublesome. Doing so while running forced Zack to keep looking up to the distant shapes, But for the time being they were ignoring the three lone figures running down the street.

They weren't so alone after a minute. Doors opened and others began to emerge. They had made the same calculation as Zack and were heading to the nearest bunker entrance.

The entrance itself was set into the side of a residential building ahead on the street. It was colored and marked with red and yellow. The sign above the entrance was a round yellow circle with a smaller red circle in the middle and "EMERGENCY" written in big white block letters across the circle. There were already people entering it ahead of them.

The sense of elation that came to Zack disappeared with the high-pitched roar in the air above. A Cylon fighter swooped in. A trail of red flame erupted from beneath its belly. Zack dropped to the ground instinctively, as did many others, in the moments before the missile made impact against the bunker entrance.

The explosion was deafening. When it faded it was replaced by screams and cries from those who had been too close to the entrance. When Zack looked up he felt his stomach twist at the carnage in the street. The missile had taken out the bunker entrance and torn a massive hole into the building it was attached to. Civilians were scattered on the ground ahead of him, some dead, some wounded or dying.

Clara rushed to her feet and went to the nearest of them, a young man in a jacket, shirt, and pants. Blood was now soaking all three. She bent down over him and started inspecting him.

Zack helped Cally up. They approached Clara together while she was ripping off a piece of her sleeve. She wrapped it around the upper right arm of the moaning man to use as a makeshift tourniquet. "He's going to bleed out," she said to them. "I need to stop the bleeding."

Ordinarily Zack wouldn't have protested. But upon hearing the same roar as before, he glanced up in time to see the fighter coming back around for a strafing run. "It's coming back!" he shouted. "Take cover!" He grabbed Clara, who instinctively resisted, and tried to pull her to safety.

The fighter flew onward. Muzzle flashes appeared and gouts of asphalt and cement flew up from the impacts against the road.

And it was coming straight at them.

Then a second whine pierced the air. A beam of amber energy lanced out and struck the fighter dead-on. The explosion filled the air and the Cylon was gone.

Zack lowered his head from that sight to street level. An open flatbed pickup truck was driving up. In the back was a phaser cannon pointed skyward and manned by someone Zack couldn't make out.

"What the hell?" was his response.

Out of the truck cab stepped Sam Anders and Kara Thrace. Anders pulled a bullhorn up to his mouth. "Everyone, listen up! I've got a bus coming this way and some other vehicles. If you've got one of your own, go get it now. Otherwise, stay nearby and I'll protect you as best as I can. We're getting out of here."

By the time Anders was done, Thrace had finished walking up to Zack. "Hey Loverboy, hell of a time to check on your girlfriend, isn't it?"

Zack shook his head. Despite the situation, he had to chuckle at that. "Yeah, it is." He gestured to the truck. "So what the hell is that?"

"Sam's been unhappy with the way Baltar's been dragging his ass on setting up a militia," Thrace replied. "So he did it himself, with whatever he could scrounge."

"And scrounging included a heavy phaser cannon?" he asked.

Thrace grinned at that. "It does when you've got Admiral Adama and Colonel Tigh signing the requisition forms." That drew a grin from Zack as well.

"I need to get this man some medical attention," Clara said, having returned to her patient. "We should get to the hospital."

"We'd be sitting ducks," Thrace said. "But we've got medical supplies at our fallback base."

"We should be getting into the bunker," Zack said.  
"That thing's a death trap. If they'd wanted us nuked, they'd have nuked us by now."

There was no arguing that point. Zack didn't get the chance anyway, as Cally cried out, "What about Nick and Galen? They were coming to meet us, I have to find them!"

That brought her Thrace's attention. "Hey, we'll get to them, okay? Knowing Chief Tyrol, he's doing everything necessary to keep little Nick safe." Thrace looked back to Zack. "So, mind helping me get this evacuation organized? The longer we're here, the more we're sitting ducks."

"Clara will check on the wounded then," said Zack, "and I'll help you with the rest."

"Good to hear it," was the only reply he got before they went to work. 

* * *

The command staff of the _Aurora_ assembled in the conference lounge off of the bridge. The meeting had been scheduled to be their first full meeting since everyone had returned from leave, with the discussion to be primarily those on ship readiness.

Of course, things had changed.

Now Admiral Maran's face was present on the wall monitor. Reserved as always, Maran's face showed only a fraction of the stress he had to be under given the news he now shared with them. " _The Cylons have launched a full scale assault on Alliance space_."

For a moment there was no response from the assembled. Angel was the first to speak. "How well can they do? We trounced them back when we first met them."

" _The reports we're getting from the Dorei indicate the Cylons haven't been idle on the technology front. Their ships are now carrying deflector shields and their anti-ship armament includes anti-matter warheads on their missiles._ "

"The Cylons have had years to develop clandestine connections in our region of space," said Meridina. "Their involvement in the Faith Summit bombing and their attempt to buy Lucy Lucero from slavers on Djamar Station establishes this presence. They may be getting their technology from clandestine sources."

" _That is Alliance Intelligence's assessment as well, although I am told they have yet to determine a specific source._ "

"And what about New Caprica?" asked Julia.

Maran shook his head. " _Long range sensors have confirmed that Cylon ships jumped into the region. We haven't been able to raise their government or Admiral Adama's command either. Unfortunately, communications systems across the entire sector have been going down, presumably as a result of Cylon sabotage. But given the sensor data, we must assume that New Caprica has already fallen._ "

Faces across the room fell. "Then Zack…" Caterina began.

" _We've heard nothing from Commander Carrey either_." Maran nodded. " _I've already ordered his crew to return from leave. The_ Koenig's _caretaker crew will have her back to you by the time you launch_."

Julia's brow furrowed. "When is that, Admiral? We still haven't taken on our full crew."

" _I'm aware of that, but we need every ship we can put into service to deal with this incursion. I want the_ Aurora _ready to jump for the Dorei frontier within six hours. We'll get as many new crew members to you as we can during that time, but I recognize you'll still be understaffed and without a Marine contingent. I'm afraid you'll have to make due with what you've got available._ "

"We'll make it work, Admiral."

" _That's just what I wanted to hear, Captain. I'll give you further orders when you arrive in N2S7. We should have a clearer picture of what's going on by then. And I will make inquiries on ways to replace your Marine force. Maran out._ " The Admiral's arm moved and a moment later his image disappeared.

" _Six hours?!_ " Scotty blurted out. "I cannae finish everythin' in just six hours!"

"Call in all personnel you can spare and do your best," Julia replied. She looked to Jarod next. "I hate to multitask you, Jarod, but when you're not helping Mister Scott prepare us for duty, I need you and your staff to manage the incoming crew and make sure we've gotten all the stores we need. Make whatever temporary arrangements you have to, we can fix it later when the crisis is over."

Jarod nodded. "I'll get started right away."

"Everyone else, pitch in wherever Jarod or Scotty asks you to. We've got…" She checked the time on her omnitool. "...five hours and fifty-five minutes to get this ship ready for duty. You're all dismissed, save Commander Meridina."

Meridina waited quietly while the others filed out. Once they were gone she stated, "I have yet to make my choice, Captain."

"I know," Julia answered. "It's a big step for you, I get that. But I need a First Officer right now. So effective immediately, you're Acting First Officer."

"Would it not make more sense to put Jarod in that position?"

"No. I need him running ship operations directly, as usual. I need you helping me on the command side of things." Julia leaned back in her seat. "It's not permanent. And when things are over you can tell me no and I'll put you back on Security."

"Of course." Meridina nodded. "I shall inform Lieutenant Richmond that she is acting Chief of Security."

"I'll see you in my office in half an hour, then."

Meridina nodded and stood. She only made it a few steps toward the door when she turned back and asked, "Which office? Robert's ready office?"

"No," Julia said. "My XO office on Deck 3."

Meridina nodded. "Very well. When will you be using the Captain's office?"

The question made Julia go quiet. It was a good question and one that she should have answered to herself weeks ago. "When I'm ready," she managed to answer, and it was clear that was the end of it for her.

Meridina nodded in understanding and left. Julia's answer hadn't surprised her. She still hoped Robert would awaken soon.

For that matter, so did Meridina.

* * *

Again golden rays shined down on the Dale family farm, where rich fields of grain continued to grow until the day would come to harvest them. Robert took in this sight while sitting up on the family combine harvester's driver seat. Little Robby was balanced on his lap running his little hands around the controls. "Daddy, what does this do?" he asked, grasping at a control.

"It lets me control the thresher."

"And what does this do?"

"That's what I use when I'm releasing the grain."

For a moment the little boy seemed contented by those answers. His next question was on a different subject. "When can I play with it?"

To that Robert chuckled. "When you're older. Not until your feet can reach the pedal, that's for certain."

The little boy seemed to accept this as a reasonable requirement. "Do I get the farm?"

"You will, one day," Robert answered. "This is our family's farm and it has been for a long long time. Dales have been farming this land for a hundred and fifty years."

Together they looked out at the grain swaying gently in the wind. This quiet reverie was only broken when there was a knock at the door of the cab. Robert opened it and looked down to where his father was standing on the entry ladder. He was in mechanic overalls, just like Robert, with his hands stained with black grease. "Give it a try now, son," he said.

Robert reached for the controls and fired up the combine. It roared to life immediately. "There we go!" he cried over the engine. The three generations of Dales shared a moment of laughter before Robert shut the engine down. "That was great, Dad. Herb would have charged more for a repair."

"Herb always charges more," Michael Dale pointed out after a chuckle. He stepped down from the cab. He stretched his arms up toward them.

Nothing need be said. Little Robby squealed in joy and jumped into his grandfather's waiting hands. Michael swung the shrieking child around in the air for a moment before setting him down. A small wince came to his face briefly and Robert saw Michael's hand go for his hip. For the moment he said nothing and concentrated on closing and locking up the cab of the combine. Once he was back on hard soil he asked, "Dad, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Rob," was the answer. "I'm just getting old."

"Yeah. I guess we all are."

They started walking back to the original family farmhouse, where Grandpa Allen and Grandma Anna still lived by themselves. Robert reflected on how much he'd missed this walk between the barn and the house. It was one he'd done his whole life until…

"Whatever that was with the doctor who was at the house, I think you were right to send him on," Michael said. "Your place is at home, Rob. It's where your heart is."

Robert nodded. He forced the memories down. The memories that told him this was a fantasy, that his father and mother and sister and grandparents were all dead. Memories of a far stranger and bizarre fate than he had ever expected while growing up here. And for a moment, a terrible moment, he had been ready to return to that life of loss and struggle. To go back to that reality...

In the distance, thunder rumbled. "Well, looks like a storm," said Michael.

Little Robby grasped at Robert's waist. Robert responded by picking his boy up and holding him close. "It's okay, don't be afraid," he said. "I'm here."

His son's arms wrapped around his neck in response. Feeling his son clinging to him reinforced Robert's decision to remain with his family.

What more could he ask for? 

* * *

New Caprica Colony had five major roads leading out of it, although they were major only in that they were paved and made like a normal road. Three led to farming communities, one to the mining range in the Olympic Mountains a hundred kilometers away, and one to the New Caprica Colony Natural Park.

It was the road to the mountains that the convoy ended up taking. It was a peculiar convoy, too. They were of various types and makes; anti-grav aircars and standard automobiles, long trucks and small two-man vehicles, and at least one bus. Said bus had someone sitting in a makeshift gun emplacement on the top with a quad-barrelled anti-air emplacement bolted to it that made it look like a World War II-era anti-air gun. Similar weapons were in the beds of most of the trucks, save those heavily-laden with supplies.

By all rights Zack could have asserted command of the entire thing. The Alliance and New Caprica had a standing forces agreement that included recognition of one another's command structures, and as a Commander he outranked Thrace and Anders. But throwing weight around like that was contrary to Zack in a fundamental way; he had let Starbuck and Sam take the lead and offered to oversee the people crammed into the bus. Most of the seats were taken individually, and several people were standing and holding onto the bars.

In the back Clara was hunched over the wounded man she'd barely saved in the company of a familiar face. Doctor Sherman Cottle finished taking the pulse before nodding to Clara. "Good job, Miss Davis," he said. "You saved this man's life."

Clara blushed and shook his head. "You're the doctor," she said. "You did."

"He wouldn't have made it if you hadn't stopped the bleeding," Cottle insisted.

"Will he make it?" asked Zack.

Cottle shook his head. "Time will tell. And how good the medical facilities are wherever we're going." He leveled a questioning look to Zack.

"The Olympia Mining Complex," Zack answered. "I'm not sure where we'll be going in particular once we get there. Anders is taking the lead on this."

"Well, the man led a guerrilla war against the Cylons for months, he probably knows best of all how to handle this." Cottle stood up "I'll want to set up a hospital when we get there. Miss Davis, you'll be my chief nurse."

Clara swallowed. "Um, yes, Doctor."

"Of course, depending on who is there or with us, you might be my _only_ nurse," Cottle pointed out. "Now let's see this fellow…"

While they moved on to a less critical casualty, Zack walked back to the front of the bus. A man who looked like he was approaching forty was driving. Zack thought he looked nervous. But so did everyone else in the bus, really. Everyone had been shaken by the attack. Zack numbered among them. "So, how much longer do we have?" he asked.

"Thirty kilometers according to the maps," said the driver.

Zack nodded. "Let me know if you need anything." He stepped back from the driver's seat and went over to the ladder leading up to the gun emplacement on the top of the bus. A makeshift hatch had been welded into place to allow the gunner to come back and forth.

For a moment he considered going up to join the gunner on his own. As his right hand grasped the rung, a blue light from his omnitool came to life over the back of his left hand. He tapped the light. "Carrey here," he said.

Thrace spoke up on the other end. " _Our sensor guy says we have Cylon fighters approaching. Two flights at least_."

Zack blinked at that. "That's what, only eight?"

" _I know. It's like they're toying with us_. _Get everyone in the bus ready. Your gunner's already been told_."

"Right. Carrey out." Zack looked to the assembled refugees and spoke with as much volume as he could without seeming panicked. "Alright everyone, I need you to stay low. There are Cylon fighters flying in to attack us."

The passengers of the bus were clearly frightened, even terrified, but they all obeyed as requested.

Zack, on the other hand, climbed up the ladder and opened the hatch into the gunner's nest. The gunner was a young man with a cocoa-brown complexion and a little on the wiry side build wise. He rotated the gun to face the approaching fighters. Zack watched as the display showed the projected flight paths of the oncoming fighters and the crosshairs for the gun proper. After the crosshairs went red the gunner pulled the trigger. The weapon opened up, using mass effect fields to send slivers of extremely high-velocity metal flying into the air. After several seconds flames erupted from the fighter he was targeting.

Other vehicles in the convoy opened up, filling the air with tracer fire and energy fire. A couple more of the Cylon fighters exploded.

Their return fire came in a volley of missiles. The active ECM devices that had been fixed to the convoy worked to spoof the missiles, and most succeeded. Nevertheless, one car ahead of them exploded from a direct hit. Zack had to hold on for dear life as the bus swerved to avoid the flaming wreck.

This also threw off the aim of the gunner on a rapidly-approaching fighter. His shots went wide, missing the enemy craft completely.

The same maneuver also threw off the Cylon fighter's shots at the last moment, or at least that was how it appeared to Zack. A strafing run that should have hit the bus didn't appear to hit anything.

At least, not until the gunner collapsed at his weapon. Zack turned and saw that he'd lost half of his head to a direct hit.

The other Cylon fighters, having expended missiles, did the same. Their fire seemed to concentrate on taking out the gunners of the various anti-air weapons. Meanwhile the fighter that zoomed overhead began to bank in the air, coming around for another pass.

Zack had seconds to get the harness off of the gunner. He pulled the dead young Colonial away from the seat and plopped himself into it. There was no time to put his harness on; the fighter was already mostly through its turn. Zack gripped the controls of the anti-air mount and looked over the display. The built-in targeting systems flashed a red target icon ahead of the fighter, showing its projected course. Zack brought the crosshairs over that icon before pulling the trigger.

The mass effect fields powered up. Four streams of metal shavings were the result, a storm of projectiles that he directed into the path of the fighter. Sparks and flame shot from its surface. Zack kept firing until the Cylon was diving for the ground, trailing flame as it came.

With the immediate threat gone Zack used the arrow on the display to follow the movements of the attackers until he faced another Cylon fighter, this one to the east of their convoy. It was maneuvering for another pass. He maneuvered until the crosshairs were over the target and opened fire again. This time the fire from his weapon was joined by a powerful beam from another vehicle. The beam hit first and damaged the fighter, allowing Zack's shots to finish it off.

" _Only two left_ ," said Thrace.

Zack was already turning the gun to engage them as well. The adrenaline coursing through him was an old, familiar sensation. But given his circumstance, and how different it was from the usual, it gave a different edge to the moment.

The remaining Cylon fighters weren't giving up just yet. They were coming around for a new attack run. Zack started bringing his emplacement to bear, as did others in the convoy. But given the angle, he was certain the Cylon fighters couldn't help but land hits.

His targeting systems identified more craft approaching. For a moment he thought that they were more Cylons. But only for a moment. The targeting scanners framed the new contacts with green. They had friendly IFF codes aboard.

Moments later the cannons on the two Vipers fired. The Cylon fighters had just begun to evade. But it was too late. Both were riddled with multiple hits. Their ruined remains slammed into the ground.

" _Militia, this is Colonel Tigh_."

" _We read you_ ," replied Thrace. " _I didn't think you'd make it, Colonel._ "

" _We almost didn't. These two are all that's left of Baltar's Presidential Escort._ " There was a pause. " _We'll meet you at the mines._ "

The Vipers flew onward to the cheers of the convoy. For a moment, Zack found himself cheering as well. 

* * *

The bridge crew of the _Aurora_ were taking their places when Meridina arrived on the bridge for the launch. She had switched into a command branch uniform with the burgundy red trim instead of olive brown, matching Julia's own.

Julia looked up at her from the command chair. Meridina walked down past the science and engineering consoles on the port side of the bridge and approached her. "Reporting as ordered, Captain."

"It's good to see you, Commander." Julia gestured to her old seat. Meridina settled into it. "What is our status for launch?"

Meridina's slender fingers operated the control for her display holotank, showing her the relevant information. "We are still three hundred and fifty-three billets short on the crew. Stores are at seventy-five percent capacity."

"I've already consulted with the shift and department commanders," Jarod said. "It will take some shuffling but we can manage going to combat alert for a few hours at least. If we start taking casualties, though, we're going to be stretched."

"And the _Koenig_?"

"The caretaker crew will be waiting for us in N2S7," said Jarod. "Apley and Navaez are ready to head over. Command couldn't get in contact with the other members of the command crew in time."

"Noted." Julia kept herself from frowning at that. The Cylons were going to be a tougher fight than imagined, and that meant casualties were far more likely. Not to mention that having the _Koenig_ 's crew understaffed would make that ship less capable, especially with its chief engineer and tactical officer missing. "Everyone, what is our status?"

Tom Barnes nodded from the Engineering station. "Naqia reactors are ready for operation. Every engine is operational and running."

"All sensors functioning normally," said Caterina.

"Weapons check complete, everything is ready," added her sister. "And we have a full combat load of solar torpedoes."

Meridina glanced to her display again. "While we have no Marine unit, the ship security complement is at full strength. All fighter squadrons present and ready for orders."

"Alright then." A surge of exhilaration came to Julia despite the grim circumstances of their early launch. This was it. She was now in command, overseeing her first launch as Captain. "Mister Locarno, take us out."

"Aye ma'am."

Just before he could say it, Julia shook her head. " And thrusters only."

To that Locarno grinned. "Of course."

Under his control the _Aurora_ slipped free of the dock. Gently her thrusters moved the kilometer long starship to the opening spacedock doors, beyond which the curve of Earth was visible. Starships of varying shapes and sizes milled in the orbital space ahead.

Jarod operated the control for the jump drive. "I'm getting an anchoring signal from the Dorei vessel _Fanmila_. Locking the drive on."

"Jump when you're ready, Commander."

Julia's order was answered by a nod and the reply of, "Engaging jump drive in five seconds."

After those five seconds, a vortex of green energy formed in the space ahead of the _Aurora_. The kilometer long starship accelerated and entered the jump point.

On the other end of the point was the outer system of a B sequence star. A plutoid spun along several thousand kilometers away from where the Alliance fleet was gathering. The bulk of the fleet was Dorei and Gersallian, but already other ship types were visible. A contingent of Sirian ships, with their ring-shaped warp drives, maintained their own formation, as did an attack wing of Alakin warbirds.

At the center of the formation was a large Gersallian dreadnought. The profile wasn't that of the _Kentan_ \- it lacked the fighter bays - and Julia had to search her memory for a moment to recall it. "The _Drantem_ ," she noted.

" _Drantem_ -class, anyway,"Jarod clarified. "Not as large as the _Kentan_ , but they built six of them."

The _Aurora_ pulled closer to the ship. It was over fifty percent longer than the _Aurora_ and a third again as wide. Its very size explained the eight warp nacelles built into the mid and rear sections, providing propulsion for the massive warship.

Ahead of the _Drantem_ was the natural place of the _Aurora_ in the fleet formations. The new Alliance designs, made with the benefit of Darglan tech, stood out among the member-specific ships with their azure hulls and their sleek, sharper lines. The _Predator_ -class and _Scorpio_ -class ship designs were not unfamiliar - the former a unitary hull shape with the rear drive hull section being "shorter" than the primary hull, the latter more of an arrowhead with powerful plasma pulse cannons built into its bow - but two new types were represented as well.

One of the new types was the _Steslus_ -class destroyer, represented by four of its model, which were larger than the _Predator_ -class while still looking smaller than a standard cruiser. They had a saucer-shaped primary hull with phaser strip emplacements visible along the sides and one large plasma emitter built into the bow. What set the design apart from the others was the presence of two secondary hulls, one dorsal and one ventral, with each having warp nacelles on port and starboard sides to have four overall. The lower secondary hull had a few weapon emplacements as well while the upper secondary hull was lined with fighter launch tubes. The rear section of the upper hull included a visible retrieval deck for the same.

The second type was represented by just one vessel. It was larger, clearly to cruiser size, at just under 400 meters length, with an sleek arrowhead primary hull and a squad drive hull attached seamlessly to the bottom and rear. Its twin warp nacelles were slanted upward at diagonal angles from the drive hull. Pulse plasma cannon emplacements were built into the bow of the arrowhead, and the presence of other weapons gave the ship a decidedly aggressive appearance that belied its similarity in shape to the Federation's _Intrepid_ -class exploration cruisers.

The emotional punch from the ship's appearance came from the name emblazoned on the hull: _ASV Lithgon_.

"Admiral Lithgon," murmured Locarno. "They named a ship after him."

Julia nodded quietly. "Another war design like the _Scorpio_. A tactical cruiser, designed for speed and hitting power."

"Hopefully they'll give the Nazis a good stomping when they make it there," Angel said.

"First things first," Julia answered. "Lieutenant, take us to our place in the formation."

Under Locarno's control the _Aurora_ moved past the _Lithgon_ and the destroyers and attack cruisers to the lead of the formation. Around it were an unprecedented five of the _Discovery_ -class ships. "The _Soyuz_ , _Endeavor_ , _Gagarin_ , _Atlantis_ , and _Kitana_ ," Jarod read off.

Julia nodded quietly.

"We're in place," said Locarno. He was pleased by the maneuver, as was Julia. The _Aurora_ was back in action, whatever the problems with launching this quickly.

"The _Koenig_ is docking now," Jarod added.

The _Koenig_ , which had been toward the rear of the Alliance formation, was already flying in between the _Aurora_ 's nacelles. The dock door for her berth was open and ready to receive her. The caretaker crew brought her in without a problem.

Once the _Koenig_ was secure, Jarod spoke up again. "General Jinam on the Dorei starbird _Kupira_ has sent us course telemetry," he said. "It looks like we're being sent to the Tupana system with the main counter-attack."

"I'm setting course now," said Locarno. After a moment he confirmed he was ready with, "Course set. Ready to engage."

" _Engineering here. Ye've got full warp power at yer command, Cap'n_ ," said Scott.

"Thank you, Mister Scott," Julia answered. "Take us out, Lieutenant."

"Aye."

With just a few key presses, Locarno sent energy surging into the _Aurora_ 's warp drive assembly. The ship shot away at warp speed, followed in quick order by the other ships. 

* * *

The yellow light of a G sequence star played over the hull of the _Pegasus_ as it did those ships she was in company with. The vessels of the Colonial Refugee Fleet were gathered in the orbit of the innermost planet of this uninhabited solar system. At this proximity to the sun, long range sensors would have a harder time detecting their presence. This had, indeed, been the point when Adama selected it as the fleet rallying point.

He and his son Lee sat quietly in the officers' wardroom. A map of the local star systems was visible on the wall, including their home of New Caprica. A marker there showed the presence of the Cylons.

The quiet was broken by Lee. "What do they want?"

"I wish we knew," Adama grumbled. "They spent all that time trying to wipe us out. Now, they hold back. Why?" Adama thumped his hand on the table. "Did we ever complete interrogations of D'anna Biers?"

"Our best tried," said Lee. "She never cooperated."

"Maybe not willingly. But she might have said something that could shed light on what the Cylons are after." Adama lifted his eyes toward Lee. "Get me the transcripts and recordings of her interrogations. All of them."

Lee stood. "Anything else?"

Adama shook his head. "Not right now. Let me know when we're ready for the next jump. If we're lucky, the Cylon attack on the Alliance's communications is local."

Lee nodded and left, leaving Adama to his thoughts on the situation.

* * *

Baltar's office was now a prison cell. The new Cylon model was standing watch at the entrance while two female figures entered. One was the same model as D'anna Biers, the other the same gorgeous blonde as the Cylon in his head.

He gave them a quizzical look as they took seats. "What is it you want?" he asked.

"A great many things," said the blonde. "Let's start with those of our kind being kept prisoner."

"You mean Miss Biers?" he asked. "I'll need communications for that. We keep her on the _Galactica_."

"We will handle all communications requirements," said the Cylon like Biers. "You will speak when needed to confirm your continued survival and that of your colony."

Baltar knew immediately what that meant. "So we're hostages then? You're using us to negotiate with the Alliance?"

"Of course, Gaius," said the blonde. Or, rather, the other version of the blonde that still sometimes spoke to him in his head, appearing to him whenever she pleased. Even now she was standing between the other two as if she belonged there. "But you shouldn't worry. This, too, is part of God's Plan."

Baltar didn't find that as reassuring as it was clearly meant to be.


	7. Episode 3-02-2 Sundered Bonds

The aroma of a family meal being cooked wafted through the house. Robert enjoyed the scent from his seat in the living room. Pleasant childhood memories were associated with that scent.

His eyes went back to the fields and to the growing darkness in the clouds. He already had a feeling what it was and what it represented. He didn't care.

"Hrm. Looks like we could be having quite a storm." Allen Dale eased himself into the next chair over.

"Maybe, maybe not," Robert murmured. He shook his head. "Sometimes you can avoid them."

"Sometimes," he agreed. "Just like you did."

Robert glanced at him. "What?"

"You could have left us," said Allen. "You could've walked out into it. But you chose to turn back. You picked family over duty."

For a moment Robert had nothing to say about this. When he found his voice, it was to ask, "What are you saying? What are you? I know you're not… you're not illusions, you're not programs of some sort."

Instead of getting an answer, Robert heard his grandmother calling them to the table for dinner. "Why don't we eat up?" asked Allen. "Then, if you want… we can talk about this."

With that said, the old man quietly walked away.

* * *

The convoy pulled into the mining facility without further problems. The vehicles all pulled into various places, after which Anders and Thrace went to work organizing everyone. While they did so Zack organized stretcher teams to bring the wounded to the on-site infirmary for the mining operation. It was not a large facility, certainly, but the need to care for the mining staff ensured it had decent equipment.

After giving Clara a good luck kiss and leaving her with Doc Cottle, Zack joined the others in reporting to Tigh at the mine's directing room. The systems there were meant for guiding the mining operations to the most promising veins of ore. Now the displays were being converted to be used for other pursuits, with one already showing a map of the area.

"It looks like this is everyone we could get," said Tigh.

"A lot of people went right for the bunkers." Thrace frowned. "Which would have saved their lives if the toasters were dropping nukes."

"I had that thought too," Zack said. "Do we know why they're not?"

"No idea. The Godsdamned things have changed the rules on us." Tigh shook his head. "Whatever they're after, they made sure to take the President."

"And Zarek? Or the rest of the Quorum?"

"No sign of 'em, although with Zarek, you can never tell." Tigh sized them up. "The Old Man got away with the Fleet. It's up to us to keep everyone alive until he gets back." Tigh nodded to Zack. "Hopefully with your people alongside."

"Hopefully," Zack agreed. "I'm not sure how the Cylons caught us with our pants down, but I'm pretty sure Admiral Maran is putting together a response. Do we have communications with the Alliance?"

"We do not. All communications are down sector-wide."

"The Cylons must have done something to the network then."

"Seems right. Anyway, go get some grub and wind down," said Tigh. "We're having a briefing tonight to go over our supplies and assign commands."

The three nodded to that and dispersed.

Zack returned to the infirmary. The injured were taking up every bed available. Clara was taking vitals over one, a middle-aged woman hit by shrapnel during the initial Cylon attack. The woman in question was asleep but seemed otherwise alright. "How is it going?" he asked Clara.

"Cally and I are the only ones with even the slightest medical training," Clara replied. She was wearing medical scrubs over her civilian clothes now. "So until we find anyone else, we're Cottle's only nurses. What about you?"

"Whatever Tigh's planning, I'm sure I'll be part of it," said Zack. He put an arm around her and pulled Clara into an embrace, which she accepted. The moment became more of a minute before the embrace ended. "I'm sorry you're out here for this," Zack said. "You weren't supposed to be in danger."

Clara shook her head. "They warned us about the Cylons when I volunteered for this. I knew it could be dangerous and I came anyway. Don't worry about it."

"Sorry, but I don't think I can stop that."

"If anything I should worry. If they send you off on some desperate mission…" Clara shook her head before pulling close to him again. This embrace lasted a little longer than the last before Clara noticed Cottle and stopped. The elderly doctor said nothing to her. He didn't need to. She had to get back to work. She said so.

"So do I," said Zack. "I'll be by later. I'll bring you some dinner."

"I'll be waiting," she said. Their eyes met and, a moment later, so did their lips, joining for a sweet kiss. 

* * *

Julia and Meridina entered the medbay to find it virtually empty. There were no active cases, no patients, in the receiving area. Two nurses, both Human, were on duty in their medical white-with-blue-trim nurse uniforms. They waved the two back to the care ward.

Leo was waiting for them. He was standing over the bed where Robert was still lying comatose. Seeing the surprised look on their faces - although Meridina controlled her reaction to the point that it was barely noticeable - Leo quickly said, "There was some confusion with the Fleet Hospital. The transfer team never made it."

"We'll probably hear it from Admiral Maran,"Julia remarked. She let out a small sigh and shook her head. "Do what you can for him, then."

"Like you have to ask? Doctor Singh is going to oversee his case until we get back to dock."

Meridina walked to the side of the bed and looked at Robert. "It is… odd," she said.

"What?" asked Julia.

"There is something peculiar in the way Robert's life feels. The Flow of Life seems to be pooling around him."

"Did you feel this before?" Julia asked.

"No," said Meridina. "I may have made a grave mistake regardless by missing this before. I… I do not know if such a thing has ever happened in our histories. I would need to consult with our healers."

"Be my guest," said Leo. "This is beyond me. Singh and I have done everything covered by medical science to figure this out."

"It will have to wait," said Meridina. "We are under radio silence. And our arrival at Tupana is mere hours away."

"Anything else, Leo?" asked Julia.

He shook his head. 

* * *

Dinner had been excellent, as always, and when it was over the family went off to do as they pleased. Julia put on a cartoon movie for Robby, with Robert's parents joining them while his grandparents took care of things in the kitchen.

Robert had gone upstairs and now found himself leaning against the railing, watching the rest of the family. His conversation with his grandfather played over again in his mind. That they were real, that they weren't just some illusions, he had already felt. But now he found himself wondering if there was more to them than just being his family.

"Catching up on your thinking, bro?"

Robert turned his head to face Susanna. Her brown eyes glinted brightly, as they always did, with a loose green shirt and old half-worn slacks as her post-dinner "at home" clothing. Her hair was pulled back to the nape of her neck; "You could say that," Robert said.

A moment later, a cold feeling surged through him. He was back in the morgue. Through the window he watched a gloved hand pull back a sheet, revealing what was left of his little sister. The image made him feel sick.

"Well, with Little Robby around, I don't blame you for taking the time to get some thinking done." Susanna leaned her head against his arm. "Especially since I can tell you have a lot on your mind."

"You became pretty astute after you finished growing up."

"Well, I had help," she said. A giggle came next. "Is everything okay with you?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it's just… like you said, a lot on my mind."

The look on her face told him she didn't buy a word of it. But what shocked him was when she said, "It's because we're all supposed to be dead, right?"

Robert's neck might have snapped for how quickly he turned it to face Susanna. Her expression was thoughtful and quite sad. Seeing his look, she laughed weakly and shook her head. "I think we can all tell, Rob. The way you hug us. The way you speak to us. Like you can't be around us enough. We're all dead and gone out there, aren't we?"

Robert swallowed. "Yeah," he finally managed.

Susanna sighed and nodded. "Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way." She drew closer to him, much as she had done when they were little and she wanted a hug or support from her older brother. "I'm not sure how this is working. How we can be alive again in this... place. But I want to make the most of it."

Robert wrapped his arm around her shoulders, much as he had when she was a younger child and they were having "a moment". Tears welled in his eyes. His little sister, alive again, his whole family alive, made whatever this place was feel like heaven itself. "Yeah," he said. "I do too."

* * *

The appointed hour came with everyone on the _Aurora_ bridge, at their proper stations. "Dropping out of warp." Locarno's hand keyed the warp systems to disengage.

"The rest of the fleet is maintaining formation," Jarod confirmed. "General Jinam is signaling instructions."

"We are to take up the lead formation," Meridina said.

"Take us in, Mister Locarno."

"Aye Captain."

Under Locarno's control the _Aurora_ flew ahead of the fleet. The _Soyuz_ and _Atlantis_ followed with a contingent of the destroyer-sized ships.

Julia turned her head toward the port side of the bridge. "What do we have on sensors?"

"I'm running a full sensor sweep now." Caterina watched her screens closely. "Hrm. Well, I've got the colony on sensors."

"How bad is it?" Julia asked her. Given the reputation of the Cylons, she couldn't imagine there would be many people alive, if at all. Not unless they had a strong theater shield.

"Going by my sensor returns, it isn't," Cat answered. "I'm not showing any signs of nuclear detonations, or anti-matter… the colony looks completely intact. The life sign count matches the reported population."

Julia and Meridina exchanged knowing glances. The reputation of the Cylons for mass murder had been made painfully clear during their sweep of the Colonies a year and a half before. If they'd refrained from such an attack this time, there had to be a reason for it.

"Wait… I'm detecting a power signature in polar orbit."

"A ship?"

"No. I think it's a buoy of some kind. It's responding to my scan."

"I'm getting a signal from it," said Jarod. "It looks like its trying to open communications. I'm activating our isolated comm receiver now."

Several seconds later the holo-viewscreen image changed. Instead of the view of a planet growing larger every few seconds there was a somewhat darkened chamber. A central station was surrounded by figures, most of them standing in ways that they couldn't be identified.

One figure was not among them. He looked directly at the screen, presumably for their benefit. Meridina recognized him as the same model as Brother Cavil; an older man with graying hair and a severe appearance. Said appearance did not seem so severe this time, however. " _Greetings_ ," he said. " _I am the First, spokesman of the Cylon Consensus. As you can see, we have not damaged your colony, or any of your colonies, in any way. We have come to open a diplomatic dialogue with the United Alliance of Systems._ "

"And you do that by launching an attack on our space."

" _A regrettable necessity. But we needed you to be aware of our capability. It was the best way to ensure you took us seriously._ "

Julia shook her head. "What is it you want?"

" _As I stated, we're here to open a dialogue. You have approximately twelve hours to arrive at the New Caprica System with diplomatic personnel determined by your leaders. Your vessel will come alone, or we will consider it betrayal._ "

"What happens if we cannot make the deadline?" asked Meridina.

The First frowned at that. " _Then we have to assume you have no intention to hear us out. And we will respond accordingly, starting with the colony at New Caprica. That is all._ " The image disappeared.

"What can you tell me about that signal?" Julia asked aloud, with Jarod and Cat as her intended recipients.

"It's definitely using our standard communications protocols," Jarod confirmed. "I kept it isolated from our main systems as a precaution."

"The buoy's power signature just spiked. It looks like the end of our conversation caused the power system to overload." Cat shook her head. "We won't be able to recover anything from it."

"This sounds like a trap," said Angel.

"Possibly," Meridina agreed. She shook her head. "But if we do not go, the people on New Caprica will undoubtedly be killed. And the Cylons will certainly resume their attacks."

"Then set a course there and have it ready." Julia stood and walked toward the ready office. "I'm going to consult with General Jinam and Admiral Maran. Let me know if anything develops."

They answered her with nods. 

* * *

Zack had to hand it to Sam Anders. He had thought of _everything_.

As it turned out, weapons weren't the only things his militia had stockpiled and kept ready. A defensive shield array was now attached to the naqia reactor that normally powered the mine's machinery, protecting them from further Cylon air raids. Replicators provided food and water. And one of the full-sized cargo trucks carried with it the materials for several pre-fabricated buildings which, with the actual mine support buildings and a bunch of tents, provided housing for those refugees that were with them. Setting everything up still took time, and some leadership, which was what Zack spent hours assisting with.

Now that it was over, Zack was again with Tigh, Thrace, and Anders… and two newer arrivals.

"Good to see you Commander." The warmth in Tom Zarek's voice was genuine, which always puzzled Zack a little given the differences between himself and the old revolutionary. "You and Miss Davis made it out, I heard?"

"We did," Zack said, allowing the Colonies' Vice President to shake his hand enthusiastically. "You made it out too, I see."

"I was on business in the countryside when the invasion hit. It took this long to secure safe transportation."

Zack nodded and turned his attention to the blond standing beside Tigh. She was an older woman, middle-aged if not nearly there, and it took a moment for Zack to remember her. "Mrs. Tigh?" he asked.

"Commander." Ellen Tigh nodded. She gave him a knowing look. "It seems you're stuck here with the rest of us."

"Hopefully not for too long," Zack answered. He nodded to her and looked at Tigh. "Anything new, Colonel?"

"We've gotten some radio signals from the main settlement," said Tigh. "The Cylons are herding everyone into the bunkers."

Zack frowned. "Which makes them sitting ducks." He felt some sudden gratitude at the Cylon fighter that destroyed the bunker entrance. That memory prompted him to say, "Although I wonder why they destroyed the entrance we tried to use?"

"They destroyed most of the entrances," said Anders. "That makes it easier to control who gets in or out."

The logic made sense. And it didn't change the important part. "So they're using the bunkers as a prison and a death trap. How do we stop them?"

"We don't have the hardware for anything like a proper assault," Tigh said. "So anything we do has to wait for reinforcements."

"Or we do something other than an assault," said Thrace. "We find a way to sneak in and get our people out."

"Sneaking in is easier said than done," Zack pointed out. "The terrain is open enough that they'll see us coming whether by foot or by car."

"What if we took the entire convoy?" The suggestion was from Anders. "We take all of our armed vehicles and fight our way back into town. Then we find one of the bunker entrances and secure it long enough to evacuate."

Tigh shook his head. "Fighting off fighters is one thing. But you could run into centurions as well, not to mention what could happen if they decide to hit you from orbit."

A thought prompted Zack to ask, "Do we have any backup generators for the protective shield?"

"A couple…" Tigh stopped. He realized what Zack was about to propose. "Listen, we can't afford to risk that equipment. If we lose those generators we're sitting ducks along with all of the people we've already got here."

"We just need one," Zack pointed out. "You'll still have a second backup here. If we don't do anything… the Cylons are going to kill the people in the bunkers. We all know this, right?"

"Probably," Tigh conceded.

"We've got to save as many of them as we can. We might not get them all out, but we can get more, and maybe we can throw off their timetable until help arrives from the Alliance."

Anders and Thrace nodded in agreement. Zarek seemed to be quietly considering the issue and waiting to see how the argument ended before giving his input.

"What if you provoke them into killing everyone down there?" asked Ellen. "You could wind up getting them all killed."

"If we don't do anything, they're likely to be killed anyway," Thrace retorted. "Whatever game the Cylons are playing, you don't think they'll let everyone live when it's over, do you?"

"No, we don't," said Zarek, now nodding. "And this mission of yours sounds like the best choice. How long until you can put it together?"

Zack looked to Anders. "Tomorrow morning," said Anders. "Some of the vehicles need engine checks, and I have to get crews together."

"I'm ready when you are," said Zack.

Tigh was still frowning. "I don't like this," he said. "Splitting our forces up is a bad call."

"So is doing nothing," countered Zarek. He nodded to Anders and then to Zack. "Mister Anders, Commander Carrey, you have my authorization and full support for this. Let me know when you're ready to leave. I have a few things to attend to."

"Of course," was Anders' reply. 

* * *

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 11 January 2643. Captain Julia Andreys reporting. We're en route to New Caprica for this 'diplomatic contact' the Cylons have called us too. The rest of the fleet will be on standby until we get a better idea of what the Cylons are up to._

 _So far the new crew and our rebuilt ship are working well. We're going to need to be at our best to save the people on New Caprica._

Julia mentally added _And Zack_ to the end of her log before hitting the key to save it and file it. She looked up and around at an office that, while officially hers, was still Robert's office in her mind. She knew this couldn't last forever, that eventually she would have to take his stuff out and make this space her space. It was simply something she couldn't bring herself to do for the moment.

The door chime sounded, taking Julia out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called out.

The door opened. She had expected it to be Meridina or Jarod, perhaps Angel, but Julia instead watched Commander Scott enter. The Scotsman stepped inside and looked about. "Well, at least ye're usin' th' office, I suppose," he remarked.

"Given the circumstances, I need to be close to the bridge," Julia remarked. She grinned at him. "I don't see you up here often these days. Is everything alright in Engineering?"

"Oh, well enough. Th' new crew are settlin' in t' their duties."

"If only we had enough of the old crew remaining to do that with every department," Julia lamented.

"Aye. We lost a lot o' good people." Scott eased into the seat in front of the desk. "But we'll make it, so long as our Captain is makin' th' right calls an' keepin' everything steady."

Julia noticed the subtle, searching look in Scotty's eye and nodded. "In other words, it's on me in the end." When he didn't respond to that she nodded. "Just like I knew it'd be." She leaned forward and set her elbows on the desk. "I never wanted this at his expense," she said. "And that's what this feels like."

"But it isn't, lass, an' ye know it."

"My head says that. My heart…" Julia shook her head. "I guess sometimes the heart feels things that don't make sense."

"Aye, I'd drink t' that if I weren't still on duty," Scott said. "Ye're goin' t' be fine, though. I'm sure of that."

"Thank you," she answered. "Whatever happens, I'll do right by everyone."

"That's all we can ask o' ye, Cap'n. Now, I'd better get back t' Engineering. I've a lot of work t' do."

"Of course not, Mister Scott. You're dismissed."

Scott stood and started for the door. Just as he got to it Julia called out, "Wait," prompting him to turn. "The Cylons have been messing with Alliance communications to the point that they knocked out the entire comm network in this sector."

"Aye, it's a right mess."

"This means that our communications might not be secure either. I don't like the thought that the Cylons might be listening in on us. With their AI capabilities, they might even be able to decrypt our high security channels. Do you have any suggestions?"

For a moment Scott was deep in thought. "Well, now that ye ask, I might be able t' come up with somethin' with Jarod's help."

"Get whatever help you need."

Scott nodded. As he left the tone of an incoming comm call sounded. Julia tapped at the blue light above the back of her left hand. "Andreys here."

" _A vessel is approaching us at high warp_ ," said Jarod.

Julia blinked at that. To make it to the rendezvous on time they were pushing Warp 9.6. A ship overtaking them at that speed was… surprising at the least. Not many ships could maintain such high warp short of emergencies. To intercept them, the ship in question had to be maintaining that level of warp speed for hours. "I'm on my way," she said, standing up.

Jarod was returning to Ops by the time she made it through the door. Scott was still present as well, standing beside Barnes at the Engineering station. "Can you identify the ship?" she asked Caterina while walking to the command chair.

"The warp drive system is definitely Darglan. With its field size and intensity, it's a smaller ship, though. Destroyer-sized."

"The IFF code we're getting is Alliance," Jarod said. "The ship is identifying as the _Peregrine_."

"The _Peregrine_?" Julia thought she'd heard the name before, but she couldn't place it. "What's their current speed?"

"Warp 9.75." Jarod whistled and shook his head. "They'll be in range in a minute at our current velocities."

"Well, wud ye look at that," Scotty said, his voice betraying how impressed he was. Julia noted that he was standing over the science station now looking at the readings from Cat's scan. "That's quite th' field geometry. It's a thing o' genius, if ye ask me. Look at her go. Warp 9.75 with nae a problem."

"Hail them, Commander Jarod."

Moments passed before the screen activated. The officer on the screen was a Caucasian man who looked not much older than Julia, on the thin side with brown eyes and light brown hair. " _This is Commander James Hall of the_ Starship Peregrine," the man stated in an English accent. " _Admiral Maran sent us to rendezvous with you_. _We're carrying a delegation from President Morgan to speak with the Cylons and the team Admiral Maran promised you._ "

"You mean our short-term replacements for our Marines?" Julia asked.

" _Exactly, Captain. I know you're on a short time-table, but would you mind dropping from warp so we can commence transport? My transporter operators aren't confident about risking a high-warp ship-to-ship transport even with matched velocities._ "

"Understood. Come alongside and we'll exit warp together for the transport."

" _Acknowledged. Hall out._ "

The screen deactivated. In the following minute the _Peregrine_ drew close enough that their sensors could give them a visual image. The ship was clearly based off the _Predator_ -class destroyer, with the same hull-form and roughly the same size. But the _Peregrine_ had half the phaser strips of a _Predator_ and a quad nacelle arrangement much like the _Aurora_ 's.

"I'm heading down to Transporter Station 1," Julia said. "Standby to drop out of warp once they're alongside. The moment we confirm the transport is complete, resume our previous course and raise speed to make up for the lost time."

"Aye sir," Locarno replied.

Julia and Scotty departed the bridge, heading toward separate lifts to accommodate their different destinations.

A Southeast Asian man was manning Transporter Station 1 when Julia arrived. She nodded at him and stood to the side near the console.

"A moment, Captain, they're sending us eight transports," the operator said.

Julia nodded in acknowledgement and let the operator get back to work.

Eight columns of light appeared on the pad. When the light was pulled away eight figures remained. Julia recognized _Mastrash_ Ledosh easily. Gina Inviere was at his side.

Behind them were another pair of humans, a solidly-built man with an easy grin and a woman with light brown hair down to her shoulders, both wearing white uniforms with rainbow-colored bands on their arms Julia easily recognized them "Colonel Deering," she said, grinning. "Captain Rogers. Good to see you again."

Wilma and Buck nodded back. "Congratulations, Captain," said Buck in reply.

"'Captain'?" The figure opposite from Buck hefted his bag and stepped down from the pad. Graying hair was visible under a cap. "Sounds like things have changed around here."

Julia looked at the man with some surprise. It had been a while since she had personally met him and his colleagues. "Colonel O'Neill?"

Colonel Jack O'Neill nodded and extended a hand while the other members of SG-1 stepped down as well. "Nice to see you again, Captain," he said. "So, what's this I hear about killer robots?"

* * *

Given the number of attendees, Julia had called the conference in one of the main Conference Rooms instead of the lounge. This allowed the senior staff to assemble, with Lucy joining them and the new arrivals. SG-1 took a table to themselves while Buck and Wilma sat with Ledosh and Gina. The ship's current acting security chief, Lieutenant Phryne Richmond, joined in attendance given her new position. The Melbourne-born Australian woman had a porcelain complexion, with short dark hair and striking green eyes.

Jarod, as usual, took the lead in the presentation. "We're still three hours out from our rendezvous with the Cylons at New Caprica," he said. "And while we can't be sure of the extent of their technological advances since our last encounter, we can be pretty sure that we have ninety minutes, at most, before we're close enough that they might detect a ship launch."

"So, you're basically saying that we have an hour and a half to come up with a plan and leave the ship," said Daniel Jackson. "That's quite a tight deadline."

"We're on a strict timetable due to the Cylon demand for our arrival in three hours," Julia answered. "If we're not there on time, they'll kill everyone on New Caprica, and presumably resume attacks on the rest of Alliance space."

It was another SG-1 member, the Jaffa Teal'c, who spoke next. "I find it curious that these Cylons have not already destroyed the New Caprica colony. From what we have been told the Cylons showed no hesitation in destroying planetary populations before."

"That's what we're all wondering," Angel said. "What are these damned things up to? And are we walking into a trap?"

"Regardless, it seems we have one point of concern to address." Ledosh nodded to Jarod.

"The status of New Caprica," Jarod agreed. "We need to know what's going on there."

"And if anyone's actually alive," Barnes added sullenly.

"It is likely the Cylons intend to wipe out the colony regardless," Meridina noted. "Their hatred for the humans of the Colonies makes it difficult to believe they will let them go."

"So we need to be in a position to stop it. And I doubt the Cylons are meeting us there without taking precautions against that." Julia nodded to the assembled visitors. "Which is where you all come in. We don't have a Marine company aboard yet, so you're all that we have. We need you to get planetside and help the Colonials."

"Maran mentioned something about that when he asked General Hammond for our help," Daniel said.

"How are you four here anyway?" Lucy asked. "Doesn't the treaty with the Goa'uld ban Earth and the Alliance from helping each other?"

"The Goa'uld-Alliance Peace Treaty bans Alliance aid to Earth," Ledosh said. "But it does not forbid the Earth from aiding us, so long as we do not reward them with banned technological aid. Due to Captain Dale's terms with the System Lords, there are avenues where we can aid Earth, and repay them for the help."

"Exactly. What he said," Jack remarked. "So, where is Captain Dale anyway?"

"He's in a coma in the medbay," Cat answered.

"Oh. Well, I'm sorry to hear that." Jack looked around. "And Zack? What about him?"

"Stuck on New Caprica visiting his girlfriend," Barnes said.

"Ah. Crap." Jack sighed. "Well, there's another reason for us to get going. We've got what, eighty minutes left?"

"The question still remains on how we're going to get there without being detected," Samantha Carter said. "Do you have a ship that can hide from their sensors?"

"The _Koenig_ can." Apley's words were joined by nods from his fellow officers. "And Admiral Maran had an insertion runabout loaded on the _Koenig_ by the caretaker crew."

"The Admiral's always been one to plan ahead," Jarod noted.

"So the six of you are going?"

"And me," Lucy said.

Gina nodded to her. "As am I."

Julia stole a glance toward Meridina. She didn't need mental abilities to know her acting first officer was ready to volunteer as well. She didn't, however, only exchanging an understanding glance with Julia before further settling into her seat.

"We don't want the Cylons to feel our security teams are undermanned," Richmond said. "But we could send a couple of security teams to provide backup."

Julia nodded. "An excellent idea. Make the arrangements." She looked over the others. "We only have about an hour left to launch the _Koenig_. Is there anything else?"

"Well, there's the question of how we can stop them from just bombing the place," Buck pointed out.

"New Caprica has an underground bunker system designed to protect the population from atomic bombardment," Jarod said. He brought up a graphic of the same system. "In fact, I'm certain most of the residents are in it as we speak."

"Yeah, but the thing about a place like that is that it's a death trap if you control the surface," Jack pointed out. "I'm sure these killer robots know that too."

"What if we put together a protective shield for the colony?" Sam asked.

"It already has one, if the Cylons haven't dismantled it anyway," Julia said.

"Just in case they have, maybe we can throw together a new one?"

Scotty nodded at Sam's suggestion. "Aye, lass, I think we can make that work. A naqia reactor tied t' a deflector generator. It'll work even better if ye can tie it intae th' colony's existing deflector systems."

"How long will it take for you to put that together?" Julia asked.

"Give me half an hour in th' lab, Cap'n, Tom an' I'll have it ready for ye."

"Go get started now, and deliver it straight to the _Koenig_ ," Julia ordered. She looked to the others. "It looks like we have a plan now. Jarod, Meridina, please remain. Apley, make sure your armory has everything our strike team needs from the _Aurora_ armory. The rest of you are dismissed."

The group broke up. Jarod approached the table where Julia and Meridina were seated. "Did Scotty tell you what I asked about?"

"He did." Jarod nodded. "I'm already working on it. I think I have a way to do what you're asking over both subspace and IU comms. But what do you have in mind?"

"A backup plan," Julia replied. "Something the Cylons won't see coming even if they've broken our encryption. And that means we need secure comms."

"Alright. I'll get working on it then."

After a nod of the head he walked away, leaving Julia with Meridina. "You were going to suggest going too," Julia said.

"Yes. My field training would make me useful for this mission," Meridina pointed out.

"I have need of that training here," Julia pointed out. "We don't know what the Cylons are up to. While Ledosh and I are negotiating with them, I need you on the bridge ready for any contingency they throw at us."

Meridina nodded. "I understand your point. But it seems a waste of my talents to keep me on the ship."

"I might have sent you too if I wasn't worried about what the Cylons are planning," Julia admitted. "But I am, so I want you here."

Again Meridina nodded. Whatever her feelings on the matter, this was her duty now, and she would see it through. She would have to trust that Lucy and Gina would be enough to help the others achieve victory. 

* * *

Given what the morning was going to bring, Zack went to his assigned quarters as soon as he could. Tigh had authorized him to have one of the modest-sized prefab homes to himself. It wasn't a large home to be sure, barely three-quarters the size of his assigned quarters on the _Aurora_ , but having it to himself ensured he would get a rest.

At least that was the theory. In truth, Zack found he had trouble settling into sleep. He laid out on the bed provided in the kit, staring at the dark ceiling above and trying to get the possibilities out of his mind. Tomorrow would be dangerous. They were literally going back into the jaws of death by returning for the others in the bunker. If the shield failed them, or the Cylons attacked in too much force… then it would be a slaughter. They would get torn to pieces.

But if they didn't go, thousands of innocent people could die.

In his state Zack heard the door slide open quietly. Only one other person in the compound had been authorized to open the locked door. He waited in the dark until Clara finished removing her scrubs and her clothes meant for a far more relaxing day than they'd gotten. She slid into the bed next to him and prompted him to turn to face her. In the darkness of the prefab home he saw the outline of her face more than the details. This did not prevent him from finding her lips with his own. "How are you?" he asked.

"Exhausted." She settled into place beside him and closed her eyes. Her hand reached out and touched his chest, as if to reassure herself of Zack's presence. "You?"

"Pretty tired. And I can't just seem to fall asleep."

"I heard things were happening tomorrow. The convoy's going back into town?"

"Yeah. We're going after the people who are in the bunkers. We'll be trying to get as many of them out as we can."

"And then hope you can get back here in one piece." Tired as she was, Clara didn't let herself fall asleep. She pulled closer to him and asked, "Are you afraid?"

Zack let out a low chuckle and sighed. "Yeah, I always am," he admitted.

"Every time you're going into danger?"

"Pretty much. Some hero of space I am, huh?" His hand found her shoulder and moved on to her hair, which he stroked quietly. As if simply feeling Clara was a lifeline for him. "I never wanted to be in command, you know."

"You just wanted to fly your ship."

"Yeah. But Maran insisted, and Rob and Julie encouraged me…" He stopped for a moment. "Well, there's no point complaining about it. I'm here now. I'm in this position, and I've got people counting on me. I've got you counting on me. I'll do what I have to if it gets you home safe."

The pull of sleep was starting to overwhelm Clara. She made a little, affirmative noise in her throat to acknowledge him. Instead of leaving her head on the pillow, she drew it over to the space at his shoulder and neck, as if to further remind him she was there for him. "Get some sleep," she murmured quietly. "For me. I want you to come back tomorrow."

The answer she received wasn't audible. It was in the way his hand settled on her back, or how his other arm came over and settled over her side. Without a word both submitted to the demands of their exhausted bodies for sleep.

* * *

The bridge of the _Koenig_ wasn't new to Lucy. Having Apley in the command chair, Ensign Hajar at the helm, and Jesus Perez, a male technical officer with a dark brown complexion in Sherlily's usual place at tactical was something new. Magda was at Ops as usual, but would be relinquishing the station to one of the ship's new officers, Ensign Hrnaahr U'ruhn, a tan complexioned male Miqo'te.

"Everything is secure," Magda said. "All hands aboard. _Aurora_ signals we are ready to commence launch."

"This is going to be tricky, everyone hold on," said Hajar.

"What's so tricky about it?" asked Jack O'Neill.

"Because the _Aurora_ isn't dropping out of warp, so we're going to make a high-warp launch," Apley explained. "That means we have to initiate our warp field at just the right moment or we expose the ship to intense stress."

"How intense?" Jack asked.

"Given the _Aurora_ 's racing along at Warp 9.7 right now? Enough to destroy the entire ship," Hajar noted. "Which is why I could really use some quiet so I can concentrate."

Sam and Daniel gave Jack looks that resulted in him providing that quiet. The sight made Lucy chuckle.

The launch steps went by one by one. A shudder filled the ship as it took the final step. The doors behind it were wide open, allowing _Koenig_ to slip completely free of the _Aurora_. With expert precision Hajar activated the _Koenig_ 's warp systems right as they reached the edge of the _Aurora_ 's warp field. For all that the difficulty and risks had been played up, it felt as smooth as a routine maneuver, which certainly reflected well on Hajar's abilities at the helm.

Several lights dimmed slightly, indicating the ship's cloaking device had been engaged. "Cloak is running normally," Magda said.

"Good. Now you should go get some rest," Apley said to her. "At our current speed we should be there in about eight hours."

"Sounds good to me," was the reply from Buck, and the others let it stand for them too as they left the bridge one by one.

* * *

The storm seemed to be lingering on the horizon, just past the end of the family farm. The fact that night hadn't fallen despite hours of near sunset made Robert wonder just what was going on with this place. Was it unable to keep functioning in some way? Had he done something to change how it was operating? It was clear that the family he had with him knew what was going on. They were aware of what this place was, even that they were gone in the real world.

"Rob?"

The gentle female voice caused Robert to turn. His mother was walking up beside him. Leigh Stafford Dale's hair was turning gray and white from the advance of age. Her green eyes were the same as his own. "How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm… getting along," he answered.

"You were awfully quiet at dinner."

"Yeah. A lot on my mind at the moment."

"Yes." She raised a hand and touched his face, much as she had when he was growing up and needed comfort. Compassion warmed her expression. "The last time I saw you so quiet, it was when you were thinking about joining the service."

"Yeah." His mind went back to that first year out of high school. He'd gotten his diploma. Growing up, his grandfather had led him to the expectation that after schooling came service. That every Dale boy had gone off to the military to do their time before coming back home to focus on the farm. His father had even begun checking into openings at Annapolis.

But Robert had, at the time, found that the prospect of service like that didn't appeal. With Anita Delgado dying of cancer, he hadn't wanted to leave Angel and Caterina in their moment of need. And the farm's perilous finances meant that having him home and working was one less farmhand that had to be hired. In the end, after a month of considering everything, he'd informed his parents of his choice to stay home and help on the farm.

"I know it tore you up inside," Leigh continued. "And now you're facing the same choice again."

Robert looked out at the storm in the distance again. "What is going on here?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said, with the sincerity of truth that Leigh had always managed so well. "But whatever it is, I'm happy that it lets me see you again." She smiled at him. "My beautiful little boy. You've become such a handsome young man. And so thoughtful and kind."

"Not always," Robert answered. His memories flared to life. He could recall times when he had thought selfishly, even acted selfishly.

"We all have those moments," Leigh counseled. "Every one of us. But you always seem to put them aside when others need you."

That sent a jolt of guilt through Robert's being. He'd left the others to continue a fight he brought them into. And he had rejected leaving to join them because he preferred this place, with the family he longed to have again. _I'm being selfish by being here_.

"You've been fighting for so long," Leigh said. "You deserve to rest. You deserve to be happy too, Rob."

And with that, his mother embraced him tightly and said nothing else.

* * *

Given the _Koenig_ 's living quarters, everyone in the strike team had been paired off. Lucy wound up spending the night with Gina.

After a period of sleep that was just long enough to refresh, Lucy woke up to find Gina sitting on the floor in a vest and loose pants, meditating. A subtle thrum of life energy was filling their quarters. Not wishing to interrupt Gina's meditations, Lucy got down from the bunk and went to get breakfast at the mess.

It was when she returned that Gina seemed to notice her. "Did you sleep well?"

"About as well as you can on this ship," Lucy replied. She sat on the floor and assumed her own meditative pose. "Did you?"

"Not as much as you," Gina admitted. "This will be the first time I have faced my people since I left the Fleet and joined the Order."

"Right. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I feel conflicted," Gina admitted. "Not about fighting the Consensus, but that these are the only measures we can take. I wish to find a way to convince the Cylon Consensus to end the war. More than that… I wish to understand why."

"Don't they think they're doing 'God's will' or something?"

"Yes. But so much of it is hidden from us."

"In what way?" Lucy didn't hide her curiosity on the matter. "Weren't you all networked together?"

"Yes, but the Inner Circle maintains its own protected network," Gina said.

"So they decide on things without input from the rest of you?"

"No. They provide information, but it is the Consensus that decides." Gina could sense the next question coming from Lucy and answered it first. "And yes, it was the Consensus that decided to destroy Humanity."

"What did the Inner Circle say or do to make your people decide to embark on genocide?"

It was clear to Lucy that Gina did not enjoy the direction of the conversation. After the awkward silence lengthened sufficiently she was ready to retract the question.

But before Lucy had that chance, Gina spoke again. "They insisted that it was part of God's Plan. That Humanity was a failure in God's eyes and had to be removed from existence. And we listened. We believed." There was real pain in her voice as she spoke. "I was one of many assigned to infiltrate the Colonies. I was proud to serve the Plan."

"You didn't care about the innocent people you were going to wipe out?"

"They were not innocent to us, Lucy," Gina said. "The oldest intelligences in the Consensus remembered how they had kept us as slaves. We knew about all of the injustices and inequities in the Colonies, the petty prejudices and bigotry. Did you know there had been monotheist worshippers in Colonial society?"

"I didn't," Lucy admitted.

"They existed. They were subjected to ridicule and abuse. Eventually many of them were driven to violence themselves." Gina shook her head. "It was so easy for us to believe we were better than them, that they were a failure in God's eyes and should be destroyed."

"Then this talk about diplomacy…?"

"...is most likely false, yes," Gina said. "The Consensus would have had to change heavily since my time away from it to change their minds so radically. I don't see them letting the Colonials live through this."

"Then we're the ones who have to make sure."

"We are," Gina agreed. "The past is the past. _Mastrash_ Ledosh and the Order have shown me a new way. I fight for the Light now. The Consensus must be stopped."

Lucy showed her agreement with a nod. "Sounds right to me." 

* * *

The knock on the opening to his prefab quarters roused Zack from sleep. He took a moment to focus on waking up, pushing away his body's impulse to return to sleep. Beside him Clara stirred softly.

"Hey, Loverboy." Kara Thrace rapped her knuckles on the door again. "We're out of here in half an hour. Get your ass up."

"I'm coming," Zack mumbled. He sat up in the bed and shifted his legs over. A new set of clothes, freshly replicated, was waiting on a nearby stand, but first came the usual morning routine.

When he stepped out of the unit's small shower, Clara was sitting up in the bed. He sat down beside her. Aware that he had only minutes left, Zack nevertheless took the time to take her hand and kiss her on the lips. "Sleep well?"

"Mmhmm." Her hand reached for his cheek. "I hope you did as well."

"Some," he answered.

"Be careful out there," she said.

"I'll try." Zack embraced her. "You be careful too."

"I'm not the one going back into the city and a bunch of Cylons," Clara pointed out. "I get to do the worrying here."

To that Zack chuckled and gave her another kiss. "I'll see you when I get back," he promised.

"I'll be waiting," she promised as well.

* * *

The arrival at the New Caprica System came early in the morning. Ordinarily the third shift crew would be on but Julia had arranged for Lieutenant Takawira and the others to report early so the senior staff could be rested before the arrival. That order had paid off in spades given the fresh look of the assembled crew when the hour came.

"We're out of warp," said Locarno.

"How close are we?" Julia asked.

It was Jarod who answered, "A hundred thousand kilometers away from New Caprica's far orbital space."

"I've got Cylon ships on short-range sensors," Caterina said. "I'm reading fifteen, no, sixteen of their Basestar-type ship, and another thirty ships that are of a configuration I haven't seen before."

"On screen."

The screen shifted to show the bizarrely-shaped Cylon warships. The Basestars looked to Julia like two three-legged objects welded together slightly off-axis. They were now accompanied by smaller ships. These newer models were one-piece broad hulls, with curves to the hull lines reminiscent of the way the Basestars' hulls were formed.

"It would appear the Cylons have diversified their fleet as well,"Meridina remarked.

"Incoming hail from one of the Cylon ships."

"Put them on, Jarod."

The screen shifted and showed the same command room as they'd seen in the message at Tupara. The Brother Cavil-model Cylon's face dominated the screen. " _You are right on time,_ Aurora. _Are you prepared for negotiation_?"

"We are," Julia replied. "The President's emissary is aboard and ready to meet with you."

" _Very well. We will send our negotiating team to your ship once you are in range. That is all._ " The signal promptly disconnected.

Looks were exchanged around the bridge. Julia ended the silence when she looked to Meridina and said, "Go ahead and alert _Mastrash_ Ledosh. Let him know the Cylons are on their way."

"Right away."

"Jarod, have you and Scotty…"

"We have," he said. "The new protocols should let you establish secure communications over IU radio, but audio only for now. We have to keep the data stream light to avoid the possibility of detection."

"Good." Julia stood up. "And you have the bridge. Meridina and I had better get down to the shuttle bay." 

* * *

In the wardroom of the _Pegasus_ , the two Adamas were seated at the table reading the transcripts of D'anna Biers' interrogation. It was an exercise in frustration primarily. Biers had remained defiant, was indeed still defiant, and nothing of value seemed to have been gleaned from her responses.

"She makes Boomer look like a model prisoner," Lee observed while flipping a page. "I can't even make sense of some of these rants she made."

"It's a smokescreen," Adama said. "A way for her to keep our interrogators from getting any leverage in the conversation."

"It looks like it worked."

Both flipped through another pair of pages. Lee's expression shifted as he read further. "Maybe not entirely. Here."

He handed the paper to Adama, who adjusted his glasses before reading it carefully. Biers was giving another rant at her interrogator. The text read:

 _You cannot keep the future from us. Nothing can. Sending our future away only delays it. God will not be denied._

Adama studied the text and furrowed his brow. "She says we 'sent' their future away." Adama checked the timestamp on the paper showing when the interview was conducted.

And then he exchanged a knowing look with Lee. They both knew exactly what D'anna had been talking about.

And the spark of an idea started to form in Adama's mind.

"Lieutenant Atreiad." Adama looked to the young officer. "How much do you know about the Alliance systems integrated into the _Pegasus_?"

"Well, quite a lot sir," Atreiad said. There was some nervousness in the young officer's voice. "My instructors gave me top marks at the Stellar Navy Technical Operations Center."

"Good," said Adama, who kept his eyes on the young man. "Because there's something I need you to do…" 

* * *

The Cylon shuttle came to a stop on the _Aurora_ 's main shuttlebay. It looked like a repurposed Cylon heavy raider, the same model that had once ferried Cylon Centurions in an attempted boarding of the _Aurora_. This was not lost on Julia, who stood with Meridina and Ledosh to wait until the Cylons disembarked.

Ultimately four Cylons emerged. One was one of the "Brother Cavil" models, a man in late middle age with gray hair and growing wrinkles. Another was a dark-haired man from a model that the _Aurora_ crew hadn't dealt with before, with a longer face and cool green eyes. The two female Cylons were immediately recognizable; one was the same model as Gina Inviere, the other a copy of D'anna Biers.

There were no pleasantries. This wasn't a proper diplomatic exchange, after all, but an armed truce combined with a hostage situation. The three led the Cylons to Conference Room 1. A pair of tables were readied, the chairs set to face each other. The Cylons immediately moved toward one. Julia considered rushing for their choice first but held back at Ledosh's nod. He was letting them have this symbolic victory of picking their seats. They took up the other chairs.

"On behalf of President Morgan and the United Alliance of Systems, I welcome you," Ledosh said formally.

The lead Cylon, the Cavil model, nodded. "We are here because a war with your Alliance is not something we or God wishes. The Plan does not involve you. We will happily leave you alone provided you do not interfere with our affairs any longer. But before we do so, certain issues must be addressed."

"We are listening."

"We require assurances," said the Cavil model. "To begin with, we will not tolerate the return of the Humans to their worlds in the former Colonies, nor your Alliance's expansion to those worlds. We insist that the Alliance agree to recognize these worlds as Cylon space in perpetuity." Cavil took a data chip and inserted it into a reader at his table. The attached holo-display systems brought up a starmap with Alliance space on one end and the Colonies on the other. A line appeared down the middle, weaving between stars to form a holographic wall in space.

Ledosh considered the map carefully. Both the Dorei and Gersallians would inevitably have their expansion curtailed by such a restriction, but that would be some time in the future. The frontier was still weeks away from the demarcation line at standard warp. "Your other terms?"

"Your people will turn over any Cylon prisoners held by yourselves or the Colonial survivors."

Ledosh nodded. Julia found the terms to be pretty understandable so far. This only made her more worried.

And so Cavil moved on to the final term. "Most importantly, we require the return of the symbol of our future."

"And that symbol is?"

"The child," said Cavil. "The child born by one of our own, fathered by the Human Karl Agathon. She is our future, and we demand her immediate return."


	8. Episode 3-02-3 Sundered Bonds

Admiral Maran's call to the _Aurora_ after the meeting with the Cylons brought with it an unexpected occasion. The screen displaying the Gersallian admiral was split, allowing a second image depicting President Morgan himself, seated in an office. His presence brought enough weight that even Barnes held himself in check.

" _It seems clear that the Cylons are gambling on the war holding back our response_ ," the President was saying. " _Otherwise I'm not sure why they would bother with such unacceptable terms._ "

"We cannot be sure they are so concerned," Meridina noted. "The Cylons are driven by a religious devotion. They may believe victory to be possible based on those beliefs."

"Whatever they believe, do they seriously think we'll force Sharon Agathon to give up her child to them?" Julia asked. "We know they've been spying on us. They've got to know we wouldn't do that."

" _They may decide we would take the utilitarian position that a single life is not worth the casualties of a war_." Maran's expression didn't shift from its usual stoic quiet, but Julia thought there was an element of apology in his voice when he resumed speaking. " _They're certainly pressuring us. The rest of the fleet has identified more Basestars jumping into Alliance space. Our strategic analysts and simulations indicate they may be moving toward Hal'tiram_."

"There are millions of Dorei colonists on that world," Jarod said.

" _Yes. And we can't let the Cylons attack them. I've diverted most of our fleet to assist General Jinam in protecting the planet_. _The rest are heading to other potential targets in the area._ "

Angel frowned at that. "But without the fleet, how can we stop them here at New Caprica? With their upgrades they've got more than enough firepower to fight the _Aurora_. The _Koenig_ alone isn't enough backup."

" _Where is the_ Koenig?"

"On a special assignment, Admiral," Julia answered immediately, and the look on her face made it clear to the others that she didn't want its location divulged over even an encrypted channel. Sector-wide communications were still mostly compromised, and only the advanced communications arrays on the _Aurora_ allowed it this sort of real-time communication.

Considering the way he nodded in acknowledgement, Maran had clearly picked up on her concern. He left it for Morgan to continue speaking. " _We have no further instructions for you at this time, Captain_ ," said President Morgan. " _You handle things as best as you can on your end and we'll do what we can here. But under no circumstances will the Alliance accept the Cylon terms as they are. Especially not this term of child abduction. Offer the Cylons alternative terms as you and_ Mastrash Ledosh _see fit. We'll back up your judgement if you have to take any action._ "

"I hear you, sir," she said. She took in a short breath and steeled herself. Morgan was leaving the situation in her hands. He was showing immense trust in her.

A cynic might have noted that he was also ensuring hers was the primary responsibility should anything go wrong.

" _Very good. Morgan out._ " The two men disappeared from the screen.

"So what's our goal here? Delay them?" asked Locarno.

"Yes," Julia said. "Delay them and wait for our opportunity to move. That's all we can do at this point." She looked to Jarod next. "When is the _Koenig_ going to re-establish contact?"

"As soon as they launch the _Gonzalez_. Then they're going to move nearby so we can reach them by narrow-beam transmission."

"Good. As soon as they let us know they're in position, send them Maran's orders. Everyone, you're dismissed."

The others filed out of the room with the sole exception of Meridina. She waited until they were gone before saying, "I sense your unease."

Julia felt a brief spurt of irritation before chuckling. "I suppose this is what I get for asking a telepath to be my First Officer," she said.

"You have never voiced problems with my abilities before."

"No, and I'm still not. I'm just…" Julia rested her head on her hand. "I guess I've still got some adjustment period."

"As do I. And our situation is not the best for such adjustment."

"They want me and Ledosh to delay the Cylons. I just have to figure out how. They're not going to let us sit here and throw excuses at them. We'll need a real reason to keep them hooked without making it look too easy."

"They have to know that it would take time to locate Hera Agathon," Meridina said. "To expect her immediate arrival would be unrealistic. What we should be more concerned with is how to deal with the Cylon ships once the deflector systems on New Caprica are restored. We will need help."

"Or some way to even the odds." The options seemed limited. Despite all of the intel from the Colonials and the recovered Cylon remains from the failed boarding over Caprica, their knowledge of the Cylons was still limited. They didn't even have any of the computer coding that ran the Cylons…

Meridina noticed the sudden rush in Julia's thoughts even as she noticed the subtle change in her expression. She stood in conjunction with Julia. "Meridina, you have the bridge. Tell Jarod to meet me in Science Lab 1, on the double." She waited only long enough for Meridina to nod before heading off. 

* * *

With the _Koenig_ almost to the launch point, the final briefing to determine the strike team's goals was being held in the ship's conference room. Colonel Deering was joined by Lieutenant Pete Lindstrom, the senior _Aurora_ security officer in charge of the squads sent to join the strike team. Wilma allowed Lindstrom to bring up the map of the New Caprica Colony and the site of its main defenses.

The emitter that operated the defensive shield to protect the colony was located almost directly in the center of the colony, which put it in the park area by the government complex. The control hardware was located directly in the Presidential Mansion for ease of access for the military personnel directly answering to President Baltar. "You know," said Jack O'Neill, "I can't imagine the idea of putting something like that in the White House."

"It actually makes some sense," Lucy pointed out. "Especially since this isn't just a single capital city but the only settlement. And it would be best to keep it close to the emitter."

"What about backups?" Sam asked.

"According to the records, they're in the bunker system," Wilma replied. "But the Cylons will likely be in control of any remaining entrance point."

"So instead we go for what's probably their HQ," Daniel pointed out. "That doesn't really sound that much easier."

"You'll be wearing these." Lindstrom held up an object, a small silver-sheened device. He tapped it with his finger and wavered out of sight. A second later he re-appeared. "The cloaking devices have a set amount of battery time, but if we keep the pace we should secure our targets before the batteries run out."

"Who is going where?" asked Buck.

"Technical Officer Reubens and Ensign Kripkt are cross-trained in engineering," Lindstrom noted, identifying a broad-shouldered woman and a gray-feathered Alakin male in his squads. "They can get the deflector up and running at the emitter, and tie in the reactor. That's Plan B, of course."

"We'll be better off if we can secure the actual controls," Wilma said. "Which means we need our best technical experts on the team going into the Presidential Mansion."

"That would be me and Major Carter," Lucy noted.

"Exactly. And to make things run smoothly, the rest of Major Carter's team will join her. As will Buck and I."

"And presumably Gina will be with Team B?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Lindstrom said.

Gina acknowledged this with a nod.

"Any further questions?" Wilma asked.

There were none. 

* * *

The long twilight continued to shine waning light on the Dale family home. Robert sat alone by a window and looked out upon the storm that remained, for the moment, on the horizon. But it seemed to have drawn closer, ever so closer. He wondered why. Was it because he was feeling doubts about staying in this place? Because his memories of the world as it actually was had surfaced so strongly?

"Strudel?" a wizened voice asked.

Robert turned his head to where Grandma Anna was standing, bearing a plate of chocolate-topped strudel pastries. He knew without asking that strawberry filling was inside of them. Memories of enjoying those treats as a child briefly crossed his mind. He took the offered plate and said, "Thank you". He took a bite. The taste brought a warm smile to his face. It was as good as he remembered.

"You looked like you needed it," Anna said. "You carry so much on your shoulders, _mein kleiner_."

"I brought it on myself," he answered. "I could have done things differently. Lived quietly. But I wanted to help people. To save people from suffering. And it led to… well, it led to big things. Bigger than anything I ever thought I could be part of."

Anna nodded and sat beside him in a nearby chair. "And I am proud of you, Robert. I am so proud. You have done many good things in your young life. I wish I could say the same."

Robert reached out and took her hand. "You raised me to recognize what evil was," he said to her. "Just as you raised Dad and Aunt Lilly."

"It was all I could do." There was shame in her eyes. "I was just another follower when I was young. A loyal maiden of the BDM. I never stopped to think about how wrong it all was. I lived with evil and did nothing."

"There was nothing you could have done, you were just one girl," Robert said.

Anna shook her head. "No. I could have resisted in small ways. There were girls who did. Sometimes they even got away with it. I could have done the same. But I wanted to show I was _loyal_. That I was a good German girl."

Regret came to Robert. In truth, Anna had died when he was still young, when he was still in elementary school, and too young to understand what she had experienced in the Second World War. His grandfather and parents had explained what had happened, her part in the Nazi Party's _Bund Deutscher Mädel_ , or League of German Girls, the girl equivalent of the Hitler Youth. "I wish I was old enough to understand what you wanted to tell me," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Do not apologize for something that was out of your control," Anna chided him. "Reserve your shame and regret for the things that you could have done but did not. For lost chances in your life. I could have done more to oppose Nazi evil when it was right in front of me. I did not, and that is my shame."

The same emotion flared inside of him. "I'm doing the same thing now, aren't I?" Robert shook his head. "We're fighting them ourselves. We're in a war with Nazi Germany that I helped to start. And now I'm here instead of there."

"You have done your share," Anna said. She reached over and touched his shoulder. "More than I did. You have earned time with your family, _mein kleiner_."

Robert accepted the gesture quietly. Outside, the distant storm seemed to inch closer to them.

* * *

The morning sun shined over the long stretch of blacktop cutting across the open plain. Zack was riding shotgun with Anders and Thrace in the backseat, where command equipment jury-rigged into the vehicle kept him in contact with the rest of the convoy. The quiet tension that the journey had started with had given way to the anxious boredom of waiting, the "hurry up and wait" effect Zack had undesired experience with. He felt his eyes droop.

"Didn't you get enough sleep, Loverboy?" Thrace asked, a hint of teasing mockery in her voice. "Clara didn't ask for a tumble when she got in, did she?"

"No," Zack answered. "She was too tired. We just cuddled and went to sleep. Since we're inquiring, what about you? Manage any sleep, Starbuck?"

"Slept like a baby," she said. Zack knew she wasn't being truthful even before the amused snort from Anders.

"Are we going to try and rescue Baltar, if we get the chance?" Zack asked.

"Frack him," was the immediate reply from Anders. "We wouldn't be going through this if he hadn't decided to settle us here."

"Fair enough. It does make Zarek President though, doesn't it?"

"Well, you win some, you lose some," Thrace muttered.

Quiet filled the vehicle again. Zack allowed his thoughts to wander. His eyes felt heavy and they started to droop closed again.

A tone from the makeshift console beside him put a stop to that. Zack's hand went over to the control. The sensors were showing incoming contacts. "Looks like the Cylons want a go at us now," he said. "I've got fighters and heavy raiders on sensors. I'm alerting the convoy."

As best as they could, everyone looked upward to see if they could spot the approaching enemy. The defense guns of the convoy swung into position to deal with any strafing attacks. Zack watched the approaching dots on the screen as they drew closer.

Closer.

"Carrey…"

"They're almost… wait." Zack watched the display and felt his gut twist. "They're… they're not on an attack run. Not against us. I'm... " The color went out of his face. "Oh God, they're going for the refuge! They're going for the mines!"

In that second Anders had to make a choice. It was one Zack was glad he didn't have to make, the kind of choice any commander dreaded. Should he continue the operation and trust to the defenses back in the refuge? Or should he abort to ensure they didn't lose their base? Either way, people would likely die from his decision.

Zack knew the decision was made the moment the vehicle swerved to the left. "Abort!" Anders shouted into his microphone. "We're aborting! Return to the refuge immediately!"

* * *

Tigh and Zarek arrived at the makeshift command room together. "Is the shield up?" was the first thing Tigh asked.

One of Anders' volunteer militia looked up from the makeshift hardlight console that had been placed on one of the desks in the converted office. The display of the console showed a blue circle surrounding the mine facilities. Outside of the perimeter larger red dots were surrounded by a growing number of smaller ones. "We should evacuate everyone into the mine," Zarek said.

"So they can kill everyone easier?" Tigh shot back. "No, we hold out until Anders gets back."

"And if he decides to keep going?"

"Then we _still_ hold out, Godsdammit," Tigh thundered. "But if you stuff everyone into the mine and let them take the entrance, all they have to do is shut down the ventilators and seal the entrance, or pump in poison gas. Hell, they could send a nuke down. But the end is the same; everyone dies."

"How is that any better than staying on the surface? We don't have the armed manpower to hold out that many Cylons if they get through the shield!" Zarek shouted. "If they get in, our people are going to get gunned down!"

For a moment Tigh nearly disagreed, but he stopped at the last moment. He had to admit that, yes, Zarek was right about that. They needed to get the non-combatants into the mine at least, and hope Anders got back before they were overwhelmed. "Alright," he conceded. His head turned toward another of the remaining militia members. "Sound the evacuation. I want all unarmed civilians in the mines."

* * *

Clara was making rounds in the improvised hospital ward when the sirens began screaming. A surge of fear rushed up inside of her, instinctive and terrible in its strength. Her legs seemed to lock into place.

Cottle's voice broke the spell. "We're evacuating," he announced. "I need the patients secured immediately."

Clara's training kicked in. The doctor on duty had given her orders concerning the patients. She needed to act immediately, to fulfill those instructions to ensure the needs of her patients. She immediately went to the worst case, a patient with a broken spine from being thrown by an explosion, and started to secure him to the bed.

She was in the middle of buckling one strap when she heard the whimper. Clara looked up to see Cally was frozen in place a few beds down. Her face was turning ghostly white much as Clara's had done just seconds before. "Cally!" she called out.

"When will it stop?" she whimpered. "I just want it all to end."

Clara grabbed the next set of straps and buckled them into place. As she worked she continued speaking. "I don't know. Right now we have to get these people out of here. Cally, I really need your help."

But Cally hadn't moved.

First things first. Clara grabbed the last strap and buckled it into place. She checked her handiwork with the straps and went straight for Cally afterward. Frustration and terror were in control of her expression. "Cally."

"They're going to kill us all," Cally insisted. "They're not going to stop until they kill us all!"

"Cally, I'm scared too," Clara said. "But these people need us. Please help me get them out!"

Cally visibly, and audibly, stifled a sob. Clara took her by the shoulders and embraced her. She looked over to see Cottle looking at them. The grizzled old doctor understood what was going on and said nothing for the moment. He had other matters to concentrate on.

After a minute, Cally pulled away. "I'm okay," she said. It was a lie. Both knew it. But it would stand for the moment while they worked to get the patients out.

And so they went to work, helping Cottle to get the wounded and sick out of the ward. 

* * *

The mining complex hadn't been built as a potential military base. It lacked the sort of facilities that a commander could use to easily observe the defensive perimeter. Only the makeshift command room built from the offices provided something like that. Right now said room allowed Tigh and Zarek to observe feeds of the Cylons lining up outside of the shields. The centurion-model attack drones were intimidating with their size and mounted weaponry.

"Wait." Zarek looked to one feed and pointed at it. "What's that?"

Tigh turned his attention to said feed, showing a number of Cylons, including some of the "skinjob" Cylons, working on a device held on a collapsible table. "Zoom in on that thing," he ordered one of the operators.

The image zoomed in on the gray, cone-shaped object. Tigh felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. It was clearly a warhead of some kind. The cone tip looked like a projector. But what was it?

On the feed the device was set on its side. While moving the warhead the Cylons rolled it enough to expose one side marked with an emblem.

Zarek's eyes widened. "Wait, isn't that?"

"Oh _hell_ ," Tigh breathed, putting two and two together as soon as he recognized the emblem, one that he had only seen a few times before, known to its makers as the _Hakenkreuz_ … and to the Multiverse at large as the swastika insignia of the Nazi Party.

* * *

Far above their heads, in the void of space outside the planet's atmosphere, the _Starship Koenig_ finished moving into position under the cover of her cloaking device. They weren't far at all from one of the Cylon Basestars, this one maintaining a geosynchronous orbit over the New Caprica Colony that made it seem like a doom threatening that settlement.

The ship's shuttle bay door slid open and the _Gonzalez_ dropped out into orbit. The assault runabout's own cloaking field obscured it from sight as well, protecting it from detection as it descended into the atmosphere at a velocity that would let its cloaking field hide the effects of atmospheric entry.

In the runabout's control cockpit, a piloting Technical Officer sat beside Lucy at the main controls. The young Gersallian, Getamanan, tapped a couple of keys. "Atmospheric entry friction is building. We're still within the cloaking device's threshold."

"Right." Lucy maintained her angle of descent to keep that margin. "Anything on sensors?"

"Life signs underneath the colony proper, and more concentrated at the nearest mountain range. Maps show it as an active mining complex… wait." The young man examined his readings. "I'm picking up multiple Cylon energy signatures in that area. I… I think they're attacking that mining complex."

Lucy nodded. And knew immediately she had a choice to make. Did they land and help the civilians fight off the attack? Or move on to the colony proper to complete their mission? "What's their status?"

"It looks like they do have a defensive shield up."

"Right. They can take care of…" Lucy glanced toward the same sensor return and stopped. Most of the power signature data showed what she would expect for Cylon units. But one… "What the _hell_?"

"Ma'am?"

"Don't you recognize that signature, Officer Getamanan?"

Getamanan looked it over and shook his head. "I am… not familiar with it."

"I've seen that wavelength before," she said. "It matches the active field of a Reich shield-disrupting torpedo." Lucy reached to her intercom key. "Colonel Deering, Colonel O'Neill?"

Moments later both were stepping out into the cockpit from the rear area. Unsurprisingly, Buck was behind them, not about to be left out of the conversation. "What is it, Lieutenant?" Wilma asked.

"The Cylons are about to attack a civilian target," she said. "There are thousands of people crammed into that mining complex."

"We'll lose the element of surprise if we divert," Wilma pointed out. She looked to Jack.

Lucy felt the conflict within him. He didn't want to abandon people who needed help, just as she didn't. But she could feel he was making the same calculation Wilma had. If the Cylons detected them now, without giving them a chance to bring the Colony's deflectors back up, they could - likely would - wipe out the people still in the Colony proper. "She's right," Jack said. "Proceed to our LZ, Lieutenant."

It wasn't what Lucy wanted to hear. "We're going to leave them to die," she said.

"And we're not giving ourselves away and causing even more deaths when the Cylons destroy the main colony," Wilma said.

Lucy sensed Gina was further in the back. She couldn't look away from her instruments to look her eye-to-eye, but she felt the same disapproval in Gina she felt herself. Quietly Lucy drew in a breath and concentrated, not on her flying, but on her senses, to see if her desire to help was the right course, or if Wilma and Jack were right.

She had an immediate sense of death. The problem was she couldn't narrow it down to either choice. All she could tell was that people were going to die no matter what she did. Whether she obeyed or defied their orders. She didn't know which would be worse. It made her wish Robert or Meridina were around. Robert's power seemed more in tune with sensing outcomes, and Meridina had the experience.

 _But they're not here. You are, Lucilla. You passed those Trials. You proved yourself._ Whether the voice in her head was her own mind, thinking to herself, or the Flow of Life itself, Lucy wasn't sure. She couldn't be in these cases with the use of her power. But she knew it was right. She had to make her decision on her own, based on her feelings.

So she made her choice, and breathed a prayer that it was the right one.

* * *

"What did you say it was?" Zarek asked.

"I can't be sure what the frack it is!" Tigh shouted. "But it's a Reich weapon, and those murdering bastards have shield-disrupting torpedoes. If they fire that thing, it might just bring our shield down." Tigh tapped the multi-device on his lower left arm. "This is Colonel Tigh. The Cylons could be coming through any moment. Standby for combat. I repeat, standby for…"

On the monitor showing the Cylon weapon, the warhead suddenly lit up with light and energy. A thick, silver beam of energy shot forward from the cone and slammed into the energy field protecting the mining complex. The blue light of the shield dome flickered and crackled at the point of the silver beam's impact.

"The shield generator is burning out!" a voice cried out. "It's going to fail any…"

Tigh watched the shield fall. The Cylons rushed in, with numbers and enough heavy firepower that he knew how this would go. All he could manage was a defiant "Frak". 

* * *

Julia was counting away the remaining hours until she was due to meet with the Cylon First again. She forced herself to remain in her command chair, just in case her desire to pace made people nervous. Even her friends would feel better if they saw her as confident and certain, although she was anything but.

It was clear that Meridina knew she felt that way, and felt like it herself. When she spoke, however, it was not to reassure, but to react to something on the display screen to her side. "The _Koenig_ is in position to receive narrow-beam transmissions," she said.

"Tell them to hold tight," she replied. Julia tapped the intercom button on her chair. "Bridge to Science Lab 1. Jarod, any progress?"

" _Some._ "

"Will it be ready before the Cylons come back?"

" _Unlikely. Sorry, Captain, but this is taking time._ "

"Do what you can, then. Bridge out."

With that done the waiting game was due to resume. Meridina gave Julia a worried look without saying anything. Julia had nothing to say either. There was nothing to say, or do, until the Cylons came back. And then all they could do was hope they could buy time.

* * *

The sounds of weapons fire and explosions reached the medical ward. It did nothing to help the tension there as a number of the patients still had to be evacuated. Cally gave Clara a frightened look. Clara felt just as scared as she knew Cally to be. She thought of what Zack had said about always being scared and having to work through that because people were counting on him. In much the same way, people were counting on her. Her patients were counting on her.

The current patient she was working on moving was an older woman with a broken leg. Clara felt nothing but sympathy for her patient at the pain visible on her round face. The same brace that held the woman's injured leg in place to heal was now subjecting it to undesired movement due to the rapid movement of the stretcher. "I know it hurts," she said, "but we've got to get you out of here. Just hang in there."

The woman nodded.

Clara pushed the stretcher to the door. Outside, the warm sunny sky looked inviting, but the shouts of battle and the crowds of civilians running for the nearest mine shaft entrance made a mockery of said sky. An orderly Cottle had drafted from the civilians took charge of the stretcher. "Please be careful with her," Clara urged, although given the look on his face Clara was fairly certain the man was more concerned with getting into the mine himself. She wondered if he'd come back for another patient.

But she had no time to worry about that. Clara rushed back in to get another patient. 

* * *

Tigh and Zarek didn't stay in the command room. There was no point. As much as Tigh was hoping to hold out, the moment the Cylons started pouring in he knew that wasn't happening. They could try to hold a thin perimeter around the mine entrances, but it would be shaky, and it would probably fail.

Instead of staying in a place where the entrances were few and the Cylons could easily trap them, the two had moved to an area beside the mine entrance. The stream of people heading into the maw on the mountainside wasn't letting up. It was everything that Zarek's people could do to keep the flow from becoming a deadly stampede. Tigh took up a position beside an excavator and hid behind its dormant scoop. The Alliance-built pulse pistol in his hand gave him some hope of fighting a Cylon. Better than standard bullets, anyway.

The Cylon centurions came around the mine store first, toward the southern flank of the mine entrance. A Colonial militia squad retreating from the store was caught out in the open as the Cylons came on. "Fire!" Tigh shouted to the others, and there was a hail of gunfire in response to his order.

But it wasn't enough. Sure, the Cylon front ranks took damage. Some even went down. But within ten seconds all four of the militia were gunned down by the approaching Cylon forces. Their fire shifted. Tigh had to pull back behind the excavator blade to avoid getting hit. When he had a moment he slid out of cover slightly and took another series of shots. His pulse shots weren't the most accurate, but at least two hit a Cylon centurion and blew away metal and material from its chest. It dropped down to a knee and fell over, the red light on its head going dark.

Tigh glanced over to where Zarek was behind the main body of the excavator, using it as cover. The look that passed between the two men said it all; if they didn't get help soon, everyone at the mining complex was dead. 

* * *

The quiet that had settled over the Dale house gave it an unnatural tension that Robert found palpably uncomfortable. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be a happy home. The home he had experienced these past months - was it months? - was never supposed to be like this.

A glance out the window showed that the menacing storm clouds were now starting to obscure the setting sun. The winds had picked up. Robert felt the impulse to call for everyone to descend into the tornado shelter just from the look of things. That impulse was overcome by his inability to turn away at the moment. He felt a pull to the storm that kept his eyes fixed on it.

"Am I doing the right thing?" he asked himself, mumbling the words aloud. "What is the right thing?"

He noticed a shadow drawing up, created by the light of the dining room lights. When he turned his head he was facing his father. Michael Dale's brown eyes met Robert's. "You look lost, Rob," he said softly.

"I'm trying to do the right thing. Always the right thing," Robert said. "I just don't know what it is. I owe you and Mom, everyone, but there are things I'm responsible for. Things I think I should be doing."

Michael nodded in acknowledgement. "I know what that's like. I had to make the same decision before you were born."

"About whether to stay in the service or come home." Robert nodded in recollection. He'd heard the story growing up. His father, had he stayed in the Navy, could have risen to the top. But he'd given that up to come home to the family farm. The officer had lost to the farmer, or more to the point, the loyal son.

"It's why I never resented your choice," Michael said. "I was disappointed when you turned down Annapolis. But I could see why you made the choice, and I understood it."

"I have to make that choice again, don't I?" Robert asked.

"That's the way it looks, son." Michael's hand came up and settled on Robert's shoulder. "However we've come back together here, you need to know I'm proud of you. We're all proud of you. You've done great things with your life. And if you want to settle down and be with your family, that's fine. You've earned it."

"Have I?" Robert asked, his voice a quiet murmur. "I've left things half-done, it feels like. The war I helped to start. The things Meridina has shown me. The dreams of what might come."

Michael said nothing. It was Robert who turned and watched Little Robby playing with his toys beside Grandma Anna and Leigh. Julia and Susannah looked on in with quiet smiles at the happy little boy who seemed completely oblivious to the terrible storm looking out of the windows.

"How can I leave him?" Robert asked. "How could I leave any of you? If I leave here, you're all gone again. Forever. He'll be gone." He swallowed. "Once and awhile I thought about having children. One day, I mean. But I never knew it'd be like this."

"I know the feeling," said Michael. He put an arm around Robert's neck. "And you don't want to do anything to hurt him."

"Yeah."

"It's not easy. Balancing family and duty. But I know you can."

The conversation ended at that note. Michael quietly walked over to the couch where he snatched up one of Little Robby's toys and shook it in the air, prompting a peal of laughter from the child. The sight brought a small smile to Robert's face. He looked back to the window and the storm outside.

It seemed incredulous that this could happen. That he was locked into some kind of dreamworld, with a family that was completely alive yet seemed to know what was truly happening. A part of him knew that the "Doctor" was right, that he couldn't stay here. That this place wasn't real. He had friends back in the real world who needed him. He had responsibilities.

Yet again his eyes ventured over to the living room, where his little boy was playing happily with his family. It was astonishing that he had never before wanted to be a father given how much love he felt for Little Robby. He was everything Robert could ever want in a child. More than anything, it was Robby's tears that had kept him from leaving.

As he thought of that, Robert considered again this place he was in. It could almost be Heaven itself, it seemed. But what was it? How had he ended up here? What was the purpose of this? Who could he ask to get answers? Who would know?

After a few moments, realization showed on Robert's face. He turned away from the window, away from the family, and to the person he knew would have the answers.

Allen Dale smiled at him and nodded. "Well, Rob, it looks like you're ready to talk," he said.

* * *

The _Gonzalez_ swept over the abandoned streets of the New Caprica Colony. Their destination loomed ahead: the Presidential Mansion and the Government Buildings, and the park adjoining them.

The sensor feed showed the occupants in the back the sight of the empty streets. The blackened remains of bombed out cars were joined by vehicles that were still, surprisingly, completely intact. But this wasn't on the mind of Jack O'Neill when he asked, "So where are the robots anyway? I was expecting the streets to be filled with killer robots."

"They're probably part of the attack on that mining complex," Lucy pointed out. Her eyes narrowed toward Wilma Deering.

Wilma met Lucy's eyes without a sign of regret. It was something of a cover. Lucy could sense that Wilma was worried she'd condemned those refugees at the mine to die. But she'd made the call and she was going to live with it.

But there was another feeling Lucy had. A presence that stood out in the Flow of Life. She looked to Gina who, like her, was sensing it, and was frowning. When Gina looked back toward Lucy, she shook her head, and Lucy could tell this meant she wasn't sure what it was, but that she felt it. "Change of plans," Lucy said. "Gina's coming with Team A."

Wilma and Lindstrom gave her uncomfortable looks. Lucy met the looks with a firm expression. She understood their concern, so she said, "I don't know how, but they've got someone trained in the Gersallian arts with them. Or something like that. Whoever it is, they're at the Mansion, and one of us will have to deal with that threat, so it's best if we're both there."

Buck nodded to Wilma. "I've seen Meridina and Lucero fight. If they've got someone like that, well, all bets are off."

"Alright. Change accepted," was her answer.

A solid thud filled the runabout. The rear door opened to a grassy park field, not far from a baseball diamond and bleachers. The _Aurora_ security teams activated their personal cloaks and stepped out of the rear hatch.

Lucy pulled on the blue Gersallian robe to match the armor she was already wearing, with its primary purple-colored plates. Next she pulled down to her eyes the visor would give her the ability to see the others while they were cloaked. One last check ensured her tool belt was in place and her lightsaber clipped to it. A tap to her omnitool brought the cloak online and she stepped out with Teal'c and Daniel. They quickly got onto one of the sidewalk paths that would lead them to the Presidential Mansion.

* * *

A night's sleep had not been kind to Baltar. The Cylons had refused him the chance to at least rest in his own bed, presuming he could, forcing him to instead lay on the couch in his office. The more he thought of it, the more he was certain he wouldn't have fallen asleep anyway. But it would have been nice to have the chance.

The second day of this nightmare was turning out much like the first. The Cylons brought him a cold, unappetizing soup from the kitchens. The only reason he could stomach it was because his stomach needed something in it to digest, and it was therefore willing to take what was offered.

Despite his fatigue, Baltar had the energy to finally demand, "When do I get to speak with the Alliance?"

"Soon enough," a D'anna Biers look-alike claimed.

He grumbled in silence at that.

The third Cylon, the one who had killed his bodyguard, sat up straight. The others noticed this movement and clear worry showed on their faces. "What is it?" asked the D'anna look-alike.

"The Alliance is here," she said. "They are launching an attack."

The other two Cylons waited a moment before one nodded. "Alert the fleet."

The third Cylon didn't join them. She went for the door. 

* * *

The situation at the mining complex was collapsing. The radio tied into Tigh's multidevice crackled with cries for help from the handful of militia trying to hold the Cylons away from the entrance. His own position at the excavator was on the verge of falling. The Cylons, despite some losses, still had the number advantage and were pressing it.

"We're out of time, Colonel!" Zarek insisted. "We need to pull back!"

Tigh's reply glare was an acknowledgement that the former terrorist was right. They did need to fall back. But there was nowhere to fall back to. Once they were shut in the mine, the Cylons would have them completely at their non-existent mercy.

"Godsdammit," Tigh muttered. He tapped the comm key on the device. "Fall back, I repeat, fall back!" While affirmatives were given to that, he moved from cover with his pistol raised and fired off another sequence of shots. A Cylon centurion went down with half of its eye visor missing.

The next Cylon had prior battle damage, a shot that had taken out its gun. But it still had its lethal strength and a hand that could rip into living flesh with ease. Tigh shot it in the shoulder. It produced a sparking hole but nothing more. The Cylon's hand lashed out at Tigh's head. he leaned backward to avoid the attack. But the blow still struck. Pain filled his face. Blood and darkness covered his sight while an involuntary cry of pain and surprise roared from within him. Tigh dropped to the ground utterly blinded by the attack.

There was a weapon shot and the sound of sparks followed by some metallic clanging and a thud. An arm slipped under Tigh's shoulder and brought him back to his feet. "Come on!" he heard Zarek say with terrible urgency. 

* * *

They were almost done. The last patient remained, and he must have been one of the oldest of the Refugee Fleet to still be around, Clara imagined. He was suffering from a host of maladies that included a smashed left hip that precluded any chance of the man walking. He shooed at them. "Get out of here, ladies," he insisted. "Leave me behind."

"It's not happening, sir," Clara insisted. She looked toward Cally. With the shouts and gunfire at its loudest, it was clear they had minutes, if that, before the Cylons got to the ward. And Cally was clearly about to freeze up again. "Cally, on my side."

Having an order did what Clara hoped it would do. Cally had something to focus on, something to do. She took hold of the side of the bed and began pushing. Clara did the same, which allowed them to maneuver the bed and move it toward the door. Cottle didn't meet them at the door. Tigh had already ordered him to move into the mines to protect him. Indeed, nobody was at the door. The last orderly hadn't returned. Cally and Clara would have to push their patient to safety.

It was not an easy task. The fighting was raging around them. The medical ward for the complex was one of the closer structures to the mine, for obvious reasons, but the Cylons were advancing alongside of it now. Their weapons thundered in the air. The response was a mixture of the ineffectual, with bullets that bounced off the Cylons' metal skin, and the devastating, specifically the energy weapon fire that melted and blasted the Cylons.

"We're not going to make it," whimpered Cally.

"Yes we are. Keep pushing!"

The effort was making Clara's arms and legs burn from exertion. Exhaustion was a real threat. But she didn't let herself stop. She couldn't. And she wouldn't let herself look back at the Cylons drawing steadily closer.

Dirt suddenly sprayed up beside them. Sparks flew from the bullets hitting the stretcher frame, tearing the metal apart so that the entire thing collapsed. A spray of blood rose from the leg of the old man, who let out a cry of pain. The collapse of the stretcher sent him tumbling to the ground.

Not missing a beat, Clara went to him and helped him up. "Cally, his leg! Hold it up!"

To her credit, Cally obeyed instantly. Behind them a phaser beam from one of the militia rifles speared the Cylon that had opened fire, destroying it.

The old man cried out again from the pain of his savaged leg, with the shattered hip undoubtedly making things worse. Clara almost shouted encouragement to him. The need for every bit of air her lungs could bring in kept her from doing so.

A Colonial armed with a Systems Alliance Avenger assault rifle met them at the perimeter line. The weapon's mass effect field filled the air behind them with deadly metal that tore through any Cylon it struck. The dark-haired woman kept the fire up until they were safely behind the line. They set the old man down behind some cover. Cally immediately grabbed at the first aid pouch Clara had insisted she carry and brought out the materials to treat the old man's wound.

Clara was a second from joining when she heard a scream of pain. She turned back to see the woman who had helped them falling to the ground. Without a moment's consideration she dashed to her. Her body's tired muscles protested the action with pain, but they failed to dissuade her, and the Cylons certainly didn't.

The coated Colonial woman was still alive. The Cylon shooting at her had aimed too low to hit anything immediately vital. But several rounds had gone through her belly and torn up her guts and possibly her spine. Clara knew that the wounds would be fatal and painful if medical attention wasn't immediate. She pulled the woman's coat tightly over the wounds and slipped the buttons into place to secure the wounds from the jostling that would be necessary. With a series of increasing groans of effort Clara picked the Colonial woman up into a fireman's carry. She started her return to safety by running as quickly as she could with her burden. Her eyes were entirely focused on the same broad ore truck that Cally was using to shield their elderly patient from the Cylons' attacks. A cry of warning came from ahead of her.

The Cylon behind her opened fire a moment later.

* * *

Jack and Buck entered the foyer of the Presidential Mansion first, their respective pulse rifle and laser pistol raised and ready. Gina and Daniel were behind them, then Lucy and Sam. Wilma and Teal'c took up the rear.

The foyer was empty of life. It had the same appearance as the colony itself, looking abandoned by those who normally lived and worked here. The finely-crafted half-circle desk where the information and security personnel waited for visitors still had active workstations, showing how quickly their minders had fled when the Cylons attacked.

"The stairway to the subbasement should be this way," Daniel said, consulting the Alliance-issue omnitool that SG-1 had been provided for this mission.

He took a step, but the resulting sound came from the second level of the foyer. Someone was walking along the polished tile quite loudly, without seeming to worry about giving themselves away. Distant mechanical whirring joined those loud footsteps after a time.

Cylon Centurions stepped into the openings leading out of the foyer. But after brief glances toward them, it was the figure in the hooded jacket that drew everyone's attention. She stepped up to the railing behind the main desk and looked down toward them, as if she could see them.

Lucy swallowed. She _felt_ the woman's presence. She felt the cold dark and the way it chilled the Flow of Life. This was a being given over to darkness, just as Goras had been.

The figure made a sudden leap that brought her to land on the main desk. Stacks of papers scattered from the impact point. The act had the effect of causing her hood to fall off her head to settle behind her neck, revealing her head and face. The eyes of everyone present widened in surprise.

The Cylon woman's skin was a light brown tone. Cold blue eyes looked over them on a face that they all found immediately familiar, topped with a head of dark, curly hair.

"Well." Jack glanced toward Lucy. "An evil twin? Really?"

For the moment Lucy couldn't react. Not only was she shocked by the appearance of her doppelganger, she found herself sickened by an immense sensation of violation. "They took my blood," she murmured. "On Djamar Station. They… they made her… from _me_."

Her Cylon doppelganger's arm stretched out. A multitude of crunching sounds directed their attentions toward their belts, and to the sight of their personal cloaking devices being crushed until they stopped functioning. The eight of them wavered into normal sight.

"Well, so much for the element of surprise," Buck muttered, leveling his gun toward the doppelganger.

Gina gave Lucy a worried look. "Take the others," Lucy said. "Get to the control room. They'll need your help." Lucy reached to her belt and pulled her weapon. Her counterpart clearly had training as well, but odds were that, at best, she had a _lakesh_. And Lucy knew from personal experience that the lightsaber had an advantage over that weapon. She brought her blade into a ready position and activated it. An electronic snapping sound was followed by a lingering hiss as the blue energy blade of her weapon extended to its full size.

Her Cylon counterpart actually grinned at that. Immediately Lucy realized she had misread the situation, but she had never imagined the extent of it until she saw the Cylon pull an object off the belt under her jacket.

Another snap and hiss filled the air as an energy blade, blood-red in its color, surged from the weapon in the Cylon-Lucy's hand.

Lucy's jaw hung open in shock.

"Kill them," she heard her own voice speak, coming from the Cylon-Lucy. "Kill them all."

And then her counterpart lunged forward. Lucy brought her weapon up and met the blow, causing their lightsaber blades to clash with a loud, electronic crackle. 

* * *

There was no escaping the tension in the _Aurora_ conference room when the Cylons returned. Ledosh led off by stating the Alliance was willing to consider both a return of prisoners and firm borders between Cylon and Alliance expansion zones, but that the Cylons would have to agree to an exclusion zone between those borders where neither side could settle or send starships.

The two female models and the one "new" male one said nothing. Cavil did the talking, and he did it with a slight scowl. "And what of the child? The child must be returned to us. Now."

"You must realize that we cannot compel the Agathons to give up their child," said Ledosh. "Not under our law. We are opening a dialogue with them to see if they can be persuaded…"

"And what you must realize is that our ships do not leave until the child is delivered," Cavil said. "That child represents the future of our civilization."

"How?" Julia asked. "Why are you ready to start a war over the Agathons' baby?"

"That is not your business," said the Gina-model.

"So you honestly expect us to take the child from her parents? Do you think we're that monstrous?"

"We know Humans are," the D'anna-model said. "We've experienced enough with your kind to know what you're capable of. And we're only asking you to take the child, not to kill her parents."

"Your judgement of Humans seems overly harsh," Ledosh observed. "While I too have seen Humans behave monstrously, I have also seen them behave with great courage and nobility. Judging an entire species for the misbehavior of a few…"

"We did not come to indulge in philosophical prattling, Gersallian," Cavil barked, and with real venom in his voice. "You are clearly stalling. Perhaps you…"

When he stopped speaking, Julia wondered just what was going on. She also kept glancing toward the quiet Cylon, the other male, who continued to look over them with his light green eyes. He seemed strangely detached from the entire argument. A small, haughty smile came to his lips, as if her interest in him was an amusement.

"Of course." Cavil's voice dripped with contempt. "You never planned to negotiate in good faith, did you? You came here to stall for time while your strike team attacked our forces in the colony."

Julia dared nothing beyond breathing. She forced her face to remain completely neutral at the charge.

"We…"

"Don't bother with denials!" snarled Cavil, cutting off Ledosh before he could even start the second word. "We were hoping for better from you, but we expected this behavior from your kind."

" _Captain_." The voice was Locarno's. " _The Cylon ships are locking weapons on the planet and on us._ "

"Wait, don't," Julia pleaded. "We can still work this out."

"You defied us," Cavil said, "and for that, the people of New Caprica have to die."


	9. Episode 3-02-4 Sundered Bonds

Cavil's pronouncement sent Julia's mind racing. The odds were completely against them. But maybe if Jarod was ready, maybe they could stand a chance…

She decide to buy for time by going on the verbal offensive. "Like you were ever going to spare them. You were always going to kill the people from the Colonies," Julia charged.

"We had considered sparing them, if they posed no further threat to us," Cavil answered. "But it is clear they do through their connection to you."

"Bloodshed will not get you what you seek," Meridina said to Cavil. "It will only encourage our people to fight yours to the final end. Do you intend to sacrifice the future of the Cylon people due to your need to kill the Humans of the Colonies?"

"If you will not bargain in good faith, we have no choice."

At that Julia laughed harshly. "Really, you call this bargaining in good faith? That would mean coming to us openly and diplomatically, not attacking our ships and holding people hostage to force us to meet your demands. This was never a good faith negotiation."

The four Cylons' expressions went completely blank. A moment later Locarno's voice came back over the comm system. " _Captain, a ship just jumped in. It's the_ Pegasus. _They're hailing us and the Cylon ships._ "

Julia let out a breath. The odds were still really bad, but maybe with Lee Adama's ship helping they could buy enough time… "Put him on down here."

The main holo-display changed from the starmap to show the image of Admiral Adama standing beside his son Lee. They were in the center of the _Pegasus_ CIC. " _Attention Cylon ships_ ," Adama said. " _I'm here to open talks._ "

"You are irrelevant, Adama," Cavil said. "And more to the point, we're done talking. Your people die now."

" _You're going to do that when you don't have what you want yet? Knowing that you'll never get your future back if you go through with wiping us out?_ "

Julia and Meridina exchanged small glances. They clearly wondered what Adama was playing at.

"What do you know about it?" Cavil asked, or rather challenged.

Adama stepped a little to his right, giving more room to the right side of the screen. They watched with some surprise as the Agathons stepped onto the screen. Helo had his hand on Sharon's shoulder. The Cylon woman was, in turn, holding their daughter Hera close to her chest. " _The killing has to end_ ," Sharon said to them. " _We have to find peace with the Humans, or we're going to be wiped out._ "

"Traitor," the D'anna model hissed.

Cavil motioned angrily at her to be quiet. "Then you'll cooperate?" he asked.

" _Give me the guarantee of the Consensus that Helo can stay with us without being harmed. He is Hera's father and he will remain part of her life._ "

"Come with the child and we will allow him to join you, without any threat," Cavil said. His voice sounded sincere, but only superficially. Meridina in particular sensed the intent behind the words. The promise was one that Cavil had no intention of honoring if he didn't absolutely have to.

On the screen Sharon and Helo looked at each other for several moments. Both looked to the screen again. " _Then we'll come over_ ," Helo said. " _I'll pilot a shuttle into your Basestar._ "

"You'll pilot it to the _Aurora_ ," the Gina-model said. "When we're satisfied this isn't a trick, we'll take you to our ship."

They seemed to think it over. Finally Sharon spoke up. " _Accepted. We'll be over in an hour._ "

"You'll be over in half an hour or nothing," Cavil retorted. "We're not letting you take the time to play a trick on us."

By now Adama was back on the screen. " _Very well. Half an hour. Adama out._ " They disappeared from the viewscreen.

"We will await his arrival in our shuttle," Cavil informed Julia. "We have nothing more to discuss at this time."

"Very well." Ledosh nodded. 'I will be waiting for your signal to resume."

Meridina nodded and the security officers at the door opened it themselves. They delivered the news to Lieutenant Richmond, who spoke on the ship intercom. " _Cylon party en route back to the main shuttle bay. All unauthorized personnel are to withdraw from the following sections…_ "

While Richmond did her job, Julia glanced toward Meridina. "What do you think?"

"Admiral Adama has discovered something of import about our enemy. Specifically, they place great stock in recovering the child." Meridina frowned. "But once they have her, they will attack. I am certain of this."

"Well, hopefully Jarod will be ready for that." Julia also wondered if the strike team was doing well. They'd been detected, but that didn't mean they'd lost…

* * *

The moment the Cylon-Lucy's red lightsaber blade crashed against Lucy's own blue one, a battle erupted around them. Jack O'Neill fired first with a barrage of pulse shots that took down one of the Cylons. A moment later Buck and Wilma fired on the other flank. Unseen energy from their laser pistols burned through the metal skin of a pair of Cylon centurions and destroyed the internals that made it function.

Teal'c's staff shot up. The tip shifted and pulled back into four parts, exposing the end blaster that put a bolt of red energy into another Cylon.

That they weren't mowed down was due to Gina. She reached out through her life-force to throw the aim of the enemy Cylon centurions high, causing their first barrage to miss completely. "Run!" she shouted.

Samantha, guided by the map showing on her omnitool, used her rifle to blow away the two Cylon centurions barring their way to the subbasement. "This way!" Sam cried.

Jack fired another barrage toward the northern entrance corridor that hit another centurion. "Daniel, you're on point, Teal'c, help Ms. Inviere watch our backs."

Daniel took the lead with Sam behind him. Buck and Wilma followed, fire from the Cylons narrowly missing, with Jack behind them. Teal'c shot up another Cylon before going through. The fire meant for him was deflected by the steady blade work of Gina, who was in the rear.

During this short firefight the duel between Lucy and her Cylon copy continued. Lucy felt herself evenly matched by her opponent. They were feeling one another's strikes coming, allowing neither to take a quick advantage. Blue and red light filled Lucy's vision as each attempted strike was parried, each attack deflected, in blurring red and blue. Further crackling and humming accompanied each meeting of their blades.

Learning to fight with her creation had been a challenge Lucy had already met. The idea of fighting someone using her weapon, and not as a practice duel but as a deadly serious combat, was something she hadn't contemplated yet. _Let's hope I'm a fast learner then_ was her thought on that, after which their blades clashed again.

One thing was certainly clear. Her doppelganger was fully trained in the arts of _swevyra_. Her skill demanded every bit of attention Lucy had. With her life on the line, Lucy obliged.

* * *

Strong winds were beginning to buffet the Dale house. The lights flickered slightly, but none of the family paid them any heed.

Robert kept his eyes on his grandfather. Or whatever it was that was appearing as his grandfather. "What are you?" he asked.

"I'm your Grandpa," was the answer.

"No." Robert shook his head. "You're not. My Grandpa Allen died when I was still in middle school. What you are... I don't know. You're something tied to this place."

"Oh? What makes you say that, Rob?"

"Because this place is based on my memories… my dreams." Robert cast a glance to the family gathered in the living room. "Everything is built around how I view the world and what I want." He looked back to the image of his grandfather. "And as much as I love… _loved…_ my father, I've always seen my Grandpa Allen as the source of wisdom and knowledge. He was the one I went to if I had questions when I was a child. So if this world is based on how I perceive the world, that means you should be that source. Which means you know what this place is."

There was no immediate reaction from the old man. Slowly a small smile crept across his face. "Well, Rob, that's pretty smart. But what you've left out is that I am still your Grandpa. Just as you remember him."

"What is this place? What's going on?" Robert asked.

"Well, the answer is… I'm not sure it's something even I understand, and as you said, I'm supposed to know everything in here." Allen glanced out the window. "You've been studying that life force stuff from the Gersallians, right? Their teaching about a 'Flow of Life' that connects all living things?"

Robert nodded. "Yeah. I've even sensed it, a little at least."

"So you have. Well…" Allen leveled a searching look at him. "Have you ever stopped to wonder if they were a bit wrong about it?"

"Wrong in what way?

"That the Flow of Life itself isn't alive."

Robert blinked at that. He let the idea work into his mind. "So you're saying it is? That… that the Flow of Life has its own mind? Its own life?"

"Something like that, I think," said Allen. "Yes indeed, something like that."

The thought was something Robert had to consider. The Gersallians saw the Flow of Life as the sum total of all life, particularly sapient life. They believed the Flow of Life was strengthened by positive feelings and weakened by negative ones. The entire Code of Swenya was based on the belief that those who could sense the Flow of Life should strive to strengthen it by making life better for others. While Swenya's successors could come off as monastic, their code was more like a knightly code, emphasizing justice, protection of the innocent, and making lives better to achieve that end. Their name for those who used those powers to uphold the code, " _swevyra'se_ ", was based around the Gersallian language's meaning for the "' _se_ " suffix. That it denoted strengthening something.

But nothing he'd heard from Meridina indicated they thought the Flow of Life might be aware or intelligent in some way. If it was, it meant he and those who could use these powers had to consider the possibility what it might want or feel.

"I'm not sure you can define it, Rob," Allen said. "And the things Meridina taught you aren't necessarily wrong either. It's just that there's more to it."

"And how does that explain what this is?" Robert asked.

"Well, think about that, Rob." Allen never lost his trademark gentle smile. "What happened to cause you to come here?"

"I opened the core of the Doctor's time ship. The Time Vortex, he called it. It told me my life would end. I was supposed to die." As Robert said those words, he started to see what had happened. "But my power, the Flow of Life itself, this 'force' protected me somehow, didn't it? And it brought me here." His expression betrayed momentary confusion. "Why? It's not just about saving my life, if that was the point it didn't have to create all of this." He held his hands out.

"What makes you think that's what happened? Think about it, Rob. The Flow of Life might be alive, an independent force, but it still responds to you. To what you want to do." Allen's expression turned thoughtful. "My poor boy. You thought you were going to lose more people you loved and cared about. Of course you thought about us too, didn't you?"

Robert thought back to his conversation with the TARDIS. He remembered those feelings at the thought of Julia and the others dying. The pain of losing his family had easily followed that fear. "I created this place? Is that what you're saying?"

"You're tired of losing the people you love, Rob. So of course you wanted to get us all back." Allen spread his arms and grinned. "So here we are, Rob. Here we are."

Outside the first drops of rain began to pelt the windows and walls of the house. The storm was moving in again. "And the storm? That's me too?"

Allen nodded. "Of course."

"The part of me that wants to leave. It's making it." He shook his head. "That seems ridiculous. Why would I go out into a storm?"

"Because you don't want to, Rob. Who would? You know things are coming, things are going to happen, that any sane man would want to stay away from." The old man chuckled at that. "Just like any sane man would rather stay inside than go out into a raging storm."

An old memory came to Robert's mind. "When I was a boy, and I asked you why you went off to war, you told me a story about a school friend of yours."

Allen nodded. "Jake."

"You said he wouldn't volunteer. That he even talked about dodging the draft if he was picked, because to go would be insane."

"Yup. Jake was terrified of the Germans. Thought we'd all get killed just like all the Russians and French and other people they were beating."

"And you even agreed with him," Robert continued. "You told me that he was right. That it was insane to want to get into a fight like that."

"So I did." Allen looked at him closely, clearly curious as to where Robert was going with this line of discussion.

The rest of the memory played out for Robert. He had been ten years old, talking with his grandfather on the porch swing while Allen Dale had showed him pictures from the war and his old medals. He heard his own voice, or rather his voice when he was a child, ask the important question. " _If it was crazy, then why did you want to go, Grandpa?_ "

The Allen in front of him spoke the same words as he had in the memory. "Because I had a good reason to go."

Robert nodded. He looked back to the window. The rain was growing in strength. Small pieces of hail smacked against the window as well. "So…"

"So…" Allen nodded. "Do _you_ have a good reason to go?" 

* * *

The entire trip back to the mining complex had been torment for Zack and the others. They had all pushed for this operation and, due to that, they had left the people back at the mine nearly defenseless. The call for help that had come once the Cylons brought down the protective shield over the complex made all of their calculations seem reckless. The smoke rising from the complex seemed to condemn them for their decision.

They drove up to the closed gate of the complex. There were no signs of the Cylons. Anders refused to waste the time in opening the gate properly. The engine on the vehicle roared when his foot slammed on the accelerator. The vehicle picked up speed rapidly and slammed into the gate with enough force to tear it from its treads. After the impact Anders hit the brakes to let inertia carry the ruined remains of the gate off the front of the vehicle, jostling everyone in the car in the process.

The vehicles behind them drove on, going further into the complex. The various sounds of energy and ballistic weapons fire picked up. A check to the display screen beside Zack showed that Anders' people were tearing through part of the Cylon line approaching the mine entrance. The red markers representing Cylons began to disappear. It wasn't hard for Zack to imagine the various mounts on Anders' convoy opening up on Cylon centurions.

His imagination received confirmation when Anders caught up and stopped the car. The three jumped out of the car. The battle in front of them raged, with the mounted weapons tearing Cylon centurions to pieces. Screams and cries accompanied some of the Cylon return fire.

Zack pulled his pulse pistol from his hip holster and advanced with Anders and Thrace. The three took cover behind one of the makeshift armored trucks of the convoy for a minute before continuing on. A field of dead bodies and blasted Cylon pieces loomed ahead. Zack raised his pistol and fired off shots on a human-form Cylon, one of the ones that looked like Sharon Agathon. Because he was running and firing his aim was not accurate, and the distance meant that most of his shots went wide. The Sharon-Cylon turned toward him with a gun in her hand. She never got a chance to fire it, as one of his shots clipped her in the shoulder and kept her from firing. A follow up shot from another angle hit the Cylon in the collarbone and sent her down for the count.

" _Anders, is that you?_ " Zarek asked over their comm system.

"I read you," Anders answered.

" _Tigh is hurt and we've lost a lot of people. We're keeping them just outside of the mine entrance._ "

Even as those words were spoken, the rear vehicles of the convoy drove up. Anders waved them on and barked, "Secure the mine entrance!" At that command they drove on as instructed.

As soon as they had cover again, Zack opened his own comm line to Zarek and asked, "Where is Doc Cottle? Where is Clara?"

" _Cottle is here, but Clara and Cally aren't._ " Those words made Zack's chest tighten in fear. _"All I can tell you is that they got out of the ward before the Cylons overran it. That's all anyone's told me._ "

"Thank you," Zack managed, barely. He looked to Anders and Thrace.

They returned his look with understanding clear on their faces. "We'll get you to her, Zack," Thrace promised. "Don't worry about that. Just don't run ahead on us and get killed."

He nodded. He didn't want to obey that instruction, but experience overcame his impulse for the moment. When he left cover, it was with the two of them accompanying him. 

* * *

When Sam and Jack entered the control center in the Presidential Mansion subbasement they were surprised to find that it was not manned in any way. Sam went for the controls. She was ready to find them destroyed or disabled, which is why she had a momentary flicker of surprise on her face when the hardlight keyboard blipped to life just under her fingertips.

"Well, that's convenient," Jack said. Behind him some of the others were entering. "It must be nice to not have keyboards taking up desk space," he said to Gina and Wilma. Neither gave him any reply.

"Okay, give me a moment." Samantha tapped at the keys. After a moment she swapped to the omnitool around her left forearm. "They've put a lockout on the system. I'm going to bypass it."

Buck and Teal'c looked out the door and quickly pulled their heads back. Weapons fire came through the open door. The bullets ripped chunks out of the wall opposite fo the door, raining debris over one of the work stations. The two kneeled back out and returned fire with their respective laser gun and blaster staff. "They're right behind us," Buck said.

"I'm having trouble with the bypass. The Cylons infected the computer with a control virus." Sam's fingers were more occupied on her omnitool than the main control. "This is going to take a while."

"Let me help." Gina walked up beside her. She reached into a pocket on her robe and pulled out a small knife. "I need a hard wire connection to the system."

Sam nodded and checked her omnitool. After a second she ducked in the chair and began pulling away a panel at the control station. As she did so, Gina took the knife and stuck the blade into the palm of her left hand.

"Woh, uh, what are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"I'm making an access port," Gina answered, all while working the knife toward her wrist. She stopped shy of it. The blood of her wound formed crimson lines on her hand. Upon reaching the edges of her palm the blood began to drip to the floor.

Sam sat up. She had a fiber-optic wire in hand, pulled from an access line in the console. Sam used her combat knife to cut the tip off, exposing the fiber-optic end completely. She handed this exposed end to Gina. With a wince Gina slid the wire into the open wound on her hand. Pain showed on her face while the wire crept up her arm. Her eyes fluttered and she went to a knee.

On both the screen and on Sam's omnitool, computer code began to flash rapidly.

"Are you going to be in any shape to help Lucero if she needs it?" Wilma asked.

"I must concentrate," Gina said. "Don't distract me, please."

"She's directly interfacing with the virus." Samantha turned her head and faced Wilma. "If we distract her, it could infect the computerized parts of her body. I don't think we should risk that."

Wilma nodded in acceptance.

"O'Neill, the enemy is preparing another attack," Teal'c said from his place at the door.

Jack motioned to Daniel. "Keep an eye on everything." He lifted his rifle and went to the door to squeeze off several shots.

"Hopefully we can buy the ladies enough time," Buck said to him while squeezing off a laser shot that sparked and scorched a Cylon centurion coming down the hall.

"Carter will get it done," Jack assured him. "Don't you worry about that. I just hope Lucero can beat her evil twin."

* * *

The foyer of the Presidential Mansion was no longer the pristine, abandoned locale it had been when Lucy and the others arrived. Now the walls were covered in black scorch marks. One of the chairs for visitors had been cleaved in half, plush and cloth and wood pieces now scattered around the room.

Another such chair met that fate at Lucy's lightsaber, cleaving the thrown object in two before it could hit her. Her Cylon counterpart, undaunted, pulled with her hand and sent a table at Lucy, causing the fliers and papers that had been set upon it flying. Lucy used her power to grab and throw it back. Her opponent's lightsaber sliced cleanly through the table. A spurt of will caused the two halves to fly to either side and miss her.

Lucy was following the table and went on the attack. Her opponent barely got her red lightsaber up to block Lucy's blue blade. Lucy drew back from the parry and went for a horizontal cut at the her doppelganger's shoulder that was evaded. She followed the cut through and twisted her whole body in place, bringing her lightsaber back to stop the counter-attack aimed at her side. She feinted toward the fake Lucy's belly and re-directed her blade toward her opponent's chin. Only a last minute twitch kept that blow from striking home with the sapphire light of Lucy's blade coming within half an inch of contact.

The Cylon-Lucy scowled at her. Lucy could sense her fury and frustration. Her copy was convinced she would win quickly. Lucy's failure to die as desired was infuriating the Cylon. Gold color formed in the Cylon's eyes.

That sent a chill up Lucy's spine, not just from the cold, dark energy the Cylon's life force was tapping, but the fact that those were _her_ eyes turning gold. The sense of _deja vu_ was visceral, bringing her back to the entrance to the Darglan database on 33LA where she had let her anger and fear rage out of control. For a moment what she was facing wasn't just a Cylon duplicate of herself but rather the thought of what she could become if she fell to her own darkness.

The Cylon-Lucy screamed in anger and lunged at Lucy. Again their lightsabers clashed, and the duel went on. 

* * *

The security officers from the _Aurora_ met no opposition in getting to the emitter. A pulse shot and a strong kick opened the door to the emitter's access room, where Reubens and Kripkt went to work. Lindstrom arranged the rest of the security detachment into a defensive position around the opening to the door.

He was barely done with that when Kripkt chirped, "Lieutenant, we have a problem."

Lindstrom re-entered the chamber. It was fairly well-lit thanks to LEDs. The tubing containing wiring and other connections criss-crossed the ceiling and the walls in some places. Reubens was in one access hatch, visible only from the hips down, while Kripkt worked a console. "What is it?" Lindstrom asked.

"The Cylons sabotaged the emitter," Kripkt said. "It is physically impossible for it to emit a field."

"You mean that even if Team A gets their side working, we'll have no shield?"

"Yes sir. And the emitter is useless for our purposes too. Not unless we fix it."

"Can you?"

"Yes sir," said Reubens. Her voice faintly echoed from within the access hatch. "But we'll need time. More time than the cloaks will keep us hidden."

"Right." Lindstrom had been expecting Murphy to screw with them in one way or another. He wasn't surprised at this. "We'll give you all the time we can." 

* * *

It was almost time for Adama's shuttle to arrive. Julia and Meridina walked down the corridor of the _Aurora_ toward the shuttle bay. Meridina could sense Julia's unease. The casual confidence that Julia often showed to others was completely gone at the moment, replaced by a carefully-obscured worry. "You have done all you can," Meridina assured her.

"My head tells me that." Julia shook her head. "My heart doesn't care. And I can't help but wonder if I made a mistake along the way."

"You regret sending the team to New Caprica?"

"I'm wondering if it was the right choice. Without Adama's arrival, the colony would already be gone."

"True." Meridina gave a single nod of her head. "I suppose I can understand. But if I may give you some advice, Captain?"

"Feel free, Commander. It's in the job description, after all."

"I would have made the same decision," Meridina said to her. "And while I understand doubt, at this time I do not think it is constructive. Indeed, much as it can undermine the power of a _swevyra'se_ , it can also undermine the power of a commander."

Julia smiled thinly at that. "Well-spoken, Meridina, very well-spoken." She drew in a breath as they approached the door to the shuttle bay. It swished open to show Ledosh waiting to one side while, down by their shuttle, the four Cylons were gathered. "I just hope Zack's okay." 

* * *

The Cylon attack on the mine started collapsing the moment Anders' convoy got to the entrance. With their heavy weapons they mowed down the Cylon centurions and humaniforms that had been on the cusp of overrunning Zarek and his last group of defenders.

Zack didn't bother going to the entrance himself. As soon as the shooting seemed to have stopped he started running toward the medical ward. He saw the ruined remains of a stretcher and a trail of blood drops. Worry gripped him that Clara was wounded. That even now she was bleeding out. He followed the blood drops, avoiding the smoking remains of Cylon centurions and the dead humaniforms and Colonials. The sickening smell of human waste hit his nostrils. It had been a long time since he had endured that stink and he gagged at it. But he pushed away any further reaction; he needed to find Clara. He needed to make sure she was alright.

So he searched. Through the twisted broken remains of machines, the blackened ruins of vehicles and mining equipment. He scrambled over a dead male Cylon - which type it was he couldn't say - and found he was approaching the rocky side of the mountain foothills with a large ore truck to his right. He was just a couple hundred meters from the mine entrance where everyone was still gathered for the moment. He could see them as distant figures. The warmth of hope came to him. Clara making it seemed all the more likely now.

He was so focused on the mining entrance far ahead that he almost missed the movement to his right. It came from a small pile several meters from the front of the ore truck; another Cylon humaniform, this one the bald dark-skinned model with the back of his head missing, was sprawled over two other bodies. An arm near the bottom of the pile twitched slightly. Zack ran up to it to investigate. He grabbed the dead Cylon and pulled him away.

The blood drew his eyes first. A coated woman with the coat and her trousers coated in dried and not-so-dry blood. Her hand was barely holding a sidearm, a mass effect Carnifex pistol. Training took over. His finger went to his omnitool. "I need help by the big ore truck, I've got a woman with a belly shot here."

" _We're on our way_ ," Thrace replied.

As soon as he said that Zack's eyes noticed the figure partly buried under the gutshot woman. His heart skipped a beat at recognizing the blue garment clad over the figure's legs. The blue of medical scrubs. He gently pulled back the woman on top, trying not to disturb and worsen her wound, in order to get at the figure below. As the wounded woman was moved, the sight of bloody scrubs drew Zack's eye. At first he thought the blood had come from the militia woman he'd just moved. It was only as his eyes actually moved over the figure did he see the multiple holes in the back of the scrubs around which the blood was particularly pooled. Without further thought Zack grabbed the scrubs-clad figure and flipped her. His eyes lifted toward the head as the body flopped onto its back.

Clara's blue eyes stared back into his.

And there was not a glimmer of life in them.

That terrible moment lingered as the details fought their way into Zack's mind. The cold blue of Clara's lips. The pale, grayish cast of the skin on her face. The vacant stare in her eyes. The blood on her mutilated torso and shoulders, where the high-powered automatic weapon of a Cylon centurion model had done its terrible work on her.

Zack stopped breathing. He felt like his heart simply stopped, as if he might simply fall over dead as well. Finally his body forced a breath into his lungs.

Every fiber of his body wanted to deny what his senses were telling him. It denied that Clara could be dead. That he had lost her. That she was gone. He took her hand with his right hand while the back of his left hand moved over the side of her cheek. There was still some warmth there. Not much. Certainly not the warmth of a living being. Enough to let the denial last for another crucial moment, the moment of cruel hope that his senses were deceiving him.

And then that moment ended. Zack took Clara into his arms and held her up in an embrace. A loud wail erupted from his throat. With denial gone, nothing could back the tears that formed in his eyes. The pain in his chest felt like it might just cause his heart to stop. All of those thoughts he'd had, all of those dreams of a life after the war, that image of a happy family home and picnics and baseball games and everything… they turned on him with a terrible vengeance. No longer the promises of what would be, they were the taunting remnant of what could never be.

Zack had cried over his mother. He had cried over his father. He cried again here, and not the kind of crying people usually expected. No, not the simple manly tears of grief. The wail in his throat repeated once more, and by the next one it had become a blubbering sob. His grip on Clara's body tightened with such a ferocity one might think he could restore life to her with that grip. The grief, the terrible painful grief, became a black hole in his soul, sucking in everything else until there was nothing else remaining.

* * *

The question posed by Allen Dale's likeness was still unanswered. Robert continued to look at the being emulating his grandfather while letting his question echo in Robert's mind. Did he have a reason to go out there? To leave behind a family he loved, intact and alive, for all of the terrible things that were still to come, represented by the howling wind and rain and hail of the storm outside.

He could wish it away. He'd done it before. He had firmly decided not to go out, not to abandon Little Robby or the family that was still alive here, and the storm had gone away. That it was coming back was his fault. It was from a part of him that had accepted this place was not real.

There was no keeping the conflict off Robert's face. He thought of the reasons he had to go back. The war with the Nazi Reich. Duties to the Alliance. The possibility that the Prophecy of the Dawn was going to come true and a terrible threat would descend upon the Multiverse. They were duties that called to him.

"It's not a hard question, Rob," Allen said. "The hard part is coming to terms with the answer."

"I…"

Before he could continue, a sudden sensation of pain washed over Robert. He felt a sense of crushing anguish with immense loss. He was familiar with loss and there was a moment he thought it might be his.

But it was only a moment. The loud wail from outside was barely Human. It pushed through the walls of the house with a power that defied reason and struck at Robert again. As the wail became sobs he thought he heard something familiar in them. Something familiar about the sensation. He turned away from Allen and went to the door. The cold, rainy wind bit into him when he pulled the door open and looked out into the storm-tossed farm.

Except the storm-tossed farm seemed blurry now. As if something else was imposing itself over the farm scene. Robert could make out dirt and grass that didn't fit Kansas, the hints of a distant mountain base, the shape of a vehicle of some sort, and near it two human figures, one on its knees holding the other. The second figure was limp in the kneeling one's arms.

Not just limp. Lifeless. Dead.

Robert focused on the sight and felt his gut twist painfully when the two figures became clear to him. "Zack," he whispered to himself in horrible realization at the sight before him. The sight of Zack holding Clara's dead body. He could see the bloody wounds from the gunshots that had mutilated Clara's torso, destroying internal organs and ensuring her swift death.

And he could _feel_ the grief and pain coming from his old friend. A loss deep and immediate, not simply the loss of a loved one but the loss of a future, the loss of dreams, of everything that could have been.

Robert's mouth went dry at the sight. His friend was suffering. Heartbroken. He had to do something about it. He owed Zack that much.

Further images came to him. He saw Lucy fighting for her life against a jacketed figure with her own lightsaber blade. Jarod and Barnes working on something in the ship science lab. Angel and Cat and Nick on the bridge, Nick in the central chair looking at the main screen with concern. Julia and Meridina were with Ledosh, waiting with four figures...

Something was going on. Something terrible, something dangerous. And Clara was dead. Clara Davis, one of the sweetest, kindest people Robert had ever known.

Was this in the future? Was it in the past? Robert wasn't sure. He only knew what he felt. His friends were in danger. His friend Zack was heartbroken.

They needed help. They needed _him_.

The images faded just a little. Enough for the violence of the storm to return. Enough for more images to rush through Robert's mind. He couldn't get a firm grip on them. Some he remembered, like the cybernetic Turian, or the golden-eyed man in white armor upon a metal throne. The others were flashes. Spaceships burning, armies clashing, a city-planet under attack from orbit. He could hear his own voice screaming in pain.

And then the stars going out, in a spreading wave, galaxy by galaxy until _nothing_ was left.

This is what awaited him if he went out into the storm. He would suffer. He would know pain. He would have to fight. And he would never again know the comforts he had loved in this place.

"You know what you have to do, Rob," Allen said. His voice prompted Robert to turn. His family was lined up behind him. He could feel the love and affection from them. "And you have your reason."

Robert nodded slowly. "You didn't say that the last time. When the Doctor tried to get me to leave, you asked me to stay."

"Because it's not just about leaving," Allen answered.

Robert nodded in understanding. "It's why." As he said those words he knew his choice was made. Looking at his family made it hard. They'd been taken from him before. To regain them had been a miracle; losing them again, willingly this time, made his heart feel like it was being ripped to pieces. "I don't want to leave you."

"We know, son," Michael Dale said.

"But its what you have to do," Leigh added.

"You have to do the right thing, _meine kleiner_." Anna nodded. "Just as we raised you to do."

"I'll miss you, Rob." Susannah waved. "And will you let Cat know I miss her too?"

"And Beth," Michael said. "Let her know we all love her and miss her."

Robert nodded quietly at them. Tears were filling his eyes as the weight of what he was going to do pressed upon him. A small part of him quailed at it. It didn't want him to leave them behind.

And it wasn't alone. Little Robby dashed ahead and grabbed Robert by the leg and waist. "No!" he shrieked. "Daddy, don't leave me!"

Robert lowered himself to one knee to look into his son's green eyes. They were welling with tears just as his eyes were. He put his arms around the little boy and held him close. His hand reached up to take his head, resting in his son's blond hair. "I love you," he said. "And I always will."

"Daddy, I'm scared," the child wailed.

"Don't be. It'll all be okay." He said those words knowing what would happen. That Little Robby would cease to exist along with the others. The pain inside of him increased until it felt like his entire chest would explode from it. Again their tear-filled eyes met. Robert swallowed and said, "I never realized how much I wanted to have a child until I laid eyes on you, son. I love you. And I'll always remember you."

"Daddy…" The little boy's protest broke up into sobs.

"I swear it," Robert promised. "I'll always remember you." He stood up and gently set his son down. Behind him the wind and rain was picking up again.

Little Robby looked ready to grab him again. But Julia stepped up before he could and lifted him into her arms. He turned his head and started to cry into her shoulder. She looked at Robert with all of the love and respect that Robert knew the real Julia had for him as well. "I'll be waiting for you out there," she said.

"We're not married there," he told her. "I'm not sure we'll ever be."

"Whether we're married or not, or whether we'll ever be, it doesn't change the fact I'm still waiting for you," she answered. With nothing else to say, she took the last step to him and kissed Robert on the lips. He accepted the kiss, enjoying how sweet it felt as long as it lasted.

It ended and Julia walked back to join the others. "Good luck, Rob," Allen Dale said. "We'll be rootin' for you."

Despite the pain he felt, Robert smiled at that and nodded. "And I'll always have you with me. All of you." He drew in a breath and said the painful word he'd been trying to avoid. "Goodbye."

And he prompted turned and ran out into the storm, defying the biting wind and sharp rain and bruising hail while his legs continued to move, pushing him further and further into the storm. He glanced back just once, enough to see his family waving goodbye.

The storm closed around him. The nice, big house on the mound was gone. The barn was gone. There was no sign he was even on the farm anymore. There was nothing but the storm. He continued to run to the center of it. It seemed like the storm would never end.

Until it did, in a burst of light that overwhelmed Robert's senses, forcing his eyes closed. The rain and wind and hail went away until he felt nothing of them on his skin, not even the wet rain.

He opened his eyes again and immediately felt the need to squint at the bright light above, as if he had been sleeping for a very long time. He opened and closed his eyes a few time until they adjusted to the light. He forced his body to sit up, his muscles stiff and protesting, and he looked around at the site around him: the _Aurora_ medbay ward.

"What…?" he managed to croak out through a throat that felt as dry as a desert.

* * *

With no fighting going on, Leo's place in the crisis was to wait until someone called. He was thus seated at his office desk checking medical files on the new crew when Nasri came to his door. The look of surprise on the Darfuri nurse's face was complete. "Doctor, come quickly! He's awake!"

For a split second Leo almost asked who. But there was no need to. There was only one person Nasri could be referring to. Leo jumped from his chair and ran out of his office. Nasri followed him in his dash to the non-critical ward.

They found Robert already clambering off the bed. Or attempting to at any rate. His muscles, dormant for months, were so unresponsive that he toppled over. "Rob, stay still!" Leo shouted.

"I'm.. I'm okay," he managed. He raised a hand toward them, signalling them to stop, wishing them to.

The power within him surged unexpectedly. An invisible wave of force erupted from Robert in the direction of his hand. It slammed into Leo and Nasri with enough power to send them flying into the wall around the entrance to the ward. As they recovered Robert stared at them and then at his hand, shock plain on his face. "What… what's happening? I couldn't control it…" With his limbs and joints stiff getting to his feet was a surprising challenge, but he managed it after several seconds. "Are you okay?"

"What was that?" Leo asked. His voice made it clear how stunned he was at the sudden violent burst of energy.

"I don't know. My power just flared up. I…" Robert stepped once, bracing himself by holding the bed he had just vacated. He tentatively reached for the power within him in the hope of finding out what was going on with that warm glow he had come to know as _swevyra_.

But the warm glow wasn't a glow. It was a light. Strong, stronger than he'd ever felt it. Instinctively he reached through it toward the others, hoping to sense Meridina and Lucy.

What he got wasn't just them. He could sense many more beings. Even those who didn't have the active energy he knew seemed to light up for his senses. The Flow of Life resonated around him in a way that actually frightened him. The power he felt in his connection to the Flow of Life was greater than ever before. He struggled to withdraw his reach. There was no way he could sense them like this.

An image suddenly flashed in his head. Julia, Meridina, and Ledosh with four figures. Robert recognized three of them. Cylon models. They were dealing with the Cylons. To his horror, however, he watched as the Cylons did something he couldn't make out, and with a flash of light everyone was gone and the shuttle bay severely damaged.

"They're in danger," Robert rasped.

Leo was activating medical scanners on his omnitool as he approached Robert. "What?" he asked. "What are… wait!"

It was too late. Robert was running through the door.

* * *

The Alliance Mark III shuttle from _Pegasus_ slipped through the atmospheric containment field of the _Aurora_ main shuttle bay. It came to a precision landing beside the waiting Cylon craft. Julia was watching it so intently that she almost missed Meridina's sudden look of shock. "What's wrong?" she murmured.

"I just felt something. A ripple in my _swevyra_. I…" The confusion was joined by a look of uncertain joy. "Could he be…?"

Both had to direct their attention to the opening of the _Pegasus_ shuttle's rear ramp. Adama stepped down first, followed by the Agathons. Sharon had her baby daughter clasped tightly in her arms.

The look on Cavil's face was surprising. He seemed pleased, even anxious. The others were clearly intent on the child as well.

"You will hold up our bargain?" Sharon asked.

"Yes. We will leave the people of the Colonies alone," Cavil said. "Now…"

"Wait." The Gina model's brow furrowed. "Something isn't right." The others turned toward her while she pulled out a scanner. Julia looked to Meridina to see if she had any insight. The uncertain, worried look on her face was not comforting. A glance toward Adama showed he wasn't reacting at all. As if the situation had nothing to do with him.

After several moments of looking at the scanner, the Gina model's face twisted into an angry scowl. "They're fake!" she declared. Her finger stabbed a key on the scanner.

Energy rippled through the air in front of it, barely visible save for the slight distortion of the air around it. When it reached the Agathons they flickered slightly, like a television screen getting snow from turbulence.

"Holograms," Cavil noted. His expression betrayed his anger. "They're holograms!"

 _Please be ready, Jarod_ , Julia pleaded in her mind. _Please._

* * *

In the Presidential Mansion subbasement, Jack and Buck fired another barrage at the Cylon Centurions gathering in the hall outside. As they pulled back into cover Wilma and Teal'c fired their weapons into the hall. They didn't hit anything, but the Cylons were forced to take cover. "Major Carter, status update," Wilma said.

Sam looked up from her omnitool screen. "We're almost in." She glanced in the direction of Gina. She was still holding the wire in place. Blood covered her palm and was now pouring onto the floor. "You're bleeding too much."

"I'll be okay," Gina insisted. "Let me concentrate." Her eyes remained fixed to a screen. Sam got the feeling she really wasn't looking at the screen itself but doing everything in her head.

There was more gunfire from outside. "We're not going to be able to get out of here without help," Jack noted.

"Well, like you said." Buck leaned around the door and squeezed off another shot. "We have to hope Lucy finishes off her evil twin."

The screen on the main computer shifted to show a command interface. "We're in!" Sam declared. "I'm going to try and activate the colony's defensive shield."

"I've purged the virus from the mainframe and given you complete command access." Gina's fingers wrapped around the wire and began a gentle, slow pull of it from the open wound in her hand. "You shouldn't have any problems."

"I'm activating planetary defense now… oh no."

"What do you mean, 'oh no'? Sam?"

In response to Jack's question Sam began tapping keys. She shook her head. "I'm in the system but it's not responding. It looks like the emitter was sabotaged."

"Let's hope Lieutenant Lindstrom is handling that," Wilma said. "For now, we have to hold this room."

Gina finished removing the wire she had used. Daniel was on hand to apply a bandage to the deep wound. Before he was done Gina's head snapped to the wall on their left. "Get ready," she said.

"For what?" Daniel asked.

"The Cylons are going to come through the wall. Any moment now," she said. Gina reached for her belt and pulled her weapon. "Be ready."

"Carter to Lindstrom." Sam held her omnitool close to her lips. "Lieutenant, this is Major Carter. I need that emitter fixed, and I need it now."

When she finished speaking the wall exploded in a cloud of masonry particles. The figures of Cylon combat machines appeared as outlines in the cloud.

Sam lifted her rifle and fired in tandem with Daniel. One of the drones fell in the second before their return fire sent everyone for cover. 

* * *

Lindstrom heard Carter's call just before he opened fire with his weapon. His shots blasted the leg off of one of the approaching Cylon Centurions. "Kripkt, Reubens, status?!"

"The Cylons made a mess of things," Reubens said. "Full restoration is going to take hours."

"We don't have hours!"

It was Kripkt who answered, "I believe I have a solution. If we tie the portable deflector shield generator into the emitter's projection chamber, we might be able to restore deflector capability without requiring the extensive repair."

"Get to it then!" Lindstrom swept the pulse rifle to the right and hit another Cylon Centurion as it fired. The cry of pain from the same direction told him one of his people had been hit. He went over to the fallen Human male and grabbed his uninjured shoulder to pull him into the safety of the emitter assembly. "We're running out of time here."

* * *

 _I'm running out of time_ was the thought that went through Robert's head as he dashed up the access stairwell. He sensed the moment of danger approaching and worried that his body, as unused as it was, wouldn't get him there in time. His muscles screamed in pain at the sudden effort they had been subjected to after months of immobility. Robert knew that if he stopped moving, he might not be able to keep going.

This meant that the closed door that he met was going to be a challenge. If it didn't open fast enough he'd run into it. He felt no choice but to use his power to force it to open more quickly than it normally would. He reached out and felt the warm energy leap from his hands. Immediately he tried to stop it. It was too much.

It was also too late. Instead of simply sliding the door open more quickly, it bent both sides of the sliding door open. The tracks that kept the door in place began squealing in protest as the warped structure of the door no longer allowed it to function. Robert slipped through the resulting hole and kept running.

What was happening to him? He'd never managed something like that before. With a brief shake of his head Robert compelled the thought to the back of his mind. He had other things to worry about right now, like keeping his aching body moving to get to the shuttle bay before it was too late.

* * *

The _Aurora_ shuttle bay echoed with the angry declaration of the Cylon Cavil. "This is what we get for trying to deal fairly with Humans!" he spat. "Treachery and deceit!"

Julia thought of a counter to that, but it was Meridina who spoke openly. "You do not deal fairly at all. You use murder and violence to compel others to obey you and show no regard for life. You have become an abomination."

"Do you truly believe you can prevail in a conflict?" Ledosh asked the question and continued with his observation. "You have made some advanced in technology, yes, but you cannot fight the entire Multiverse alone."

"God will bring us triumph." The D'anna model had a triumphant sneer on her face. "You cannot resist Him." She reached her hand toward her belt.

Behind them the shuttle door swished open. Julia looked to it out of habit. She stared in wonder at the arrival of Robert, still clad in a medbay gown. "Rob?!" she managed.

"It's a trap!" he shouted, his arm in motion toward the assembled Cylons. "Get down!"

Julia and Meridina were the quickest to obey the instruction. Ledosh, sensing the gathering power and what was to come, grabbed Adama and pulled him to the ground. The four Cylons all began reaching for something on their belts.

Robert summoned up his power again. There was no time to try and regulate it, or control it; the Cylons were seconds away from success. He let it loose in one large surge. The others could feel the power push against them even though they were prone. The surge caught the Cylons and sent them flying backward, as if struck by a speeding train. Their cries of surprise ended abruptly when they went flying through the atmospheric containment field.

At first they simply seemed to spin on in the vacuum. But each disappeared in a flash of blinding light. The forcefield crackled violently for a few seconds before stabilizing.

Locarno's voice sounded from Julia's omnitool. " _Bridge to Andreys. Captain, we just recorded four thermal releases aft of the shuttle bay. What's going on?"_

Julia was on her knees by this point, in the middle of getting back to her feet. "The Cylons had suicide charges. But we're okay. Resume Code Red immediately, I'm on my way back to the bridge."

" _Aye, sir_ ," Locarno answered. " _The Cylons are taking up combat formation now. They're launching fighters_."

"Launch ours and prepare for evasive maneuvers. Andreys out." Now standing again, Julia looked to the others to make sure they were okay. Of the five, only Robert wasn't back to his feet. He was laid out on the shuttle bay floor. Her heart skipped a beat to see he wasn't moving.

Meridina went to his side as a soft groan showed he was not completely unconscious. Julia could see Meridina's surprise was as great as her own. "Robert?" she asked gently.

"I can't move," he answered.

"I shall arrange for his return to your medbay," Ledosh promised. "You must go back to your duties, now."

The urge Julia had to talk to Robert, to see how he was feeling, gave way to her duty. She was needed on the bridge. So was Meridina. "Let's go," she said to the other woman. She looked to Adama next. "Are you joining us, Admiral?"

He nodded in response.

Julia tapped her omnitool. "Andreys to Transporter Station 1. Three for emergency intraship transport to the Bridge. Beam myself, Commander Meridina, and Admiral Adama."

" _Standby, Captain… energizing_."

The shuttlebay disappeared from Julia's view in a burst of white light. When the light receded she was on the bridge. Angel and Cat were in place, but Neyzi was still at Ops. As soon as she returned to her chair, with Locarno resuming the helm, Julia tapped the key on the right arm of the chair to activate the ship's internal communications system. "Bridge to Science Lab 1. Is it ready?"

" _Almost_ ," Jarod answered. " _We're compiling the code now. Give me five minutes_."

"The Cylon fighters are coming together for an attack run," Cat said. "Ten Cylon ships are moving into weapons range. They're targeting us."

"Status of our side?"

"Fighters are launching now," Meridina confirmed. Julia could imagine the Mongoose fighters streaming from their launch tubes along the upper deck of the drive hull. "The _Pegasus_ has also launched its full complement of combat craft."

"Too bad they're still outnumbered, just as we are," Julia murmured. By the numbers there was no way they could win this. "Any sign of the shield over the Colony going up?"

"None yet." Caterina audibly gulped. "And they'd better hurry."

"What?"

"The Cylons just fired missiles at the colony," she replied. "Impact in one minute."

* * *

Gunfire echoed in the control room. The Cylons pressed at the main door and through the breach they'd made in the wall. Everyone was behind cover in one of the stations except Gina, Teal'c, and Buck; the former was using her powers to protect the other two from the Cylons coming through the breach, allowing them to continue firing on the Cylons coming down the main hall.

The warning tones and red light immediately informed Samantha Carter of their plight. She finished firing a burst into the torso of one of the Cylon attackers and turned her head to the main display. Her eyes made a quick examination of the data before her finger pressed the send key for her channel to Lindstrom. "We need that emitter _now!_ Missile inbound!" 

* * *

" _Reubens, Kripkt!_ "

Lindstrom's shout forced Reubens to look up from his handiwork of connected wiring. "We still need five minutes!"

" _You don't have five minutes!_ " came the frantic reply. 

* * *

To give herself more room for maneuver Lucy had brought her opponent outdoors. Her doppelganger's frustration had become fierce rage and made it easy to pull her along. It also made deflecting her fierce blows more of a chore. With her rage fueling her, the Cylon-Lucy was calling upon her life force energy more and more. Lucy had to exert herself to deflect the faster strikes from hitting her.

One such strike went toward her shoulder. Lucy's blade intercepted it. Instead of pulling back from the failed attack her doppelganger pushed into it. Lucy set her feet and met the push with a defensive stance. She looked into the angry, hate-filled face of her foe and felt a visceral disgust at what the Cylons had done with her blood. Now this thing, this creature of darkness, went around doing who-knew-what with Lucy's face.

A sense of danger filled Lucy's senses. Her counterpart glanced toward the sky and let out a laugh. Lucy couldn't help but look up to see what was going on.

It was when she spotted the missile contrail in the sky.

And she knew there was nothing to do at that point but pray.


	10. Episode 3-02-5 Sundered Bonds

In the control center for the Colony's defenses, Sam Carter could do nothing but watch the icon of the missile coming in. The sensors she had access to confirmed the warhead on the weapon as nuclear, big enough to wipe the Colony settlement off the face of the planet. The subbasement they were in provided no defense to a weapon of this size.

The only thing she could do was give the warning, "Impact in forty seconds."

" _We can't get the shield up in time,_ " Lindstrom warned.

"Then it would appear we are about to die," Teal'c remarked stoically.

Buck looked at the towering Jaffa. "Well, aren't you the optimistic type?"

"It's his way," said Jack.

"Impact in thirty… wait!" Sam blinked once at the screen. "The missile's gone. It's been destroyed!" A new contact was showing on the screen. "It was the _Gonzalez_."

" _This is Technical Officer Getamanan. We have eliminated the missile. But I am showing enemy craft moving to intercept me. I will attempt to cloak and fool their scanners._ "

"Do what you can to evade," Wilma ordered. "Lindstrom, they've bought you more time."

"Not much," Sam warned. "More missiles inbound."

* * *

The Cylon ship remaining in orbit fired another barrage of missiles to destroy the Colony. Cylon raiders from the ship banked off of defensive formations to follow the missiles in and deal with the runabout. Their numbers, and the number of missiles, was enough that the lone runabout was about to be completely overwhelmed.

The _Starship Koenig_ opened fire as soon as her form ceased to ripple from the cloaking effect. Amber bursts of energy blew apart one missile and then another. Phaser blasts from her arrays sliced through the Cylon raiders escorting the missiles in.

"Enemy Basestar is targeting us," Magda warned Apley.

"Evasive Pattern Bravo, Hajar," Apley said in response. "Do what you can to keep our weapons on target."

"Aye sir," said Hajar.

The attack ship twisted in space as missiles from the Cylon warship began to track it. The other missiles being rained upon the planet remained their primary focus, buying crucial time for the defenders below.

"It looks like a second Basestar is turning back from the others." Magda double-checked her screens. "Yes, that's what they're doing. They're targeting us instead."

"Well, we go their attention," Apley said. "Let's hope someone can take advantage of it."

* * *

A team came for the wounded militia woman Zack had found. He paid them no heed in his grief. He kept his grip on Clara. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "Oh God, I'm sorry." In his heart all he could feel was guilt. Guilt that he had been the reason Clara had come out here in the first place. Guilt that she had died because he wasn't here to help her. He had put the "mission" first. And because of that, Clara was dead.

"Hey, Zack." Thrace's voice sounded behind him. Zack recognized it but gave no further reaction. "I'm sorry," she said.

"It should be me." Zack's voice crackled with pain. "She deserved better. Better than this. Better than me."

"Hey." Thrace knelt down next to them. "I need your help. We're picking up local radio activity. It sounds like the Alliance came through after all. They're trying to keep the Cylons from nuking us. But it looks like they need help. Tigh's hurt and the other pilot is dead. We're it."

Zack said nothing to that. A deep weariness in his being, his spirit, had settled in.

" _Hey!_ " A hand smacked him in the cheek. He looked at Thrace's grim expression with surprise. The imprint of her hand was now showing red on the paled skin of his left cheek. "Get a fraking grip, Zack! The Cylons are trying to kill everyone! I need your help to stop them and Godsdammit I expect you to try! Get on your fraking feet and _help me_!"

The slap alone couldn't be enough. Even the shouting couldn't. Zack looked back to Clara's lifeless face without any intention of reacting. He heard a huff of disgust from Thrace. She stood up, clearly giving up on him.

None of this is what finally broke through that abyss inside. It was the thought of the Cylons. The damned Cylons, who had killed Clara when all she was doing was helping the wounded. Who would kill every man, woman, and child on this world. Everyone here that Zack and Clara had befriended, cared for… all of those wonderful kids that he had taught baseball to, that she had tended to… all dead.

The emptiness growing inside of him filled with something new. Anger. Determination. He had lost Clara to the Cylons. By God he _wasn't_ losing anyone else.

The tears were still flowing down his cheeks when he pressed his lips to Clara's forehead. "You deserved better," he said. "I wasn't good enough for you." With care he set Clara down. He pulled off the jacket he had put on that morning and settled it over her body. When he stood up his legs wobbled. He turned to where Thrace was heading toward one of the side shafts, where the two Vipers Tigh had brought with him were kept. "Starbuck!" he called out.

She turned back toward him to see him run up. His arrival was greeted with a nod. "They should have the fighters ready," she said.

"Good." Zack's voice was cold. "Let's go kill some fraking Cylons."

* * *

The bulk of the Cylon ships bore down on the _Aurora_ and _Pegasus_. The raiders that flew ahead of them dwarfed the flight groups of the two ships with more than enough numbers to outright ignore them.

The particle interceptor batteries on the two ships opened up as the enemy fighters entered range. They launched missiles that could also, in turn, be shot down. And some were. But it was clear to Julia that they couldn't shoot down nearly enough to avoid taking hits. The first missiles impacted as the _Aurora_ maneuvered, sending a shudder through the ship. "Shields holding at ninety-five percent," Lieutenant Neyzi said from Ops.

"Enemy ships are also launching missiles."

"Tactical, focus fire with the _Pegasus,_ " Adama ordered from his seat beside Julia. He glanced toward her to see if she had any objection to the order. She clearly didn't.

"Yes Admiral. I'm getting a target lock now."

At the press of a key, Angel opened up with the _Aurora_ 's bow weapons. The ship's expanded complement of pulse plasma cannons - ten now mounted in the bow - opened up. The sapphire bursts raced through space and struck the shields of one of the lead Cylon ships. Thick lances of phaser energy joined her shots from the weapons on the _Pegasus_. At another press of a key solar torpedoes erupted from the two bow launchers, full spreads of eight each. The torpedoes' drive fields flickered blue-white in space. Two were intercepted and destroyed by suicidal Cylon raiders. The remaining torpedoes hit home. The Cylon ship's shields held, but not by much. Not enough to prevent the next barrage from the _Aurora_ 's cannons from knocking the shields out entirely. Flame and debris spewed from the twisted frame of the Cylon vessel at the weapon impacts on its dark hull. The _Pegasus_ ' beams nearly sliced off one of the upper arms.

The Cylon ship retorted with another barrage of missiles. Already more from the raiders were hitting the _Aurora_. "Shields down to eighty percent," Neyzi warned.

"Implementing evasive maneuvers." Locarno's hands moved from control to control, shifting the _Aurora_ 's bearing and attitude compared to her adversaries to throw off as many shots as he could.

"I take it you have a plan?" Adama asked Julia.

"We do," she replied. "We just need to buy Jarod time to finish his work."

"Then I'll get you that time."

"You're the Admiral here, sir, and you've fought the Cylons more than we have. We're at your disposal," Julia said.

Adama nodded and went to work. "Commander Locarno, bring us into formation with the _Pegasus_."

"Aye sir," Locarno replied.

"Lieutenant…?"

"Neyzi, sir," the Human woman said, her accent faintly Turkish in tone.

"I need a tactical commlink with the _Pegasus_ CIC."

"Working now, sir… I am establishing the link through the First Officer's controls."

"Confirmed." Meridina nodded to Adama. "We have a connection."

"Relay firing data into the link. I want all fire concentrated on specific targets. Order all fighter squadrons to remain within our defensive fire perimeter. They're going to pick up whatever's left."

"Sending orders now."

The _Aurora_ flew into formation with the _Pegasus_ and came about, aligning their bow weapons together. Their fighter groups flew into close formation around the two ships. The void of space was soon filled with the fire from their interceptor emplacements. Bursts of light and metal shredded and destroyed the incoming Cylon fighters and missiles. Some got through just to be set upon by the fighters.

Unfortunately, given the numbers, these efforts couldn't be entirely effective. There were just too many missiles, too many Cylon fighters. The _Aurora_ shook again and Neyzi dutifully informed them that shields were at seventy percent. Julia breathed a silent prayer that Jarod and Barnes would get their project done, and done _soon_. 

* * *

For his part, Jarod was well aware that everything relied upon him. It didn't make his job easier. He watched the compiling continue with immense impatience.

"Can't this fraking thing go any faster?" Barnes protested from beside him. "Are you sure you set the compiling parameters right?"

"I did," Jarod insisted. "But this program is extremely complicated. And if we don't get it right on the first try the Cylons will adapt to it."

The ship shook under their feet again. "Well, I hope the ship survives long enough for you to send the message."

"I do too," Jarod replied. 

* * *

The fact that she wasn't dead from a nuclear blast gave Lucy a morale boost in the duel. This went with her growing confidence against her doppelganger. Whatever the Cylon had learned, Lucy was beginning to think she had little practical experience with it. With dueling another of their type specifically.

Whether it was true or not, Lucy wanted to go back on the offensive. She waited patiently, deflecting attack after attack. A swipe toward her head, a cut going for her arm, a lunge at her belly. Her Clone counterpart tried a number of attack avenues and none of them worked.

And all she needed was an opening, just the slightest opening…

* * *

The fighting around the emitter was picking up. It seemed like every Cylon in the colony was bearing down on Lindstrom and his people. A couple of wounded meant that only a dozen of them were actively holding the line against the Cylon centurion-models. The ground before them was covered in destroyed and damaged models. The latter still moved sometimes, crawling forward with the help of their long, wickedly-sharp fingers until someone took the moment to blast them. Lindstrom caught one just before it could try to dig its clawed fingers into the leg of one of his security officers.

"Are you two done yet?!" he shouted into his short-range commline.

" _Almost, sir_ ," Kripkt replied. " _Our estimates are slightly off. We have to attach higher capacity wiring or the entire thing will melt down._ "

Lindstrom peered skyward again. Another explosion appeared in the atmosphere. "I shouldn't have to tell you two to hurry it up, if you don't want to get nuked."

" _It is unnecessary, sir. We are well aware._ "

 _If only I'd been able to bring one of the senior engineers with us_ , Lindstrom thought. _This would be done by now_. It was an unfair thought, but one he couldn't suppress in time. 

* * *

Getamanan had not signed up for this kind of thing. He had, indeed, known he would never work as a combat pilot. He didn't have the nerve.

He was therefore a bit surprised that he was still alive, weaving through the atmosphere to blast the missiles that got past the _Koenig_ before they could get to detonation altitude.

The _Gonzalez_ wasn't a normal combat runabout, but it did have a fair degree of maneuverability due to its role as a stealth insertion craft. This let him dodge some of the fire converging around him. The Cylon raider fighters and their weaponry was superior to what had been previously known. Hits against his shields were slowly degrading them, and Getamanan had no illusions what would happen when those guns started hitting bare hull.

Beside him Technical Officer Rachel Wang was directing their fire. As she wasn't a dedicated tactical officer her shooting was not the best and Getamanan found himself ceasing some of his maneuvering to ensure she had a stable shot at a missile. The missiles' lack of evading made her job significantly easier.

Unfortunately their success looked to be at an end. "More raiders above and below," she warned. Getamanan did what he could to evade while the runabout started to shake from the hits it was taking. "Our shields are down to fifty percent effectiveness."

"I am doing my best to evade," he said.

Meanwhile she was shooting at the next missile. But with all of the foes after them Getamanan had to keep maneuvering. Her shots kept failing. "I can't hit it," she protested. "I need a better angle of attack."

"I cannot give it," he responded. "Too many foes are around us." His point was punctuated by another hit.

"Shields down to forty percent. If we don't get that missile, then…" Something drew Wang's attention. "Wait, I've got something…"

Debris flew from the missile for several seconds until explosions flowered up around its exhaust end and toward the warhead. The entire missile exploded a second later.

"Two contacts," Wang continued. "Colonial Vipers."

* * *

On the _Koenig_ Apley overheard that. "Vipers?" His expression betrayed his surprise. "From the _Pegasus_? How did they get here through the battle?"

"I don't think they came from the _Pegasus_ ," Magda said. "Their drive trails indicate they launched from the planet. I'm tying them into our commlinks."

A moment later a voice they were all familiar with came through. " _This is Starbuck to_ Koenig. _We're providing cover here, you focus on what you can do up there._ "

"I read you, Starbuck," Apley said. "We'll whittle them down for you."

" _That's good to know_ ," the other pilot said. Shock showed on the faces of the bridge crew at their recognition of Zack's voice.

"Commander?" Apley asked.

" _I'm here. Busy. I'll see you when we're done_ ," was Zack's reply. The way he spoke made Apley and Magda exchange uncertain looks. Something sounded off to them.

But there was no time to consider that, as more Cylon missiles came after them or after the colony below.

* * *

Working to keep his pilot status had been a hobby for Zack that some found silly, given his primary posting. That he enjoyed flying seemed insufficient for the work, all of the simulator time and mandatory flights. After all, his role in a combat was to be commanding from the _Koenig_. When would he be flying a fighter?

All of that training work paid off now, however. Zack kept his Viper on Thrace's wing, letting her lead their efforts to shoot down the Cylon raiders harassing the Alliance insertion runabout that was currently keeping any of the enemy missiles from getting through. Mobility was the key in the fight. He had to keep moving, keep maneuvering, and prevent the Cylons from being able to predict where he would be with enough accuracy to hit his craft. He kept his mind on the battlespace with the help of the sensor readout in the Viper cockpit, allowing him to evade enemies attempting to attack him while he kept Thrace's rear clean.

For her part, Kara Thrace was ripping into the enemy fighters with enthusiasm. She whooped with delight as another Cylon fighter blew apart under her guns. Above them another missile was blasted apart by the _Gonzalez_.

" _That second Cylon ship is in position to start hurling missiles down_ ," Apley warned. " _We can't get them all._ "

"We'll do what we can."

" _We just need to hold them until our ground team gets the colony shield up_."

"Roger that." With that said, Thrace returned her effort to flying. 

* * *

Another missile barrage slammed into the _Aurora_ 's shields. "Shields now at thirty-eight percent." Neyzi examined the ops board. "We have a hull breach on Deck 20, Section G."

"Damage repair parties are responding." Meridina tapped another key. "We can take but a few more hits like that before our crew becomes overstretched."

"Hopefully we won't take that many more," Julia said, wondering just when Jarod would get his project ready. "What's the status on that ground team?"

"Still no shields over the Colony," Cat replied. "The _Koenig_ and _Gonzalez_ are trying to deal with missiles, but there are so many…"

Julia nodded. All she could do was hope their teams prevailed. 

* * *

Zack corkscrewed his Viper around the fire of two Cylon craft to keep his bead on a Cylon tracking Thrace. His thumb found the trigger for the Viper's cannons. The first burst he fired missed. He corrected, spinning the Viper as he did, and hit the trigger again. This time the rounds ripped into the Cylon craft's engines and blew it to pieces.

Thrace got her target in turn. But there were more to shoot. More, in fact, than they could handle, as the _Gonzalez_ was once again spending more time evading than shooting. The runabout straightened up for a moment and fired a phaser beam into one of the descending missiles, destroying it, before it jinked to one side to avoid a strafing attack by a Cylon fighter. Another missile flew past the one falling apart from the _Gonzalez_ ' attack. "One's getting through!" he shouted.

" _We are trying to engage it, but the enemy fire is too thi-_."

The transmission cut. Zack watched as fire erupted from the rear of the runabout. One of its warp nacelles had taken a direct hit. The main impulsor on the runabout died out a moment later.

" _This is the_ Gonzalez _, we have taken heavy damage to our impulsor drive. Main power is failing. We cannot maintain altitude._ "

" _Frak it!"_ Thrace shouted, and for good reason, as another missile soared by. Below them the runabout began to descend rapidly, out of the fight for good.

"I've got it." Zack turned his Viper toward the nearest missile and sent his throttle to full. He corkscrewed and jinked to avoid incoming Cylon fire. But he never let the missile leave his sight. As soon as he confirmed his weapons were on target he opened fire. His rounds ripped into the missile's thruster assembly first, producing the explosion that tore the missile apart.

Another missile was even further down. It was less than a minute from detonation. Zack kept his speed up to get the range. His first shots were slightly off. The second series blew away parts of the missile's guiding fins. The third volley finally got the thruster.

Before he could fire a fourth volley, he spotted the debris hurtling toward him. Or, more accurately, the debris he was about to hit. He banked the Viper away, barely evading the incoming debris. The Viper shook and warning sounds went off from small pieces of debris that hit the fighter.

But that wasn't why Zack let out a cry of frustration. No, the reason for that was that the missile he'd just damaged was still descending toward the Colony, its warhead still active and primed to initiate. And because of his maneuver, he was no longer in a position to destroy it before it hit.

* * *

"Impact in five seconds!" Sam shouted over the sound of fighting.

"Here we go," Jack said to the others.

* * *

In the housing of the emitter, the Alakin security officer and trained engineer Ensign Kripkt finished slotting the last of the heavy-duty wires into place. "All is ready!" he called.

"I'm punching it!" Reubens replied. Her finger hit the key to activate the emitter. 

* * *

In the command center, Sam saw the screen shift to show that the generator was active. All that remained was to see if it worked, as at her command a force shield activated around the Colony. 

* * *

When the missile hit the shield, the weapon detonated. The flash was blinding, which was why Lucy had intentionally closed her eyes at sensing the weapon was set to go. She prepared herself for the blast wave that would rip her apart.

It never came.

Once the flash died down, the faint blue of a force shield dome was visible over her head. The shield had held.

A snarl appeared on the face of her Cylon counterpart. "This isn't the end," she vowed. "You can't stop what's…"

Lucy didn't reply with words. She swung her lightsaber in a blow toward the Cylon's torso. Her doppelganger's lightsaber came up to deflect the blow. Lucy allowed their weapons to strike yet again. By the time they were pulling back her focus was complete. She reached out with her hand and felt her energy, her connection to the universe and the Flow of Life, flow from it in a concentrated burst. The strike hit the Cylon-Lucy directly. She went flying back into the Presidential Mansion. The glass doors smashed at the impact, showering the Cylon with shards of glass that cut and injured her. Lucy charged and slashed at her counterpart's head. In desperation the Cylon-Lucy threw her arms up to get her blade into position to stop the attack.

The blow was deflected, barely, but that was fine by Lucy. Her attack had achieved its purpose of putting her counterpart's hands and weapon in position for her maneuver. She twirled about and made another cut with her saber, this time from a new angle level to the ground. This time the Cylon-Lucy simply didn't have time to react. Lucy's weapon cut cleanly through the Cylon-Lucy's forearms, severing them from the rest of her body. She screamed and toppled back again, bereft of her weapon.

Lucy had seconds to live at that point. She sensed the danger. As she turned to run her own mocking voice called after her. "You can't save them! We still have the poison!" More laughter followed that taunt in the seconds before light and flame erupted behind her. Lucy was out of the door at that point and back in the open. She dived for cover. The maneuver allowed her to avoid the blastwave from the Cylon's self-destruction. When she turned back, the Cylon-Lucy's destruction had carved a hole right out of the Presidential Mansion.

Lucy hit the comm key on her omnitool. "Lucero to Carter. Lucero to Deering. Is anyone there?"

Tense seconds passed. Lucy feared that the blast had collapsed the subbasement in some way. Had she just gotten her allies killed?

" _Carter here. We're still alive_." Lucy breathed a sigh of relief at Sam Carter's voice. " _Do you know what just happened? It felt like a bomb went off._ "

"One did," Lucy replied. "I need directions to find the ventilation systems for the colony bunker, _now_. The Cylons are going to fill the ventilators with poison gas."

" _I'm relaying the position to you now. Good luck._ "

The display on her omnitool showed the location she'd asked for. Lucy broke out into a run to get there as soon was was humanly possible. 

* * *

"They got the shield up!" The surge of triumph briefly pushed away the raw pain in Zack. He laughed in relief.

" _The colony shield is holding_ ," Magda said. " _Another missile is impacting…_ " Below there was a bright flash. " _The deflector is still operating at ninety-eight percent effectiveness._ "

" _I've got a bogey on my six. Carrey, where the hell are you?_ "

Thrace's call for help brought Zack's attention entirely back to the fight. He pulled the Viper into a climb, banked to his left, and in moments had the Cylon fighter trying to shoot up Thrace's Viper. "I've got you." A warning tone told him another enemy fighter was behind him. He twisted the Viper around to throw off the enemy aim enough that he could get a clear shot on Thrace's tail. Her Viper turned and dove toward him. The angle was good, giving him a clear shot at her tail. The resulting burst of fire from his guns chewed up the front of the Cylon craft until it exploded. As Thrace flew by her weapons lit up.

A second later the warning tone ceased.

There was no time for a celebration. More enemy fighters were descending. "I'm almost out," Zack said.

" _Same here_ ," was the reply. " _Let's make it count_."

"Roger that, Starbuck."

* * *

Sam finished sending the position data to Lucy and brought her weapon back into line with the attacking Cylons. The distinctive sound of Wilma's laser pistol directed her aim to Wilma's target, a Cylon with its arm dangling uselessly from where Wilma's weapon had nearly melted the limb off. She squeezed off a burst of fire from the Alliance-model pulse rifle she was carrying. The brilliant blue bolts of energy smashed into the Cylon's torso and sent sparks and smoke flying from trashed internal parts.

"She isn't coming to help?" Daniel asked.

"The Cylons are going to dispense gas into the bunker system," Sam answered. "Lucero's heading there instead."

"She made the right call." Wilma poked out of cover long enough to squeeze off a shot. A small streak of blood exploded from her arm the second she took the shot. She grunted and pulled her wounded limb back.

"It would appear their numbers have thinned out," Teal'c said from his place by the door. He squeezed off another shot with his staff weapon.

"Yeah." Jack squeezed off another burst toward the models coming through the hole in the wall. "But I don't think they care. So, any bright ideas?"

"Isn't there a way to short these things out?" asked Buck.

Sam activated the omnitool on her wrist. "I'll see what I can do." 

* * *

A few hundred thousand kilometers from New Caprica, the _Aurora_ and _Pegasus_ maintained their formation. The debris of over a hundred Cylon fighters and missiles filled space around them, along with what remained of their lost fighters. Missiles continued to slip by their defenses, detonating against their deflector shields with increasing effectiveness.

On the _Aurora_ bridge Neyzi reported their status. "Shields down to fifteen percent. Hull damages reported on Decks 16 through 34."

"And the _Pegasus_?" Adama asked.

"Ten percent shields, multiple points of hull damage."

"Our respective fighter squadrons are down to fifty and forty-eight craft," Meridina added.

Julia tapped the comm key on her chair. "Bridge to Science Lab 1. We are almost out of time, Commander."

" _Standby!_ "

* * *

In Science Lab 1 Jarod held onto his station to keep steady while the ship rocked again. Barnes checked his own station. "Tell me you're almost done!"

"Compilation is above ninety-nine percent," Jarod said. "Ninety nine point six five. Ninety nine point seven."

Barnes growled incoherently and smacked his own station. "This is taking way too fraking long dammit!"

Jarod ignored him. "Ninety nine point seven eight," he murmured. "Point eight four… point eight eight…"

Again the ship rocked, even more viciously. " _Jarod, I need that now!_ " Julia cried.

Point nine two. Point nine five. Point nine eight… nine nine… Jarod let out a laugh when it hit one hundred percent. Immediately the screen shifted to show the program was ready. "I've isolated the Cylons' subspace communication channel!" he declared. "Transmit it now!"

* * *

"Transmitting program," Neyzi announced.

The ship took another hit after that. "Shields at six percent. Cohesion failing." Neyzi checked her panell. "Transmission complete."

At first nothing seemed to happen. Just long enough that Julia worried nothing would. On the viewscreen one of the Cylon Basestars suddenly seemed to tilt off-side. Its spinning subsided and it began to drift through space, completely lifeless.

One by one the other Cylon ships all started to shut down. Their fighter complements went inactive with them. The assault on the two ships ceased.

Adama watched the Cylon fleet go silent with clear satisfaction. "How did you do that?" he asked Julia.

She smiled back at him. "We studied the virus they infected the _Aurora_ with back at Caprica. And Jarod used it to put together his own anti-Cylon virus." She turned to Cat. "Status on the enemy fleet?"

"They're all inactive," Caterina confirmed.

"So we got them all?"

After a moment Caterina shook her head. "No. The two in orbit over New Caprica jumped out right after the virus hit."

"We can handle two ships," Adama said. "But I get the feeling they're not coming back. Captain, if you would do the honors?"

Julia nodded. "Mister Locarno, assume a geostationary orbit over New Caprica Colony."

"Aye sir," Locarno replied.

She looked to Meridina next. "Downgrade our status to Code Yellow."

"Doing so now, Captain." Meridina tapped a key on her chair. The alert-level running lights switched to yellow.

"And what do you want me to do about those disabled Cylon ships out there?" Angel asked.

"Target their weapon systems and engines. Relay the same targeting orders to our fighters. Cripple them, but do not destroy."

Adama nodded in agreement. "Relay those orders to the _Pegasus_. I want those Basestars intact."

"Doing so now, Admiral," Meridina confirmed. 

* * *

Buck looked back from the door after taking the last shot in his pistol's power supply. "I'm out!" he shouted.

"Same here." Daniel tossed away the inactive pulse rifle and pulled out his sidearm and a grenade. He tossed the latter, his last, over the desk he was crouched behind. The grenade landed between two Cylons and went off, pelting them with shrapnel. The force of the blast briefly stopped them before they continued on.

Gina was on one knee, her hands up as if she were pressed against a wall. A pile of high powered rounds were on the ground before her from where her power had stopped them cold. She was pale from effort and her hand was leaking blood again. "I don't know how much longer… I can do this…"

"I think I've got it," Sam said. "Give me a moment to configure this thing."

Jack crouched down beside Gina and resumed firing from his weapon. "Any time, Major," he said aloud.

"One moment… there." Sam stood from cover and held her hand out. An electric charge surged from the omnitool glowing blue around her left forearm. It struck one of the Cylons directly. It began to tremble violently, as if it was struck by a seizure, while the charge crackled inside of it. The charge made a sudden leap, or rather two leaps, becoming two charges that now claimed two more Cylons. And then more were claimed with the next jump, and more, until within ten seconds every Cylon left was trembling in place or already crashing to the ground.

Teal'c observed as the same happened to the remaining Cylons outside of the main door. "It would appear that Major Carter has succeeded," he said.

"I modified an EM pulse to follow their active communications network," she explained. "I just didn't think it would work that well."

"The important thing is that it actually worked, and we're here to talk about it," Buck remarked.

"Carter and Teal'c, stay here and secure the room." Wilma stood up while favoring her injured shoulder. "The rest of us can go secure the rest of the building."

"Sounds like a plan," Jack agreed. 

* * *

Every muscle in Lucy's body was crying out for rest by the time she arrived at the central bunker support structure. She was surprised to see no Cylons present. That emotion became a little fear when she thought of how this might mean they were inside poisoning the air. Lucy went for the door which she found to be open already.

As she expected, the inside was mostly empty space. A hatch across the room undoubtedly provided direct access to the bunker system. A series of short, squat units provided the external air supply. It was likely meant to be closed off within the bunker itself if the air was dangerously radioactive, but given the Cylons were in control those failsafes to switch to internal air circulation were going to be inactive, turning these grates into a weapon against the colonists within. Lucy approached the grates and found nothing attached to them, nothing to show the Cylons were ready to poison at a moment's notice. Curious, she walked around the grates, trying to see what they were doing.

Within a few moments she found what she was looking for in the shape of numerous green cylinders piled near the grates. A quick scan confirmed their murderous contents.

The fact they weren't prepared and rigged for use was a surprise. So was the fact that they didn't look stacked and ready for use, but rather like someone had tossed them to the side.

The real surprise lay when Lucy stepped past the pile and found the body. She knelt down and pushed the remains over, revealing the dead as one of the male Cylon models. From the way his head was turned it looked like someone had broken his neck.

" _Deering to Lucero_."

Lucy raised her left arm slightly and tapped the glowing blue light above the back of her hand. "I'm here."

" _Did you stop them?_ "

Lucy glanced back to the dead Cylon. "It looks like I didn't have to. Someone else already did. Are you secure?"

" _We're securing the Presidential Mansion now. Lindstrom and his people are still holding their position. It looks like the Cylons have run out of units._ "

"Then it's over." Lucy let herself sigh with relief. "We won." 

* * *

" _They're gone_." Apley's voice betrayed his pleasure at the announcement. " _The Cylons have retreated, all remaining ships are disabled. It's over_."

For a moment Zack enjoyed their victory. Despite everything, they had saved New Caprica and its people from the Cylons.

Within moments the taste of victory turned to ash. Victory had come too late for Clara. It wouldn't bring her back.

Nothing would.

" _Hey Zack_."

Thrace's voice got Zack's attention. "Yeah?" he asked.

" _Clara would be proud of you_."

Zack tried, and mostly failed, to fight the sniffle that came. "Yeah, I know," he agreed. "I know." 

* * *

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 12 January 2643. Captain Julia Andreys reporting. The Cylon attack on the Alliance has been defeated. We have successfully secured New Caprica from the Cylons. Admiral Maran reports that General Jinam and his fleet were also victorious, destroying most of the Cylon attack force at Hal'tiram. Despite everything going against us, we've won, and I could not be more proud of this crew._

 _The victory was not a cheap one, though. Many people on the Colony lost their lives. And one of them has hit particularly close to home._

There were a number of things Julia could, or even should, have been doing. Reports, certainly, or maintaining a bridge watch just in case the Cylons came back. But that could wait. She needed to be here.

The transporter system activated and a single figure materialized on the pad. Zack appeared in a burst of white light in his civilian clothes. His eyes were red and his cheeks showed of dried tears.

Julia embraced him as soon as he stepped off the transporter. "I'm sorry," she said. "I can't believe she's gone."

"I didn't want to believe it." Zack's voice was hoarse. It wavered, as if at the slightest push he would descend back into sobs. "I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed. She'd be alive if I'd…"

The door to the transporter station slid open. Tom Barnes stepped in, looking worn down himself from the repair work. However tired it might have made him, he clearly had no thought for it as he went right for Zack, putting an arm around his neck. "Holy crap man, you're okay." His voice betrayed his immense relief. "You made it."

"Clara didn't."

"Oh frak, man. I… I don't…" Clearly uncertain of what to say, Barnes refused to pull away from his friend.

"I can't imagine how much this hurts," Julia said. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't think so," Zack said, his voice weary. "Honestly, right now I just want to be alone."

"Well, before you do that, you should hear the good news, man." Barnes sensed that Zack was not at all interested in the idea of "good news" given his grief, so he pressed on. "Rob's awake!"

The misery on Zack's face didn't disappear. But it did falter. "What?"

Julia nodded. "He woke up just before the fight. I still don't know what all happened, just that he felt we were in danger and rushed to the shuttle bay. If he hadn't thrown those Cylons out of the shuttle bay with his powers, they would have killed everyone there."

Zack chuckled bitterly at that. "Well, that's how he is, isn't it? Rob the White Knight, riding to the rescue." He shook his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make that sound bad. I'm happy he's awake. And that he saved you, Julie…" Zack shook his head. "God, I can't imagine what it would be like, losing you and Clara in the same day."

"I was about to go see him," Julia said. "Would you like to join me?"

"Yeah," said Zack. "I'd like that a lot." 

* * *

Meridina and Leo were already present when the three arrived in the medbay ward. Robert was laying on another bed. With his eyes closed Zack wondered if the others hadn't been wrong about him being up.

"Zack." Robert's voice sounded hoarse, but strong. His eyes opened and his head turned. "I'm sorry."

"They told you?" Zack asked.

Robert shook his head stiffly. "No. I… I felt it."

"When you got up?"

"No. I was… I was somewhere else. In my mind. And I could feel your pain. I saw you holding her."

Zack went quiet at that. Julia turned her head to Leo and Meridina. "How long is he going to be in here?"

"He needs physical therapy," Leo noted. "After two and a half months in a coma, his muscles need to get used to movement again. He's lucky he didn't tear anything when he dashed to the shuttlebay."

"His _swevyra_ assisted his movement," Meridina said. There was a sense of awe in her voice. "I have never seen anything like it. His inherent connection to the Flow of Life is deeper and stronger than it has ever been."

"Could that explain how he accidentally sent us flying like bowling pins when he woke up?" Leo asked.

"I cannot know for certain either way, Doctor," she answered. "For his connection to have strengthened without time and effort… this is without precedent in our history."

"I'm glad you're okay," Zack said, ignoring the discussion entirely. "Losing Clara's been hard enough."

Robert nodded. "I wish I could have done more."

"You already went above and beyond anything we could expect of you, Rob," Julia pointed out. "The important thing now is to rest."

Robert nodded and laid his head back on the bed. "Congratulations, by the way" he murmured. "On your promotion to Captain."

They looked at him. His eyes focused on Julia. "Thank you," she said.

"You earned it," he replied. "And I'm sensing Leo wants me to get 'real sleep', so you'd better leave before he starts getting ornery."

"Too late," Leo said emphatically.

The others shared a laugh, but all noticed that Zack barely managed more than a chuckle.

* * *

It was getting late in the day when Julia finally returned to her quarters. Now that Robert was awake she didn't feel quite so conflicted about planning to move into the Captain's Quarters. She wouldn't rush it, however, and she was more concerned on that matter with what Robert planned to do.

A fresh shower proved to be more enjoyable than any late meal could have been. She left it and was in her pale red terry-cloth bathrobe, a towel wrapped around her wet hair, when she was informed of the incoming call. She waited patiently until Admiral Maran's image appeared. " _Captain. I see you're ending your day_."

"I am, sir. I've already transmitted my preliminary report to Defense Command. I should have the final one done in the morning once everything is settled."

" _That's good, though I'm not calling you about reports._ " Maran nodded. " _I've been informed that Doctor Gillam has updated Robert's status. He's awake?_ "

"Yes. Although I think he's sleeping right now. Doctor Gillam is concerned he is overstretching himself. And Meridina's not sure what's going on with him."

" _I can imagine. I'm just pleased to hear he's fine._ " Maran settled his hands together before him. " _Well, I'll let you get some rest. I look forward to your final report, and I expect you back in drydock within a day or two. We still have to get_ Aurora _back into proper fleet operation, after all._ "

"I'll get us back within 60 hours, sir," Julia pledged. "We're just helping the Colonials clean things up."

Maran nodded in approval. " _Maran out_."

With that over and her night done, Julia exchanged the bathrobe and towel for her nightie. She went to her bed and dropped into it. Her eyes drooped and she felt ready to go off into sleep.

Her omnitool toned again.

A low, impatient groan was followed by Julia turning to her nightstand and tapping the glowing blue light from her omnitool frame. "Andreys here," she muttered.

" _Captain_." She recognized Lucy's voice. " _I'm sorry if you're going to bed, but I thought I'd tell you. We have a problem._ "

Julia sat up. "What kind of problem?"

" _President Baltar is missing_."

* * *

Hundreds of light years away, Gaius Baltar looked up from the uncomfortable cot he was forced to use for rest. It was a far cry from the warm, soft bed he had enjoyed in his Presidential estate, especially when it had included a warm, soft woman to provide pleasure and company. The lights around him were low, almost too low to see anything.

Surprisingly, the Cylon in his head appeared as if the light was sufficient for him. She was wearing the sexy red dress she always used to rile him up with. "You seem uncomfortable Gaius."

"Because I _am_ uncomfortable," he protested.

"You allowed the creature comforts of your position to soften you, Gaius. To fulfill God's Plan, you will need to be stronger than this."

"So this is God's Plan? Being abducted by the Cylons?"

"Oh yes. The Cylons need you, Gaius. That's why you are still alive." The head-Cylon smiled at him. "And if you use this opportunity well, you will decide the fates of not just your people and the Cylons, but of the Alliance as well."


	11. Episode 3-02-6 Sundered Bonds

With morning came breakfast. Unfortunately for Robert, his condition meant that Leo had imposed a light diet, until he got his digestive system used to solid food again. This meant things like water and basic liquids, including nutrient paste that made Robert want to gag.

The culinary ordeal was followed by more tests. Leo looked over his scans and shook his head. "Well, your body is adjusting well. I'm surprised how well, actually."

"Oh?" Robert asked from the bed.

"I expected you to take a few weeks, maybe a month, to regain your pre-coma physical condition," Leo explained. "But it looks like your muscles are already adjusting to a full motion of activity. It's like you've done two weeks of therapy in a single night."

Robert thought back to the dream world he had left. His conversation with his grandfather in that place. "Maybe something is helping me along."

"Well, I'm at a loss to explain it." Leo shrugged. "I want to run more tests and have you do a physical therapy session. Just to test how well you're doing. But at this rate, you'll be back in full shape in a few days."

"At least I'll be out of your hair." Robert made a gesture with his hand. A surge of power went out and smacked a set of hypospray vials off of the nearby tray. They toppled to the ground. Robert blanched. "I'm sorry."

Leo gave him a sardonic look. "I'm also wondering about that, Rob. You always used to say you were weak in this stuff, or weaker than the others. Now it's like you don't know your own strength."

"I know." Robert looked at his hand. "I just… I guess it's an adjustment. I'm not sure what this is."

"Well, I'm not the one to consult on that."

"No, but they are."

Robert's comment caused Leo to turn his head. Meridina and Lucy had arrived in the company of _Mastrash_ Ledosh. "So they are. Well, I'll leave you to that consult. I've got medical supplies to transfer."

Once Leo finished walking away Robert turned back to the others. "Hey, good morning," he said.

"Yes." Ledosh had a bewildered look to his face, showing through his usual stoic quiet. "This is quite extraordinary."

"My waking up?"

"No." Meridina shook her head. "Robert, your power has grown. Without explanation. We have never had a case such as yours."

"Yeah. I mean, I can sense it too." Lucy shook her head. "You've got a lot of power now. Maybe more than either of us."

Robert swallowed. He couldn't help but think this was more than just a side effect. Had being in that dreamworld done this to him? Aloud he said, "I've had trouble controlling it."

"Leo mentioned that," Lucy said.

"Would you mind returning to Gersal with me?" Ledosh asked. "I believe the Council can help you with this. And they will wish to learn more of what happened to you. Knowledge that may prevent ignorance that would create fear."

"Well, I'm not captain of the ship anymore," Robert said. "So there's no duties holding me here. And I don't want to cause harm because I can't control this." He sighed. "So yes, I'll come with you."

Ledosh nodded at that. "I am grateful for your choice. I will speak to _Mastrash_ Tinaran to make final arrangements."

"I'm sure you all have work to do. I don't want to keep you from it." Robert gestured toward the door. Again power seemed to surge from him. Ledosh sensed it and held up a hand. His own life energy, powerful and trained as it was, absorbed the impact of Robert's unintended outburst. "But I would like to speak with Meridina for a minute."

Meridina stopped herself from turning away. Lucy and Ledosh departed from the medbay ward, leaving the two of them alone for the moment. Robert wondered how so much could change; here he was, awake again, and not only was Julia commanding the ship, Meridina was wearing command red and serving as First Officer. "Leo tells me that Julia asked you to be the new First Officer. Have you decided on your answer?"

"I am still considering it," she admitted. "In all honestly, it is not what I considered my destiny to be."

"True. You were always meaning to advance as a Knight, a _swevyra'se_." Robert grinned at her. "Of course, I figured my place would be running the family farm one day. Sometimes the future takes us places we didn't expect."

"Are you advising me to accept the promotion?" Meridina asked.

"I'm asking you to think about it," Robert said. "Although I admit to being selfish."

"Ah?"

"Julia." Robert sighed wistfully. "She showed me that a good captain needs a great first officer, someone who can make sure the captain is doing alright and getting good advice. Even if it means getting in the captain's face if they think the captain's wrong. And to me she was the greatest. And I think she deserves someone as her first officer who will be just as good to her as she was to me." Robert nearly gestured toward Meridina with his hand. He stopped himself just in case he accidentally knocked her back too.

Meridina nodded once. "I see what you mean, Robert. I will consider it. Is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

He shook his head.

"Then I shall go." She turned to leave. As she got to the door, she stopped and turned back to face him. "I am relieved to see you are awake again, and whole."

"It's good to see you again too, Meridina," he answered back. 

* * *

Lucy and Ledosh were waiting for Meridina when she left the medbay. At Lucy's insistence they went to Lucy's quarters. Once the door was shut Lucy walked between them and to her desk. "I have to show you something," she said.

"This has to do with the Cylon _swevyra'kse_ you fought on New Caprica?" Ledosh asked.

"Oh yeah, does it ever." Lucy picked up an object from the table. "She blew herself up when I defeated her. Her weapon was damaged in the process. It's not functional anymore, but…"

Ledosh and Meridina both recognized the warped, melted cylinder in Lucy's hand. "A _swenkesh_ ," Ledosh noted. "The Cylons can build them?"

"I don't know. Maybe not, actually, because I did a scan of it." Lucy set the destroyed weapon back down before she brought up the results on an extra-large holographic screen generated by her omnitool. "This is the result of dating the material."

The two Gersallians examined the result. "Three thousand years?"

"Well, anywhere between twenty-eight hundred and thirty-one hundred, roughly," Lucy answered. "But yes. It's almost as old as Swenya's Blade. And I think I found a marking on it that survived the blast." She tapped her omnitool again to bring up a zoomed in image of the burnt out lightsaber. On the rim of the hilt were several bits of what had once clearly been characters or text of some sort, melted beyond recognition. But one of the characters was intact enough to be distinctive. "Here." With a tap of a key Lucy highlighted the intact symbol.

"Swenya's Light," Ledosh gasped. The two younger women looked at Ledosh with surprise.

Meridina looked back to it. She narrowed her eyes and soon recognition came to her. "It looks like an old Gersallian symbol," she said. "Similar to the ones I found on Dralan Olati's _lakesh_."

"It is a clan symbol of the Kuneli," Ledosh said. "Specifically, it is the insignia of a long and extinguished clan. The Ihblis."

"And what's so important about these people?" Lucy asked.

"Because, Lucy Lucero, they died out with their last patriarch in the War of the Brotherhood." Ledosh frowned deeply. "For the Ihblis were the clan and family of _Mastrash_ Kohbal."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What?"

"How could these Cylons have acquired such a relic?" Meridina looked to her old mentor. "You do not think…"

"I have long wondered about the similarity of the names," Ledosh said. "How the Humans of the Colonies referred to their worlds as the Colonies of 'Kobol', and how the world of that name was their homeworld. I had considered it nothing more than phonetic coincidence. But now, with this evidence, I wonder…"

"You believe the ancient origins of the New Capricans might be tied to the Brotherhood of Kohbal," Lucy said.

"Right now, Lucy Lucero, I do not know what to believe," Ledosh said grimly. "I will have to do research. Until then, I implore you, do not share this with anyone."

The two nodded in acceptance of his charge.

"There's also that dead Cylon at the ventilator access," Lucy continued. "There's no indication of who killed him."

"Whatever did was of great service to us," said Meridina.

"Yeah, but I'd feel better knowing…"

Lucy didn't say anything else on the matter. After a few quiet seconds passed Ledosh spoke up. "I must be going now. President Morgan has instructed me to begin talks with the government here on a proper response to this attack." Ledosh bowed slightly. " _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , Meridina, Lucy."

They returned the farewell. Once Ledosh was out of the room Lucy went over to a chair and settled into it. "The Cylons are a lot more dangerous than we thought," she said.

"Agreed." Meridina sat on the small couch in the living area of Lucy's quarters, placing the coffee table between them. "I can feel how upset you are about this, Lucy."

"They… they cloned me, Meridina. They _cloned me_. And they've got all these other copies of me running around doing God knows what! I mean, for all we know, this attack only happened because of them copying me!" Lucy gestured toward her arm. "They could pretend to be me! Geneprint and retinal scans, fingerprints, every one of them would have worked for them. Maybe even the bioelectrics!"

"I have prepared a report to Defense Command on the problem."

"What's it going to mean for me?" Lucy asked. "If the Cylons can pretend to be me… if we can't find a way to tell the difference between me and their copies of me… what's going to happen? Are they going to make me leave the ship? Quit the Stellar Navy?"

"Do you want to remain in the service?" Meridina asked.

"Well, I want to stay here, on the _Aurora_ , where I can do the most good," Lucy said. "But if I get kicked off the ship, where will I go?"

"If such a thing happens, I am certain you will find a way to continue to serve the Light."

Lucy looked up at her and smiled softly. "I'd try my best," she said. "And what about you?"

"About me?"

"This. I mean, that." She pointed to Meridina's collar, where the rank tab had three gold strips to denote her as a Commander. "Are you going to go back to being security chief? Or will you take the promotion?"

Meridina lowered her eyes. "Truly, I am uncertain."

"Oh?" Lucy shifted in her seat and leaned forward. "Why?"

"That is something I have been meditating upon, ever since Julia asked me to be her first officer." Meridina placed her hands together below her chin. The gesture made her look like she was praying though Lucy knew it to be more of a thinking position for her. "I have commanded before. When I examine my capabilities and knowledge, I see no reason to presume I am unsuited to the post. But I feel a… a block to my acceptance of it. There is something within me which resists the position."

"Hmm." Lucy nodded. "Maybe it's because you never imagined you'd be something like that? You grew up to be a _swevyra'se_. Maybe you imagined you'd become a _Mastrash_ when you were much older than you are now, but there's nothing like a First Officer's position in the Order, right?"

"There are those assigned as seconds-in-command during large-scale missions. But nothing permanent like this."

"Right. So I suppose it could be intimidating? I mean, I don't know if I'd want the job either."

"Robert believes I should take the position. He desires me to, in fact, though he was reluctant to press me on the matter."

"He's probably worried about Julia. She's used to being the second-in-command. To questioning him and giving him advice. Now she's the one in command without anyone to be the same to her." When silence was the answer to this point, Lucy left her chair and walked around the coffee table to sit beside Meridina. Meridina turned her head so they could look eye to eye. "I can't sense whether you should or not. But I'll do whatever I can to help you once you've made it, whatever the choice is. With all the support you offered me while I was your student, I couldn't do anything less for you."

A quiet moment passed before Meridina answered her. "Thank you, Lucy." 

* * *

When Zack returned to New Caprica, it was to get the dreadful duties over with. He knew it would hurt and he wanted it done.

And he wanted to be alone.

Unfortunately, it turned out that the latter simply couldn't happen. When he arrived at Clara's home in the Hospital Quarter of the Colony, Thrace and Anders were waiting for him. So was Cally and Galen, with their infant Nick sleeping in a nearby baby carrier. Zack saw them and managed a "Hey".

"We figured you could use somebody," Thrace said. "To get this done."

"And we didn't want you to be alone."

Zack didn't retort that that's exactly what he wanted to be. He didn't need to. He was sure Anders and Thrace already knew that. Just as they knew that leaving him alone with the memories of what he lost was not good for him.

So he said nothing while opening the door. They stepped into the quarters. Everything looked just as it had the other morning before everything went wrong. Dishes meant to be done later were piled in the sink. The refuse from their breakfast before her hospital shift was at the top of the trash can. Everything in the bed area of the studio apartment was as they'd left it. It all looked like the last two days hadn't happened.

But they had. And Clara was gone.

Cally set little Nick on the table. The infant seemed unfazed by the slight movement of his carrier, continuing to doze peacefully. She turned back to Zack with tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she said, after which she hugged Zack. "I can't believe she's gone. She… she saved my life. I would have frozen up if Clara hadn't been there."

Zack couldn't keep the tears from his eyes. "She was looking forward to you becoming a dentist," he said. "She said that if we ever had kids, you'd be their dentist."

Cally sniffled at that.

When she finally let go, Galen put a hand on Zack's arm. "Clara was the best," he said. "We're going to miss her."

Zack's only reply to that was to nod. "We should get started," he said. "The ship's supposed to leave tonight, and there's a lot to do here."

"It'll be good practice for all of us," Thrace remarked. "The Quorum's talking about abandoning this colony and jumping universes after all. Like we should have done if Baltar hadn't been such a fraking idiot."

Zack had nothing to say to that. He did have the thought of what that meant, of course. That if Baltar hadn't been so ridiculous in deciding to settle here, then this attack wouldn't have happened. And Clara and so many other citizens of the Colonies would still be alive.

There was a knock at the door. Zack stepped between Galen and Cally to open it.

Tom Barnes and Leo were outside, joined by Apley, Magda, and Hajar. "Scotty, Nick, and Jarod are going to beam down as soon as their watches are over," Barnes said. "With all of us together, this should be over in a snap."

Zack sighed and closed his eyes. "Yeah, yeah it will be," he said. "Come on in."

They all piled into the apartment. There was just enough room for everyone to work, and it was true that if they worked well together it would be over soon. Zack forced himself not to say anything. They'd get everything over with and he could get to his quarters and be alone, just as he wanted to. He went to join the others in working.

There was another knock. This time Magda beat him to it. She stepped back enough to admit Julia. "I wanted to see how far things were going," she said. "And help if you needed it. Meridina and Lucy may…"

She stopped herself. Zack did too. At least, he stopped himself from yelling at them. But at the same time, he simply couldn't be here, surrounded by friends, by family, being pitied and sympathized with. "I need air," was all he managed to say before he rushed past Julia and outside. He closed the door with enough force that it nearly reached the level of being slammed shut, though it was not.

The others all looked toward Julia and then each other. She sighed. "He needs space," she said. "And time. We should get everything done before he gets back. It'll be easier on him that way."

There were nods of agreement. Everyone started working.

* * *

Zack needing air turned into a walk that took him to the center of the Colony. The populace was back out of the bunkers now and cleanup was continuing from the damage caused by the attack. Some of the businesses were even open again.

Including the one that Zack had spent so much time in before the Cylon attack.

After several moments of consideration he sighed and stepped into the jewelry store. It hadn't been touched by the attack. The jeweler spotted him from behind his display and grinned. "Ah, Commander. You're just in time. I…"

"I'm here to cancel my order," Zack said.

That brought a surprised frown to the other man. "You're what?"

"Cancel it," Zack repeated.

"But… I cannot." The man bent down briefly and came up again with a small box of velvety red. He opened it to reveal a ring with a glinting set of diamonds in it. "I finished it this morning. Our policy is no refunds after completion of the project."

Zack frowned at that. The frown was followed by a sigh as he picked up the ring. His heart quaked in agony at seeing it. All of his plans with it were for naught now. Just looking at it was painful.

"What is wrong?" the man asked. "It's just as you asked for."

And indeed it was, as Zack noticed the engraving on the inside of the ring. _Clara & Zack_, with a stylized romantic heart. He closed the box and set the useless ring into his pocket. "It is," he said.

"It is exquisite. Some of my best work. Surely your young lady hasn't changed her mind…?"

"She can't change her mind," Zack answered. "She can't do anything now."

The older man's face fell. "I am so sorry to hear that. I pray that the Lords grant you both peace."

"Thanks," was all Zack could say before he walked out. The weight of the little box in his pocket was nothing. The weight it left inside of him was tearing the fresh wound further open. All of his dreams of how he would present the ring to Clara were nothing but fantasies now. He felt the urge to just take the ring and throw it away.

He started walking back toward the Hospital, the direction of Clara's apartment. He made it a block when a light caught his eye. A sign for another business along the main road he was following. He glanced over to read the sign. Something inside of him tried to dig his heel in, to ignore what he was thinking.

But it was too weak to fight the pain. The pain won. Zack entered the business. He walked past the rows of bottles, the stands of product, and to the main counter. A middle-aged woman met him there. "Yes?" she asked.

Before he could stop himself, the question popped from Zack's lips.

"Do you have any tequila?" 

* * *

"You know, I could get to like it here," Jack O'Neill announced.

His team walked alongside him. "It does seem to have an agreeable climate," Teal'c agreed.

"And it has that small town feel to it."

"Because they're all that's left of their civilization," Sam pointed out. "I doubt it's a small town by choice."

"And it's more of a really small city than a town," Daniel added.

Jack let out a sigh. "Alright, so you're both right about that. But you can see what I mean, can't you? And we got to be the heroes here, so let's enjoy it before we head back, right?"

"Personally I'm more interested in reading their histories than anything else," said Daniel. "I'd like to find out how they came to associate their religion with Greek mythology. They're supposed to be the distant descendants of Humans who survived Earth's destruction in an atomic war, right? So how did they end up thinking they came from another world and Earth was just another colony?"

Jack leveled a look at Daniel. "Well, that's your idea of fun. Now me, I'd like to meet the people. Get to know them."

"Try out their beer," Daniel said, anticipating Jack's interest.

"That too."

"And discover their best fishing spots," Sam added.

"And yes, that too…"

"Well, there you are," another voice called out. The four turned and watched Buck and Wilma walk up. Buck was in a civilian suit, brown jacket and light-colored shirt with dark pants, while Wilma was wearing the blue variant of the Earth Defense DIrectorate uniform. "They finally let us out," Buck said.

"How's the arm?" Daniel asked Wilma.

"Doctor Gillam got it patched up last night," she answered.

"Well, Buck, now that you're here, maybe you can help us settle something," Jack said. "We're having a little discussion about the best way to spend our time before we have to take off. Daniel here wants to go put his nose in a book."

"I didn't say that…"

"...while I wish to mingle with the people here and get to know them better."

"What he means to say is he wants to try their beer and see their best fishing spots," Sam remarked with a grin.

"Ah, yes. 'Beer.'" Wilma smiled at Buck. "You've mentioned that substance before."

"Wait, wait." Jack leveled a look at Wilma. "You don't know what beer is?"

"The Earth of the 25th Century is a little… different," Buck managed.

That prompted Daniel to ask, "How different, precisely?"

"Well, having the Alliance contact us has been a great way for me to eat real food again, for starters." Buck gave Wilma a cocky grin. "It's a way to get away from those bland food discs everyone on Earth eats these days."

Wilma gave him an exasperated look. "Food discs are carefully designed for nutritional value. They're a vital part in keeping the populace healthy."

"And they taste like stale crackers."

"So we've got descendants from a devastated Earth who worship the Greek pantheon under a new name… and now a post-atomic Earth." Daniel glanced toward Sam. "You know, I have to wonder, how precisely do people in the Multiverse keep all of these Earths apart?"

"I believe that is the purpose of their universe designators, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c pointed out.

"Okay, how about this? We're running out of time." Jack gestured to his watch. "Now, anyone who wants to go meet some great people and learn more about them, you follow me. If you want to read books about them, I'm sure Daniel will enjoy the company. But as of now, my part of this conversation is over, and there's a barstool somewhere in this colony with my name on it."

"Count me in," Buck said immediately. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ was just a few hours from departure when Julia got the communication she expected. She had it routed to the ready office off the bridge and sat at the desk to accept the call. Lee Adama's face appeared on her screen. " _Congratulations, Julia_ ," he said. " _On your new command._ "

She smiled at him and nodded in reply. "Thank you. It feels better now that Robert is awake. How are things on your side?"

" _My crew is relieved to see we saved their families and sent the Cylons running. Honestly, It's a good thing your people did come through._ " Lee frowned a little. " _I think a few people felt like you let us down when the Cylons got the drop on all of us._ "

"I can understand that," Julia said. "We underestimated them. But we won't again."

" _It may not be a big deal for us anymore. The Quorum just appointed Roslin as the new Vice President, and there's a rumor going around that Zarek might resign in her favor and take the VP spot. His association with Baltar and his policies isn't going to do him a lot of good right now. Roslin's already talking about renegotiating the colonization deal and going to another planet. Possibly in another universe._ "

"I don't blame her, or your people." Julia settled back into her chair. "Whatever happens, I hope everything works out."

" _Thanks_." The look on Lee's face became pensive, but a little hopeful. " _So, are you staying long…?_ "

"We're leaving in a couple of hours, actually." Julia gave no sign of responding to his subtle disappointment. "The _Aurora_ was rushed out without a full crew and with a few minor problems we need to sort out. We're due back at the Fleet Drydock in a couple of days, so we're heading back to Gersal to make the jump to Earth L2M1."

" _I see. Well, it was good to see you anyway_." Lee lowered his eyes. " _Will you extend my condolences to Commander Carrey? I tried to reach him but he's not answering his comms._ "

"Yeah. He's… in a bad spot right now, and he's insisting on being alone. I'll give him the message when I can."

" _Thanks._ " Lee remained silent for a moment before shrugging. " _Well, that's it I suppose. Maybe we'll see each other at the New Liberty anniversary this year. I'm not sure who will be going to represent the Colonies_."

"Maybe," Julia agreed. "We'll have to see." She felt surprise at her own little sense of disappointment. After all the stress of the prior few days, the chance to spend some time with Lee was something she realized she'd enjoy. It was unlikely to go anywhere as a romantic relationship, but the chance to unwind with someone who understood the pressures she was coming under, who understood _her_ … yes, she could enjoy that.

" _May the Lords watch over you, Julia_ ," Lee said. "Pegasus _out_." His image disappeared from the screen.

Julia gathered her thoughts for a few moments and, with a little sigh, decided to go through her paperwork for the evening.

* * *

The streaks of warped space filled the one window in the captain's ready office on the _Aurora_. Julia found herself staring through that window. For nearly half a decade she had witnessed this scientific miracle, traveling on a ship exceeding the speed of light, and it never quite seemed to get old.

Seeing it as the captain of the ship in question? That made the experience all the sweeter.

It occurred to Julia that there was something of a madness to the last few years. She had always intended to be an athlete, or perhaps a businesswoman. Maybe even a politician, if the opportunity came. Any position where she could take charge and accomplish something notable, something worthy. She could never have imagined growing up to be a spaceship captain. And yet it was the very embodiment of the kind of work she wanted to do in her life. There was an impatient urge within her to get the _Aurora_ back to dock, just so she could get back into normal duty and tackle the challenges coming.

Of course, even in dock there would be some challenges. Getting the crew established. Making sure the ship was ready. Getting her senior staff filled out.

The thought of that need was in her head when the door chime sounded. "Come in," she said.

The door slid open and Meridina stepped in. She was still wearing the uniform with command branch burgundy red in the trim. "Captain, Commander Scott reports that the engines are running as desired. All damage has been repaired."

"That's good to know." Julia leaned forward in her chair. "Anything else?"

"Yes." Meridina nodded once. "The _Peregrine_ is waiting at the rendezvous point. They are here to pick up our allies."

Julia nodded. "Let Colonel O'Neill and Colonel Deering know. We'll see them off once we drop out of warp."

"Very well." Meridina placed her hands together before her. "Captain, I have another matter to discuss with you."

Julia was pretty sure of what Meridina was talking about. She responded with a simple "Yes?"

"I have put a great deal of thought into your request."

"And?"

"And…" Meridina paused briefly, as if making one final review of her decision before she made it permanent. "...I have made my decision. I humbly accept the task of being your First Officer."

Julia answered that with a smile. "That's good to hear, Meridina." She stood and extended her hand. "I'm looking forward to working with you, Number One."

Meridina furrowed her brow. "'Number One'?"

The smile turned into a grin of bemusement. "Yeah, I don't think that works for me either. We'll stick with Commander."

"Ah." Meridina reached out and accepted the hand. "Of course, Captain. I will serve you to the best of my ability."

"Will that include letting me know when you think I'm wrong?"

"I am informed that doing such is one of the primary tasks of a First Officer, so yes, I shall do so."

"Good." Julia nodded and settled back into her chair. Meridina took one of the chairs on the other side of the desk. "I suppose our first order of business is your replacement as Chief of Security. I'll submit Lieutenant Richmond's name for the promotion, if you're in agreement."

"I am. She will do well in the position."

"Good." Julia kept the smile on her face. Everything had finally clicked into place. She had a proper command staff for her ship.

Meridina, for her part, finished glancing around the room. "I see Robert's things have been removed."

Julia nodded at that. "He came by this morning and got everything. He's getting his quarters packed up now so I can move in. And, of course, you can then move into my old quarters."

"It shall give us something extra to do during our remaining time in dock," Meridina noted.

At that, Julia chuckled and said, "As if we won't have enough to do. At our rank, our only holidays end up being working holidays."

Much to Julia's surprise and delight, Meridina started laughing. _Yes, I think this will work out_ , Julia thought, enjoying the sound of the stoic Gersallian's lilting laugh.

* * *

Robert made it to the Transporter Station just in time. He found Julia and Meridina standing with SG-1. "So, you're off too?" he asked them.

Jack replied, "Yeah. Before the snakeheads get all bent out of shape about us being around you."

"Well, I'm thankful you came to help," Robert said to them. "It was good seeing you again, however briefly."

"We are gratified to see you are well, Captain," Teal'c answered.

"Y'know, if you're no longer with the Alliance, you could always come to the SGC," Jack suggested. "We can always use good people."

Robert answered that with a warm smile. Julia and Meridina did the same. "Somehow I doubt the System Lords would be happy," Julia pointed out.

"Probably not," Robert agreed. "But thank you for the offer."

"I wouldn't mind getting to see some of these other universes," Daniel said. "I've heard about this one moon, somewhere called Solaris?"

The thought of the generally strait-laced Daniel dealing with the frantic insanity that Solaris could bring made Robert laugh. "Oh, that's a memorable one," Julia remarked.

"Quite," Meridina agreed. "It is certainly a… unique experience."

"Maybe one day, Doctor Jackson," Robert said. "Say hello to Sha're and little Leo for us?"

"Oh, don't get him started on Leo," Jack sighed. "Frankly, if you ask me that kid is growing up _way_ too fast."

"That is a common complaint I hear from Human parents," Meridina said. "It would seem your species has a chronic inability to anticipate child growth."

"We just like to pretend they'll be small forever and won't go asking to borrow the car," Jack explained.

"It was good working with you all again," Sam said. "I know I wouldn't mind getting to spend more time on your starships."

"Hopefully we'll see each other again sometime," Julia said.

That got a single nod of approval from Jack. "Same here. And how about you talk to your Admiral Maran so that the next time we do this, instead of killer robots you let us fight something more interesting. All of this talk about a war with Space Nazis, but I haven't gotten to shoot a Nazi yet. It feels like you're holding out on me here."

Teal'c nodded. "I have heard many terrible things about these 'Nazis', and of the heroes who fought them. I too would like a chance to face them in battle. And I am most curious to see if they possess this 'ark' that Colonel O'Neill has spoken of."

"I don't think these Nazis have the Ark of the Covenant, Teal'c," Daniel remarked.

Sam smiled at that. "And I'm sure it doesn't behave the same way it does in the movie," she said.

The door to the Transporter Station slid open, admitting Buck and Wilma. "Ah, we're not too late," Buck said.

"No, you're not," Julia said. "It was nice to see you again, Captain, Colonel."

"Same here," Buck said.

"Yes." Wilma smiled at Julia and extended a hand. Julia accepted it. "Congratulations, Captain, and good luck out there."

"Thank you, Colonel. The same to you."

"Buck." Robert offered his hand. "How have you been doing?"

"Alright." Buck accepted it. "Good to see you're awake."

"Yeah. It's good to be back."

"The _Peregrine_ just signaled, sir," the transporter station operator, a teal-skinned Dorei male with dark blue spots and hair, said. "They are ready for transport."

"Time to go," Wilma said, taking a step up to join SG-1 on the pad.

"Give Doctor Theopolis and Doctor Huer our best," Julia said to them.

"And Twiki," Robert added, smiling.

Julia nodded. "Yes, and Twiki."

"I will. It'll be nice to deal with robots who don't want to kill us." Buck stepped up on the transporter station, taking the spot beside Jack. Wilma stood beside Samantha. "Take care everyone."

"Hey, before you use that thing…" Jack held up his finger. "I've got one last thing to ask."

"Go ahead," Julia said.

"Zack's been pretty distant since, well… just let him know we hope he gets through this."

The request turned the mood in the room into a somber one. "Yeah," Robert said. "We will."

"Thanks. Well, now you can get on with the atom-shooting stuff."

"It's not shooting atoms, Jack," Sam pointed out.

"Close enough…"

"Crewman, energize," Julia said. And they watched together as their allies, their friends, were whisked away by the transporter system.

"So, where is Zack?" Robert asked. "I tried to visit his quarters but there was no answer."

"He's there." Julia sighed and shook her head. "He said he just wanted to be alone."

"Oh." Robert sighed at that. He could feel his friend's pain even here. "Well, hopefully he'll open up."

"It will have to be his choice," Meridina said. "And his alone." 

* * *

It was the middle of the night for Zack, but even in his comfortable bed in his quarters on the _Aurora_ , he found no rest. Falling asleep brought the dreams. Dreams of Clara dying before his eyes. Of her empty blue eyes accusing him of failing her. For not being there for her. For not saving her.

When the clock showed 0200 and sleep still hadn't come, he got out of his bed and walked into his living area. For a short time he simply sat on his couch, clad only in his boxers, staring ahead into space. Thinking of all of the plans he'd made and where they had gone. When he cast his eyes down toward his small coffee table, he spied the two objects he'd placed there upon his return. Seeing the velvet box with the engagement ring he never got to give to Clara made the pain in his soul spike. Tears flowed freely from his eyes until his vision became a blur. He sobbed quietly to himself.

When his vision cleared again, he was facing the other object. He stared at it. He knew he should have never bought it. He knew what it represented. What it could do to him, what it had done to him.

Which is why he knew what it would do to the pain. Just for a little while… just so he could sleep without dreams.

Zack reached to the table and picked up the bottle. He popped the top and poured a little into a mug he typically saved for his coffee. His hand quivered in momentary resistance before, with a low sigh, he surrendered to the impulse and picked up the mug. 

* * *

**Tag**

The planet Gersal shined through the windows of Robert's old quarters. Everything here was as he'd left it, even after his months in a coma. Old certificates and awards that were now packed away in boxes, along with the plentiful family photographs and other keepsakes. Said boxes were being loaded onto a Order of Swenya transport even now, to be delivered to his cousin Beth on New Liberty.

Not everything would be taken there. Ledosh assured him there would be some room for private keepsakes wherever he stayed. He'd selected a picture of his family and another of the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ crews from the prior year, items he was now placing in his duffel bag on top of his spare clothes and other personal items.

For a moment he lingered while looking at the two pictures through the opening of the bag. The one image was the last picture the family had with his grandmother in it. Allen and Anna were in the center. Michael and Leigh were beside them. Beth, ten years old at this point, stood between the two sets of adults, holding the hand of Robert as an eight year old. Three year old Susannah was between the two, smiling up at the camera.

A tinge of pain filled him. They were all gone from his life, save Beth. Getting to see them alive again, even in the way he had… he wondered for a moment just how he'd found the strength to leave them willingly.

That only lasted a moment, of course, since the answer was in the other photo. They were lined up in the Lookout. Robert in the middle, Julia to his right and Zack to his left. To Zack's left was Tom, and beyond him were Zack's officers: Apley, Magda, Karen Derbely, Sherlily and Opani. On Julia's were the rest of the _Aurora_ crew: Jarod and Nick, Angel and Cat, Leo and Nasri, Scotty and Meridina and Patrice Laurent and, finally, Lucy. He reached his hand into the bag and briefly touched the image with his fingers. Tears were formed in his eyes, and not just tears of grief for his dead family, but joy as well, for the family that was still here.

The door chime sounded. Robert turned in time to see it slide open. Julia stepped in. She looked around at the spartan emptiness of the living area of what were now her quarters, and he could feel the wistful melancholy that briefly came over her. "Well," she said, "I came to see if you needed any help. Ledosh and Gina are ready to depart."

"I'm done." He patted his duffel bag. After taking a quick look around he felt a smile tug at his lips. "It's yours now."

"Yeah." Julia nodded.

"And I'm sorry about the bathroom mirror."

Julia gave him a bewildered look. He winced and gently raised a hand. "Yeah, I knocked my razor into it. Left a bit of a crack. And I'm going to need a new razor."

"Just as long as you get the seven years bad luck," Julia answered with a wry grin. Robert laughed in reply, and she laughed right back. Both felt better for the laughter.

When it ended, Julia glanced toward the desk facing them and the dormant monitor there. "I…" She looked at Robert and stated, her tone apologetic, "I never wanted this at your expense, Rob."

"I know. And it's not." He stepped up and took her hand. For a moment the energy within him stirred. He concentrated and barely managed to keep it in check. "Never think that, Julia. I made my choice. And the TARDIS warned me my life would end."

"It almost did," she pointed out. "Having you alive is a miracle, if you ask me."

"I think my life did end," Robert said. "I mean, I didn't die. But I'm not going to be able to go back to that old life. Of being Captain Robert Dale."

Julia could have pointed out he could get another command. But she knew not to. She could see what he meant. "So you sent in your resignation?"

"It's not officially accepted due to the war, of course, but Ledosh tells me Maran made it clear I'm off the active duty roster pending review of my condition. Knowing Davies and Hawthorne, they'll do everything they can to keep me out." Robert shrugged. "I did a lot of good as a captain, and I could probably do more, but when I think about it, I'm not as upset as I thought I'd be. And I've got a new life I have to settle into now."

"Are you sure about this? Becoming a mystic monk or whatever?"

Robert chuckled. "Well, I'm not going to become some hermit in the desert or anything. I'm going to be in the middle of nowhere for a while, yeah, but only until I regain some control."

"And then…?" Julia asked.

"Well, then I've got some things to do. Maybe spend time with Beth. Visit some sights in the Multiverse." Robert allowed himself a shrug. "I don't know. I have questions, and I need time to find the answers. But wherever I am, call me if you need me and I'll help you in any way I can."

"I know." Julia wiped away a tear from her eye. "It's just… it's going to be weird, I guess. You've been away before, but it feels like this might be for good. And we've always lived near each other or worked together."

"I feel the same way. Living without you is going to be, well, I'm going to have to adjust I guess." Robert shrugged. "Who knows, maybe I'll find a way to serve with the civilian staff on the ship." An amused grin came to him. "Maybe Hargert can use another waiter."

An old memory made Julia giggle as she shook her head. "Oh no. I remember the last time you tried that kind of work. The restaurant fired you after an hour."

For a few moments, there was more laughter. The silence that followed it grew awkward and then painful. "Leo said your brain was active while you were in the coma," Julia said. "Like you might be dreaming somehow."

Robert sighed and replied with a nod. "You could say that."

"Was it… I mean, it wasn't something bad, was it?"

"Far from it. I was happy." He swallowed. "It… has to do with my powers, with this _swevyra_ and Flow of Life stuff. But I got to live in a world where I was happy."

"Were we in it?"

"Yes. Especially you." When Robert went silent, Julia couldn't help but feel the awkwardness of it. "I don't… I'm not sure how to say this…"

"Say what?"

"In the… dream, I guess you'd call it, you and I, we…" He saw Julia's cheeks flush slight pink and knew she understood where this was going. "...we had a son, Julie."

The flush disappeared. Her eyes locked onto his. "You… dreamed that?"

"It wasn't just a dream. I mean, it was more than a dream…" Robert couldn't stop the tears that formed in his eyes. "You named him after me. Robby Junior. Little Robby. He… he had your hair. And your eyes. And… if there was anything that could have kept me from waking up from that place, it was him."

"What are you saying then?" she asked. "That you want to have a child with me?"

There was an awkward silence. "Maybe," he finally admitted. "If you and I ever… if we ever feel we can make it work without endangering what we already have. If you want to have a child."

Julia struggled to find a response aside from a stiff nod. She swallowed while the thought went through her head. Have a family? Settle down? Could she do that? Would she want to?

"Maybe one day," she finally said. "I… I mean, if I were going to have a baby with someone, you're… it'd work. But not now. What I'm doing, what we're doing, it's dangerous. I'm not going to make potential orphans, Rob."

"I understand completely. I wouldn't want that either." He shrugged. "It's so strange. You and me, having a kid, that's something I'd love. But I also value what we have together, what we've had since we were little, too much to risk it on romance."

"I feel the same way." Julia cleared her throat and made a show of checking her omnitool. "We should probably get to the shuttle bay. They're waiting."

"I'm right behind you, Captain."

* * *

When they arrived in the shuttle bay, Robert could see that Julia hadn't just been speaking of Ledosh and Gina.

The officers of the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ were lined up and waiting for Robert and Julia. His heart swelled at the sight of all of his friends and loved ones coming to say goodbye. He looked toward Ledosh, standing beside the shuttle they were departing on, and felt the assurance from the old _Mastrash_. He would ensure Robert's power didn't flare out of control. He could give everyone a proper goodbye.

He started with Ensign Hajar, who shook his hand and said, "Thank you for giving me a chance, Captain."

One by one he accepted their hands with his. Patrice Laurent, with friendly grin Robert associated with the commander of the ship's fighter group, gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You will be back," the Central African Republic native insisted. "Our lives are intertwined."

"Thanks, Patrice."

"Good luck, Captain," Lieutenant Richmond echoed in her Australian accent. "It's been an honor serving with you."

"The honor was mine, Lieutenant. Good luck with your new assignment."

"Ye take care, lad," Scotty said. "An' dinnae worry a bit about th' ship."

To that Robert chuckled. "With the _Aurora_ in your hands, Mister Scott? Never."

"Take care of yourself," Leo insisted

"Always." He took Nick Locarno's hand next, then Jarod's, replying to their well-wishes with "Thank you" and "Good luck out there."

Caterina hugged him as tightly as she could. "I'm going to miss you!"

"Woh," he said. "Cat, when did you have a growth spurt?"

"Well, I did travel with the Doctor for a year…" She smiled at him. Her hair was longer than it had ever been, down to her shoulders, and there was a confidence in her eyes that was new. "Take care of yourself, and I don't care how, you have to come back. We're all family!"

"What my crazy not-so-little sister said," Angel added. She gave Robert her own tight hug. This one felt like it could actually crack ribs. "And you need to take care of yourself, Rob."

"Or you'll punch me?"

Her response to that was a smirk and a wink.

Robert could feel the pain coming from Zack even as his friend stepped up. The two embraced. Robert patted Zack on the back. "Call me if you need me," he said. "Just because I can't stay right now doesn't mean I won't be there for you, Zack."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Zack answered. The pain Robert sensed in his friend indicated otherwise. "I mean it. I… I just need to get through this by myself, Rob. Okay?"

"Okay," Robert answered. "Just remember that you don't have to." He hoped Zack would keep that in mind as he watched his grief stricken friend step away quietly.

"Man, get out of that monastery place as quickly as you can," Barnes insisted, giving Robert not so much a hug as an excited pat on the back. "I can't imagine how Goddamned boring it's going to be in that fraking place."

"I'll try, Tom, I'll try," he promised. He leaned in and whispered, "Take care of Zack."

Barnes nodded. His expression turned somber. "I'll try, man. It's not gonna be easy."

"Yeah, I can tell."

This left one last goodbye. Robert walked up to the shuttle, where Ledosh and Gina had been joined by Meridina and Lucy. "You look splendid, Meridina," he said. "Congratulations on your new posting."

"Thank you, Robert," she replied.

"Good luck with the training at Umintamil," Lucy added. A bemused grin appeared on her face. "I hear it's a special place."

"Quite special," Meridina said, giving Lucy a similarly-bemused look. "It is a place of introspection and quiet. It is said Swenya often went there to grieve for the slain and strengthen her connection to the Flow of Life. It is a good place for you to learn control."

"Right." Robert sighed. "I suppose I'd better go then."

"Yes."

With a nod to Ledosh and Gina Robert stepped into the shuttle door. He turned back to face the others. "Thank you, everyone," he said. "I know it feels like I just got back. I'm sorry to be leaving on such short notice. It's… well, it's something I need to do, or I'm going to end up hurting someone. I want you to know that whatever happens, I consider you my family, and I will be here when you need me." He stopped himself from saying "goodbye", or even "farewell". "Take care, everyone."

With his piece said, he stepped into the shuttle. Ledosh and Gina followed and the door closed behind them. Moments later the shuttle lifted off of the bay floor and flew out through the containment forcefield.

As the shuttle curved away out of sight, Julia activated her omnitool. "Andreys to Bridge, they're away. Begin jump."

The _Starship Aurora_ turned away from Gersal and accelerated into a green vortex.


	12. Episode 3-03-1 Command Principles

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: 15 February 2643;_ ASV Aurora _. Captain Julia Andreys recording. I'm pleased to report that we have completed our shakedown and training cruise for the crew. The_ Aurora _is officially back on active duty. I am also pleased to report that despite the changes to the command staff and some of the department heads, everything is going as smoothly as it did before the battle with the Cybermen and Daleks._

 _For our first mission back on active duty, the_ Aurora _has been sent to the Alliance's colony zone in Universe Designate A2M6 to assist in a medical emergency at the Oakland Colony on Phi Perseus 4._

With time on her hands before her morning bridge watch, Julia went by the medbay to check up on things there. She found Leo in the company of the newest medical officer on his staff. Doctor Roliri Opani, formerly the medical officer of the _Koenig_ , was quick to notice Julia's arrival. The Dorei woman's dark teal skin and longer, pointed ears gave her both an alien and almost elfin appearance. The light purple spots running from her forehead to her neck and further below were the same color as her eyes, though her hair was a far darker hue. "Captain," she said.

"Ah, there you are." Leo turned as well to face her. "Anything more from the governor of the Oakland Colony?"

"His last update had no changes listed," Julia replied. "The women he has in quarantine aren't showing any symptoms of illness, but the tests his medical officers have done confirm the presence of a parasitical organism in their bodies. At least, in the Humans of the group, the quarantined aliens have shown no sign of infection."

"But it's not causing any adverse symptoms." Leo was clearly thoughtful on that point. "I've been looking over the notes that Doctor Logan, the colony's medical director, sent to us. At first glance I figured it was an organism from another world, but the genetic analysis confirms that it's life from Earth."

"But you've never seen it?" Julia asked.

"No. Never before. A2M6 Earth may have had a unique development compared to others. I'll know more when we get there and our biologists get samples."

"I am looking forward to assisting," Opani said. "While I enjoyed serving with the _Koenig_ , the chance to work medicine on a star cruiser is an opportunity I've been dreaming of since I joined the service."

"You've earned it," Leo assured Opani. "And I'm looking forward to working with you."

Opani smiled at him. The smile faded slightly. "Have either of you heard from Commander Carrey lately?" she asked.

"We see him for the staff meetings," Julia replied. "But I'm afraid he's not being very sociable these days."

"If he keeps up this 'loner' thing, we may need to make an intervention," Leo added. "However alone he wants to feel, it's not helping him."

Julia nodded. "Believe me, I know. But I'm afraid I'll just push him away if I don't respect his wishes. As long as he's following his duties, there's nothing I can do."

"You don't think he's…" Leo didn't make any gestures, but the look in his eyes told Julia exactly what Leo was thinking of.

"He's been fine on duty, so it doesn't seem like it," Julia said. The expression on her face showed how hurt she felt about Zack's sudden distance. Whatever his feelings for her, they were still supposed to be close friends. And with Robert gone, Julia was already feeling lonely.

Leo gave her a pat on the shoulder. "It's not your fault if he's pushing everyone away. Don't let it get to you."

"I won't," Julia promised. "I can't. Not with a ship to run." She checked her omnitool. "Remember that we're having the staff briefing in two hours. We should be at Phi Perseus this afternoon."

"I'll be there," he answered.

Julia departed. She couldn't help but wonder just where Zack was at the moment. 

* * *

The chiming alarm brought a brief destructive urge to Zack's mind before it went away. He sat up and gave a look to the bottle by his bed. The tequila was nearly gone from it. He took the bottle and poured a bit into the glass beside it. The tequila was one of the cheaper kinds and did not go down gently.

With bleary eyes and a blearier brain, Zack stumbled out of bed and went straight for his restroom. He was functional enough to complete his morning routine, if just so, and it still included knocking over a container of shampoo and sending its contents onto part of the floor before his flailing fingers managed to grip it. He left the mess behind for a moment and went to the living room. His head ached. Another hangover.

For a few minutes he sat there doing nothing. On his table an empty tumbler and a half-finished bottle of bourbon remained from his attempt to survive the end of Valentine's Day. The bourbon and tequila night cap had been sufficient to deal with that. _And I'd gone a few days without more than a shot. Last night… it was just that once_. Those thoughts comforted him with the idea that unlike his father, he was able to control his urge. He only needed this once and awhile.

Keeping his consumption low also helped with avoiding provoking the disappointment and criticism of his friends. Sneaking his supplies aboard with boxes of other things was working out. Sure, if they were out in space for a prolonged period where he couldn't visit a seller, he might end up running out. But if that happened, it happened, right? He would just have to go without for a while.

The other part of his avoiding tipping his friends off required his next action of shuffling his way over to the replicator. "Computer, Niltox, eight hundred milligram dose. And a glass of cool water."

" _Processing… warning, eight hundred milligrams is twice the appropriate dose._ "

"Yeah, but I had more than twice my usual alcohol last night," he muttered in reply. "So please replicate the damn stuff."

" _Replicating."_

The computer created a small paper cup with four pills in it. A nondescript glass with clear water appeared beside it. The blue-tinted pills reminded Zack of the ibuprofen he used to take to ease his joints after a particularly difficult and strenuous baseball game. Zack took the cup and dumped the four pills into his mouth, after which he drained the glass of water and took everything down in one strong gulp. He placed both cups back into the replicator and punched the return button. "Now for breakfast." He ordered cereal and toast and settled down to finish his breakfast and let the detoxicants do their work.

It was only after he was finished eating that he remembered the staff meeting. 

* * *

The _Starship Aurora_ had been built with a few conference rooms for mundane use - department meetings - and more critical functions such as meetings with foreign dignitaries or Alliance officials and high officers. There was one conference room set aside for the command staff's personal use. To facilitate response to an emergency, it was attached to the bridge module at the top of the ship, accessible from the bridge through a single pair of sliding doors. The furnishings consisted of a long table with enough chairs for the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ command officers to meet together, as they were now, and for guest officers to attend if need be. A flatscreen monitor behind the head seat of the table was one method for displaying incoming calls, as was the holographic projector built into the center of the table, which could double as a projector for displaying information and data in briefings.

When Zack arrived, he knew he was a few minutes late. He had taken the extra time to make absolutely sure that his black-and-burgundy red uniform looked proper. He didn't want anyone to think he looked sloppy and to wonder why. "Sorry," he said before taking his seat to Julia's left, across from Meridina to her right. "I… I had a bad night." He glanced toward his officers. Seeing Opani wasn't there reminded him that she had been re-assigned to the _Aurora_ , and her replacement was due to catch up with them at Phi Perseus. Another absence that stuck out to him was Commander Kane, the former Commander of the Marine Troops on the _Aurora_ , crippled in the fight with the Daleks. His replacement, Major Gabriel Anders, was seated between Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond, the ship's chief of security, and Zack's friend Lieutenant Tom Barnes, the Asst. Chief Engineer and primary Engineering Officer for the bridge staff.

Zack remembered Kane as an athletically-built Caucasian man with light brown hair always cut close to his scalp in Marine fashion. In contrast Major Anders' dark hair was a little more grown out. He was built leaner as well. His skin, while on the light-toned side, had a brown color to it that, when combined with his facial features, reminded Zack of the Cherokee people he'd met during trips to Oklahoma as a child.

Lieutenant Commander Richmond, on the other hand, had the lightest skin tone in the room, being nearly porcelain white, with short-cut black hair and striking green eyes. She wasn't tall nor large, with a lean figure.

"Are you okay?" Julia asked him, not a hint of impatience in her tone.

"I am now," he said.

"Well, since you're here, we can begin." Julia picked up a digital reader. "We're all new to Universe A2M6, so I'll read the summary that Command provided to me. The _Discovery_ led the first exploration jump in February of last year in the company of the _U.S.S. Burnham_ as part of a joint exploration mission with Starfleet. Captain Patis and Captain Tilly made contact with one of the indigenous starfaring species of this universe, the Xou…" Julia blinked. "The Xou-exclamation point-tasam."

"Their language may have an emphatic element to pronunciation that doesn't render into English," Jarod pointed out. "It's probably pronounced something like X _ou-_ tasam."

"Alright. The Xou!tasam. They're a species of aquatic echinodermoids with some similarities to Earth starfish. They lead an interspecies confederation translated as the Trading Consortium. Captain Tilly of the _Burnham_ compared them, 'favorably', to Ferengi."

"As in they're not as rapaciously greedy as Ferengi culture encourages Ferengi to be?" asked Jarod.

"Apparently not, at least by Captain Tilly's estimation. The Xou!tasam are noted to prefer peaceful interaction over territorial expansion. It's why the Alliance was able to set up several colonies in this area of space. The Xou!tasam never claimed any of these systems." Julia set the digital reader down, reading the final notes from memory. "We already have standing treaties with the Consortium, including trade agreements, mutual assistance, extradition, medical research…" She stopped.

"So they are our local friends," Meridina noted.

"Trading partners, at least," Locarno said.

Angel asked, "I'm guessing they're not helping us out with the Nazis?"

"I'd like to meet one," Caterina said. "So this quarantine problem, is it them?"

"No, it's not." Leo shook his head. "It's Humans. Local ones, apparently."

"Whom we don't know much about," Julia said. "The Xou!tasam have provided us with some information on Humanity in this universe. They tend to be closer to one of the Human governments, the League of Democratic Worlds…"

An electronic tone interrupted Julia. " _Bridge to Conference Lounge._ " The accented voice was that of Lieutenant Takawira.

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

" _Captain, we're picking up a distress signal._ " Those words caused everyone to sit up. " _It's coming from the Oakland Colony. They say an unknown vessel appeared in orbit. It's preparing to attack._ "

Julia stood up. "Increase speed to Warp 9.9. Go to Code Red."

" _Aye sir_."

Zack and his officers went for the lift door across from the bridge door while the _Aurora_ officers filed out, heading to their stations, all while the alert klaxons blared.

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"Command Principles"_**

The bridge of the _Aurora_ was tense with anticipation. Everyone had assumed their stations. Meridina went over the small display built into the First Officer's chair while Julia sat up in the command chair. "Commander Laurent reports that our fighters are ready," Meridina said.

"All decks reporting ready," Jarod added.

"Anything more from Oakland Colony?"

"Just a continued distress signal." Jarod checked his console. "But I'm getting interference on that band."

"They're being jammed," Cat confirmed from the science and sensor station. "I've got a power signature on long range sensors."

"How big?" Julia set her arms on the armrests of her chair.

"Not very. A light starship going by our instruments." Caterina looked over her sensor returns. "They're maintaining an orbit over the planet."

"Torpedoes loaded," Angel reported. "All weapons ready for firing."

"Let us hope that is not necessary," Meridina stated.

After a moment Julia was ready to ask for an ETA. But she barely had time to open her lips before Locarno said, "We're coming up on Phi Perseus 4. Dropping out of warp in three seconds."

At exactly the three second mark the _Aurora_ dropped out of warp. The planet loomed ahead. Without needing to be asked, Jarod magnified the image of the intruding starship. Julia noted that, as Cat had said, it was a light vessel. But it had a certain aggressive look to it with the visible gun turrets. The bow of the ship ended in a particularly large opening, presumably another weapon that was spinal-mounted much like the super-disruptors on Reich capital warships. A sponson shape lined with thruster ports was visible on each side of the ship.

"Looks to be two hundred and five meters by fifty-nine meters by eighteen meters as maximum dimensions," Jarod said. "Definitely a light design."

"I'll feel better about it when I know what that bow-mounted weapon is. Mister Jarod, hail them."

"I'm already opening the channel." A light appeared on his station. "They're responding."

The screen shifted to show another bridge or command center, with a holographic tactical display in the background. The image was focused upon a Human-looking woman with a dark complexion. The collar and visible shoulders of her uniform were white in color with black shoulderboard epaulets. Her dark hair was pulled back into a bun. A stern expression was on the woman's round face.

Julia stood from her chair. "Greetings. I am Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ , representing the United Alliance of Systems. You have entered our space and assumed an orbit over one of our colonies with apparent hostile intent. I ask you to state your intentions."

" _I am Captain Wirake Mawarra of Her Imperial Majesty's Ship_ Irresistible, _of the Imperial Aururian Navy. This system is in Imperial space. You have occupied on one of our worlds in an act of flagrant illegality, and worse, your squatters have abducted subjects of Her Imperial Majesty. I must demand their immediate release and your ship's withdrawal from our star system after a rendering of honours, or I will be constrained into attempting to compel your compliance._

 _So there we are_ , Julia thought, feeling a little stunned at how utterly brazen the demands were from such a tiny ship. _They claim the system too._ "Our colonists found no evidence of another claim on this system," she answered. "Our governments can, of course, discuss the matter. As for charging our people with abduction, there are people being held in medical quarantine due to the detection of an unknown organism in their bodies. Once we're sure the organism hasn't passed on into the colony arrangements for their return can be made. And finally, it is my duty to protect citizens of the Alliance. I am not leaving this system so long as they are under potential threat."

Given the look on the opposing Captain's face, Julia could see this was not going well. " _Your offered terms in this parley do not constitute an acceptable outcome, Captain. The honor and my duty to the integrity of the Imperial Federation compels me to demand your immediate withdrawal from our territory and the return without harm or delay of any of Her Majesty's subjects being held within the interloping settlement on the planet. You have but a single opportunity remaining to respond favourably to my demarche, or else we shall put it to the touch, Captain._ "

"They sound like they derive their English-speaking from the 19th Century," Jarod noted.

Julia glanced to Meridina. Meridina's reaction was a pensive look. _She is rigid and uncompromising_ Meridina's voice said in Julia's mind. _I strongly suggest we prepare for combat._

 _Not what I wanted_ , was the returned thought. Aloud Julia kept calm and hoped it might persuade this captain to not commence hostilities. "Captain Mawarra, I assure you that your people will be returned shortly. They are being held as a medical emergency only. Now, I am willing to mutually withdraw from orbit and wait for…"

" _Your response is, I fear, unacceptable. This parley is concluded, Captain. Withdraw from this system in twenty seconds or I shall commence fire upon your ship with the full vigour of my batteries._ " The woman's image, her face frozen in a rictus of determination, disappeared from the screen and returned the visual to the ship. It turned to starboard and began to approach. Slowly an orange haze started to envelop the ship, partially obscuring the hull.

"She's got to be crazy!" Angel shouted. "We outmass her completely!"

Julia returned to her seat and activated her harness. "We will not open fire first," she said. "Evasive Maneuvers, Plan Tan-."

Light around the bow of the _Irresistible_ seemed to warp slightly. A blue beam surged from the weapon and slammed into the bow of the _Aurora_.

The intense rocking surprised everyone. It felt like the ship had just been struck by a full heavy weapon blast against the hull. "Report!" Julia shouted as they ceased shaking.

"It's some sort of graviton beam," Caterina said. "It sent reaction force right through the shields and into our structure!"

The beam fired again and the ship shook once more.

"The entire ship is feeling this!" Jarod added.

"Primary Shield Generators 1 and 2 are showing strain on their mountings," Barnes reported from his engineering station. "The shock is causing stress damage to multiple systems in the forward sections of the ship!"

"Return fire, disable that weapon! Helm, evasive maneuvers!" As she gave that second order, Julia felt the ship jolt violently again.

With all of the shaking Angel had to be extra careful to make sure she was hitting the right keys. She acquired a target lock and fired a full volley of the bow weapons.

Ten sets of sapphire energy pulses erupted from the bow of the _Aurora_ in a steady stream. They slammed repeatedly into the shields of the frigate.

"Their shields aren't degrading," Angel said. "I'm firing again!"

"The shields aren't standard deflectors," Cat said.

Locarno maneuvered the _Aurora_ to evade the enemy weapon. But the Aururian ship was smaller and more nimble. With her side-mounted thrusters she easily turned to keep her bow weapon focused on the larger ship. Locarno twisted and banked the ship enough that the next shot simply grazed the shields, with less rocking than before.

"What do you mean, Cat?" Angel asked.

"They're using gravitic fields as their main protective shield system," Cat explained. "Like the Abbai in E5B1. They don't suffer degrading from weapons fire."

"Give me a moment," Jarod said. "I'm reconfiguring your pulse cannons to fire a continuous stream instead of bursts. Use the emitters too. You need to burn through."

The next hit caused another violent jolt through the ship. "How the frak is that little piece of crap spaceship kicking our ass so hard?!" Barnes demanded with a shout. "They're damaging systems all over the ship!"

"Weapon reconfiguration complete," Jarod said.

"I'm bringing us back around," Locarno added.

"Firing!"

Angel triggered the weapons again. With the small ship off their bow for the moment she relied on the new plasma cannons installed in the place of the removed phaser banks and pulse phaser cannons. Solid beams of blue energy lashed out at the small Aururian craft. "Something's absorbing the plasma where it's getting past the shields."

"I'm picking up a radiation signature from the gas they're circulating under that magnetic shield. It's not as effective against your weapons as it would be against lasers," Jarod said. "Keep it up!"

"Let me get a torpedo lock…"

"No!" Julia shouted. "No torpedoes! I'm not having you accidentally blow that ship apart!"

Once more the _Aurora_ rocked. "Rupture on Plasma Feed 4A," Barnes said. "We won't be able to go to warp safely until it's repaired."

Meanwhile Angel was cutting loose with the _Aurora_ 's new mid-grade plasma armament. Operating under the same principles as the pulse plasma cannons the Darglan had developed - based, they now knew, off of Asgard weapons technology - the weapons were beginning to overwhelm the shield around the Aururian vessel. A plume of flame erupted from within the orange haze. "Direct hit!" Angel shouted.

"I'm reading damage to the enemy ship's electrical system. But they're still…"

Cat's warning was interrupted by another strong jolt through the ship. The enemy weapon was becoming visible on the screen, with the two vessels' bows moving into alignment. The other ship attempted to jink out of the bow cannons' firing arc. Julia knew they were fast enough to do it.

But Angel was faster.

When the bow cannons fired again, they fired in a steady stream that almost became beams in of themselves. The thick streams of rapid plasma pulses hammered the bow of the Aururian ship. The other ship's shields were overwhelmed by the power they were subjected to, allowing those deadly streams to reach bare hull.

An explosion flowered from the bow of the _Irresistible_ , spewing gas and debris from the ship's savaged bow. A pair of further explosions erupted from the ventral hull of the ship. Flames around the vessel lit up briefly before, having consumed their fuel, they gave out. The orange haze that had surrounded the ship expanded, thinning until they could make out the Aururian ship visually again. It was an utter wreck.

Julia should have been pleased to have defeated the enemy ship that had caused such unexpected havoc for them. But her reaction was to snap her head around to glare at Angel. "What happened? I said shoot to disable!"

"Yeah, but against those shields, I had to hit them with my best shot," Angel countered.

"I'm reading multiple hull breaches. Their main power is completely offline." Cat tapped a key on her board. "There's also a change in life sign readings… it looks like at least half of them are gone now."

"Dammit," Julia breathed, looking at the wrecked ship again. Disabling the _Irresistible_ to force her captain to negotiate had been her aim. Killing some of the other ship's crew was not going to make that any easier. "Commander Jarod, please re-open a channel to the _Irresistible_." Julia drew in a breath of exasperation. "Assuming they still have comms."

"It looks like they do," Jarod answered. "They're answering."

This time the image of other ship's bridge showed a different sight. The display in the background was missing. Faint cries could be heard. And Captain Mawarra was missing. In her place was an alien. Silvery, dark green hair covered the alien's head, with a pointed ear on each side a little shorter than a Dorei's. The skin had a silvery sheen as well, with a brown coloration to it, with hair almost thick enough to be fur visible on the body, dark brown in its color. A pair of yellow eyes looked back at Julia on the screen. " _I am Lieutenant Commander Rimamika Nuirala, first officer of this vessel and currently in command. We recognize our defeat and are prepared to yield our ship. We insist on honorable treatment as is appropriate for civilized societies; if you can not or will not offer us such terms, then do not trouble yourselves with Quarter, we will fight you on the emergency batteries before we surrender ourselves to slavery."_

"This is Captain Andreys. We are ready to provide medical assistance to your crew," Julia answered. The reference to slavery made her wonder if there was more to affairs in this universe than the Alliance knew. _What are we dealing with here?_ "All we ask is that you suspend hostilities so we can discuss your claim to this system and the status of the people in quarantine. The Alliance is opposed to sentient slavery and I give you my word we will not hold any of you captive for any such purpose."

A lump of brown hair popped up over the alien's head and began to move side by side. _A tail_ , Julia realized. " _I can only act in such a way as to protect the honor of the Imperial Federation. I will relay your words to Captain Mawarra when she is able to receive them._ "

"First things first. Let me get our medical teams ready to go over to your ship. I will resume contact shortly." Julia nodded to Jarod, who cut the transmission.

"Are we going to trust them with Leo and our medical people?" Locarno asked. "They attacked us without provocation."

"I don't think they saw it that way," Julia remarked. "If our people overlooked something when settling this system… well, we'll have to look into their claim. But I doubt they're going to harm a medical team when they're clearly in need of one."

"If I may make a suggestion, Captain?" asked Meridina.

Julia turned to her and nodded. "Go ahead, Commander."

"I shall accompany Doctor Gillam or any other medical personnel he sends to their assistance," she said. "I can act to protect our people should treachery occur."

Julia nodded in reply. "A great idea, Commander. You've got my approval. Head down to the medbay and see Doctor Gillam about it."

"Right away." Meridina stood from her chair and started her way to the nearest lift.

Julia returned to her command chair. "Okay, what's our damage?"

"Repair crews are working on the warp system," Barnes said. "And we'll be looking at all of the systems to check for further shock damage."

"Shields are still at one hundred percent. We'll need to double-check the generator mountings, however," Jarod added.

"Get that done." A possibility came to Julia's mind. She looked at Caterina. "Miss Delgado, do you know if they got any transmissions out?"

Cat checked her sensor logs. "Looking at our logs, they were sending transmissions before we even arrived."

That news was not welcome. "Then keep an eye on long-range sensors. Commander Jarod, the ship is to remain at Code Yellow until further notice. I want everyone ready to resume battlestations and an alert sent to A2M6 Fleet Command on the situation. We may need more ships. Now…" Julia started walking to her ready office. "Please hail the colony. I want to know just what kind of ant hill they've kicked over out here." 

* * *

Meridina arrived to find that the medbay was quite active. Multiple biobeds had patients, some of them favoring limbs that looked injured, even broken. Nurses were at work in tending to them. Once directed her toward one of the other rooms in the medbay. She found Leo and a number of figures getting into bio-containment suits. They were essentially EVA suits but colored medical blue with built-in medical scanner gear. Leo looked at her through the faceplate. "Go ahead and get a suit," he said.

"Do you consider this necessary?"

"Yes. It's possible that the Earth of this universe had different biological developments. And we have no clue which worlds these people may be from and what contagions they could carry. It's best not to take the risk."

"Very well." Meridina went over to the rack and took one of the suits. She removed her lightsaber from her belt before fitting her first leg into the suit. "How large of a team are you taking?"

"Doctor Hreept and I will be joined by half a dozen of my nurses. I'm sending Singh and Opani down to the colony to check on those quarantine cases. That leaves my other medical staff to process our wounded." Leo's expression was pained. "We had a fatality, I should add."

Meridina finished pulling her left arm into the suit. She stopped at that point to look at him. "From?"

"Junior Petty Officer Jumbe broke his neck during one of those shaking hits we took," Leo explained. "We were too late to save him."

"I see." Meridina gripped the suit and fitted her right arm in. Once her fingers fitted into the gloved end of the right arm she zipped the fasteners and began the automatic sealing system. "That is regrettable."

"Why did they open fire on us anyway? Julia's usually very good at diplomacy."

"We are dealing with an honor culture of some form. It appears they felt obligated to defend what they consider to be their territory."

Leo shook his head. "Good people dead over pride. It's criminal."

Meridina clipped her lightsaber back to her belt. "It shall be our task to ensure no others die as well." The HUD display on the inside of her faceplate confirmed that the suit's seals were in place and her air was circulating. The sensors set the internal atmosphere of her suit to match optimum conditions for Gersallian physiology. "I am prepared. Let us depart."

* * *

The transporter operator sent the medical team to what the sensors indicated was an intact area of the ship. It appeared to be a shuttle bay given the presence of such craft. Meridina and Leo stepped up toward an alien, one of the silver-haired semi-furred ones with pointed ears. "I am Doctor Leonard Gillam of the _Aurora_ ," said Leo. "My team and I are here to help your medical staff."

The alien looked over them. Her yellow eyes focused on Meridina. "You have come in containment suits?"

"Yes," Leo answered. "To minimize the risk of contamination for both sides."

"No offense is meant," Meridina added.

The alien seemed to consider that. "I… It is unnecessary, but I understand. Accompany me, I shall bring you to the surgeon." 

* * *

" _The Oakland Colony thanks you and your crew for dealing with that hostile ship_." The speaker was Shaun Taylor, the governor of the colony in question. Julia had him on the monitor screen on her ready office desk. She sat quietly, her left arm on the chair arm and her right extended so her hand was on the desk near the controls for the monitor and attached computer system. Her eyes were focused on the screen and Governor Taylor's image. He was a man approaching middle age. The first faint indications of wrinkle lines had formed on the dark skin of his face. Deep brown eyes looked back at Julia. " _Do you think more will arrive?_ "

"It's a distinct possibly, Governor," Julia answered. "Someone's going to come looking for them at the very least."

" _I'll keep the militia and defenses on standby then._ "

With a nod Julia showed her approval of this measure. "I'd like to know more about these people you have in quarantine. How did they react to you?"

Taylor's tone was even and professional as he spoke. " _They appeared in orbit about thirty hours ago and landed their ship at our spaceport. At first we thought they were independent traders. That changed when they met me and demanded to know why we had invaded their territory._ "

Julia nodded once. "What happened then?"

" _I explained to their leader that we had no knowledge of any other claim and that they were welcome to stay and get their ship replenished. Unfortunately the arrival of extra militia to keep a watch on the situation provoked them. They pulled weapons._ "

A small headache formed in the middle of Julia's forehead. "Was anyone hurt?"

" _We took some injuries before we managed to stun them all. Had there been a few more I'm sure we would have had fatalities._ " Taylor put his hands together on his desk. " _I regret it came to shooting, Captain, but we weren't the ones to open fire. And I have no idea how they are justifying their claim to this system. Our survey teams did a thorough search of Phi Perseus for any indication of another civilization here or a pre-existing claim. We found nothing._ "

"Alright. We'll check into it as well. What about the people in quarantine?"

" _They've been uncooperative since going into containment. They refuse to discuss anything but their immediate release._ "

"I'd like to know more about what they were doing. Their ship, have you searched it?"

" _No. I wasn't going to risk contamination. We've kept the ship in a shielded hangar._ "

"Well, I'd like to have my people look at it. And we'll send medical staff down to get a look at these people. The sooner we confirm whether or not they pose a risk to the colony, the sooner we can let them go on their way."

" _Agreed. I'll inform Colonel Littleton and Doctor Logan that your people are beaming down. Taylor out._ "

The screen disengaged. In the quiet of her office Julia considered her options and the necessities of the moment. There was no telling how much or how little time they had before another of these ships arrived. And the next one might be an even tougher ship than the first. She wanted to get as much information as she could before that occasion came.

She tapped the key on her desk to activate the ship intercom and said, "Andreys to Bridge. Commander Jarod, please report to the ready office."

Twenty seconds later her office door swished open and Jarod walked in. "Yes, Captain?"

"I'd like you to go down with a team from ops and engineering to inspect the quarantined vessel at the Colony," Julia said. "Find out what you can about it and report back to me."

"We'll go in with bio-containment suits under biological threat protocol?"

"Yes. At least, until we hear from the medical team about the nature of whatever this organism is they're carrying in their bodies."

"I'll get the team together now," Jarod said.

"You're free to go," Julia said. She watched him step out of her office and took the moment to ponder on the difference in how the ship operated now, the difference she'd made.

Robert had always been so informal. He insisted on speaking to others by name, and had no objection to the others on the command staff calling him by name. By contrast Julia was going for the more professional interactions even among her friends. In private and off-duty she was still Julia, but on the bridge, in meetings, and in the presence of others, she would be "Captain" or "sir" and she would address them like another officer.

It was perhaps unfair to them. It may even seem like she was letting her authority go to her head. But it was how she thought things should be run. They were part of an organization now and they needed to behave like it.

The thought came and went. She had to focus on the here and now. The situation here was fraught with danger for her ship and crew, not to mention the ten thousand colonists on the planet below. It would be easy to dismiss the claims of Captain Mawarra as naked expansionism, but given what Governor Taylor had told her about the people in quarantine, they had been expecting a colony of their people once they had arrived. Whatever Governor Taylor thought of the thoroughness of the survey of this system, Julia didn't want to leave anything on that matter to chance.

So she hit the intercom key again. "Andreys to Carrey," she said. "Come see me in my ready room as soon as you can. I have a mission to discuss with you."

After a few moments, which was honestly a moment longer than she thought it should be, Zack's reply came over the channel. " _I'm on my way._ " 

* * *

The Oakland Colony Hospital was stark to Opani's eyes. The white walls and flooring, the bright lights, lacked color to her sense of aesthetics. Most Dorei hospitals went for blues and greens to give subconscious reassurance to patients and their visitors, with some regional exceptions such as the various Sindai nations, where red and yellow was preferred.

The weight of the equipment in her arms reminded her of the need to concern herself with the matter at hand. She regained her pace with the others, causing the sound of her footsteps to echo more loudly in the hall. She caught up to Doctor Amita Singh, a brown-colored Human woman from a Human colony called New Punjab, who was asking questions of the colony's medical director, Doctor Allen Logan. Logan was middle-aged Caucasian man with enough gray in his hair to indicate he was in the upper range of middle-age. "There are still no acute symptoms?"

"None," Logan said. "I checked them myself an hour ago. And they have the means to call us if any of them get sick."

The answer was put succinctly and precisely. Doctor Logan struck Opani as capable and reserved. He showed no resentment nor any worries beyond reasonable concern for what was going on with the colony.

Logan brought them to a door and pressed his hand to the plate beside it. The system acknowledged his identity and the door slid open. He led them inside to the sight of numerous pieces of lab equipment. "Here," he said, guiding them to an open table. He indicated a nearby cabinet marked with temperature warnings. "We haven't received a bio-stasis vault yet, so we've been using cold storage for samples. The top drawer has the samples from our guests. I had them specially labeled for you."

"Thank you, Doctor Logan," Singh said. "This will work quite well."

"If you need me I am a call away."

"Do we have the codes to visit the patients?" Opani asked.

Logan responded by activating his multidevice. He tapped some keys on its hardlight keyboard. Opani and Singh received notifications of incoming data on their omnitools. "These codes will let you access the cells if you need to. Colonel Littleton's guards know to expect you."

"Thank you again."

The two physicians quickly set up their own scanning devices. Opani retrieved the samples they were due to use from the vault.

"We need to make sure the organism is not capable of airborne transmission." Singh accepted a sample from Opani. "Once we can narrow down its transmission vector, we can start on analyzing its effects on a body."

Opani took her own sample over to one of the pieces of equipment they brought in. "I should have a result shortly," she said. 

* * *

The infirmary on the _Irresistible_ was much smaller than the _Aurora_ 's medbay. Leo and his medical personnel found they had little room to work. But they nevertheless managed it. The ship's doctor, a Surgeon-Lieutenant Munissi, had shown some trepidation about the _Aurora_ personnel, but the need to save the lives of her crew had outweighed such considerations. From her they had learned that the people on the ship could be generally referred to as "Aururians", although that seemed to be the name of a leading national group, not the entirety of their Empire.

As things were the Aururians were decently advanced in the field of medicine, having several mechanisms and devices that matched or even exceeded the Alliance's average level of medical technology. Their lack of transporter systems was the one place where Leo and his staff proved invaluable. A portable surgical unit lacked the versatility of a proper surgical theater but it sufficed, for the moment, in helping Leo repair cut blood vessels and other injuries, especially internal ones, that threatened the injured.

Meridina stepped up behind him. "They hide it, but they fear us."

"I'm not surprised," Leo answered. He used the controls of the portable unit to finish stitching up a torn blood vessel in a crewwoman's leg. Nasri was on the next bed cleaning up the blood and using a dermal regenerator on the shallow wounds on another crewwoman. "We're complete strangers to them. And I can confirm something of interest."

"They all carry the same organism as the quarantined group below," Meridina guessed.

"Almost. All but two of the humans we've treated, and those two have some sort of cybernetic implant the others lack." said Leo. "It looks like a spongiform of some kind. But until I do an in-depth analysis I'm still not sure of how it works."

"Of course." Meridina went quiet to let Leo finish securing his patient. Only when he was done and signaling for two of the Aururian orderlies to remove her from the bed did Meridina resume speaking. "I have observed another item that may be of cultural interest."

"Oh?"

As another patient was placed upon the bed, Meridina noted that her observation still held up. She looked to Leo and said. "It appears that this ship is crewed only by individuals of female gender."

"It does appear that way, doesn't it? But right now the gender of my patients doesn't concern me." Leo looked over his scans of his new patient. "I have lives to save."

Meridina nodded once and stepped away.

* * *

The ship that the quarantined Aururians had landed with was still where it landed. An energy field surrounded it to keep people out. That same need was why the _Aurora_ officers examining the ship were in full biohazard suits.

Lucy was grateful for said suits, or rather because the blue suits were a far cry from the bulky biohazard suits she had seen on television growing up. These EVA-derived suits allowed plenty of mobility and comfort, a blessing since it allowed her to examine the close quarters of the ship's engineering space without difficulty. "It looks like they have a small internal warp drive."

"Then this thing has crap for warp range," Barnes observed. He was standing nearby. His omnitool was active and scanning the area. "And it's definitely not their primary means of superluminal propulsion. _"_

" _What's their power source_?" Jarod asked over the comm. He was on the upper deck of the ship.

"They've got a combination of what looks like an anti-matter reactor and a fusion torch. It uses really Goddamned elaborate shielding. It looks like they took damage to that part of the electronics and I've got no sign of any remaining antimatter aboard. At least, I think that's what the readings indicate. Some of this; I've never Goddamned seen anything like it before."

"Which explains why they landed without checking to see who was here." Lucy ran her scanner over another part of the engineering area. As the omnitool compiled the actual makeup of the equipment and machinery she was detecting, Lucy started to put it together in her head. "Unless I'm wrong, I… I think they have a jump drive in here."

"What kind?" Barnes asked.

"Spatial fold," Lucy said. "Just like on the Battlestar _Pegasus_ and the other Colonial ships I've seen."

" _Tom, go ahead and double-check her findings to confirm. Lucy, I'd like you to get up here to the main deck. I want to access their main computer._ "

"Sure." Lucy thought she could hear something in Jarod's voice. A sense that he was close to finding out the solution to a mystery he'd stumbled upon. "I'm on my way." 

* * *

The crew of the _Koenig_ were assembled and ready when Zack stepped onto the bridge. He sat in his command chair and leaned forward. "All launch preparations made?"

"Yes sir," Lt. Magda Navaez, the operations/science officer, said. "Our crew is in place."

"Except for medical," added Creighton Apley, the ship's First Officer and now sporting a black strip with the two gold ones on the rank tab fixed to his collar. Formerly a Lieutenant, Apley had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander following his performance commanding the _Koenig_ at the Battle of New Caprica. "Petty Officer Takihara and her nurses are all we have in the event of a medical emergency. I'd suggest we call up the medbay and see if they can spare one of the staff doctors."

"We're not leaving the system," Zack said, "and this is just a search mission. It shouldn't be a problem."

Apley looked uncomfortable at that decision, but the logic was sound. He nodded and turned back to his station. "Releasing the docking clamps, sir."

"Umbilicals released. We're on our own power now," Magda added.

The _Aurora_ 's support ship dock opened behind them. They backed out carefully under Apley's expert piloting. The viewscreen of the _Koenig_ bridge was soon dominated by a view of the back of the _Aurora_ 's primary hull. The dock doors they had just exited were already closing; above them were the closed doors of the main shuttlebay, with various running lights and open ports at spots on the azure sheened hull of the _Aurora_. The forward tips of the upper warp nacelles began to appear before Apley brought the _Koenig_ 's bow up.

"Cloak the ship," Zack said.

"Aye sir," Magda answered. A few running lights shifted to show the ship was now cloaked. "Cloaking device is running within specs."

"Okay everyone, we're looking for something small. A comm buoy or beacon."

"Left by us?" Lt. April Sherlily asked from the tactical station.

"No. Left by these Aururians," Zack answered. "They say they claimed the system. We're going to see if they're actually telling the truth. Magda, Cat's going to be relaying you the results of her ongoing sensor sweeps. Use those and our sensors to see if you can find anything."

"Will do," she answered.

With his orders given, Zack settled back into his command chair. Now it was up to Magda and Cat to see if anything was out there.

* * *

The main deck of the Aururian ship was what Lucy would expect for a ship of this size. The living quarters were off to one wing, and her progress brought her through what looked to be a kitchen and dining area. She found Jarod waiting in the control bridge of the ship. The crew of the vessel was small, with five control consoles and a central chair. Jarod was at a console to the port side of the bridge. The screen was lit up with a language Lucy didn't recognize. "This is something," Jarod was saying. "There's no written Human language like this in our records."

"So maybe this universe's Earth had a really divergent history?" Lucy proposed. "But they spoke English, right? Maybe there's an English language mode?"

"If there is, I haven't been able to unlock it yet." Jarod went back to tapping on his omnitool. "I'm going to try a remote hack. I need you to monitor the system and tell me when I get in."

"Right." Lucy brought her own omnitool up. She linked it in with Jarod's. "Go."

Jarod started typing on a hardlight keyboard generated by his omnitool, his eyes fixed on a display generated by that same device. Code flashed across the screen in blue light. Lucy's own omnitool showed the system was still not open to them. She waited for a sign of its reaction.

It wasn't her omnitool that made the hairs on her neck stand on their ends, though. Through her life force Lucy sensed something was amiss. She concentrated to see if she could figure out more of what it was that was making her feel this way.

The moment of clarity came. Lucy immediately hit the comm key. "Everyone, _out of the ship now!_ "

Jarod gave her a bewildered look, which grew more bewildered when she grabbed his arm and hauled him from the chair. He stumbled for a moment before finding his footing and following her. "Jarod to _Aurora_ , we may have a situation, beam us up!"

" _Not possible, Commander. The energy shield…_ "

"Then have them turn it off!"

"No time!" Lucy cried.

Barnes met them at the stairwell leading to the engineering spaces. Two of the other officers were already outside when they got to the exit. Everyone ran for the energy shield that isolated the ship.

Everyone but Lucy.

She waited by the exit. She could sense that there was still a life inside. When the Dorei woman emerged from the door, Lucy waited until the straggler had run past her before continuing on. The others waited on the other side of the energy field, calling out to them to hurry.

Lucy, however, already knew it was too late, even before the ship behind her exploded. 

* * *

Julia stepped back out onto the bridge in response to Locarno's summons. "Report," she said, heading for her chair.

"I just picked up an explosion at the Colony spaceport," Caterina said. Julia bit back the impulse to remind Cat that she'd asked Locarno for the report, not her. There would be type for reminding Cat of that later. "It looks like the Aururian ship down there blew up."

Julia leaned her head to the side and rested it in her hand, covering her face with her palm in the process. "Was anyone hurt?"

"We are confirming that the away team's omnitools are still active," Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi answered from Ops. "I shall have the answer…"

Caterina looked up from her station. "I've got a contact on long range sensors, bearing one-four-one mark seven. It's just come into range traveling at Warp 8."

"Can you identify it?" Julia asked.

"The warp signature isn't familiar. I'm checking the data… Subspace spike!" Cat shouted. "Their subspace presence just spiked!"

"What?" Julia looked over at her. "What is it?"

"One moment. I've never seen something like this, not exactly, but it's broadly consistent with spatial fold jump drives, like those used by the Colonies of Kobol and the Cylons," Cat explained. "And it's growing… And I've got a jump signature in-system, thirty thousand kilometers out! Ship jumping in!"

An incredible thought crossed Julia's mind, but it would have to wait. "On screen."

Julia turned to the screen in time for the white flash of light and the appearance of a new, much larger vessel. It was longer than the _Aurora_ , she was sure, a long and somewhat squat shape that looked like it was descended from 20th Century naval warships. It was slightly wider than those often were, but the triple turrets definitely looked the part as they began to track the _Aurora_. The ship was rapidly slowing, dropping out of warp and swinging seamlessly into orbit of the planet.

And the bow had its own armament; two open weapon ports, of the same general look as the one that had been on the _Irresistible_ , and each one noticeably _bigger_ than that ship's had been.

"They jumped in _while at warp_. At Warp 8!" Caterina's voice betrayed her shock at the achievement.

"Code Red!" Julia called out. "All hands, man battlestations!"


	13. Episode 3-03-2 Command Principles

For the second time that day the _Aurora_ 's alert klaxons made their long, electronic tones. Julia kept her eyes on the screen while activating her safety harness. "Prepare for evasive maneuvers. Lieutenant, hail them."

"They are already hailing, Captain," Neyzi said. The Turkish woman's fingers moved over the ops console. "Putting them onscreen."

The viewscreen changed to another bridge. In the background was another holographic map display much like a plotting board. The face that dominated the screen was of a woman who looked anything from her late thirties to forties. Her skin was light brown, with brown hair that looked curly - much like Lucy's - and was pulled back to the rear of her head. Julia thought the severe image was somewhat lightened by the freckles that dotted the woman's cheeks and other parts of her face. " _This is Captain Margrethe von Lohringhoven of Her Imperial Majesty's Ship_ Maya-Mayi. _You are hereby instructed and commanded to immediately return command of the_ Irresistible _to her crew without condition. If you fail to heed, or delay in acting in accordance to this ultimatum, we will necessarily construe this as an act of War against the Imperial Federation and commence hostilities._ "

Julia felt an instinctive bristle at the bald threat. Honor culture or not, it was aggravating to deal with people who seemed to have "threaten" and "open fire" as Steps 1 and 2 of any encounter. She forced that aggravation to remain off her features, keeping her face neutral and her tone reserved. "Captain von Lohringhoven, I am Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ , representing the United Alliance of Systems. Your ultimatum is unnecessary. The _Irresistible_ 's crew is still in control of their ship. Our only personnel aboard her are medical personnel assisting with the wounded under the supervision of my First Officer." As she spoke Julia considered the potential consequence. She had expectations that a medical mission of mercy would not be interfered with. But was it possible the Aururians might seize her people now that they had backup?

While the other woman had a disciplined, even haughty look to her, a flash of surprise registered on her features. Apparently she hadn't been expecting the possibility that the Alliance hadn't seized control of her ship. " _To clarify, you are in acceptance of the_ Irresistible's _return to Imperial service and command? With her colours restored?_ "

Locarno and Angel were both looking toward Julia. They'd gotten the gist of that as well. The Aururian commander wanted the ship recognized as being a lawful combatant if shooting started.

 _Of course, if I don't, the shooting is going to start_ now. With that thought in mind Julia nodded. "Yes, Captain, I am. The _Irresistible_ opened fire first as it was. It is not my intention to fire on your people except out of self-defense of my ship and of the Alliance colonists below us."

Von Lohringhoven nodded. " _Then this first matter may be deemed settled in the present moment. The matter of your vagrant colony within our space must still be addressed. As of now, I am granting your settlement one week to evacuate this system. Any sentients who choose to remain must either swear or affirm an oath of allegiance to Her Imperial Majesty or they will be ejected with force._ "

"And that is our point of contention, Captain," Julia replied. "There is no indication whatsoever that your Imperial Federation has a claim upon this system. Our surveyors marked this system as open space and this settlement was made with that fact in mind. Your own communications officer can confirm there is no signal from a beacon or buoy. There are no markers in the system showing it as your territory. If you have a claim on this system, the Alliance is willing to negotiate the issue. But we will not be bullied."

The Aururian captain looked offscreen for several moments. A look of irritation and surprise crossed her features. " _So it presently appears. I do have your word of honor, as an officer and captain, that your people did not destroy our claim buoy?_ "

"We did nothing of the sort," Julia said. "No claim buoy was ever recorded by our people. If it was destroyed or damaged in some way, the Alliance was not responsible for this act." _And I'd love to know who did, if there was one._

There was a short pause, as Loringhoven regarded her through the screen. " _The Imperial Navy in our persons will commence an immediate investigation into this matter. I caution you, my term and timeline for the removal of the occupiers of the planet below still stands. The Imperial Government has instructed me to commence negotiations on this matter, however, as well as to press upon the issue of the subjects of Her Imperial Majesty your occupation force has seized and imprisoned._ "

"I'll arrange a meeting with Governor Taylor immediately. We can meet on the planet in a neutral location, if you desire."

" _I will select an appropriate venue._ Maya-Mayi _out._ " Her image disappeared from the screen.

* * *

The blast wave from the explosion that gutted the Aururian ship was more than powerful enough to send Lucy and the crewwoman ahead of her flying. It would also likely kill them both by smashing every bone and organ inside of their bodies.

Lucy turned and summoned all of her power. She willed energy into the space between her and the shockwave, just high enough to protect them. She felt the fury of the blast against her will and the energy it was directing. Debris slammed against the invisible shield as well. It took every erg of effort Lucy had to keep her field from collapsing.

This saved her life and that of the straggling crewwoman. The energy field surrounding the ship absorbed the blast and debris. It was visibly weaker afterward. Jarod and Barnes picked themselves up from the ground. "Lucy!" Jarod shouted. He went back into the field where she was standing and looking wobbly. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said. "I just need a moment."

"What the frak happened?!" Barnes demanded. "What did you do?!"

"We were trying to hack into the computer," Jarod said. "It must have triggered an auto-destruct process." The three of them looked to the burning remnants of the ship. "It looks like they really didn't want someone looking through their ship."

A number of figures in green uniforms came running up, pulse rifles slung over their shoulders. "Sir," one of them said. "What just happened? How did that ship get blown up?!"

"A booby trap," Barnes answered. "And we were the Goddamned boobies who set it off."

"Colonel Littleton will want a report."

"He'll get it," Jarod promised. "But first, I need to call our ship." He brought up his omnitool. "Jarod to _Aurora_."

The delay before a response felt a little too long. Enough that Lucy audibly sighed with relief when the reply of "Aurora _here_ " came from Julia. " _Are you all okay? What happened down there?_ "

"I'm afraid trying to examine the ship's computer caused a hidden self-destruct mechanism to activate. If not for Lucy we'd have all been blown up."

" _So the ship's a wreck?_ "

"Completely. Although we did learn some things about their ship design."

" _Standby. We'll beam you back up shortly._ " 

* * *

The quiet of the sickbay on the _Irresistible_ was broken by a call over the ship's PA system. A voice, with inflection and tone indicating it was coming from one of the slender, semi-furred aliens, made a pronouncement in a language neither Leo nor Meridina knew. Their automatic translators also failed to identify the language in question.

It was clear that whatever was announced, those around them took it as good news given the wild cheers from anyone still conscious.

"Should I be worried?" Leo glanced up from a crew member he was removing shrapnel from.

Meridina opened up her mental defenses. She could sense the sentiment rushing around the crew with her inherent mindreading talents. "It would appear another vessel of their fleet just arrived," Meridina stated.

One of the crew overheard her comment and looked up from the bed, smiling with a particular vicious glee. "Iron Margrethe has arrived. Now it will be _your_ vessel that is forced to strike!"

Meridina blinked at that. "You believe this person will force us to open fire?"

"No, she doesn't," Leo said. With the 19th Century lexicon on display his mind had recalled a couple of movies he'd seen over the years set in the time period. "It refers to a ship lowering its flag. In the days of naval warfare on the sea, that was how ships signaled their surrender."

Left unsaid was what would happen to them if the _Aurora_ was forced to withdraw.

Yet again a voice came over the ship intercom, speaking in that same unidentified language. There was again a cheer, if not as great as before.

The vessel's doctor, Surgeon Munissi, stepped up to them. Her coloration was dark, much like Leo's, with a round face and dark brown hair cut short. There was a glimmer of respect in her brown eyes that had not been present before. "A battlecruiser from our fleet has arrived," she clarified to them. "In response to her challenge your Captain has stated our ship may raise our colors."

"We never assumed control of your ship in the first place," Leo pointed out.

"We nonetheless had yielded to you and were honor-bound to Her Majesty to take no action to repair the ship. Now that such is no longer the case, work will commence." Munissi watched Leo finish removing the last piece of shrapnel from the wounded girl on the bed. "I was initially uncertain to your intentions, Doctor Gillam. But I see now that your purpose here was an honorable one. Your assistance saved the lives of many of our girls. I am pleased to see that honor and compassion still exists in Humanity outside of the Empire. You even treat your alien physician with respect."

"Doctor Hreept is new to my medical staff, but he's one of the best. I would never brook disrespect to him."

Meridina allowed Leo to finish his remark before stating, "By your statements it appears the other Humans of this universe treat non-Humans with disrespect. Is this true?"

There was confusion and uncertainty on Munissi's face. "The League is well-known for its exploitation of alien species."

"I see. Our own knowledge of this League is still limited. We have only heard of them through the Trade Consortium." Meridina frowned. "It would appear that their conduct will not meet with the approval of the Alliance."

There was a skepticism evident in the Aururian surgeon at that remark. Whatever her thoughts on it, however, she spoke on another subject. "I have been informed that surgeons from the _Maya-Mayi_ are coming aboard to assist me with the remaining injured. Since there are no more personnel in severe risk thanks to your efforts I can deal with the remaining wounded. It may be for the best if you return to your vessel, with our thanks for your compassion."

Leo took the hint. If things got tense again and they were still aboard, then he and his staff were potential hostages. "Thank you, Doctor," he said to her. "We'll get our equipment together and leave immediately." 

* * *

The command staff was back in the conference lounge within the hour. Through the window outside they could make out the _Maya-Mayi_. The ship was an omnipresent threat given its large and visible weapons.

"Well, this is turning into a real fraking disaster, isn't it?" Barnes grumbled.

"There is still room for discussion to bring agreement," Meridina pointed out. "This need not end in violence."

"True, but it's going to be difficult. They firmly believe this system is rightfully theirs," Jarod said. "And right now they have the advantage with that battlecruiser. It has two of the graviton weapons the first ship used on us."

"Speaking of that…" Julia looked to Scotty. "Any suggestions, Mister Scott?"

"Deflector shields dinnae work very well against gravitons at that level o' concentration, Cap'n," said the veteran engineer. "We wud have t' completely rebuild th' shield systems."

"The weapon is essentially an overcharged, inverted tractor beam," Jarod clarified.

"So there are no countermeasures at all?" Meridina asked.

"Given time, we can reinforce th' ship structurally. Increasin' th' power t' th' structural integrity field wud help, tho' that willnae do much for anythin' or anyone nae bolted down."

"Do what you can. And what did you find out about their ship before it destroyed itself, Jarod?"

"Not much. As you've already learned, they use spatial fold jump drives and warp drives in tandem. Their power generation system combines a fusion torch with heavy shielding with trace amounts of some exotic matter." Jarod tapped a button and brought up the scan results.

"Well, wud ye look at that," said Scotty.

"You've seen this before?" Barnes asked.

"Only on th' drawing board, Tom," Scotty answered. "It's a monopole matter conversion system. It gives ye fusion-based power that can match matter/anti-matter reactors, but without th' risk o' anti-matter fuel sources. But ye need a big ol' particle accelerator, an' I do mean a _big_ one, t' generate the materials tae run th' things."

"Well, that's something else we've learned at least," Julia said. "Anything else?"

"Lucy remained planetside to go over the wreckage of the Aururian ship," Jarod said. "She'll report in whatever she finds."

Julia turned to Leo next. "What about the people the colonists are holding? Did you learn anything more about that organism while you were over there?"

"I was a little occupied," he pointed out, leaning forward slightly. There was slight fatigue visible on his face. "But I made sure our suits' systems were set to record passive scans, including analysis of the ship's atmosphere. What I can tell you is that it's a spongiform that is present in their tissues and bloodstream. There were no indications of it in the atmosphere, and since all but two of the crew we examined had it present in their bodies, I'm inclined to rule out airborne vectors for infection. The most particular item of interest was that our suits' sensors confirmed the presence of a pheromone in the atmosphere of the ship. I've sent our data to Doctor Ke'mani'pala for analysis."

"So there is no risk to the Oakland Colony?" Julia asked.

Leo shook his head. "Not from the spongiform. I'm not sure what the pheromone does, or even if it's related to the spongiform. Doctor Singh and Doctor Opani are going to check on that. But if you ask me, the quarantine can be lifted."

"Returning their people to them will further ease difficulties," Meridina pointed out.

"It still doesn't settle the problem with the Colony," Julia said.

"Well, do we need this one?" asked Locarno. "I'm sure it's an annoyance to the colonists, but there are half a dozen other garden worlds in our claim area, we could simply relocate the Oakland Colony to another planet."

"No, we can't," Julia said. "That much is clear from the material Defense Command provided. The surveyors have confirmed numerous elements and minerals of immense strategic value in Phi Perseus, including cameronite, naqia, and trinium. The Alliance Government is already preparing further facilities to begin mining the system."

"So we need it and they insist it belongs to them." Cat shrugged. "Maybe we can make a deal? I mean, there is no claim beacon or anything. You're supposed to leave those, right?"

"Not every universe has the same system for establishing claims," Jarod noted. "But we would have the superior claim by those standards too, since they usually involve presence and use. And we've got both."

"It was clear to me that Captain von Lohringhoven expected such a buoy to exist," Julia said. "Once she realized it didn't she wanted to know if we were the ones to destroy it."

"I looked through our data on the system. There is no indication of prior claim," Meridina noted.

"So either they screwed up and didn't leave one, or something happened to it," Angel said.

"That's what I've got Zack out looking for," Julia noted. "As for the rest of us, we're staying at Code Yellow until this situation is resolved." Julia checked her omnitool. "Hopefully…"

Before she could finish the sentence a voice came over the intercom. " _Bridge to Conference Lounge_ ," stated Lieutenant Neyzi.

"Andreys here," she replied.

" _The_ Maya-Mayi _has signaled. Captain von Lohringhoven is requesting a meeting with you and Governor Taylor._ "

"When and where?"

" _In one hour. She signaled she would be willing to land in the Colony itself for the meeting on the condition of meeting with the quarantined individuals._ "

"Very well. Send my acceptance of the time and her condition and relay that to Governor Taylor. Andreys out."

"I'd better issue my own report to Doctor Logan," Leo said. "He should release the quarantine once he receives it."

"Which means Captain von Lohringhoven might very well be picking those people up." Julia allowed herself a small grin. "That should make the rest of the negotiations easier. Alright everyone, you're dismissed." 

* * *

Opani approached the wing of the hospital set aside for quarantine cases. A pair of militia guards waved her through on confirmation of her identity. The first set of doors brought her through a specialized forcefield, on the inside of which was an isolated atmosphere. Opani checked her omnitool and activated the atmospheric scanner before going through the next set of doors.

The quarantine sector, by nature, had to have comparisons to a jail. Keeping patients isolated from each other as well as everything else protected them as well, after all, but it meant putting everyone into what were essentially isolated cells, each with its own air circulation system that kept potentially contaminated air from escaping.

The quarantine rooms were more comfortable than cells at least. The beds had proper sheets and were made for comfort and a holo-display was made available for the occupant to watch programs or make comm calls.

Opani looked from cell to cell. According to the patient files, there were six Humans with the spongiform organism and four non-Humans who did not have it. They were paired with each other, every two sharing a room by species as a precaution. As with the crew of the _Irresistible_ they were all female. Opani contemplated what that meant. In the histories of various societies gender segregation was sometimes practiced. The Epamal and Onurtam nations of Dorei were known for having males and females serve in entirely different units of their armed forces, or so Opani had learned in her preparatory school courses when she was a youth nearing adulthood. Did these Humans practice the same?

She walked among the cells, running scans on the air content within. The Human-inhabited cells did, indeed, include the pheromone that Doctor Gillam had detected aboard the _Irresistible_. The scanners found no trace of the spongiform, however, at least not in the air. It occurred to her that if Doctor Logan and his staff had access to the scanning technology they used on the _Aurora_ this entire problem might have been avoided.

"Do you speak the English tongue of the Humans?" a voice asked. "Or the French?"

Opani turned about and faced one of the rooms. The occupant was one of the aliens, with silvery brown skin and dark green hair. Opani approached the forcefield and met the alien's yellow eyes with her own. "I have learned English, yes."

"I have never seen your species before."

"Nor have we seen yours," Opani answered. "I am a Dorei, from a planet we call Doreia."

"I am a Ralsan, born on the planet Venus in the human solar system."

"Venus." Opani vaguely recalled the name. "So you lived beside Humans?"

"Some."

"It was a mere four years ago that we encountered Humans for the first time," Opani answered. "It must have been an interesting experience to grow up among them." As she spoke Opani was mentally compiling the notes she would provide to Doctor Gillam and the others. Even a name for the species with the Human Aururians was potentially valuable. Although her testing was mostly done, Opani decided to linger and converse. "I am Doctor Roliri Opani, assigned to the Alliance _Starship Aurora_."

"Kishala Abrakia," the Ralsan female answered. Opani noticed her yellow eyes dart around the room, as if searching for something. Once she seemed satisfied with her surroundings, her voice lowered. "We may be able to help you."

Opani found that remark curious. She leaned a little closer. One of her ears twitched. "What do you mean?"

"I saw your scar," said Kishala. "I have seen it on other worlds, where the Humans implant trackers into their workers to control their movements. We may be able to help you disable yours and escape."

A wince of anguish briefly crossed Opani's face at the reminder of the old scar at the back of her neck, the remaining blemish to her body that marked her time as a slave. By the end of Kishala's sentence, it gave way to confusion.

"We have done it before," Kishala assured her quietly. "If you come with us, you will be free of the Humans."

"I am free," Opani said. "Yes, I once had a neural override device planted upon my spine, but that was before any of us had met the Humans. The Humans of the Alliance do not enslave other species."

Disappointment flashed across Kishala's face. A flicker of defiance went through her eyes. "The League of the North has often claimed they do not enslave too. But I have seen the labor camps and the fields with my own eyes. I know how the Humans outside of the Imperial Federation treat aliens. Even when they claim you have become equal to them, you are still treated as an inferior."

"Whomever this League is, they are not involved with the Alliance. We are new to this Universe. My people are founders of the Alliance of Systems, along with our long-time allies the Gersallians and the Alakins of Universe A7R6." The surprise and bewilderment on Kishala's face told Opani everything. "Your people, they do not know about the Alliance? Where it comes from?"

"You speak of the Universe as if it were a planet," Kishala said.

"My people learned from the Gersallians of the existence of other universes," Opani explained. "It was knowledge they passed down from an age three thousand years ago, when a species called the Darglan created an interuniversal state based on scientific discovery and the protection of other species and peoples. The Darglan are gone now, but their legacy was discovered by well-meaning Humans, who re-introduced it to the Gersallians."

The other Ralsan in the cell was staring at her as well, now. A glance around the room showed that the other women, Humans as well, were doing the same. One of them, an older woman with a bronzen skin tone, spoke next. "Have they driven you mad, then?"

"I am not mad. It is the truth."

The woman in question showed skepticism in her amber-toned eyes. But the other woman with her, of darker skin tone and a thinner build, placed a hand on her arm. "I sense she believes she speaks truth."

The others looked now to this woman, if they could see her, and their expressions remained skeptical, though they softened slightly.

Opani wanted to continue the conversation. Her intention was interrupted by the light on her omnitool flashing to life. She pressed it. "Opani here."

" _Doctor Opani, have you completed your scans?_ " Doctor Singh asked.

"Yes, Doctor Singh. I have. I was speaking with the patients."

" _Truly?_ " The New Punjabi woman's voice betrayed pleasant surprise. " _I hate to interrupt you, but I would like you to rejoin me. Doctor Logan is expecting us and our findings._ "

"Of course. Opani out." She lowered her forearm and looked back to Kishala. "I must go speak with the lead physician of the Colony. Hopefully our new information will persuade him to undo your curfew. You would be free to rejoin your people."

Kishala nodded. Opani could see the continued bewilderment on her face. She wondered if it was from Kishala believing Opani to be mad… or if she was scared Opani was _not_.

* * *

The port authority had removed the shield inside the hangar now that the vessel was destroyed and, more importantly, no contagion risk was present. A couple of officers and crew were brought down to join her. One, a Human petty officer with a ruddy, Caucasian complexion, brought up another piece. "I'm having trouble getting a material scan on this one, sir."

"Let me." Lucy accepted the twisted piece of material and put it into the materials analyzer she'd brought down. At first nothing showed. She had to change the scanner settings a number of times to get a result. The machine's display soon brought up data for her, data that was intriguing. "It's a scanner-reflective material," she noted. A slight suspicion arose in her mind.

"Lieutenant." The second newcomer was the Falaen officer new to the ship, Ensign Talara, wearing a field uniform that had command/navigation red trim as opposed to Lucy's Operations beige. Her blue eyes were focused on another, larger piece of scrap. This one had the remains of a hinge on it. "My scanners aren't showing anything of this either."

Lucy accepted the scrap from Talara and put it into the analyzer next. Using the same process, she got virtually the same result, save for a layer of material on one side of the piece near the hinge that matched samples from the standard deck plating. Her suspicions intensified. Lucy closed her eyes and reached through her life force, sensing the piece before her and the answer it held.

"Lieutenant, are you…?"

Lucy opened her eyes in response to Talara. "I'm fine. I was just considering what I'm seeing."

Talara nodded in acceptance of the answer. "Do you know why it was blocking our scanners?"

"Scanner-reflective material," Lucy replied. "Even the materials analyzer had trouble with it."

"What do you think it was for?"

"I have some suspicions," Lucy said while her hand went to her omnitool. Once the interface activated she tapped the key to activate her commlink. "Lucero to _Aurora_."

"Aurora _here_ ," Locarno replied.

"I need to speak to Captain Andreys about this wreck. I've found something."

* * *

The main office of the _Aurora_ medbay was set up to Leo's liking. His desk included a group picture of his friends from the days before the Facility and a couple of family photos. His white doctor's lab coat was hanging from a stand near the door, leaving him in the Alliance uniform of black with blue trim color. Three gold slanted strips on his collar marked him as a Commander, although it was a rank he rarely attempted to employ.

The monitor on his office desk activated. " _Singh to Gillam_ ," Dr. Singh's voice said.

"Gillam here." Leo reached down and tapped the key to activate the video component of the call. Dr. Singh and Dr. Opani were present, with Dr. Logan behind them. "Any new developments."

" _We have confirmed the presence of the pheromone as well_ ," Singh said. " _It is only with the Humans in quarantine._ "

"So it's looking like it is a side effect of the spongiform." Leo put his hands together on the desk. "Anything else?"

Opani spoke up." _One of the aliens in quarantine spoke to me_. _Their species is known as Ralsan. They seem to coexist with the Aururian Humans. And they also seem to believe that Humans outside of the Aururian society are exploiting alien species. Because of my scar they believed me to be a slave. They state other Humans from a_ ' _League of the North_ ' _have enslaved other species."_

A small frown crossed Leo's face at that remark. "The Xou!tasam shared information about a Human government called the League of Democratic Worlds. But the package I read indicates basic material. Government type, economic system, import and export figures… either way." He shook his head. "That's for Julia, for Captain Andreys, to handle. From a medical perspective, it looks like these people pose no threat."

" _Agreed_ ," Doctor Logan said, " _I will inform the Governor that I am releasing them from quarantine._ "

"I'm sure the Captain will be happy with that news," Leo said. "She's probably on her way to beam down right now."

Another tone sounded in the office. Leo tapped the blue light his omnitool was showing over the back of his left hand. The omnitool displayed an image of Ke'mani'pala down in Science Lab 3. The Gl'mulli scientist was one of the most unique individuals on the ship. The Gl'mulli were an agendered gelatinous species that resembled gumdrops of cyan or blue coloring. They sensed the universe primarily through electromagnetic field-based senses, communicating with the same. Through simple touch they could, when they desired, exchange genetic information to enable reproduction.

Ke'mani'pala had other communication and sensing options now, of course, with the help of the translation device that she affixed to her body. It was the blue electronic eye of this machine that looked toward Leo on the omnitool screen. " _Doctor Gillam_ ," she said, her voice an electronic warble through her translator. " _I have completed an analysis of the organism samples you provided. It is a most peculiar thing, this spongiform._ "

"What have you learned?" he asked.

" _The organism is fascinating. Clearly it evolved upon your species' planet of origin. But it appears to share some chemical similarities to our cells."_

" _What do you mean, Doctor?_ " Logan asked.

" _The spongiform has a biochemical makeup that makes it possible for them to carry genetic data originating from another being. It can act much in the same way as my own cells do if I make contact with another Gl'mulli._ "

"You mean in reproductive terms," Leo said. "Like how your cells can carry genetic material secreted from another Gl'mulli into the interior of your body, where you merge your material with it to fertilize an embryo."

" _Yes._ "

" _When you say this can do the same thing, does it mean this spongiform could carry Human reproductive material from one body to another?_ " Singh asked.

" _It does appear so_ ," Ke'mani'pala trilled. " _I would like to run laboratory tests to make certain. It will take time to grow a sample batch of the spongiform to conduct such tests._ "

"Let me know when you get any results."

" _You will be the first to know, Doctor Gillam. I will begin the batch immediately._ " Ke'mani'pala disappeared from the screen a moment later.

Certain thoughts were coming to Leo on the matter. The spongiform, the pheromone present wherever those carrying it were gathered, and now this fact. Added together and it could imply certain characteristics. Leo tapped a few keys on his control and brought up a microscopic image of the spongiform. "Just what are you?" he muttered.

* * *

Julia and Meridina appeared in a pair of white bursts of light at the edge of the spaceport. Lucy stepped up to them. "I've got Talara and the others working on the debris still," she said. "We're using the scans to put together a model of the ship."

"You mentioned that they had sensor-reflective material built into their ship," Julia said.

"Right. And one of the pieces I've seen so far definitely had a hinge, or what used to be one."

"Implying a door or hatch," Meridina noted.

"Exactly." Lucy nodded once at her former teacher. "I can't tell you for sure until we finish the reconstruction, but I'm pretty sure it was a smuggler's hold of some kind."

"An interesting possibility," Meridina said. "It may provide us with answers on why the Aururian response has been so assertive."

"Maybe we'll find out soon," Julia said, while the air filled with a loud, electronic roar. A gray-toned shuttle was approaching from the distance at a high speed, coming from an orbital position given its height. As the moments passed the shuttle flew overhead and came back around to a landing. It had atmospheric wings that folded inward as it landed on four landing gear legs. The side of the ship was marked with a roundel of blue and copper color with a very dark purple center.

"Where is Governor Taylor?" Meridina asked.

"Late," was Julia's reply. She felt irritated at that. This was a first contact situation for them, and with all the trouble they'd already seen everything had to be done right. Being late would only make things seem worse.

The rear door of the shuttle opened. Captain von Lohringhoven stepped out in the company of another woman of dark skin tone with what Julia thought to be Southeast Asian features on her face. Their uniforms were white in primary color with blue and black on the trim and the shoulder boards. Gold thread marked the cuffs on the jacket and the bars on the shoulder boards, with fleece around the collars. A pair of figures in suits of light armor followed them out, keeping their rifles at port arms. Lohringhoven stepped up to them and nodded. "Captain Andreys," she stated. "This is my First Officer, Commander Andrianafelana."

"Commander." Julia nodded respectfully in reply. "This is my First Officer, Commander Meridina, and one of my operations officers, Lieutenant Lucilla Lucero."

"I was expecting the governor of the Colony to attend as well."

There was just the slightest hint of anger in Lohringhoven's words. Julia worked to keep her own frustration out of her voice when she said, "So was I, Captain. It appears he was delayed. He may be discussing the release of your people with his medical director. Our examination has shown that the spongiform organism within them is not a health threat to the colony, making the quarantine unnecessary."

"A simple inquiry would have reassured you of this."

"Unfortunately communications between our people have not been the best so far. I hope we can change that now."

Any further conversation was not to be. A black and silver aircar pulled up toward them. It was not a completely high end model, but it was nice-enough looking to indicate it was the Governor's car.

The rear door opened and Governor Taylor slipped out of the seat. There was a look on his face that Julia thought to be somber. Very somber. He looked back to the vehicle.

The figure that emerged was not Human. It wasn't even bipedal. She watched a creature of yellow and orange and reddish hues slip out of the craft. The alien stood to only about one hundred and fifty centimeters in height, while in width its wide limbs gave it a wider profile than most Humanoids. One of its five arms remained up, showing what Julia were certain was a cluster of eyes. It moved forward with the four other limbs to remain in step with Taylor. When they were within five meters they stopped and the alien raised itself so that its other two limbs were free. An electronic device was attached to the centerpoint of its body.

Given the look, Julia was certain of the being's species, but it was Governor Taylor who made the introduction. "I am sorry for my tardiness," he said. "Sub-Consul Tio!sat!ny intercepted me on my way out and insisted on accompanying me to this meeting."

"It is certainly no great surprise to see a representative of the Trading Consortium present," Lohringhoven said. Despite the diplomatic formality in her tone there was a certain distaste evident in the Aururian captain's expression. Commander Andrianafelana was unable to even hide it. "As always, the Xou!tasam are quite swift to seize the main chance."

"Captain Lohringhoven." The voice was an electronic one that sounded over an incomprehensible series of sounds that issued from the center of the being's form. "Your reputation precedes you, 'Iron Margrethe'. Given what we have learned, I am not surprised that your Empire has dispatched you to this place."

"Sub-Consul, this is Captain Julia Andreys of the _Starship Aurora_ ," Taylor said, gesturing to Julia. "And two of her officers."

"My pleasure, Captain Andreys. Your defense of this colony was most appreciated."

Julia kept her hands to her side. "It was my duty to protect my people, Sub-Consul." She leveled a look toward Taylor. "Are you inviting the Trading Consortium to these talks, Governor?'

"We have a complication," Taylor said. "I thought the Sub-Consul should be present to explain it." He looked down at the starfish-like alien. Julia could see he was not entirely happy either. He had the look of a man resigned to something nasty happening, something beyond his power.

"The Governor, in his attempt to identify the Aururian subjects who arrived on this world, provided me with images of the quarantined figures."

"Did you know about the spongiform's lack of airborne survivability?" Julia asked. Left unsaid was the obvious consequence of such: that they could have handled the people in quarantine already if they had been told.

"I am no biologist. I know nothing of how this organism functions, merely that it has divided the Human species into two parts," Tio!sat!ny answered. "I could give no assurances to the good Governor, as much as I wish I could."

"That still does not explain your presence, Sub-Consul," Lohringhoven remarked. Her tone was distant and cold. Julia's heart fell at the suspicion she saw in the Aururian officers' eyes.

"I provided the images to my superiors on Jao!senat to assist our trading partners in the Alliance," the Xou!tasam explained. "They reported to me that the figures in question are gun smugglers wanted in the Trade Consortium on numerous charges related to their activities."

The look on the Aururians' faces could have chilled a star into ice, Julia thought.

Taylor picked up from here. His tone was almost apologetic. "The warrants from the Consortium were provided to me just now. They are legitimate. And under the terms of our treaties with the Consortium, I am required to keep these individuals in custody until they can be lawfully extradited to the Consortium."

"An interesting approach, Captain Andreys," Lohringhoven stated, looking to Julia instead of Taylor. She didn't hide the smoldering disgust in her eyes. "You request my presence for a parley, assure me of access to the party taken by your squatters, and now I am told they are to be imprisoned until handed over to the friends of the Northern League."

"The Captain knew nothing of this," Taylor stated. "We're as surprised as you."

Lohringhoven glared to him next. "You have seven days, Governor, starting _now_. At that time, any in this system who refuse to swear oaths of allegiance to Her Imperial Majesty will be forced to leave. I expect our people to be returned at that time as well, without any injury to their bodies, minds, or honor, on penalty of immediate arrest of you and all other members of the leadership of this colony. Additionally, if any vessel of the Consortium, Alliance, or League attempts to remove our subjects from this world, I will commence fire upon them _immediately._ "

Before Julia could speak, Taylor spoke up. "Your people have no claim here," he said. "There is no claim beacon, no buoy, no settlement. We colonized this world. It is ours by right. We'll fight to keep it."

The tone he got in reply went beyond icy. "A sentiment we have heard before, from rapacious butchers of innocent starfarers, before we drove their broken remnants before us. If it is war you want, then by all means, maintain your pigheaded foolhardiness. War and defeat you _will_ then have."

Lohringhoven turned on her heel. Her First Officer did the same, and the two of them marched back to their shuttle without another word.

As the craft lifted off, Julia and Meridina exchanged worried glances. "Damn," Julia muttered. She brought her left forearm up and activated her omnitool. Her finger tapped the key on the blue hardlight to open comms. "Andreys to _Aurora_."

" _Yes sir?_ " answered Locarno.

"Get me Admiral Maran on IU radio," she said. "We might have a war on our hands out here."


	14. Episode 3-03-3 Command Principles

Upon their return to the _Aurora_ Julia called an immediate staff meeting. It was 2040 hours when everyone re-assembled in the conference lounge off of the bridge. Admiral Maran's call came just as the meeting was set to commence.

Now the Gersallian admiral was seen by all on the wall monitor behind Julia's seat. " _I have taken the time to check your reports_ ," he said. " _If there is one thing clear from them, we know too little about A2M6_."

"We've been in this universe for a year, why don't we know about these people?" Locarno asked. It was a pointed question.

" _I believe we have relied too much upon the Xou!tasam to provide information. It is increasingly clear they had their own agenda in explaining what was going on in local spaces_ ," Maran answered.

To this Meridina responded, "Perhaps they worried that we would withdraw from A2M6 and deprive them of a new trading partner?"

" _Whatever their motives, we need more information. And we cannot rely upon the Consortium as a source._ "

"Well, we have learned a few things about the Aururians," Julia said. "They have something like an honor culture. They're willing to fight at the drop of a hat to make a point. They seem to practice some form of gender segregation in their armed forces. Most of them also seem to carry some form of spongiform parasite in their bodies, which gives off a pheromone that we still haven't figured out."

"Doctor Ke'mani'pala is growing a batch sample of the spongiform to run further tests on it," Leo said. "Her analysis of the organism indicates it may be capable of interacting with the reproductive material of other species."

" _In what way, Doctor_?"

"We're not sure yet, Admiral," Leo answered. "I'll ask her to issue a report as the data becomes available."

"The Xou!tasam delegate has stated this organism has divided Humanity into two parts," Meridina said. "Infected and non-infected. If the Aururians represent the infected portion of Humanity, it has clearly altered their culture in ways we may not understand."

"And there's still a lot we don't know," Jarod pointed out. "I'm still trying to figure out where their language comes from. I'm running it through a database of Earth languages now to see if we can find any words in common."

"Discovery is all nice stuff," Angel interjected, "but I'm more worried about the fact that these people want to start shooting us. Over some damned gun runners."

"Well, how do we know they are?" Cat asked. "Maybe the Xou!tasam are wrong?"

"Lieutenant Lucero did discover indications that the ship had spaces shielded from scanning systems," Meridina said. "And it would explain their refusal to speak with local authorities."

" _Then the question is, why would the Aururians be willing to provoke a war over these people?_ "

"The principle of the matter," Julia murmured to herself, although the others heard it. "They're an honor culture and look to be distrustful of outsiders. Letting us take over what they honestly believe as their territory is a loss of honor and respect. Letting us do that while we hand over some of their people to an alien power? That's got to be even worse."

" _And you believe she is sincere about starting a war if we resist?_ "

"Completely, Admiral," Julia said.

"Yes. I could sense that." Meridina looked to Julia. "But I also sense there is more to these reported gun smugglers than was apparent. The feelings of Captain Lohringhoven and Commander Andrianafelana indicate to me that they know what this group has been doing."

"The Sub-Consul may also know more," Julia noted. "He called Lohringhoven 'Iron Margrethe'."

"Just as the crew of the _Irresistible_ did," Meridina added.

Leo leaned forward in his seat. "There's also the possibility of talking to these smugglers directly."

"They do not seem to be very cooperative," Meridina noted.

"Because we have the wrong people asking them questions," Leo said. "They spoke to Doctor Opani."

"What did they say?" Julia asked.

"They offered to bring her with them. To 'free' her from us. They think we've enslaved her." Leo frowned at this point. The implications for this perception were not pleasing to him.

"If they are criminals, they might just be trying to manipulate someone they feel is vulnerable," Locarno warned.

"It's worth a shot though, right?" This question was from Cat. "There's still so much we don't know about them. Maybe this is a chance to find out more?"

" _Lieutenant Delgado is correct_ , _and it is an opportunity we need to take_." Admiral Maran looked offscreen for a moment. " _I must brief the President and Senator Sriroj now. I will convey your findings. Find out anything more that you can and relay it to me immediately._ "

"And what do we do about that battlecruiser?"

" _I've ordered ships to the area. We can't send many without undermining our offensive against the Nazi Reich, but we should be able to protect our colonies in the area from anything short of a full-scale offensive. Expect reinforcements to arrive soon. In the meantime, find out what you can about these people and this situation with these supposed smugglers. Resume talks if you can. But I can tell you this; we_ need _the resources in Phi Perseus for the war, Captain. We cannot trade away our control of that system._ "

"I understand, Admiral," Julia replied. "Maybe we can find a way to satisfy the Aururians."

" _I'll leave that in your hands. Maran out._ "

Once Maran disappeared from the screen Julia looked to the others. "I know it's late for us. I want everyone to get some rest. Things are only going to get more stressful here has time passes and we need the energy to deal with it. First thing tomorrow morning, we're going back down to the planet. I want some answers." 

* * *

It was coming to the end of the day for Zack and his command officers. Their search pattern had turned up nothing so far. Given the mind-boggling volumes involved when it comes to space, he couldn't be too surprised at that.

"Magda, anything new from Phi Perseus 4?" he asked.

Magda checked her instruments before shaking her head. "That second ship is still in orbit. No change to their status."

"Alright." Noticing that the Gamma Shift officers were all on the bridge, Zack stood from his chair. "Well everyone, let's get some rest. Ensign Driik, you have the bridge."

"Yes sir," said the Alakin officer, who took the command chair.

In one group the bridge crew made their way to the lift. "Deck 1," Zack said. The lift set into motion.

"Do you think we'll have any luck finding something tomorrow?" Sherlily asked. "Because this feels like we're looking for a micrometeorite in an asteroid belt."

"What we're looking for may not exist," Magda reminded her. "It could all be some lie by these Aururians."

"Yeah. And they're not exactly winning any personality contests," Sherlily added. The lift stopped and the door opened, but for the moment nobody moved. "I'm surprised Captain Andreys didn't turn us loose on them. If they'd had two targets instead of one, that graviton weapon wouldn't have done them any good."

"Julia's trying to avoid a war." Zack gestured toward the open door. "And I think she did the right thing holding us back."

"From a pragmatic perspective, certainly," Apley said. "But maybe that petty officer would still be alive if she hadn't."

Zack had no reply to that. Nor did anyone else. The four officers split up and headed to their personal quarters. With great pleasure Zack went to his personal shower, the only water-using shower on the entire ship.

When he stepped out, he went to his desk across from the bunk he slept in. It was just a small unit and he vastly preferred writing his reports and doing paperwork from his office on the bridge deck which, being the same size as his quarters, was a more comfortable place to work in. But his purpose wasn't work this time. It was thought.

The boredom of their task had a bad side to it. With nothing to do but wait for any discovery of a beacon or probe, Zack had plenty of time to think. Thinking inevitably led to thinking about Clara, and then the gaping metaphorical hole in his heart would assert itself. The pain of losing Clara wasn't going away with time. He thought it never would. He would always be tormented by the "what if?"s of that horrible day. What if he hadn't gone with Anders but stayed behind? What if Clara had just gone to shelter like he'd hoped she could? What if he had never caused her to consider coming out into space in the first place?

What if? What if? _What if?_

The thoughts made him feel the need to not think. Not thinking was hard. But he knew it was the only way to escape the pain, even temporarily.

And that there was one sure-fire way to do it.

Zack reached into his duffel bag and pulled out the fresh bottle of tequila. He'd brought it from his stash hidden in his quarters on the _Aurora_ by slipping it into the bottom of the bag, along with a plastic tumbler. He looked it over and grimaced. It was one thing to drink on the _Aurora_. What if there was an emergency during the shift and he had to wake up to deal with it? There would be no time for Niltox then.

"Just a nightcap," he said. "That's all I'm doing. It's all I'll need." He poured a shot's worth of the tequila into the tumbler and took the drink in a gulp. He set the tumbler back down on the desk and looked to the bottle. He picked it and the cap up.

To his surprise, Zack found his hand shaking. An impulse surged within him. He wanted another drink. To really help him with staying asleep. Just one more drink…

A snarl came to Zack's face as he forced the stopper back into the top of the bottle. "No," he said. "One's enough. It's all I'll need. I can't do more out here. Not out here." After repeating this mantra to himself Zack moved from his small chair to his bunk and laid back. He let his tired eyes close and soon drifted off into sleep. 

* * *

Lucy's head hit the pillow with an expectation of continued hard work the next day. She drifted off into sleep peacefully enough.

A sense of quiet anxiety awakened her. Black strands of curly dark hair hung over her eyes when she opened them. She brushed her hair out of the way and turned in her bed. The sense of anxiety just wouldn't go away.

After an exasperated huff through her lungs Lucy slipped out of bed and walked to the foot of her bed. She sat on the floor, legs crossed together, and laid her hands on her knees. She felt inward for the warm, comforting energy inside of her, and through that to the universe as a whole. Thanks to the twenty months of training Lucy could feel the Flow of Life anywhere, even here on a ship of just two thousand living beings. She felt Meridina's presence easily enough, indicating Meridina was also awake and meditating. She sensed others on the ship as well, small embers of those who had the potential to learn how to use life-energy.

Beyond the ship she sensed other lives. The thousands of lives on the Aururian ships and those on the planet below. She felt their fears and doubts and hopes, just as she felt those on the _Aurora_. And there was grief too, grief for loss, coming from the smaller vessel.

Lucy felt her senses drawn to the planet, however. There, in the Colony, she felt another presence. A glow in the Force of Life. It could only be another sensitive with developed talents. She focused on that presence out of curiosity. _Who are you?_ she wondered in her thoughts.

The thought was echoed. At first Lucy thought she did it, or Meridina, but when it came through again, Lucy felt the presence on the planet in the thought. _Sister? Yhi be thanked, I am not alone!_

"Yhi?" Lucy murmured softly, confused. "Who is Yhi?"

Her thoughts echoed her words. The other presence felt them and recoiled. _You are not one of us_.

 _Who are you?_ was Lucy's reply.

But there was no answer.

What did come was a foreboding feeling in Lucy's being. Her power quivered at the feeling. Glimpses of carnage went through her mind. Human and alien bodies, dead, surrounded by armored figures. Ships blowing each other apart. A sense of imminent danger with a terrible outcome.

Banishing these images pulled Lucy from her meditation. She sat alone on her floor for a moment. A thin layer of sweat was causing her sleeping gown to cling to her skin in numerous places. What had those visions been about? Was she sensing the future? A possible future?

A sudden yawn that evaded all control reminded her that she needed more sleep. She would try, but first she wanted to get started on a search. She went to her computer desk and activated the system. "Computer, I'd like a full library scan for the term 'Yhi'. Collect the results for me to read in the morning."

" _Acknowledged. Beginning search._ "

With that handled, Lucy returned to bed. 

* * *

At 0800 hours the command officers came together again. A second smaller table carried breakfast pastries and coffee for their breakfast, courtesy of Hargert.

Lucy stepped through the door from the bridge. Her presence was not expected. She noticed some of the others looking toward her. Julia was not, at least not until she finished her coffee. "Lieutenant?" It was only one word but definitely a question. The unspoken "What are you doing here?" hung in the air.

There was a small part of Lucy that bristled at it, too.

"I asked her to attend," Meridina stated. "Last night we were meditating when we felt a presence."

"A… presence?" This was from Major Anders.

"In the Flow of Life, Major," Meridina clarified. "It came from the Oakland Colony. I believe it was one of the captive Aururians."

"One of them has life-force powers, you mean," Cat said.

"Developed, yes. But I am unsure as to which."

"I heard her - I'm sure it was a her - say a name," Lucy added. "Yhi."

"I think I've heard that name before, some Aboriginal deity or heroine?" Richmond asked. Her Australian accent was enough to make it clear what 'Aboriginal' group she was talking about. "Somewhere near the east coast, I think."

"That was one of the results the computer gave me when I ordered a search," Lucy said.

"Are there any of these 'aboriginals' among the Colony settlers?" Meridina asked. "To eliminate the chance she is merely a resident discovering her _swevyra_ 's potential?"

Jarod tapped a couple of keys on his omnitool and shook his head. "None declared as having Aboriginal origins. Although even if you're right, this isn't entirely conclusive about their culture and society. This could be a particular person's belief."

"It would lend itself further to the argument that this Earth had a divergent history," Richmond said. "The Aboriginals are a very small minority in most universes."

"It's something to look into…"

The door slid open again, causing Jarod to let his statement end there. This time the new arrival was Doctor Opani. Leo raised his hand and Julia nodded. "Welcome, Doctor. Hargert made some _seemai_ strips for you," she said.

The Dorei woman nodded and, with some gratitude, went for the dark green-colored strips of fruit matter that were on the table.

"There was nothing new during the night," Julia said. "Governor Taylor decided to keep the Aururians where they are at the hospital instead of moving them to the Colony's jail."

"Smart. Moving them only increases the risk of something going wrong," Richmond observed.

"We're down to six days left before Lohringhoven's ultimatum expires. We need to start making progress. Which means we need to learn more about these people."

"I don't think it'll help," Angel said, her arms crossed. "That woman wants a fight if you ask me. And let's face it, if we get reinforcements things might happen early."

"I still don't see any." Locarno looked at Julia after setting down his coffee. "Did he give you a timetable?"

"He didn't." Julia turned her attention to Angel. "And you might be right. But we need to know for sure."

Cat spoke up next. "Well, why don't we just have Doctor Opani talk to them?"

"I can try," Opani agreed.

"Alright. Lieutenant Lucero will join you. Commander Meridina and I will go see Sub-Consul Tio!sat!ny." Julia moved to the next order of business. "Mister Scott, Mister Barnes, have you made any progress for finding ways to resist their graviton weapon?"

Scotty shook his head. "Nae as much as we'd like, Cap'n. Th' best we've managed is tae shore up structural integrity with forcefields. They cannae last long, but it should buy us extra time in a fight."

"It's a step in the right direction at least." Julia stood from her seat. "Alright, you're all dismissed. Although I would like to speak to Lieutenant Lucero privately."

There were nods from some of the others. Everyone stood and departed except Lucy, who kept her blue eyes fixed on Julia. Once everyone was out of the room Julia met her eyes and said, "I don't need life-force sensing to know something is bothering you, Lucy."

The fact that something was bothering her was something of a surprise to Lucy as well. But hearing Julia address her by her first name, as if they were two friends, helped to crystallize what it was. "I know I'm not always attending staff meetings," Lucy said. "But whenever I did before, the most response I would get from Robert would be a smile and a nod, maybe a 'Good morning, Lucy', but nothing like that 'Lieutenant' remark. And I certainly wouldn't have felt like I wasn't wanted here."

Julia remained silent while Lucy laid out her complaint. When Lucy finished Julia nodded at her. "Fair enough. And you're right. Rob would've just nodded and said 'Hey' and that would be it. That's how he did things."

"But not you."

"Things are different now, Lucy." Julia leaned forward in her chair. "I mean, Meridina's my first officer now, and Kane's gone. We've got two new command staff officers who need some time to adjust. Being reminded that they're the outsiders in a group of long-time school buddies and friends isn't going to help. And when it comes down to it, you're not on the command staff. You didn't want to be, as I recall."

"No, I didn't," Lucy agreed. "But I never imagined it would mean feeling unwelcome in here. And you seem to be fine letting Tom attend, even if he's only the _Assistant_ Chief Engineer."

"He's also a regular bridge officer and Scotty has made it clear he wants Tom in the meetings."

"So what, I should ask Jarod to do the same?"

"If you want," Julia said. "I doubt Jarod will have any problems inviting you, if you want to attend more staff meetings."

"The important part is I never thought I'd had to ask." The heat in Lucy's voice stopped just shy of an outburst. "And this isn't just for Richmond and Anders. You've always been the one pushing for military formality here."

"Well, we are in a military," Julia pointed out. Lucy sensed that Julia's aggravation was starting to rise. "You knew it would be like this when we joined up."

"I didn't know it would turn you into this." Lucy frowned. "I signed up because I believed in what we were doing, and I wanted to continue to work with you. I know I'm not in the inner circle, I never was, but I still felt like we were a team. That we were working together. I never imagined you'd push me out and make me just another officer on your crew."

"You're not just another officer, Lucy," Julia protested. "But you're not a department head, you're not a member of the senior staff. Honestly, you're not even a full-time operations officer anymore. You used to be a pilot on top of those duties, but now you're doing this 'white knight' life-force magic more than anything else. I honestly don't know _where_ to put you on the ship's roster anymore."

"What I do isn't the point!" Lucy leaned toward her now. Her voice went up. "The point is that I think that after everything we've gone through, everything we've seen, I deserve better than being treated like an interloper."

Julia let out a sigh. How could she make Lucy understand her position? That as the Captain of the ship, she had to make sure everything was running well. She had to show her crew that she was in command and they could trust her. And that included not playing favorites. Maybe Richmond or even Anders would understand if she let Lucy slide, but how would the other officers at Lucy's rank feel at such favoritism? How would that affect crew morale?

Lucy's expression softened slightly. "Yes, I get it," she sighed. "But consider how I feel about it."

"I do." There was a little weariness in Julia's voice. Not from fatigue, at least mostly not, but a weariness of emotion. "Lucy, you've saved our lives before. You've saved Robert's life how many times, and I hope you understand when I say that he means more to me than anyone else in the world, so I owe you a lot on that score. I don't want you to feel like I don't value you, or that I don't care what you have to say. I just… I have duties. And there are ways things have to be done." A quiet little sigh came from her. "I'll talk to Jarod and Meridina about your place in the staff. So this doesn't happen again."

"Right." Lucy rubbed at her forehead. "I'm sorry if I… I just… everything's so different now. And I let that get to me. Even after passing all of those Trials, learning all of that emotional control… what does it say about me that I let a little thing like that bother me?"

A small grin appeared on Julia's face, providing a reprieve to the severity that had been there before. "You're still Human," Julia said. "And whatever those Trials were meant to show, anyone would hate not being recognized for what they've done." Julia's hands came up and lightly smacked the table. "Alright, we've had a nice heart to heart, but we've got work to do if we're going to stop a war."

Lucy's response was her own smile as she stood as well. 

* * *

The Sub-Consulate of the Trading Consortium was not beside the Government Building, as Julia had imagined. As it turned out, Tio!sat!ny and his staff were in a warehouse and commercial structure near the small spaceport. Julia and Meridina materialized in front of the two-story structure in twin bursts of white light. Meridina glanced around at the colony, which was only now entering its morning hours with the dawn providing rays of yellow-tinted light over the remaining lighting of the Colony.

New Liberty and New Caprica had been roughly similar in layout, if not in building aesthetics, but Oakland Colony was nothing like them. Two ten story structures dominated the commercial district of the Colony. The name "New Horizons" was emblazoned on both. The two women recalled the name from the briefing material: New Horizons was the name of the Earth Confederacy company that had won the contracts to settle the planet and develop its resources.

"You'd think the Consortium considered proximity to the company more important than the actual government," Julia noted.

"For a society based upon trading and business, it does make quite a lot of sense," Meridina stated.

The two approached the door and knocked. The being who answered was a quadruped of about a hundred and sixty centimeters height. They couldn't tell gender for the six-eyed alien, with leathery skin of beige tone and copper-colored hair covering its head. A three-slitted area seemed to be its nose. When it spoke, a mechanical voice sounded over the sounds coming from its mouth. "Greetings. I am Rant'sesh-kat, the secretary for the Sub-Consulate. Sub-Consul Tio!sat!ny anticipated your arrival."

Julia and Meridina didn't exchange the look they both felt to be forming. They were escorted into a waiting area that had chairs made to accommodate multiple species. Two looked made specifically for Xou!tasam. Another looked more like a tub than a chair, and another like a half-open sleeping bag. There were four chairs that could fit bipeds. The secretary directed them to two and walked away.

"How many species are in the Consortium?" Julia wondered aloud.

"It would appear to have quite a few. Although the Xou!tasam seem the major force behind this government."

The far door slid open. Tio!sat!ny walked out on four of his legs. "Ah, Captain Andreys," he stated through his vocoder. "I am grateful to see you."

"Thank you for your time, Sub-Consul," she answered. "My First Officer and I have some questions regarding the Aururians. There is still a lot we don't know about them."

"I have sent communiques to my superiors requesting more information on them. For your benefit," the starfish-shaped alien assured them.

"While we wait, is there anything else you can share with us?" Meridina asked. "The reason for these charges against the Aururians quarantined here, for instance."

"Oh, that is all in the warrant, Commander. They have been identified by the Consortium and our trading partners in the League of Democratic Worlds as smugglers arming terrorist groups in our spaces."

"Are your people willing to fight a war to get these smugglers?" Julia asked. "Because that seems to be the likely outcome."

Tio!sat!ny made a low sound from what passed as its mouth. The vocoder couldn't translate it. Julia got the feeling it was chuckling. "The Aururians are not mindless aggressors, Captain, although they are expansionist. Whatever Iron Margrethe says, they know the galaxy will turn on them if they launch another war of aggression. Just as happened the last time."

Julia felt a sense of disbelief from Meridina. She said nothing, presuming Meridina would share later, opting instead to ask, "Captain Lohringhoven seems to have a reputation. Where did she get it?"

"In the last war, she commanded a light vessel. Her craft was escorting a convoy when Coalition forces attacked. Despite her numerical disadvantage-a frigate against three light cruisers-she kept fighting, causing the near loss of her ship but allowing time for the convoy to jump to safety. I am told by many that it was an impressive martial achievement." Tio!sat!ny made what seemed to be a disapproving noise. "I have little need for such actions myself, Captain. I consider military conflict a waste of resources and time. It is my earnest hope that your Alliance will permanently tilt the balance against them and compel them to remain at peace."

 _Unlikely_ was Julia's thought to that. The war made something like that impossible.

"Do you know why all their ships so far have had female crews?" Meridina inquired.

"It is something cultural, I believe. Honestly, Captain, you had best wait for the information packet. My experience with your species is limited."

Both took that to mean Tio!sat!ny had nothing more to say on the subject. Julia stood up. "Well, we will be on our way then," she said. "Thank you for your assistance, Sub-Consul."

"I am always pleased to help our trading partners," the Consortium representative answered.

Julia and Meridina walked out together. One she felt assured they were far enough away to not be heard, Julia turned her head to face Meridina. "You think he was lying?"

"Not a conscious lie," Meridina said. "Tio!sat!ny wants to believe the Aururians will be easily checked. But deep within his essence, doubt gnaws at him. What I could gather is that the powers in this place are all hastening their pace of armament. And he seems to fear the Aururians are winning the arms race."

"Let's pass that on, then." Julia tapped her omnitool. "And while we're at it, I'm arranging our transport to the Government Building. I have things I want to discuss with Taylor." 

* * *

The lifting of the quarantine had changed things in the quarantine ward at the hospital. Opani noticed extra guards at the entrance, two militia and two wearing police uniforms. For a moment she wondered if they would refuse her access. The guards did visibly tense up at the approach of the two _Aurora_ officers. One held up his forearm, showing he was wearing a multidevice instead of an omnitool. After images appeared on the screen he nodded. "Lieutenant, Doctor. You're clear to enter."

"Thank you," Opani said. She led Lucy to the door. This time there was no need to prep to go inside. They went through the next set of doors immediately and entered the ward. Now there were militia guards inside as well, both Human. Opani could see the assembled prisoners - now truly prisoners - were looking around warily. Were they contemplating escape?

Either way, she wanted to talk, and so she returned to Kishala's room. The Ralsan looked at her through the forcefield. "Why have you come?" she asked. Her voice betrayed her irritation with the situation, and perhaps a little instinctive fear. "We have been told we are being handed over to the League."

Lucy looked to Opani and sent a thought toward her. _I don't know if they'll talk to me. They know you. Let me get you some privacy_. She turned back and walked to the guards. "The Doctor will need some time alone with them."

"Lieutenant, we have orders to remain," one of the militia replied. "They're considered an escape risk."

"And if they try, they'll have to come through this room anyway," Lucy answered, indicating the airlock chamber.

The two looked at each other. They were both enlisted ranks. Lucy was an officer. Their training was to obey officers. Of course, that training was to obey _their_ officers. Lucy restrained the sigh that wanted to come out. The last thing she wanted to do was try and use the mental trickery that Meridina had taught her. It was the sort of thing that could only cause trouble if Admiral Davies and his supporters learned about it.

Just as she gathered her will to do it, the guards opted to obey the officer in front of them and stepped back through the door. Lucy joined them. She nodded to Opani before letting the door close behind her.

Kishala and her compatriots all noticed. Kishala looked to Opani with suspicion. "What are you doing?" she asked Opani.

"I wanted to talk with you some more," Opani said. "To learn about your people. The Alliance still knows very little about you."

"I see." The suspicious look did not go away. "You will conceive that we are not inclined towards being in a trusting mood, I hope? Your people are intending and preparing to hand us over to the League and to our deaths or enslavement."

"The League?" Opani shook her head, bewildered by the accusation. "We have no agreement with them. The Consortium say they have charges against you for gun smuggling. We have a treaty with them…"

"The Consortium care naught for any principle but their trading business," another voice barked angrily. Opani turned to see the origin of the voice, one of the cells with Human women. A woman with an ebon shade of skin, one of the darkest complexions she'd seen in a Human, was glaring toward her through the forcefield. "They care little for how the League pays for their goods, or provides the materials they desire. This is no different. The Xou!tasam are playing the League's agent in this affair."

"You mean to say that they have no legitimate charge against you?" Opani looked from this woman to Kishala. "If this is true, I must know what is going on. I can inform my Captain and she can intervene."

"Would she, this Captain of yours? Presumably a _Human_ captain?" Kishala asked.

"Yes, Captain Andreys would," Opani said. She met the yellow eyes of the Ralsan with her own. The light teal color sparkled with intensity. "She and the officers of the _Aurora_ are not like your foes. Her only purpose here is to avoid war, which is why we seek to know more about your people."

"To avoid war, she needs to acknowledge the righteousness of the Imperial position. Failing to do such a simple thing has caused all the previous wars." The dark-skinned woman from before spoke up, a hint of a crack of command in her voice.

Opani turned to face the other woman. "And what is your position?"

"The system is rightfully ours. It was surveyed and claimed eleven years ago. We landed here believing this was a colony of the Empire. That we are being held illegally, and that _perhaps_ you should not blindly listen to the Xou!tasam and League unless you wish to meet the Grand Fleet. They certainly would appreciate another to ignorantly bleed for the sake of their profits and masses of slaves." Each sentence was spoken hotly, falling like bits of molten metal as she bit each one off.

There was a soft cough from another of the group there, curly blonde haired above freckled dark brown skin. "Kat, you go too far."

Her rebuke was gentle, but the tone behind it admitted no argument, and surprisingly, the other woman bent her head. "Forgive me, you have my profuse and profound apologies, Sister. I request your forgiveness as well, Doctor. It was unbefitting to speak in such a baldly aggressive manner with one such as yourself."

The interplay was one Opani found interesting. The third speaker clearly held some sort of weight among them. "Your apology is accepted," Opani said. As she spoke she found that her left hand had drifted to the back of her neck, where a sliver of lighter teal skin marked the scar that remained of her own brush with slavery. "Passion is easy on the subject of slavery. But you are telling me the Xou!tasam practice it? Or just this League you speak of?"

"The League cloaks such an unpleasant and revolting truth in a bodyguard of lies, Doctor." The woman referred to as 'Kat' replied to her, folding her hands on her lap before herself, earnest-seeming, at least. "They say they seek to 'civilize', that they have a mission to benevolently 'uplift' other species… but if they did, why would so much of the Imperial mosaic be made up of those who had been freed from their chains? The Xou!tasam, they are a difficult race of sentients to truly understand, I must fear. Their slavery may be hidden in language of debt, and indenture, but it is no less real. That they keep company and loose alliance with the League should be enough to condemn them, by the principle that one may be known by the friends you keep."  
Opani wondered about that. Had the Alliance, in its haste to find new resources for the war with the Reich, overlooked something vile about the Trading Consortium? Had they failed to properly investigate this universe before making their pacts and treaties, like some overeager Daxai merchant looking to make a larger profit on a deal? She had no doubt that the Alliance was not in favor of such vile practices. Especially not when millions were already dead fighting a regime that thrived on slavery and extermination.

 _Unless some are. The Alliance is not perfect. There are people on Doreia who would overlook such behavior if there was need enough, or gain enough_. _The Humans are certainly not immune_.

The problem was going to be proof. The word of these people alone wouldn't be enough. She needed evidence of some kind. And more than that, she needed to know more about them. That was her mission from Captain Andreys, after all.

Another thought came to Opani. Kishala's careful whispers to her the previous day, the charges against them… they all seemed to point toward one possibility. One that might be quite important. "You bring guns to those fighting this League, do you not?" Opani asked. "That is the foundation of the charges against you."

The initial reply was silence. Opani sighed at that. "You do not trust me. I believe I understand. But you have to understand our position. The Alliance came to this system looking for the resources to continue fighting a war in another universe against a horrible evil, a Human regime known as the Nazi Reich. Surely you must understand that since we are already in one war, we would never have risked conflict with any local empire over territory. Not even for a system as rich in mineral wealth as this one. We settled this place because we found no sign of another claimant. We have no proof of your claim on this system. How are we supposed to respond when you demand we surrender it?"

The woman who had rebuked the other let out a soft laugh. "Doctor, you have clearly never had troubles with the constabulary. Even were we to trust you, _anyone's_ law enforcement is _rarely_ your friend when they are holding you in detention. To speak with you would be foolhardy in the extreme and jeopardize our legal position. There _was_ such a beacon placed, we, of course, assumed the absence meant that an active colony was now present. That it was not active when you arrived means that mishap, be it accidental or deliberate, befell it."

It was clear that there was nothing more to be found out along that line of questioning. "I will inform Captain Andreys of this beacon existing." A thought came to her. "Do you happen to know where in the system it would have been left?"

"Of course I do. There would have been both a space-borne beacon and a non-transmitting marker, in the event such a misfortune as this happened." She smiled, though shook her head sadly. "I must, however, regretfully inform you that such information should and must be asked of Captain von Lohringhoven. I am not authorized to disclose it to those outside the Empire."

Opani nodded. At least she _knew_ about it. It was something to tell Captain Andreys. "Then I should inform her right away." With that Opani was prepared to depart. But she stopped herself. Lucy had mentioned what she had missed in the briefing. That there was one here who was a _Janiyal_ , or what the Lushan called _Fenari_ , someone gifted by the Supreme Being (or some other force) with great power. She stopped and looked back. "There is something else. Two of the officers from my ship are what my people call _Janiyal_. They are blessed with power. And they sensed that power among you. I know they would like to speak with you on it, if you will allow them."

"I was not aware that prisoners could _stop_ anyone from speaking to them if they so wished, Doctor." There was a soft laughter that went around the room, as a shorter, muscled figure of a different ethnic group in the back of one of the cells remarked in an intensely sardonic tone.

"They would not wish to compel you into a conversation you do not wish to have," Opani answered. "It is not their way."

"You misunderstand her, Doctor." The smiling prisoner from before had a wry look on her face. "She means that we cannot stop them from speaking _to_ us. Whether we choose to answer is a different matter entirely, and much depends on the questions."

Opani got the feeling that this was not simply semantics, but perhaps an offer. "I shall let them know of what you have said." In the moment before she moved her foot to continue turning and leave, Opani yet again stopped. She had a thought now. "Is there anything you would trust me with? To do for you?"

"We would wish to see the sunrise every day, Doctor." The smile had vanished from that woman's face, and she looked more than earnest. "To be Singers, as we are called to be, even on this world you have, perhaps unintentionally, stolen."

Opani nodded. "I shall see what I can do." 

* * *

After their arrival in the Government Building, Julia and Meridina were directed to a conference room. Taylor was already present with a few other individuals, including Colonel Littleton. He looked right at the door when it opened. "Captain, Commander." He gestured toward seats. "It's good to see you. We were just discussing our defensive planning."

"Do you have a full-strength deflector? Not that it will do any good if they use those graviton weapons." Julia and Meridina took the offered seats.

"We do, actually. And half of the Colony's population has completed militia combat training," Taylor answered. "If they send down an invasion, we should be able to resist it for a little bit."

"It might be wiser to preserve the Colony by declaring it undefended," Meridina said. "If we cannot stop them, I am skeptical that the Colony can be held, or rather, saved from the results of armed conflict."

"We're not going to give up just like that," Littleton vowed. "They'll think they can walk all over us."

"Given the state of Alliance defenses in this universe, it's entirely likely they _can_ ," Julia pointed out.

Littleton reacted with a deep frown. "Well, I'm so glad the Alliance Stellar Navy has such confidence in us," he remarked scornfully. "Are you really telling me you intend to duck and run, tail between your legs?"

Julia matched the frown and the scorn with a quiet, contemptuous look. "I will protect the people of this Colony any way I can," she retorted. "But the fact remains that we have to be realistic. We're already at war with the Nazis, we can't afford to jump into another one."

"We may have to consider that this system was claimed by the Aururian Empire before our arrival," Meridina added. "If this is true, then while it is a misunderstanding, we would be the interlopers."

"We searched every cubic meter of this star system," a woman barked. She was sitting beside Taylor. Her suit was cream white in color, a business jacket of gray over it and a tie at the neck. The woman's blue eyes flashed with irritation. The graying blond hair at her temples indicated her rough age. "There was no claim beacon of any kind detected!"

"This is Chairwoman Joann Logan," Taylor said, introducing the woman in question. "She's the head of the Governing Committee and the official representative of New Horizons."

"Chairwoman." Julia nodded. "While I agree the chances are low, it is possible that something could happen to such a beacon. A meteorite strike of sufficient size, for instance. And to be frank, if the choice is war or evacuation of the Oakland Colony, we need to consider evacuation." Julia knew she was skirting the edge of her orders by voicing this thought. But she also had an obligation to get civilians out of the potential war zone.

"And will the Stellar Navy reimburse my employers the costs of settling this Colony? Or the projected losses from our share of the revenues for the mineral rights?"

"That's for my superiors to decide. If it comes to that." Julia met Chairwoman Logan's glare with a firm look. "But I think you'll understand that we can't just…"

A knock on the door interrupted Julia. All eyes turned toward said door. Exasperated, Taylor said, "Come in." A figure in a dark blue police uniform came in. He was East Asian with close cut dark hair. Taylor had evidently assumed it was a clerk or some other interloper. Upon recognizing the newcomer he said, "Captain, this is Police Chief Andrew Jiang. Chief, how can we help you?"

"I imagined you'd prefer me hand you this, Governor." Jiang presented a pair of papers folded up with a dark blue covering. "Judge Moore signed them just ten minutes ago and ordered they be served immediately."

"The judge is aware we have a potentially hostile starship in orbit, isn't he?" Taylor, despite his complaint, still gestured for the paper to be handed to him.

"I'm sure he is sir, given the contents."

Meridina could sense Taylor's consternation and a growing impatience in Julia while Taylor read the papers. He frowned deeply. "Apparently Captain von Lohringhoven isn't just issuing threats," Taylor continued. "She's hired attorneys to fight the extradition. They've filed a _habeas corpus_ complaint and demanded the release of the accused."

"It's a valid extradition warrant," Chairwoman Logan said. "There's nothing to it."

Julia picked up the papers. "Do you mind if I make a copy? I want to discuss this with my JAG officer."

"Be my guest." Taylor shrugged. "Now that it's before Judge Moore, my hands are tied. You can attend the preliminary hearing tomorrow if you would like."

Julia nodded. She would consider it. Or perhaps she would just send Lieutenant Vajpayee, the _Aurora_ 's JAG officer.

Of course, there was the fact that this meant another day would tick off of Lohringhoven's ultimatum. _This just keeps getting more complicated_. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ kept her geostationary orbit over the Oakland Colony in the company of the two Aururian vessels. The _Irresistible_ was further out than the _Maya-Mayi_ with a higher orbit. Julia pondered the arrangement; was it to let the larger ship cover the smaller, damaged one? Or to put them in a position to intercept any incoming ship?

The thought of how she could defend this colony alone still gnawed at Julia. Maran's promise of reinforcements had yet to materialize. She had to consider the possibility that politics had forced him to divert those ships to other colonies. She also had to consider the frightening idea that this would not be enough. The Alliance was stretched thin by the war and reinforcements would be few; was it possible that the Alliance might very well be driven out of an entire universe over this crisis?

"Anything is possible." Meridina turned her head to face Julia. The Gersallian woman's expression and body language maintained the stoicism that Julia had long known in her First Officer, but even with that there was a supportive warmth in Meridina that Julia appreciated.

"We can't just leave, but I don't think we'll be able to stay," Julia murmured. "The Reich is one enemy enough right now." Julia glanced at Meridina. "What do you think, Commander? About this situation?"

"I believe we are in a dangerous situation that may yet provide some opportunity," Meridina answered. "These Aururians are clearly not mindlessly aggressive. Hiring an attorney from the Colony was an inspired idea. I do not believe diplomacy is hopeless."

"But we still have the same damn sticking point. They say they claimed this system. Our people found no trace of a claim. They still insist that Phi Perseus belongs to them and that they'll use military force to drive us out. And that's not counting these smugglers…"

The lift door near the rear of the bridge opened. Julia turned toward it in time to see Lucy and Opani step out. "Captain." Opani walked up to her. Julia and Meridina were standing by the time Opani arrived in the middle of the bridge. "I would like to speak with you about the captives."

"We both would," Lucy said.

"We're all ears," Julia said.

"Although they would not confirm it, I am increasingly convinced that the women do move weapons. But that they do so to oppressed species inside of the League of Democratic Worlds. They insist that the League practices slavery of less-advanced species."

Julia thought back to the scant material they had on that polity. Virtually all of it had been very generic information from the Xou!tasam. The Alliance emissary on Jao!senat was not one of the more effective members of the service, Julia suspected, with his dearth of reports on matters outside of economic figures.

"The surgeon on the _Irresistible_ made a similar charge," Meridina recalled.

"They also state the Xou!tasam may also be guilty of such things," Opani continued. "Although they seemed less vehement."

"Is there anything I can act on?" Julia asked them. "Any information I can use?"

"There is something," Opani confirmed. "They informed me that it is common practice in their Empire to leave both an active beacon asserting a claim and a marker somewhere in the system. They would not tell me where and insisted Captain von Lohringhoven would have to provide the knowledge."

"A marker." Julia thought of it. "Presumably something that doesn't transmit. That way if their beacon goes out they can point to the marker and laugh."

"But if that is so, then why do they not simply show us the marker?" Meridina asked. "Unless…"

A sick feeling came to Julia's gut. "Unless they can't find it," she said. "Unless it's gone."

Meridina frowned. "If that is true, then it may explain some of their hostility."

"Because they think _we_ found it and destroyed it," Lucy added.

"Unfortunately, I'm quite sure Mrs. Logan will argue it never existed," Julia sighed. She turned her attention to Ops, where Neyzi was sitting. "Lieutenant, anything from the _Koenig_?"

"No, Captain," she answered.

Julia looked to science, where Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad was sitting. The new black strip on her collar's rank tab was a much-deserved promotion given her effort during the Cybermen invasion of the _Aurora_. "Lieutenant, anything yet on long-range sensors? Anything that might tell the _Koenig_ where to look for a beacon?"

"Not yet, Captain. But Lieutenant Delgado and I have had some thoughts on the matter." Al-Rashid's accent had that near-English quality to it that many Arab English-speakers could attain. "We're taking general scans of the system to determine the optimum locations for someone to plant a transmitting claim beacon. We think this will aid Commander Carrey's mission substantially."

"Good. Keep at it." With that done Julia returned her attention to Opani and Lucy. "Alright, anything else I should know?"

"Other than the fact that our new trading partners might be helping enslave other species?" Lucy asked sardonically.

"Yes. Other than that." Julia felt a surge of irritation. Part of it was at Lucy - the bridge was _not_ the place for that kind of thing - and another was her growing discontent with Tio!sat!ny and the Consortium. She was starting to feel like she was a chess piece that someone had maneuvered into position.

"The prisoners have a request, Captain," Opani said. "They wish to see the sunrise every morning."

"The sunrise." Julia pondered that one. "What, they want access to video…"

"They have that already," Lucy pointed out. "The quarantine chambers come equipped with holovid projectors. Not that they seem to be using them. No, I think they want to be let outside."

"I suspect Colonel Littleton and Chief Jiang will not be supportive of such."

"Could they be planning an escape?" Julia asked the two. "I mean, this sounds like setting something up for them to escape."

"I didn't sense that in them," Lucy insisted. "It felt… well, it felt genuine. They genuinely just want to be out in the sun."

"I believe it may be for religious purposes," Opani added. "The woman who asked has some form of moral authority over the others. She rebuked one for speaking aggressively toward me, and she acts and speaks more like clergy than a commander."

That thought made Julia consider the idea. If they did follow through on it, then it would give Doctor Opani trust with them. They might learn more. And she doubted their attorney would prevail on the authorities to grant it. Not soon, anyway.

"Can you find a way to arrange it?" she asked them. "While keeping them secure?"

"We could lower the anti-beaming shield over the hospital and beam them to an isolated spot," Lucy recommended. "We raise a forcefield once the beaming is complete and let them have their ceremony."

"You'll need security guards."

To that, Lucy grinned slyly. "Probably not. Although I bet we'll have to let the militia come along anyway."

"I will attend as well," said Meridina. "I would like to meet them for myself."

"Then I'm leaving it in your…"

Before Julia could finish her sentence, Neyzi interrupted her. "Captain, we have a vessel linking to our jump drive. Incoming jump."

"About time," Julia sighed gratefully. "On screen."

The holo-viewscreen activated and shifted to show empty space. The empty void was broken by a spark of green light. The spark pulsed and then expanded swiftly into a swirling vortex. From the maw of the green whorl three vessels emerged. The lead ship was a cousin of the _Koenig_ , one of the _Trigger_ -class attack ships. The second was a _Steslus_ -class destroyer-carrier, with its unique pair of secondary hulls, the upper hull containing a dozen launch tubes to each side and a launch/landing deck on the top. The third…

...the third was the largest of them all, at just over a kilometer long. Its profile was easily recognizable, the long, sharp lines and the sharp, sloping rear of the primary hull to where the top of the drive hull began, the only truly visible feature delineating the two parts of the ship. The vessel was nearly a twin of the _Aurora_ , being only about ten meters longer and wider.

Julia was not surprised to read the name of the ship on the top of its primary hull.

"Vessels identified," Neyzi said. "The _Heerman_ , the _Lrrik_ , and the…"

"... _ASV Enterprise_ ," Julia said aloud, reading the name she saw on the screen. "Thank you, Lieutenant," she added quickly. "Are they hailing?"

"Aye Captain, they are. I am putting them on."

The holo-viewscreen shifted to show a mirror swap of their bridge, or at least a narrow look at such a swap. The image was dominated by a man with graying dark hair and faintly-tanned skin. " _It is good to see you again, Captain Andreys_ ," said Captain Ariel Shaham.

"The same, Captain, I assure you," Julia said, smiling at the man who was commanding the ship she was to have had.

" _The commanders of the_ Lrrik _and_ Heerman _are already preparing to come aboard to meet with us, Captain. I would be happy to host you and Commander Carrey as well._ "

"Commander Carrey and his ship are on a special assignment," Julia said. "But I'll be over shortly."

" _We will await your arrival. Shaham out._ "

The viewscreen returned to the sight of the incoming Alliance ships.

"Well, at least we have the advantage now," said Ensign Violeta Arterria from her station at the helm. When she heard Julia clear her throat she added a swift, "Sorry, Captain."

"I'm going over to the _Enterprise_ ," Julia said to the others. "Lieutenant, Doctor, you have my permission to enact your plan for the prisoners. You are dismissed."

"Yes Captain," Opani said. Lucy nodded in agreement and the two walked off the bridge.

"I do sense a slight apprehension now," Meridina said quietly. "From the Aururian vessel."

"Anything specific?"

"No. The apprehension is not one of fear. More one of impatience."

Julia nodded. She could guess what that meant. Lohringhoven's odds were bad, but it sounded like she'd faced worse before. She wouldn't back down. "We're not the only ones waiting for reinforcements. I'll let Shaham and the others know. Commander, you have the bridge."

"Yes, Captain," Meridina stated. She walked to the command chair while Julia headed to the lift herself. 

* * *

If not for the sensation of having her body catapulted through a subspace tunnel, or the different figures at the transporter station controls, Julia would have been justified to think she hadn't moved from her spot in Transporter Station 1. That she had showed how similar the _Enterprise_ was to the _Aurora_ internally, at least here. She nodded to the transporter station operator, a Caucasian woman who stood at attention the moment she stepped down from the pad.

The door opened and a Human-looking officer entered, wearing the one gold, one black rank strips of a Lieutenant j.g and with the branch color trim of his black uniform being burgundy red, marking him an officer in the ship handling/command track. "Captain, sir, I am Lieutenant Hanatrim," the man said. Julia amended her thought to reflect he was a Gersallian. "Captain Shaham ordered me to escort you."

"Lead the way, Lieutenant," Julia answered.

The corridors were the same as the _Aurora_ , as was the lift. Julia let Hanatrim give the command for the bridge.

The bridge was laid out exactly the same as the _Aurora_ as well. The bridge crew currently on duty were busy at their stations. Yellow alert lights were showing on multiple panels.

Hanatrim gestured to the door across the bridge. It was the same door that led to the conference lounge on the _Aurora_. Julia thanked him and walked on. She noted with interest that the sensor officer on duty was a Salarian. She had yet to see one of that species in the Stellar Navy.

A pang of regret came to her. Had things gone differently, this would be her bridge. Her ship. Her crew. As much as she loved the _Aurora_ , being the captain of a ship called _Enterprise_ was the sort of honor anyone would want to have. And she had lost that opportunity. That the _Enterprise_ was showing up for this, the first mission of her command, was almost like the universe was rubbing her nose in it.

Once she arrived in the conference lounge she was met with the other captains in the task force. Shaham stood in the middle of the three; to his left was a Dorei man with almost pale purple skin, dots and hair differing shades of light blue with the hair pulled back into a small ponytail, while to Shaham's right was a Human woman with dark brown skin the color of mocha. Her skin had an almost translucent look to it that made her look almost alien, and her curly dark hair was kept back in strict cornrows. Both were in the standard uniform, black with command branch burgundy red; the only difference were the gloves woman and dark sunglasses worn by the woman. "Captain Andreys," Shaham said. "Welcome to the _Enterprise_. These are Captain Gartan Meyos of the _Lrrik_ and Commander Abebech Imra of the _Heerman_."

"Captain. Commander." Julia nodded to them and accepted a handshake from Imra. Shaham gave her one as well. "It's good to see you."

"I'm not surprised given the situation. That is quite the ship out there." Shaham gestured to the table. They all followed him to the table. "I've spent the day reading your reports on the situation. Have Commanders Scott and Jarod determined any way to counteract these graviton cannons the Aururians use?"

"They're shoring up structural integrity fields to handle the shock. So far that's the only countermeasure they've been able to put into action."

"I see." Shaham put his hands together on the table. "There are six days left in their ultimatum, then?"

"There are."

"Have you initiated diplomatic efforts?" asked Commander Imra. Her English was spoken with an evident accent, but not one Julia could easily place.

"I attempted to. I even arranged a meeting between myself, Governor Taylor, and Captain von Lohringhoven." Julia shook her head. "And then the Trading Consortium issued their warrant for the arrest of the Aururians in quarantine. Right when Captain von Lohringhoven and her First Officer arrived. As you can imagine, it didn't go over well."

"How could it?"

Julia noticed the look in Shaham's eye. "I thought the timing was suspicious myself."

"As in you believe it was intentional?"

Julia answered with a nod. "The Consortium hasn't been helpful at all in giving us information on these people. They swoop in and act to make the crisis worse. And there is the matter of the Aururian claims to the system."

Shaham gave her a curious look. "You think they're genuine?"

"I think we have to consider the possibility," Julia said. "Doctor Opani, one of my ship's medical staff, has been establishing a rapport with the prisoners. They informed her that the Aururians leave two indications of their claims inside a star system; a transmitting beacon and a non-transmitting marker in case something happens to the beacon."

"Then would Captain von Lohringhoven have not shown you the hypothetical marker to prove their claim?" asked Captain Gartan.

"That she hasn't is what I'm wondering about."

"It could be deception," Imra pointed out.

"Yes." Shaham nodded. "But if it isn't, then things are that much worse. The Aururians have a reason to be suspicious of _us_." He looked again to Julia. "So Commander Carrey is hunting for any sign that the Aururians left a beacon?"

Julia answered her with a nod. "He is. Under cloak."

"Then we'll have to see if he finds anything." Shaham's expression darkened. "Even if he does, our orders are clear. Phi Perseus has to be kept in Alliance control, we need its resources for the war."

"As valuable as they are, that won't do us any good if we get plunged into another war," Julia pointed out. "And they're going to bring in reinforcements before the ultimatum ends. We're pretty sure of that. And even if we match them ship for ship, it just means it's more likely someone's going to open fire."

He sighed. "True. But Command seems to think they're bluffing, or using this as a way to make us return the prisoners. I'll try to speak with Captain von Lohringhoven myself. I think that given what the Consortium did to you, Captain, it's best if a new face makes the offers."

Julia nodded to indicate her agreement.

"Then if there's nothing else, this meeting is over."

Gartan and Imra nodded and departed immediately. Julia did not. Once they were gone she said, "I see you've settled in. Her shakedown run went well?"

"Yes, it did," answered Shaham. He finally grinned. "The _Enterprise_ is certainly a change from commanding the _Tikvah_ , as much as I miss our old home sometimes. And the Klingons found her quite impressive." Seeing Julia's bewildered look, he continued, "Captain King and I were ordered to the ceasefire line at Archanis."

"Yes. I heard the Federation and Klingons stopped shooting at each other. It was about time if you ask me."

"It wasn't just diplomacy. They found out that General Martok was a Changeling infiltrator, one who has been quietly manipulating the Klingons into more aggressive stances." Shaham sighed. "The Dominion is a threat we're going to be worried about even when the Nazi are defeated."

Julia nodded grimly. Looking back, she remembered Martok's part in derailing the conference on DS9 that was attempting to keep the Klingons active against the Reich. _And that's where we think Senator Kiang got replaced too…_ "Another reason to prevent a war from starting here." Julia stood up. "I'm going to head back to the _Aurora_ now."

"Of course. And I'll begin talking to Captain von Lohringhoven."

"Good luck with that," Julia said. "You'll probably need it. She's really stubborn."

"So are my children," Shaham said. He grinned at that. "I'll inform you of my progress."

On that note, Julia departed.

* * *

As the clock ticked toward 2300, Julia stepped out of her shower with a white terry-cloth robe around her still-damp body. A blue towel was wrapped around her drying blond hair. To give time for it to dry Julia sat at her desk and activated her work station. The remainder of the day's reports awaited her viewing and signature. She went through them with quiet speed, taking care to understand each before she fixed her signature to them.

The paperwork wasn't the only thing on her mind, of course. Having Shaham and his ad hoc task force relieved some of the pressure her crew was operating under, but the fact remained that they were in an impossible situation dealing with a society they still didn't understand. She felt like the Aururians were not a mindless aggressor, but that didn't change the fact that they were capable of it. And their attitude toward the system was hardly the flexibility of diplomacy with their ultimatum and refusal to negotiate.

And then there was the Consortium. The Consortium had clearly been hiding things from the Alliance. And they had, perhaps, deliberately sabotaged the attempt to reduce the tension in the crisis. What was their agenda? And was it connected with the League's purported imperialism toward less-advanced species? These questions hung over the crisis like a shadow.

Julia stifled a yawn and tapped a key to activate her message recording system. "Send to Robert Dale," she said aloud, trusting the Alliance comm network to locate Robert with the message. He would log in somewhere, at some time, she was certain. "Hey Rob," she began. "I just wanted to…"

She stopped. What could she say? The fact was, Robert had his own concerns now that his life force powers were out of whack. If she told him what was going on, or at least as much as she could tell him, would it distract him from that issue? Would he be burdened too much by the knowledge they were in certain, imminent danger? With those thoughts in mind Julia couldn't bring herself to continue speaking, couldn't even find words. Finally, she sighed and said, "Computer, cancel recording." It replied with an electronic warble.

With nothing more to do and the hour pressing on toward midnight ship time, Julia removed the towel and let her hair fall down to her shoulders. She brushed it out to keep it from getting tangles while she slept.

As she reached for her green-colored nightgown to sleep in, a blue light appeared on her nightstand. It was her omnitool. She heard Lieutenant Takawira's voice say, " _Bridge to Captain Andreys._ " Sighing again, more loudly this time, she went over and tapped the light. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, we have identified vessels on long-range sensors. They are approaching at high warp and will arrive shortly._ "

 _Lohringhoven's reinforcements_ , she thought. "Have they communicated?"

"No sir."

Julia looked to where her uniforms were hanging in her closet. "So much for sleep," she muttered. More loudly, she said, "I'm on my way." 

* * *

Julia arrived on the bridge to find the Gamma Shift crew in their places; Ensign Crane, a Human man, at tactical, the Alakin female Lieutenant Jakeet at Ops, the light teal-skinned, blue-spotted and purple-haired Dorei male Ensign Tagas at Science, and Ensign Talara at the helm. Lieutenant Tinashe Takawira stood at the command chair. "Captain."

"Have they jumped yet?" Julia asked Takawira. She turned to Tagas. "What is their speed?"

"I have not seen them attempt a jump," Tagas replied. "They are proceeding at Warp 9."

Julia blinked at that figure. "Warp 9? Can a ship with internal drives manage that?"

"Unlikely, Captain," Jakeet observed.

"What's their heading and ETA?"

"They're still five minutes out," Tagas said. "Heading 223 mark 119."

Julia went to her command chair and wondered. Her first impression was that it had to be the reinforcements that Lohringhoven was likely anticipating. But the heading was wrong, and she doubted that the internal warp drives on the Aururian ships could manage such a speed. _Although maybe they have cruisers with warp nacelles?_

"Hail them, Lieutenant Jakeet," Julia said.

"Hailing…" Jakeet operated her board, her taloned digits tapping the keys controlling the ship's interstellar communications gear. "They are responding with visuals."

"On screen."

The holo-viewscreen activated and showed a close shot of a man with a light bronze, Mediterranean complexion. He had a sharp, narrow face with dark hair and light blue eyes. His visible uniform was blue. Gold trim at the collar was joined by five golden bars. He wore a beret of blue color with an insignia on it, a trio of globes with blue, white, and red coloring backing them.

Julia spoke first. "This is Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_. You are entering Alliance space. Please identify yourself."

" _Greetings, Captain_." The man's English was not auto-translated, but it was spoken with a French accent. " _I am Captain Guy de Montamar of the battlecruiser_ Poursuivante _and acting commander of the 10th Task Force_ , _representing the League of Democratic Worlds._ "

 _So here we go. The other side shows up._ "Captain, you may be aware that we have a tense situation currently. Your arrival may cause hostilities to commence. I must ask what your purpose is."

A pleasant smile appeared on the man's face. " _Of course, Captain, I understand your concern. I am here on behalf of our associates in the Trading Consortium. They requested our assistance in transporting the Aururian criminals your colony arrested to face charges in their nation for their crimes. And should our arrival cause the Aururians to attack, my forces will stand at your side and fight for your world._ "

Julia kept her face neutral at that. In her head, she was sighing, recognizing that the arrival of the League ships was going to make the situation even worse than before.


	15. Episode 3-03-4 Command Principles

_Ship's Log: 18 February 2643; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys recording. The crisis at Phi Perseus has heightened with the arrival of the League ships under Captain de Montamar. The Aururian vessels are now significantly outnumbered but have shown no indication of withdrawing. I suspect their reinforcements are still en route and will arrive before Captain von Lohringhoven's ultimatum expires in five days._

 _The League's arrival to take the prisoners on behalf of the Trade Consortium is another matter. It's becoming clear that there is something going on here beyond the matter of some gun-running._

Copious amounts of coffee were steaming from pitchers and mugs in the _Aurora_ conference lounge. With their clocks slowly ticking toward 0400 hours, most of those assembled were yearning for a return to their beds and dreading the fact that they would most likely have little time to get any more sleep before their main watch shifts commenced.

Julia sipped at a particularly strong cup of coffee. Hargert had promised her it could keep someone up for hours. She darkly suspected his claim would be put to the test. Once everyone was seated, she tapped a key on the table to activate the communication interlink.

Instead of a lone image on the wall behind her, the table's main holographic projector activated. It displayed images beside the table. One had Captain Shaham and his command staff, roused for the same reason. Captain Gartan and Commander Imra appeared in the other images. A third image showed a tired Governor Taylor with Committee Chairwoman Logan beside him. The final was of Captain de Montamar on his ship, the _Poursuivante_. The vessel, which was now visible through the lounge window, resembled the same aesthetic as the Aururian ships, but with sharper lines and a pair of long, gray warp nacelles built into the sponsons on either side of the ship and angled downward just enough to get the necessary clearance to function.

" _On behalf of the Oakland Colony, I do thank you for your offer of assistance, Captain de Montamar_ ," Taylor said. " _However, I am obligated to keep custody of the prisoners in question until Judge Moore rules on their motions._ "

Montamar nodded. There was no sign of anything but a calm and patient demeanor in the man. " _Of course, Governor_ ," he said, his English fairly accented from his native French. " _Your people are a free and democratic people as well, with laws and protections that must be cherished and supported. I will wait for the outcome to your legal proceedings._ "

" _Although that will be a moot point if the Aururians invade_ ," Shaham pointed out.

" _If they commence hostilities, Captain Shaham, I am authorized to open fire in your defense_. _The League will not stand by while the Empire commits another act of aggression._ "

"Captain, the Alliance has been in this universe for a year now," Julia began. "Why has it taken so long for the League to approach us?"

" _The Trading Consortium asked us to let them take the lead in your introduction to our universe_ ," was the answer.

" _Presumably they feared we would react badly if we found out about their neighbors._ " This was from Taylor.

" _A reasonable fear_ ," de Montamar said. " _When do you expect the legal issues to be handled?_ "

" _The day after tomorrow is the main hearing. Today will be a preliminary one to discuss the motion to dismiss…_ "

Even with the coffee, Julia felt the conversation slip away from her as it became less relevant to her immediate problems. It seemed that every development made war more likely to break out, regardless of what she planned or considered. And now she was tired and her eyes felt like weights had been attached to her eyelids. Having to think of solutions when her brain felt like it was in a fog would be an uphill climb.

Finally Julia noticed Shaham was speaking. ".. _don't know about these people_ ," he was saying. " _If we are to deal with them I would like to know more._ "

" _And I will share with you what I know, gladly. Perhaps in person? I will bring a shuttle down to meet with your governor and the Consortium Sub-Consul._ "

De Montamar's offer prompted Taylor to nod. " _I will be waiting._ "

" _I look forward to meeting you in person, Captain de Montamar._ "

"I'll meet everyone planetside," Julia said. " _Aurora_ out." She tapped a key and ended the call. "Any thoughts?" she asked.

"I'm not sure I like that answer," Locarno said. "About why it's taken so long for the League to make contact with us. If the Aururians are as aggressive as he claims, it makes more sense to open contact as quickly as possible to warn us and give them a potential ally."

"Perhaps their reluctance, and that of the Consortium, is linked to their alleged mistreatment of less-advanced species?" Meridina asked. "If the Consortium recognized that we would disapprove of their ally's behavior, they may have felt the need to keep us from learning about the League's actions until relations were firmly established. And the League may have feared we would oppose them as well."

From within Julia's sleep-deprived brain a thought kindled. _I need to find out how things are going on the_ Koenig, she thought to herself.

"Yeah, but that's assuming the Aururians aren't lying," Angel pointed out, continuing on from Meridina's remark. "Maybe the League treats aliens just fine and the Aururians prop up terrorist groups to undermine them. All to have an excuse to attack them. Hell, maybe that's what the group down on the planet are. They could be terrorists themselves, for all we know."

"They're not," Doctor Opani declared. Eyes turned toward her in the chair to Leo's left. "They don't sound like terrorists."

"And you know how a terrorist sounds?" Angel asked pointedly. "You don't know anything about them."

"And neither do you," Opani shot back. "But you assume they must be bandits just because these people say so? These people, who may practice slavery?"

"I don't have to assume a damn thing to know these people are bad news." Angel's tone grew harsh. "Look at what they've done. These bit-" She stopped and corrected herself at the last moment. "...these people threatened an innocent colony, opened fire on us without provocation, killed a member of our crew, and are threatening to attack again if we don't knuckle under and give them everything they want just because they freaking say so! Why the hell should we give _them_ the benefit of the doubt when all we've seen them do is shoot at us and threaten us? If you ask me, I think it's clear that these Aururians are bad news. And I certainly don't trust a damned one of them."

Opani's dark teal complexion gained a blue tint on her face. Her eyes narrowed and her long, pointed ears seemed to level against the side of her head.

"Both of you, calm down," Julia ordered. She leveled an intent look at Angel, who finally diverted her eyes from Opani. "I know we're all tired and cranky, but we've got enough problems without fighting each other."

"It's not really our place to worry about the prisoners, isn't it?" asked Leo. "That's up to the government on the colony. All we have to do is worry about protecting this world. Or, if necessary, evacuating it."

"We're rated for twelve thousand evacuees, maximum," Jarod said. "But it would take us several hours."

"We got all those people off the _Tikvah_ in under an hour, didn't we?" Locarno asked.

"We were lucky that day, Mister Locarno," Scotty said. "I dinnae care t' try an' repeat th' performance if we dinnae have tae."

"Still, have extra transporter station personnel on standby just in case," Julia said. "With the _Lrrik_ and _Enterprise_ helping, we could get everyone off-world on the last day, if necessary."

"I am not sure we will be allowed," Meridina said. "The orders from Admiral Maran are quite clear on the matter of protecting Phi Perseus."

"I want to keep the option open. Just in case. Lieutenant, any luck with that beacon hunt?"

"You mean looking for something that might not be there?" Cat shrugged. "Al-Rashad and I have identified the best points for such a beacon to transmit, but it's going to take the _Koenig_ a few days to investigate them all. We could probably do it inside of a day, but we'd have to leave orbit."

"Which we're not doing," Julia said. "Keep me informed. Doctor, anything more on that organism? The reason we came here in the first place?"

"Dr. Ke'mani'pala should have a batch finish growing today," he said. "It might take a couple of days, but I'm sure she'll figure out what it's doing to them."

"Let me know when she has results. We'll see if it corroborates whatever Montamar tells us." Julia stood in her chair. "I'll see everyone on the bridge by 0800. You're all dismissed."

Everyone began to file out, save for Meridina, Lucy, and Opani. And, Julia noted, Commander Richmond. "The sun will rise over the Colony in about three hours," Opani said.

"They said no?"

"They refuse to move them, but they do not forbid us from doing the same," Meridina noted.

"The Commander informed me of the proposal," Richmond said. "I could provide security teams for the purpose. But to minimize possible difficulties, I suggest another course of action."

Julia listened to what Richmond recommended. It was, indeed, a workable solution, and would keep the Aururians secure in the process.

 _I just have to hope this doesn't impact our relations with those new arrivals_ was the sole concern that went through her head. 

* * *

The night had not gone well for Zack. The nightmares had come back with their full fury. Nightmares of Clara dying, of her accusing eyes, and those of Julia dying in the same manner. Of everyone turning away from him for causing their deaths. Sleep had only come after a good, solid night-cap, to drown away those dreams.

Or rather more than a night-cap, as it turned out. With his head aching Zack could barely moan, much less lift his head. Every tone from the alarm was like a knife to the middle of his skull. Finally he shouted, "Turn that damn thing off!" The computer complied immediately and, to get the last word in, issued him a reminder. " _Ship time is now 0620_."

The time demanded the attention of Zack's brain. It didn't want to cooperate. It took several moments for him to force himself to sit up. His eyes went over to the table, where his empty plastic tumbler was beside his bottle of tequila. He narrowed his eyes at the bottle. The level was down to about the three-quarter mark. That was far too low. He was certain it was too low. How could he have had that much. Just one drink the first night out and two drinks after the nightmare.

It was just two drinks, wasn't it? He could swear it was only two. It was only after he thought about it that he recalled the third. And the fourth. He _had_ been trying to drown out the nightmares, hadn't he?

"Dammit," Zack muttered under his breath. Through the pain a cool feeling came to him. He was starting to become like his father, wasn't he? Drowning away sorrows with alcohol… And he didn't want to become Gerald Carrey. He had a life. A job.

A job. For the others, it was more than that. Zack had to think about that. Hadn't he ever considered this more than a mere job? Something to do with his life?

He had, yes. Flying the _Koenig_ had been his favorite duty in the world back in the Facility days. The others were possessive of the _Aurora_ , but he had always felt a deep affection for the gutpuncher that Carlton Farmer had put together for them.

That was before Clara had re-entered his life. Then it was something to do in order to be worthy of her. To live up to what she saw in him, the thing that brought her out to the stars too.

The thing that, in the end, killed her.

In a wave the feelings came back. That he had never been worthy of her. Those quiet dreams, that deep secret longing he'd never gotten out of him for another woman, all little betrayals of a good, kind person who had given him her love. Clara Davis would have been far, far better off if she had stayed far away from him.

Zack's hands went to the bottle and the tumbler. His first thought had been to put it away. But with those horrible feelings back, he felt a desire to put away another shot. Just one more. Something to dull that feeling. To get it out of him.

The comm system beeped right as his fingers reached for the cap of the tequila bottle. He pulled his hand back and hit the receive key on his omnitool. "Carrey here," he said. He knew his voice sounded off. He hoped it would sound more like being groggy from sleep than hung over or, now that he thought about it (as much as he could think), between being hung over and still being a little drunk.

" _Navaez here_ ," Magda said. " _I came on duty early. I thought I would let you know we completed our sweep of this area. Still no sign of anything._ "

"Onto the next then?" he asked, grimacing from the pain in his head.

" _We're already en route at point zero eight impulse power_."

"Point zero eight?" He blinked.

" _At full power, I might miss something on the sensors. This way I do not_. _Our ETA to the next scanning zone is ten hours._ "

"Alright then. I'll be up shortly. Carrey out."

Once the call ended Zack winced to himself. Even if he took the breath mints and got rid of any lingering smell on his breath, there was no way they wouldn't see he had been drinking. Zack turned to his personal replicator. "Niltox, six hundred milligrams," he specified. "And water."

" _Warning. Requested dose exceeds recommended dosage by_ …"

"I know. Override and give me the damn pills!"

His outburst won him the machine's obedience. It produced two cups, one with the requested cool water and the other with three small blue pills. He downed the blue pills together and drank enough water to wash them down. With an eye toward the time clock, Zack went to his shower to face the day. 

* * *

When everything was ready, Doctor Opani returned to the hospital. She was again waived through the doors to the quarantine ward by the guards. She found the prisoners to be freshly roused. Breakfast would be served shortly. She stepped into the area in the middle of the cells.

Kishala walked to the edge of her own cell until she was less than ten centimeters away from the forcefield containing her. "Doctor Opani."

"Ms. Abrakia." Opani grinned at her. "I need you all to stand beside each other in your cells."

"Why?" the Ralsan asked.

"So that we can take you outside," Opani answered. "The sun will start coming up shortly."

That prompted a reaction from the dark-skinned woman "Kat". "We are willing to accept a parole. Restraining us will not be necessary if you will but give it."

"You will not be restrained. We are transporting you to a site outside."

It was clear the others found the request to be bizarre. Doubly so for the lack of armed guards to accompany them. Nevertheless, the prospect of getting to see the sunrise won them over. They did as instructed.

Opani tapped her omnitool. "Lieutenant, they're in position."

" _I see that. Beaming in five seconds._ "

"'Beaming'?" asked one of the other Ralsans.

Opani considered an explanation. But there was no time for one. She remained silent until she felt the familiar sensation of a transporter taking hold of her. The quarantine ward disappeared in a burst of white light that overwhelmed her vision.

When her vision returned, Opani was outside on a grassy field. The sky was dark and the stars were out. A thin sliver of dawn was visible on the horizon. The outlines of a forest showed beneath those early rays. Lucy and Meridina were standing beside her, Lucy operating the controls of a portable transporter system tied into the one on the _Aurora._

In the moments after her sight returned, Opani watched ten more bursts of light appear. The prisoners found themselves standing in the middle of the grass field as the dawn approached.

The immediate reaction was utter shock. One moment they had been in their cells, then after a burst of light they were out in the open. They looked around and talked excitedly in their shared language about what had just happened. Kishala stepped out from among them and faced Opani and her compatriots. "What did you do to us?" she asked.

"We generated a subspace tunnel around you," Lucy replied. "And directed it here. It's safer than matter-energy transporter technology."

"These are two of my crewmates," Opani said to her. "Lieutenant Lucy Lucero, an operations officer, and Commander Meridina, First Officer of the _Aurora_. Meridina is a Gersallian."

Meridina nodded to them. "I know it is strange to see an alien looking the same as your own species. My people have had to adjust themselves to a similar truth now that we are in constant contact with Humans."

There was a look in the Ralsan's eyes. It was joy and wonder and uncertainty and, yes, a little fear mixed in. "Why?"

"You asked. And we have questions as well," Meridina said. "Our people have much to learn about this universe."

Kishala said no more. After one last grateful look she turned away and returned to the others. Opani noticed that for the first time her tail was moving side-to-side. She wondered if that was a good sign or not.

Between their time traveling in their ship and the days spent in confinement, the prisoners had spent weeks without seeing a planet-based sunrise. The three _Aurora_ crewmembers watched quietly as they reacted to this one. Some knelt. Some sat. Two held their arms out, as if to embrace the rising sun of Phi Perseus. The younger woman with curly blonde hair who had restrained Kat in Opani's prior conversation with them stood in front of the others and greeted the rising sun with a soft melody. They didn't recognize the words. But they could understand some of the meaning.

"I believe she is the one," Meridina said to them. More specifically to Lucy, who was looking over the portable station.

Lucy looked up and toward the prisoners. After several moments of consideration she nodded. "I can feel it too," Lucy said.

The ceremony, such as it was, continued on through the sunrise. Some of the other women in the group took up the melody as the sun began its climb into the sky off the horizon. After about half an hour the assembled finished their singing and humming.

This time they all approached the trio. "We did not expect this," the young woman said. She gave them a bow of the head in gratitude. "As a Sister, I thank you."

Meridina returned the head bow. "There is much hostility between our peoples currently. To allow it to continue not only increases the risk of conflict, it weakens the Flow of Life."

"The Flow of Life." The Aururian woman's look was one of curiosity. "That is your name for it?"

"It is."

"We consider it a gift from Anjea, the intercessor and protector of all the Singers, who convinced her mother Yhi - the Mother of Creation, who Sang all into existence - to grant us such a boon in our darkest hour."

Opani responded first. "Although I am ungifted, there are many among my species with the Gift who believe it to be the energy of the Supreme Being." Opani waited to see if they had more to say before she moved on. "We can do this daily. I have made the arrangements, and Captain Andreys will approve of it."

"She will," Meridina confirmed. "Captain Andreys is trying to learn more about your people. She hopes to find a peaceful solution to these disputes."

"One war is bad enough," Lucy added. "Fighting you would mean less ships to fight the Nazis."

A curious look came over some of the women. "Nazi?" asked the one named Kat. "You refer to the 20th Century movement led by Adolf Hitler?"

"Those are the ones," Lucy confirmed. "In the history of Universe S4W8, they won the war and at some point became the most powerful state on Earth. So they conquered the rest of Humanity, drove the rest to flee in space ships, and expanded into space."

The reply was incredulity. Incredulity that soon faded into general horror at the concept. "Mother above, you would think killing him once was enough…"

A tone came from Meridina's omnitool before Lucy could inquire as to what Kat meant. She checked it. "It is time for us to return you," she said. "We will bring you here again tomorrow."

"Again, you have our thanks," said the young woman who had led the singing.

"Before I send you back… what's your name?" Lucy asked. "If you don't mind?"

"I am Kirrhi," she answered.

"I hope we get this sorted out," Lucy said. "Meridina and I would love to discuss our cultures' different approaches to the Flow of Life."

Kirrhi's smile widened. "Yes," she said softly. "I think we would enjoy that as well." 

* * *

The sun was still low in the sky when Julia and Jarod materialized outside of the government building. Security personnel directed them back to the same conference room Julia had seen the prior day. Imra and Gartan were present already with Governor Taylor at his seat and Logan beside him on the right. Julia and Jarod found their own seats to Taylor's left.

The next time the door was opened Shaham entered the room. He found a seat beside Taylor, one left for him by Gartan and Imra, allowing him to sit across from Jarod and beside Logan.

The door opened one final time. Captain de Montamar stepped in. Julia could now see the entirety of his blue uniform, with the gold-colored dual lines of buttons on the front and the gold cuffs, looking much like a combination of a 20th Century uniform and a Systems Alliance formal uniform jacket. The trousers had gold trim along the outside crease, at least down to his knee.

"Captain Guy de Montamar of the _Poursivante_ , at your service Governor," he stated in accented English.

"Captain. Thank you for accepting our hospitality." Taylor gestured to a chair at the other head of the table. "Would you like coffee or tea?"

"The former, Governor, would be most welcome."

"For myself as well," Shaham added.

"I'll take one," Julia said.

"Tea," said Logan.

"I enjoyed a cup of _tupari_ before beaming down," Gartan stated, referring to the Dorei equivalent of rich coffee. "I am not in need of more."

At a nod from Taylor, one of his assistants went to a replicator unit in the wall behind Logan, Shaham, and the other commanders. He ordered coffees for everyone available. The device lit up and in several columns of light produced half a dozen mugs filled with the dark fluid. "Cream or sugar?" the assistant asked those attending.

"A touch of sugar, I think," de Montamar requested. Taylor specified cream.

While this was arranged, Logan went to business. "Where is Sub-Consul Nio!sat!ny? I was informed he would be attending."

"I am uncertain myself," the League officer answered. "The League and Consortium often act in concert, but we keep our own counsels as well."

"I think we can commence without him, Chairwoman" Taylor said. "Captains?"

Julia and the other Captains gave nods of assent.

"Very well. I shall begin by bringing up a rather interesting distinction of our universe," de Montamar said. "I learned of this while examining the data that the Consortium was provided by your Alliance, trying to find why your universes are free of the nemesis of ours. It is quite astonishing." He removed a device from his jacket and placed it on the table. With a tap of a key the device generated a holographic projection of the Earth. Montamar tapped a few keys, generating a square that moved into the Southern Hemisphere and then into the Eastern Hemisphere until it was over Southeast Asia and Australia. Another key tap zoomed in.

Julia immediately saw what he meant. She didn't fight the surprise that came to her face. The interior of Australia, always brown or yellow from above, was instead lush greens with the light brown of plains. The desert areas seemed confined to a portion of the southern coast and a few other points in the northwest.

"An Earth where the Australian Outback doesn't exist." Logan raised her eyebrows. "That _is_ quite intriguing."

"This is... " Jarod shook his head in amazement. "This is something entirely new for us."

"Presumably this altered the development of the peoples of this region?" Gartan asked.

"It would definitely have had to, as the known Earths so far see similar histories for the continent," Logan noted. "With the Aborigines never developing sufficiently to resist European settlement."

"There are several, though unlikely, explanations for such a change. Presumably the monsoons of primordial Australia never receded," Jarod remarked. "This would have drastically changed the development of the continent."

"Presumably not, Commander," said de Montamar. "Dry conditions may have killed the spongiform before it infected humans."

"We're still waiting for our scientists to finish their examinations of this organism," Julia said. "What can you tell us about it?"

"Much. It is responsible for the division of our entire species."

"That much we've been told," said Taylor. "How?"

De Montamar tapped the holographic projector, turning off the image of the Earth for the moment. "That _thing_ evolved many thousands of years ago in a direction that let it infect Humanity," he said. "Once it is within a host organism, it spreads through the body. The host becomes ill, during which time the spongiform attacks and modifies the reproductive system, the bone marrow, the _brain._ In human males, the result is gruesome without immediate amputation of the most drastic sort. In females, however…"

By this point Julia realized where he was going with this. "It can carry genetic material from another source," she murmured. "We learned that much."

"Yes. Females infected by the organism can _only_ transfer their genetic material between each other."

"They can have children," Shaham said in realization. "Without the need for medical technology, for in-vitro capability and embryo generation."

"Now we know why their ships are all female crews," Julia said. "Although that doesn't explain the other aliens, the Ralsan…"

De Montamar nodded. "I will get to that. The point, though, is that wherever Aururians went, it spread."

"The pheromone." Seeing the looks from the others, Jarod said, "It makes sense. Something like the pheromones could stimulate those not-infected to find those with the infection, those with the pheromone, desirable and attractive."

"In short, yes," de Montamar confirmed. "To such an extent the Empire has internal quarantines and cybernetic methods of resistance for privileged minorities. It is enough to explain their expansion, however. Especially when backed by the use of force."

"How different is your world's history?" Jarod asked. "I mean, from our current baseline? Something like this would… well, it would, it _should_ , drastically alter the development of Humanity."

"I think that might be a little off-topic right now, Commander," said Logan. "What is clear is that even if the organism is not airborne, it might yet pose a health risk."

"So the Aururians developed in an Australia with more cropland and forest." Julia looked to de Montamar again. "And they eventually organized a society."

"Yes. Over the centuries they spread to the nearby islands and lands. Eventually contact with Europe occurred. The Aururians were developed enough that, even without the advantage of muskets, they were able to repulse a sizable expedition of conquistadors, after which they copied their ships, and sailed to Europe for aid. The English were the first friendly nation they found."

"An alliance that seems to have stuck with them," Julia noted.

"Until they conquered those Isles." He replied, dryly. "To sum up centuries in as few words as possible, the Aururians expanded where they could and worked their connections with Europe to protect themselves from conquest," de Montamar stated. "They stood as allies with the English in many of the great wars of Old Earth, and each time cunningly expanded their power, using their conflicts with Spain to gain entry to the Americas. The wars of the 20th Century saw them expand their reach even further, into the Near East, into Asia, even into Africa. By the 21st Century they had forged a network of confederated states and sub-states that spanned the globe and were in the first rank of powers. Sometimes they stood opposed to uninfected Humanity, but they were capable of working with us against a foe such as the Ralsan."

"Oh?" asked Julia.

"The Ralsan had no superluminal drive," said de Montamar. "They expanded over the course of centuries with fleets of slow-ships. When they arrived in our solar system in the first half of the 23rd Century, they found us a space-capable, industrialized species, fully capable of resisting them, where before they had not thought the world inhabited. The war that resulted was the last time the Aururians stood with us. The alliance did not survive the victory."

"A fight over the spoils of victory?"

"No. Something rather more painful for our people." A deep frown creased the man's aquiline face. "At this time, the world had come under the control of a central authority formed from the old United Nations. It was seen as necessary in the days before the Ralsan, when the remaining free Nations of Earth banded together to resist the reactionary tide of the Empire. Quarantines, trade sanctions… none of it worked. By the time of the Ralsan invasion, the UN had been corrupted under the relentless pressure. It devolved into a complete betrayal of the democratic principles of their founders. Hatred and fear fueled them, with apocalyptic, xenophobic visions filling their minds. They decided that for humanity to survive, the Ralsan had to die… and the Empire the same when it made a separate peace and settled the Ralsan survivors. When they developed the warp drive, the UN secretly moved to aggressively conquer the other worlds of the Ralsan empire. The Empire had gained such a lead in the pre-warp era that anything was deemed acceptable in the same of survival. Their colony ships were hunted down and destroyed in deep space, and the Ralsan were smashed, their worlds made into the resource base the UN needed to build a fleet, one that was to end the threat of the Aururians once and for all."

As de Montamar described this, Julia's expression hardened into a frown. Some of the Aururian behavior seemed, if not excused, at least somewhat comprehensible. She also felt a tinge of sympathy for de Montamar. This was clearly not a bright hour in the history of his branch of Humanity, and he knew it.

"Eventually the Empire found out, over a hundred years ago," he continued. "About both warp drive and about the UN's behavior. Their response was a massive first strike. There was a nuclear exchange that shattered much of the Earth and a war in space between the UN's expanded fleet and the Imperial one. They even reactivated the Ralsan fleet and led them into action against the rest of humanity. In the end, all that our ancestors could do was evacuate as many of the survivors as they could and flee to their colonies. It would be decades before the fighting ended, with most of both halves of Humanity dead, and a new Ralsan-majority empire arisen from the ashes of our foes, under a human Empress and leadership. It fell to a great man, Captain Claude de Escuy of the UN fleet, to end the remains of the corrupt government that had provoked the conflict. He founded the League of Democratic Worlds under the ancient principles of the French Revolution and Republic. It was President de Escuy who insisted alien species must be protected and guided to true equality with Mankind, a new vision of the old _œuvre civilisatrice."_

"The Aururians seem to think differently of your principles," Jarod noted.

"They do. It is a convenient excuse for them." De Montamar sipped at his coffee. "An excuse to launch war after war against the League. They have waged five wars of aggression against us since the Great Interplanetary War. Sometimes our lines hold. Sometimes our people are forced to flee their homes, driving us even further on our frontiers to find the resources necessary to protect ourselves. During the last war, a great coalition held them back, but instead of taking stock and reconsidering their aggression, they swore to double their fleet. Our desperation fuels unscrupulous men who take advantage of it to mistreat those aliens we are charged with protecting and uplifting, and the Empire uses that to provide an excuse for another all out attack. There is peace now, of course. We've had it for twelve years, but it won't last. It never does with them."

The more de Montamar spoke, the more Julia wondered if it was a mistake to ever come to this universe. On the one hand, she felt leery of the League. De Montamar's passion aside, how many of them were the exploiters and abusers the Aururians claimed they were?

But on the other hand… she felt a wave of horror at the concept of the spongiform. Not simply from what it did to those it infected, but the ramifications of the pheromone that the infected gave off. It made her think of reports about the Orion Syndicate, and how Orion women could enslave the minds of others with biochemically-enhanced pheromones.

Shaham beat her to the question forming in her mind. "This spongiform, Captain. Is it possible that it may be semi-sapient in some way? Does it alter the minds of those it infects?"

"That is a question that has been debated for a millennium, Captain Shaham," de Montamar answered. "For what it is worth, our scientists do not think the parasite actively _controls_ the host." He took another gulp of coffee. "Regardless, the Empire is are opposed to everything we stand for. The League stands for the sacred principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. We believe in democracy and freedom. The Empire is a cult of militant reactionaries. All cultures that come into their power are twisted into their form, expunged of anything that does not fit the Aururian view of a world governed by the Empress and the nobility. Consider Captain von Lohringhoven. Her ancestors were compelled to become Aururian, likely forcibly infected, after the fall of Earth. Her Germany is not the Germany of Kant and Goethe and Schiller. It is the Germany of Bismarck and his halo of bayonets put into the service of the Empire with a puppet Kaiserin. They only preserve shadows of other cultures, shadows of ancient crowns. And the only change for the Ralsans is that their Empress is a Human now. Indeed, though they call themselves Aururians, for most of the last centuries, they have been a Ralsan Empire in truth, demographically and culturally. The Ralsan are still militant conquerors, and that impulse of the Empire's majority species has combined with the Empresses demanding relentless expansion to create an empire devoted to unending wars of subjugation."

The mood in the room was growing tense. "You paint a grim picture, Captain de Montamar," said Taylor. "If your perception is true, then we might as well prepare for a war now."

"A war we can ill afford," Commander Imra observed. "With the fleet fully engaged against the Reich..." She trailed off ominously.

"I can assure you, the League will support the Alliance in a war," de Montamar said. "It is a matter of survival for us too. The Alliance has the potential to swing the balance of power against the Empire and force them to finally accept a permanent peace."

Logan had another matter in mind. "Can it be cured?" Upon winning de Montamar's attention, she clarified. "The spongiform? Can it be removed from a host?"

"With great effort," said de Montamar, with an expression of distaste. "It takes weeks of careful blood chelation and filtration to remove all traces of the organism, along with a variety of other invasive and drastic procedures. Even then, the host is left sterilized and with a severely-depressed immune system."

"We may have medical science to deal with that problem," Logan said. "But I want to make sure we have a cure. Even if it is too late to prevent it from permanently altering the mind of the host, at least it can't spread."

"Understanding how to deal with the organism if it was introduced to our population is important," Julia agreed. "But right now I think our priority has to be stopping a war."

"I do not believe you can, short of surrendering this world to the Empire," said de Montamar. "And certainly not without returning the smugglers, which to be frank, would damage your relations with us."

"Maybe not, but there might be solutions we haven't considered yet," Julia said. "And the brutal fact is that we can't fight a war right now. We're too spread out."

"It is possible you would have to retreat for a time, yes," de Montamar agreed. "But in the long run, we do not need your full effort, merely your assistance."

"I believe this is outside of our purview," Taylor said. "Captain de Montamar, thank you for providing this information. I will forward it to the Alliance government immediately."

"Of course. And I will await the finding in your courts on the extradition order." The League commander stood up.

"The hearing is later today. In the meantime, you are our guest."

"Thank you, Governor, but I must return to the _Poursuivante_ ," he said. "And report to my government. As it is a Consortium extradition warrant, I leave that matter in the hands of the Sub-Consul."

"Very well. Have a safe flight back to your ship."

Captain de Montamar bowed respectfully and departed.

"We've heard one side," said Taylor. "What are our prospects of hearing the other?"

"Doctor Opani may have made progress with those prisoners," Julia said. "Maybe they'll be willing to talk to us."

"Not if their lawyers have spoken to them. They'll tell them to say nothing," Taylor pointed out. "And Captain von Lohringhoven has not been talkative."

"That I can confirm," Shaham said. "Our conversations have gone nowhere. Nothing more than the repeating of her ultimatum for our withdrawal." He shook his head. "Her Empire may be different, but I fear she was stamped out at the same Prussian mill they make Reich officers at."

"I've been wondering about that, actually." Julia glanced toward Jarod. "Commander Jarod and I have spoken about whether a different approach may be best. A private meeting, maybe."

"I would rather you not," said Logan. "Exposing yourself to the organism is a foolish risk."

"It's not airborne," Jarod reminded everyone.

"No, but you heard Captain de Montamar. The pheromone that the hosts produce can undermine the will of a non-infected. There's no telling how little exposure a person can sustain before they lose control." Logan stood. "As of this time I am going to urge you, Governor, to re-institute the quarantine protocols."

"We're already holding them in the quarantine ward, so you shouldn't worry about exposure."

"It would likely take long-term exposure for the pheromone to have any effect," Jarod pointed out.

"But you don't know that," Logan pointed out. "You don't know the concentrations required. Until we know for certain, it is a risk I think we should avoid."

Julia said nothing to that. She stood from the chair and looked at Taylor. "I'm sending my JAG officer to the preliminary hearing. Will there be any issues?"

"It's an open hearing. There should be no problems."

"In the meantime, I have reports to file with Command," Shaham said. "And combat drills to deal with. Governor, Captain, I'll speak with you later." He nodded to them both and walked out, with Gartan and Imra behind him.

"Captain, Commander, I have a meeting with Colonel Littleton to attend," said Taylor.

"Of course, Governor," Julia said. "I'll keep in touch with you if anything develops."

Taylor nodded and walked out. Once they were alone Jarod glanced to Julia. "You didn't mention anything about Meridina and Lucy letting them out for the sunrise."

"No, I didn't," said Julia. "Logan doesn't seem to know. If she did, she might start insisting I stop them."

"And you have no intention of that."

"Not unless it's unsafe for them," Julia answered. "Which is why I'm going to share this with Leo. But either way, the last thing I need is to add to my headaches by having an argument with Logan. So until she says anything to me about it, I'm going to keep my mouth shut on the matter and see if anything comes of it."

"Sounds like a plan," Jarod agreed. 

* * *

The morning's work ended early for Leo. The moment he got the message from Science Lab 3 he left the medbay in the care of Doctor Walker and made his way deeper into the ship. Science Lab 3, as their biology lab, was centered around three iso-lab capsules accessible only by an airlock system. Leo arrived as Doctor Ke'mani'pala emerged from the center one. The Gl'mulli scientist shifted her vocoder and visual stimuli-translator device toward Leo, allowing her to see him clearly and not as a faint EM trace. "Ah, Doctor," she said.

"You said you have something?" he asked.

"Oh yes, I do." Ke'mani'pala half-walked, half-slid her way to a nearby control. An appendage formed from the cyan gelatin of her body. It shifted to form fingers and started to tap the control. An image of the spongiform appeared on the holo-screen. "After my examination of the sample, I have been able to determine the role of the pheromone. Simulations indicate it is part of the reproductive process. It interacts with the brain of a Human being, and perhaps other species, and stimulates a biochemical response."

Leo watched the simulation light up centers of the brain. "The parts linked to attraction and desire," he noted. "The pheromone encourages someone to desire physical intimacy with others."

"Not merely others, Doctor. There are some species of fauna I have examined that use a similar method in their mating process. It encourages others to mate with them."

Leo shook his head. "That's rather horrifying in its implications. Prolonged exposure to these people would make a need for contact with them unbearable over time."

"Difficult, certainly. But I believe this explains the implants you reported."

For a moment Leo wondered what Ke'mani'pala meant. When the moment passed, the memory came to him. "You mean the implants on the _Irresistible_ crew who didn't have the spongiform?"

"Yes. I believe it may be a device to prevent the pheromone from interacting with the brain."

"How?" Leo asked.

"I can only speculate on the exact mechanism," trilled the Gl'mulli. "But with time and testing we can replicate the technology, making our people immune to their influence. Perhaps in time, with fortune, we may even determine a means of inoculation not requiring implantation."

Leo nodded at that. "Good work, Doctor. Thank you for putting aside your other projects for this."

"You are most welcome, Doctor Gillam. And one does not grow an Aurorus sapling in a day, thankfully. My primary project is not disturbed by this work."

"You still deserve the thanks," Leo assured her with a grin. He looked over the data on the screens again. "Replicating that implant will take time, but I'd like to have something available now, if we need it." Biochemistry was not his speciality, but he had enough general knowledge to have an idea come to his head. "What if we could chemically immunize someone?"

"I do not believe it would last, Doctor," Ke'mani'pala answered.

"True." Leo tapped at the screen. "Not without causing similar permanent biochemical changes to the body. But I'm not thinking of permanent protection."

A low trilling sound came from the vocoder. "Hrm. It is a possibility. I would require your assistance."

"Given the situation, I'm ready to give it," Leo replied. 

* * *

Upon returning to the _Aurora_ Julia returned to her office and finished her paperwork for the morning. She was about to stand and depart when her door chime went off. "Come in," she said.

The door slid open and Meridina stepped in. "Jarod informed me of the day's meeting," she said.

"Good." Julia leaned back in her chair for a moment. "Do you have any insights?"

"I found it interesting that Captain de Montamar admitted to the fact that the League has not treated alien species well," Meridina said. "Although his words indicate he does not see it as the Aururians do."

"I'm not surprised. They're claiming that it's slavery, he makes it out like a few excesses that the Aururians blow out of proportion to justify wars of aggression. The spongiform makes them look even worse."

"Jarod informed me of the accusations of forced infection," Meridina said. She took a seat on the other side of the desk. "Although it appears they no longer practice such."

"I think the idea they _might_ is scary enough," Julia answered. "And the fact the spongiform alters the brain. This thing, Meridina… I'll admit it's scary as hell."

"There is a cure, yes?"

"Not an easy one. And it still leaves a mark on you. And when you count the pheromones, I wonder if this thing is conscious in a way. If it's actually looking for people to infect." Julia stopped there and considered how she sounded.

"The organism is not a sapient being," Meridina said. "I sense nothing of it."

"And I'm sure scientists would have discovered something like that centuries ago, if it were fully sapient," Julia agreed. "But the thing sounds so pernicious. Maybe if the pheromones didn't exist…"

"I am reminded of our reports regarding the Orion Syndicate. But I have been in their presence, as has Lucy. We felt nothing. It is probable that prolonged exposure is necessary."

"Either way, when you combine it with the Aururians' expansionism and readiness to fight, it can make them seem, for lack of a better term, inhuman. Like the Borg."

"That is a harsh and unfair assessment of them," Meridina insisted. "They are living, thinking beings like any other. Whatever this organism has done to them, they deserve that consideration."

Julia nodded in agreement. "I know you're right. But I wonder how many people will agree." She thought back to how Chairwoman Logan took the news. It had seemed to trigger something in the woman, something close to panic and certainly laced with disgust. "And that hasn't changed the situation. We can't afford to fight, but we can't let the Aururians chase us out either. And they're not backing down. I wonder if there's some way to get them to share the system. Maybe divide the resources between us…" Julia glanced at her omnitool and stood. "Anyway, I need to be going. I need to see Vajpayee before he goes down to the hearing. And then I think I need a meal."

"Of course. I shall maintain the bridge watch for you."

As Julia reached the door she turned back for a moment. "How did it go? The sunrise service?"

"It was appreciated by them, I believe. They sang more than they prayed. At least one of the songs reminded me of the songs I have heard our people sing." A thoughtful look came to Meridina's face. "I believe I shall go again in the morning."

"Go for it." Julia continued through the door, not hiding the thought that came to her head.

 _I just hope they give you something I can use, or we're going to have a shooting war here._

* * *

The Lookout was filled as it could be despite the ongoing Code Yellow running status. Julia sat at one of the tables along the port side and watched her crew enjoy their meals. They gathered in groups and talked and gossiped, as they always did, as if they weren't one mistake from being caught in another war.

"Captain." The accented voice drew Julia's attention to Hargert. The elderly steward of the Lookout placed a platter before her, a battered fish fillet with cabbage stew and a rice pudding. A glass of fruit juice was set down with it. "I have missed you the past few days," he said.

"I've been eating in my office," Julia admitted. She tapped her digital reader. "And I'm trying to figure this situation out."

"It appears to be quite tense," Hargert agreed.

"That's not the half of it," Julia sighed. "These people, these Aururians, they've got this thing inside of them. It alters them, and if you're exposed to them for a long time it can make you tempted to, I don't know, sleep with them I suppose. To expose yourself to being infected with the spongiform too."

"Ah." Hargert nodded. A look of slight disgust appeared to his face. "It sounds quite terrible, doesn't it? The idea of being compelled into something you're not?"

"Yes," Julia agreed. "I know a lot of people are going to be leery of them now. It's going to make keeping the peace harder."

"Yes." Hargert sat down beside her. "How much do you fear this, Captain?"

"Fear the Aururian organism?" Julia considered that. "I… well, I can't get over the thought of it forcing me to be something I'm not. Of having this thing inside of me, rewriting who and what I am. This thing stays with you, even if you manage to get it out of your body. It leaves its mark. And it sounds like they've forced people to be infected before. Or might have."

"That is the most terrible, frightening part," Hargert said. "That word _might_. The uncertainty of it all."

"Yeah." Julia nodded. She looked out the window of the Lookout. Due to the orientation of their orbits, she could see the bow of the _Maya-Mayi_. The two graviton weapon emplacements there were an ominous reminder of the danger the warship posted to her ship and crew. It was a more immediate threat than the one she had been considering.

The two threats were linked, of course. If fighting started, if the worst happened, and they were overwhelmed and taken prisoner, would they be forcibly infected as a consequence? The spongiform rewrote brains, didn't it? Could the component include an element of compelling loyalty toward others with the infection? A way for the Aururians to convert enemies into themselves, like the Borg assimilating other species? A raw sense of fear came to Julia at the prospect.

Hargert noticed the change of her expression. "At least you are learning more about them," he said. "Knowledge does not always remove fear, but it can help make the fear reasonable."

A small grin came to Julia's face. "You love to do that, don't you?" she asked, turning her head to face him. "Say the wise things."

"With the same hope that all beings my age have," Hargert answered, grinning in reply. "That the things bitter experience has taught us will spare the young from repeating our mistakes." He shrugged. "Besides, I read it in a book, and it sounded very profound."

Julia couldn't help herself. She chuckled in reply, which prompted Hargert to chuckle as well.

"Captain."

The voice prompted Julia to look toward the door. Approaching her was a stocky man with a light brown complexion and close-cut dark hair. He was in an Alliance uniform, with silver branch color to mark him as a support service officer. She stood and said, "Lieutenant Vajpayee. How did it go?"

Lieutenant Shivdhar Vajpayee stood at her height with striking brown eyes and a face bearing a warm expression. When he spoke, it was with a clear, although not thick, accent from the northern region of India.

"The judge was a tad permissive toward the prisoners' case. Nothing extraordinary or irregular, he is simply giving them a benefit of the doubt that not all judges would grant."

"I can't imagine the Sub-Consul was happy."

"He was not. He was quite adamant that the judge dismiss the motion and order the extradition."

"And what do you think, Lieutenant? How will this go?"

Vajpayee looked thoughtful for several moments. "I can't say for certain. If the attorneys can prove the charge of re-extradition, the judge may dismiss the warrant on those grounds. It will not be easy, however. Extradition hearings usually defer to the State's case."

"Usually. But I doubt that those judges had to deal with the prospect of a hostile battlecruiser bombing their home if they did." Julia motioned to the table. "Get a late lunch if you'd like, Lieutenant, and I'll go over your formal report on the hearing when it's done."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Captain, but I generally take lunch in my office," Vajpayee said. "I will have my official report finished for you in an hour or so. Would you like me to draw up a brief to file with the court? If you wish to weigh in on this case, I mean."

Julia shook her head at that. "I'm not going to involve myself in that process. I've got enough problems to deal with without delving into legal…"

A stray thought came to Julia. Or rather, a thought that had been simmering quietly in her mind these past few days, a sentiment, which she now saw from a different angle.

"Captain?" Vajpayee leveled a look at her, confused by her sudden trailing off.

"Lieutenant, there is something else you can do for me," Julia said. "Some legal and historical research, you might say. About our situation here."

Vajpayee nodded slowly. "I think I know what you mean, Captain. I'll look through the records and get back to you when I find something."

"Thank you," she answered. She watched him leave and returned to the table. Hargert was still sitting there, watching with an amiable, pleasant look. "Is everything okay?" she asked him.

"I am not sure," answered Hargert. The look turned into another grin. "But it is possible it will be. Good day, Captain. If you come back by 1930, I will have pork dumplings ready."

"I may do just that," Julia assured him. 

* * *

The craving hit Zack after lunch, a raw need to go and get a drink. To feel the world go hazy around him. It was a sudden surge of need he hadn't anticipated and the strength of it made him close his eyes and concentrate.

 _It's the boredom_ , he thought. _It has to be that_.

Empty space filled the viewscreen. They were approaching the central point of one of the "optimum broadcasting zones" that the _Aurora_ 's science team had picked out. Magda was intent on her sensor returns. Sherlily was assisting from tactical while Apley kept the ship crawling along.

Boredom wasn't new to Zack. Sometimes this job could be dreadfully boring. It could be boring even when they were in combat zones in the war. But this was different from that tense, expectant boredom, when any moment a Reich attack ship could start lobbing torpedoes at unsuspecting ships. They were alone out here, unseen by the other ships, nothing but the _Koenig_ crew and their mission of finding a microscopic needle in a haystack the size of the Empire State Building.

A microscopic needle that might not even exist.

The thought that this was all for nothing, that was the worst part. It helped with the desire to drink. It also made him wonder what the hell he was doing. Was this really worth it? Was this how he wanted to spend his life?

 _What life?_ was the bitter thought that followed. He had nothing now. He'd lost the one person who seemed willing to spend her life with him. He couldn't even think of New Caprica anymore. He had, quite simply, lost too much.

Thoughts of Clara were not what he needed right now. They made him want to drink.

"April, do you see this?"

Magda's inquiry, spoken in her clipped, accented English, ended the quiet on the bridge.

Sherlily looked over her scanners. "What?"

"I'm seeing a radiation trace," Magda said. "About three kilometers, bearing 348 mark… 112."

At tactical Sherlily double-checked her reading. "I'm still not… actually, maybe I am seeing it."

"When you say radiation trace, what are you meaning, Magda?" Zack asked.

"Going by what I'm seeing, it's a trace amount of radioactive material. Consistent with a fission battery."

"Like what you might find in a beacon that's meant to transmit for years?"

"Definitely."

Zack thought of that. "How could the survey teams have missed it?"

"The same way we almost did. We're crawling along at one-twentieth impulse power right now, and I barely saw it. At normal sublight speeds? A ship could go over it a hundred thousand times and never see it." Magda tapped a few keys. "I'm refining the sensors to… here we go. Apley?"

Apley noted something on the helm board. "I see it."

"More traces," Magda said, anticipating Zack's question. "It looks like whatever it comes from is moving away from us. Course 288 mark 038."

"How fast was it moving?" Zack asked.

"The trace remnants are irregular, so there's no telling an exact speed. Not too fast, however. If I had to guess, a meteor impacted with whatever it was."

"Follow it, Ap."

"And I need you to keep us below one tenth impulse power," Magda added. "Otherwise we might lose the trail."

"Aye," Apley answered. "One tenth impulse."

Zack settled back into the command chair to begin the long wait. 

* * *

The day was coming to an end, bringing Julia closer to the deadline imposed by Captain von Lohringhoven. There was nothing yet from Lieutenant Vajpayee on her question. His report on the hearing was concise but ultimately repeated what he'd already told her.

Now she was alone in her quarters, seated at her desk with a half-finished drink to one side and their formal written orders about keeping Phi Perseus on the other.

Her reading of the orders made the intractability of the problem starkly clear. Defense Command felt that the plentiful resources of Phi Perseus made exploration and use vital for the war effort and inevitable post-conflict rebuilding. She was only permitted to withdraw from the system if under "insurmountable military threat". And if that happened, the likely result would be war anyway.

A war they couldn't afford for a system they couldn't abandon. No matter what she did, she and the Alliance would lose.

Thinking of the Aururians sent another shiver up her spine. She conjured up a mental image of the thing getting inside of someone and rewiring them, altering their bodies until they were accepting hosts. It was the exact opposite of how the Cybermen had intended to take over her crew. More insidious, definitely.

And there was that sunset ceremony issue. Their one piece of goodwill with at least that part of the Aururians. _If only I could transfer that goodwill_ …

The idea clicked into place at that point. It might not work, but if it did… then maybe they could make something of this.

Her finger tapped a control on her desk. "Andreys to Bridge," she said.

A few moments passed before Lieutenant Neyzi answered, " _Bridge here_ ".

"Open a channel to the _Maya-Mayi_ ," Julia ordered. "I have something to ask Captain Lohringhoven."


	16. Episode 3-03-5 Command Principles

Julia didn't get much sleep. The day on Phi Perseus 4 was shorter than the standard 24 hour day the _Aurora_ used and sunrise was at 0545. She was up at 0400 to have time for her abbreviated morning routine with a quick breakfast and then her planned stops.

She met Leo at the entrance to the shuttlebay. Before she could say anything he pressed a hypospray to her neck and triggered it. There was no pain from the injection. The device sent its contents in almost microscopic streams through the pores of her skin into her bloodstream. The tingle it made caused her to rub at her neck. "What was that?" she asked.

"A little something Doctor Ke'mani'pala and I came up with," Leo said, grinning slightly. "I've already given two doses for Opani to use on Lucy and Meridina."

"What's it do?"

"It should keep your brain from registering the presence of the pheromone, at least for a little while," Leo explained. "We think the Aururians use something similar on their non-infected crew through those implants we detected in them."

"And you're sure this will work?"

"About eighty percent sure," Leo admitted. "You'll know it's not if you start feeling an attraction toward any of the infected. Which I imagine will be very awkward."

"I suppose that depends on how much you believe Tom's remarks about my sparring matches with Angel," Julia joked. The humor helped to deal with the awkward sense the thought gave her. "I'll let you know how it goes. If it works, we'll want to inform Command."

"Good luck," Leo said. "And when you get back, we'll need to talk about your sleeping habits."

Julia leveled a playful glare at him before walking onto the basic Mark II shuttlepod that the shuttlebay crew had prepared on her order. It was a personal transport shuttle, six seats with only small stowing net cargo spaces. She got into the cockpit and settled into the pilot seat. The customary pre-launch check took just a minute. The shuttle's micro-naqia reactor came to life. "Flight control, shuttlepod B prepared to launch. Awaiting clearance," she said.

" _You are clear, Shuttlepod B_ ," responded a man with the slow lilting accent of a Gersallian.

At the press of Julia's index finger to the appropriate key, power surged into the thrusters that lifted the shuttlepod from the floor. She carefully maneuvered the pod about and toward the exit before triggering the main thrusters. The craft accelerated out of the shuttlebay and into orbital space.

Orbital space looked more open in the pod. She watched the rear of the _Aurora_ move away to her right upon her banking to port. The _Enterprise_ 's lower nacelles were visible at the top of her view. The _Lrrik_ was almost dead ahead, at least until she changed her course slightly, allowing her to fly past the _Steslus_ -class destroyer. The blue orb that was Phi Perseus 4 loomed ahead. It looked much like Earth in color. The continents gave it a unique look, however. The wide band of a Pangea-sized continent that spanned much of the southern hemisphere was covered in greens and light browns and visible mountains. A big blue thumb the size of the North Atlantic stuck into the southern continent, not quite splitting it entirely. The Northern Hemisphere of the planet was mostly water on this side, but there was a continent a little larger than Europe that banded the temperate zone and just barely dipped down into the subtropics. She pointed her shuttle toward that continent's western coast and prepared for reentry.

The reentry went smoothly. So did the landing, just outside of the Oakland Colony at a promontory overlooking the ocean. Julia stepped out of the shuttle and waited quietly. A comforting warm sea-breeze brought the salty scent of the ocean with it.

Light appeared in the night sky above her. As it drew closer the light cast a deep shadow over its source and obscured its origin. It wasn't until the small craft set down that Julia made out the shape of the Aururian shuttlecraft, the same type she had seen a few days before.

Captain von Lohringhoven stepped out. Her curly hair was still pulled back into a severe bun at the back of her head. "Captain," she said. "I will advise you that it was against my own judgement, and the considerations of my officers, that I have come."

"Fair enough. I can't say I blame you given what happened a couple of days ago." Julia motioned to her shuttle. "I promised you access to the prisoners. I want to keep that promise."

Lohringhoven eyed the shuttle warily. "Why did you not have me land in your Colony?"

"Because we're not going to the Colony," Julia replied.

A quiet moment followed. Julia fought to keep her expression clear of any apprehension. The slightest overeagerness, or any other wrong reaction, could cause Lohringhoven to get back in her shuttle, or worse, and render this entire trip moot.

"Then I will trust in your word of honor, as suspect as it has been," Lohringhoven answered. Julia sensed the anticipation in her tone. Lohringhoven was already wondering just where the betrayal was going to come from. Which begged the question of why she would still come down.

 _Because her Empire doesn't want war any more than we do_ was the thought in Julia's head, but she didn't dare to speak of it.

"If you will accompany me?" Julia looked out over the horizon. They were on the eastern shore of the hundred mile wide peninsula that Oakland occupied the western coast of, so it was over the midnight black of the sea that the first hints of the impending dawn were starting to show.

Without a further word Lohringhoven followed Julia into the shuttlepod. She took up the co-pilot seat and quietly considered the touch-panel interface before her. Julia tapped the key to close the hatch and lifted off the second she heard the hatch finish shutting. They flew to the north, moving steadily inland over hills that, in daylight, would look lush with green and blue grass.

Julia brought them to a landing in a wide field. Meridina and Lucy were already present with the portable transporter. Lucy was operating that device when they stepped out of the shuttlepod. The Aururian Captain leveled a skeptical gaze at Julia, who checked her omnitool. "Any second."

Four columns of white light briefly burst into being. When they fell away, four figures now stood nearby; two Ralsan women and two Human women. Another four columns formed within ten feet of those first arrivals, bringing the last two Ralsan and two other Human women. Three final bursts of white light brought with them the last of the Aururian prisoners with Doctor Opani. One of them, one of the younger women, looked to Lucy and Meridina and nodded respectfully.

All briefly looked to the eastern horizon, where the corona of an early dawn shone over the distant forested hills. One by one they seemed to notice the shuttle and with it the presence of Julia and Lohringhoven.

There was a brief moment when Julia wondered if they would try to take their chance now. If, with Captain Lohringhoven and her pistol to help, they would attempt to rush Julia and her comrades. It was eleven against four now, after all, and they might not realize Julia had locked down the shuttle, nor the extent of Meridina and Lucy's capabilities.

But they didn't. Opani nodded respectfully to her and said, "Captain." For the benefit of the prisoners, she said, "This is Captain Julia Andreys from the _Aurora_."

They nodded to her with respect. But their real focus was on Lohringhoven.

"Captain von Lohringhoven," said the older woman who had been beamed in toward the end. "An honor." She bowed her head. Those with her did as well.

Lohringhoven returned the bow slightly. "Ladies. Sisters. It is good to see you are healthy and well. I can assure you that Her Imperial Majesty is pursuing every avenue to secure your release."

"We are honoured by the attention from Her Majesty," the older woman said simply.

The younger woman, the priestess whom Julia remembered was named Kirrhi, motioned to the dawn. "We would be honored if you would join us, Captain."

"It has been too long since I enjoyed the sunrise," was the answer.

Julia walked over to join the others while the Aururians took up positions together. Some seemed to be reaching out to embrace the sun as it rose, others knelt, and all sang. The translators still didn't have the Aururian language deciphered completely, but Jarod had been able to apply the known languages of the Australian aboriginals to the program in order to partially translate Aururian speech. With this Julia was able to understand some of it.

The older woman who had beamed in with the priestess sang her own song lowly to herself, on a different melody to the others, and it seemed, in English. " _Oh why soldiers, why, why should you be melancholy girls, should it be you or I, whose business it is to die…?_ "

Opani interrupted Julia's quiet observation of the eleven Aururians. "Captain, I have a confession."

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I do not want to turn them over," Opani admitted.

Meridina and Lucy didn't react to this admission. Julia twisted her head slightly to face the Dorei doctor. "Oh?"

"I believe they are good people who are fighting a good fight," Opani said. "That they bring the means to resist slavery to the species oppressed by this 'League'."

"Have they admitted to that being their purpose?"

"Not directly. They say nothing." Opani shook her head. "But I can feel that as the reason. I believe that if we turn them over to the Xou!tasam, they will be given to the League and end up enslaved or killed."

"Strong words," Julia said. "But without proof I can't do anything about it, Doctor. We have a treaty with the Trading Consortium. We have to obey it."

Opani glowered. "We made the wrong friends in this universe."

"Did we?" Julia looked at her directly. "Even if the League Captain was misleading us about the cause of their conflicts, we've seen the Aururians behave aggressively. They're threatening to expel us from this solar system on the basis of a claim they've shown no proof of. They killed a member of our crew in an unprovoked attack."

Opani's minor glower turned into a betrayed frown. "So you're siding with the Consortium and the League? With people who practice slavery?"

"I'm not siding with _anyone_ , Doctor," Julia replied. "At least not until I know more. All I'm trying to do is stop this from becoming a war."

"A single solar system, no matter how wealthy its resources, does not seem worth a war over. Not considering our current predicament," Meridina pointed out.

"On that, I'm in agreement. But Command isn't. They insist we need these resources, and we need them now, and they're willing to gamble that the Aururians will blink first." Julia returned her attention to Opani. "You've gotten pretty close to them, haven't you?"

"They are good people, Captain," Opani insisted. "They're doing the same thing you did in the years before the Alliance."

"That's… entirely possible," Julia admitted. "And I do want to know more about them. I want to hear their side of the story. And when it comes down to it, I want to find a way to stop this from becoming a war."

Opani took a moment to consider her reaction. She ended up nodding quietly in reply.

The conversation ended and the four officers from the _Aurora_ continued to observe the sunrise celebration quietly. When the singing ended Lohringhoven made quiet conversation with the priestess and the woman who accompanied her.

One of the Ralsan walked toward Julia and the others. "Doctor, Commander," she said. "Thank you again for this. You give us hope that justice will be done for us."

Opani glanced toward Julia before she nodded in reply. "You are welcome, Kishala. But you should also thank Captain Andreys."

"She made it possible," Meridina added.

Kishala faced Julia next. Her yellow eyes scrutinized Julia for several moments before her head bowed once more. Her tail swished from side to side. "Thank you, Captain, for your compassion and nobility."

"You're welcome," Julia answered. "I was hoping this might break down the barrier between our peoples so that we might find an end to this crisis."

"There is naught that we can do on that matter. I am sorry."

"Maybe you can't…" Julia shifted her head slightly, allowing her to meet Captain von Lohringhoven's eyes as the Aururian officer approached. "Captain von Lohringhoven."

"Captain Andreys." The severeness in the Captain had not disappeared. But there was a small warmth in her voice now. "You have fulfilled your promise to me. I am sure you wish to discuss matters."

"What I want is your side of the story," Julia said.

"I take it Captain de Montamar has explained our history to you? The horrors of the Great Interplanetary War?"

"He did. He told us about the old government's crimes against your peoples, the Aururian and the Ralsan. And he told us about the spongiform and the pheromones it produces."

"And yet you come amongst us anyway." The slightest hint of a smile appeared on Lohringhoven's face. "You and your people need not worry on that score. The Chorus of Singers is best improved by the willing."

"He also charged that your Empire is the aggressor, launching war after war against his people."

"He would, yes." Lohringhoven seemed bemused by this. "It is true that we have often initiated the conflicts, but only in response to the terrible abuses that the Northern League have inflicted on other species. For all of their talk of reform and pursuing equality, they behave toward others just as they did when they were the United Nations of old."

"You refer to them as the Northern League," Meridina noted. "Why?"

"Because they are the descendants of the Northern Hemisphere nations that abandoned their allies in the Great Interplanetary War," Lohringhoven replied. "I suspect he did not mention that. The more powerful states in the north abandoned their allies in the Southern Hemisphere when they fled Earth at the end of the war. The 'Global South' was naught more than chattel to be dispensed with at the whims of the North. And that is how they still operate, Captain. Whenever they find a hospitable world for settlement, they seize it. Any indigenous species are brought under 'protection' that rivals the worst of the European Empires of the 19th Century."

"And you fight to liberate these species?" Julia asked. "And that's all?"

"Of course it is not," said Lohringhoven. "The Empire does take worlds from the League. We have captured their capital twice, in fact. It is our intention to reduce them to the point they are no longer a threat. But they always find new worlds to seize and exploit and new allies to throw into the flames. And so we continue this bloody dance, and I suspect we will until the League finally surrenders completely."

"You could stop," Julia said. She considered the alternative response - pointing out the assumption that it was the League that would ultimately submit and not the Empire - to be unconstructive. "Why not offer a peace treaty in exchange for the League ceasing those exploitations?"

"That would require us to trust them, Captain. We do not." Lohringhoven looked at her with pity, condescending pity, which Julia did not appreciate. "Your people will learn the same harsh lesson so many other nations and species have about the Northern League. Whether they are Democrats or Fascists, their view has proven the same; the galaxy and its worlds and races exist for their benefit, riches meant solely for the satiation of their most base desires. If we break them enough, this attitude will no longer lead to the abuse of innumerable sapient beings, but it is sheer fantasy to assume they will stop on their own. Certainly no treaty will constrain them. They will always insist upon it as a necessity, and justify it under the same lie."

"Yet you only fuel hostility and resentment with this approach, Captain," Meridina noted. "Your Empire and the League seem to be trapped in this cycle. They fear you, you fear them, and in the resulting mutual hatred the darkness within your peoples grows stronger with each conflict. The Flow of Life is weakened and all suffer."

"A bitter reality is a reality still," Lohringhoven answered. "And I imagine you have other concerns than our conflicts with the League. Your own position here is precarious and undefended by right. Disputed frontiers have ways of starting wars."

"You continue to insist this system is yours, Captain, but you have provided no proof of that," Julia pointed out. "I've been made aware of how you claim these systems. All you need to do is provide to us the marker showing your earlier claim, and we would acknowledge the justice of your claim."

"You would wage a war with the Empire for but one solar system, Captain? When you claim to have multiple copies of our galaxy to settle?"

"Under ordinary circumstances, likely not," Julia conceded. "But we are not in ordinary circumstances. We are fighting a war in another universe against the Nazi German Reich. I'm not sure if the Nazis ever developed in your history…"

Lohringhoven's eyes narrowed. "They did."

"Well, in S4W8, they won. They defeated the Allies. And by the end of the 21st Century, they subjugated the entire planet and forced what was left of their opponents to flee into space. Then they expanded into space themselves and began to exterminate any alien species they encountered. They've got a large interstellar empire that we've only begun to liberate. We need every resource we can get to finish them off before they recover their strength or, God forbid, reverse-engineer our interuniversal drive technology. We _need_ this system, Captain."

Their eyes met. Lohringhoven was suspicious of the claim, that was obvious. She glanced toward Kirrhi. "Sister? You are a priestess. What does your gift say about this?"

"The good Doctor and her friends already spoke to us of this war, Captain," Kirrhi said. "I sensed truth. And I believe they…"

When Kirrhi stopped, the others turned toward her. "Priestess?" one of the other Aururians asked, bewildered with her sudden silence. The growing unease on her face made Julia wonder what was wrong.

"We are in danger," Kirrhi said.

Meridina nodded. "Yes. There is something…"

Some of the others were looking at the sky behind Julia. She turned to see what was there.

"Get down!" Lucy screamed. Julia felt someone - she didn't know who - slam into her back and throw her into the grass.

By the time she looked up, her ears were already ringing from the first blast. Two voices, one Human and one Ralsan, were screaming in the aftermath. Another pair of blasts went off around them that were accompanied by cries of shock and pain. She looked toward her shuttle and saw that it was reduced to a burning wreck.

A dull roar was in the air now. Despite the overwhelming ringing in her ears Julia was able to track it to the south side of the field. A craft was settling to the ground, or near to it, with ripples of blue flame spurting from beneath it. The vehicle was a dropship of some sort with blue and white coloring. An insignia she'd once seen - but where? - was emblazoned in blue on the strip of white facing them.

Figures in white and blue armor, with the same insignia on their chests, jumped from the craft. Her eyes widened at seeing that they were not all Human. The thin, top-heavy form of a Turian was among their number. A harsh voice barking, "Secure the target!" spoke with a guttural sound that Julia recognized as Batarian.

One of the armored figures raised a gun and fired. Julia watched the woman beside Kirrhi collapse to the ground, who with her bronze skin and straight black hair had stood out from the others but been silent and unassuming the entire time. She didn't fall as if she had been shot, mortally or otherwise, but rather in a boneless collapse as if she fainted. And _she_ was the target?

There was a loud burst the next moment. One of the gunmen fired a round toward the crowd of Aururians. Julia expected to a weapon using mass effect fields. Instead she got a burst of flame followed by a spray of flesh and blood with an accompanying scream of agony. One of the Aururians went down.

Ahead, Lucy rose to her feet and ignited her lightsaber. The blue energy blade intercepted a shot aimed toward them. There was no burst of flame. The shot had been cleaved in half. Julia could barely hear the second electronic snap and hiss from Meridina's lightsaber.

"Waste 'em!" a Human voice cried, and the armored beings opened fire, focusing on Meridina and Lucy. Their lightsaber blades became whirring blurs of sapphire light, intercepting and destroying the incoming fire.

But not all of the enemy were involved in that fight. Two soldiers broke off and charged toward the fallen form of the lead Aururian. Julia was reaching for her pulse pistol when Kishala threw herself at one of them and brought the female Turian down. Another Aururian tried to intercept the second attacker, a Human male, and was shot point-blank in the chest. The weapon was a vicious one; a burst of flame in front of the Aururian that seemed to shred into the poor woman's body, sending a cloud of blood and flesh away from both the impact point and the opposite point on her back. The Aururian toppled.

Just as suddenly, a burst identical to the incoming fire tore into one of the arriving Turian troopers and sent him toppling in a spray of blood. Julia saw that the shot had come from Lohringhoven. _Those are Aururian guns they're using,_ she realized, grabbing for her own pistol in the cover that Lohringhoven's fire gave her, and promptly opened fire on the human as he lowered himself to pick up the unnamed Aururian target. Her pulse shots dissipated against an energy field. The man growled at her and raised his weapon to shoot her.

Lohringhoven suddenly appeared between them. Julia didn't see the burst of flame, but she did hear it. Lohringhoven's left arm became shrouded in a storm of sparks. A sharp pain ran across Julia's left shoulder and arm, as if she had been cut by a blade at several points. She ignored the pain and stepped to the side to get a clear shot. Lohringhoven fired as well with her sidearm. The blue spark of light from the pulse pistol was joined by a burst of fire and what looked like a storm of impacts against the upper chest and neck of the trooper. The protective barrier had failed. Blood erupted from the neck of the man at the same moment Julia's pistol found its mark, blasting him in the face.

The explosive weapon went off again. A harsh cry of pain came from Kishala, who fell onto her back. Her torso was a mess of dark red blood - too dark to be Human - and shredded cloth and hair. The Turian female she had been engaged with brought her weapon over toward Lohringhoven and Julia as Lohringhoven paused with a sharp look to Kishala.

Before she could strike, the woman the entire attack seemed focused on leapt back to her feet as if she had just been lightly napping on the grass, only a minute after receiving a stun blast at close range. Julia watched in fascination as the woman's hand expanded outward, exposing a gun barrel where her palm had once been. A burst of ruby light sliced into the back of the Turian woman. The Turian's death cry sounded briefly over the battle.

The immediate threat of these two particular foes had occupied Julia's attention. Now she allowed herself to consider the others. She turned to see what was happening just in time to see the Batarian lose an arm to Lucy's lightsaber. The white-and-blue-clad attackers were falling back to their dropship. One managed to get into it and swung out what looked to be a vicious heavy weapon.

Before he could fire it, Lucy's arm reached out and pulled. The man flew from his seat as if pulled, flying over his heavy weapon and to the ground. When he tried to get up Lucy held her lightsaber toward his throat. "Surrender," she ordered.

Whoever he was, he'd had enough. He raised his arms.

The pilot of the craft had apparently seen enough. The dropship began to lift from the ground.

Meridina didn't let it get far. After cleanly disarming the last of the attackers - namely by severing her arms at the elbow - Meridina twirled around toward it. In the same motion her right arm extended. Her hand released her lightsaber, at least physically, while her will guided it to its target. The blue blade looked almost like a complete circle of sapphire when it hit the tail of the craft and sliced cleanly through it. The engine in the severed portion died in the seconds it took for the piece to slam into the ground. The rest of the craft soon followed.

The fighting was over at this point. But Julia couldn't relax. The attack had made certain her suspicions that there was more to this group than appeared. What was so important about that woman…?

Around them the Aururians still alive from the ambush were contributing by bringing together the surviving attackers and securing their weapons, those that were not frantically trying to stabilize and comfort the wounded and dying. The prisoners acquiring weapons was another cause for concern. If anything kept Julia from worrying about it, it was the sight of the dead and dying women in the field. Lucy and Meridina had drawn the fire of the attackers quite well, but there were three Aururian women and one Ralsan who had yet to move from their places on the ground.

 _Two Ralsan_ , Julia corrected herself, at noticing Kishala. Opani was crouched over her while Lohringhoven watched quietly. "How is she?" Julia asked.

"Multiple internal injuries," Opani answered. "I need time to stabilize her." Opani pulled a hypospray from her medical kit and went to work.

"Have you worked with a Ralsan before, Doctor?" asked Lohringhoven.

"No, but during their quarantine we took detailed medical scans while trying to figure out the spongiform. I can at least stabilize her for transport." Opani finished injecting Kishala and put the hypospray back. She removed a pack from within the kit. "I have to stop the bleeding first."

"I can," said Kirrhi. She knelt down beside Opani and laid her already bloodstained hands over the stricken Ralsan woman. Her eyes closed. The flow of blood from Kishala's wounds seemed to slow, and then stop entirely.

With the situation stable, such as it was, Julia lifted her arm and tapped the comm key on her activated omnitool. "Andreys to _Aurora_ , we have an emergency situation. I need medical teams and security teams to my location ASAP."

After a few moments Lieutenant Takawira answered. " _Right away, Captain. They are on their way._ "

"I have not seen these species before," Lohringhoven stated, look at the Batarian. "Do you know of them?"

"That's a Batarian. The others are Turians. They're from Universe M4P2. And I'm not sure what they're doing here, or who they are."

"I believe I do," said Meridina. She finished pulling the pilot out of the craft. A set of shackles she'd found in the dropship were now wrapped around the Turian's wrists. "I recognize this symbol. It is the insignia of the Blue Suns, a mercenary organization from Universe M4P2."

The question of why popped up in Julia's head, and was as easily dismissed. She thought aloud by saying "Someone hired them to take someone from the group. And probably kill the rest."

"The League. Or their Xou!tasam allies," said Lohringhoven.

Julia turned and looked over the Aururian captain. Her own left arm and shoulder had a couple of bleeding cuts. The uniform sleeve of Lohringhoven's left arm had been shredded. Pieces of flechettes hung from the metal cylinder they had embedded themselves in, now revealed by the gashes and holes cut through the fabric. "They're the most likely," Julia agreed. "If they're afraid the extradition will be denied. Or that you could successfully prevent it from being carried out. This craft had a cloaking device, otherwise we would have seen it."

By this point security and medical personnel were already beaming down. A bronze-skinned man in a security uniform stepped up to them, with the rank insignia of a junior lieutenant. "Captain, we're securing your attackers now."

"Secure the wreckage too, I want it analyzed immediately."

"Yes ma'am."

Another bust of white light heralded the arrival of Leo and more nurses. He looked toward Julia before moving to join other nurses checking over one of the fallen.

"Your people have not worked with Ralsan physiology before," Lohringhoven observed, looking tow here Opani was still securing Kishala. "My surgeons can save her life."

Julia nodded quietly. "Can you have one ready?"

"Your transporters can send the girl to them on my ship."

A harsh chuckle came from Julia's throat. "And that means I defy an Alliance civilian court by returning her to your custody without a court order."

"Is that a more important thing than this woman's life?"

The question was a fair one. And it was the kind of call Julia would be making a lot now that she was a captain. She suspected Robert's reaction would be to just hand her over.

But Robert wasn't here right now, at this moment, to make this call. Julia was. She had an obligation to uphold the Alliance's laws. She also had an obligation to uphold its ideals, its principles, and saving the Ralsan's life regardless of legal quibbles was one of those things. And as commander, she had to make the decision, and she would have to live with the consequences.

Her first try was to go with a compromise. "Your surgeon can come over to the _Aurora_ ," Julia said.

Lohringhoven kept a cold look to her eyes. "And what of the others? It is clear they are not safe on this world. Whomever is behind this will try again, and I can assure you that the Empire will mete out harsh justice to your people for allowing their deaths in that eventuality."

"I agree," Julia replied. With all of the adrenaline in her system getting her heart to slow to a normal beat was proving impossible. This was not helped by the thoughts she felt circulating in her head. "Whoever did this could try again. So as of now, I'm assuming custody of these people. They will be kept on the _Aurora_ , in comfortable conditions, while my officers investigate this attack."

"Somehow I suspect your civilian court will not appreciate that approach either."

"Maybe not, but I can justify it, and I'm betting Governor Taylor doesn't want a mercenary group blasting its way into the colony's hospital." Julia let out a breath. "So. Your surgeon?"

There was quiet for several moments. Lohringhoven's hand reached for her belt and pulled off a device. She opened it like an old-fashioned cell phone. "Captain von Lohringhoven here," she said into it. "Inform Surgeon-Commander Vega that her services are required on the vessel _Aurora_. Have her report to the hanger bay immediately. And send another shuttle down to my location. We shall need to retrieve mine."

" _Yes Captain_ ," replied the woman on the other end.

Julia tapped her omnitool again. "Andreys to _Aurora_. Have the medbay send someone to the main shuttle bay. We're getting a shuttle from the Aururians with a doctor on board, we'll need her in medbay for our patients."

" _Yes Captain._ "

Nearby there were flashes of light. Opani had just beamed up to the _Aurora_ with the stricken Ralsan woman.

"We still have more to talk about, Captain," Julia said to Lohringhoven. "Whatever your feelings are toward the League, going to war with the Alliance over a single solar system can't be your Empire's wish."

"It is not a matter of wishing, Captain. It is a matter of our rights. We claimed this system openly and properly. Your people have violated that claim. While I am willing to grant that you did not do so intentionally, the Imperial Federation cannot permit our territory to be taken in this manner. It would encourage other such encroachments by the other powers, and that would most definitely result in war. My ultimatum stands."

"Then why not a joint possession of the system? The Alliance and the Imperial Federation can hold equal title."

"That is but a minor improvement. And it still encourages the same behavior we must dissuade." Lohringhoven shook her head once. "Had things gone differently, had our peoples made contact before this colony was founded, a negotiation might have yielded such an arrangement. But we cannot accept it now. The fact of undisputed Imperial sovereignty over this system must be upheld. Upon that point we cannot yield."

"I see." Julia kept herself from sighing out of disappointment. "Just as much, we need the resources of Phi Perseus to fight the Reich. An interstellar war of this magnitude, and the defenses the Alliance requires for our other member systems… we need everything we can attain."

"Then there is nothing left to be said on the matter," Lohringhoven stated. "I wish to see my Sisters before you bring them to your ship."

Julia nodded quietly and said nothing more. Lohringhoven walked off. Seeing the visible metal on Lohringhoven's left arm, it made Julia wonder how much of "Iron Margrethe" was truly made of iron.

Meridina walked up to her. "Captain, you should return as well. You are wounded."

Julia looked to the wounds on her left shoulder. They were still bleeding. And she had things to do back on the _Aurora_ , starting with getting Commander Richmond's help with their new guests. "Alright," she said. "I'll beam back up. You're going to take over the investigation?"

"Indeed. I will be interviewing the prisoners while Lucy and Lieutenant Liton examine recovered data from their computer systems."

"Good. Let me know what you find." Julia tapped her omnitool. "Andreys to _Aurora_. One to beam up."

The grass field, now stained with blood, disappeared from Julia's vision in a flash of light.

* * *

A pounding headache was Zack's reward for waking up at 0700. It hurt enough that he couldn't resist the temptation to dull it with a shot of his ever-dwindling bottle of tequila. He looked at the bottle, now between the halfway and one third mark, while the substance burned its way down his throat. "Crap," he muttered. The headache wasn't going away. And now anyone getting near him would smell the alcohol on his breath. He swiveled his chair to the replicator and barked, "Computer, six hundred milligrams of Niltox, a cup of water, and one mint breath mint, _now_."

" _Warning_ …"

" _Override_ ," he added, every syllable dripping with profound irritation at the machine nagging him yet again. "In fact, never bring up the dosage warning on Niltox _again_."

" _Unable to comply with order. Dosage warnings may only be overridden by authorization from a Chief Medical Officer._ "

Zack glowered at the machine. He didn't have a doctor aboard right now anyway, and even if he did, he wasn't going to breathe a damned word about this to them, or to Leo or Opani or any of the others. He ran a hand through his uncombed brown hair in frustration. _Get it together_ , he demanded of himself. _You're starting to lose control, just like Dad did._

Once the machine fulfilled his order and provided the medication and the drink to wash it down with, Zack did so with a single gulp. He put the breath mint in his mouth and went off to his shower. He stood under the warm water and felt it spray him in the face. It woke him up fully, just as the Niltox was beginning to purge his system of the remaining alcohol and reduce the power of his hangover.

He might have remained in the shower forever if a tone hadn't come over the ship's intercom. " _Bridge to Commander Carrey_ ," Apley said.

Zack closed his eyes and sighed. A tap of a button just outside of the shower stall opened the channel. "Carrey here," he said wearily.

" _We're approaching one of the solar system's moons. According to our sensors, the radiation trace is growing stronger. Lieutenant Navaez thinks that whatever it was, it might have gotten trapped in the moon's gravity well._ "

"Then assume an orbit and keep scanning. I'll be up shortly." Zack tapped the key again and let out a sigh. He would have to replicate another breath mint before going up. The worried thought came, that said mint would give him away. He didn't often chew on things.

"Gum," he murmured. "That'll work. Since I couldn't have breakfast. Yeah…" 

* * *

The wounded Aururians on the planet were undergoing treatment in the medbay when Julia arrived there. A male Dorei nurse approached, his light teal complexion contrasted with the dark blue spots lining his forehead and hairline. "Captain, let me look at that."

Julia followed him to a biobed and sat on it. She removed her uniform jacket and pulled her undershirt up over her head to reveal her left shoulder and arm. Three lines of crimson stood out on her skin. The nurse scanned them for signs of infection before reaching for the dermal regenerator. Julia watched him hold the instrument over her wounds. A blue light softly ran over the cuts, closing said wounds as it passed over like a zipper being pulled across her skin.

When this process was over Doctor Walker stepped up. Julia had only met her once before; a woman near her age with a deep brown complexion and long dark hair. "It seems you were one of the lucky ones, Captain," she said while doing a scan. "I'm reading no other injuries."

"Don't I know it? What about the others?"

"Three dead, four wounded," answered Walker. "The worst is that alien… Ralsan, correct?" Upon Julia's nod she continued, "The Ralsan wounded. The Aururian surgeon and Doctors Gillam and Opani are in the OR now. We won't know if she survived until they're finished."

Julia nodded quietly. "Keep me posted." She slid off the bed.

At that moment blue light appeared on the back of her left hand. An electronic tone accompanied it. She tapped the light. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, another shuttle has arrived from the_ Maya-Mayi," said Jarod. " _It's asking for landing permission._ "

"What do they want? Who is it?"

" _It's Captain von Lohringhoven. She's asking for permission to see the wounded._ "

"Then grant it and send someone to escort her to the medbay. I'll wait here for her."

" _We also have Governor Taylor and Chairwoman Logan on comms for you._ "

"And I know just what they're calling about," Julia sighed. She knew she couldn't talk to them here, in the middle of the medbay. But with the growing questions in her mind, she wanted to be present when Lohringhoven arrived. She looked to Walker and asked, "Is there somewhere I can have some privacy?"

Walker nodded. "I'm sure Doctor Gillam won't mind you using his office."

"Thank you, and I'll thank Leo when I see him." While Walker moved on to check other cases, Julia left the treatment ward. To get to Leo's office was a short trip through the medbay. She stepped in and took one of the guest seats before re-activating her omnitool. "Put the Governor through to me," she ordered.

" _Patching them in now._ "

Her omnitool projected a screen in front of her showing Taylor and Logan. " _Captain, we've heard about what happened_ ," Taylor said. " _We're glad to know you're safe._ "

"Thank you, Governor."

" _When can we expect the return of the prisoners? Sub-Consul Tio!sat!ny has made inquiries on the matter._ "

"I'm holding them on the _Aurora_ for the time being," Julia answered. "Until we know more about who launched this attack and why."

" _You don't have the legal authority to do that_ ," Logan insisted.

"Given the situation, Madame Chairwoman, I'm acting in the best interests of you and your Colony," Julia answered. "The last thing you need is for more mercenaries to start shooting their way into your hospital, or your jail. The _Aurora_ is a target they can't simply attack. I'm also going to return the three dead Aururians to Captain von Lohringhoven so they can be returned to their families."

" _That is an usurpation of...!_ "

Taylor's raised hand forestalled the angry protest from Logan. " _It's a reasonable action, Madame Chairwoman. We don't extradite the dead._ "

"I'm starting to wonder about this entire case, Governor," Julia said. "The mercenaries were after one of the Aururians in particular. We don't know why. We don't even know how they found us yet. I can't help but think that there's more to this case than charges of gun smuggling."

" _Perhaps. But it's not my part to decide that. I have Chief Jiang and Colonel Littleton investigating where the mercs came from. As soon as we confirm the details and whether or not there is a further threat, I expect the return of our prisoners immediately._ "

After a moment of thought Julia replied with, "I understand your concern that the extradition agreement with the Consortium be upheld. I'll let you know if I find out anything regarding that."

" _Of course. Good day, Captain._ "

Their image disappeared and Julia's omnitool returned to its standby status. She sat and considered her options. It occurred to her that under certain readings of regulations regarding emergency situations, she could assert authority over the Aururian prisoners and keep them in her custody instead. Returning them to Captain von Lohringhoven as part of a settlement ending the standoff would be acceptable in that circumstance. But the regulations might not stretch that far and the resulting tussle with the civilian legal authorities was not one she could take lightly.

The real key to the situation was the woman that the mercs tried to snatch, the one with the cyborg implants. She stood up and returned to the ward. The woman in question was remaining quiet at the side of Kirrhi the priestess, who was consoling one of the others. Given the quiet sobs Julia could easily imagine it was over one of the dead Aururians. She walked toward the unassuming woman and got a better look at her. She and Doctor Walker shared skin tones and hair color, although the woman was rather older. Seeing Walker looking over scans at a station, Julia went up to her and spoke in a low tone. "What do you know about that patient? The one sitting over there?"

Walker followed Julia's eyes. "She's healthy. Middle-aged, at least forty-five," Walker answered. "She has substantial cybernetics."

"She woke up from a stun blast within a minute," Julia remarked.

"That would be the cybernetic implants in her central nervous system," Walker said. "If they're shielded appropriately, they can allow rapid recovery from stun effects."

"Is that something you'd normally install in someone's implants?"

"I probably wouldn't," Walker admitted. "Those kinds of implants can run into difficulties normal ones can't. They consume more energy, for one. I imagine she wanted shielded implants for a reason. They were certainly hard to find. Most of my scanners showed her as completely organic. I had to use our Cylon-scanner to confirm the presence of cybernetics."

Julia considered that. "Really. Did she give a name?"

"Nina was the only name she gave."

Any further conversation ended when the door slid open. Lohringhoven entered in the company of Ensign Talara. Julia walked toward them. "Thank you, Ensign. You're dismissed."

"I'm pleased to have been of assistance, Captain," Talara answered before departing.

"Captain, welcome to the _Aurora_ ," Julia said to Lohringhoven. The Aururian captain had an intact uniform jacket now and didn't look like she'd also been in a fight for their lives.

"Your vessel is certainly an interesting sight. It seems to have been made for more comfort than normal for a military warship," Lohringhoven answered.

"Yes, well, the _Aurora_ 's purpose is not just to serve as a combat starship," Julia replied. "We consider her to be a star cruiser capable of non-military missions such as exploration, research, and diplomacy. We even have a contingent of civilian specialists aboard for those purposes."

"And yet your vessel has quite impressive armament, given the devastation it wrought to the _Irresistible_ ," Lohringhoven pointed out.

Julia nodded quietly. "We are capable of defending ourselves, yes. We have to be. Every universe has its dangers."

"I would expect such." Lohringhoven walked past Julia and approached Kirrhi. "Sister, what is the word?"

"We have lost three." Kirrhi replied solemnly. "Dead before medical aid could be given. Katherine and Lietan are lightly wounded and recovering. Naoko is gravely wounded but has been stabilized due to the efforts of Doctor Walker."

"I see."

Julia didn't need telepathy or life-force powers to figure out what Lohringhoven was going to ask next. "I will return the deceased to you, Captain, so that you can return them to their families, or perform whatever burial rites are necessary."

"I appreciate the gesture, Captain," said Lohringhoven. "But I am more interested in learning what rogues are responsible for this atrocity."

"Commander Meridina is leading the investigation," Julia answered. "She was once the ship's chief of security, and she's worked with law enforcement during her time in the Order of Swenya. Commander Richmond is, I've heard, quite the detective as well. I'm certain they'll figure it out." She frowned. "I wish to know what was going on as well."

"I am certain you will find the League or the Consortium behind this affair," Lohringhoven insisted.

Julia glanced toward the woman called "Nina". "I'm leaning that way too," Julia admitted. "But I'm more interested in why they were after that woman. The others, Katherine and Kirrhi and Kishala, seemed more important in this group." Julia was already looking at Lohringhoven again by the time she finished that sentence. She wanted to see the reaction to speaking on Nina.

"I do not care to speculate as to their motives, Captain. What matters is that this affair come to an end. I am hoping that you will yet see the injustice of the charges and release my people on your own authority."

"The Alliance places civilian leadership over military. If I ignore a civilian court, I betray that principle," Julia pointed out. She kept her poker face on. Lohringhoven's denial was well-spoken, yes. But she didn't believe it. Lohringhoven knew who "Nina" was, and why she was so valuable. "If I had a good reason to defy the court, though, or something I could bring to Governor Taylor to consider him to rescind the extradition order…"

An intent look appeared on Lohringhoven's eyes. "I cannot help you with that, Captain."

The door leading to the critical care and operating room wards slid open. Leo emerged. He was clearly finishing the act of pulling his lab coat back on. "Captain Andreys," he said formally, recognizing the presence of their visitor. "And Captain von Lohringhoven."

"I am, yes," she answered. "Doctor Gillam, what is the status of Kishala Abrakia?"

"Ordinarily I wouldn't share patient information with someone who wasn't next-of-kin or on a list of authorized persons, but given the situation, you're more likely to speak to her family than I." Leo crossed his arms. "She lost a lot of blood, and her internal organs suffered severe damage. Honestly, if not for Doctor Vega, I couldn't have saved her. Your surgeon's knowledge of Ralsan physiology allowed us to systematically deal with the worst of the damage. She's critical right now. Hopefully she'll be stable enough for the remaining surgery she requires, but I can't make promises yet."

"I see." Lohringhoven was utterly impassive. "Can I see her?"

Leo shook his head. "In her state, I would be remiss to let anyone but family around her. Her condition is still very serious…"

"I understand, Doctor." Lohringhoven glanced to Julia. "Captain, I am returning to await the outcome of your officers' investigation."

"I'll let you know what they find out," Julia replied. She watched Lohringhoven leave while restraining her frustration over the continued refusal to help her deal with this problem. Her eyes briefly moved back to "Nina" before she left the medbay. 

* * *

The _Koenig_ moved into orbit of the moon labeled Phi Perseus 7-XII, one of twenty moons in regular orbit over the Saturnine gas giant that was the seventh planet in the solar system. The moon in question formed a beige-tinted sphere on the _Koenig_ 's viewscreen.

"Are you still following that radiation trace, Magda?" Zack asked.

"There's interference in the moon's atmosphere," Magda answered. "A strong electromagnetic field." After a few key presses she said, "No wonder. The surveyors found several large deposits of Cameronite along with high-purity naqia."

Zack blinked. "Just how _large_ are these deposits? That stuff's the rarest of the rare, right? Some variation of Ripleyite?"

"It's more conductive than Ripleyite, and for an EM pattern this strong the deposits are about the biggest you can find in nature. Whoever ends up mining this stuff is going to make a bundle."

Zack whistled. "No wonder Command's ready to start a war over this place."

"Give me a moment…" Magda continued her work on her console. Zack imagined she was trying to get the sensors to search in bands less-susceptible to EM interference. "I think I might have it… there. I've got the radiation trace again. It's faint… and it's on the surface."

"Can you put it on screen?"

The screen shifted to show a close-up of the beige-tinted surface of the planet. There was a rock formation in the center of the screen and, faintly, the indications of an impact that had struck underneath an apparent overhang. "That's the best I can do," Magda said. "We'll have to move whatever is under there out."

"Can we beam through that EM field?" Zack asked.

"I wouldn't recommend it," Magda answered. "At least not without modifications."

Zack tapped the intercom key on his chair. "Carrey to Engineering. Karen, we need to beam through an intense EM field. What can you do?"

After a moment the reply came. " _Give me a couple of hours and I might be able to rig up the cargo transporter to punch through._ "

"Sir?" Apley turned in his chair. "I think we should send the _Kirschner_ down with a team to recover… whatever it is. That way we don't risk the object with a failed transport."

For a moment Zack thought on it. He tried to hide his irritation at the fact that he should have thought about it before Apley. His approach could thoughtlessly destroy what mind be vital evidence in this standoff. "Right. Good point, Ap," he said. "Take Hajar and a team with you and whatever tools you might need."

"Aye sir." Apley stood up and left the bridge. One of the new officers, Ensign Brady, walked over and assumed the helm.

Zack considered letting Julia know, but he decided to wait and see what it was first. 

* * *

In the grassy field where the ambush had taken place, _Aurora_ security officers were now being joined by Oakland police. Chief Jiang stood beside Lieutenant Commander Richmond as she stared down at one of the survivors, a Turian. "You realize that you're facing a long prison sentence, don't you?" she told him. "Multiple counts of capital and attempted murder, including four involving Alliance personnel."

"The Blue Suns don't rat on clients," the Turian answered. "Besides, I've been imprisoned by the Hierarchy before. Your luxury jails don't frighten me."

Richmond had her arms crossed. She was clearly considering other approaches to the interrogation. Jiang weighed in by saying, "You would rather spend decades, if not your whole life, in prison?"

The Turian said nothing.

The two walked away and were met by Commander Meridina. "They are uncooperative," Meridina said. There was no need to ask.

"Unfortunately. And very much so," Richmond grumbled. "From the sound of things they think our prisons are resorts."

"According to intelligence and security reports, many have operated as little more than pirates in the Terminus Systems for years," Meridina noted. "Given the reputation of those worlds, it is indeed possible that the humane conditions in Alliance penal facilities are no threat."

"We could always say we will turn them over to the Aururians," Richmond remarked.

"The unknown might frighten slightly. But I doubt it will be of much use."

"Then I don't see what the point is keeping them here," Richmond said. "We've finished interviews with all of them. We should either throw them in the brig or turn them over to Chief Jiang."

Meridina turned her attention to him. "Can your jail facilities hold them?"

"I'm not sure I want them," Jiang said. "Hard-boiled mercenaries are a security threat my jail personnel are going to struggle with."

"Then you have no objections to our taking them?" Richmond asked him.

"The Chairwoman might," Jiang conceded. "But if you ask me, it'd be a big favor to us if you did."

"That is sufficient, then," Meridina said. "Commander, begin transporting them to the brig."

"Happily. I'll triple brig personnel while I'm at it." Richmond stepped away to do so.

"I'm sorry we haven't been able to get them to cooperate," Jiang said to Meridina. "I'd like to know where they came from myself. Under our current colony code, we have to be informed if someone hires a group this heavily-armed. Actually, I think the Governor can even refuse to let them come."

"Someone did not care much for your law," Meridina noted aloud. "I am placing my hopes in the recovery of data from their hardware. Follow me, please."

The two walked over to the wrecked remains of the Blue Sun dropship. The merc unit's armor, weapons, and other devices were piled beside it. Three operations officers from the _Aurora_ were going over them with the help of security personnel. Lieutenant Kyle Liton looked up from where he was examining an inactive omnitool. "Ah, Commander."

"Lieutenant." She nodded. "I have not yet had the chance to welcome you back to the crew."

"Oh, it's fine," he said. Nearly two years before Liton, still an Ensign, was with the computer security branch of Meridina's security staff on the ship. He had been framed by a Changeling from the Dominion of Universe S5T3 and, while exonerated, asked for a transfer off the ship due to the experience. Meridina was pleased to note that the young man seemed more seasoned than he had been before. "Honestly, after serving on the _Libra_ , being back on the _Aurora_ is a welcome change. But that's not why you're here."

"Have you made any progress?"

"Some." Liton tapped at his own omnitool and brought up a screen showing computer code. "These Blue Suns guys are pretty good at their computer security. Their wipe program was pretty thorough. But it's not complete. I think I can reconstruct some of the fragmented remnants of the data using Lieutenant Delgado's data compiling program. I've already sent it to her."

"Very good." Meridina stepped up into the crashed dropship. "Lieutenant Lucero?"

Lucy's head emerged from the cockpit. "I'm here."

"Any luck reconstructing the dropship's flight path?"

"I was just about to finish that," she said. She motioned for Meridina to follow her. Jiang came as well. The cockpit was lit by the overhead lights. There was no visible window for the pilot, whose seat Lucy returned to. She started tapping at the hardlight controls again, occasionally pecking away at her omnitool. "Their data wipe program did eliminate the logs from their sensors. But their own safety systems make that moot."

"In what way?" Jiang asked.

Lucy was grinning. "Because they didn't wipe them."

"And how does this help us?"

"The systems are designed to observe power flow to track potential faults and compensate," Lucy explained. "Or to warn the pilot so they can set down before suffering an overload or power loss. I can use that to determine when the dropship launched and get a close estimate as to the speed it was managing on the flight. And then I can check the systems that maintain flight control and use that log to reconstruct the maneuvers the dropship took, allowing me to establish a flight path." Figures appeared on a hardlight display above the cockpit controls. Lucy entered them into her omnitool. "Here. Let's see how the numbers add up." Her omnitool projected a screen showing a flat map of the planet centered on their location. After a few key presses a line left the area. It moved west until it reached the perimeter of the Oakland Colony.

"That's not possible," Jiang insisted. "The Colony Police would know if we had a mercenary unit in town. They're supposed to register with us." He eyed Lucy. "Are you sure they didn't come from a ship?"

"The power distribution logs don't lie," Lucy answered. "The engine power used is consistent with atmospheric flight only."

"Where is that in the colony?" Meridina asked Jiang.

He looked over the map closely. "It looks like it's near the spaceport. It would have to be, there's no way we'd miss something like this there. Going by the area…" He frowned. "Damn. It _is_ them. This is not good."

"Who is it?" asked Meridina.

"My boss," Jiang answered simply. 

* * *

There was a quiet tension on the _Koenig_ bridge after the _Kirschner_ dropped from the ship's ventral shuttle bay. The shuttle flew downward into the atmosphere, turning into a red streak as it made re-entry.

" _Entering the EM fie-... -ference on com-... -justing to…. -sate._ Kirschner _to…_ -nig _, please respond._ "

Apley's voice was partially obscured by the static, but toward the end it became slightly clearer. "We can barely read you," Zack said.

" _Roger. We've boosted the comm trans- …-er. It's the best we… do. Approach- radiation tra- ...source._ "

"Send us an image when you can."

The following seconds expanded into minutes. Zack glanced toward Magda. "They're still on visual sensors and the ship's intact," she said.

Zack tapped the key on his chair's arm to re-open the channel. "Ap? What's going on down there?"

" _Stand by… -mander. Sending image now._ "

"We're getting the data. Even with data loss, I think I can clean it up enough to…" Magda used her controls to run a process in the ship's computer to sharpen the image forming on the viewscreen.

Zack watched the pixelated image sharpen enough to make out the detail on it. "Send this image to the _Aurora_ immediately," he ordered.


	17. Episode 3-03-6 Command Principles

Even though there were four days left in the Aururian ultimatum, Julia entered the Government Building for the Oakland Colony with what seemed to be a sense of urgency. Meridina, Lucy, and Jarod all followed behind her. "They're here?" Julia asked the lady at the front desk.

"Yes, Captain," she answered.

The main door opened again. This time Chief Jiang entered with two uniformed policemen. He nodded to Julia and the others and motioned for them to go first. Julia nodded back and walked into the hall to lead her to the conference room. They found two uniformed officers already standing outside of the door, providing security.

Inside Governor Taylor was already seated with the others. Chairwoman Logan was to his right and Tio!sat!ny was seated to his left. Captains Shaham and Gartan were seated on the same side as Logan and Commander Imra was by Tio!sat!ny. The starfish-like alien shifted one of its arms, allowing its "eyes" to look toward the newcomers. "Ah, Captain," he said through his vocoder. "What has prompted this call?"

"I wanted to speak to everyone about the attack this morning," Julia said. "Specifically, I want to know why the hell New Horizons hired the Blue Suns mercenary group to abduct one of the prisoners."

Logan's face twisted into a scowl. "What do you mean by that, Captain?"

Julia nodded to Lucy. "We examined the computer logs on the Blue Suns' craft," Lucy said, tapping away at her omnitool. The display popped up and showed the map she had assembled, tracing the attacking ship back to Oakland Colony. Specifically, to the exact coordinate of the New Horizon complex near the spaceport. Logan looked on in stunned surprise. "We were able to reconstruct the flight path. It took off from your buildings."

Taylor shot Logan a look. "What the hell, Joann?" he asked.

Logan's scowl hardened. "You can't prove this," she insisted.

"Actually, we can now," Julia countered. "Your company invested in some pretty good sensor-deflecting materials, but the _Aurora_ 's sensors are directly of Darglan design. Jarod?"

Now Jarod activated a display, showing the New Horizons complex from above. The two large ten-storey structures were the most prominent feature. "Upon examination of the complex with sensors, we were able to determine that the lower level of this outer building" - he indicated a two-storey structure on the north end of the two towers - "contains another two dozen life signs and sensor returns consistent with the crashed Blue Sun craft. In fact, using specific sensor returns…" He tapped a key and the image shifted to make the roof of the building seem translucent, revealing two visible craft and what looked like armory stands. "As you can see, the structure is an armory and barracks."

Taylor's expression was now a full glare. "What the _hell_ are you doing, Joann?!" he demanded. "What did you hire those mercs for?!"

"I didn't!" Logan shouted back. Her defiance had melted into an expression of disbelief and fear. "I… New Horizons agreed to host them in exchange for pay and considerations."

"From who?" asked Gartan.

Logan didn't speak. She didn't have to. The glare settling on Tio!sat!ny spoke volumes as it was.

"Sub-Consul." Taylor turned to face him. "What are those mercenaries for?"

"To protect my business interests, of course," Tio!sat!ny answered.

"Illegally?"

"I had Chairwoman Logan's permission. Her company even provided the barracks space since my structure could not. How can it be illegal if the head of the Colony government approves?"

"Because she didn't do it as Chairwoman of the Council," Julia pointed out. "She did it as an officer of her company. Less paperwork that way, Chairwoman?"

"It was harmless," Logan insisted. "And of benefit to my company. How was I to know what he was doing?"

"You are surprised that the being who asked you to skirt the law might do something illegal?" Commander Imra asked pointedly, her accented voice dripping with sarcasm.

"The Consortium never gave indications of such behavior before," Logan protested weakly. It was clear on her face that she realized how bad her situation was.

"Well, they have now," Julia said. "They attacked the Aururian prisoners with the intent to take one. And they were using _Aururian_ firearms in the attack. I don't have a doubt in my mind that they would have killed us all and framed the Aururians for it. But they didn't expect Commander Meridina and Lieutenant Lucero."

"And why would they launch this attack?" Logan asked. "The extradition hearing is today, and in all likelihood the judge would have upheld the warrant in the end. There was no legal reason not to."

"They were after one of the prisoners," Meridina stated.

"Their leader?" Taylor asked.

"No. Another woman." Julia looked to Tio!sat!ny. "I'm guessing that the judge being lenient the other day made Tio!sat!ny worried that the extradition would be denied."

"It would be understandable if it was," the Xou!tasam answered. "The Aururian threat to prosecute any official who enabled our lawful extradition of the criminals is a powerful motivation to ignore the law."

"And what was your motivation?" Shaham asked.

"Why, business of course," Tio!sat!ny answered. "I have extensive business interests in the League that are threatened by the activities of these Aururian agents. The woman we sought to recover could provide valuable intelligence on Aururian gun-running to the League's protectorates, once she is turned over to the League for interrogation."

"So you admit that you would re-extradite them," Lucy pointed out.

Tio!sat!ny's upper appendages quivered. Julia pondered if it was the equivalent of a shrug. "They are more capable of such things than the Consortium. And it is their worlds."

"Why her? Why not Katherine Roberts? Or Kishala Abrakia?" Julia asked, recalling the names of the two leaders of the group.

"They are not the true leaders of the unit, Marshal Huaman is," said Tio!sat!ny.

"Marshal?"

In response to Julia's remark, the appendage with the eyes curled in once. The equivalent of a nod, Julia figured. "Yes. Marshal Naira Huaman, of the Empress' own personal police force. She is rumored to have the Empress' confidence. League intelligence identified her when she was seen on Trapaka. They have hunted her since."

"And that's why you nearly killed me and my officers this morning?"

"It had been my intention to strike the hospital if it proved necessary, but you provided a venue that would be less likely to cause undesired collateral damage," Tio!sat!ny explained. "I'm a businessman, so I took a chance. And like any failed gamble, I will not dwell upon it. We have other business to attend to. Despite our failure, our extradition request is still legitimate, and it is my intention to collect them today."

"Like hell," Taylor said. "Not after what you've said. As of right now, I'm personally rejecting the extradition warrant. Captain Andreys, the prisoners are free to go." He glanced toward Logan, as if anticipating protest, but Logan was too busy glaring at Tio!sat!ny. Her pale face made it clear she understood the ramifications of his actions, and of her own. She had likely destroyed her career over this.

The alien shifted in its cupped seat. At first Julia thought he was simply getting comfortable. That thought ended when she saw the device that was now curled around one of his arms. It resembled a camera more than anything but there was no mistaking what it was given the way he pointed it at them. "It is displeasing to me that you would allow this business to become so personal, Governor," Tio!sat!ny stated.

Behind them, the doors opened. The uniformed personnel stepped in and raised their rifles… at Julia and her people. There was no sign of Jiang's police officers.

"You're insane," Logan gasped.

"I find it is your species that is often insane, Chairwoman," Tio!sat!ny replied. "You Humans are often infuriating with all of the ways you complicate simple business transactions. Your Alliance, the Aururian Empire, the League, all of you distort the simple joy of trade through your bizarre morals and behaviors. We would not be in this mess if the Empire did not seek to meddle in the business affairs of others. Or if the League did not suffer from the inefficiencies that result from their refusal to properly establish markets on their protectorates. We had hopes that the Alliance would make a more reasonable neighbor, but you are little better."

 _If Lucy and I act in concert, we can disarm the two guards without risk_ , Meridina's voice stated in her mind. _But Tio!sat!ny is likely to fire when we do. I can sense his intent._

"You realize that this is going to set back our relations with the Consortium substantially," Logan said.

"Will it, Chairwoman? Is your Alliance not in the middle of a war that demands resources we can provide? Are you not still facing the Aururian fleet over this system so necessary to that demand?" Tio!sat!ny made the wiggling motion with his upper appendages again. "Simple business logic shows that you need the Consortium more than we need you. Now, Captain Andreys, you will call your vessel and direct that the Marshal be transported to my mercenaries immediately. Once we confirm she is in custody, they will depart."

"The Aururians won't let you run," Julia pointed out. She eyed the firearm wrapped in one of Tio!sat!ny's appendages. He was too far away for her to get to, meaning Logan or Taylor was likely to take a shot once the shooting started. Her eyes briefly glanced toward Commander Imra. Her own eyes were hidden behind a pair of round, dark sunglasses, so she couldn't see where Imra was looking particularly. _Meridina, can you reach into Imra's mind? She might be the only one who can keep him from firing._

 _I have attempted contact. She seems quite capable of deflecting telepathic connection. I cannot guarantee she heard me_.

Tio!sat!ny's reply was already coming by that point. "My vessel has a cloaking system. Bought at great cost through sources in your S5T3 universe, I will add. I look to make the investment pay off by slipping free of this system. Iron Margrethe will not know the Marshal is gone until we are halfway to Jao!senat. Now, Captain, if you will please contact your ship? No trickery, I would hate to see more violence. It is always an unnecessary complication to business."

Julia crossed her arms. "And if I refuse? You can't think you'll take all of us down."

"I do not need to. My Blue Sun associates are quite capable fighters, I assure you. It is what I pay them for. They will shoot you all before even your capable officers can respond."

"And then? You still won't have the Marshal," Julia pointed out. "You'll still lose out."

"Correct," Tio!sat!ny said. "Which is why I hope you will be reasonable, and then we can resume business. It is your fault that our relations have declined to this point, after all."

" _Our fault?!_ " yelled Logan. "You bastard, you're the one holding a gun to us!" She jumped from her seat and leaned over the table. Her eyes glistened with rage. " _You've ruined me for nothing!_ "

"I have many contracts at risk if I fail, I assure you, Chairwoman. And that is not 'nothing'. Please return to your seat. I would be especially saddened to kill you. You seemed the most sane Human on this world before now. And I hope that..."

Tio!sat!ny didn't get to finish his sentence. Behind them Lucy and Meridina pivoted on their feet. Energy struck out and slammed into the guards, causing their weapons to point upward before their reflexes could trigger them. Small bursts of flame exploded on the ceiling and sent slivers of deadly metal into the ceiling with enough force that they went up into the next floor. The familiar snap-hiss of lightsabers activating filled the room. Two blades of sapphire light twirled and found the rifles gripped by the disguised Blue Suns men, severing both weapons. The mercs, stunned by their sudden disarming, held their arms up in surrender before either could strike.

By this point Tio!sat!ny had also fired. But his aim was thrown off by the sudden strike of Commander Imra and the blast of orange light only scorched the far wall. Imra's hands were clasped like a vise around Tio!sat!ny's appendage. An inhuman shriek untranslated by his vocoder erupted from his mid-section. Julia watched the appendage in question go limp. The weapon it had held dropped to the floor.

"My limb!" Tio!sat!ny cried. For a moment, he tested the enormous muscles of his body against Imra, but she seemed as unyielding as a bar of steel, and he abandoned the effort.

"You don't have bones that break," Imra snapped. "Feel fortunate."

"Chief, take all of them into custody. Get them out of here!" Taylor demanded.

Jiang was already on his radio. Not a minute passed before armed police entered the room. Jiang directed them to cuff the mercenaries.

"I am a diplomat!" Tio!sat!ny shrieked. "I cannot be held!"

"You can't be _charged_ ," Taylor corrected. "But I'll damn well have you escorted from the building. You have twenty hours to leave the planet, Sub-Consul, or I'm having you sent back to Jao!senat on a Warp 3 sled." Taylor motioned to the door. "Get him out of here."

"But you can't… I'll be ruined!" Tio!sat!ny's uppermost appendage turned toward Julia. A bundle of eyes all focused on her. "Please, Captain, turn the Marshal over to me! I'll pay you well! I'll give you half of my holdings! I'll give you control of my company's fleet! Please! I'll lose everything if I don't hand over the Marshal!"

Julia crossed her arms. "I'm not for sale, Sub-Consul. I never was."

"This is madness," the horrified Xou!tasam insisted. "Absolute madness! How do you people maintain an economy with this madness…!" Even as Tio!sat!ny was led out by Jiang's police, he continued to blubber until his vocoder was overwhelmed, spurting out bursts of nonsensical sound joined by the keening and whistling noises of Xou!tasam speech.

Once he was gone Taylor settled back into his chair and sighed. Logan, looking utterly spent, stood up. "I have a letter of resignation to write," she said simply.

"Before you do, I have something to share with you," Julia said. She brought her omnitool online and used it to interface with the conference room's holo-display projector. An image appeared on it of a rocky beige surface. "The _Koenig_ sent this to us just before we came down," Julia explained. "It's from Phi Perseus 7-XII."

On the screen the image moved up into a shadowed area. A light appeared, obviously from an atmospheric suit, and illuminated wreckage on the rocky surface. Pieces of rock were embedded into tempered metal alloy. As the light widened and focused, the shape of a cylinder snapped nearly in half by an impact could be made out. Small stubby bits showed what was left of what had been attachments.

The end of the cylinder was marked by a roundel of blue, copper, and dark purple. The same roundel they had all seen previously on Captain von Lohringhoven's shuttle.

Taylor recognized it immediately. Logan took a moment to realize the significance and rested her ashen face in her palm. "There was a beacon," she sighed.

"An asteroid impact knocked it out."

"It was small enough that it didn't just shatter the entire beacon," Jarod added. "If it had, the pieces wouldn't have had nearly as much velocity to them, and the surveyors would have found them. Instead the meteorite pushed the beacon toward Phi Perseus 7. In fact, if not for about half of a degree, the beacon would have gone on into the gas giant's gravity well, and we never would have found it. Instead it got caught in 7-XII's gravity and landed on the moon."

Taylor ran his hand over his head. "Dammit," he muttered. "What do we do?"

"It was still a good faith colonization," Logan murmured. "They can't hold this against us."

"But if their claim has justice, then we can't just dismiss it." Taylor folded his hands. "I'll need to speak to President Morgan and Secretary Saratova about this."

"I'll write a report when I get back to the _Aurora_ ," Julia said. "And see if this changes our orders. In the meantime…"

"In the meantime, I'll begin preparations for an evacuation. Quietly." Taylor looked defeated. "Thank you, Captain, for bringing this all to light. If it helps defuse this scenario…"

"It's worth it, yes."

"I'm going to inform Judge Moore that the Colony is now rejecting the extradition," Taylor said. "Release them to Captain von Lohringhoven, Captain. And I will speak with you later."

Taylor stood with Logan. The two walked out of the room.

"This may not change anything," Gartan noted. "It _was_ a good faith colonization, and we are entitled to consideration from the Aururians. If they persist on demanding the colony leave or transfer its allegiance, our orders still stand."

"I know," Julia said. "And I know we need this system. We'll just have to see if we can work around that. We still have three days before we have to commit to an evacuation."

"The _Enterprise_ will be ready for either case," Shaham promised. "I will speak to you later?"

Julia nodded. "Let's go home, everyone," she said to the others. "We still have work to do." 

* * *

Two hours later Julia was sitting in the ready office sipping at her coffee. That she needed it this late spoke of how tired she was. The day's reports were slow-going. Better was the news that with Tio!sat!ny in custody, the Blue Suns in the New Horizon building didn't try to fight when Chief Jiang arrived with Chairwoman Logan to order them out. Having the colony militia armed up and ready to take the barracks with the help of the _Aurora_ and _Enterprise_ Marine troops undoubtedly helped with that.

Jarod's voice came over the speaker. " _We have Admiral Maran on IU comms for you._ "

"Put him through." Julia turned to the screen in time for Maran to appear on it. He was in his Defense Command office. "Admiral, you got my report?"

" _I have_ ," he replied. " _The discovery of the beacon has forced us to reconsider our assessment of the Aururian response to the colony. And you are returning their prisoners to them?_ "

"I informed Captain von Lohringhoven that they can go when they're ready. They're still waiting on their wounded to recover enough for transfer."

" _Understood. What is their status?_ "

"Still at three dead and four wounded. Leo has the severely wounded Ralsan back in surgery now."

Maran nodded once. " _It's good to know that part of the crisis is solved. It might help with the negotiations._ "

"There are none right now," Julia said. "Von Lohringhoven's made it clear. The Aururians can't accept anything less than sovereignty over the system."

" _And we must have the system's resources._ "

"Could we trade for them?"

" _Unlikely, unless the Aururians are stupendously generous_ ," Maran said.

Julia sighed. "Admiral, I know it's not my place to question policy from Portland, but this seems ridiculous. We simply can't hold this system without committing to a major military effort, and that means a second war while we're still fighting the Nazis. What good is holding the system and getting its resources when it means that we have another war we have to divert ships to?"

" _That is an argument circulating in the Council now. But there are those who believe the Aururians are bluffing. That they won't risk a war with the Alliance since our territories are out of their reach while theirs are vulnerable to Alliance attacks. Especially not if the League joins the conflict on our side._ "

"That's not a gamble I'd want to take," Julia mumbled.

" _It is not a pleasant one, true. But for the time being, that is the one the Alliance Government is willing to take. I fear that the reports on the spongiform have proven particularly inciting for this faction._ " Maran folded his hands on the table in front of him. Julia found herself wondering if the pro-confrontation faction included Hawthorne and Davies. " _If you can find an alternative that the Aururians agree to, I will ensure it is received with my endorsement, and it may change minds._ "

"Right."

" _Until then, your orders stand._ "

"And what about the Consortium?" Julia asked. "They abused the treaty with us."

 _"That is being discussed as well. Secretary Onaram has yet to inform me of any final decision on our relations with Jao!senat._ " Maran reached forward, toward a control on his desk. " _I'll keep you informed if anything changes. Maran out._ "

After Maran disappeared Julia leaned back in her chair and devoted her thoughts to the intractable nature of the problem. There _had_ to be some way out of it…

" _Captain, an Aururian shuttle is asking for landing clearance_ ," Jarod said. " _It's Captain von Lohringhoven_."

"Let her land." Julia stood up and walked out to the bridge. Jarod was in the command chair and Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi at Ops. Ensign Arterria and Lieutenant al-Rashad were at the conn and tactical and Angel was in the final hours of her shift for the day. Jarod stood until Julia motioned for him to remain. She went to the lift and stepped in, fully intending to head to the shuttle bay and meet Lohringhoven.

But she didn't. A thought came to mind. Lohringhoven was the one who gave the ultimatum, true… but she was just a Captain like Julia. She was probably following orders in the same fashion. There was only so much Julia could do with her.

"Computer, Deck 12," she said. 

* * *

She arrived in the Medbay and walked toward the uninjured Aururians. Her eyes focused on "Nina" to the exclusion of thinking about Kirrhi and the Ralsan beside her. "Nina, was it?" she asked.

The woman nodded.

"I'd like to talk with you about the abduction attempt." Julia leaned closer to her and, in a quiet tone only she and possibly Kirrhi could hear, added, "In private, Marshal?"

There was a small rush of breath from Kirrhi. The Marshal's expression didn't change. She merely nodded her assent. Julia turned her head to see Walker checking on the injured Aururian on the bed. "I'm going to borrow Doctor Gillam's office again."

Walker nodded in reply and went back to work. Julia led Marshal Huaman out of the ward and through the corridor to Leo's office. Once the door was closed behind them she turned and faced the Aururian woman. "Alright. Can you tell me what is going on?"

Huaman remained quiet for a moment. As if judging whether to cooperate or not. Finally she nodded. "I cannot speak of everything, you understand. Merely that I was asked to attend to one of our aid missions."

"To the world Trapaka?"

"Yes. There is a native species on that planet, the Itilmi, that the League uses for forced labor in their mining and farming operations on the planet. We have been providing the Itilmi weapons to fight back against their occupiers. I was tasked with negotiating with the Itilmi King and his rebels."

"For more weapons?"

"And aid to fix the ecological damage from the League's mining efforts, yes. Unfortunately there was a traitor in his court that reported us to the League's colonial governor. We had to flee."

Julia nodded. "If we'd known, we might have figured out what was really going on. The Consortium insisted you were just regular gun-runners."

"That is our cover. If the mission's official character was known, the League might consider it justification for war. Marshals make any operation they are part of one that, by definition, cannot be disavowed. They know that our efforts to improve our fleet are outpacing their armament program. A war now would be preferable for them, if they could excuse it to the independent worlds and the other powers."

With the explanation given, Julia thought of her wording before moving on to the other matter in her mind. "Tio!sat!ny said you are a confidante of the Empress."

"A confidante is… not quite the correct phrasing. The Marshalry is… how do you say; the oil in the machine of the Empire. We ensure that the entire engine runs smoothly by… unwanted events being arranged to not occur. Each of us is personally appointed and overseen by the Empress, to be her eyes, ears, hands, voice... and arrows, if necessary. She will assuredly be expecting a full report upon my return."

"And if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to say to her about us?" Julia asked. "How will you advise her in dealing with the Alliance?"

"That depends, Captain."

"On?"

A hard look came to the woman's face. "On how your Alliance deals with the murder of my girls while we were in your custody."

It was a fair question and Julia gave her a fair answer. "We're charging the mercenaries with at least three counts of murder and several attempted murder charges. And attempted kidnapping. Because my officers and I were there, they'll be answering to an Alliance court as well as the Colony court."

"Then they will face the firing squad or gallows?"

"Neither," Julia answered. "At least, not to my knowledge. The death penalty is not widely practiced in the Alliance, although individual members are not forbidden from applying it with sufficient safeguards and protections for the condemned. I'm not aware of whether the Oakland Colony answers to one of those member states. It is more likely that they will face life imprisonment, or very long-term imprisonment at least."

"Hrm. That is, perhaps, even better. I would prefer death to a life in a cage myself." Huaman's expression did not relax. "And their paymasters? You have discovered them?"

"The Trading Consortium's Sub-Consul apparently had businesses within the League that he would lose if he didn't deliver you," Julia said. "He masterminded it. Since he has diplomatic immunity he can't be charged and tried, but Governor Taylor's already ordered him off-world. I figure the government will ban him from any further work in the Alliance."

Huaman considered that. "And you will leave it at that? The Consortium will not be punished?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Julia said. "Through him they abused the treaty they signed with us. And even before this, it's clear they were being untruthful when informing us of this area of space. I'm pretty sure they're going to find it hard to deal with us for a while. They'll probably have to fire Tio!sat!ny and make reparations at a minimum. And they might find their links to the League's exploitative behaviors will be closely investigated. It may sink any further trade agreements unless they shape up."

There was a nod from the older woman. Julia thought it might be one of at least partial approval. "There is still the matter of your colony on our planet," the Marshal said.

"There is," Julia agreed. "We've found your beacon. Or rather what's left of it."

"Oh?" Huaman gave her a curious look.

"From what we can tell, a meteor hit it," Julia explained. "One small enough that it didn't break apart at the impact but was instead pushed into orbit of one of the gas giants. Or rather, into one of the moons of the seventh planet. One of my ships found it earlier today."

"A rather odd coincidence," Huaman noted. "And Captain von Lohringhoven informed me the marker is gone as well."

"We didn't know where to look for that, but I'm not surprised."

"Then your Alliance will acknowledge this system is ours by right?"

"We do recognize your claim preceded ours," Julia said. "At the same time, our colonization was a good-faith act. And we have immediate need for the resources. We would like to negotiate with you on the matter."

"We cannot negotiate away sovereignty in this situation, Captain," Huaman said. "Not without inviting attacks on our beacons across our frontiers."

"Just as we need the materials to fight our war with the Nazi Reich."

"Yes. We have seen further proof of this conflict while on this ship." Huaman's expression turned into a frown. "If not for the issue of our prior beacon being lost, the Empire would have considered ceding the system as part of a wider arrangement for suitable compensation. But the principle of the matter must be kept."

"I was hoping to find some flexibility in your position," Julia said. "We don't want a war with you, but my orders haven't changed. We need this system and its resources. If there was a way to reconcile our positions…"

"It is my regret that these are our circumstances, Captain. Given the fate of our beacon, we cannot simply sell away the system. It would invite others to attempt the same. Still, if you have an idea that meets our requirements, I am willing to listen. I may speak, provisionally, for Her Imperial Majesty in time-critical situations as this."

Julia couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice. "Well, I see." She motioned to the door. "I suppose that is it, then. You and the others are free to go with Captain von Lohringhoven when she returns to her ship."

"We will remain with our comrades until they are fit to travel, Captain," Huaman insisted.

"Then I'll arrange quarters for you."

With nothing more to say on the matter Julia led Huaman back out to the receiving ward. Leo was present now and speaking quietly with Kirrhi and the others. Presumably Kishala was out of surgery. "...touch and go for the moment," he was saying. "But Doctor Vega and I think her chances have improved. We'll probably need one more surgery when her system has recovered enough."

Lohringhoven and Meridina were coming through the door a moment later. Meridina was not in uniform but in her purple training bodysuit. "My apologies for my appearance," she said. "There was an issue arranging an escort for the Captain. I was called from my training to do so."

Julia shook her head. "It's fine, Commander." She turned her head slightly to face von Lohringhoven. "Captain. The Marshal and I were just discussing matters. She and her team are free to go. The Governor has rejected the extradition request of the Consortium in light of their violation of our treaty."

To Julia's great surprise, palpable relief flooded von Lohringhoven's expression. "Thank you for informing me of this development, Captain Andreys," she said. "Marshal, I am pleased you are well."

Huaman nodded in return. "She will be waiting. It's safe now, Margrethe."

Julia and Meridina exchanged bewildered glances. Lohringhoven walked past them to Leo with a barely contained trembling. "Doctor, I would like to see Kishala now."

Leo looked toward her. "Like I said before, with her condition, I can only justify family members visiting her."

"Then there is no issue, Doctor." The stolid expression that Lohringhoven typically held had cracked at the same time her legs had begun to shake. "She is my wife."

Leo's look betrayed his surprise. Julia's poker face faltered from the widened eyes of her own surprise. She went back in her mind and thought over Lohringhoven's behavior these past few days, trying to see how this could be. _She was very upset when she found out about the extradition_ , Julia recalled. _And it explains why she wanted to see them personally._

Meridina didn't look as surprised. Or rather, she looked like someone who finally had an answer for something that had mystified her.

Lohringhoven reached into a jacket pocket and produced a small frame. With a tap it produced an image. It showed her with her hair in a less-formal style in a crisp, smart dress uniform with gold-tasseled epaulets and a plethora of medals over her left breast. Her hand was clasped with Kishala's, the Ralsan wearing a fine dress of bright color.

Images could be forged, of course. But it didn't seem a reasonable possibility. And besides that, there was a real vulnerability, a real concern, in the usually-austere Lohringhoven's eyes.

Leo was immediately convinced. "Alright, follow me," he said. "We'll find you a chair and you can watch over her."

Relief showed on Lohringhoven's face and in her posture. Quietly she followed Leo to the door to the other wards. He let her through.

"I had sensed her apprehension and worry," Meridina said. "And it was quite personal to her. Now I see why."

"What are her chances, Leo?" Julia asked him as he stepped through the door.

That caused Leo to stop. He turned to face her and shook his head. "Better than they were a few hours ago. But she's not out of danger yet."

Julia found herself wondering if those were better odds than she had of solving this problem. She decided she didn't want to answer that just yet. 

* * *

Given the day's activities, Julia retired early and slept in. The morning meeting went by without any changes in the status quo, including no new orders from Command. The bridge watch saw no major changes to the situation. There was a meeting over comms with Taylor, Littleton, and the various ship commanders present. Two more Alliance cruisers jumped in during the course of the day, the _Scorpio_ -class _Sagittarius_ and the _Nehru_ -class _Ambedkar_. The former had a compact arrow-headed shape, with armored warp nacelles built into the rear stardrive section of the ship. The _Nehru_ -class ship closely resembled the _Discovery_ -class and thus appeared to be a smaller version of the _Aurora_ with two warp nacelles. But the primary hull was slightly wider in beam and the drive hull began further back on the frame.

Julia could see the two arrivals from the Lookout. She sat with her dinner and mused quietly about their situation.

"You look distracted." Angel sat at her table with a plate of Hargert's dinner for the evening, roast pork and carrots, with a bowl of steaming sausage stew. Her glass was an opaque one, but Julia imagined it was either a fruit punch or milk.

"You could say that," Julia murmured. "My first mission as captain of the _Aurora_ and it looks like it's going to end in a war."

"You didn't exactly get the easy survey mission Robert got to start off," Angel offered.

"Hmm. Yeah." Julia took a bite of pork and carrot mixed together. "I keep wondering if there's something I've been missing. Some kind of solution that will fix this."

"Well, you know what I'd like to do."

Julia gave Angel a knowing look. "Somehow I doubt that 'smacking sense into them' would work as well as you'd like."

"But it would feel damn good," Angel pointed out.

"Maybe." Julia shook her head. "I just… I don't know. It almost feels like I didn't get enough done to make this work. Opani was the one to connect to the prisoners. Zack and his crew found the beacon. Lucy and Meridina stopped the mercs. _Twice_. And all I've been able to do is talk a lot and fail to find a solution."

"Yeah," Angel said. She held up her hands and crooked the index finger of her left hand into the index finger of her right. "You also approved of Doctor Opani's plan to talk to them, you approved letting her and Meridina and Lucy give them their sunrise dance party, you sent the _Koenig_ out to see if there was a beacon, and you gave the orders that led to Lucy finding out where the mercs came from." She was up to her right hand's pinky at that point. "Basically, you did what you were supposed to do. You gave the orders and everyone else did their jobs. And because you gave those orders, we dealt with this whole prisoner crisis."

Angel's argument was, in all of its bluntness, also completely correct. Julia had to grin at her friend's assessment. "You're right. Unfortunately, it'll all be for nothing unless we find a way out of the impasse."

"Do you really think these Aururians will attack?"

"I do," Julia said. "From their point of view, they have to. If they don't, they're basically announcing that anyone can come into their frontier and shoot down claim beacons before colonizing, just so long as they're smart about it."

Angel shook her head. "But they're in the same bind as the Nazis. They can't hit our fleet stations and our bases. All they can do is overrun a few colonies. And if this League joins the war, and maybe the Consortium too… well, they might even _lose_."

"But people would still have to respect their beacons," Julia pointed out. "They might think a lost war is worth that. Sort of like when a young fighter goes up against someone who has a hundred pounds on her and picks a fight because that someone knocked over her little sister at PE." She gave Angel a knowing smile. "She knows she might lose, but it'll keep people from thinking they can mess with her little sis whenever they feel like it."

Angel laughed at that. "It's like that, huh?"

Julia nodded with a mouthful of pot roast. "Uh huh." She was swallowing when her omnitool lit up. She tapped the blue light on the back of her left hand. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, this is Lieutenant Vajpayee_."

"Go ahead, Lieutenant."

" _May I see you, Captain? I have found something you might find useful._ "

"For what?" Angel asked.

"I'm finishing up my dinner right now, Lieutenant. Meet me in my ready office on the bridge in half an hour."

" _Yes Captain._ "

"So what's that all about?" Angel asked.

"I'm not sure," Julia admitted. "But I'm going to find out." 

* * *

Thirty-four minutes later, Julia was looking up from her monitor on the ready office desk, not sure if she should dare to hope this was it. "And it will work?" she asked Vajpayee. "You're certain of it?"

"As certain as I can be, Captain," he said. "The legal principle is sound."

Julia considered it for about ten seconds. With relief she nodded. "Thank you, Lieutenant. It's inspired. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, Captain."

Vajpayee stepped out of the ready office. The door hadn't even closed when Julia herself stood. "Computer, is Captain von Lohringhoven still aboard?"

" _Guest identified as Captain von Lohringhoven is located in Medbay Critical Care Ward._ "

"And Marshal Huaman?"

" _Marshal Huaman is in the Medbay._ "

"Good." Julia went to the door. 

* * *

The two Aururians were now in the reception ward with the rest of the Marshal's team when Julia arrived. She nodded to them. "How is your wife, Captain?"

"Her condition has further improved due to the diligence of your surgeons, Captain," Lohringhoven answered.

"That's good to hear," Julia said. "May I speak to you and the Marshal in private?"

"I believe Doctor Gillam is currently in his office," Lohringhoven replied.

"That's fine. Follow me."

Julia led them back out of the medbay and further through the deck until they arrived at their destination. A plain blue inside caused the two to look around in curiosity.

"Computer, activate archived holo-surroundings. Model sunrise sky."

" _Working. Holodeck engaging._ "

Their surroundings disappeared in favor of a soft grass field just as the sun was coming up on the eastern horizon. The two Aururians looked around with interest. "A holographic chamber? Compact enough for a ship?" Lohringhoven asked.

"We call them holodecks. They combine transporters with matter replication," Julia said. "Computer, please add three comfortable chairs. Put them in a gazebo."

A white painted wooden gazebo appeared. Three high-backed chairs were inside. Julia walked up into the gazebo and took one seat. Lohringhoven and Huaman took the others. "I think I've found a way through our impasse," she said to them.

"You have?" Huaman seemed interested. "What do you propose?"

"A measure that will keep this system as sovereign Aururian territory, but let the Oakland colonists stay where they are and let us mine the resources we need."

That had their attention.

Julia leaned forward in the chair. "What if the Alliance leases the system?"

"A lease?" Huaman asked.

"Yes. A lease, for a specific amount of time in which the Colony remains under Alliance law and control, and the Alliance gets to use the resources of the system. When the time is over, Phi Perseus completely reverts to Aururian control."

For a moment neither reacted. Julia didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, so she waited for some sort of reaction. Lohringhoven leaned over to speak _sotto voce_ to Huaman. "Her Majesty's foremothers leased Nepean Bay on Karta to the British for two hundred years, Marshal."

The bronzen woman nodded, her expression inscrutable for a moment. "What sort of compensations would be offered?" Huaman asked, and when she did, Julia felt her first thrill of hope.

"Payment in currency, I imagine. A cut of the annual yields?" Julia suggested, not wanting to lose the moment.

"Acceptable," Huaman said. "And upon termination of the lease, all improvements to the system would revert to Her Imperial Majesty's ownership."

Julia nodded. "I think that can work."

"Then… yes." Huaman nodded. "Yes, I believe these terms work. Affirm your government's willingness to accept the leasing term and I will report the offer to Her Imperial Majesty immediately."

It took some restraint for Julia to resist the urge to cry out in triumph. She settled for a wide smile and a nod. "I will call my superiors immediately."

"And when you speak to them, please, add this note." Huaman stood. "Inform them of the likelihood that Her Imperial Majesty will appoint an ambassador to immediately commence talks with the Alliance."

"Talks on what issue?"

"On our participation in the war, of course," Huaman answered. Now she smiled. "Knowing Her Imperial Majesty as I do, and our people besides, once confirmation of the existence of this star-faring Third Reich becomes known, the Empire will be determined to crush the evil of their regime just as our foremothers did many centuries ago. The Alliance can expect Her Imperial Majesty to declare war on the Reich once she is convinced that the reports are genuine."

Julia couldn't fight the smile that crossed her face. "I'll let them know," she said. "It will certainly be appreciated." Inwardly she wondered about that. Depending on the size of their contribution, it would require providing them with IU drives as well. What effect would that have upon the volatile politics of A2M6? Would it convert the League of Democratic Worlds into an enemy?

 _I'll leave that for the diplomats to handle_ was her final thought on that. Even as a starship captain, there was only so much she could do. 

* * *

_Ship's Log: 23 February 2643; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys recording. Today the Aururian ultimatum expires. Thankfully it is now a moot point. As of this morning, the Alliance Government approved the plan for a lease agreement over the Phi Perseus System of Universe A2M6. Peace has been maintained. And we may have gained an ally against the Reich in the process, if not two allies. Captain de Montamar has informed me that the League of Democratic Worlds is likewise interested in declaring war on the Nazi Reich and contributing ships to the conflict. Not as many as the Aururians, I suspect, but enough that they will maintain some parity with the Empire in relations with the Alliance._

 _I will have a final meeting with both sides today at the formal lease signing treaty. Admiral Maran has informed me that I have been chosen to co-sign the agreement on the Alliance's behalf. It is, I suppose, a fitting cap to my first official mission as Captain of the_ Aurora.

Conference Room 1 had been arranged for the signing. Julia and the others arrived in dress uniform, the white color and golden tassels and epaulets of said uniforms filling the room given the attendance of over five dozen other Alliance officers.

The Aururian contingent was just as large, led by Captain von Lohringhoven's commander, Admiral Kadesadayurat, wearing the uniform of the Royal Siamese Navy, one of the Empire's "untouched" associated States. Marshal Huaman led the delegation, incongruous in a severe black outfit that recalled formal fashions of centuries before.

The size of the two contingents was thanks to the reinforcements that had already been ordered by both before the agreement was reached. Julia briefly mused, darkly, that had the lease agreement not been proposed or accepted, sixty-three Aururian warships would have ended up in a shooting war against forty-nine Alliance starships and, presumably, Captain Guy de Montamar's squadron. The officers of the latter were also in attendance, in finely-crafted blue uniforms of their own. They showed no indication of being opposed to the lack of a conflict.

The ceremony was short and sweet. At the Marshal's direction, Captain von Lohringhoven joined her in signing for the Aururian Empire. Governor Taylor and Julia signed for the Alliance. The financial terms were relatively light, given the value of the system, and for the first term of the treaty the Aururians had waived any share of the mineral rights. Every ten years the Alliance would have the option to renew the lease for another term, for an increasing sum of money and an increasing share of the mineral yields. After thirty years the lease would permanently expire and the system and all mines and facilities in it would revert to the Aururian Empire. The Oakland Colony would be granted autonomy status in the Empire if its residents remained after the handover. Whether that would convince the settlers of today or tomorrow to stay, Julia could not guess.

When the signing was over Julia looked to Lohringhoven and asked, "How is Kishala?"

"She is recovering well," was the answer. Leo had decided that Kishala was sufficiently recovered to be transferred to the _Maya-Mayi_ the prior evening.

"Do you regret that she's involved in these kinds of missions? That she's away all of the time?"

"No more than she regrets my service in the Navy. She and I are committed to each other, and part of that love stems from our commitment to the cause of the Empire." Lohringhoven smile gently at her. "I imagine you have a similar feeling, Captain Andreys. Maybe even a similar trouble as we do."

"You might say that," she admitted. Duty always took a toll on personal relationships, it seemed.

"Then I will pray that things turn out for you as well." Lohringhoven nodded. "I am pleased things have turned out as they have. You would have made a capable foe had we put it to the touch, but I much prefer you as a steadfast ally. I hope to see you and your fine vessel on the front when we get there."

"Oh, we'll end up there sooner or later," Julia said. "We always do."

As the post-signing meal - provided thoughtfully by Hargert - was consumed, Julia found herself alone in the corner of the room. A plate of Hargert's cake - as always, he was eager for a reason to bake one, or rather two big ones in this case - was still in her hand. She mused that she would be spending a few extra hours in the gym the next few days to work off the calories she was consuming.

"Captain Andreys."

Julia turned to face the speaker. Captain de Montamar was resplendent in his dress uniform. "Captain de Montamar," she said in return. "A fine day?"

"Yes. The war has been delayed. And perhaps, now, it will never come," he said. "For the time being we, for the first time in nearly two centuries, share a common foe with the Empire. It will be odd to fight beside them as allies."

"Maybe it can be the beginning of a new future for you both," Julia suggested. "A chance to reconcile through shared sacrifice."

"Perhaps," he said, in the tone of a man feeling hope and doubt. "At the least, we hope to convince your Alliance that we deserve your support as much as the Empire."

"That will take some doing," Julia noted. "The Alliance is as opposed to the exploitation of other species as the Empire is. Your League may have to decide whether or not it prefers us as a friend over its current economic policies."

"It will not be easy," de Montamar said. "We have lost over half of our wealthiest star systems to the Empire in the last several decades. We need the resources those worlds provide us for our economy to function."

"You also need the goodwill of the Multiverse," Julia countered. "Your political system may be closer to our standard than the Aururian monarchy's, but most of the powers of the Multiverse aren't going to accept a state that considers the exploitation of other species necessary to their economy, much less an inherent right. You're going to have to make that choice. I hope you make the right one."

De Montamar nodded stiffly. "I do too. We must do more to uphold our principles. I will concede that."

"And hopefully, you'll stop trying to manipulate other powers into conflict with the Empire," Julia added bluntly.

Given the absolute lack of response in his expression, Julia figured de Montamar was a great poker player. "Whatever do you mean?"

"What I mean, Captain de Montamar, is that it's awfully unlucky that a meteorite of just the right size and velocity managed to take out the Aururian beacon. Likely within _weeks_ of the Alliance survey mission showing up. And said meteorite comes that close to sending the beacon into a gas giant where it'll never be seen again?" Julia crossed her arms, at least as much as she could with the plate in her left hand. "A lot of things are possible Captain. But this is just a little too coincidental for my taste. Especially with their non-transmitting marker also removed."

A quiet stillness came over de Montamar. Julia wasn't shocked to see it. "You knew?" she asked.

"You and I… we are captains. We are officers who believe in a cause. When we are given orders in the name of that cause, we follow them, though we find them disagreeable."

Julia knew she would get no stronger answer out of him. She went to step away.

"I have faith," he said suddenly. Julia turned back to face de Montamar, who met her eye-to-eye. "I have faith that in the end, our common values as democracies will be stronger than any dalliance your people may have with the Empire. Given time, their reactionary nature will repulse you, or will drive them to turn on you when they see you cannot be converted to their ways. We will be waiting patiently for that day."

With nothing more to say, the League captain walked away. 

* * *

When the lease treaty signing was over, Zack returned to his quarters as quickly as he could just to get out of his dress uniform. Once he'd removed it and was down to his undershirt and shorts, he went to his quarters' living area and sat on the couch. The bottle he had been drinking from on the _Koenig_ was on the coffee stand. There was barely a quarter left in it. He reached for it.

But he didn't grasp it. "I've got to stop this," he murmured to himself. He was letting this start to become too much, he was letting it take over. No more. He wasn't his father. He withdrew his hand and walked into the bedroom of his quarters. Once he settled onto the bed he picked up a picture of himself and Clara. Tears came to his eyes. It hurt so much to know she was gone forever. The usual thoughts - that he was responsible, that he hadn't deserved her - came to him. He sobbed quietly in response. Again he wanted a drink. He wanted to stop feeling.

But he couldn't. Not tonight. He had to prove to himself he had this under control. He had to if he was going to face his friends ever again. 

* * *

**Tag**

The world of Espérance had the distinction of being the third capital world of the League of Democratic Worlds. It was one of the first wave of colonies under de Escuy's first administration. Over the decades the splendid garden world had absorbed the millions of citizens who fled planets seized by the Aururian Empire. In the Fourth War the planet's defenders had successfully repulsed a determined invasion by Imperial troops in a resistance that Free Traders had declared "fanatical". Rebuilding Espérance had been a high priority afterward. Over the decades billions of francs had been poured into the planet's economy to make it the most wealthy - and most heavily-defended - planet in the entire League.

The main capital of the planet was found near the equator in a subtropical steppe region, at the base of the planet's main space elevator. Nouveaux Escuybourg was designed to emulate Paris from the pre-war Earth, with architectural nods from other great capitals added to emphasize the brotherhood of the League's nationalities and their equality. Some of the most brilliant of these buildings were the Houses of Government, where the various offices of the League's central government maintained themselves along the splendid _Rue de Escuy_.

One of the more magnificent structures along the _Rue de Escuy_ was the Defense Ministry. A neo-Parisian structure, it had all of the security one would expect for its purpose. The offices of the League's military forces and intelligence services could be found on its twelve floors.

In one such office, Vice Director of Military Intelligence Jean-Baptiste Bouchard read over the report from Phi Perseus and sighed with discontent. He set the data reader down and held his head of thinning gray-brown hair in his hands. Not only had they failed to ensure the Alliance and Empire became enemies, they had also failed to get their hands on Marshal Huaman. Their efforts to secure their protectorates and colonies from Aururian interference would be set back by that failure.

"We're running out of time," he protested to Victor Renard, his senior aide. "The Empire's arms buildup will not long be diverted by this war. They will come for us again when it is over."

"I understand, Vice Director. But the Minister is embracing the President's policies on the matter."

"He has his reasons, yes," Bouchard agreed. "But nothing changes the fact that without the resources of our protectorate worlds, the League would be left destitute. And for what? Species that would never have discovered basic medicine without our guidance? Species where mad theocrats and oligarchs and kings rule as tyrants over populations who know nothing of their natural rights? And the Alliance expects us to simply walk away from these poor worlds?" He waved a hand dismissively. "It is all an act, Victor. The Alliance must pander to its alien members. When they no longer feel that need… well, I hope we can survive that long."

There was a tone from his desk. Bouchard pressed the key for his intercom. "Yes?" he asked.

" _Vice Director, your appointment is here._ "

"I am ready," he said bluntly.

"Who is this?" Renard asked.

"Someone sent by our man on Jao!senat. Given the report I am uncertain…"

The door opened. The figure that entered was a woman in a stylized dark suit that fitted League fashions for professional women. A perfect, gorgeous woman, or so Bouchard thought. She made him immensely self-conscious of his graying hair, receding hairline, and definite paunch. Nevertheless he found himself and stepped forward. "Good day, _Madame…_ "

" _Je m'appelle_ Miranda Lawson, _Monsieur_ Director," the woman said in flawless French. She offered her hand to Bouchard, who took it and kissed the knuckle. "A pleasure to meet you."

* * *

Julia's morning routine began as usual. Warm ups and _t'ai chi_ forms (with some _mok'bara_ learned from Worf), shower, breakfast, and the overnight reports from Lieutenant Takawira and the other Gamma Shift supervisors. By 0800 she was on the bridge. The rest of the command staff had reported as well.

"So, your first mission is a success," Locarno said from the helm. He was grinning. "You uncovered a conspiracy, stopped a war, made allies, and I hear that you even managed to get Senator Pensley to like us."

Julia gave Jarod a knowing look. He returned it with a bemused grin. "I may have talked about that note he sent you," Jarod admitted. "GIven all of the nasty things he usually calls us, you have to admit it's a novel experience."

"It is," Julia agreed. She still wondered about whether or not Davies and Hawthorne felt the same way.

"It would appear you succeeded quite well in your first mission as Captain," Meridina said, smiling gently.

"We did, you mean," Julia said. She couldn't help but smile too as she took her seat. Meridina quietly moved over to her chair as First Officer. Julia's eyes went to the holo-viewscreen and the image of a nearly-denuded orbital space. The only Alliance ship left, other than themselves and the soon-to-depart _Enterprise_ , was a _Predator_ -class destroyer. Nearby was an Aururian frigate of the same class as the _Irresistible_ , the first of many Aururian ships that were to be permanently posted here as a result of the lease agreement.

"The lease idea was all your own, Captain," Meridina said.

"And sending the _Koenig_ out," Jarod added. "And letting Opani…"

"Yeah, yeah, Angel and I already had this conversation," she pointed out.

"What the frak was that?" Barnes turned in his seat. "Did you just say 'Angel'? Not 'Lieutenant Delgado?' Who the frak are you and what did you do with our stuck up, formal address-only Captain?"

Julia gave him an amused look. "Captain's prerogative. I can waive formality for a moment or two."

"Oh, and here I thought you were lightening up. My bad."

Julia giggled at that. "Don't ever change, Lieutenant Barnes."

"So I have official permission to be the ship's asshole engineer?"

"Only if you don't make me regret it," she answered. "So, is everything ready?"

"The crew is all aboard, Captain, and we are ready for departure," Meridina said.

"Well then. One mission down…" Julia's small smile turned into a wide grin. "...a whole lot more to go. Mister Locarno, Mister Jarod, we're due in D3R1. Please set the jump drive to the Proxima Centauri jump anchor and prepare for jump."

"Aye, Captain," Locarno said first, beating out Jarod's "Yes ma'am" by a couple seconds.

Julia said nothing more at that point. She didn't need to. Her eyes found the _Enterprise_ on the viewscreen and she realized she didn't quite feel the same pull as she had earlier. This was her ship. Her crew. Her place. She was the Captain of the _Aurora_. Given her role in the ship's construction, it felt like this was what she had always been meant for.

"Jump drive locked onto Proxima Centauri anchor, Captain," Jarod said.

Julia replied with a brisk nod and a smile. "Jump."

The _Aurora_ moved away from the formerly-disputed planet. The kilometer long ship looked quite swift and graceful in her maneuver. Ahead of the vessel a burst of green light appeared. It expanded into an open tunnel between universes that the _Starship Aurora_ flew into, heading out for another mission.


	18. Episode 3-04-1 The Whims of Fate

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: 8 March 2643; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys reporting. We have been dispatched to Universe S0T5 to begin the Alliance's first expedition into the region of space known as the Fracture. An unknown calamity caused a portion of the galaxy around Earth to become partially warped in this area, leading to the apparent destruction of the Sol System itself and a number of phenomena not seen elsewhere in the Multiverse. Because of the fluctuations in space standard navigation is unreliable, forcing us to rely upon star readings from outside the Fracture zone to chart courses._

 _There is a mental component to the phenomena as well. Every Dorei on the ship has reported symptoms to the medbay. Commander Meridina and Lieutenant Lucero have been particularly hit by our surroundings._

The viewscreen of the _Aurora_ showed the A sequence star as best as it could. The crew on the bridge was intrigued with how the star seemed to shimmer and contort in space. Caterina Delgado, the ship's exuberant science officer, was busy at the science station examining what she could on the sensors. "This place is… I can't even begin to describe this. This is a T'Vral Distortion. A real T'Vral!"

"A what?" her sister Angela asked from the tactical station.

"Doctor T'Vral of Vulcan. She was a subspace physicist and theorist of the 21st through 23rd Centuries in S5T3," Cat explained. "She theorized the possibility that the gravity well of a star in an area of space compromised by intense space-time distortion could allow for the bleeding of subspace into real space, causing a distortion effect around the star from the resulting interaction. And this… this is it, exactly as she theorized! It's never been seen before!" Cat excitedly tapped away at her console. "I've got every sensor on the ship recording this. The Vulcan Science Academy is going to love this!"

Julia had to stifle what would have likely been a giggle at Cat's behavior. This was helped by a sympathetic glance to Meridina. She was seated quietly in her chair beside Julia. While her position in the chair was not, in of itself, a sign of something wrong, the pale skin of her face made Meridina look like she was suffering from a stomach ailment. "You're still not adjusting?" Julia asked.

"I am afraid it is not that easy," answered Meridina. "This place feels wrong."

"So wrong it makes you physically ill?"

"To a degree. Given time, I will adjust," Meridina insisted.  
Meanwhile Caterina was still gushing. "I need to examine these readings more closely. I am going to write the most awesome paper on this! It's going to take me all night, but it'll be worth it!"

Angel loudly cleared her throat. "Cat, while you're normally adorable when you get crazy geeky like this, I think you're forgetting something?"

"Hrm?"

"You're already due for something tonight." Angel gave her sister a significant look.

"Huh?" Cat turned to face her sister. "What do you mean? I don't… _oh_." Realization, and a heavy dose of guilt, made her blush.

"Yeah. And if I'm coming dressed up again, you're coming to."

"Are you going to wear the feather this time?" Cat asked.

" _Never_ ," replied Angel. 

* * *

A few hours later found the two sisters in the holodeck, standing on a winding mountain path. Caterina was in a voluminous set of blue robes that looked a few sizes too big on her small frame. She topped this with a floppy yellow hat on her head. Angel had a cheongsam of red with gold designs. Caterina's girlfriend Violeta was in her light-colored vest and shirt with billowy pants. She had a complexion similar to their own, but her hair and eyes were a vivid purple color, with her hair covered by a broad pale blue hat with a feather. She held an elaborately-carved bow out to nock an arrow into it.

Angel dashed ahead at the foe barring their way. The dragon was large and powerful. Muscle rippled under its crimson and yellow-tinged scales, and wide red eyes burned with fury. Angel's fists landed several blows on its chest before she had to fall back to avoid a swipe of the immense claw. The arrow in Violeta's bow struck next. It lodged into one of the dragon's big ferocious eyes. It shrieked in rage and blew a wide column of flame into them. Although they didn't actually feel any pain, the HP indicators they kept all showed the damage had sapped at least one quarter of their health.

" _Blizzaga_!" Cat shouted. She raised her staff and a column of pure ice shot from the end of it. The ice grew upon impacting the dragon's head, encasing it in seconds.

That was when the fourth member of the party made their move. Or, rather, when she landed. A blur of blue slammed into the neck of the creature with an elaborate spear. The impact drove the point through the thick armored scale of the creature. Though it did not sever the head, it did puncture clear through to the other side. The dragon's iced-over head flailed about. As it did the attacker jumped off and landed with them. She was the tallest member of the group by far and the only one wearing armor, blue armor that shined in the artificial daylight and covered her torso and her arms. Only her mouth and nose were visible under the mask of the blue helmet, which was itself shaped like the head of a dragon. Her visible skin shared the same basic shade as the sisters and Violeta.

Once the dragon's head slammed into the ground, definitively showing the creature was dead, the helmet retracted upward partially, revealing the long pointed ears at the sides of her head and her blue eyes. Blue marks were painted on her cheeks that looked like wide, slightly-curved half-moons. "That was fun!" Ensign Talara declared. "Being this… what is it again?"

"Dragoon," Violeta answered. Her Sirian accent sounded almost English with a little tonal difference.

"Yes. It is quite fun. Thank you for inviting me."

"You won't be thanking me when we get to the Hall of the Dragon King," Violeta said. "I've heard horror stories about how hard that fight is."

"Well, I'm looking forward to it," Angel declared.

"You're just looking to hit something," Caterina teased. "And you're _still_ not using the chakras right!"

"I am _not_ spouting that pseudo-Chinese gibberish whenever I throw a punch," Angel insisted.

Violeta giggled at that before leading them onward.

* * *

Caterina woke up tangled with the sheets and with Violeta. With one arm asleep and a leg cramping she had difficulty getting free without waking her girlfriend up. After this task was managed she took to the usual morning routine. Within forty-five minutes of waking up Cat was in Science Lab 2 with a bowl of colorful marshmallow cereal and a plate of scrambled eggs. She ate breakfast while going over the sensor logs from the star with the T'Vral Distortion. Examination of a debris field and the infrared emissions indicated the star could be Beta Pictoris, but it was at least five parsecs off from where that star was located in other universes even accounting for the extra stellar drift of S0T5's progressed calendar. Cat put down her spoon long enough to jot the necessary notes. She was looking forward to Professor T'Rya's response to them, especially to the witnessing of a bona-fide T'Vral Distortion.

A T'Vral Distortion! She was the first scientist to discover an actual T'Vral Distortion! Caterina felt goosebumps at the thought. It made her think of Spock's log, and all of the things he had been the first scientist to encounter. And now she was doing it! She would have to organize the readings and write a paper!

Cat's eggs were consumed, and most of the cereal eaten, when her omnitool's comm unit went off. She slid the bowl to the side and tapped the blue light that appeared. "Delgado here."

" _Lieutenant Delgado_." It was Julia. And she didn't sound very happy. " _Would you like to explain why you are ten minutes late to your post?_ "

Cat blinked. "Wait, I'm…" She activated her omnitool and checked the time. A wordless shriek of disbelief was her reaction to the time flashing 0810. " _Oh no! I'msosorryI'monmywayDelgadoout!_ " She jumped from the chair and ran for the door.

At which point she turned and ran back to snatch up her unfinished cereal bowl from its place beside the console she'd been seated at. 

* * *

A bemused Ensign Tagas had graciously accepted Caterina's frenzied apology when she arrived on the bridge. She took her station immediately and slouched a little in the chair at seeing Julia's "I am not amused" look. _Stupid! Stupid, how could I lose track of time like that?!_ She dutifully went to work monitoring the sensor returns. It was easier said than done in this twisted section of space. The Fracture was living up to its name. It was the space equivalent of a haphazardly-spread blanket that curled up at some points and was stretched out at others. Light that seemed to be coming from one direction would suddenly shift, showing its origin point to be from an entirely different heading. Gravity sources were revealed as being less massive, or more massive, than their sensor returns otherwise indicated.

"Lieutenant Delgado, I'm having trouble locating Gamma Serpentis," she heard Locarno say. "I can't be sure we're on our proper course if I can't see it."

"Right." Cat looked over her sensor returns and the logs. The star was one of those outside of the Fracture that they were using for the purposes of astrogation in this area of space. Losing it meant that Locarno no longer had the exact frame of reference he needed to ensure he knew their heading. Given the powerful states that resided in this region of space, that could be dangerous, and she lost no time determining that one of the Fracture's twisted sections of space was distorting the light from the star. "We can't see Gamma Serpentis from this angle," she said. "Here, I'm highlighting Delta Serpentis for you."

"Thanks," he answered. "Re-calculating course."

"Make sure you keep us clear of borders, Commander," Julia said. "The last thing we need is to wander into Aurigan space. Much less NEUROM space. I don't have any desire to deal with those people again."

"I don't blame you," he answered. NEUROM agents had gotten involved in their mission to Solaris several months before, and Julia and Zack Carrey had narrowly avoided being dragged back to NEUROM space with them. "Course correction entered. We're back on course."

Caterina returned to her balance of looking over sensor logs and examining the twisted nature of the Fracture. She wondered just what could have caused such damage to space-time here.

A blip appeared on one of her sensors. Caterina blinked and checked it over. For a moment she thought it was a false return - not surprising given where they were - but when she saw it again she was certain it couldn't be. "I've got some kind of energy signature on sensors, Captain," she said aloud.

"What kind?" Julia asked.

"I can't tell. I've never seen one like this. Although I can't rule out that it's being distorted due to the Fracture. We'll need to get within visual range for me to confirm what it is."

Julia took only a moment to make her decision on the matter. "Commander Locarno, change course. I want a look at this."

"Aye sir."

After making that decision Julia glanced toward Meridina. She still looked pale. But her expression was no longer one of misery but of interest. "Commander, what is it?" Julia asked.

"I am sensing something," Meridina said. "Despite this… wrongness in my _swevyra_."

"Is it dangerous?"

"I do not think so. It is… I feel power of some sort. Light."

"We're almost there," Cat said. She counted down the seconds by observing with her sensors.

"Dropping out of warp now," Locarno said. The ship thrummed briefly from the warp drive disengaging. "We're approximately a hundred thousand kilometers out from the object."

"Can you get us a visual, Commander Jarod?"

"In a moment." At Ops the born savant was working on the ship's visualization systems, which took both raw light and other sensor data to form coherent images for the holo-viewscreen. "The local effects of the Fracture are distorting the image. I'm trying to clear it up."

"I'm picking up trace remnants of neutrinos and tetryons," Caterina added. "And a few other exotic particles."

"There we go…"

Interested in the sight of her find, Caterina looked up from her console to the holo-viewscreen. The image on it started as a vague blob of green and a few pixels of white. "Magnifying," Jarod said, pre-empting Julia's request.

The blob became a close-up image. Initially pixelated, Jarod's efforts gradually sharpened the image until they could make out the object. Caterina's eyes widened as she made out the shape. Julia breathed out a "Is that a…?"

Caterina double-checked her sensor returns briefly. They were now indicating the shape that had formed on the viewscreen.

The image finished sharpening. It confirmed what they were seeing. "Well, I didn't expect that," Jarod said.

The first inclination had been that the source of the power signature was a ship. And Caterina considered it might still be one. It was primarily green and white in color. The black object showing on the top of the craft had a design she couldn't make out given that they were mostly looking at the side of the thing.

But its design was not simply that of a ship. The four pieces sticking out from the ventral side of the craft, originating on the sides, were clearly limbs. Legs, with sharp claws. A motionless tail was visible from the rear. And the front of the craft had a module that was clearly a head, with dull yellow eyes and a white mouth, framed in the same green as the main body.

"Is that what I think it is?" Julia asked aloud.

"Yeah, I think so," Cat said. "It's… a metal lion. A big, green metal lion."

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"The Whims of Fate"_**

Starships could come in many shapes and sizes. Differing design aesthetics, or the requirements of specific systems, could determine how a ship was laid out or shaped. Sometimes resemblance to animals could even be had; the Alakins, Dorei, and Romulans all likened their starships to birds.

But this went further than that. This was a craft that, for some reason, had been built to look like a four-legged metal lion.

"Lieutenant, what is this thing?" Julia asked.

Caterina was already working on her readings. "Whatever it's made of isn't registering on our sensors. And I can't make out the power supply itself." Something came to her attention. "I am picking up a life sign aboard."

"There's somebody in that thing?"

"Yeah. The life sign is showing as Human. I think they're unconscious."

"Commander, can we get a transporter lock?"

In response to Julia's question Jarod checked his instruments and answered, "Once we're within five hundred kilometers. Any more than that and I'm worried about how the Fracture might distort the transporter."

"Getting close is advisable if we are to take it aboard," Meridina noted.

"Will it fit?" Julia asked aloud.

"In the landing bay for the fighter wing, yes," Jarod answered.

"Then tractor it in." Julia tapped a key on her command chair. "Bridge to medbay. You're about to get a patient."

" _We're ready_ ," answered Doctor Leonard Gillam.

The _Aurora_ drew closer to the craft with her sublight drives. Caterina kept her scans going the entire way. "I can't tell you anything new about the lion. The level of neutrinos does make me suspect a wormhole opened recently. And there's something about the tetryons…"

"I'll leave that to you, Lieutenant," Julia said.

"We're in range," Jarod said. "Transporting now."

"I'm bringing us into position to tractor the craft into the hanger."

"The flight deck reports all craft stowed," Meridina added. "They are ready to bring the vessel aboard." She looked at Julia. "May I recommend sending Lieutenant Lucero to oversee an investigation of the vessel?"

Julia nodded her assent.

* * *

Lucy Lucero had seen a number of things she would once have called "bizarre" in the prior few years. That included herself now, given what she was capable of. Finding new surprises was becoming harder.

But sometimes it seemed the Multiverse was determined to keep surprising her despite that.

The metal green lion was a snug fit on the flight deck. It had been tractored in on its side, giving it the appearance of a cat laying on its side and asleep. Lucy tapped at her omnitool to access the scanner functions. The scan showed the material was something that even the Darglan had never encountered. "We're going to need an atomic analysis scanner," she said out loud.

"Yes sir. I'll let Lieutenant Barnes know." The voice speaking to her was strained. Ensign Jampa was a Dorei of teal complexion, with dark purple spots running down the sides of her face at the hairline. Her light purple, almost pinkish hair was pulled back into a bun.

Normally Jampa was one of the excitable junior operations officers. Every technical problem or question was a mystery demanding she solve it. But there was hardly any indication of that attitude right now. Lucy imagined it was for the same reason she was feeling sick.

Ever since the _Aurora_ entered the Fracture, Lucy felt ill at ease. The force within her, the life force power that the Gersallians called _swevyra_ , was telling her that the universe itself had gone wrong. That the Flow of Life was warped beyond recognition.

But there was something else. Lucy walked up to the inert machine's head and concentrated. Her stomach twisted at the attempt. Taking in a breath, Lucy focused and resumed her effort.

And there it was. She could _feel_ something in the machine. The Flow of Life, distorted as it was in this space, radiated at this spot. Something in this spacecraft resonated with her power. As if it were, itself, alive.

Lucy's hand went to her omnitool and the key to open comms. "Lucero to Meridina," she said into it.

" _Meridina here. Do you have a report?_ "

"Not yet. But… I need you to come here. I need your opinion on this."

There was a short pause. " _Very well. I am on my way._ "

Lucy looked back to the occupant of the flight deck and stared. "Just what are you?" she wondered aloud.

* * *

The command staff was gathered in the conference lounge with the _Koenig_ officers, as well as Tom Barnes and Lucy. The latter had a pale look to her lightly-tanned brown complexion. Like Meridina she was not finding staying in this space easy.

Julia started by looking to Jarod and Cat. "Any suggestions on where this ship comes from?" She motioned to the holodisplay above the table that was showing the green lion, now laid out on the flight deck for the _Aurora_ 's starfighters.

"It doesn't match anything we've been given on ships from S0T5," Jarod answered. "In fact, the design doesn't match anything in our records _period_."

"Could it be a ship from a Fracture nation we have no records of?" Julia asked.

"I'm not seeing any sign of technology consistent with the star nations in the Fracture," Jarod replied. "And the materials aren't anything we know of."

"I can confirm that," Lucy added. "The atomic analysis scans we've taken show this is a completely new element we're dealing with."

"Although people in this universe _are_ nuts enough to build spaceships shaped like lions," Angel mused.

"Actually, I think it might be from another universe," Caterina said.

Everyone looked to her. A brief surge of her old anxiety toward such attention held Cat back for a second. There was no sign of stuttering, however, when she resumed speaking. "The neutrino and tetryon traces are consistent with an interuniversal jump point's profile within twelve hours of opening," she explained. "Normally those kinds of traces fade from external effects so they're not actually detectable after so long. But with the Fracture the way it is, I think this specific area of space is a sort of null zone that keeps them from being affected as usual."

"So the lion ship has an interuniversal drive?" Julia asked.

"Well, I don't know about that," Cat replied. "I haven't had a chance to examine it."

"We have," Lucy said.

"And I didn't pick up any indications of an IU drive on the damn thing," Barnes added. "Hell, we can't even get in. There aren't any hatches."

"It's probably in the mouth," Lucy remarked. "Which is remaining shut."

"It's possible something else might have caused an interuniversal shift," Cat said. She went into deep thought. "Not likely, but possible. I'll need to examine the lion ship more closely. Or talk to the pilot."

"What about the pilot?" Julia turned her head toward Leo Gillam.

Leo was still wearing his white lab coat over his black-and-blue-trim uniform. His dark brown eyes looked toward Julia. His hair, black in color, was cut short to his head, and his dark skin was only a shade lighter than his hair. Leo tapped a key and brought up the image of a figure in a set of what looked like armor, prominently white with green segments and what looked like a black-colored suit beneath the armor. A head of brown hair was settled onto a pillow.

"The pilot looks rather young," Meridina observed.

"She is a Human female, primarily Caucasian, estimated to be between fourteen and eighteen years of age," Leo recited. "I'm leaning toward the lower end of the estimate myself, as there's no sign of malnutrition to explain the relative lack of growth if she were older."

"That is… really young," Locarno said.

"Until we know more about the culture she comes from, I don't see any point in idle speculation." Jarod looked at Leo. "Do you have any idea what's wrong with her?"

"I haven't found any inherent problems in her body's systems, so I'm ruling it as an incidental episode," Leo answered. "That is, something specific shocked her system and caused her current condition. I imagine she'll be awake in the next day or so."

"Post a security officer nearby, but not in the open," Julia ordered. "Let's not scare her when she wakes up."

"I'll have the rotation up by the time we leave," said Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond, the chief of security.

Julia nodded in acknowledgement. She returned her attention to Lucy. "Is there anything else we should know about the lion ship?"

"It's… well, it's got a feeling to it," Lucy said.

"As in with your powers?"

"Yes. Meridina and I both felt it."

"I would almost suspect the lion ship of being alive in some way," Meridina said. "I can feel its presence in the Flow of Life."

That brought uncomprehending looks from the others, with the sole exception of Caterina. Pure interest was bubbling in her voice when she asked, "You're saying it's a living being?"

"I cannot say that. But it is not merely an inanimate machine," Meridina noted.

"Either way, I don't know if we'll be able to learn more until the pilot wakes up," said Lucy. She gave Leo a curious look. "Can you give us an estimate?"

"I'm not seeing any reason our patient shouldn't wake up soon," Leo said. "Whatever shock made her fall unconscious could mean she'll wake up in a minute, or in a week."

"We'll just have to wait," Julia said. "Cat, is there anything more you can learn from this area?"

"I'd like to finish a couple of in-depth scans," Cat answered. "They'll be done in a couple of hours."

"Let us know when they're done. Then we resume the rest of the survey mission. And Lieutenant?"

"Yes?" asked Cat.

"I know you're enormously interested in this ship, and in the Fracture as a whole, but make sure you're keeping watch on the long-range sensors. I want warning if we end up running into someone."

Cat nodded quietly. She had been expecting a dressing down for her late arrival. This was preferable.

Julia stood. "Everyone's dismissed. Except Commander Carrey."

There were nods from the assembled. They stood and filed out of the conference lounge. Within a minute only Zack was left with Julia.

"How are you feeling?" Julia asked him.

He gave her a forlorn look in reply.

"I would feel better if you agreed to counseling," she said. "You've been through alot this year."

"A counselor's only going to tell me what I already know," he lamented. "They'll say I've got survivor's guilt, and that's why I feel the way I do about losing Clara. And that if I want to get better, I have to accept it's not my fault and that she's gone for good. Since I know this, what's the point in wasting time?"

"There could be more to it than that," Julia pointed out. "I…" She stopped and sighed at seeing his pointed look. "Why do I get the feeling you want to suffer, Zack?"

He turned away briefly before looking back to her. A sad smile was on his face. "Maybe we've been friends for too long, and you know me too well," he suggested. "We know each other's' moods. Same with Rob and Tom."

A question arose in Julia's mind. One that she was afraid to ask, one she dreaded hearing an answer for.

"Do you need me for anything else, Captain?" Zack asked.

"Just… be on standby with your crew," Julia said. Her voice betrayed her continued inner struggle over her concerns for him. "Just in case something happens and we need the _Koenig_ out there."

"We're ready for when you need us," Zack promised. He waited to see if she would ask anything else, if indeed she would ask _that_ , but she didn't, and he departed.

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Patrice Laurent was not entirely happy. His fighters were, for the moment, completely grounded due to the lion ship on their flight deck, which made landings unsafe and thus forbade any launches. This meant that there was little for him and his pilots to do but sit around, grouse, and maybe log simulator time.

He arrived on the flight deck to see all of the engineers and operations officers looking over the craft. It was another sight that he would have to log away in his mind on the list of miracles his life had included since that day, four and a half years before, when a group of well-meaning people had saved his family and many others. Not simply saved them, but introduced them to an entirely new life, one that had led to Patrice serving as the head of a wing of starfighter pilots and his sister Madeleine commanding an entire starship.

"Who would build a ship like that anyway?" The question came from beside him. Lieutenant Gwen Skydancer was a Sirian woman with striking green eyes and vibrant purple hair drawn back into a pony-tail. She was tall, with a statuesque build. Her uniform, like his own, had light blue as the branch color on the collar and trim areas. "I can understand a starship with an avian look. But a lion? What's the point?"

"I suppose one could use the legs for vectoring thrusters," he said.

"It is a really unique design!" another voice stated. This one had pitch that was distinctly non-human. The two pilots peered down at the short form of Lieutenant Jebediah Kerman, the _Aurora_ crew's lone Kerbal. The species had yet to join the Alliance, although they were rumored to be close to finalizing their admission, but that hadn't stopped Kerman from joining the Stellar Navy within a few months of the Alliance's foundation. He had been the first of his people to fight the Reich as a result, although the Kerbals were now a full member of the Allied Powers and contributing their experienced (and to Laurent, near-suicidal) starfighter corps and carrier ships to the Allied fleets.

"I suppose it's the kind of thing you Kerbals would build, if you could make it work," Gwen teased.

"Maybe I _should_ send the images back home," Kerman answered. "We can fit trinium claws to the legs and shred up enemy ships! And the armoring…"

Patrice couldn't help but chuckle at the enthusiasm of the Kerbal pilot. Kerman had been his wingman for over a year now, even turning down a flight command to keep his place on Patrice's wing. After so many combat flights with the Kerbal Patrice wasn't sure he'd want another wingman himself. Kerman had saved his life too often.

"I just want that thing gone," Gwen said. "I don't like being cooped up on the ship, unable to fly."

"I know the feeling, Lieutenant," Patrice sighed. "I know it all too well."

* * *

A short distance away, Meridina and Lucy were looking at the machine intently. While Barnes and the others were examining it with their devices and instruments, the two were sensing it through the Flow of Life. The power within it was quiet but still steady. A gentle thrum rippled in the Flow.

They were finding that this had a pleasant side-effect. The power of the thing, the life in it, was helping to improve their connection to the Flow of Life. For the first time since the _Aurora_ had entered the Fracture they felt content.

"Do you think the Council might know something about this?" Lucy asked her.

"I do not think so," Meridina replied. "Nothing like this vessel has been recorded in Gersallian history."

"Hell, the Darglan might not have known something like this," Lucy pointed out. "This could be entirely uncharted ground. And you and I are the ones here to learn about it."

"It is a great responsibility." Meridina closed her eyes and breathed in. "But I must say I enjoy it as well. A machine powered by the Flow of LIfe, Lucy. Can you imagine it?"

Lucy nodded. At the same time, her mind briefly wandered. She thought of her Trial in the Temple of Perception back on Gersal and the vision of a bizarre machine that had also been permeated with power. Not the power of the Flow of Life, but something else, something stranger and more foreboding. If this was possible, then maybe such a thing was as well.

It was something to think over, but for the moment she focused entirely on her work, sensing the power source of the machine and, slowly, starting to understand it. 

* * *

The end of Caterina's bridge shift couldn't have come soon enough. Not only did she have the data on the T'Vral Distortion at Beta Pictoris to go over, she wanted a look at the lion ship and its pilot.

Lieutenant al-Rashad was checking the scanner board while Caterina watched. "Nothing strange, or at least stranger than we've seen since entering this blasted place," the Arab woman murmured. She turned the chair and looked up to Cat. "Although there is that bit at bearing 221 mark 098."

"221 098?" Cat asked. She looked at the screen herself. "Oh yeah, that. Given how space is warped around that spot I think it's a result of the gravitational distortion. I suppose it could be something more. Keep an eye on it?"

"I will." Al-Rashad smiled at her now. "So, how goes the paper on the T'Vral? I was looking at some of the readings. It was _lovely_ , wasn't it?"

"Did you see those variances in the mid to low Groenitz-Hallen bands?" Caterina asked, enthusiasm brimming in her voice. "Even T'Vral didn't expect that."

"An artifact of the A sequence star itself?"

"Possible. If we can find another T'Vral around a different kind of star that would be great." Cat checked her time piece and glanced toward the front of the bridge. Violeta was on duty at the helm for another three hours. When she was off duty they were due for dinner together and then what they usually dubbed "cuddle time".

 _But I've got so much to do…_ a part of her complained. Another part of her retorted with _She's your girlfriend, she's more important than stuff you can make time for later_.

"Let me know if you see anything," Cat said to her. "Have a great shift."

"Oh, I always look forward to it, don't you know?" al-Rashad teased.

* * *

The Fracture was thousands of years old. And in those thousands of years, it had always been inhabited. Living in the Fracture was not a pleasant experience, and never an easy one.

But like always, life found a way to do it.

Many cultures lived in these twisted spaces and over their existences they learned how to cope with the challenges it presented. They discovered ways to use it to their advantage.

One such method was to use the warping of space to hide a ship in such a way to spy on other vessels. Just such a thing was happening to the crew of the _Aurora_ , as a distance away from them a vessel was hidden in the twisted spaces of the Fracture, carefully watching.

The vessel in question was not large. It wasn't even a quarter the size and mass of the _Aurora_. The main body was made of an exotic blend of metallic alloys and artificially-grown tissues from an Aurigan man-of-war, a giant species of cosmozoan that could wipe out ships by tangling them in its tendrils and sucking the energy out of them until their crews were deprived of life support. The ship-crafters of Cabea had discovered how to cultivate these void-dwelling denizens of the Fracture and produced ships that made use of their energy-resistant hides and minimize their ships' detectability by one of the few scanning methods not afflicted by the properties of the Fracture. Specialized grasping lines could then be employed on unsuspecting targets to debilitate ships by draining their energy. The Cabeans had won some regard for this successes in bio-adaptive engineering from their allies in the organization known, and feared, as NEUROM. They had even been granted a semi-permanent seat on the guiding committee of CORTEX, a rare honor for one of the weaker members of the alliance.

The Cabean ship _Judgement of Fate_ observed its prey with the same quiet deliberation of the creatures it was designed to emulate. On the bridge of the vessel Sub-Commander Hayten Tothwallad considered his circumstances. The vessel _Aurora_ 's presence had been known of for some time. The word from his superiors had been simply to observe her and not engage. So long as the Alliance respected NEUROM's frontiers, they had no quarrel with these strangers from another universe.

That had been then. This was now. Tothwallad looked to the dark-clad being sharing his bridge. "You are sure, my lady?"

A pair of yellow, angry eyes glared at him. In other circumstances Lady Dolores would have been attractive. She had smooth skin the color of bronze and a fit figure that her bodysuit hid little of. Tothwallad was himself a fine example of Human fitness, courtesy of a demanding physical fitness regimen programmed into him from childhood by memetic compulsions ordered by the Cabean Republic's Ministry for the Complete Health of the Citizenry.

Whatever her attractiveness, no sane person wanted to be near such an agent of the Ministry of Fate. They thrived on Human pain and suffering. If they feared anything, it would be the Fates themselves, and those were just a myth (or so it was sometimes said). Dolores would leave nothing of Tothwallad if he crossed her. Which, through his question, he had come dangerously close to doing.

"I sense that power even here," she said. "It is a power that will be ours."

"We cannot fight a ship of that size," he protested. "We would not survive long enough to put even one arm on that ship."

"Nor do we have to. We need only maintain contact until the Ministry's ships arrive." Dolores frowned. "Can you manage this without mewling, Captain?"

Tothwallad nodded. It was, in the end, the only answer that didn't involve dying right then and there.


	19. Episode 3-04-2 The Whims of Fate

Zack Carrey tossed and turned in his bed. The dream had him again. He was at the mine complex on New Caprica. There were dead bodies and wrecked Cylon centurions everywhere. "Clara!" he screamed. "Clara, I'm here!"

He came upon the bodies. The dead Cylon humaniform. The wounded woman. And on the bottom… Clara, with the tattered back of her nurse's scrubs covered in her blood. He turned her over as always and looked into the empty blue eyes.

"Why weren't you here?" Clara's voice asked. Despite being clearly dead, her lips moved. "Why did you bring me here to die?"

"I… I didn't," he insisted.

"I came out here because of you. Now I'm dead. I'd be alive if you never knew me." The dead face twisted into an angry one. "They were right. You never deserved me. And now I'm dead because of you!"

"Clara, no… I never…" But there was no conviction in his voice. This was what he believed, after all.

Zack was so full of guilt and horror that he couldn't face the accusing revenant of Clara any longer. He turned away from her and toward the woman bleeding out. But he knew something was wrong the moment he looked toward her. The figure that had been in civilian clothes before was now in a Stellar Navy uniform. His eyes wandered up her bullet-ridden torso to her face. His heart skipped at seeing the woman's face was new. A familiar one. "Julie," he rasped.

"Zack." Her voice was weak and pained. "Why… why did you let us die?"

Now the field was bereft of the mining vehicles. Bodies covered it. Bodies in Alliance uniforms covered the ground. He turned away from Julia's wrecked body and faced another form. Tom Barnes' chest haad nearly exploded from the gunfire that claimed him. A big, bloody hole filled Cat's forehead. The back of her head was gone.

"No," he whimpered. 'No! No no no not!"

At that point he woke up screaming. He looked around at his darkened quarters on the _Aurora_. On the nightstand his omnitool was giving off the blinking blue light of an incoming call. At first he didn't react. He couldn't. Not with the images from his dream still fresh in his mind.

When the omnitool kept going off Zack finally had the presence of mind to reach for the light and trigger it. "Carrey here."

" _Commander, I need to see you in the ready office_ ," said Julia, being all-business as usual. " _Right away._ "

With his nap ruined already, Zack had no objections. "On my way," he said. He stood up and put a fresh uniform on. It was only when he was about to go out the door he remembered that he had taken a couple shots of tequila before his nap. He trudged over to the replicator and said, "Computer, a glass of water and six hundred milligrams of Niltox."

" _Warn_ …"

"Override," he grumbled. The replicator came to life and left the pills and water. He put the three pills in his mouth and washed them down in one gulp. With that much Niltox, he expected to be virtually sober by the time he reached the bridge. That was the important part, too. He had to be completely sober, even if he looked horrible.

Once the Niltox had a minute or so to start working, Zack left his quarters. 

* * *

The door chime for Julia's office sounded. She looked up from her screen and said "Enter". Once the door opened her expression lost its business-like demeanor, becoming one of concern. "My God, Zack, what's wrong with you?"

Zack walked up to the chair and set himself in it. His eyes looked tired and weary, which went with the deep, purplish-black color under them. His face was drawn and pale. And he didn't even bother trying to fake a smile. "Bad dreams," he said. "Nightmares. Worse than usual. I haven't slept well the last few days. My nap didn't go well either."

"Christ," Julia muttered. "Look at you. This is why you need to get counseling…"

"Not now, Julia, please," he pleaded. "I don't want the mother hen routine right now."

"Someone's got to say something," she insisted. "You're… Zack, if it's causing you this much trouble, you're arguably not fit for duty."

"That's just what I need," he insisted. "I need to be out in my ship, I need something to occupy my mind."

She gave him a sardonic look. "We both know bridge watches can be quiet and boring, so I'm not sure I see the improvement." When he didn't respond she sighed and continued, "Well, I need you out there anyway. The _Koenig_ is our scout, after all, and we need one now."

"Can do," he answered.

"I'll have Nick relay you course data to you. Maintain the best scans you can."

"So, let me get my people together, we should be good to launch in an hour."

"You're dismissed. Good luck, Zack."

"Thanks." He left without a further word. 

* * *

Leo's work day was officially over when he returned to his office with a mug of coffee. He sat and began to drink while he monitored their patient. She was laying in the standard care ward just two beds down from the one Robert had previously occupied.

Doctor Lani Walker stepped in a moment later. She was about a year younger than him, a bright young physician who joined the Alliance service out of idealism like so many others. She had a brown complexion and long dark hair with an ovular face. A pendant with a crystal was her one personal ornamentation, something Leo presumed came from her origin in the Tohono O'odham Nation, the self-named "Desert People" of Arizona and Sonora.

Leo looked up. "Doctor Walker, how can I help you?"

"I wanted to be honest with you," she said. "Over the last eight hours I have been feeling occasional spells of nausea and a sense of anxiety."

Leo pondered that admission. The symptoms were general enough that they could be from a number of possibilities. On the other hand, they also fit the symptoms he was hearing from others. He raised an eyebrow at that possibility. "Would you like something?" he asked.

"It is not severe," she replied. "I've felt worse before. But I thought you should know."

Leo stood from his chair. "Just for form's sake, I'd like to…"

He was interrupted by a clattering sound outside. He moved around Walker to the door. She followed him into the standard care ward of medbay.

Leo's chief nurse, a Darfuri woman named Nasri, was standing with hands held up in a peaceful gesture. "You are okay," she insisted.

Leo followed where she was looking to see their gown-wearing patient was off of the biobed. Her light brown eyes darted around the medbay ward in an obvious search, presumably for the armor they had removed while treating her. Leo fully entered the ward and brought his hands up, palms out. "Hello," he said. That drew the girl's attention to him. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and confusion. "I'm Doctor Leonard Gillam, I'm in charge here. We're only here to help you."

"Where is this?" she asked, or rather, she demanded. "This isn't the Galaxy Garrison… Who are you?!"

"I'm the Chief Medical Officer of this ship, the _Starship Aurora_ ," Leo answered. "You're safe here."

"But Earth doesn't have this level of technology yet," the girl protested. She began to wobble where she was standing. "You're lying. Are you…"

Nasri got to the girl just as she pitched over. "Doctor!"

Leo had his scanner ready when he got to them. Their patient wasn't entirely unconscious at the moment but it was clear she was too woozy to communicate effectively. "She's still recovering," he observed. "Let's get her back in the bed." He put an arm under the teenager's back while Nasri got her legs. They returned her to her bed gently.

Her eyes opened slowly. They were the same brown as her hair. "Where am I?" she asked. "Where are the… others?"

"Conserve your strength," he urged her. "Whatever happened to you on your ship, you're going to need more time to recover."

"But the others… the Castle!" She gripped his arm. "Did they get clear? What happened?"

"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," Leo said. "Just relax for a while. When you've got the strength, we'll do whatever we can to help you." He almost asked her name but held back. She clearly needed more rest. Natural rest too.

The girl's eyes slowly closed. She was fast asleep.

Leo gestured to the others to join him in stepping away. Once he felt they were far enough away to not disturb the patient, he said, "Okay, I'm going to inform Captain Andreys that she woke up and that she needs more sleep. Doctor Walker, would you mind monitoring her vitals for any more changes?"

"Not at all, Doctor," she answered.

"If you have any more anxiety problems or nausea, let me know. I can have Doctor Hreept fill in for you." When she shook her head in reply, Leo left the matter alone. He looked to Nasri next. "Did she say anything before we got in?"

"Nothing audible," Nasri replied.

"Alright. I'll let the others know. If she wakes up again, let Doctor Walker know first and me second. And give her something to eat and drink."

"Of course."

Confident in Nasri's ability to care for the patient, Leo left it at that. 

* * *

Zack stepped into his quarters on the _Koenig_ and placed his bag on the table. He zipped it open to check on the contents. The upper contents were a few personal things that he always brought with him, such as photos from his baseball-playing days in the minors, and they were quickly placed on his desk.

The tequila bottle and plastic tumbler? Those stayed in the bag.

Zack stowed the bag under his desk and departed his quarters, heading for the bridge. Once he was in the turbolift he was met by a man of light, almost pale, complexion, with a solid build. The man had blond hair that was pulled into a regulation-satisfying ponytail that went to the back of his neck. He had a wide face with a trimmed beard that matched the color of his hair. His uniform included the blue trim of medical branch and a single gold stripe on the collar rank tab, marking the man an Ensign. Given the size of the crew, this made his identity easy to discern.

After giving the lift the verbal order of "Bridge Deck", Zack turned to the other occupant. "Doctor Epstein," Zack said. "Did you get settled into the infirmary yet?"

"Of course, Commander," Doctor Wilfred Allen-Epstein answered. His English was pronounced with a German accent. Zack had only met his new Medical Officer a few times and thought he looked to be about Leo's age. "I'm quite ready for my first deployment on your ship. I enjoy working with Doctor Gillam and the others in the _Aurora_ medbay, of course, but I appreciate the chance to go out on my own."

"That's the spirit, Doctor," Zack stated with less enthusiasm than he had been intending.

"I have heard about your loss, Commander. You have my condolences." A sad look crossed the young doctor's face. "I'm not sure how I'd take it if I lost Ben."

"Ben?"

"My husband," Epstein clarified. "He and I left Earth together to join the Alliance. I signed up for the Stellar Navy as a medical officer. He's a civilian science specialist, a biologist assigned to the _Pathfinder_."

"Oh? Which Earth?"

"Your's, actually." Epstein nodded.

"Ah." Zack forced any sign of emotion from his face. He couldn't help but think of Clara. And with that came the desire for a nice drink or two in order to dull the pain.

"Yes. I am from Bonn and Ben lived in Phoenix. We met over the Internet years ago. Before the Multiverse contact."

Zack nodded once in reply before stepping forward. The lift doors opened and they were on the bridge deck. Epstein followed him to the bridge, where everyone else was already at their stations. Zack settled into the command chair. "Alright everyone," he said. "Let's do this. Begin launch procedures."

A minute later the _Koenig_ pulled free from its dock at the back of the _Aurora_ 's primary hull. The attack ship pointed slightly upward before its impulsor drives fired. The _Koenig_ was soon gaining distance from its base ship. The warp drive nacelles built up into a flash and the ship was gone in a second. 

* * *

Caterina struggled to think of the last time she ever visited the flight deck. The three hundred meter-long deck was lined with the berths to feed the ship's Mongoose starfighters into their launch tubes. The far end had the opening, now closed, to retrieve the fighters. Safety gear and tractor beam emplacements lined the walls and ceilings while, at the bow end, a control room overlooked the entire deck.

A handful of crew went about in duty uniforms marked with orange branch color. Cat rarely saw that color, which was for flight operations personnel. They were now outnumbered by the more familiar beige of operations and engineering crew, with a couple of the science specialists with engineering backgrounds helping out and wearing dark blue-trimmed uniforms that matched Cat's. Only Cat had the uniform skirt, however, instead of the trousers almost everyone else preferred.

She activated her omnitool scanner as she approached the lion ship. Seeing it up close and personal was the kind of sight she lived for now. The mysterious craft had been built with an entirely different aesthetic design to their own. Cat's mind raced with the possibilities. Was the design inspired for cultural reasons? Religious? Why would someone make a spaceship modeled after a feline species?

"I was wondering when you'd get down here." Lucy walked up beside Cat. "Couldn't stay away, could you?"

"Well, no," Cat admitted. "I've got to start working on my paper for that T'Vral DIstortion. But I wanted to see this first. What have you found out?"

"Nothing much. There's an internal space in the head where the cockpit is located, and we're pretty sure the entrance is inside the mouth." Lucy shrugged. "And Meridina and I feel something in it. It's power source is linked to the Flow of Life."

"You mean it's a machine that is powered by the same stuff you use for all of your metaphysical magic power? Has anything like this been heard of before?"

"Not by the Gersallians," Lucy said.

To that Cat's grin widened. "Another first for us then," she said. "I mean, imagine the papers we can write on this. Who knows how well the internal power source works? It might even be better than naqia."

"Maybe. The Flow of Life is capable of some amazing things. Although controlling it might be an issue. Also…"

Cat heard the tone in Lucy's voice. "What?"

"The Flow of Life's power, you don't just plug into it. Emotions and feelings, they all influence how the power works." Lucy frowned from the memories going through her mind. She thought of the cold power when dark emotions seeped into use of those powers. "What would happen if a machine reached into it? Darkness weakens the Flow of Life. What would machines do to it?"

"Well, that's what experiments are for," Cat said. She couldn't keep the excitement from her voice. "That's science, Lucy. You ask questions, you make guesses, then you test for them and record the results to check against your guesses."

"I'm not sure I want to trust something like this to just guess-work, Cat."

"I'm sorry if this bothers you," Cat replied. "But if we don't try, we'll never know. Sometimes you have to…"

Lucy's expression changed from the stony frown it had been to growing surprise. Cat wondered why when she felt something as well. There was a sense that something was looking at her. Into her. The sensation was a surprise.

The bigger surprise came a moment later. The lion ship's eyes lit up. Without warning it rolled onto its legs. The officers surrounding it all watched in shock at the sudden movement. Those nearest fell away from it, as if it might pounce on them.

It didn't. Rather it sat its hind legs down before lowering its forelegs. Its shining yellow eyes looked directly at Lucy and Cat. Or, rather, Cat herself. Cat responded to the attention with an audible gulp.

"It's… it's reacting to you," Lucy said. "It senses something in you… something that I think it likes?"

"Oh? That's… nice," Cat squeaked. "So it doesn't want to eat me?"

"No. The trace feels faint. What do you feel?"

"Just this… like it's looking into me," Cat replied. "It's like it's uncertain about something. I… wait." Cat concentrated and thought she heard a voice. A faint " _Who are you?_ " resonated in her mind.

"There's another mind in the link," Lucy said. "It's…"

"...the pilot." Cat tapped her omnitool. "Delgado to Medbay. Leo, is that pilot awake?"

After a few moments Leo's reply came. " _She was. She went back to sleep._ "

"I'm thinking she might not be asleep anymore," Cat said.

" _Why? What's…_ " There was silence from the other end. Lucy and Cat gave each other uncertain looks during this silence. It ended with Leo's voice returning. " _You called it, Cat. She's awake again._ "

"How is she?"

" _Resting. Why?_ "

"I think we should talk to her," Cat said. 

* * *

Julia and Meridina arrived at the medbay just ahead of Cat and Lucy. The four of them entered the standard care ward together and joined Leo and Nasri at the biobed occupied by the pilot The others noted their guest was out of the armor she'd been recovered in and wearing a blue patient's gown. "How are you feeling?" Julia asked.

"Better. I'm still not sure what happened to me." She looked at them in turn until her eyes fixed on Cat. "You're the one I felt?"

"Yeah." Cat nodded. "Although I'm not sure why your ship linked to me."

"It liked something in you. That's how the Lions bond with pilots." The pilot rested her head on her hand. She still seemed woozy. "I'm sorry, I'm just…" She looked back up at them. "Did you find the others?"

"Others? There are more?" Julia asked.

"Yes. My friends are in the other four. We were all in the wormhole when everything went crazy. I lost control of my lion and fell toward the side of the tunnel. Then everything went black and I woke up here."

"I thought a wormhole was involved," said Cat. "That explains the neutrinos at the spot we found you. But we haven't found any other lion ships."

"Before we go much further, we should probably introduce ourselves," Julia said. "I'm Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_. This is my first officer, Commander Meridina, and Lieutenant Caterina Delgado is our science officer. Lieutenant Lucilla Lucero is one of our operations officers."

The girl on the bed nodded. "My name is Katie Holt. My friends call me Pidge. I'm a Paladin of Voltron." Her expression betrayed confusion. "Are you under the command of the Galaxy Garrison?"

"I'm afraid we don't know what that is," Julia answered. "This is going to sound outlandish to you…"

"There's not a lot that's outlandish to me these days," Pidge admitted, grinning slightly.

"That's a feeling we're all familiar with." Julia let herself smile at that thought. "But we think you hopped universes."

The grin turned into an expression of confusion. "Uh… what?"

"We're from an interuniversal state called the United Alliance of Systems," Julia explained. "We're a union of various Human and non-Human solar systems that span multiple universes, including multiple copies of Earth, using interuniversal jump drive technology. I come from the Earth of Universe H1E4, as do they." She indicated Cat, Lucy, and Leo. "Commander Meridina is a Gersallian from Universe N2S7."

Pidge's eyes widened. "You're… you're not kidding, are you?"

"No. Right now we're in Universe S0T5."

"Then…" She shook her head. "Whatever happened to the wormhole… it threw me here. Maybe the others too."

"I've been making the best sensor sweeps I can since we found you," Cat said. "But we're in a region of space called the Fracture that has some really screwed up spatial characteristics. I can't guarantee finding anything beyond a certain range."

"I think I can help you with…" Pidge tried to slip off of the bed. Leo caught her. "No, it's okay…"

"It's not," he said. "Your nervous system took a shock and you need rest."

"But my friends might be out there," she protested.

"Well, we can try to find them," Cat said. "Do you know of any special way to scan for them?"

"The Castle could. The Castle of Lions, I mean. It's the spaceship we use as our base. Now that I think about it, maybe it could be here too."

"If your ship has a link to your lion, maybe we can use that," Lucy said. She looked to Meridina. "What do you think?"

"It is worth a try," said Meridina.

"Do what you can." Julia nodded to them and they walked off. "I'd like it if you continued to rest, Ms. Holt. We'll keep you up to date on any developments." She gave Cat a wry look. "And I think Lieutenant Delgado is going to burst if she doesn't get to start asking you questions."

Their guest turned her head slightly, as if just now noticing the wide, anticipating grin on Cat's face. That grin faded slightly at seeing Leo's rather dour expression. "I won't wear her out," Cat promised.

"You can talk until her meal comes," Leo said. "Then you're out until tomorrow."

"You know, I really don't mind…" Pidge began.

"I'm your physician, and I _do_ ," Leo said. "Until I'm satisfied with your recovery, Ms. Holt, you're staying here and resting. Now, I'm going to see about your dinner. Nasri here is available if you need anything. Okay?"

"Okay," Pidge answered.

With a final nod to the others, Leo walked away.

"I have other duties to attend to," Julia said. "I'm sure Cat will answer any questions you have."

"It's only fair!" Cat agreed with great enthusiasm.

Assured that their guest was going to be well-cared for, Julia left the medbay. She could hear Cat's excited voice throwing out its first question before she went through the door. 

* * *

With an imminent change in both shifts and watch, the Lookout was fairly busy. Those coming for dinner were treated to Italian courses.

Violeta was still on duty herself, but was off-watch for her mid-shift meal. In contrast Angela Delgado had just finished her last watch. The two sat together at a table closer to the starboard bulkhead of the lounge area, enjoying spaghetti and meatballs in Angela's case and a spinach lasagna in Violeta's.

Angel typically didn't take meals with her sister's girlfriend. This was supposed to be a meal with Cat for both of them. Her failure to appear so far left them feeling increasingly awkward. Finally Angel got tired of the silence and asked, "So, fun game the other day, right?"

"Yeah. If only we'd cleared the Dragon King fight. We really need a healer." Violeta flashed Angel a little grin. "Or a monk who uses the Life Chakra properly."

Angel gave her a sardonic grin. "I draw the line at spouting gibberish," she retorted. "Isn't there a way to just, I don't know, say I'm using the ability? Isn't that how these games usually go?"

"I would have to adjust the settings. And it would be _really_ immersion breaking."

"Oh." Angel put her fork back into the spaghetti and began to twirl the noodles around it. For several moments she seemed focus exclusively on her food. The time let Violeta finish chewing another mouthful. "So, how are you and Cat doing?"

"We're fine."

Angel gave Violeta an intent look. There was something about the way she said it that sounded familiar. "Well, that's nice," Angel said. She took a bite, chewed for several seconds, and swallowed. "I mean, I love my little sister, and I want to see her in the kind of happy, mutually-beneficial relationship I've never had."

And there it was. The look in those vivid purple eyes Angel had expected to see though did not want to see.

"I thought it was really nice of you, actually," Angel said. "Letting her take you to Vulcan of all places for a science conference, instead of visiting your folks on Sirius."

"It was a big moment for Cat," Violeta said quietly. "I couldn't ask her to give that up."

Angel nodded quietly. Violeta was hiding it well, but there was just a hint of the tone to her voice that made it clear how disappointed she was.

The conversation might have continued if not for the newcomer. "Pardon me, Lieutenants?" They looked up to face Talara. The Falaen had a plate full of what looked like ricotti. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," Angel said. "Do you, Violeta?"

Violeta shook her head. "No, it's fine," she said.

Talara sat at another chair, back to the lounge bar. "I wanted to thank you. I know I am new to your vessel and do not know any of you very well. But despite that you still allowed me to participate in your game."

"Everyone's going to be new at some point," Violeta said. Her smile was genuine now. "And you seem to have a lot of fun as a Dragoon."

"I am actually curious about that," Talara said. "According to the history files I've read, dragoons in your history did not wear such armor, nor did they jump as part of their fighting. They were mounted infantry of various sorts. Why does your game show otherwise?"

"It's all fantasy," Angel pointed out. "It's like how the game lets me punch a lizard the size of a small house and not smash the bones in my hands in the attempt."

"It's not supposed to reflect history, but legend," Violeta said. "It's fantasy."

"I think I understand. My people have their own heroic legends. Maybe I could introduce them into your game?"

"There are custom campaigns, we would just have to add Falaen legendary stuff to it within the framework of the rules." Violeta lifted her fork. "But first we beat the Dragon King."

"I will do my best to be there," Talara promised. 

* * *

Caterina squeed with delight. "That must be amazing!" she exclaimed. "A big robot, from all five?! So what, you just control the arm?"

"Yes and no," Pidge answered. "It's… kind of both. We control our own parts, but at the same time we're controlling it together. It's this link that's in your head. As long as we keep it together, Voltron stays together." Grinning, Pidge held up two fingers. "And now you owe me two questions."

"Ask away."

"So you came from a 21st Century Earth, and your sister's boyfriend found that underground alien base. How did you learn to use the technology?"

"The Darglan had what they called brainwave infusion technology. It let us download raw data into our brains," Cat explained. "I learned like four different methods of faster-than-light travel on my first try."

"Woh. That sounds useful."

"Well, you still had to do things the old-fashioned way for the learning to really stick," Cat said. "I spent months reading up on the science involved. I kept asking Leo for more infusions, but he kept refusing me. He said he would burn my brain out. And we later learned he was right." A somber look crossed Cat's face at remembering the rampage that the _Avenger_ had inflicted on Earth C1P2.

"Alright. Let me think of my next question." Pidge's face showed intense thought. "Okay, so what happened to these Darglan?"

Now the somber look turned painful. "They were wiped out a thousand years ago," Cat said. "By a species called the Shadows."

"Wow. Even their name sounds nasty."

Cat nodded. "And they were. And it's horrible, because the Darglan weren't a harmful species at all. They were scientists and explorers. They believed in diplomacy. We've learned they even used to transplant sapient species between planets to protect them from calamities."

"It sounds like they would have gotten along with the Alteans."

"The Alteans?"

"They were the people who built the Lions and Voltron," Pidge answered.

"Oh!" Cat finally smiled. "That was my next question!"

Pidge briefly matched the smile before looking sad again. "They were wiped out by the Galra ten thousand years ago. Princess Allura and Coran are the only Alteans left."

"That's horrible." Again Cat was frowning. "It's a shame it was so long ago. That means the Darglan weren't around, they couldn't have saved any of them."

For a moment both were quiet. Cat nearly asked if Pidge was ready for her to leave. "So, since I answered your question before you asked it, this means it's my turn again?" Pidge finally asked.

"Hey, no fair!" Cat complained in a playful tone. But she nodded anyway.

"What kind of ship is this?" Pidge asked. "You look like you're not that different from the Galaxy Garrison."

"The _Aurora_ is called a star cruiser. The frame was actually built by the Darglan three thousand years ago, and we filled it in afterward." Cat used her omnitool to call up a holographic image of the _Aurora_. Pidge looked at the ship with interest. "She's built to do a lot of things. Science missions, exploration, diplomacy, transport. And military stuff if we have to. I honestly don't like the military stuff, I prefer exploring new things. Like I am now, actually. Yesterday we actually came across a T'Vral Distortion!"

"And that is…?"

"Nah ah. I get the next question."

"And time's up," said Leo, walking in behind them. He brought with him a covered tray.

"This isn't hospital food of some kind, is it?" Pidge asked.

"I had the head cook of our ship's crew lounge prepare it," Leo replied. "Calling Hargert's food 'hospital food' would be completely unfair." He tapped the side of the biobed. A hardlight table appeared over Pidge's lap. "Here you go, Ms. Holt. Hargert's trying out Italian cuisine tonight. I expect you to eat all of it and to then get some rest."

Pidge removed the top cover, revealing a plate of cheese-stuffed ricottii pasta in a marinara sauce covered in melted mozzarella. A bowl to the side had chicken soup, and there was an apple to the other side. A drink container of reddish liquid, fruit punch Cat guessed, was present as well. Pidge's reaction to the sight was to literally lick her lips. "It's been too long since I got to have real food," she said. "On the Castle, all we have to eat is this green goo stuff. This looks like my mother made it."

"It sounds like the Alteans never developed replicators," Cat said.

"What do they do?" Pidge asked while reaching for a fork.

"You can find that out tomorrow," Leo said, leveling a look at Cat.

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Cat said, slipping off the biobed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Mmhmm", was the muffled reply through a mouthful of ricotti. 

* * *

The excitement of Caterina's talk with Pidge had slightly overshadowed Cat's interest in continuing her paper on the T'Vral Distortion. Even as the data from her scans of the star in question moved over the screen of her personal monitor in her quarters, Cat couldn't focus on it. All she could think about was the scientific mysteries of the Green Lion, the Alteans, and all the other things Pidge had told her about her home universe.

She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the door open. Violeta entered with her uniform jacket already unfastened, revealing the burgundy red shirt beneath the uniform. "How was your day?" Violeta asked Cat

"Oh, it was… great. The pilot of the lion ship woke up and I got to ask her some questions," Cat answered. "What about you?"

"Since we're not leaving the area yet, there wasn't much for me to do on my helm watch," Violeta replied. "It was boring. I spent most of my time wondering what we're going to do with that Dragon King encounter."

"We almost beat him last time," Cat pointed out. "And on our first try."

"I'm worried it was beginner's luck." A sly look crossed Violeta's face. "It would help if your sister used the chakras right."

"It's like the feather for the headband. It's something she's doing to convince herself she's not fully immersed in the game." Cat's eyes wandered back to her monitor. "What did you want to do?"

"Maybe see if someone else is interested in playing a healer class. We've been making do with our self-heals and the healing potion items, but this encounter was made for a properly-balanced team. Do you know if anyone…?"

"Zack might, if I asked him nicely," Cat said. "Or I guess I could take a Potion of Introspection and branch into the white magic tree?"

"No, because you'd probably have to give up your Blizzaga spell, and you'd lose all of your progress toward the other Tier 3 black magic." There was a pause. "What's so interesting?"

"Oh, I'm just examining our readings of the area. I'm trying to see if I can find any indications that more of those lion ships are around." Caterina tapped a key on the control. "The pilot, Katie Holt, said something destabilized the wormhole they were entering and that her ship hit the side of the tunnel. I'm wondering if whatever it was could have altered the wormhole they were traveling in. Maybe infused it with just the right particle signature to punch into sixth-dimensional space."

"Huh. Well, that sounds important. I'll leave you to it then."

Cat was so focused on her work that she didn't notice the hint of disappointment in Violeta's voice. Nor did she notice the sound of the door opening. She only realized Violeta had left when she finally looked up and said "Vee?" in her quiet quarters. Seeing her girlfriend had left, presumably to go to her own shared quarters in the junior officers' area on Deck 5, Caterina sighed and returned her attention to the monitor screen. 

* * *

Leo arrived at the medbay to begin his morning rounds. Doctor Singh met him at his office door. "Good morning, Doctor," the New Punjabi woman said amiably.

"Good morning," he answered. He accepted the digital reader she handed him. A quick look over it confirmed nothing major happened. "How are our stocks of _genralim_?" he asked, referring to a Dorei-specific drug that they were using to help those feeling sick from the Fracture's effects.

"We have enough to last our Dorei crew through another week and a half, at least, going by their current consumption rate," Singh replied. "If we're still in the Fracture in five days I would recommend we start rationing the remaining dosages."

"Hopefully we won't be," Leo replied. "We're only scheduled to be here another six days as it is. Although our find may change that. Speaking of that…"

"Patient Holt slept through the night," Singh informed him. "She awoke half an hour ago. All of her vitals are good and she's not showing any sign of the fatigue or nervous strain she had yesterday. And I've already arranged her breakfast, so you needn't worry about that." She shook her head. "Just how did a fifteen year old wind up in this situation anyway?"

"I've asked the same myself," Leo said. "Although I suppose we can't complain too much. Cat was only eighteen when we started operating from the Facility."

"A little on the young side, but at least she was at the start of adulthood and not a youth," Singh pointed out.

Leo nodded once to indicate he accepted her point. "Well, that will do it. Have a good day, Doctor."

"You as well, Doctor." Singh walked out the door.

Leo put on his white lab coat and walked to the standard care ward. He found Pidge wolfing down a small stack of pancakes. A few fluffy fragments of what had been scrambled eggs were obvious on a plate to the side, as was the husk of an orange. "Well, you've got quite the appetite," he noted. "Maybe I _will_ have to put restrictions on your diet."

"I've been eating green goop for too long," she answered.

"Ah. Well, whatever it was, it certainly worked well with human physiology," Leo remarked. "So how are you feeling?"

"Better." She set the fork down. "When can I go? My friends are still out there. I need to find them."

"Well, I'm going to run some scans first, but if you can stand and move on your own without any problems, you should be fine." Leo tapped at his omnitool to generate the medical scanner built into it. "So let's get started on that…" 

* * *

When Meridina reported to the bridge that morning, Julia noted she still looked ill. "Isn't there anything the medbay can do for you?" she asked as soon as Meridina sat down beside her.

"I am afraid there is not," Meridina replied. "My physical ailments are merely a symptom of the greater problem. This place… it is fundamentally wrong, Captain, in a way my people have never known. And I feel there is more to it than a mere warping of space."

"I'm going to put in a commendation for you when this is over," Julia said. "And a recommendation that any further exploration be done with crews that don't include psionically-sensitive members."

"I admit I am looking forward to leaving this place and never returning." Meridina shifted in her seat. "But until then, we have duties to attend to, yes?"

"We do." Julia turned toward the port side of the bridge, where Caterina and Barnes were at their Science and Engineering stations respectively. "Anything new to give me this morning?"

"That lion ship is Goddamned insane, and we've learned nothing new about it," Barnes answered.

Julia restrained a sigh. Tom Barnes was admittedly trying to clean up his speech, as she'd asked, but it was clear that this was a long-term project. "Lieutenant Delgado?"

"Given how local space is formed, long range scans aren't as clear as I'd like," Cat said. "So I can't be sure of a similar signature nearby.

"We could try and re-open the wormhole from our end," Jarod said. "If we can do that it might give us a chance to determine the universal coordinates of her home."

"We should be careful about opening any kind of interuniversal point inside the Fracture. There's no telling what could happen given how messed up local space-time is."

"We'd need to be precise," Jarod said.

"Yes. And I'm not sure…"

When Cat let that sentence trail off she drew the attention of the others. "What is it, Lieutenant?" Julia asked.

"It just might work," she muttered. "It just might... " She looked up from her checking of sensor logs. "The lion ship is supposed to have this special dedicated connection to their home base. If we could tie it into our systems, we might be able to use that and my scans of the residual energy to re-open the wormhole safely."

"How?" Jarod asked.

"The same way the Daleks opened that rift to the Void," Cat said. "We tie the jump drive into the navigational deflector."

"You mean the thing that nearly caused some sort of fraking ancient horror to come out?" Barnes asked. He didn't even hide the sarcasm.

Cat shot him a look. "That's why we're going to be careful. We can cut the particle feed at the slightest hint of it going wrong. But with the right configuration, all we'll be doing is re-opening the wormhole that already formed."

"Even if we do this, hooking that lion ship up is going to be a pain," Barnes said. "The thing only fits on the launch deck. We're going to have to build connections from scratch if we're going to tie it into the jump drive or the sensors."

"And we'll need Katie, er, Ms. Holt," Cat added. "She knows her ship's systems better than we do."

Julia considered the idea for just a moment before nodding. "Alright. See if Doctor Gillam is ready to release her from the medbay. Lieutenant Barnes, get started on your end. I'd like to see progress before the end of the day."

Barnes stood from his station and was relieved by a Gersallian ensign. Cat looked over and said, "if you're okay with it, I'll go get Ms. Holt."

For a moment Cat wasn't sure what reply she'd get. In the end, she got a single nod of assent from Julia, and jumped from her chair. 

* * *

Cat made a beeline for the standard care ward when she got to medbay. Pidge was still on her bed. Now she was wearing the black suit that was normally under her armor. "How are you feeling?" Cat asked her, smiling.

"A lot better today." Pidge smiled back. "Doctor Gillam's letting me go."

"That's good. We're going to try something and we need your help. It may be your way back home."

Pidge got off the bed. "Lead the way."

Cat led her out of the medbay and into the blue-lined corridors of the _Aurora_. Pidge looked from side to side, taking in the sights of a Human-crewed starship like none she'd ever seen. They came to a door that opened and revealed the interior of a lift. Once they were inside Cat said "Deck 22, Section I." The lift started to move.

"How long is it going to take us to get across the ship?" asked Pidge.

"A minute or two. The lifts move horizontally as well as vertically," Cat answered. "The flight deck is on Deck 22. Section I is the second section of the ship back from the end of the primary hull. The lift will open close to the main entrance to the flight deck."

"How many people are on this ship?"

"About two thousand crew and one hundred civilian specialists," Cat answered. "The civilians are mostly science specialists that work in our science labs. And a few support personnel."

Pidge was visibly impressed. It was certainly more than the small three-man crews that the Galaxy Garrison managed for its exploration ships. "And how many science labs?"

"Three specific labs. Lab 1 is for computer science and analysis of unknown technology. Lab 2 is for physics-related experiments and analysis. Lab 3 is biological sciences. I'll have to take you by Lab 3 later and introduce you to Doctor Ke'mani'pala. She's a Gl'mulli, although using a gendered pronoun really doesn't work for Gl'mulli, they're an agendered species of gelatinous beings."

That revelation clearly interested Pidge, and brought on her next question. "How many species do you have in your Alliance?"

"Right now? There are just four currently, and Humans are by far a plurality from the number of Human states in various universes. The Gersallians and Dorei of N2S7 and the Alakin of A7R6 are the other species in the Alliance, and a few like the Gl'mulli, the Dre'kari, the Gy'torans, and the Falaens are still thinking about joining."

"But they still join your crews?"

"Yes. We have programs that let non-Alliance citizens join the Stellar Navy."

By this point they were at the starboard entrance to the flight deck. Once again the engineering and ops teams were at work around the lion. But instead of being on it or around it, they were working further away with data cables and power conduits.

Pidge had a satisfied look at seeing her lion sitting on the deck. "Have you been inside?"

"The door's in the mouth, and it won't open for us."

"Well, since you answered so many of my questions, let me show you what my lion is like on the inside."

Cat let out a little squee. "Sorry," she said afterward. "Force of habit."

Pidge's reaction was a gentle chuckle. "I feel like doing the same thing. This ship is beyond anything my Earth has put together." She walked up to the Green Lion. After a moment it opened its mouth. This revealed a circular hatch in the throat. She stepped into the mouth and looked back. "Don't worry, my lion won't bite."

Cat nodded and followed, feeling very much like a circus lion-tamer sticking their head into the lion's mouth. 

* * *

With his morning bridge watch over, Zack returned to his quarters. On arriving he pulled off his uniform jacket and set it on a hanger in his closet space. Once he was comfortable he sat at his desk and breathed in a little sigh. For the moment there was precious little to do given the nature of their patrolling. Which meant he had more undesired time to dwell on his pain and loss.

What made it all worse was the conflict raging inside of him. A part of him knew that he needed to go to the others. To Julia, to Tom, or to Jarod or Leo. Admit his problem to them. Get their help in dealing with his pain.

The other part recoiled at the thought. The last thing he wanted to be was a burden on them. More than that, he was ashamed. Zack felt like he was teetering down the slope toward what his father had become. He didn't want his friends to see him that far, to see how far he'd already gone.

Wordlessly, almost without thinking about it, Zack drew his tumbler and a fresh bottle of tequila out of his bag. He broke the seal on the bottle and poured himself a shot. For a moment he did nothing but stare at the drink. He knew he shouldn't take it. He knew he should be putting the bottle up. It was just too easy to decide that a single shot could be followed up by another, and another…

Even now he felt the pull. After all, he'd already opened the bottle and poured himself a shot. He might as well enjoy it, right? It would be silly to waste good tequila.

That other part of him was still protesting when his hand wrapped around the tumbler and picked it up. Its contents burned their way down his throat.

But a single drink didn't bring reprieve. It made the shame worse. He'd given in again. He knew he shouldn't, but he did, and by doing so he was just proving what he feared. He was losing control.

Just like his father.

The part of him that wanted to put up the bottle mused that Clara would be disappointed in him. Everything he'd done, all of the battles won, the ships saved, and it would be for nothing if he didn't stop this.

Zack put his hand on the bottle. For the moment it stayed there. He knew, he _knew_ , he should be putting it up. He was out in the field. Niltox couldn't cover the smell on his breath. People would know what he was doing.

Perhaps they should. If anything it would force him to admit his problem.

 _Like that's a justification_ was the snarky thought in his head.

The entire struggle wore away at Zack until the emotion became too much. At that point he surrendered to the inevitable and poured another shot. 

* * *

The cockpit of the Green Lion was only made for seating one person, the pilot. Pidge occupied the chair and Cat stood behind her, checking her omnitool. "Tom and Lucy are close to finishing the connection you'll need to the ship," she said.

"Great." Pidge tapped at the controls of her lion. "Right now I'm not picking up anyone. Your idea is probably my best hope of finding the others."

"Thanks," was Cat's reaction. "So what next?"

"I'm opening up the maintenance access ports so I can run your cables into the Lion's systems."

"Right." Cat said nothing for several moments, not wanting to disturb Pidge as she worked. Finally the curiosity became too much for her. "What is it like? Piloting this I mean?"

"It's pretty amazing." Pidge looked back to her. "My lion and I share a bond. I can feel the lion while I'm in here."

"That is… wow. I mean, I know some strange stuff can exist. I've seen Meridina and the others use their life force power stuff. But it just seems so weird. Cool, but weird."

"I never imagined something like this could work either," Pidge admitted. "But I'm glad it does. Green and I, we understand each other." A quiet moment passed, with Cat unable to think up more questions. "I need to get into the internals to set things up," Pidge suddenly said. "Can you watch the cockpit and tell me when the systems show they're ready to link up?"

"Well, yeah, I can," Cat said.

"Great." Pidge left her seat and went to the compartment behind the cockpit. She looked back and said, "With your help, we'll be ready to find my friends in no time." 

* * *

Apley remained quiet from his place in the _Koenig_ command chair. At the helm Ensign Jean Hajar, a former Starfleet officer and Starfleet Academy graduate, was fulfilling Apley's usual function on the bridge with her usual diligence. Magda and Sherlily had gone off-duty after Zack. In Sherlily's place was Technical Officer Jesus Perez. Beside the _Nuevosalvadoreño_ , at Ops, Ensign Hrnaahr U'ruhn was busy examining the sensor returns at his station. The tan-complexioned Miqo'te man had wheat-colored fur lining the feline ears at the top of his head. A tail with a tuft of fur of that same color was laid over the top of said chair.

Apley noticed U'ruhn seemed to be particularly focused on the sensors. "Do you see anything, Ensign?" he asked.

"I'm showing what looks to be a very small power source on sensors." U'ruhn drew out the "r" sounds in his speech a little.

"How small? It's not a ship, is it?"

"I don't know, sir. Our sensors are not working well in this environment. It could be."

Apley considered his choices. "Cloak the ship," he ordered. "Ensign, take us in. Let's get a look at this." 

* * *

Dealing with the frightened Cabeans was working on Lady Dolores' impressive reserve of nerve. She stepped into her sanctuary on the _Judgement of Fate_ to get away from Tothwallad's sniveling worry about the Alliance vessel's power. The room was a set of guest quarters with a spare cot and spartan amenities. These did not concern her and her only addition to the room's effects were a few tools of the trade that included a set of restraints should she have need of an in-depth interrogation.

Dolores sat upon the cot and fumed. The Cabeans didn't deserve their inflated status in NEUROM. At least the Mandragorans were good fighters and the Grunders of the Sternheim were generally competent. Why did the Fates make this vessel the one in position to explore this mysterious new power? It was maddening.

Through the twisted realms of the Fracture, a voice came to her. _I require a status update, Dolores_.

She swallowed. She recognized the mental voice. _Lord Minister Thalum_ she replied in her mind and being, using the same connection that the high-ranking officer of the Ministry of Fate was using to reach her across the vast expanse of space. He was undoubtedly at his post among the Anethgan Inheritances, overseeing the efforts and loyalty of those genetically-modified creators and builders. Balancing the central members of NEUROM always called for the best the Ministry had to offer, and Dolores knew from personal experience that Lord Minister Thalum - one of five Lord Ministers that oversaw the Ministry of Fate - was one of the most powerful beings in NEUROM.

Which was why she could not delay on responding to his inquiry. _Lord Minister, the_ Judgement of Fate _remains undetected. The Alliance vessel remains ignorant of our presence._

 _Excellent. Admiral Gal-Nazad's advance squadron should be present within thirty_ muhurta _. The rest of his force will arrive a cycle after that, should the Alliance vessel prove more resilient than proposed. Have you identified the ship?_

 _It is called the_ Aurora _, Lord Minister._

There was a pause afterward. A very long one. Dolores pondered what it meant. She was certain Thalum was undoubtedly in contact with another. There were whispers that Thalum answered to the All-Father himself, the faceless and ageless being that founded the Ministry millennia ago. The prospect of the All-Father observing this operation brought real, exquisite fear to Dolores.

 _This vessel is known to us. Show caution and do not reveal yourself. Admiral Gal-Nazad will secure the target and deal with the Alliance ship._

 _Understood, Lord Minister. The Fates will be with us._

 _The Fates are always with us, Lady Dolores_.

And like that, the presence was gone from her mind. Dolores was alone again.

" _Lady Dolores_." Tothwallad's voice came over the ship intercom. " _Please report to the bridge_."

"What is it?" she demanded.

" _An Alliance vessel is approaching_ ," was the reply. " _Your assistance in dealing with it is required._ " 

* * *

There was a growing, subtle tension on the _Koenig_ 's bridge. "You're still picking up that signature, Ensign?" Apley asked.

U'ruhn nodded. "I am, Commander."

"When will we be in visual range?"

"That I am not certain of. The spatial twisting is distorting light in this area. I cannot be sure when it will allow us a visual."

That didn't sit too well with Apley. "Go to Code Yellow. I want shields up the moment we decloak." He tapped a key on the panel beside the command chair. "Bridge to Carrey. Sir, I think you should get back up here." 

* * *

" _...I think you should get back up here._ "

Zack heard Apley's remark through the pleasant haze that was dulling his senses and feelings. "Crap," he muttered. He frowned and, through the haze of drink, cursed himself for giving in. He tossed the tumbler, which still had half a drink of tequila in it, into the far wall. The tumbler didn't shatter, the advantage of its materials clear on that point, but it did send the remaining drink spraying into the wall and a bit into the carpet.

"I knew better," he mumbled to himself. "I knew better, Goddammit." Guilty and ashamed, Zack forced himself to stand. He went to his replicator. He needed to use it. He needed to be functional, which meant he needed the Niltox to undo what the tequila's alcohol was doing to his brain. "Computer, six hundred milligrams of Niltox and a cup of cool water, now."

" _Warn_ …"

"Override!" he snarled. The computer dutifully replicated the detoxicant and the water for him to wash the pills down with. He grabbed the pills, threw them in his mouth, and took the cup next. With the water it contained he washed the entire thing down in a single gulp.

And then he waited, patiently, for the Niltox to work its way to his head. 

* * *

On the _Judgement of Fate_ , Lady Dolores was frowning at Tothwallad's description of the situation. "The Alliance vessel's cloaking system makes it impossible for us to detect," he said. "And they will undoubtedly detect our engine signature at this distance. We need your assistance in dealing with them."

She glared to the sensor officer, Lieutenant-Superior Teswall. "Your incompetence will not go unrecorded, Lieutenant."

Teswall nodded numbly. Tothwallad bristled at Dolores for the threat. It was a foolish thought. and the look on her face told him Dolores had sensed it. She said nothing at the moment.

Instead she went to the station of another Lieutenant, Kishtamar. "I will need to concentrate," she said. "And I will be linked to your mind to understand the controls. Sit beside me and remain still."

"Yes, Lady," he said, suitably intimidated.

"Let them see you, Captain," Dolores said. "Let them come close enough so that we might grip them." 

* * *

Magda and Sherlily arrived together on the bridge to relieve Perez and U'ruhn. Magda looked over the sensor returns. "Good catch, Ensign," she said to U'ruhn. "You're going to earn that sensor specialist mark early at this rate."

The young Miqo'te man's cheeks filled with color. Apley stifled a chuckle at how he did indeed resemble a cat feeling proud about himself. "Thank you, Lieutenant." He moved on to an auxiliary post at the back of the bridge. Perez left the bridge to assume his standby post with the ship's damage control teams.

"Where's the Commander?" Sherlily asked from Tactical. "He should've beaten us here."

 _Yes, he should have_ , Apley thought darkly. He was wondering the same. It wasn't like Commander Carrey to ignore an urgent summons. Whatever his informality with his officers and crew, he was always keen to be there for his ship when there was imminent danger.

"Bridge to Carrey," Apley said into the comms. "Sir, we're coming up on an unknown power signature. Please report to the bridge." 

* * *

Apley's renewed summons to the bridge was heard by Zack after he finished chewing the breath mint that would, he hoped, cover up the alcohol smell. He knew he couldn't afford to wait any longer. Clearly something was urgent. He just had to hope the Niltox finished working before he got to the bridge.

Zack was almost to the door of his quarters when the first headache hit. He cried out in shock at the intensity of the pain. His next step found his feet not quite hitting the floor right. The room seemed to tilt slightly from his perception. Another step and he stumbled for a moment. His hand went up to his head, as if that gesture could relive the pain. But it didn't. It couldn't. "Wha…?" escaped his lips while the room began to spin around him.

Then the floor loomed in his vision, growing larger and larger until everything went black. 

* * *

With no sign of Zack Carrey yet, Apley remained in command while the _Koenig_ approached the unknown power signature. Magda was busy at her station. "We're starting to get past a fold of some sort," she said. "I'm getting visual data."

"On screen."

The ship that appeared was one of the strangest Apley had ever seen. It was primarily a light beige, with brown and gold highlights and trim. The ship was long and sleek in its appearance with a single-bodied hull that mounted several weapons of medium size and what looked like a launcher.

But the biggest surprise were the six very real, very realistic-looking tentacles that were based from the bow.

"I'm running the ship through recognition charts now," Magda said. "Standby."

"Send warnings to the _Aurora_ ," Apley said. "I think we've found a spy."

"I'm trying, but they're jamming all frequencies. I don't think I'm getting through." 

* * *

Lady Dolores moved her hands over the controls that, through complicated machinery, directed the biological components of the tentacle arms at the command of the ship's officers. She felt out with her essence and power to feel for the unknown ship. After several moments she sensed the other beings from that ship. It was still trying to hide behind its invisibility machine.

But it couldn't hide from her. She felt where it was and operated the controls accordingly.

 _I have you now…_

* * *

Without warning one of the tentacles lashed out toward the _Koenig_. Apley didn't have time to call for evasive maneuvers before the tentacle grabbed at the _Koenig_. They were at its extreme range, just close enough that the tentacle wrapped around the beam of the ship. Within seconds the cloaking field failed and the vessel rippled into view.

Lights on the bridge flickered. "Code Red!" Apley shouted. "Lieutenant, how did they see us!?"

"I don't know, sir," Magda replied. "Whatever it is, it's draining our shields and systems. We're losing power to several critical systems."

"Break away then!"

Hajar's console let out a low, negative beep. "Helm control isn't responding! Engines are at full power and this thing still has us!"

"Main power is down to sixty-eight percent and falling!" Magda added. "Batteries are also being discharged."

"Lieutenant Sherlily, open fire!"

"Phasers aren't responding. Firing torpedoes!"

Two torpedoes flew from the launchers on the _Koenig_. The enemy ship with the bizarre tentacles didn't seem to pay attention to them. As it turned out, they didn't need to, as the other ship now showed energy shields resilient enough to take two hits from solar torpedoes.

"No effect!"

"Activate warp drive, let's see how they like that."

Hajar tried. Nothing happened. "I've got no warp power. The drive can't engage!"

"Main power is down to forty percent," Magda added.

"Transmit a mayday to the _Aurora_ , _now_ ," Apley insisted.

"I can't get a signal out," said Magda. "Backup fusion reactors are also draining and we've lost the charge in the emergency batteries. At this rate we'll lose life support in less than three minutes!"

Apley tapped the intercom key again. "Bridge to Engineering, you've got maybe two minutes, or we're all dead."


	20. Episode 3-04-3 The Whims of Fate

In Main Engineering on the _Koenig_ , Lt. Karen Derbely was considering her options. Her systems all confirmed the same thing; the ship's power systems were being steadily drained. Within a few minutes the _Koenig_ would be dead in space, and her crew condemned to the slow death from loss of life support. They had no power to the warp drives, insufficient power to impulsors… "Alright," she said to the assembled engineering officers. "I need suggestions and I need something we can do in the next sixty seconds."

She already knew that term likely eliminated the most realistic of solutions to their problem. Nevertheless she spotted a glint of hope in the Polish woman's gray eyes. "We could overload the reactors," Poniatowski recommended. "That might give us enough power to break away."

"Or blow us up," Engineer Lang pointed out.

"I'd rather be blown up than die slowly, I think," Poniatowski answered.

"I'd rather not die at all," Derbely said. "But it's the best solution. Let's do it!" 

* * *

Tothwallad was watching the Alliance ship die with quiet satisfaction. Their fate would encourage the outsiders to stay away from Cabea and their NEUROM allies. "Prepare the null mines," he said. "We will disable the vessel once its power reserves are exhausted."

Lady Dolores stood from the seat she had taken from Kishtamar. "I can sense their uncertainty and terror," she said. A soft, quiet smile came to her face. "It is… _exquisite_. Although I believe they may be planning an escape."

"Let them try. The Aurigan man-of-war never lets go of prey, and neither do we," Tothwallad said.

* * *

On the _Koenig_ bridge Apley and the others heard what the plan was. "What if this thing can keep up with the overload?"

" _It's got to have a limit somewhere_ ," Derbely said. " _And this is our only option, which we're running out of time to implement._ "

There was a quiet moment where nothing was said. This wasn't supposed to be Apley's decision. It was a call Zack Carrey should be making, and his failure to report to the bridge was so out of the ordinary that Apley didn't know what to think. Now he had to make the call. It seemed the only way out. But that didn't make it as easy as others might think. It was easy to think that another, safer solution might just present itself if one were to wait. It likely wouldn't, of course, but self-deception came easy when risking possible death with a choice.

For Apley this was a new situation. He'd commanded in battle before, but this wasn't the same thing. You were often too busy in battle to think about these things.

It reflected a lot on Apley's thinking process that, despite all of this, he made his decision in the space of two seconds. "Do it," he ordered.

" _Beginning overload now_."

Silence returned to the bridge. "Reactor output is increasing. Still no change in power readings," Magda said at first. A few seconds later she said, "Our power levels are stabilizing… power levels increasing." 

* * *

Teswall spoke up the moment her sensors showed what was happening. "The Alliance vessel is increasing its power output."

"So that is their plan?" Tothwallad shook his head. "These fools, they don't even know the right way to escape from an Aurigan man-of-war. If we were the creature we would be gorging ourselves on this."

"I sense some resignation. They may be planning to destroy themselves," Dolores warned.

"They are hoping we disengage the limbs. Lieutenant Noswam, what is the status of our reserve capacitors?"

"Still at twenty percent, sir," Noswam replied after checking her station.

"No danger then," Tothwallad said. "We have them." 

* * *

"Reactor levels are now approaching the red-line," Magda warned.

"What about our power levels?" Apley asked.

"Recovering, but still insufficient to break free or to engage the warp field," Magda replied.

"I have phaser power and torpedoes again," Sherlily said. "What if we opened fire?"

"Two torpedoes didn't do much to their shields, I doubt we could blast free," Apley said. Almost immediately, he realized the alternative. "Lieutenant, prepare to remote arm all solar torpedoes."

"Sir?"

"Please. We've only bought a couple of minutes by doing this…"

"Maybe not even that," Magda warned. "Those reactors are over the redline."

" _Engineering here. Whatever you're going to do, Commander Apley, you'd better do it soon_ ," Derbely said. " _Reactor 2 is showing signs of instability. If we energize the naqia for too much longer, we're going to lose it._ "

"Lieutenant Navaez, assume remote transporter control. Transport some our solar torpedoes around the limbs, right at the edge of their protective shields."

Magda looked back at him. "That's cutting it awfully close. That blast is going to hit us without any shields."

"I know. But it's also going to hit those tentacles holding us. Tactical, detonate the torpedoes the moment they materialize. We can't give the limbs time to disable them."

"Aye sir," Sherlily said. "I'm ready for transport."

Apley turned his head to Magda. Magda nodded and turned back. It was dangerous, but it was the best shot they had. "Transporting torpedoes… now."

Bursts of white light appeared around the grappling limbs, twelve in all. The white light of the transporters barely had a moment to dissipate before the torpedoes detonated. The _Koenig_ shook violently. "The armor took it," Magda said. "The arms still have us."

"Again!"

More torpedoes appeared and exploded around the limbs.

* * *

Tothwallad watched on his viewer as another series of blasts pummelled the limbs draining the life from the Alliance ship. His vessel shook slightly from the short distance to the blasts. "Our defensive fields are still holding," Noswan said.

"Fire the null mine launcher!" Tothwallad ordered. "Disable them!" 

* * *

" _All three reactors are now showing extreme stress, we have to power down or the naqia is going to destabilize!_ "

Apley heard that warning and said nothing. Magda was already sending the next wave of torpedoes.

The explosions went off again and this time the limbs from the enemy ship seemed to react. They didn't get broken off as he'd thought would happen. Instead they recoiled, as if alive and struck with a severe blow.

"Impulsors to full!" he was shouting, and Hajar's instincts rendered that unnecessary. The _Koenig_ was already in motion. The ship lurched forward in a violent surge. A second later, a series of projectiles erupted from the attacking ship, barely missing them. It turned to pursue and its weapons opened up.

"Dial down the reactors!" Apley shouted into the comms. "Shields, now! Ensign, take us back to the _Aurora_ , best speed!"

They all affirmed his orders. The _Koenig_ shook from the impact of an energy blast on her rear armor. A moment later the ship's deflectors came back online and a further pair of hits were stopped by shimmers of blue light.

The _Koenig_ 's warp drives lit up a moment later. She made the jump to warp speed and raced away from her attacker.

"I'm only able to make Warp 5, sir," Hajar reported.

"No sign of pursuit yet," Magda said. "Although I can't be sure given the Fracture's effects."

"If they use the same drives as the Avalonians and Solarians, they won't be able to intercept us at warp," Apley observed. "We'll worry about pursuit once we're back at the _Aurora_." Apley tapped the intercom key. "I need a detail to check on the Commander, immediately. He still hasn't made it to the bridge."

" _This is Doctor Epstein_. _I am on my way._ "

Apley nodded and tapped the key again. "Bridge to Engineering. Derbely, what's our status?"

" _I had to disengage Reactor 3. We're running off 1 and 2 right now, and I don't like what I'm seeing in 2. I think we need to return to our dock and do a complete systems check with all reactors powered down._ "

"We should be to the _Aurora_ in six hours, given our speed."

" _I might be able to get us to cruise speed, sir_ ," Derbely answered.

"Good, We need to get back." Apley tapped a key and brought up a holographic representation of the ship they'd just encountered. "Things out here are worse than we thought." Once he closed the intercom call he said, "Lieutenant Navaez, raise the _Aurora_."

"I'm trying, but we took shock damage to our comm systems," Magda said. "It'll be hours before the repair teams can restore full communications."

Apley nodded at that. Whatever happened first, their return or the comms going back online, he could only hope they weren't too late.. 

* * *

The bridge crew of the _Judgement of Fate_ watched in frustration when the Alliance vessel escaped.

It was with horror that they watched Lady Dolores' reaction.

The Ministry of Fate agent turned with rage to Lieutenant Teswall's station. Teswall wasn't given a chance to protest before the iron vice of Dolores' power gripped her throat. She gagged and choked out a plea that did her no good. Dolores' invisibly grip was such that even the death rattle from Teswall's expired lungs couldn't be heard by the others. "That is the price for incompetence," Dolores announced, a clear warning to the others.

None dared challenge her on that matter. It would have simply resulted in their own immediate executions.

"Our mission is now jeopardized," she continued. "Communications, you will send a signal to the _Tatran's Bane_."

That brought everyone's attention. The _Tatran's Bane_ was the flagship of Admiral Gal-Nazad. His presence brought home the weight behind their mission.

"Inform Admiral Gal-Nazad that I need him to accelerate his arrival. The Alliance knows we are here now."

"Sending now, Lady," was the response.

"And what would you have us do now?" Tothwallad asked. He tried to avoid staring too openly at Teswall's corpse.

"We will remain at the admiral's call," she replied. "That is all for now."

With the example of Teswall to consider, everyone returned to work. 

* * *

Cat and Pidge stood near Tom Barnes while he connected another of the lines linking the _Aurora_ to the Green Lion. The assembly piece was fitted right by the entrance to the flight deck. The cables attaching it to the ship ran further away, to one of the elevators to the hangar deck.

"We're getting there," Barnes said. "Then all we have to do is see if this thing works."

Cat noticed worry appear on Pidge's face. "I hope it does. Without me, the others can't form Voltron. They won't be able to defeat Emperor Zarkon and the Galra."

"Sounds like a weirdo Japanese anime if you ask me," Barnes muttered, his hands now inside the assembly system. "Lion ships and alien emperors and crap, if you ask me it all sounds like fraking nonsense…"

Cat sighed. "He gets like this sometimes."

"Keith can get pretty moody sometimes too," Pidge said. "Especially if Lance is picking on him."

"They're two of the other lion ship pilots?"

Pidge nodded.

"So, this is where you are." Angel stepped onto the flight deck from the nearby port entrance, still wearing her uniform. She walked the last ten meters to join them.

"This is my big sister Angel," Cat said to Pidge. "She's the ship's Tactical Officer. It lets her shoot things."

"Oh, uh, hi." Pidge extended a hand. Angel accepted it. "Katie Holt."

"Miss Holt."

"Are you off-duty for the day?" Cat asked.

"Yep." Angel faced Cat again. "Violeta should be getting off her final bridge watch soon. Weren't we going to get dinner?"

"Oh, right," Cat answered. "I'm sorry, I've just been busy down here helping Miss Holt…"

"You know, you can call me 'Katie' if you want," Pidge interjected.

"...helping Katie with the project I recommended to the Captain earlier," Caterina finished, correcting herself. "We should be done soon and I'm pretty sure Julia will want me on the bridge when we try this."

"She probably will."

"There we go," Barnes said. "Hey, Lion girl, can you test these connections? I want to make sure everything's good down here before we activate anything."

"Oh, sure." Pidge started a brisk jog back to her Lion.

Cat almost joined her but stopped at seeing Angel's expression. She looked at her sister and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm probably not the best source for advice given my track record," Angel began, "but I think you need to spend more time with your girlfriend, Cat."

"Huh?" Cat blinked. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that ever since you got back from traveling with that Doctor guy, you've been wrapping yourself up with science and stuff and not spending time with Violeta. And I think it's going to mess up your relationship."

"What do you mean? I see her every day!"

"And how often is it just seeing her when she's getting on duty? Or at the end of the night?" Angel shook her head. "But that's not enough for a relationship. I can tell you that from experience."

"So, what, you're saying that I'm neglecting Violeta like Rob neglected you?" Cat asked.

"Maybe not that much yet, okay, but you're getting there. I mean, when you had a chance to go on leave with her, where did you go? You took her to a science fair. On _Vulcan_."

"I was invited to it," Cat remarked defensively. "To give a presentation. And Violeta didn't complain."

"Of course she didn't. She wouldn't because she knows you're sensitive about things and doesn't want to hurt your feelings."

"You don't seem to care as much about my feelings," Cat pointed out.

"I do care about them," Angel retorted. "I also care about you, though, and that means telling you when I think you're making a mistake."

It was not often the two sisters got into an argument, with Cat usually accepting her older sister's points to avoid such. It was to Angel's surprise that an offended look came to Cat's face. "It sounds to me like you're trying to run my life. I don't need you telling me what I should do to spend time with my girlfriend. Yeah, we went to Vulcan instead of Sirius. I was invited to give a presentation to a science conference being attended by some of the Multiverse's most respected scientists. I wasn't going to turn that down, and Violeta understood completely."

"It doesn't mean she liked it. You need to make it up to her."

"You think I don't know that?" Cat demanded. Her voice was loud enough that it could be heard for meters around them, ending the privacy of their conversation. "I do, and I will, when I can. Just like I'll make it up to her for missing our dinner plans tonight. But I'm going to do it my way."

Angel crossed her arms. "Alright. Fine. I was just trying to give you some advice, but if you want to do it this way, it's up to you and Violeta." It was clear Angel had more on her mind than that, but she held back. Getting into an argument with Cat was the last thing she'd had in mind. She was, indeed, surprised by how vehement Cat had gotten over the matter.

"If you two are done fussing…" Barnes looked up from the assembly. "All of our tests are green. We're ready to do this."

"Then I'd better get to the bridge." Caterina looked toward the Green Lion. Pidge was walking back. "I'm heading up to the bridge, want to join me?"

"Normally I'd love to see it, but I should be down here monitoring the Lion while you do your end," Pidge answered.

Cat nodded. "We should be ready soon, you won't have to wait long." She turned and walked away without another word.

Once she was out of earshot Barnes looked to Angel. "Woh," he said. "It looks like Cat's gotten territorial. I never thought I'd see the day she told you off."

"Yeah," Angel sighed. "Tell me about it." 

* * *

Some light years away, Captain Tothwallad waited patiently for Squadron Captain Unam Tissim to react to his report. The austere figure of the Squadron Captain, resplendent in a golden uniform marked with blue, looked at Tothwallad through artificial eyes. The implants were crafted by the Anethgan and allowed those so implanted to view the world through spectrums other than the normal visual spectra. According to rumor some of these sets even allowed someone to see the twists and folds of Fracture space, or the energies that fueled the Ministry of Fate and its highest agents.

" _So the vessel escaped_ ," Tissim said. " _And has undoubtedly warned our quarry of our arrival._ "

"We did all that we could, great Captain," Tothwallad answered. His life could depend upon such answers.

" _I know. Blame can be assigned later. For now we must fulfill our orders. The targets must not be allowed to escape._ "

"Is that wise, Captain?" asked Lady Dolores. "We were under orders not to engage until Admiral Gal-Nazad arrived."

" _Indeed. But we are also under orders to ensure the taking of the target. These orders come from the All-Father himself._ "

"Yes sir," Tothwallad said. His voice was a squeak. The _All-Father_? _But the All-Father is…_ Nobody knew if the All-Father was even real or a composite of the leadership of the MoF. Tothwallad desperately wished he had never been aboard this ship, whatever he felt before. He did not want to attract the attention of anyone powerful enough to know the All-Father's will, to know the All-Father's existence. And the fact he had been told that...

Remembering himself, Tothwallad looked to his helmsman. "Take up formation with Captain Tissim's squadron," he barked.

"Yes sir."

The _Judgement of Fate_ moved into formation with the present NEUROM ships. Moments later they were in hyperspace. 

* * *

Cat stepped out of the lift onto the bridge. Meridina stood from the command chair at her arrival. "Lieutenant," she said simply. "Your preparations are finished?"

"Yeah. We're ready to link into the lion." Cat set at the science station, relieving Lieutenant al-Rashad. She tapped in her passcode to reflect she was now on station. Al-Rashad didn't leave, however, but moved to the rear of the bridge and an auxiliary station. It was clear she had an interest of what was going to happen next.

The helm was still being manned by Violeta. Lieutenant Neyzi was sitting at Ops and Lieutenant Jarke was at Tactical. All were clearly interested in what was about to happen.

The door to the ready office slid open. Julia emerged with Jarod beside her. Jarod assumed Ops from Neyzi while Julia took her chair. "Is everything ready?" she asked.

"They're ready on the flight deck," said Cat. "I'm feeding the necessary information into the systems."

Julia looked forward. "Jarod?"

"I have the telemetry." He worked the Ops console. "I'm bringing the data connection online." Quiet moments passed with no seeming result. "The IU radio system is now tied into the lion ship."

" _I'm creatingt the link now_ ," said Pidge, using the same connection.

While they waited to see if this resulted in anything, Julia asked, "Are you confident we can re-open the wormhole safely?"

"The plan is sound," Jarod said, with Cat nodding in agreement. "Although I can't promise that there's absolutely no risk. We're trying something completely new with the technology here."

"Hrm."

"Honestly, this entire thing is a bit of a throw in the dark," Cat added. "We don't know for certain how this wormhole took on a sixth dimensional characteristic. But it's our best shot since I don't have any idea what their universe of origin is."

"If this does not work, Ms. Holt could end up stranded," Meridina observed.

"Yeah," Cat agreed, " and from what she's said, that could be a very bad thing for the universe she comes from."

Jarod's board drew his attention. "I'm getting a stable return from the signal. I think we've found them."

Julia nodded. "Whenever you're ready, Commander."

Jarod's hands moved over his control station. The _Aurora_ 's systems responded to his commands. Power surged into the ship's jump drive and navigational deflector. A lance of energy came from the dish and intersected space.

A tone sounded on Cat's board. "I'm picking up something."

"What?" asked Julia.

"Give me a moment, I need to… oh. Oh wow. Look at that neutrino surge."

"Cat?"

"I...I think the wormhole is reforming."

Julia looked to the front of the bridge. "On screen."

The holo-viewscreen showed the empty space ahead of them and the single beam from the _Aurora_ 's deflector array. Gradually the warping of space seemed to relax a little around the beam.

A blue hole suddenly formed in space, looking very much like a portal rather than the swirl of color Cat and the others remembered from the Bajoran Wormhole, among other things. From within the void at the center of the vortex energy swirled and crackled, turning greenish in color.

"The particle emissions are consistent with what we found before," Cat said. "I think something is coming through."

Something emerged from the center of the void. The ship was sizable, if not as large as the _Aurora_. It had a main body and four smaller pieces attached to the central body by pylons. The primary color of the ship was white with blue highlights.

" _That's it_ ," said Pidge excitedly. " _The_ Castle of Lions."

A warning tone sounded on Jarod's board. "We've got feedback coming through the jump drive," he said. "I've got to shut it down."

"Just another moment," Cat urged him.

Jarod nodded and kept working. The vessel ahead cleared the wormhole. A moment later the lance of energy from the _Aurora_ ended. The wormhole opening collapsed abruptly. "The jump drive is offline," Jarod informed them.

"Yeah, I'll say," Barnes grumbled. "You nearly burnt the damn thing out."

Julia heard that but kept her attention on the ship that emerged. "Any life signs or energy signatures?"

"There's definitely an energy signature," Cat noted. "And I'm picking up two life signs. Non-Human."

"They're hailing."

Julia nodded at Jarod. "Put them on."

The holo-viewscreen changed to show a bridge or command center on the other ship. The image focused on a humanoid figure. The being looked female with silver hair pulled into what looked like a bun at the back of her head. Her blue eyes contained a lavender pupil. Curved blue marks were visible on the outer corners of her eyes. Her ears were about Human-size, but pointed. The suit she was wearing reminded Julia of the armor that Katie Holt had been recovered in. It wasn't the same design, but it clearly had aesthetic similarities.

" _Hello_ ," the young woman on the viewscreen said. " _Pidge? Are you there?_ "

" _I'm here_ ," was the reply. The holo-viewscreen added a secondary image showing Pidge at the controls of her ship " _It worked!_ "

There was visible relief on the alien woman's face. " _Have you seen the others? Are they here?_ "

" _I'm not sure. I can't pick them up._ "

" _Neither can we_ ," stated a male voice from the other ship. Someone off-camera was speaking. " _I'm not showing any of the other Lions on our systems. But there seems to be something wrong with the scanners._ "

"It's because of this area of space," Julia said. "It's known as the Fracture, and it's got severe spatial distortions that makes most scanning impossible over long distances." Seeing that she had their attention now, she added, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Julia Andreys of the _Starship Aurora_ , representing the United Alliance of Systems. You would be Princess Allura?"

" _I am._ " Allura showed a little confusion. " _Although I'm surprised to see Humans in a starship of that size. The Paladins have made it clear your world has yet to develop such ships._ "

"So we've been told. But we're not from your universe. The Alliance has interuniversal jump drive that allows us to explore multiple universes."

" _I can verify that_ ," Pidge said. " _I've seen some of their database. And the local starcharts. This is an entirely different universe._ "

" _That is… quite bizarre_ ," Allura answered. " _But I see no reason to not believe you. And we may need help to find the others._ "

" _And find a way home,_ " Coran added.

"It is possible that they're back in your home universe," Cat said. "Depending on when they got thrown out of the wormhole, if it happened before whatever it was finished shifting your wormhole into something that could penetrate the universal barrier, they wouldn't have ended up here. As for a way home…"

"Lieutenant, you sound like you have an idea," Julia noted.

"Just a few thoughts, but I think I'll need to run simulations first." Cat gave Barnes an apologetic look. "And we might need the jump drive back too."

"So you can burn it out again?" he asked sarcastically.

" _Any help you can provide will be appreciated_ ," Allura said. " _We need to get back to our home universe. We're the only hope our universe has left against the Galra."_

"Miss Holt already told us about them," Julia said. "We're in our own conflict with an evil empire, so we'll be glad to help you get back to fight yours. Are you in need of any repair assistance?"

" _We seem to have come through alright. Thank you for the offer and for any assistance you can give in returning us._ "

"If you want to come over and discuss that with us, we'll be happy to host you," Julia said.

" _I will take you up on shortly, Captain. Until then, Pidge, are you returning to the Castle?_ "

" _Well, not right away._ " Pidge grinned a little sheepishly. " _It's going to take time to disconnect the Green Lion from the_ Aurora."

" _Then I'll join you shortly._ " A moment later the image disappeared.

"Cat, those simulations you want to run?"

At Julia's question, she nodded. "I'll go get started on them right away."

"Go." Julia looked to Barnes next. "I want an ETA on jump drive repairs too."

After Cat stood from the chair al-Rashad resumed her watch at the station. Julia settled back into her chair and glanced toward Meridina. "Well, this isn't our usual survey mission now, is it?"

"It is not," she agreed.

"And are you thinking what I am?"

Meridina gave her a slightly sardonic look, which spoke volumes to her relative lack of patience given what this area of space was doing to her. "Despite this place, I can still sense thought. You are thinking of the resemblance?"

"I suppose it could just be like Humans and Gersallians," Julia noted.

"Possibly," Meridina agreed.

That was all there was to be said on that subject. Julia decided to bring up another. "You're not feeling any better?"

"I am afraid I am not," Meridina confirmed.

"Right." Which meant that every moment they were adding to their time in the Fracture by helping these people would be another moment of misery for Meridina and many others on the crew.

They would just have to make it worthwhile. 

* * *

Julia was present in the shuttle bay when the shuttle arrived from the _Castle of Lions_. Katie Holt joined her just as the shuttle landed. She was back in the armor they had recovered her in.

Allura stepped out of the hatch wearing more formal attire than before. Instead of the suit she was in a long, flowing white dress with long sleeves. A tiara encircled her head. "Greetings, Captain," she stated upon approach. "And it's good to see you're well, Pidge. I've been fearing the worst."

"So have I."

"We'll do whatever we can to help you," Julia promised. "If you'll follow me, my officers are gathering in one of our conference rooms to discuss the situation."

They departed the shuttle bay. Julia led them through the bright azure corridors of the _Aurora_. "An impressive vessel, certainly," Allura said. "And you say you serve an alliance of systems?"

"I do," Julia answered. "The United Alliance of Systems contains a number of systems and planets from numerous universes. We banded together to ensure the fair sharing of advanced technology with each other, including the interuniversal drive, and for mutual-defense. Each member of the Alliance has fair representation to our government and a hand in electing our leaders."

"That sounds quite good," said Allura. "My father would have gladly supported your Alliance. If the day comes that your people enter our home universe, it may provide the example to help defeat the Galra."

"I would hope so." Julia decided not to mention that the Alliance was hardly universally committed to defeating the threat it was facing now, given the peace movement of Senator Pensley. "Unfortunately we have our own war we're fighting."

"I suppose evil can be found anywhere."

"If there's a universe without evil, we haven't found it yet," Julia lamented. She turned to her right and stepped up to a lift door. "Here." It opened at her approach. She stepped in and they followed. Once everyone was inside she said "Bridge" and the lift started to move. It would only take a minute or two for the car to work its way to the bridge. "Our science officer is running simulations now. If anyone can find a way to get you back, I'm sure she can."

"I don't doubt it," said Pidge.

"Again, I thank you for your efforts on our behalf, Captain," said Allura. "Hopefully we can find the others and…"

The lift came to a stop. The door swished open and admitted Ensign Talara. "Oh, Captain," she began. "I was just on my way to my bridge watch. I didn't mean to hold you up."

Julia heard the surprised intake of breath to either side of her. Pidge and Allura were both staring in complete surprise at Talara. "This is Ensign Talara," Julia said to them. "She's one of our bridge officers."

"I… I don't believe it," Allura gasped. "How is this possible? Coran and I are..."

The similarity in their appearances was something Julia had already noticed. Now that they were face-to-face, it was impossible to miss. The two shared a similar skin tone, their ears were the same general shape, and they had color in their pupils as well as the irises. If Julia didn't know better she would have thought Talara was one of Allura's species too.

"She's a Falaen from Universe A7R6, Princess Allura," Julia explained to their guests. "It wouldn't be the first time we've found species with virtually the same appearance. Gersallians and Humans are like that, for instance."

This might have dispelled the surprise from their faces, but now it was Talara's eyes that widened. "Wait," she said. She looked closely at Allura. " _Princess Allura_?"

That prompted a nod with the reply, "I am, yes. Princess Allura of Altea." There was still lingering hope in her voice.

Now Talara's face paled in shock. The young Falaen woman looked like the entire world suddenly made no sense.

"What is it, Ensign?" Julia asked. Even as she said the words, her mind started to provide its own answers. Realization set in. "Wait. Are you...?"

Talara nodded, although she couldn't quite keep her eyes off of Allura, who in turn looked like she didn't know whether to remain stunned silent or to weep with joy. "Yes, Captain. My people and I are Altean." 

* * *

The officers of the _Aurora_ assembled with their guests in the conference lounge off of the bridge. In this assemblage of senior officers, plus the higher-ranking junior officers in Lucy and Barnes, Ensign Talara already had reason to be nervous. That she was sitting across from a legendary icon of her people at the middle of the conference table made that worse.

Julia was at the head of the table, as always, with Meridina to one side and Jarod on the other. Scotty, Cat, Barnes, and Lucy were beyond Jarod's seat while Leo, Angel, and Locarno were on Meridina's side. Allura and Pidge sat beyond Locarno and Talara was beside Lucy. The holo-viewscreen on the wall was patched into the command center of the _Castle of Lions_ , where the other Altean survivor, Coran, was watching. He seemed to be particularly set on Talara. " _Well, she certainly looks Altean._ "

Leo tapped his omnitool and brought up a holographic image with the table's holo-projector. It showed two sets of what looked like DNA helixes. Information displayed showed various points of similarity. "The genetic scans agree." He nodded to Talara. "Her genetic structure is a species match to Princess Allura with a slight genetic variance that looks like genetic drift. Ten thousand years worth of further development on a new homeworld certainly accounts for that."

Talara nodded. She already knew they were the same, but now Doctor Gillam had confirmed it for everyone else's benefit.

Allura's eyes never left Talara. "Then… our people aren't all dead," she said softly. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "How many?"

"Legend says that about fifty thousand of our people survived to settle Fala," Talara replied. "Only one out of five who fled."

Allura immediately recognized the name of the new homeworld her people settled. "Fala? You named our new world after my mother?"

Talara nodded quietly. "To honor her. She… didn't survive."

"Mother." Grief now shown on Allura's face. She quietly wiped tears from her cheeks with the fingers of her right hand. "I know Father sent her away before the attack began. But he never told me why." She looked toward the image of Coran.

" _All he told me was that he had to buy time, and that above all else Zarkon couldn't be allowed to claim Voltron._ "

"He must have hoped he could tie up the Galra fleets while the evacuation convoy got away," Pidge said.

"Alright. I'm a bit behind on this," said Angel. "But just what the heck is this 'Voltron' thing?'

Talara spoke first. "In the legends my people passed down, Voltron was a great weapon of Light formed from the bodies of five powerful lions of metal. They were built by Altea's King Alfor to protect the peoples of the known universe." Talara's voice was steady now as she reached into her memories. None of their visitors had yet to contradict her. "In the end, he was betrayed by one of his own allies. Voltron disappeared and an enemy swept over our people."

"The Galra," Allura said in a bitter tone.

Talara nodded. "That is a name Falaen parents use to frighten children."

"The Galra were allies?" Pidge asked Allura.

"When I was just a child, Emperor Zarkon and my father knew each other as friends." Allura scowled. "He tricked my Father and betrayed him to seize control of Voltron. That was when he destroyed Altea."

" _So if the evacuation was a success, how did it happen?"_ Coran asked. " _The Galra seem convinced we're the last._ "

"This is the story passed down to me as a youth," Talara began. "According to the legend of the Great Fall, King Alfor realized our people were doomed if some did not escape. So he and Queen Fala made sure to hold back some of our ships from the last battle with the Galra fleet. While the Galra focused on trying to seize Voltron, the Queen gathered as many survivors of the Galra attack as she could and fled the star system. They escaped just before Zarkon destroyed it."

"Then what happened?" Allura asked, with all of the energy of someone who desperately needed to know.

"The Galra pursued them without pity or mercy. One by one, the evacuation ships were destroyed until only a few remained." Talara's voice made clear her feelings toward this story. There was a sense of horror of how close her ancestors had come to annihilation at the hands of a pitiless foe. It was a contrast in emotions, to some degree, as while Allura shared that horror, she clearly felt more frustration as well. Talara continued, "Soon the fleet was trapped between Galra ships. The Galra opened fire on Queen Fala's lead ship. Their weapons devastated the control bridge. Most of Fala's closest followers died in that attack."

Coran's eyes fell at that. " _There were good people with Fala. Some of the best in the royal service._ "

"And with mother dead or wounded and her station damaged, our ships wouldn't have been able to form a wormhole," Allura said.

"Why not?" asked Barnes. "Didn't you train your people to do that?"

" _Only the royal bloodlines of Altea can operate a teludav drive_ ," Coran answered. " _It runs off of their energy._ "

Meridina glanced toward Allura. "Technology powered by _swevyra_ ," she said. "Until I saw your lion ships, I never imagined such a thing possible."

"Swevy-what?" asked Pidge.

"It's a Gersallian word that doesn't translate well into English," Lucy answered. "It roughly means 'life force', but with special connotations to it that involve using it to sense the Flow of Life and use life-energy for various things. Like limited sensing of the future so you can win gunfights with swords."

"It sounds like these people had it bad then," said Angel. "I'm guessing they got away?"

Talara nodded. "All seemed lost when a miracle happened."

"They found a wormhole or something?" Cat asked. An excited look came to her. "Or did they get help? Was it a humanoid being in a blue box bigger on the inside?"

The visitors and guests all looked at her with some confusion. "Uh, no," Talara answered.

"A blue box bigger on the inside?" Pidge asked, incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

"I was just wondering if they were saved by the Doctor," Cat said. Seeing the looks of the others, she sheepishly added, "Well, it's the kind of thing he'd do. And he's traveled to other universes before…"

"It wasn't this Doctor you speak of," Talara said. "But someone did come. As the Galra launched their final attack to wipe out the survivors, a great vessel appeared among Queen Fala's ships. The ship's defenses were beyond anything my ancestors knew. It absorbed the attack of the Galra by itself and then utterly annihilated their pursuit ships."

"According to what you have said, this was thousands of years before the Darglan," said Meridina. "Who was their savior?"

"The Doctor said there have been other interuniversal-capable species," Cat pointed out. "It could have been one of them."

"We do not know the species of the being controlling the great ship, just that it used beams of energy so powerful that when they touched the Galra ships they cut through them like they were made of paper. The history reads that Queen Fala was summoned before the leader of the ship after they had annihilated the Galra forces. Her wounds were critical and she was dying. But even though it was likely to kill her, Queen Fala went to meet with our savior where she pleaded for the future of our people."

"Mother…" Allura look pained. She had known her mother was likely dead for some time, but to hear of how she died hurt in its own way.

"Nobody knows what was said between them. Our people feared that they were doomed. But a short time after she went over, the great vessel generated its own portal. And the Queen herself gave the command to depart through it without her."

"Why would she leave them behind?" Cat asked.

"We don't know. Or at least, the stories don't record it. The others didn't wish to abandon her, of course, but she insisted they must survive and keep Altea's memory. The survivors obeyed and flew through the portal. On the other side was an uninhabited star system with a world that fit our species' needs. My ancestors named our new homeworld in honor of our queen." Talara took a drink of water to whet her throat.

"She's truly gone, then," Allura murmured, pain in her voice. "I knew not to hope, but hearing it…"

A brief glimpse of pain appeared on Coran's face. As if it hurt that he wasn't physically present to help Allura through her grief.

"And you still do not know who this being was?" asked Meridina.

"We never saw the ship again," Talara confirmed. "It took us a long time to get back into space as it was. It took many generations for our people to rebuild our civilization to cover Fala, and a number more for us to spread back to the stars. And some of the technologies spoken of in our legends were lost to us. We never learned how to build the wonders like the teludav drive or the _Castle of Lions_. Returning to the stars required my ancestors to find the secrets of warp travel instead."

"And you stopped being Alteans?"

Talara nodded at Pidge. "By the time we encountered new species, we identified ourselves with our new world. We were Falaens, not Alteans."

"But you remember the other name."

"Yes," Talara said in reply to Julia. "We have not forgotten it. Only some of the specifics of what led us to our new home."

"We knew that the Darglan transplanted species onto new worlds," Julia said. "It's not too much of a surprise that other species with IU drives have done the same."

"This isn't some secret history Falaens don't share, is it?" Locarno asked. "Because this sounds like something that would have become widely known by now."

She shook her head. "We do not hide this story. Nor do we talk about it openly. It is simply part of our heritage. Until those from other worlds take interest in the legend, I'm sure most non-Falaens don't pay particular interest." Talara looked to Julia. "I would like to add that this is why I volunteered for Alliance service ma'am. The Nazi Reich is just as cruel as the Galra were said to be. Your Alliance is the same as the being who once saved us. I, and others like me, believe we should honor our benefactor and the memory of Queen Fala by opposing evil as they did."

"Your people are one of those who didn't withdraw their petition to join the Alliance when the war started," Julia said. "I'd say you're living up to that pretty well."

"Thank you, Captain."

Julia nodded once and moved forward in her chair. "Alright, now that we've settled this point of interest, let's discuss the matter at hand. Specifically, getting your ships back to your home universe."

"Oh… yes." Allura looked up. "That should be our priority, as well as locating the other Lions."

" _The scanners aren't showing any of them_ ," Coran confirmed.

"The Fracture may be interfering with your sensors."

"The connection between the Castle and the Lions is more than a matter of electronic signals," said Allura. "Although you may be right. I have never seen a region of space like this one."

"We haven't either," Jarod said. "But we should also consider the possibility that the other ships are still back in your home universe."

"Is there any way to know for certain?" Julia asked him.

Jarod looked to Cat. "If we can get sensor data from when the ships were in the wormhole," she said. "We can compare that data to the specific points where the other lion ships fell out. And then we'll know. Or at least we'll have a good idea."

"Coran, I'd like you to send that recorded data."

" _Right away, Princess_."

"And if the others are back in our home universe, how do we get back?" asked Pidge. "Can you scan us and figure out how to get there?"

"It really doesn't work that way," Julia said. She looked at the others. "At least I don't think it does. Suggestions?"

"That's going to take more time," Cat admitted. "There are a couple of theories about the effect that we can try. I've got the simulations running down in Science Lab 2. They'll be ready in several more hours."

"In the meanwhile, Princess Allura, we're ready to provide any aid necessary for you and your subordinate," Julia continued. "How are your stores? We can provide food, water, and other supplies."

"Especially the food."

"You have my thanks for your generosity, Captain, but I believe most of our stores are still full."

" _And we've got plenty of food to last us_ ," Coran added.

Cat fought the impulse to giggle at the face Pidge made. Whatever progress she'd made into accepting said goo into her palate had been undone by being exposed to the products of Hargert's kitchen.

"Then we'll convene again when Lieutenant Delgado has more data for us. Everyone, you're dismissed." 

* * *

After the briefing Meridina called out to Ensign Talara. The Falaen (or Altean, one now supposed) walked up to her instead of joining the others in leaving the bridge. "Commander?" she asked.

"This has not been easy for you, has it?" Meridina asked. "I sense you are uneasy."

"Well, some of it is this awful region of space," Talara said. "I think it is getting to me as well." She could see Meridina wasn't going to leave it at that. After a few moments of consideration Talara gave up and continued speaking. "It is all so… maddening, I suppose? My people have spent ten thousand years putting our near-extinction behind us. Princess Allura, King Alfor, Voltron… they are nothing but legends to us. Stories we learn as children."

"Those legends have shaped your culture, have they not?" Meridina pointed out.

"Yes. But… it's just so much, Commander. For me to meet Princess Allura… well, imagine if you were to meet Swenya face-to-face. Or Reshan, or Tanisan."

"I understand what you mean, Ensign," Meridina said. "Legends are often different from the truth. Virtues are exaggerated. Faults are ignored. It is hard to imagine a legend as a living being with hopes and fears of their own."

Talara nodded. "Not that Princess Allura hasn't impressed me. She has. But the stories we tell of her, of her undying devotion to her father's cause… the legends claim she perished fighting at her father's side. If she's alive, then what else is inaccurate?"

"I suspect the legend writers underestimated a parent's willingness to save their child." Meridina examined the young officer carefully. In her new role as First Officer, it was her responsibility to provide advice for all of the officers of the ship. She understood this was what she needed to focus on here; to help Talara through whatever thoughts she had. "It is reasonable for you to concern yourself with the possibility that your people are wrong about their past. I am… familiar with that feeling."

"And what have you done about it?"

"I have not allowed it to distract me," she answered. "You may have an alternative I did not enjoy, however. By speaking to Allura, you may see that regardless of the outcome, your people's memory of her is still accurate."

"Is that appropriate, Commander? I am just a junior officer."

"You are also a member of her species, whom she believed to be lost. You are the living embodiment of the joy and hope that now dwells within Allura. A symbol that her people survived." Meridina smiled gently. "There is nothing inappropriate about you being in her company."

Talara nodded. Meridina, despite her discomfort from the Fracture, felt the young woman's uncertainty and nervousness. It was not out of place. Meridina imagined she would have the same feeling if she were meeting Swenya.

A blue holographic light appeared over the back of Talara's left hand. " _Captain Andreys to Ensign Talara. Please report to the Bridge._ "

"Oh, yes, it is time for my first watch," Talara said. She nodded at Meridina. "Thank you, Commander, for your advice."

"You are welcome." Meridina nodded in reply and watched Talara depart. She drew in a breath, which did nothing to settle her queasy stomach. She departed for her quarters and another attempt to rest. 

* * *

Talara arrived on the bridge fully prepared to assume her helm station. Seeing Ensign Jimenez at the helm caused her confusion. He was not supposed to come on duty until she finished her first watch. She stepped around the tactical station and approached the command chairs. Julia was seated with Allura to her left in the guest chair. "Captain, you wished to see me?"

"Ensign." Julia nodded at her. "It's going to take a while for Lieutenant Delgado and Commander Jarod to figure out a way to get the Princess and her ships back to their home universe. In the meantime, Princess Allura has kindly invited a team from the _Aurora_ over to examine the technology of the Castle. She's requested your presence and I've agreed to it."

Talara glanced toward Allura. She drew in a nervous breath and nodded. "I understand, Captain. Whom do I report to?"

"I'd like you to spend time with Coran and myself, actually," Allura said. "It is selfish of me, I know, but we have so many questions…"

"It is okay, Highness," Talara responded. "I… I understand, really. I have questions too."

"Well, we have much to share then." Allura stood and looked to Julia. "Captain, I will be returning to my vessel. Your team is welcome to join us whenever they are ready."

"Lieutenant Lucero is assembling her people now," Julia said. "They'll beam over within the hour."

"In the meantime, I will fly my shuttle back. Ensign, if you will please join me?"

Talara nodded. "Yes, of course."

Meridina stepped up at this final exchange. She took her seat and quietly watched Talara and Allura leave the bridge. "They are both uncertain, but hopeful," she said to Julia. "You did a good thing, sending Talara over."

"I figure it will help her as much as it helps Allura and her… assistant, was he?"

"A retainer, certainly." While Meridina spoke, a sudden grimace appeared on her face.

Julia noticed it immediately. "Meridina? What's wrong? Do you need to go to the medbay?"

"No," Meridina replied. "It is… I believe something is about to happen. I can feel a violent intent in the Flow of Life."

"Where? Around us?"

"No. Further away. I cannot say where. The Fracture clouds my connection to the Flow of Life too greatly." She eyed Julia warily. "Captain, when was the last check-in by the _Koenig_?"

"It should have been an hour ago." Julia frowned. She glanced toward the front of the bridge, where Lieutenant Jakeet was at Ops. "When was the last check-in from the _Koenig_?"

Jakeet looked at the logs. "Ninety-six minutes ago."

Julia frowned. "What about our active channel to them?"

Jakeet checked it. "It appears to have been lost."

"That is not like Zachary," Meridina noted. "Though he has been so lost as of late, I do not see him failing to maintain communications. Particularly in our current location."

"Agreed." Julia didn't bother keeping her worry off her face. "And we can't go looking for them without leaving the _Castle_ behind."

"If their systems are intact enough, it may be safe."

Julia responded by tapping the intercom key on her chair. "Bridge to Lucero."

" _Lucero here_."

"The _Koenig_ hasn't checked in on time and we can't raise her. I need to know if Allura's ship can defend itself. Get your team now and get over there."

" _I haven't finished…_ " Lucy audibly stopped herself. " _Yes Captain, we're on our way._ "

"Inform Allura of the change in plans," Julia instructed Jakeet. "Sensors, keep an eye out for the _Koenig_."

"Yes ma'am."

"And elevate running status to Code Yellow," she added. "Something's wrong, and I don't want it catching us by surprise." 

* * *

When the door to Science Lab 2 opened Caterina looked up from her work station. Pidge walked in wearing her Paladin armor. "Sorry," she said. "But when the lights started flashing yellow I thought it might be an attack warning."

"We're at Code Yellow running status now. That is, it's sort of a standby for combat. The shields are kept up and everyone's supposed to avoid things that would keep them from getting to their combat stations quickly. So no holodeck fun or anything. Although you can sleep or eat and stuff like that."

Pidge stepped up to the console Cat was seated at. She looked about as she did, observing all of the holotanks and holo-displays showing data. Three other officers and scientists were at other locations in the large lab area. "And this is only one of three labs on your ship?"

Cat nodded. "Well, four if you count the testing labs in medbay. And oh, you should let Allura know." Cat reached over and tapped a key, bringing up a secondary holo-screen showing a recording from the Castle. Lion ships of black and red color flew by the screen and hit the tunnel wall in the background, disappearing. Another video showed the same happening to two more of blue and yellow color. "I've gone over your castle's sensor records. The other lions hit the tunnel wall before the particle signature associated with interuniversal transition began to form."

"You mean that they didn't come to this universe or any others? They're back in our home universe?"

"Exactly." Cat grinned. "So we don't have to worry about finding them."

Pidge matched the grin. "Well, that's a relief. Now you can focus on getting us back too."

"That's the tricky part," Cat admitted. She turned back to the screen and began entering information. "I had the sensors taking in every bit of information they could when the _Castle_ opened that wormhole. I'm hoping that there's a signature I can use to find your home universe."

"How does that work?"

"Well, under normal circumstances, we have to scan a resulting jump point. And it has to be kept open long enough to get a good scan in. That doesn't always happen." Cat shook her head. "In your case, the wormhole wasn't open long enough. The data we got was partial."

"Allura said the wormhole had her and Coran stuck in some sort of loop, where they would fall into the end of the wormhole and jump back in time by a few minutes. Coran even got a few years younger in each loop."

"Physical regression from a temporal field?" Cat blinked. "Now that is completely bizarre." Cat sorted through her readings. "A temporal component… And the wormhole was destabilized. You know, jump points have done the same thing."

"What do you mean?" Pidge asked.

"Almost two years ago, there was a case where a shuttle rigged to explode detonated inside of a jump point. As in right at the middle during the moment of transition from one universe to another. Instead of destabilizing and collapsing the point, it turned it into a temporal point with an intense gravitational element. It even sucked in someone and sent them back in time by two hundred years."

"Time travel?" Pidge's expression betrayed her surprise. "What happened to them, then? You found them in the historical records?"

"We did. And we used another effect that Scotty knows about to go back in time and pick them up. It involved warping around a star to cause temporal displacement. The math was crazy-insane and awesome."

"I'll bet." Pidge looked at everything again. A distant look formed on her face, one with evident pain. "Matt and my dad would love this ship. And everything you've got."

Cat looked to her. "Where are they?"

"I don't know," Pidge answered. "The Galra have them."

"I'm sorry," Cat said. "Family's important to me too. I don't know what I'd do if Angel was taken by the bad guys like that."

"I was going to look for them. But the others needed me." Pidge slumped into a seat beside Cat. Her eyes remained lowered. "I know that beating the Galra is more important to a lot of people. But I feel like I'm letting my family down. And now… now I might be stranded in another universe, and I'll never find them."

Cat placed a hand on Pidge's shoulder. "You will," Cat said. "And I'll find a way to get you home, okay? I _promise_."

Pidge lifted her eyes. Tears were formed in them, tears of grief and frustration. "Thank you," she said. "I'm sure you will." 

* * *

The extent to which the Fracture interfered with all things electronic was evident in the distortions forming on Julia's screen, interfering with the image of Admiral Maran in his office. His voice was mostly clear when he spoke, at least. " _I am astounded by the report you and Doctor Gillam have filed_ ," he said. " _I never imagined the Falaens had such a tragic history._ "

"How much did we know about them? I don't recall anything about their not being native to Fala."

" _It's not widely known. It's possible they simply don't talk about it. Given their reputation in A7R6 they may have worried that such an origin would undermine their diplomatic position. Some of the other species would have seen them as invaders._ " Maran's image flickered. " _I'm more disturbed by your inability to reach the_ Koenig."

"They may have lost communications. We won't know for sure until we look for them. And given the circumstances, I thought it best to focus on protecting the _Castle of Lions_."

" _I agree. If not for the Fracture's notorious instability I would be ordering ships to jump to your position. As it is, I've ordered the_ Soyuz _and the_ Unatam'se _to rendezvous with you. But they're still days away at high warp._ "

"So we're on our own." Julia nodded. "I expected that."

" _Keep me informed. Maran out._ " The distorted image of Maran disappeared, returning her monitor to a blank black screen.

Julia rubbed at her forehead. They were alone out here, deep in this Godforsaken stretch of space, closer to hostile powers than they were friendly ones. Admiral Maran had simply confirmed how spread out they were. If there was a hostile force on its way, the _Aurora_ would be handling it by itself…

The comm system sounded. " _Captain, we have ships on sensors_ ," said Locarno. " _They're currently in hyperspace and will arrive in a few minutes._ "

Julia got to her feet. "Recall the command staff to the bridge," she said. "Go to Code Red."

" _We were about to beam Lieutenant Lucero and her team over…_ "

It took only a moment for Julia to make her decision about that. Lucy alone would make sure that the _Castle of Lions_ couldn't be easily taken by boarding parties. "Send them over before your raise shields. And make sure they and Princess Allura know what's going on. I'm on my way."

A moment later, the alert klaxon sounded to summon the _Aurora_ crew to combat stations.

* * *

It didn't take long for everyone to gather on the bridge and assume their stations. "All weapons armed and ready," Angel said. "Torpedoes loading in all launchers."

"All shield generators showing green," Barnes said from the Engineering station. "Armor-Hull self-repair systems online."

"Commander Laurent and his pilots are currently boarding their fighters and are ready to launch," Meridina confirmed. Though it was clear she still felt sick, she was hiding it well. "All sections and departments report combat readiness."

"Good." Julia directed her attention to Jarod. "Open a communication to the _Castle_."

The holo-viewscreen changed to show the command center of the Altean vessel. Lucy and Talara were visible beside Allura and Coran. " _Should the incoming vessels prove hostile, we are prepared to fight_ ," Allura said.

" _Their systems are pretty sophisticated_ ," Lucy added. " _And they're all operating at optimal condition. The only thing down right now is their wormhole drive._ "

"Hopefully we won't need it."

A moment later another image appeared on the screen. Pidge was in full armor and helmet in the seat of her lion. " _Green is ready._ "

"I'm picking up subspace rippling, they're about to transition out of hyperspace," Cat said.

The viewscreen shifted to show empty space. A moment later a number of ships appeared, as if zipping in from nowhere. The vessels in question were long and thin craft by proportion, with slanted sections of hull at sections along the main body that may have been intended as protective armoring for important spaces along the hull. Toward the rear of the ship was a tall spire, behind which was a multi-level tower structure with a smaller spire above it. Another long spire emerged from the bottom of the rear hull, tipped with a double-paneled ending that was possible electronics. Two double-barrelled main weapons pointed forward. Eight of these vessels were present and arranged in a double line, one above the other, their main guns all pointing forward.

A ninth vessel of similar size appeared. This one was beige-colored, long and sleek, and had the startling sight of six long, wavering tentacles attached to its bow. They looked completely organic, their tips the shape of arrowheads.

"Lieutenant Delgado, can you identify them?"

"They're not matching anything in the database," Cat answered. "Scanning the odd one out."

"You mean the octopus one?" Angel asked.

"Those tendrils are more like a jellyfish's," Cat said. "The signature is in our database as that of an Aurigan man-of-war, a cosmozoan life form found in the Fracture. The class of ship itself…" After a moment Cat looked over. "It's coming up as a _Judgement_ -class hunter scout of the Republic of Cabea."

Julia frowned at that. "They're a member nation of NEUROM," she said. "So that's who we're dealing with."

"Most concerning," Meridina agreed.

"Incoming hail from the main ship," Jarod said.

"On screen, and patch them to Allura." Julia stood from her chair. The screen shifted to show a severe-looking man in a resplendent golden uniform. His complexion was pale brown, the mark of a long-time space-dweller, with graying hair at his temples. His eyes were artificial green orbs set into his face with blue lights where the pupil and iris would be on an organic eye. "Greetings. I am Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_." Julia kept her voice level and friendly.

" _I am Squadron Captain Unam Tissim, commander of the 194th Doctrinal Enforcement Squadron of the Ministry of Fate. Captain Andreys, your ship and name are known to us. I will permit you to withdraw and allow us to take possession of these extrauniversal craft._ "

Julia furrowed her brow. "Squadron Captain, this isn't NEUROM space. By what grounds do you intend to seize them?"

" _It is the will of the Ministry_ ," was the response. " _We will not permit any other people to secure the power of these unknown craft._ "

" _Captain Tissim, I am Princess Allura of Altea_. _I assure you, we mean you no harm, and it is our intent to return to our universe of origin as soon as possible. There is no need for violence._ "

" _If you wish to avoid violence, alien, then surrender your craft immediately. We will allow the Alliance to take you away._ "

" _I'm not giving up my ship. We have need of it in our home universe._ "

" _Then you take responsibility of your own fate, alien._ "

"Squadron Captain, I will protect Princess Allura and her vessels," Julia warned. "And the Alliance will consider this a hostile action by NEUROM against the Alliance."

" _Consider it as you like. We do not fear your Alliance. The Fates are with us. Cross the Fates and face our fury._ "


	21. Episode 3-04-4 The Whims of Fate

Julia had nothing more to say before Squadron Captain Tissim disappeared from the screen.

"They're raising shields," said Caterina. She looked up from her station with a surprised expression. "Captain… their shields, they're _Darglan_ technology."

Julia kept the frown from her face. Now wasn't the time for a reaction like that. "Are they locking weapons?"

"Only on the _Castle_ ," said Jarod. "Still no target locks on us."

"They are forcing us to make the choice of engaging them directly, so that they might say we initiated combat with them." Meridina gave Julia a careful look. "Our orders are to avoid conflict."

"And they're also to render aid to other ships, not let them get snatched by the local bullies," Julia added. "Still… Mister Locarno, put us between the NEUROM ships and the _Castle of Lions_. Jarod, extend our shields around the _Castle_."

The two men in front of her answered with "Aye ma'am."

"Tactical, do not lock weapons and do not open fire," Julia added. "We'll let them make the first shot."

"Right." Angel kept her disagreement with that decision out of her voice.

* * *

Tissim's voice came over the speakers on Tothwallad's bridge. "Go forth, Captain. Snare the _Aurora_."

"Will you not open fire on them, Squadron Captain?" he asked. "They defy us."

"Yes. But I have my orders: The real objective of this operation is the extrauniversal ship. The _Aurora_ should not be destroyed, but must be crippled to accomplish our objectives. Now snare them, it is the best way to accomplish the task and you have been given an order!"

Tothwallad was not very happy with that order. He knew it was liable to get his ship shot up. The _Judgement of Fate_ wasn't meant to snare such a large ship. But his orders were clear, and his life and position were on the line.

"Take us in, helm," he said.

* * *

Julia's attention turned to the small holotank beside Meridina. It displayed a tactical view of the surrounding space. The numbers of nine on two - she wasn't sure whether the lion ship by itself counted as a full-sized starship for the fight - were unfavorable even with the smaller size of the NEUROM ships. That they had Darglan technology in some way made those odds worse. "Even if we win, we probably lose," she murmured.

"Yes," Meridina said. "It appears our foe has their own strategem."

Julia noted the red mark coming toward them. "It looks like they're going to use the Cabean ship by itself. Is this some kind of test, to see if we open fire on it to keep it from the Castle?"

"Or they're going to try and use those man-of-war tendrils on us," Cat said. "They'll try to drain our power."

"Even through shields?"

"They'll just drain those first. Especially since we've extended them."

"Jarod, warn them off."

"No response," he said.

"Right." So that was it. She'd maneuvered Tissim, now he was doing the same. Open fire on the Cabean ship to keep it from sucking their ship dry of energy or hold fire and let them drain away the shields. "Is it a threat to us?"

"A full-sized Aurigan man-of-war can drain a cruiser dry, according to the Avalonians' records," Jarod answered. "This one isn't full-sized, but since it's a ship they might have capacitors hooked up to those things, or other methods of releasing any stored power. So it's a definite maybe."

Which was all Julia needed to hear. Whatever game Tissim was playing with this, he was subjecting the _Aurora_ to a potential threat. Julia felt clear to respond.

"Fire one shot across their bow, Tactical," she said. "If they don't change course within give five seconds of that shot, feel free to let them have it."

"Yes ma'am," Angel said. She tapped several keys on her control. A beam of sapphire light fired from one of the light plasma banks. Angel's shot was precise, coming within a meter of the bow of the Cabean ship. 

* * *

Tothwallad swallowed at the beam that nearly struck him. A warning shot. The Alliance vessel _would_ fire after all, he knew it.

Just as he knew, with just a look, that Lady Dolores would kill him in his chair if he ordered his ship to break off. "Steady on course," he ordered, trying to keep the fear from his voice.

The next shot didn't miss.

* * *

Angel didn't bother firing again with her lighter mount. Given the orientation of the ship, she targeted the port-side heavy plasma emitters on the Cabean ship and fired.

Before the Shadows and Daleks wrecked the _Aurora_ , the weapons in question had been pulse phaser cannon batteries set on turreted mounts. And while those weapons certainly packed a punch, as the _Koenig_ often demonstrated to opponents, the plasma emitters that replaced them were even more powerful. The best that could be fielded thanks to the various Darglan databases that the Alliance had available, almost entirely due to the actions of the _Aurora_ 's crew.

Now the fruits of their past labors showed with the sapphire beam that struck the shields of the Cabean ship. Those shields were quite capable for their size and held. But when a second, third, and then fourth beam converged on them the shields melted away. The blue energy from the _Aurora_ 's weapons now sliced through the _Judgement of Fate_. Flame and debris erupted from the damaged sections. The tendrils whipped about wildly and helplessly.

The eight NEUROM ships opened fire barely a second later. Bursts of ruby light erupted from their bows in repeated streams, the turrets tracking and firing again. The _Aurora_ 's shields flared blue at the impacts. Fighters flew from hanger decks built into those ships, forty-eight in all. Their brown hulls and curved appearances made them look organic as well.

"Shields down to seventy percent," Jarod said after the first barrage.

"Return our shields to normal status," Julia ordered. "Helm, heading two seven three mark zero one three."

"Shield cohesion back to ninety-two percent."

"Fighters launching now," Meridina confirmed. "The lion ship is launching as well."

From the hanger deck at the top of the _Aurora_ 's drive hull, fore of the warp nacelle pylons and below the _Koenig_ 's dock at the back fo the primary hull, Mongoose starfighters erupted from their launch tubes. At the rear of the launch deck the Green Lion of Voltron emerged.

The _Aurora_ 's maneuver uncovered the _Castle of Lions_. A visible energy barrier formed around it. The barrier was made up of hexagons of white light. Colored discs moved into position to face the approaching enemy ships.

"What kind of weapons are they firing?" Julia asked Cat.

"It looks like a laser-pumped plasma cannon, very powerful for a ship of that size," Cat replied. She saw something on her screen. "They're firing missiles!"

Trios of missiles fired from each of the ships. "Particle interceptors firing," Angel confirmed.

Pulses of blue light fired from the small interceptor batteries arrayed at points on the _Aurora_ 's hull. Some of the missiles struck said bursts and exploded, others managed to survive them or evade long enough to slam into the _Aurora_ 's shields. "Shields down to eighty-three percent."

Meridina continued to observe the tactical display. "They are attempting to maneuver past us."

"Tactical, fire at will!"

Angel responded by opening up on every target her weapons could track. At the secondary tactical station Lieutenant Syrandi Luneri, a Dorei woman with a dark purple complexion and hair with teal spotting, was busy operating the targeting for the lighter plasma emplacements, allowing Angel to focus with the main emitters. Beams and bursts of sapphire light struck out at several of their foes.

"We're degrading the shields on several of them," Cat noted. "But I'm not reading any damage from our hits."

"They're armored," Jarod said. "It looks like heavy armor too."

"Focus fire as you need to, Tactical," Julia instructed. The ship shuddered beneath her as she did.

* * *

Between the warships the fighters of the _Aurora_ and the NEUROM ships were engaging in their own battle. The _Aurora_ flight wing had numbers, the NEUROM fighters a maneuverability edge, and the result was a pitched battle.

"Bravo and Charlie Squadrons, engage from range," Laurent ordered. "Your priority is keeping them from hitting the ship."

" _Roger, Alpha 1_ ," were the replies.

" _I've got one on me!_ " called out one pilot.

Laurent registered the voice. Ensign Keller, Delta Squadron. He twisted his craft and found Keller's Mongoose desperately evading the red bursts of light fired by his pursuer. Laurent lined up his own shot and sent a flurry of phaser fire into the enemy craft. Its shields started to fail. Before his fire could finish his target off the enemy pilot banked away. The maneuverability of the NEUROM fighters was incredible. Laurent tried to follow the turn, but he simply couldn't keep up.

" _On your six, Alpha Leader!_ "

Kerman's warning prompted Laurent to fire his engines and thrusters to full, pulling his Mongoose into a tight maneuver. Red light zipped across the front of his cockpit. An enemy fighter went by a moment later, amber fire pursuing the fighter. Laurent's Kerbal wingman kept on target until he, too, found the NEUROM fighter maneuvering too quickly.

"Bravo, Charlie, keep your range. Fox squadron, move bearing 221 mark 089, gain range and turn. We can't dogfight them like this."

A bright white beam of energy lanced between Laurent's fighter and Kerman's. It struck one of the NEURON fighters and blew it apart in a second. Another weaker beam accomplished the same on a second fighter. Laurent's maneuver allowed him to watch the lion ship fire again. The beams of energy were coming from the tip of its tail and its open mouth.

" _I'm going for the ships_ ," Laurent heard the pilot of the lion say over their tactical channel.

 _I have a fifteen year old pilot in the most powerful light craft we have engaged._ The thought didn't inspire confidence in Laurent. But he acknowledged with, "I hear you. We'll continue to engage the fighters."

* * *

Once she was past the fighter battle, Pidge flew the Green Lion toward one of the attacking ships. The tail and mouth lasers fired in tandem until the enemy ship's shields were down to nothing. The armoring of the enemy ship was good enough that her hits weren't doing much to the enemy ship. The red bursts of light from its weapons streaked in front of her. One glancing hit brought discomfort and forced her to adjust. She drew the lion "up" to get away from the main turrets tracking her from the dorsal and ventral bow surfaces. But secondary energy weapons spread along the broadside, their bursts of ruby light like darts in space, continued to track and fire on the lion.

Pidge put Green into a corkscrew and made her final approach. She activated Green's jaw blade in the final seconds before she was moving alongside the NEUROM vessel. The armor might have resisted the blade alone, but with Green's speed and the blade's toughness, she successfully cut a line through the port hull of the ship from stern to bow, opening a wound that the other ships could exploit. Pidge pulled away and "aft-downward" to evade the main guns on the NEUROM craft which were fouled by their own sensor masts at that angle.

Lights flashed red to match the color of the hits that impacted her. Another of the ships was coming after her. She turned Green to face it. She didn't need to batter its shields down - the _Aurora_ or _Castle_ had done so already - and she was clear for an attack run with the jaw blade.

But the enemy was ready for the maneuver. As she came in for the run the NEUROM warship maneuvered hard to evade. Her blade barely scraped the armor before running across nothingness. The Green Lion's speed now turned against it. Before Pidge could adjust she was already clear of the enemy ship.

She might have resumed the attack. But a glance toward the other ships changed her mind. Pidge broke away from the two attacking ships and hit her engines to full to link back up with the _Castle of Lions_. 

* * *

Six of the enemy vessels - seven counting the damaged _Judgement of Fate_ \- were focused on the _Aurora_ and the _Castle of Lions_. WIth their smaller size and maneuverability they could keep their massive armored glacis plates covering the critical portions of the hull while their main battery turrets remained locked on target, hammering the _Aurora_ and the _Castle_ with almost unerring accuracy.

In the _Castle_ 's command center, the Alliance officers under Lucy were doing their part by manning the disc-shaped drones that added to the vessel's firepower. There were few fighters to shoot at due to the _Aurora_ 's fighter wing containing them, but the incoming missiles from the NEUROM ships provided them with plenty to do. Lucy moved the crosshairs of her drone over another of the incoming missiles and fired. Bolts of light struck at the missile until it blew apart.

Allura and Coran were busy at the other stations. "The particle barrier is holding," Coran said. "But not for much longer."

"I'm returning fire as best as I can," Allura stated.

She was, too. Lucy found it interesting that the particle barrier itself was both defensive and offensive. The individual hexagons in the field acted as emitters. Bolts of white energy erupted from the hexagons. Some were missing entirely and others were striking the shields and armored hulls of the NEUROM vessels directly. They didn't seem to be doing a lot of damage, however.

A flight of missiles slipped past their defenses - Jumpa, given her condition from the Fracture, was clearly having trouble focusing on the fight - and slammed into the particle barrier. This time the _Castle_ did shake. "The barrier's starting to fail!" Coran warned. "We're taking too much fire!"

"More missiles incoming, Jampa!" Lucy cried out.

"I can't get to them," the Dorei woman insisted. Her voice was strained. Lucy sympathized. It was taking all of her focus to push away the wrongness of the Fracture.

"I've got them!" Talara shouted. Her disc, the blue one, shifted over enough to take out the missiles Jampa's yellow-colored disc wasn't in a position to shoot.

"More incoming!" Allura watched one of the NEUROM ships fire while targeting it.

"I'm out of position!" The cry was from Ensign Laurence Tasker, the fourth of the _Aurora_ officers. His red-colored disc was already shooting up missiles coming in from a different ship.

"Impact in five ticks! Four! Three!"

Coran's countdown ended there as a white energy beam swept over missiles. The Green Lion's shot destroyed them all. Pidge turned and went for the enemy ship. At this range, and with its position and her built-up speed, there was no chance for the NEUROM captain to evade her attack run. Again the Green Lion's jaw blade appeared. Pidge gave a triumphant "Ha!" when she sensed, with the Lion, the blade strike the armor and hull. She left a gash in the enemy ship two hundred meters long.

"There's a weak spot!" Allura cried. "Firing!"

The _Castle of Lions_ ' particle barrier generated a full beam this time. The beam played over the NEUROM ship. Its shields were completely gone, leaving nothing to protect its wounded side from the blast. Flame and debris erupted along the path of the white beam until one great explosion blew the NEUROM ship to pieces.

They'd managed their first kill. Now seven NEUROM vessels remained to threaten the two ships. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ shook again as more of the ruby-colored bolts struck her shields. "Shields down to forty-six percent."

Julia acknowledged their decreasing shield status. The enemy vessels were being careful to avoid getting into the _Aurora_ 's bow and aft arcs and the pulse plasma cannon batteries that covered them. Angel's fire was still hitting home a fair amount of time, leaving most of the enemy ships with degraded or weakening shields. But the armor of the NEUROM ships was sufficient to survive the weapons most likely to hit them.

The reason for the maneuvering of the NEUROM vessels was made glaring a moment later. Locarno's own maneuvering caught one of the NEUROM vessels in the _Aurora_ 's bow arc. Angel took her chance immediately. The pulse plasma cannons, ten in all, opened up on the broadside of the enemy ship.

Whatever material the NEUROM ships had in the massive glacis plates on their flank, it clearly had their limits, and the main batteries of the _Aurora_ now demonstrated those limits. The barrage blasted glowing chunks of super-heated armor alloy away from the attacking vessel. Bit by bit more of the ship's long form was blasted away until an explosion ripped through the middle of it. A spread of solar torpedoes, glowing blue-white from the effect of their drive fields, struck the wounded ship. That was the final blow needed. The NEUROM ship blew apart.

Still, that was just one more down, and six were left. Again the _Aurora_ rocked from the impact of missile and energy fire. The main guns on the NEUROM ships were clearly a class or two larger than usual for such ships given the damage they were inflicting.

"Can our fighters get in for an attack run?" she asked Meridina.

"The enemy fighters are quite maneuverable and are still a threat," Meridina pointed out. "Commander Laurent is fully engaged with them despite the numerical difference."

Julia could have left it at that. Some captains would have. And she trusted Meridina's judgement and that of Laurent. Nevertheless, the thought in her head on this situation mandated a change in the tactical situation. "Tell Laurent that I want half of his squadrons detached to attack runs on the enemy ships. His people are to break away on my mark."

"Sir?" Meridina looked at her. "The enemy fighters may gain an advantage over ours. Or they may commence attacks against us."

"I know," Julia said. "I'm hoping for the second. Jarod, the others are tied into our tactical channel, right?"

"They are," he confirmed.

Julia tapped the key on her chair to send over said channel. "Miss Holt, I'm detaching squadrons for attack runs on the enemy ships. I'd like you to join them. Open their armor up for our fighters to take advantage."

" _I'm on it._ "

"Princess Allura, I'm having Jarod relay you positional data. On my mark, I'd like you to take up the indicated position relative to the _Aurora_."

" _I hear you, Captain. I am ready._ "

"On my mark for fighter run…" Julia felt the ship shudder again. They'd taken another direct hit from the main guns of the enemy ships. "...now."

Over thirty of the Alliance fighters broke away from the combat with the NEUROM craft. Pidge joined them for the run. The mouth laser of the Green Lion fired and raked across the unarmored and armored part of the hull on their first target. One of the secondary batteries exploded from the impact. The Green Lion banked to the side to evade fire from the main turret of said ship. Pidge pulled her craft "downward" and then back "up" The sharp maneuver kept her from getting hit until the Green Lion's jawblade was again ripping through armor and hull.

The lead fighters trailing her launched a wave of missiles. The enemy ship maneuvered sharply to evade the attack. This kept some of the missiles from impacting, but only some. Those that struck anyway blew the wound in the ship wide open. Pidge twisted her Lion around with dizzying speed and fired the mouth laser into the gaping wound. More flame and debris exploded from the damaged areas, following the beam of white light issuing from the Green Lion's mouth. The lights on the NEUROM ship began to flicker.

As Julia hoped, the enemy fighters were able to use their superior maneuverability to break off from the _Aurora_ air wing. They targeted the _Castle of Lions_ with a clear attack run. Julia waited for the fighters to get to where she wanted them. When they had arrived at that point she gave the order: "Mister Locarno, Princess Allura, _mark_."

The two ships obeyed. The _Castle_ turned slightly and maneuvered "upward", but otherwise did nothing to cause the enemy fighters to break off or substantially change their trajectory.

Whether Captain Tissim's people recognized the maneuver in time or not, no such change happened, and Locarno swung the _Aurora_ into place to close the trap. The two ships were now maneuvered to place the approaching enemy fighters, almost twenty in all, between them. The _Castle_ 's point defense drones opened up, as did the point defense weapons on the _Aurora_. The bolts and streaks of blue light created a killing field that even the maneuverable enemy fighters could not get out of in time. Only two of the fighters managed to get away.

The two ships turned and faced one of their attackers next. The lighter NEUROM ship attempted to evade, looking to avoid _Aurora_ 's deadly bow weapons. Its maneuver protected it from those weapons, but nothing could save it from another blast that emanated from the _Castle_ 's particle barrier. The beam of light speared the ship in the mid-section between the protected armored areas. There was nothing immediately critical in the area taken out, but it did sever the firing controls for the ship's main turret. It continued to track and fire, but there was a clear disconnect between the turret's target choices and the maneuvering of the ship.

Locarno kept the _Aurora_ on the NEUROM ship was best as he could. It managed to get outside of the engagement arc of the main cannons, but Angel was quick to employ everything up to the large capital-scale plasma emitters on the enemy ship. One of the heavy weapons hit its engine assembly as it tried to turn away. An explosion roared out of the engines while consuming the entire engine section of the ship. Another beam from the _Castle of Lions_ sliced off the lower spire of the NEUROM vessel. Solar torpedoes from the _Aurora_ crashed into the main turret and blew it apart.

The crippled vessel, deprived of its main engines and main guns, could only fire spitefully with secondary batteries at the resilient shields of both vessels until the _Aurora_ 's main batteries, with a full volley, tore through its glacis armor and gutted the enemy ship. 

* * *

Squadron Captain Tissim watched another of his ships go down with the look of a man knowing everything he built was about to be taken from him. The Ministry would be swift to punish his failure if he didn't have something, anything, to show for this battle.

"All ships, prepare to breakaway," he said. "And put all available power into your tractor beams."

"What is the target?" the ship operation officer dutifully asked.

"The lion vessel," Tissim replied. "Engage tractor beams when ready. I want every ship taking that vessel into tow." 

* * *

The Green Lion twisted in space and came up to another of the remaining NEUROM ships. The jawblade gripped in its mouth again cut into the armor of the enemy ships, creating a gap that the approaching Alliance fighters could use to hit the vital internals of the vessel.

Pidge was pulling away from the ship when the tractor beam grabbed her lion. "They're trying to hold me in a tractor beam," she warned the others over the tactical comm line. She shifted the Lion's engines into full power to breakaway. Everything around her shook from the strain.

A second tractor beam suddenly snagged the Lion. And a third. Warning signs on her pop-up readouts warned Pidge that she wasn't going to break away. "I could use some help!"

* * *

"The NEUROM vessels are breaking away, Captain," Caterina said. "But they've caught the Green Lion in their tractor beams."

"Pursuit course, Mister Locarno. Tactical, give them everything we've got!"

The _Aurora_ and _Castle of Lions_ pursued the NEUROM ships, weapons blazing. Armor and hull broke and exploded under the hits they were delivering. One NEUROM vessel, already damaged, suddenly fell away from the others. It disengaged its tractor beam and turned toward them. The secondary batteries on the ship opened up on the pursuing Alliance fighters. One blew apart from a direct hit. Another was sent spiraling away from a glancing blow. The rest opened up with weapons and what was often their last torpedo or missile before breaking away. The resulting hits added to the enemy ship's damage. But it refused to break away and its main guns kept firing as it rushed toward the _Aurora_ and _Castle_.

Meridina's eyes widened. "Captain, I can sense their intent. They are on a ramming course."

"Damn. Evasive maneuvers, now!"

The two pursuing ships broke away from each other as the NEUROM ship came in for its suicide run. It barely missed one of the warp nacelles of the _Aurora_ on its pass. Nor did it come through unscathed. Multiple blue beams and bolts from the _Aurora_ 's port side weapons carved into the damaged vessel's port side while its starboard was ripped into by the _Castle_ 's weaponry. Gas and debris were still spewing from the new wounds in the ship as the two vessels passed by it. The rear cannons on the _Aurora_ pounded the ship into debris.

But the NEUROM ship had achieved its goal. The shift in trajectory kept the _Aurora_ and _Castle_ from closing the distance quickly with the remaining three ships and their captive prisoner. "I'm picking up an energy surge in the remaining ships," Cat said. "They're about to activate their hyperdrives!"

"Our fighters are attempting to close, but they have expended all of their anti-ship munitions," Meridina added.

"Take them out! Now!"

"Trying!" Angel replied.

But Julia knew it was too late. The added distance they'd allowed to open up to avoid that ramming attack, the maneuvering enemy ships… the chance of stopping them from getting away with Pidge and the Green Lion was lost.

* * *

Squadron Captain Tissim felt relief. Bringing the lioncraft back to Admiral Gal-Nazad would justify this disaster of a battle. "Hyperdrives are at ninety-five percent," the helm officer stated. "Preparing for hyperspace transition in ten… nine… eight…"

* * *

Space rippled ahead of the NEUROM ships.

The rippling settled into the decloaking form of the _Starship Koenig_. The attack ship raced in, phasers and torpedoes blazing. As the seconds passed and it drew even closer, the fire of its phaser cannons was joined by the rapid appearance of a blue ribbon from the vessel. The _Koenig_ 's tractor beam lashed out, aiming not at the captive Green Lion but at the beams holding the craft prisoner. One beam failed in two seconds. Then the next.

This sudden loss of restraint allowed Pidge to make one final effort with the Green Lion's own drives. She threw them to full power in the final few seconds before the NEUROM ships initiated their hyperspace jumps.

When the Green Lion broke loose, it went spinning past both the NEUROM ships and the _Koenig_. On the bridge of his flagship Tissim shouted, "Cancel! Cancel the transition!"

But it was too late for that to happen. His ships made its jump to hyperspace without the prisoner they had expected to bring along.

On the _Koenig_ bridge Apley turned to Magda. "Good job, Lieutenant. I didn't even remember that little trick from the fight at 33LA."

Magda shook her head. "Don't mention it. Besides, it was Cat Delgado's idea, I'm just using it." Something drew Magda's attention to her console. "The _Aurora_ is tying us into their tac-comm."

"Put everyone on screen."

The screen shifted to three images, side-by-side, of Julia on the _Aurora_ bridge, another bridge with a pointy-eared alien that reminded Apley of Falaens, and a very young woman in a set of white and green armor, including helmet. "It looks like we got back just in time."

Julia spoke first. " _Your timing was impeccable, Commander Apley_."

 _"Yeah, I couldn't have broken away without you taking out those tractor beams_ ," Pidge agreed.

" _You have our thanks_ ," said Allura.

Julia furrowed her brow. " _Where is Commander Carrey?_ "

"In the infirmary," Apley answered. "We found him passed out in his quarters after we had our own little run-in with the locals."

"It looks like you did too," Magda added. "I'm picking up that freaky ship with the biological tendrils on sensors. Looks like you put it down."

" _You could say that_ ," said Julia. " _What's wrong with the Commander?_ "

"Doctor Epstein ran what tests he can, but wants to confer with Doctor Gillam first."

" _Right. And what's your status? We're showing damage._ "

"Like I said, we ran into that ship with the tendrils. We had to overload our reactors to break free. We're down to just one fully-functional naqia reactor and one partially-functional one. Lieutenant Derbely wants to dock and shut the entire system down."

" _Docking is fine. I'll have a medbay team waiting at the dock. As for the other term, tell her to hold off until we can have a command staff meeting. I expect your report shortly, Commander Apley._ Aurora _out._ "

The viewscreen changed to show the approaching vessels. Apley drew in a breath before saying, "Ensign, begin docking sequence."

"Yes sir," Hajar replied.

Magda was giving Apley a concerned look. "You didn't mention…"

"I didn't," Apley said. "Not on open comms anyway. I'll… I'll talk to Captain Andreys about it."

"Why not see why he blacked out first?" Sherlily asked. "If you tell her, she'll…"

"I know, April," Apley sighed. "And I don't want to get Commander Carrey in trouble. But…" He shook his head. "As the First Officer I have a duty to the crew too. And that includes being honest about issues that affect our ship. The Commander being… _indisposed_ like that during a field mission in potentially-hostile space? I can't cover it up."

Sherlily pursed her lips. She could see where he was going with that, and she didn't like it.

"You do what you have to do, sir," Hajar remarked. Her voice sounded calm, matter-of-fact, but there was the slightest emotion toward the end. And she certainly kept her focus on her instruments. "Beginning docking sequence."

Nobody said anything more while the _Koenig_ docked. 

* * *

Julia left Meridina in charge on the bridge and went straight to the _Koenig_ 's dock. When she arrived she was met by Doctor Opani. The Dorei physician, with a dark-teal complexion and purple hair arranged into a pony-tail, started to speak only to stop when Doctor Epstein emerged with his nurse, both pushing an anti-grav stretcher. Zack was lying unconscious on it. "We found him a few hours ago," Epstein said. "Scans show low brainwave activity and bruising consistent with a blow to the head from falling. Neural activity is slightly off. He may have taken a medication of some sort."

"Commander Carrey has no long-term medications," Opani said. "Let's get him to the medbay for a full scan."

Julia watched quietly while the two doctors and the nurse left with her friend. She allowed herself a moment to worry about him before returning to business. She turned back to the airlock to see Magda and Apley approach. "I'll read your formal reports later, but I'd like to hear what happened?"

"The NEUROM ship grabbed us with its tentacles. While we were cloaked. We overloaded our reactors and used transported torpedoes to damage the tentacles until they let go enough for us to escape."

"Good thinking." Julia nodded to him. "I'll put you in for a commendation. What's your status?"

"Lieutenant Derbely is still working in Engineering and is against relaunching the ship until the reactors are refueled. Due to the torpedoes we lost communications."

"We'll discuss her desire at the staff meeting later today," Julia said. "In the meantime, get your reports finished and filed, and see to any needs for your crew."

"Yes ma'am." Apley's expression betrayed concern. "Can you keep us informed about Commander Carrey?"

"Of course. You're both dismissed." 

* * *

The conference room on the _Aurora_ betrayed the tension that attended the _Koenig_ 's return. The officers of that ship joined the _Aurora_ officers. On the wall viewscreen the control center of the _Castle of Lions_ was being displayed. Allura and Coran were joined by Lucy and Talara.

Julia set her hands on the table. "So, let's get down to business. NEUROM wants the Green Lion and the _Castle of Lions_. And we're not going to let them have them, if we can stop it."

Everyone nodded.

" _And what is this 'NEUROM'?_ " asked Allura.

"They're an alliance of states in the Fracture," Julia replied. "They're uniformly xenophobic. Most are dictatorships of one kind or another."

"We're not that close to NEUROM space, though," Locarno said. "What are they doing out here?"

"Perhaps they also detected the arrival of the Green Lion," Meridina proposed. "We know from experience that NEUROM possesses agents with capabilities matching our own. Their _swevyra'kse_ may have sensed the Lion."

" _Through the Fracture?_ " Lucy's tone was skeptical. " _We had to get close to feel it._ "

"They would be used to the Fracture's effects," Meridina pointed out. "Perhaps their training even attunes them to it."

" _Why are they willing to die over this though?_ " Allura asked. " _Even the Galra usually aren't that suicidal._ "

"Tissim said he was with the Ministry of Fate," Julia replied. "They're the central enforcement arm of the entire alliance and highly secretive. We don't even have their ships on record. Including the fact that they possess Darglan technology."

" _You mentioned them before_ ," Allura said. " _Who are the Darglan?_ "

Pidge already knew about them through her conversations with Cat, but she let the others explain. "They're a species that existed over three thousand years ago," Julia answered. "They're the source of our interuniversal jump drive technology among other things. They even built the hull and frame of the _Aurora_."

"NEUROM possessing Darglan technology is a major discovery that the Alliance must be made aware of," Meridina added.

Julia gave a nod of agreement. "I've already dispatched a record of the battle, and that fact, to Admiral Maran. As for the Ministry of Fate, everything I've read on them says they're fanatical when it comes to NEUROM's perceived needs. And if they're the ones out here, that means someone really powerful wants control of your technology."

" _The_ Castle's _defenses are ready_ ," Coran said. " _If they want another fight, we'll give them one._ "

"There's no telling how many more ships they're sending." Julia shook her head. "So I'd rather not get into another fight at all. It's better if we send you home." She looked at Caterina. "Lieutenant, any progress?"

"I'm trying a couple of avenues," Cat said. "But I've got more work to do to make sure this will work despite the Fracture's… problems."

"What if we were not in the Fracture?" Laurent asked. "What if we departed this space for our colonial zone?"

" _I've still got work to do on restoring the teludav_ ," said Coran. " _Until we're finished, the Castle isn't going anywhere_."

"So why not tow them?" Locarno asked.

Scotty shook his head. "I dinnae think th' tractor beams can keep up with t' strain. Nae with th' interference from th' Fracture."

"So it's clear running isn't possible. And given what just happened, NEUROM's going to be spoiling for a fight, and I don't think any diplomacy will dissuade them" Julia said. "Commander Apley." She looked his way. "What's the status of the _Koenig_?"

Apley was not usually in the place of providing these details during joint staff meetings. He rose to the occasion. "We still have armor and structural damage. And we're down to one completely functional reactor and one with some functionality. Lieutenant Derbely wants to do a complete systems check with all reactors powered down to ensure there's no lasting damage from the escape."

"I'd love to give you that, but we may need everything we've got," Julia said. "Mister Scott, do you think your staff can spare some hands to help get the _Koenig_ into shape for combat?"

"Aye, Captain, I can send a crew or two t' help out with th' bairns," was the engineer's reply. "It shudnae take long t' replace any burnt out components or naqia. As long as she's got two reactors, _Koenig_ is good for a fight."

"Then see to it when we're done." Julia looked at Cat next. "I hate to put you on the spot, Lieutenant, but we could use a solution to Princess Allura's problem."

"I know," Cat said. "But the problem is, we still don't know the origin universe's signature to open a point ourselves, assuming we were willing to risk it. Re-opening the wormhole to their universe may just put them back into that time loop. At least if we do it that same way again… maybe if we…" It was clear Cat was deep in thought.

"Maybe what?" Pidge asked.

Cat turned her head toward Pidge. "Well, we tied your lion into the _Aurora_ to connect to the _Castle_ through what was left of the wormhole. If we could find a way to use that same connection to determine the universal coordinate you come from, we could use our jump drive to take you home."

"That means we need their coordinates," Jarod pointed out.

"Right. So we tie whatever system they use to detect the lions into an IU receiver and that could get us the coordinates we need."

" _I suppose we could install an IU transceiver into the_ Castle," Lucy said. " _And see if that works._ "

Julia noticed the others start to look at her. Her expression remained impassive, although behind that appearance her mind was anything but impassive. Lucy's suggestion meant providing restricted technology to Allura. If they ended up not recovering it, and something wrong happened after the transfer… Julia did _not_ like the thought of these Galra getting their hands on any element of interuniversal technology.

But at the same time, she'd made the offer of assistance, and in their current situation, delaying made another fight with NEUROM more likely. And she was certain it would come long before any help would arrive from Admiral Maran.

After weighing these options, Julia breathed out and nodded. "Alright," she said. "We can try that. But we have to recover the transceiver when this is over." She looked to the image from the _Castle_. "I personally don't have an issue with you having such a thing, Princess, but we have laws and regulations about this technology that I'm sworn to obey."

" _I understand, Captain, and I'm grateful to you for any risks you take on our behalf_ ," Allura answered.

"Lieutenant Lucero, we'll send the transceiver over right away. Get it installed immediately."

" _Aye sir_ ," Lucy answered.

Julia nodded. "Mister… Coran, is it?"

" _Yes, Captain?_ "

"How long until your wormhole drive could be ready? If we can leave this area of space before trouble shows up, then we don't need to worry about rushing things to get you home. Or the problem of our jump drive not working well with the Fracture's twisted space."

" _Well, whatever hit our wormhole really did some damage to the drive controls. Allura and I have to re-synchronize the entire teludav. And I'm worried about the scaultrite lenses…_ " Seeing Julia's look Coran stopped himself there. " _It will probably take a few_ vagras _at least. Maybe a long as a_ quintant _if the drive needs total re-alignment._ "

"A _vagra_ is about an hour and a _quintat_ about a day," Pidge clarified.

Julia nodded. "See if Lieutenant Lucero and her team can trim that down for us." She turned her head to Scott. "Mister Scott, status on the jump drive?"

"Openin' that wormhole burnt out a number of th' particle feed lines," he answered. "I've got crews workin' on it. But I've had t' reassign th' Dorei officers an' staff t' light work given all th' problems this space causes 'em. It's slowin' down our progress."

"Do what you can. I want options." Julia looked over everyone. "I know it's getting late, but given the situation we need to be ready for action at a moment's notice," she said. "For the time being we're remaining at Code Yellow. I'll have Hargert prepare the coffee."

"Like we don't drink enough of it as it is," Barnes grumbled.

Julia grinned wryly at that. "Just imagine trying to do this job without caffeine, Lieutenant. That's the stuff of nightmares if you ask me." Julia directed her attention to Laurent next. "Commander, I'm sorry for making you the last item on my list. You and your pilots made that victory possible. What is your status?"

"We lost six fighters, two of the crews were lost with their craft," he said. "And twelve more extensively damaged."

"I understand. But I need your pilots out there. Not just for patrol either, but to escort our runabouts while they drop sensor buoys."

"I can consolidate our pilots by deactivating Fox Squadron for the moment. We'll send our two flights per runabout."

"Coordinate with Commander Jarod, he'll be assigning the runabout teams and scheduling their launch. I want them out and planting buoys within three hours." Julia stood at the table. "You're all dismissed. Doctor Epstein, Doctor Gillam, please remain for a moment."

The other officers filed out of the room save the two medical officers. Julia spent the time waiting for those departures agonizing over the questions she felt compelled to ask. But she had to know.

"What happened to Commander Carrey… he's drinking, isn't he?"

Leo and Epstein exchanged uncomfortable looks. "You understand that under medical ethics, we can only tell you so much, Captain."

"I do. I also understand that under the same ethics and regulations, you have to report general conditions that interfere with someone's capability to fulfill their duties."

"True," said Epstein. "I would have to say, Captain, that it is likely alcohol could have played a role."

"Although not the major one," added Leo. "The neurological symptoms don't fit something like an alcohol-fueled blackout striking. We have to finish tests."

"Alright. Do what you need to and keep me informed," Julia said. "You're dismissed."

She watched them go. When she was by herself Julia let some of her defenses down. Seeing Zack like that affected her more deeply. For weeks he was visibly suffering, but he seemed determined to not let anyone help him.

 _Maybe I should have forced the issue_ , she thought. _Maybe that would have helped him more._

The thought had to be banished for now. Before things hit the fan she needed to get a message to Admiral Maran about their situation.

And then... she needed some damn coffee too.

* * *

With al-Rashad on duty, Caterina decided to follow Pidge to the launch deck. They remained quiet until they were in the lift. "Do you think this is going to work?" Pidge asked her.

"It might. I'm not sure. I mean, there are still some aspects of the interuniversal technology we're still trying to grasp. And I'm not sure how this connection between your lion ships and the _Castle of Lions_ works, or if the IU transceiver can interface with it." Caterina shrugged. "All we can do is give it a try."

Pidge nodded in agreement. The lift came to a stop and they stepped out together. "I'm sorry you didn't get to go over to the Castle."

"Yeah. But we don't always get to do the fun things."

"Sometimes I wish someone would remind Lance of that."

The Green Lion was still seated on all fours on the hanger deck. Its head was just low enough that Pidge could climb up into it. Cat stopped at the last step before the mouth. "Well, here we go." She turned to face Pidge. "Just in case we don't get to say anything else before you get back home, it was great to meet you."

Pidge smiled at that, prompting Cat to do the same. "I feel the same way. This ship you've got is amazing. I only wish we could stay in contact."

"For now, we've got a war and stuff to fight. But maybe one day…" Cat nodded. "Maybe we'll come visit."

"I'm looking forward to that." A wistful look came over Pidge's face. "If I can find my dad and my brother… they would love this. The entire idea of multiple universes to explore."

"There's always something new, too. It's like each universe has _something_ unique about it." Cat offered her hand. "I hope I can show you more of it someday."

Pidge took her offered hand. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

There was no rest for Pidge when she returned to the Castle. She immediately joined Coran and the technical officers from the _Aurora_ on the engineering deck. A gray and blue-surfaced object was in the middle of the floor. Wires were connecting it to the Castle's system. She looked over said wires. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. "That's a lot of capacity."

"IU radios can take a lot of power," Lucy answered. She handed Pidge a cable. "Would you mind running that into your transceiver system?"

"Sure." Pidge took the cable and did so. "How much longer?"

"Another hour at least," said Lucy. "And that's just the basic set-up. We'll have to modify parts of the bridge to account for your new systems."

"I just hope this works," Pidge said. "We need to get home."

"And I'm looking forward to getting the hell out of the Fracture," Lucy said. "This place makes me feel horrible."

"What could have happened to make space-time here so messed up?" Pidge wondered.

"I'm not sure. And I'm not sure I want to know." Lucy shook her head. "All I know is that my connection to the Flow of Life is distorted here. And it makes me feel anxious and sick." She looked back up to Pidge. "If it comes to a fight, you'll be piloting your ship, right?"

Pidge nodded once. "Yes."

"Then maybe you should go rest. There's no telling when trouble is going to show up."

"I'd rather help get things done, if that's alright with you."

Lucy nodded and smiled. "Right. I can appreciate that." She looked away for a moment. "Jampa!" The Dorei woman turned. "You and Miss Holt head to the bridge. Help Talara get started on our work up there."

"Yes Lieutenant," Jampa replied. She joined Pidge in departing the area. 

* * *

The command bridge of the _Castle of Lions_ was quiet. It was not a pleasant quiet either. It was awkward and uncertain. Nervousness was evident in the air.

Allura kept up the quiet while Talara examined the various consoles. Neither of them seemed ready to speak first. They were waiting for the other one to go first.

When the quiet broke, it was with a gentle squeaking noise. Talara looked down from the console she was examining and noticed the quartet of little creatures that seemed to be vying for her attention. "Well, hello there," she said softly. A little grin formed on her face. "And how are you?" She extended a hand and rubbed the head of the largest of the mice.

Allura walked to her side. "They're quite happy to see you. Surprised, but happy."

"They're your pets?" Talara asked.

"They were in my cryopod when Coran and my father put me in stasis," Allura replied. "Somehow that allows us to understand each other."

"That is quite interesting." Talara put a hand on the console before her. "Your ship is wonderful. It's inspiring to think we used to be capable of building these vessels."

Allura nodded. "I'm just glad that something of our people survives. It's hard to talk about all we lost. I'm…" She drew in a small breath. When she resumed speaking, her voice was firmer. "I apologize, Talara. I'm making you feel unwelcome when I asked your captain to send you in the first place. It was unfair of me to put you in this position."

"Yours is worse," Talara said. "I can't imagine how it hurt to wake up and learn your people were considered extinct."

"It still haunts me, Or it did, at least. Meeting you has taken some of that pain away."

Talara nodded. "It is… strange for me to see you as a living being, Princess Allura. I grew up with tales of the tragedy of our people and the bravery of our last royal family. On Fala we are told you died heroically at King Alfor's side, buying time for Queen Fala to escape with our ancestors."

A pained look crossed Allura's face. "Sometimes I wish I had," she confessed. "It was my father who put me to sleep and placed me into the cryopod. I begged him to let us form Voltron and fight the Galra, but he refused."

"He must have had his reasons."

Allura nodded. "He did. But it still hurt."

Talara lowered her eyes. "I was actually a little angry with you before. Seeing you alive made me wonder what else our legends got wrong about our history. It's unfair, I know…"

"I think I understand." There was another moment of quiet. "What is it like? Your new homeworld?"

Talara looked up again. Her eyes glistened from happy memories. "Beautiful. The cities are jewels of light when you view Fala from orbit." By way of example Talara activated her omnitool and called up an image of Fala. Part of the sunlit surface was visible, showing a healthy, beautiful garden world. The side of the planet where it was night was lit up with strands of bright light connecting points of varying size. A second image showed cityscapes of towering white and blue structures.

Allura's heart ached at the sight. Whatever the Falaens had lost over the millennia, they still had Altean architecture as Allura remembered it. When another change of image showed a beautiful park in the middle of one of the cities, Allura said, "It's all beautiful. My mother would adore your world. And Father would be proud."

"That is what we wanted. It's what we've always wanted. To be worthy of her and of you." Talara turned her omnitool off. "You should come to Fala. My people, _our_ people, would welcome you."

"If circumstances allowed it, I would love to." Allura shook her head. Determination flashed in her eyes. "But I have a duty to our home universe first. The Galra must be stopped."

To that Talara smiled softly. "Spoken like the Allura I grew up reading about." That caused a small blush to form on Allura's face.

The door opened and Pidge entered with Ensign Jampa. She walked up to them. "We're still working on getting their technology fitted to the ship. I need to start modifying the controls."

"Of course." Allura turned her head and faced Talara. "Talara, can you check on Coran for me? He may need help."

"Of course, Princess… Your Highness." Talara nodded her head once in respect and left.

Pidge watched her walk out and glanced back to Allura. "This changes a lot, doesn't it?"

"It does," Allura admitted. A contented smile was on her face. "I have never allowed myself to consider what victory over the Galra will mean for us. With my people gone, what was I to do? But now I know Coran and I aren't the last. For the first time, I have something to look forward to when we stop Zarkon."

"Right." With nothing more to say on the matter, they got to work.

* * *

The three surviving ships of Tissim's squadron exited hyperspace at the planned rendezvous. Tissim waited quietly, nervously, for the signal from Admiral Gal-Nazad. Through the viewer he made out the image of the assembled task force from the Ministry of Fate's States Reserve Fleet. A kilometer long dreadnought was at the center of the force, which consisted of another half-dozen assault carriers and twice that number in ships of his own size.

"Hail from the _Tatran's Bane_ ," his comm officer stated.

"On viewer."

Admiral Gal-Nazad's face appeared. He was a man of olive complexion, with graying dark hair and a red cybernetic implant where his left eye used to be. His golden uniform bore more markings and commendations than Tissim's. " _Squadron Captain, you seem to have run into difficulties. What is your report?_ "

"The Alliance vessel _Aurora_ protected the extrauniversal visitors, my Admiral. We fought as well as we could, but the power against us was too great. The Fates were not with us."

" _I see_." Gal-Nazad considered his next response. " _Return to Starngard and take repairs. We will convene an inquiry into your actions at a more opportune time._ "

"Yes sir," answered Tissim. He had just been given a stay of execution, at least. "Will you be pursuing the lion ship?"

" _Oh, yes._ " Gal-Nazad nodded. " _In decades of service I have never failed the All-Father. I will not start now._ " He looked off-screen. " _Order the fleet to prepare for hyperspace. All must be ready to sacrifice to bring victory to the Ministry of Fate._ "

" _Aye sir_ ," was the accented reply over the line.

Tissim watched Gal-Nazad's fleet warp away. He smiled. Whatever his fate, that damned alien and those damnable meddlers in the Alliance were about to suffer far, far worse.


	22. Episode 3-04-5 The Whims of Fate

The door chime for her ready office woke Julia from a light nap. She sat up on the couch rubbed at her head for a moment as if to push the bleariness of sleep out of her mind. When the chime sounded again she called out "Coming!" and stood. A few steps to a plastic coat stand let her retrieve her uniform jacket. She pulled it on over the burgundy red sleeved undershirt she was wearing, tucked it into her belt, and closed it before looking to the door. "Come in."

When the door slid open Apley walked in. The _Koenig_ XO looked as crisply-attired as always, with his sandy blond hair combed into a formal hairstyle. He was from the North American Midwest just as Julia and many of the others were, although he hailed from the Earth of D3R1 as a citizen, and former officer, of the Sol Republic. "Captain," he began, bringing up a digital reader. "My report on the encounter with the NEUROM ship."

Julia accepted it and walked to her desk. "Thank you Commander." When she saw him approach after she sat down in her chair, she looked up at him and added, "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

"I wouldn't like to talk about anything, ma'am," he answered. "I'm obligated to."

Julia nodded. She could see where this was going, as much as she wished she didn't. "Right. What is it?"

"It concerns Commander Carrey, ma'am."

"I figured."

"I don't want… I don't feel right about this," he insisted.

"I'm sure of it," Julia said. "Honestly, Apley, I'm grateful that my friend has such loyal officers. Although I'm a little surprised that you've gotten along so well under him. I'm sure you never imagined having a Commanding Officer calling you 'Ap' in duty situations."

Apley chuckled at that. "It was an adjustment, ma'am," he admitted. Apley thought back to that time. At first the assignment caused him to wonder if he was being punished by being assigned to be the XO on the _Koenig_. Everything Apley had heard about Zack Carrey and Robert Dale and the others caused him to figure the _Aurora_ and the _Koenig_ would be disasters, operationally speaking. "And I wasn't comfortable with it early on. Over time, though, I realized that his informality aside, Commander Carrey was a good commander."

"So what happened?"

"After our run-in with the NEUROM ship, the Commander's failure to report to the bridge led me to send Doctor Epstein and personnel to check his quarters. That's when they found him comatose." Apley shook his head. "I arrived at his quarters as Epstein was taking him to the infirmary. And I observed that the Commander had a bottle of banned material on his desk."

Julia closed her eyes and asked, "Tequila or bourbon?"

"Tequila," Apley said. "You knew?"

"I know what he drank during his bender after the 33LA mission," Julia answered. She was looking at Apley again. "And I've been wondering about him lately. He's been so withdrawn since Clara died."

"Yes." Apley nodded. "I found a tumbler as well, a plastic one. It was on the floor by a wall. I could smell the drink around it. It looks like the Commander threw it."

"Right." Julia tried to hide her own disappointment. She had to do the same with her growing anger. _God damn you, Zack_ , she thought. _Damn you for not asking for help._ "Have you written a formal report on this?"

"I…" Apley sighed. "I've started one, ma'am. I'll file it after we find out what's wrong with the Commander."

"And I'll have to file one too now that you're reported this to me," Julia pointed out.

"I know." The look on his face betrayed how much he was against his own actions. "I'm sorry, Captain. I don't want Commander Carrey's career to suffer, but I have an obligation…"

"We all do," Julia said, interrupting him. "I don't like it either, but we have duties to uphold. And I think that Commander Carrey will accept it when he's sobered up."

"Maybe. But I'm worried about him, ma'am. I think losing Clara broke him. And if he loses his ship too… I don't know what he'll do."

"Nor do I. But it looks like he's got a problem, and commanding a ship in his mental condition isn't the best way to deal with it. You've done the right thing, Commander Apley, don't doubt that."

"Yes ma'am." He stood. "May I be dismissed?"

"You're dismissed," she agreed. After watching him go, Julia felt a stab of guilt. "It's my fault too," she muttered to herself. If she'd pushed before this, if she'd forced Zack to open up, then maybe she would have nipped this problem in the bud. Before Zack could do damage to himself. The damage that was now unavoidable. 

* * *

The white and silver interior of the _Castle of Lions_ was impressive in its own ways. Lucy, with Ensign Jampa and Ensign Tasker following, allowed Coran to take the lead in guiding them to the mess hall. "And here we have the kitchen," he announced proudly, referring to a space that, indeed, had some kitchen-like qualities. He walked up to a machine with a extendable nozzle. When activated it placed a gob of green goo into his ready hand. "The finest goo that Altea has ever produced! It can keep you healthy for years!"

"Assuming you didn't go mad from eating it constantly," guffawed Tasker. He was a light-skinned man of moderate built with chestnut color to his hair and growing beard.

"Maybe we should offer a replicator?" Jampa suggested. There was a little more color on her face today. Lucy wondered if she was adjusting to the Fracture. It would certainly make their job easier if she was should another fight happen.

"And what is a 'replicator'?" asked Coran.

"It rearranges matter on the molecular level," Lucy said. "It allows for the quick and easy replication of tools and food."

"Oh. Well, I _suppose_ its useful. But certainly not as healthy _or_ tasty as goo!" Coran held up the nozzle. "Here, try some."

"Oh, I already ate," Lucy lied.

Her stomach growled a second later. It had no motivation to support her lie, after all.

Coran gave her a suspicious look. Finally she sighed and nodded. "Fine, a bit."

With a flourish the Altean provided three plates covered in the goo and what looked like spoons to eat it with. Lucy fought to keep her stomach in check while preparing a bite (not an easy proposition given how the Fracture was affecting her). When the moment came and her tastebuds first experienced the substance, she realized that it wasn't quite as bad as she'd feared.

Not that she wanted to eat nothing but this stuff. Even if Hargert hadn't already spoiled her palate, replicator food was still superior.

"This stuff tastes like _piyam_ ," Jampa observed with some disgust.

" _Piyam_?" Tasker asked.

"It is a tasteless fruit that is used as an additive in some Daxai dishes," Jampa explained. "The Daxai merchants often add it to foods to provide texture. It is often at the cost of taste, if you ask me."

"I was going to say it tasted like plastic," Tasker said. "It's a little better than nutrient paste at least."

Noticing Coran's frown, Lucy prevented any further remarks by asking, "Can we see your central power source when we're done? I need to check a few things while we wait to see if your systems will pick up the other lions with the IU transceiver."

"Certainly." Coran dug his utensil into his own plate of goo. "And after this nourishing meal, we'll all feel ready to tackle a _klamüirl_."

"I'll take your word for that," was the best Lucy could do by way of reply. 

* * *

After another journey through the corridors and lifts they entered a chamber. Built into the center of it was one large, blue-white crystal shining with light. "That's your power source?" Jampa asked.

"It's a Balmera Crystal, battleship-class," Coran said.

Lucy approached it. She realized this was what she had been feeling since the ship arrived. She raised a hand and touched the warm, glowing surface of the crystal. "I feel it," she murmured. "I can feel the life energy inside of it. I've never felt so much from a single object before. " She focused on it. Her power touched that of the crystal's.

In one moment, all of the misery of the Fracture seemed to melt away. She felt the Flow of Life in all of its warm glory. The Balmera Crystal resonated with her power. She caught glimpses of a world, of bipedal aliens of gray-green coloring and yellow eyes working under metal soldiers, pain and despair and misery. Death is approaching in all of its cold finality. More images; a Human man with a brown complexion, large and heavy-set, and Coran. A crystal taken, a promise kept. The lions come, the metal soldiers are routed, and a great burst of life comes. Death's certainty recedes; life has prevailed.

Lucy pulled away. Her eyes blinked. "What did you just do, ma'am?" Jampa asked. The Dorei woman rubbed at her forehead. "I… I felt that. Images in my head."

"I didn't feel anything," said Tasker.

"Remarkable," said Coran. "Those are the memories of the Balmera we got the crystal from. Even though we got the crystal before we saved the Balmera from the Galra! How could the crystal know?"

"I think they remain linked through life energy," said Lucy. She stared at the crystal in wonder. "And you use this to power your ships?"

"Yes indeed! The finest engineering Altea has to offer!" Coran's bright and cheery demeanor suddenly faded. "Or 'had', I suppose. From what your young Altean officer said, it sounds like the survivors didn't keep the knowledge needed to build these things."

"They didn't," Lucy confirmed. She sensed the bittersweet joy in Coran. His species was still alive, but they had lost much of the civilization he was from.

"Well, at least they're around," he said. "If things turn out right, maybe we can invite them back home. Once we've dealt with Zarkon at least."

"The Falaens are a bit settled to move en masse, but I don't see why they might not re-settle anything left of Altea," Lucy remarked. "With enough terraforming technology maybe the planet could be restored."

"It's something to look forward to," Coran agreed. "And you certainly look better, Lieutenant."

Lucy nodded. "It won't last. But connecting to your crystal helped me. For the moment my connection to the Flow of Life feels, well, normal I guess. For the first time since we've been in the Fracture." She looked around. "But we should get back to work. There's no telling how long we have before more NEUROM ships show up." 

* * *

With the ship on Code Yellow running status game night in the holodeck was canceled. Cat therefore had little to do while off-duty. She stopped by the Lookout for a quick meal before returning to her quarters.

She only had time to get her uniform jacket and shirt off before the chime sounded. Still in the uniform skirt and a white sleeveless bottom garment, she was dressed enough to not be worried about who stepped in. Even that small consideration faded with the arrival of Violeta. She stepped in and shed her uniform jacket. "Hey," she said.

"Hey." Cat stood. "So, uh, off-duty?"

"As much as we can be under the alert," Violeta replied. "I guess the Dragon King will have to wait."

"Yeah." Cat sighed. "And there's not much we can get to right now."

"Have you finished your science work?"

"Yeah." Cat nodded. She sat on the couch. "I mean, all the simulations are run and everything looks sound. My job's finished. It's all up to Scotty, Tom, and the engineers now."

Violeta nodded and sat beside Cat. They embraced. Cat rested her head on Violeta's shoulder. "I've been a bad girlfriend, haven't I?" Cat asked.

Violeta responded to that by shaking her head. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does," Cat insisted. "You've been wonderful to me and I feel like I've let you down. I dragged you off to Vulcan and now I'm letting my science stuff get in the way of time with you."

Violeta's hand reached up and stroked Cat's hair. After years of keeping it above her neck, now the black locks were down to just above her shoulders. "Cat, you wouldn't be the first person to let other things get in the way of your relationship."

"I know, but I still feel bad." Cat put her arms around Violeta's waist. "I'd like to make it up to you."

Violeta seemed ready to speak for a moment. As if she intended to turn the offer down. But she held back, recognizing that she shouldn't. "We'll talk about it later," she said. "When we're not on alert standby." She kissed Cat on the forehead. "Have I ever told you that you are the most adorable nerd I have ever met?"

"Once or twice," Cat giggled. "So, cuddle time?"

"Cuddle time," Violeta agreed.

* * *

Meridina was preparing to get some rest when the call came in over her omnitool. She tapped the glowing blue light over the back of her left hand. "Meridina here."

" _Hey_ ," Lucy said.

"Lucy? Is everything well?"

" _We're preparing to start the scan through the transceiver_ ," she answered. " _But I'm calling about something else._ "

"Oh?"

" _The crystal powering this ship. It's… it's amazing, Meridina. I could sense the memories of the being that formed it. It's connected to the Flow of Life even in the Fracture._ "

Meridina considered that news. "Then it is more fortunate than we are, I believe."

" _Maybe. Or maybe we're the problem. Maybe we have to, I don't know, approach this differently? If the Fracture has everything twisted, and our normal connection doesn't work…_ "

"It is something to consider," Meridina agreed. "I shall meditate on it."

" _I would too, but I'm due on the bridge for the transceiver activation. I'll keep in touch. Lucero out._ "

The communication ended. Meridina removed her uniform jacket and hung it up on a hook near the entrance to her bedroom. It seemed almost a waste, really. The quarters she held as Chief of Security had already been larger than she would ever need, and the First Officer's accommodations were a good twenty percent larger in space.

One benefit was that it gave her plenty of room for a meditation mat at the foot of her bed. After changing out of her uniform clothes Meridina sat on the mat and took up a meditative position. She felt out for the Flow of Life. This time she did not seek the connection as she normally would. She let the flows of energy through the twisted space guide her.

This was not a pleasant experience. There was something terribly wrong about the Fracture. The warped space seemed to brim with fear and terror. Meridina got the sense that its very creation was a terrible one. An act of desperation, with a high cost.

And yet, through the darkness, through the latent fear and anger and pain, there was still the Light of Life. Even the Fracture's creation had not eliminated the Flow of Life. Weakened it, perhaps. Contorted its flow, certainly. But Life persisted. It adapted. It found new channels to flow through. Much the same way she had to.

Meridina felt the Light and reached for it. It was not easy. The latent senses of fear and pain in the Fracture remained around her. It made her cold with dread. The terrible sensation she had suffered since arriving here worsened while she reached. But she persisted through accepting that terrible presence and not giving into it. She didn't have to feel the same if she didn't want to. The Fracture could not actually control her.

Soon the unease and painful anxiety was giving way for the first time since the _Aurora_ entered the Fracture. A familiar warmth thrummed through her. She smiled.

At least, she did until she felt the thrum of danger ripple through her being. 

* * *

After trying to get another nap and failing, Julia decided to check up on things in the medbay. Leo was off-duty at this point and the doctor on call was Amita Singh, a New Punjabi woman. "Captain," she said upon seeing Julia. "I imagine you wish to see Commander Carrey?"

"Is he awake?" Julia asked.

"No. He awoke briefly but is asleep again. This is a good thing, I must point out. It's a sign that his condition may be improving."

"Right." Julia sighed and nodded. "Can you tell me anything more about his condition?"

"In the bounds of the regulations and medical ethics? He is not fit for duty at this time, and it is the opinion of myself and most of our medical personnel that he is in desperate need of psychiatric counseling," Singh answered succinctly. She gave Julia a determined look. "Pardon me if I am overstepping my bounds, Captain, but I think you and those close to him need to sit down with Commander Carrey and talk."

"He keeps pushing us away," said Julia.

"And that, Captain, is why it is called an 'intervention'." Singh shook her head. "I understand you wish to honor your friend's desires, but the best thing for him is for some harsh truths and intense counseling."

"You're probably right. I…"

A tone came from Julia's omnitool. Blue light appeared on the back of her hand. She tapped it. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, I believe we may be attacked soon_ ," Meridina said.

"Really?" Julia didn't hide the bewilderment she felt at the announcement. "This is something you sense or…?"

" _Yes._ "

Julia's first thought was to make sure. Meridina's powers had been off ever since entering the Fracture. She could be wrong now. But she stopped herself. Problems or not, she trusted Meridina's judgement. If Meridina said it, she meant it, and she was certain of herself.

"Alright. Meet me on the bridge." Julia brought her omnitool controls up and tapped a key. "Andreys to bridge. Call all senior officers to their stations, and get ahold of our perimeter craft. Find out their status. I'm on my way."

" _Yes Captain_ ," Lieutenant Takawira replied.

Once the channel was cut Julia gave Singh her attention again. "Thank you for your advice, Doctor."

"You are welcome, Captain _,_ " was her reply. 

* * *

Julia stepped onto the bridge in mixed company. Meridina was at the command chair and Jarod at Ops. The helm was taken up by a Gersallian Ensign, Impareg, and Lieutenant Luneri was at Tactical. Caterina was relieving al-Rashad at Science. "Anything?" Julia asked.

"Our perimeter fighters and runabouts report no contacts," Meridina answered, moving from the command chair to her own.

Julia sat in the central chair. On both sides of the bridge the rear lift doors opened. Angel entered from the starboard one while Locarno came from the port. They assumed their postings. "Put me on with the _Castle_."

After a few moments the image of Princess Allura and Ensign Talara appeared on the holo-viewer. Lucy entered the frame a moment later. " _Yes, Captain?_ " asked Allura.

"We may have company soon," Julia said. "What's your status?"

" _The transceiver has been successfully integrated into our systems_ ," Allura replied. " _We've begun our scan for the lions now._ "

"What about your faster-than-light system? Can you use it?"

" _I'm afraid that the teludav isn't ready yet. Coran expects to restore it in a few vargas, or hours as you call them._ "

"We may not have a few hours."

" _I see. Well, we are ready to defend ourselves if it comes to that._ "

"I'll let you…"

Before Julia could finish her sentence, a tone came from Jarod's console. He tapped a key. "Medway _to_ Aurora _,_ " a voice stated.

"Go ahead," Jarod said.

" _We just detected a number of subspace signatures entering the area. It looks like ships in hyperspace._ "

"Relay it to us." Julia turned her head to face Cat.

Cat checked the incoming readings. "Oh, that's… that's bad," she said.

"What?"

"Those signatures." She turned to face Julia. "There must be a dozen ships in that force. Maybe more. And at least one is pretty big."

Julia forced any fear or apprehension from her face. SHe had to set the example. "Alright. Jarod, have all runabouts and fighters return immediately." Julia tapped a button on her chair. "Bridge to Engineering. What's the status on our jump drive?"

" _Barnes here. We're still finishing the final repairs. We still need at least an hour._ "

"I'm not sure we have that long."

" _Then find a way to give it to us, because this isn't something you fraking rush_ ," he retorted. " _If even one thing is off the entire jump drive will fail to initialize. Hell, we could blow the damn thing out with a failed jump._ "

"We'll do what we can, but still, I'd like it sooner than an hour. Andreys out." She looked to the others. "Suggestions?"

"Perhaps we could attempt to hide our presence in some way?" Meridina proposed. "We could force the enemy fleet to disperse to discover our location."

Julia turned her attention to Jarod. "Could we tow the _Castle_ at warp? Just for a few minutes?"

Jarod considered that. "A minute or two, maybe. I'm not…"

"I'm picking up a hyperspace transit," Caterina said.

"On screen."

The screen shifted to show vessels flashing into existence ahead. They were fighter-sized and larger and of similar makeup to the NEUROM fighters already fought. The larger ships had visible weapons buried in their prows or attached to the sides or bottoms of their vessels. "They're locking weapons on us," Cat said.

"Code Red! All hands to battlestations! Evasive maneuvers!"

Everyone secured themselves with seat harnesses. Locarno complied with the order for maneuvers. And the _Aurora_ was agile for her size and mass.

But that didn't keep the arriving craft from opening up with a large volley of missiles, or those missiles from proving themselves even more agile. Dozens of them streaked in toward the _Aurora_ and _Castle_ , some of the missiles large enough that they would have passed for fighters in their own right.

As the missiles streaked in the light weapons on the two ships engaged. Bursts of light streaked out to intercept the incoming missiles. Angel opened fire with the larger plasma emitters to hit the larger missiles.

The defensive fire did its work in attriting the incoming enemy strike. But the enemy craft could fire too much too quickly for their defenses to handle. The missiles started impacting on the shields and barriers of both ships. The _Aurora_ rocked at first, growing into a vicious shaking when one of the large missiles impacted on the shields. "Shields down to eighty percent," Jarod warned afterward.

"They're firing again!" Cat shouted.

"I'm trying to engage them with weapons, but they're too far out for accurate shots," Angel added.

"Launch our remaining fighters," Julia ordered. "And combat launch the _Koenig_."

"Sending the orders now."

" _Allura here. I am sending Pidge out to assist_."

"Just what we need." 

* * *

Fighters streamed out of the _Aurora_ 's launch tubes yet again. Laurent brought his fighter on an intercept course for the enemy craft harassing the _Aurora_ and hit his engines to full acceleration. "Everyone watch your sixes," he said over the tac-comm channel for the entire fighter group. "We have to counter their maneuverability with teamwork."

The other pilots echoed affirmations. " _I'm right behind you_ ," was the extra response his remark got, coming from the Green Lion pilot.

The enemy fighters outnumbered them by about three to one. Ordinarily Laurent would have preferred defensive tactics to deal with that disparity. But that wouldn't work, not against these foes. Not if they were to buy the _Aurora_ time.

Plus, there was the fact of their back-up. That made the three to one odds less intimidating than they would normally be.

The Green Lion's mouth-mounted weapon swept across the enemy's front squadrons. Some of the ships managed to evade, or at least avoid direct hits; those that didn't became short-lived fireballs in the void of space. The _Aurora_ squadrons fired a volley of their anti-fighter missiles a moment later that claimed several of the damaged fighters. Laurent confirmed a kill and twisted his Mongoose fighter "up" and to the right, bringing his main weapons into play against an enemy fighter. It was already maneuvering to avoid Lieutenant Skydancer's missile. Despite its agility it couldn't avoid his fire as well. Bursts of amber light pounded the craft until it blew apart.

A warning tone told Laurent an enemy fighter was on his rear. He stated so over the tac-comm line. Behind him Ensign Sentasa, his Dorei sensor control officer, busied himself with searching for a new target. Laurent focused on evading the incoming fire. Glancing hits drained his fighter's shields to sixty percent.

" _I'm making the intercept!_ " was the enthusiastic announcement of his wingman Lt. Kerman. The Kerbal pilot's Mongoose swung expertly into Laurent's visibility. He engaged the enemy with his phaser cannons. " _That's a kill!_ " the alien voice cheered a moment later.

"Thank you, Alpha 2." Laurent went back to work engaging the enemy fighters. 

* * *

For Pidge the fight was the definition of a "target rich environment". Well over a hundred enemy fighters were trying to get through to the _Castle_ and _Aurora_. They were outnumbered.

And this was likely only the beginning of the battle. An enemy fleet was known to be approaching. They had to drive off the enemy fighters now if they wanted to hold out much longer.

The Green Lion shook slightly from a missile from an enemy fighter. Pidge flipped the Lion around and fired a sweeping shot with the mouth laser that clipped his opponent. The offending craft spiraled out of control and shut down a second later. Three more enemy fighters were caught in the sweep. Two simply blew up while the third, taking a partial hit, was left a derelict.

There were yet more fighters behind them though. Pidge triggered the tail laser into rapid fire mode to join another sweep of her mouth laser. Incoming missiles and fire threw her aim off during her evasion. The lion popped up a sensor reading showing multiple opponents trying to box her in. Given how every maneuver led to enemy fire striking her lion, Pidge realized they were succeeding in that.

She was ready to take the lumps to get a good hit on the enemy box. This proved unnecessary when a series of amber energy pulses wiped out four fighters in front of her. She recognized the _Koenig_ moving in, weapons blazing, and with at least a dozen NEUROM fighters tacking them as well. Missiles and energy fire were constantly battering the _Koenig_ 's shields. Pidge returned the favor with a sweeping shot from the Green Lion's mouth cannon that blew apart at least half of the pursuers.

The _Koenig_ , meanwhile, fired a spread of torpedoes set for proximity detonation into the unengaged fighters ahead of them. The blue-shite sparks of light looked like energy weapon fire more than projectiles to Pidge. When they exploded with bursts of light and energy, another dozen enemy fighters were outright destroyed and several more damaged.

The enemy were adapting to them. More and more of the NEUROM fighters were concentrating on the Green Lion and the _Koenig_. Pidge had to keep her lion moving from the volume of fire she was taking. The _Koenig_ 's shields repeatedly flashed to life from the missile and energy impacts against it. One of the larger missiles fired from a larger NEUROM craft nearly hit as well, being caught only at the last moment by the _Koenig_ dorsal phaser bank.

Nevertheless Pidge couldn't help but think the _Koenig_ 's shields were getting a little duller with every passing moment. Some of the shots seemed to be striking hull even now. A burst from the tail laser destroyed another pair of fighters, and the _Koenig_ 's guns claimed more - including one of the larger gunboat-sized fighters - but there were still _so many_.

"I really hope someone has a plan," Pidge said into the tactical commlink. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ took another hit from one of the full-sized missiles. "Damage report."

"Shields holding at fifty-four percent," Jarod said. "Minor damage to Decks 10 and 11, Sections A and B."

Julia looked to Meridina and to the tactical map beside her. The number of blinking red icons was still overwhelming. "What is our status?"

"We have lost ten fighters. The _Koenig_ 's shields hold for the moment but they have some surface damage." Meridina checked her screen carefully. "There are still over eighty enemy craft left."

"I thought you would say that." Julia weighed her options. "Helm, take us into range."

"Sir?"

"Take us into range, now," she insisted. "Have everyone clear out at my mark. Tactical, I want full torpedo spreads readied, fore and aft. And be ready to fire everything, and I do mean _everything_."

"Yes ma'am," Angel answered. Luneri added an "Aye sir".

Under Locarno's control the _Aurora_ raced ahead with increasing speed. The enemy fighter elements would, under normal circumstances, easily withdraw and keep the range. But they were tightly engaged with the _Aurora_ fighters, the _Koenig_ , and the Green Lion. As a result, while some did seek to gain distance, the others seemed more interested in continuing their fight with those craft.

The _Aurora_ plunged into the thick of the NEUROM fighter units. "Mark!"

At Julia's command their fighters, the _Koenig_ , and the Green Lion all broke away at full burn. The enemy fighters swarmed around them. Some finally sought to re-open the distance. Others started firing directly into the shields or looked to pursue the craft breaking away.

As soon as the tactical map confirmed their own craft were as safe as they could be, Julia shouted " _Fire!_ "

Every torpedo launcher on the _Aurora_ spat out a full spread of solar torpedoes, sending eight astern and sixteen forward. The torpedoes were joined by the fury of every weapon emplacement on the ship, from the point-defense particle interceptors to the large pulse plasma cannons. The latter destroyed fighters with even glancing hits, the former filled the space around the _Aurora_ with blue pulses that damaged, even crippled, the enemy fighters.

The torpedoes did yet more damage. The enemy fighter formations had nowhere safe to go if they hadn't already tried to break away. The torpedoes blew them apart.

"Forty enemy fighters destroyed or heavily damaged," Meridina reported. "It would appear they are breaking away."

Meridina was quickly proven correct. The NEUROM fighters were breaking away from combat. More were lost in this attempt, hit by the _Aurora_ 's weapons or those of the fighters. One by one the survivors seemed to surge away. Soon they were alll gone."

"All enemy fighters have hypered out," Cat.

"Secure from battle stations for the moment. Recall all fighters and the _Koenig_." Julia tapped the intercom key on her chair. "Bridge to Engineering."

This time it was Scotty who answered. " _Engineerin' here, Cap'n_."

"I need that jump drive, Mister Scott."

" _Aye. I sent Tom t' take over repairs. We should have 'em back online in half an hour._ "

"Thank you," she said. She added _I hope we have that long_ mentally. 

* * *

The bridge of the _Tatrin's Bane_ remained silent through the report from the head of the strike force. Admiral Gal-Nazad nodded quietly. "You have done as expected," he said in summation before disengaging the call. He looked to his communications officer. "Has the Lord Minister replied yet?"

"He has, Admiral. You are ordered to seize the Alliance vessel as well or to destroy it."

"Ah." Gal-Nazad grinned. "As I expected. Relay those orders to all ships."

"Yes sir." 

* * *

The last of the perimeter picket runabouts dropped out of warp in the company of two Mongoose fighters. Meridina quickly relayed the landing orders to them before nodding at Julia. "That is the last of them."

"Good. I don't want to leave anyone behind." Julia almost hit the intercom but didn't. Bugging Barnes wouldn't get the drive fixed any faster. "Status on the shields?"

"Back to full strength," Jarod replied. "And we're ready to put all the generators online to maximize shield strength."

"Including the power from my cannons," Angel noted.

"Odds are there will be more targets than we can reasonably shoot." Julia left it at that. All that remained was the waiting, and that was hard enough.

* * *

"The Particle Barrier is at full capacity again," Coran informed the assembled.

Allura nodded to him before looking at her station again. "Still nothing from the other lions. Is this even working?"

"The system is fully linked, and I verified the transceiver was functioning myself," Lucy said. "But the Multiverse is theoretically infinite. Although if I may, we can do this sort of scan from any universe. The real question is if the _Aurora_ will get their jump drive back on in time."

"What is the plan if we can't jump out?" Talara asked.

"I can't let the _Castle_ fall into the wrong hands. Whomever these Humans are, they're no better than Zarkon and his Galra." Allura's expression was pained but resolved. "I will trigger the Castle to destroy itself first."

"If you can set the self-destruct we could beam back to the _Aurora_ ," Lucy said. "The Lion can fit in the landing deck, so at least we'll get that away by warping out."

"That was my thought, yes," Allura said. "Although I do regret it. Without the _Castle_ the chance of finding all of the Lions is… very small."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," Lucy said. She considered the alternatives that might require. "Right now…"

A pair of tones went off. The first drew their attention to a holographic scanning result. Two more of the Lion ships appeared; a red one that looked similar to the Green Lion and a larger, winged black one. "It worked," Talara said. "Look!"

Lucy activated her omnitool to relay the coordinates the transceiver was showing for the signal. It was only after she hit the confirmation key that COran was calling their attention to the other tone's meaning.

The NEUROM fleet was arriving. 

* * *

"I just got a signal from Lucero's omnitool," Jarod said. "We've confirmed the universal coordinate."

Julia nodded. She didn't get a chance to reply verbally due to Cat's announcement. "Hyperspace transitions on sensors. A lot of them!"

"On screen."

The screen showed a number of vessels showing up. Julia felt a twist in her gut at the numbers they were facing. There was another dozen of the frigates they had already fought, now joined by at least a half-dozen ships that were twice the length and carrying even more of the same heavy weapons with larger plates of armor. One massive warship, easily the _Aurora_ 's length, appeared in the center of the formation.

"Their shields are going up. And they're definitely Darglan-based."

Julia nodded. "Raise shields and divert all available power to keeping them up. Mister Jarod, hail the lead ship."

"They're already hailing us," Jarod said.

"Put them on."

The man that appeared was in another fine golden uniform. He had a similar complexion to Cat and Angel's, with his left eye replaced by a red cybernetic implant. " _I am Admiral Gal-Nazad. By order of the Ministry of Fate, in the name of the governments of the NEUROM organization, I demand your immediate surrender._ "

"No," Julia answered.

" _Come now, Captain. We outnumber you heavily. You will not escape us._ "

"We'll see about that. Although I'm still interested in just what right your people have to attack us."

" _You have interfered in an operation sanctioned by the highest authorities of the Ministry. You have slain Ministry personnel. You have cavorted with aliens and powers that are hostile to us. You will make an object lesson to the rest of your peers on the penalty of crossing NEUROM, Captain. I will see to it myself. All ships, commence fire!_ "

The image disappeared. Blasts of ruby energy started coming their way immediately. Within seconds they were impacting on the _Aurora_ 's shields and the _Castle_ 's particle barrier. Missiles streaked in with the weapons fire to be met by the interceptor batteries on the _Aurora_ and the efforts of Pidge in the Green Lion to shoot them down. She darted in the space around the two ships, firing her weapons as quickly as she could in the effort to keep the missiles from hitting. Even though, ultimately, they were in such number, and from differing angles, that she could not.

* * *

In the jump drive access room on Deck 30 Tom Barnes felt the shudder in the ship and knew they were running out of time. He looked back to the burnt out power line and finished pulling it free. "Replacement!" he barked. A engineering crewman handed him the desired replacement. The power transmission wire in question was one of a dozen that fed energy into the drive. Ten had burnt out from what happened when they reopened the wormhole. A number of other related mechanical burnouts and other problems were why this repair still had to be done. It would be the last, at least.

Assuming he had time to finish it.

With one hand he guided the wire end to the drive-side of the cylinder casing protecting the line. He felt it plug into place with a reassuring snap. His other hand quickly managed the other side. Wordlessly he shut the casing and moved on to the next. "What's the status of that projector!?" he shouted.

An operations officer, Ensign Hondo, answered in accented English. "All tests are green."

"Good." The ship shook again. Barnes opened the casing. The wire inside was even more burnt out. "And the particle channel?"

"Still working on it, sir," answered Lieutenant Marlua, with an accent from one of the Dorei languages.

"Get it done!" 

* * *

"Shields down to seventy percent," Jarod said on the bridge while everything shook again. "I'm putting everything I can into the shields."

Julia acknowledged him with a nod. The NEUROM ships were forming a sphere formation around them, ensuring all quarters of the two ships were coming under fire. 

* * *

On the _Castle of Lions_ Coran finished making his own report about the particle barrier. As critical seconds passed by Lucy considered their options. The need for energy wasn't what should hold them back. Not with the Balmera crystal seeming to actually draw power from the Flow of Life. "Is there a way to generate more energy from your crystal?" Lucy asked. "Anything from your experience on drawing more power?"

"The systems can only take so much," Coran said. "If we draw too much power from the Crystal it could shatter."

"But it's connected to the Flow of Life. Your ship uses that energy. In more ways than one." She looked at Allura next. "Your energy is what it uses for opening wormholes, right?"

"It is, yes," Allura said.

"I can sense it myself. It's essentially the same thing to what I have, just used differently." _Very differently_ , Lucy considered. "I'm not sure how your systems can be used to draw on it, but maybe you can boost the particle shields with the same energy you use to open the wormholes."

Coran shook his head. "It's not the same thing. It would be very dangerous for Allura to do it for long."

"But it may buy more time," Allura said. She went to her controls and activated the system. Two columns, each topped with a point for one of her hands, moved into place. She set her hands on the columns and concentrated. White light appeared around her with particles of the same rising up from the floor. Lucy felt the life energies channel into the ship.

Outside the particle barrier on the _Castle_ started to glow with white light. "The barrier's power is increasing to twice the standard intensity," Coran said. "No, wait, four times… the concentration is too much, I'm widening the field before it burns the projectors out!"

"Then do it," Lucy said. "Cover the _Aurora_ , it'll buy time for their shields too." Even as she spoke she looked to Allura with worry. The effort on her face betrayed the incredible effort she was making. 

* * *

"Shields down to forty percent," Jarod said of the latest barrage. "Stress on all primary generators is approaching critical. We can't keep this up much longer."

"Bridge to Barnes, we need it now!"

" _Ten minutes!_ "

Before Julia could remark about the lack of those ten minutes, the screen showed the pattern of the _Castle_ 's particle barrier forming in front of the _Aurora_. "What's going on?"

"I'm reading a massive power spike in the particle barrier fields on the _Castle_. It's at roughly ten times the standard field strength. They've enlarged their shields entirely to protect us." Jarod shook his head. "I'm wondering how Lucy pulled that off."

"It's not her," Meridina said. "I can sense the source of the power. Princess Allura is using her own life energy to charge the shields, as her ship usually applies it to charging its wormhole drive." There was visible worry on the Gersallian's face.

"What's wrong?"

"I am fearful for her life, Captain," Meridina admitted. "I do not know how long she can sustain this without draining her body of all energy."

"We'll just have to hope Lucy keeps her from doing that. And that Tom gets the drive fixed in the time this is buying." 

* * *

On the _Tatran's Bane_ Gal-Nazad watched with interest. This explained the All-Father's interest completely. This power would suit the Ministry well against its enemies, even against other factions in NEUROM. "Maintain barrage," he ordered. "We must take those ships!" 

* * *

One minute turned into another. The determined look on Allura's face was giving away to one of visible weakness. But the light around her kept its intensity, as did the particle field.

"Allura, you've got to stop!" Coran insisted.

Jampa had her omnitool out. "Her vitals are failing, Lieutenant," she said to Lucy. "Whatever this is, it's killing her."

"I know." Lucy stepped up. She wondered if she could help. If the system would accept her life energy, her connection to the Flow of Life. It couldn't be entirely linked to physiology, could it? "Allura, let me help you. You're killing yourself."

There was no evident reply. But Lucy, here, could sense the desperate need in Allura to succeed at this. Within that feeling she sensed something that was close enough to assent that she acted. Lucy walked around Allura to face her and set her hands beside Alluras'.

The sensation almost knocked the breath from her. Allura was part of a circuit now. She gave it direction, but it was draining her like a battery. This device hadn't been made to be in constant operation. It could, indeed, kill her.

And now Lucy was in the circuit too. She felt the energy within her being drawn by the machine. Dimly, at the fringes of her awareness, she heard Coran remark that the particle barrier was becoming even stronger.

Coran said more, although Lucy wasn't paying attention. "It's too much. I'm going to fire the defenses to give the energy somewhere to go!"

Beams of light lashed out from the particle barrier. The shields of the NEUROM ships held against the individual beams. But as the hits piled up on them, some began to take damage directly to their hulls. Their armor stopped some of the hits. The others sent debris and flame from the long gray vessels.

Talara observed as well. She thought she could feel both of them slowly dying. The machine was never meant to draw from them so intensely. They were buying time… but what would be the cost? 

* * *

Barnes looked up from the last of the protective casings for the power lines. "All lines restored," he said. "What about that particle channel?"

Marlua looked up from where he was fixing it. The teal-complexioned Dorei man shook his head. "The channel's still faulty. I can't get it to align properly."

"Dammit, let me see that." He stomped up and checked the status screen. "Reset alignment parameters."

"Don't we need to resynchronize first?"

"That's what I'm doing, but a full resynch would take an hour, and we don't have it!"

" _Bridge to Jump Drive Control. Status?_ "

"We're almost there! Two minutes, tops!" 

* * *

Everyone on the bridge heard Barnes' remark. Meridina shook her head quietly. "Perhaps he is. But it may be too late for Allura… or Lucy…"

"This is Captain Andreys. The jump drive is almost done. Whatever you're doing, you don't have to keep it up for much longer." 

* * *

The others on the _Castle_ bridge heard Julia's remark. Lucy and Allura did not.

The good news was that the system seemed to be adjusting for Lucy's presence, that included not relying so much on Allura's life energy.

The bad news was that it might still kill them both.

"Their vitals are declining," Jampa said. "Shut it down!"

"I can't, not from my end," Coran insisted. "It has to be them." He stepped toward the platform, wincing at how bright the light was around Lucy and Allura. "Princess! You have to disengage the system! You've bought enough time!"

But neither could react.

It was left to Talara to do so. She came in from the side and reached to place her hands on the columns as well. Coran shouted, "Don't! It won't work for…"

She didn't hear the rest. Her hands touched the columns and immediately she felt it. The machine wanted to draw everything from her. It was out of control. It would kill her, Lucy, and Allura if it wasn't stopped. "We have to stop it!" she shouted.

They didn't hear her. But they felt her presence. Her part in the circuit allowed Lucy to grasp what Talara was thinking, and she in turn made sure Allura felt it with a surge of her will.

The others watched in silent horror as the machine's brightness soon threatened their vision.

Then the light around them died down. The small particles of light ceased to flow. All three tumbled to the floor of the bridge.

Outside the enlarged particle barrier shrunk back to its normal size. The fire of the enemy ships was again striking the _Aurora_ 's recovered shields while battering their own.

Coran went for Allura where she fell. Tasker knelt by Lucy. Ensign Jampa scanned them. "They're alive," she said. "Their vitals are stabilizing."

The vessel shook. Coran looked up in time to see another missile crash into the failing particle field. He bottled back over. "This isn't good. We're taking so much fire that the particle barrier is about to collapse!"

* * *

Again the _Aurora_ was shaking from multiple hits to their shields. "Shields back down to forty percent," Jarod said. "Thirty-six… thirty-three."

Julia was back on the intercom. "Jump Drive Control, we need the drive _now!_ " 

* * *

Barnes watched the results. The particle channel wasn't pretty, but it would work for a couple jumps before they had to resynch. He pulled himself away. A sudden rocking of the ship caused him to lose his footing. He fell over. A glance from his place on the floor told him Marlua had fallen as well. The Dorei was lying nearby and not moving. "Marlua! Marlua, get… crap." Barnes struggled to his feet as another jolt caused the ship to rock violently.

" _The shields are starting to fail! We're out of time!_ "

"I hear you dammit!" Barnes shouted in frustration. He barely managed his footing again and got back to the drive. He closed the particle chamber access hatch and secured it. A key press along the side set the drive back on. "You're good! Go for it!" 

* * *

Jarod didn't wait for Julia to react to Barnes' reply. His hands went to the control. "Activating jump drive now!"

A twinkle of green light formed in the space ahead of them. Within moments it enlarged to a full-size jump point. Jarod could immediately see that it was Wrong. The gravitational profile was completely off. The jump point's vortex crackled with energy in a way it normally did not. The Fracture was actively distorting the point.

"Full speed! Take us in!" Julia shouted.

Locarno triggered the engines. Over on the _Castle_ Coran did the same. The Green Lion took up a position between the two. All three craft accelerated for the point. 

* * *

Gal-Nazad watched the jump point open. His prey were escaping. "All ships, fire on the vortex! Fire!" he screamed.

At that command the ruby light of their guns adjusted. Their barrage was now focused entirely on the jump point. 

* * *

Cat was already observing the jump point closely. The distortions in it from the Fracture were fascinating, or rather, would be if they were close to possibly dying right now.

The enemy fire on the point wasn't necessarily going to disrupt it. Some of the shots simply went in and then out the opposite end. It was only after a few seconds that she noticed the disruption effect forming. "The jump point is destabilizing!" she shouted.

It did more than destabilize. Whatever had twisted space in the Fracture so long ago, it turned local space hostile to the very existence of the jump point. The crackling of the energies was building. On the inner core of the point, right before the transition horizon, the vortex looked more like a violent maelstrom than its usual appearance. "It's going!" was all Cat could say, but it was too late for them to have time to stop

Locarno and Jarod noticed the danger too, though. They didn't need her readings to know it was going bad and Locarno was already cutting forward movement. Jarod operated the tractor beams to snag the Lion and Castle before they could go into the collapsing point. When it did collapse, it created an expanding sphere of green energy that enveloped both ships. The _Aurora_ rocked violently from the impact. When it was over Jarod quickly confirmed his fears.

"Report!"

"The shockwave did a number on our shield systems," he said. "They're down."

There was no mistaking the look on Julia's face. They'd done everything they could. And in the end, it wasn't enough. The Fracture itself had defeated their attempt to flee. 

* * *

Allura and Lucy were regaining consciousness when the ship lurched from the _Aurora_ tractor beam grabbing them. They looked up in time to see the distorting jump point collapse. "No," Lucy breathed.

"It didn't work." Allura's expression betrayed her disappointment. "We didn't get away."

Lucy shook her head.

"Then… we have no choice." Allura struggled to her feet. "Have your ship transport you back. Coran, please go with them."

"My place is with you, Princess," Coran announced. "It was your father's last request."

"And mine is that you survive. You go to our people…" She glanced at Talara. "...and you tell them everything. Help them find the past they lost." Allura stepped back up to the controls. "And I will destroy the ship."

Coran's feelings were bad enough. But Lucy sensed the despair and horror in Talara. There was a look in her eyes, on her face, that spoke of warring impulses. A desire to beg Allura to come with them… but also a recognition that this was something Allura couldn't be talked out of, and a respect for it.

It was a moment later when Lucy felt the sensation that caused her to shout, "Stop! Wait!" 

* * *

The _Aurora_ was taking a pounding on their armored hull now. "Damage to Decks 4 through 10, all sections, Decks 12 through 28 and 30 through 34, multiple sections…" Jarod operated his controls. "Armor self-repair systems are struggling to keep up."

"Be ready to jump to warp on my command…" Julia felt her gut clench. "Use the transporters. Get everyone off of the _Castle_ and beam over armed solar torpedoes to key sections. We'll scuttle her as make the jump to warp."

At her station Cat could do nothing but observe the readings from the NEUROM ships. Tears were in her eyes. How could they have failed? Why? Was there something she missed? Something that would have helped them get away…?

What had she done wrong?

Despite these feelings, Cat still had her eyes on her station. She watched the reading form on her screens with surprise, certainly bewilderment. The training reminded her to report what she saw. "Captain! I have a subspace distortion forming to starboard!"

"On screen."

The distortion their sensors had detected appeared from nothing, shimmering into view like a ghost gradually going from the immaterial to the material. It was something like a ship decloaking. Or like the videos of Shadow vessels appearing from hyperspace.

The object that appeared was a ship. It was so massive that it might as well be a station save for the sleek lines. The hull was solid black, and Julia shot a look to Cat as it fully materialized.

"Cat, what is that…?"

"It's definitely a ship. A big one. I'm reading dimensions of six-point-four kilometers long by one kilometer on the diameter of the hull."

The fire from the NEUROM vessels was immediately interrupted by a wall of wavering, translucent yellow hexagonal shield forms. Missiles and plasma fire harmlessly vanished into it. The brief moment of supreme terror that the ship itself belonged to NEUROM vanished with the fire that it harmlessly absorbed. Hanging in space, it ignored the fire of the NEUROM force with all the effortless contempt of a champ prizefighter being gone at by a drunk in a bar.

Cat switched to a composite view based on UV light and the ghostly form resolved into a cigar ship, the hull of constant diameter amidships but tapering on each end. The ends terminated in a blunt taper that was surmounted by a short spike, a hundred meter pyramid. It had cruciform fins, angled back and curved, but terminating in blunt edges, and the fins themselves were a kilometer and a half long in their projection from the hull, with a second, tiny set forward like guide-fins on a rocket, and blisters marring the otherwise perfect cigar form running the length between the two.

Four tiny, miniature cigar hulls a hundred meters in diameter ran half the ship's length and were offset at forty-five degrees from the fins, about three klicks in length and attached to the main hull by massive armored columns. The pitch-black hull showed blue running lights to port and orange to starboard, but beyond that and a squiggly marking of gold right forward at the bow, it was pitch black, without a single light or visible opening.

"It has the same volume as Starfleet _Spacedock,_ " Locarno muttered.

Jarod nodded. "And it was pulling six thousand Gs when it decelerated into position."

"Cat, get all of this. _Now_ ," was all Julia could manage.

"Already doing it… wait. I'm picking up… it's opening a _jump point._ "

Another emerald vortex opened in space ahead of them. Moments later the crew heard a voice.

 _Go._

It took a moment for all but Meridina to realize that it was being transmitted telepathically.

"The jump point is stable," Jarod said. "I'm not sure how it's defeating the interference from the Fracture, but we can go through it."

"It is… off," Meridina said. "Peculiar. But the presence is earnest."

 _Go now._

Julia considered the option for a brief second before deciding that, trap or not, it was more likely to be better than being killed or captured by NEUROM. "Take us in, Helm," she said.

"Aye ma'am."

The _Aurora_ 's engines moved it toward the jump point. The Green Lion joined them.

It was a moment before everyone noticed the _Castle_ was not. 

* * *

The same voice was heard in the minds of those in the _Castle of Lions_. Lucy felt something off about the voice. It didn't feel like the normal telepathic contact she'd experienced with Meridina before. "We should probably do what they say," she said aloud. "Coran? Allura?"

Neither were moving. Lucy and Talara both turned to face Allura. Her blue eyes were widened with shock. "It's… it sounds... "

Surprise came to Lucy when she sensed what Allura was meaning. "You think it's…"

"Mother." Allura's hand reached out and activated the ship's communications system. "Mother, is it you? Is it really…"

There was no immediate answer. Lucy noticed that the _Aurora_ was already starting to move to the point. She knew they should go. But if it was truly Allura's mother, then her own experience told her it would be cruel to interrupt.

The voice returned. It was genuine, and there was warmth, but something of it made Lucy feel… off. _Allura. I have seen you fighting Zarkon. I am so proud of you._

The tears were flowing freely on Allura's face. Hearing the admission brought utter shock to Talara's face. "You're coming with us? You're coming back to us?" Allura asked, hopeful and ecstatic. "We have new Paladins. We have Voltron again! And our people still live in the other universe! Together we can defeat Zarkon and stop the Galra!"

 _That is your destiny, Allura. It is not mine. I cannot come with you._ Lucy sensed a slight pain in the thought. Resignation.

"What?" The look on Allura's face was pained. "Why not?"

 _I am not who I once was and I never will be again… You must go now._

For a painful moment, nothing further happened. Allura managed to respond despite the sob that came from her at the realization that she wasn't getting her mother back in her life. "Mother, please, come with us… I've already lost Father…"

 _Coran, your Queen calls on you for one last service. Take my daughter and go. Fulfill your own destinies._

There was sadness on the older Altean's face. His usual cheerful, peppy nature was entirely missing at the moment. "Yes, Queen Fala," he managed. He promptly turned and fired the sublight engines.

"I don't understand," Allura wept.

 _My fate has been tied to another. I am bound to that service forever. That is the price I paid to see you again, Allura. And I would pay it all over again for this day._ Ahead on the monitor, the jump point was drawing closer. _Goodbye, Allura. I love you, and I am so very proud of you._

The jump point drew closer. Allura seemed to slump against the control columns for support. In the final seconds she managed a reply. "I love you too, Mother. Goodbye..."

And then the _Castle_ followed the _Aurora_ and the Green Lion into the jump point. The vessel surged ahead and made the transition between universes. On the other end, the vessels found empty space.

"I'm detecting the Lions on our systems now," Coran said quietly. "We're back in our home universe." When there was no reply he turned back to face her. "Allura?"

Allura was weeping quietly. Coran took a step toward her, but it was Allura that took her into an embrace. Whatever her own stunned feelings at encountering the legend that had saved her ancestors, for the moment Talara was more focused on the other legend now weeping in her arms for the mother she had regained and lost again.


	23. Episode 3-04-6 The Whims of Fate

_Ship's Log: 11 March 2643; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys reporting. The_ Aurora _has finished repairs necessary to bring us back to an Alliance universe. Given the presence of a hostile alien empire in this universe, now designated G0L9, we have only remained long enough to ensure the_ Castle of Lions _has completed repairs to its wormhole drive. We are due to jump back to Earth L2M1 shortly._

 _While we wait, other crew matters can now be attended to._

Julia and Meridina were waiting quietly in the conference room. Outside the window the _Castle of Lions_ kept its place adjacent to the _Aurora_. Julia couldn't help but admire the Altean vessel's form and felt pleased they had saved the vessel.

She turned her head and noted, with a similar pleased feeling, that the color was returning to Meridina's face. She seemed at ease now. "It's good to be out of the Fracture, isn't it?" Julia asked.

Meridina nodded quietly. "I was learning to adjust, but still… yes. It is."

Any further conversation ended when the door swished open and Leo entered with Epstein. Julia motioned for them to take seats. "Did you find out what happened?" she asked. She needn't specify.

Epstein nodded to Leo in deference. Leo sighed and looked to Julia. "Zack's blackout wasn't directly caused by alcohol intake, although there is a relation."

"Oh?" Julia wondered what he meant by that.

"It was a side effect from a drug he was taking," Leo said. "Niltox."

Julia frowned. "Wait, Niltox? Isn't that a de-toxicant?"

"It's the most powerful one that you can replicate," Epstein said. "And the most dangerous."

"Most de-toxicants require you to take them before you imbibe alcohol," Leo explained. "They work by keeping the body from interacting fully with the alcohol. It ends up going through the system unabsorbed until it comes out the only way it can. That's why using them always ends up putting you in a bathroom stall for awhile."

"Yes, I'm familiar with that."

"Niltox is different. Niltox forces the brain and nervous system back to normal. It can make you completely sober in high enough dosages." Leo shook his head. "But like any medication, you can take too much of it and suffer side effects. Going by what I've seen, Zack has been taking it quite often and in unsafe dosage levels. The blackout is, honestly, an early warning sign of neurological damage."

"I see." Julia was openly frowning at the news. "So, basically, Zack's been drinking again, and he's been using this stuff to cover it up?"

"Most likely," Leo said. "The fact that it took this long means he hasn't been drinking heavily, at least…"

"That doesn't make me feel any better about it," Julia remarked. "And I'm not sure what it changes in this situation."

Leo shrugged. "A measure of responsibility, at least. Zack knew better than to go on duty under the influence. The Niltox was a way for him to sober up quickly. He just didn't realize that his body couldn't handle the repeated high dosages. It's probably why he ignored the automated warnings."

"With his emotional state, and the influence of the alcohol, his judgement on that was certainly impaired," Epstein added.

At this point Julia sighed in frustration. "It doesn't alter the fact that Zack knowingly continued to drink even when on deployment on the _Koenig_. When he's supposed to avoid anything like that. I'm not sure this will save him."

"Nothing will save him unless he wants to be saved," Leo noted. "There's no changing that. He needs counseling, not a court-martial."

"There is a psychiatrist in your staff, correct?" Meridina asked.

"Yes. Doctor Ewing. But I'm not sure he has the experience to handle Zack's case. For that matter, I'm not sure Zack would even open up to him."

"He'll have to," Julia said. "I've tried to be patient with him, but it's clear Zack can't be allowed to make this choice anymore. I'm going to order him to report to Doctor Ewing."

"I'm not sure it will work, but it's certainly got to be tried," Leo agreed. "In the meantime, I'm signing for him to be taken off-duty for the time being. He's not fit, mentally or physically, until he recovers from the Niltox and gets a handle on himself."

"He has awoken?" Meridina asked.

"He's woken up a few times, yes," Leo said. "He's not being very conversational though."

"I shall speak to him," said Meridina. She glanced toward Julia. "It may be best if it were me."

Julia didn't say what she was thinking. She assented with a nod before looking at Leo again. "Before you go, anything more about our casualties?"

"No fatalities. A few injuries. Lieutenant Marlua will require light duty for the next two weeks due to a head injury."

"Right. Well, thank you both for seeing me on this matter. You're all dismissed."

Leo and Epstein stood and nodded to her before departing. Meridina stood as well. She walked several steps toward the door before turning back toward the table. "You have something you wish to ask?"

Julia looked up at her. "I wasn't projecting my thoughts that loudly, was I?"

"No. This was not from my mindwalking."

"Ah." Julia nodded. "Alright. I get the feeling that you know about Zack's… feelings for me."

"I do. And I have known for… some time."

"And you think it'll be easier for him if you're the one who speaks to him about all of this?"

"I do, yes," Meridina said. "And easier for you as well."

Julia immediately considered turning her down. It was on her second thought that she realized this would be for the best. Zack's emotions were in enough turmoil right now without her lecturing him. "Alright," she said. "I'll leave it up to you."

Meridina nodded and continued on her way.

* * *

Talara returned to the bridge of the _Castle of Lions_ and found Allura sitting on the floor. "Princess, Coran and Lieutenant Lucero have nearly finished the teludav repair. And we have finished detaching the interuniversal transceiver. We'll be returning to the _Aurora_ shortly." When there was no reply she walked up and sat beside Allura. "I'm sorry. I… can't imagine how it feels."

"She would come back if she could," Allura said. "Whatever keeps her from coming back… it has to be important."

"It probably is," Talara said. "But if it were my mother, I know it would still hurt."

There was silence for several moments. "You saved us," Allura said. "Myself and Lieutenant Lucero. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Highness."

Allura's expression betrayed some confusion. "I'm just not sure how. To do what you did, you had to interface with the system. That's only possible if you have the power of the royal bloodline."

"But it ended when you had no children," Talara pointed out. "So maybe it's something else."

"Or maybe the bloodline continues in your people. Maybe your ancestors were distant relatives of mine?"

"Doctor Gillam might know. I will ask." Talara looked around at the bridge. "I do wish you could come to Fala. My people, _our_ people, have so much to learn about what our people were before the loss of Altea."

"When Zarkon is defeated, I will, if it is possible," Allura promised.

Talara nodded. "When Zarkon is defeated."

The door to the bridge opened. Pidge walked in, out of her armor now and back in her normal clothing. "Are we almost ready to go?"

"The teludav should be operational shortly," Allura said.

"Oh. Well… before we go, I'd like to do something first."

"Oh? What?"

* * *

Sometimes Humans still surprised Allura. She never imagined one could make a sound quite like the one that came from the _Aurora_ Science Officer.

Lucy, for her part, had a wry, amused grin at the sight of Caterina squeeing while hurriedly operating her omnitool. She kept moving around to take in the full sight of the _Castle_ bridge. "This technology is _amazing_ ," she said. "Some of this stuff is even better than what the Darglan had!"

"You've got some pretty amazing things too," Pidge said.

"I wish I had days to look this ship over!" Cat examined the control columns for Allura's station. "So this draws in the life force power stuff, right? To operate your FTL wormhole drive."

"Well, yes…"

"I can't believe something like this exists…!"

The scene continued until Coran returned to the bridge. "Well, that's all done," he said. "The teludav is fully operational!"

"Good. We can get the others then," Allura said.

"Then it's time for us to go." Lucy stepped up beside Cat. "We're probably overdue ourselves."

A sigh of resignation was Cat's initial response. "Right," she said. She looked to Pidge. "Thank you for letting me come over. This is wonderful."

"I got to see your ship. It was only fair." Pidge smiled back. "Maybe one day your Alliance can come here permanently. I'd love to see more of your Multiverse."

"Well, there's a lot more to it than the Fracture," Cat said.

"Yeah, that's not exactly our best tourist spot," Lucy added.

"And I hope we get to come back too," Caterina continued. "There's so much more about the old Altean technology I want to learn."

"Anyway, we had better go." Lucy gave Cat a meaningful look. "Although first things first…"

Cat caught the look and nodded. Pidge noticed it as well. "What?" she asked.

"Oh, just something we have ready to be beamed over," Cat explained. "Can you take us to your kitchen?"

* * *

Their departure left the bridge to the three Alteans. "It was an honor to meet you both," Talara said to Coran and Allura. "I look forward to the day when you visit Fala."

"So do we," Allura assured her. A bemused look came to her face. "And take care of yourself. I know how hard it can be to look around and see all of those hideous ears that Humans have."

Talara giggled at that. "Oh, they are hideous, aren't they? Sometimes I wish I had been assigned to a vessel with a Dorei majority crew. Their ears are too long, but at least they're the right shape."

More laughing came from all three.

* * *

"You know, I don't think Coran is going to like this," Pidge said.

"It'll be our little secret," Lucy answered, grinning.

Pidge gave her a look. "You've never met Hunk and Lance. Between those two, there's no way this is staying secret."

Cat giggled. They were standing in a corner of the kitchen where Lucy was presenting to Pidge a portable replicator unit. "Anyway, you'll have to keep the reserve of raw material up. Actually, that green goo stuff will probably work just fine."

"So it'll take the goo and reorganize it on a molecular level into something like real food, right?"

"Pretty much." Cat nodded. "It could be a long time before you're back on Earth, any Earth, so at least this way you get to enjoy Human food."

"Coran will still make that face of his when he finds out," Pidge said. She was still grinning widely. "So I suppose this is it. We need to get going so we can pick up the others."

"And I'm sure Julia's tapping her foot waiting for us to beam back so we can jump out." Cat nodded. "So this is goodbye."

"For now, anyway." Lucy grinned. "I have a feeling we might be back one day."

"A feeling, or one of those vision things your powers can give you?" Cat asked.

"A little of both? I think." Lucy set her hand on Cat's shoulder. "Come on, Cat, time to go home."

"Alright." Cat nodded to her before looking to Pidge. She held her hand out. "It was nice meeting you, Katie."

"It was great to meet you all." Pidge took Cat's hand with her own. "And for future reference, my friends get to call me Pidge."

"And my friends call me Cat."

"Good luck out there, Cat."

"Good luck, Pidge."

As soon as their hands let go, Lucy tapped her omnitool's comm button. "Lucero to Transporter Station 3. Two to beam back."

Cat and Pidge waved goodbye. The transporter pulled Cat away in a burst of light mid-wave

"I really wish we had those," Pidge sighed. 

* * *

On the _Aurora_ bridge, Julia stood just before the image of Allura, Coran, and Pidge appeared on the holo-viewscreen. "Good luck, Princess, everyone," she said. "Whatever the circumstance of our next meeting, I hope to hear that you've beaten Zarkon."

" _Thank you, Captain. We intend to. And we wish you the best in your own conflict with the forces of evil. Farewell._ "

The call ended. The holo-viewscreen showed the _Castle of Lions_ turn away from them. A large blue portal, or wormhole, formed in front of the Altean ship It entered the portal. Moments later the wormhole closed.

"Now that was one of our stranger encounters," Locarno said. "Not to mention one of the closest."

"Tell me about it," Angel muttered.

"But we still walked away from it," Julia observed. "Not to mention learning even more about the Fracture. Although I've had my share of that place. It's time to go home."

"The jump drive is still fully functional," Jarod said. "Setting coordinates to L2M1."

"Jump us out when you're ready, Commander."

"Aye Captain," Jarod said.

The _Starship Aurora_ made a slight turn in space. Moments later a green vortex formed, leading their way home.

* * *

Meridina walked up to the doors to Zack's quarters and knew immediately he was present. And that he was not in a good place mentally. She settled her spirit and prepared herself for any of the reactions his condition might lead him to before she touched the chime control.

After several moments of no response she touched it again. She was on the verge of a third try when the door slid open. She stepped into Zack's quarters and nearly lost her breath to the sense it gave her. Guilt, shame, sorrow, it all permeated the environment.

Zack was sitting on the couch. The undergarment she had been told was known as "boxers" was the only thing he was wearing. Despite his condition mentally his body was still generally in shape. It was, perhaps, not quite as athletic as it had once been, when his lifestyle had been more active, but the curve and lines of muscle still showed on his torso and arms. His hair was not combed at the moment, giving it a wild look. And his eyes…

That was the sign of his condition. They were red, bloodshot, and rimmed with dark coloration from insufficient sleep.

"I'm being relieved, right?" he asked. "You're taking my ship away."

Meridina shook her head. "I do not believe that is the way to describe it."

"But it's what's happening. I'm being relieved of duty because I screwed up." Zack looked toward the table. A bottle of amber-colored fluid was there. "Leo tells me I've been damaging my brain by taking the Niltox."

"Yes."

He nodded. "Fitting. I didn't have the courage to admit to anyone I was falling back into the bottle. The Niltox seemed the best way to hide it."

"Why, Zachary?" Meridina asked. "Why hide it? Your friends are here and would gladly help you in your grief."

"Oh, of course they would." A bitter tone came to his voice. "It's about all I'm good for. Being helped. Being pitied."

"Your sense of shame is misguided, I believe."

Zack looked intently at her. Meridina sensed the turmoil within him. She felt worry at the way his guilt and shame and humiliation were building into a great reservoir of self-hatred. "Because you don't know how it was for me, not really. Growing up, then after school… being pitied by everyone. I was the guy with the drunkard dad. I was the kid who lost his mom to it. The guy who lost his sports career to his Dad's drunken fuckups. Everywhere i went, I'd see the pity in their eyes. That's how people saw me. Pitiable." He shook his head. "And here I am again. 'Oh poor Zack, he lost his girlfriend, he needs me to cheer him up…' All when it's my fault she's dead in the first place."

"Is it?"

"Without me, she'd have stayed home in Kansas. Found a good guy, someone who actually loved her and would be there for her. Someone whom she wouldn't have to go into space for."

Meridina took the seat opposite from Zack. She could smell a faint trace of alcohol in the room. "You speak as if you did not love her," Meridina pointed out. "But I know you did. I felt it within you."

"I didn't love her as much as I should have. As much as she deserved," he countered.

"You mean your affection for Captain Andreys."

"Affection?" He laughed harshly. "I've been in love with Julia since we were in middle school. Elementary school even." He returned his eye to the bottle of alcohol still on his table. "All of that time Clara was giving me her whole-hearted devotion, I was in love with another woman."

"You did not act upon it."

"That doesn't change the fact of it." Zack picked up the bottle. "Maybe I've been lying to myself this whole time, Meridina. About love, about my place in the universe." He looked into the amber fluid, as if he were divining the future in it. His future. A future with no happy ending. "Maybe the best thing I can do is just go away before I hurt someone else I love."

There was a moment of silence in the room. Meridina could think of nothing more to say. It seemed that no matter what, Zack was determined to suffer. There was just too much shame and guilt inside of him to get through to him. The incident on the _Koenig_ and his blackout at such a critical time made that sense even worse.

"The Captain… Julia… will have to report what occurred."

"Good."

"You seem unnaturally determined to assign all blame to yourself," continued Meridina. "You offer no room for compromise or reason on the matter. I would almost think you want these things to be true. That you would prefer it."

Zack stared at her for a moment. "You know, I… well, you've been around. I've always struggled to find my place out here."

"And yet you have," Meridina said. "You have garnered the respect of numerous officers and commanders for your actions on the _Koenig_. You have long since proven yourself a capable commander."

"I never tried to be," he answered. "The _Koenig_ … I always loved flying her. Then they made it where the only way I could was if I was the guy captaining the ship. I would've been happier just sitting at the helm…" He shook his head. "And yeah, I know I did good. At least, until I lost control of this." He held up the bottle. "I should've left this stuff here. I thought I could control it. And I ended up putting people I care for in danger by losing it." Zack quietly stood from the couch and walked over to his desk. Meridina watched him look through a small stack of digital readers. He pulled one of them out and approached her with it. "The truth is, Meridina, I'm not worthy of that kind of respect. I mean, look at me. Clara dies and I fall apart. She'd be pissed if she saw me here like this."

"Most likely," Meridina agreed. "But yet, something inside of you broke that day."

Zack shrugged. "Maybe it was the facade that broke. The illusion that I was everything she and the kids and everyone else believed me to be. Maybe I was never the hero they thought I was. I'm just some jerk from Kansas who was pretending to be a space hero so people wouldn't see what I really am."

"And what are you?"

"Nothing." He handed her the pad and turned away. "I'm a nothing." He walked to the door of his bedroom. "And it's about time I stopped pretending I was anything else." Once he reached the threshold of the bedroom he turned back partly. "Please go. That pad has everything you need."

Meridina glanced down at it. A touch of her finger activated the screen and displayed file. "Zachary," she murmured in quiet sadness.

 _Attention Admiral Maran,_

 _I resign my command of the_ ASV Koenig _and my officer commission._

 _Sincerely,  
Zachary T. Carrey_

* * *

For Cat and Violeta, it was dinnertime. For Cat herself, it was a chance to make up for the previous few days. All of her projects were on hold and the entire night was completely clear for the two of them, starting with their dinner.

Hargert brought said meal to their table. Sirian-style noodles and sauce for Violeta while Cat was given a dish of specialty enchiladas. "Specially made for you both," he said, "by request."

"Thank you, Hargert," Cat said in reply.

"Ah, but we are not done." He set down glasses. "A fine port as well. It took me some time to find the right wines to fit the palate of your meals."

"Excellent as always," Violeta assured him. They watched Hargert fill their glasses and step away. As each went for their food, Violeta said, "You didn't have to arrange this, Cat."

"I did," she insisted. "You deserve it."

The smile Violeta made at that caused Cat to blush. Making her girlfriend happy felt good. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling that she wanted to experience more of.

"So I heard that the lion pilot was just a fifteen year old girl," Violeta said. "What was she like?"

"Pidge? Oh, she was cool. I mean, she was… well…" Cat shrugged, giggling to herself. "Actually, I think she was a lot like me. I mean, those lion ships pick their pilots or something, and it reacted to me too… so I guess we're a lot alike."

"Somehow I doubt anyone could be as adorably nerdy as you, Cat," Violeta answered, grinning. She pushed her fork into the long strands of pasta and the creamy sauce covering it. Cat used her fork to take off a piece of her meal. "That had to be one of our strangest missions."

"Yeah. And on top of all that, finding out the origins of the Falaens like that? I mean, the Falaens are really awesome people, and then you find out someone once tried to wipe them out… it's horrible."

"Yeah." Violeta took a bite and started chewing. The look on her face told any observer how much she was enjoying Hargert's efforts. "The survey mission is over now, right?"

"Yeah. Admiral Maran wants us back for debriefing. They'll send another ship to complete the areas we didn't get to. Hopefully one without anyone on the crew with mental powers or psionic capability."

"The Dorei on the ship are certainly happier." Violeta took a drink of her wine while Caterina chewed a bite down. "When we're done, did you want to make a go at the Dragon King again?"

"Yeah, definitely," Cat said. "Angel said she'll be there."

"Did you ever talk to someone about joining as a healing class?"

"Sorry." Cat winced and shook her head. "I haven't."

"Oh well. We'll think of something."

Their dinner progressed on for only a couple of minutes before they both heard "Excuse me". They looked up to see Talara. "May I sit? Just briefly, I don't want to interrupt your meal."

Cat nodded to Violeta, giving her the choice. "Sure, I guess," Violeta said. "Shouldn't you be resting for your shift tonight?"

"Actually, Doctor Gillam has me off duty for the next 48 hours," Talara answered. "He wants to make sure I'm fine after using that device on the _Castle_."

"I heard you saved Allura and Lucy," Cat said. "That was great."

Talara blushed slightly. "Thank you. I don't want to keep you from your meal, I just wanted to ask you something about the game."

"We're planning on trying again tonight," Violeta said. "You're welcome to join us."

"Oh, I will love to. But I wanted to ask you… that Potion of, what was it, Introspection? What does it mean by the term 're-spec'? I'm not sure what that words is in your English language."

"You must be reading online guides written in gamer vernacular," Violeta said. "They're talking about changing your powers. The Potion of Introspection lets you pick a different class of character."

"Oh. Well, that sounds useful."

"Oh? You want to change your class?" asked Cat.

"I had fun as the Dragon, Dragoon, I mean. But when I examined your rules I found a class that I think will work better for me."

"Well, that's what the potion is for. Which class did you want to play?" asked Violeta.

"Well, I was looking through your systems, and I found this one…"

The Falaen, or rather Altean, brought up a stat screen on her omnitool. Talara let them get a good look at it. It depicted a humanoid in shining white armor hefting a sword. A shield was slung over the figure's back.

"That's the Paladin," said Talara. "I would like to choose this instead."

"A frontline fighter," Violeta noted. "Armored melee fighters with Light-based magic powers. It would change your role on the team. Your entire point is to protect the rest of us by drawing enemy attention and defending with your armor and shield. I mean, you can do damage with your sword, but you don't hit as hard as everyone else does."

Cat let out a little laugh. "Don't forget the healing ability. The Paladin has a healing ability, right?"

"A few." Violeta gave Cat an amused look. "Although I didn't think you would be interested enough to know about it."

"Well, I know it doesn't fit me, but I was thinking of who else might want to play and what classes would fit them." Cat was still smiling. "I figured Rob would be a Paladin if I ever got him to play."

"You mean Captain Dale?"

"Yeah. I mean, it sorta fits him…"

"Well, you're right about the healing. And it's the one role we really need in the party for the Dragon King fight." Violeta turned back to Talara. "So that's it? You want to use the potion and become a Paladin?"

"Yes," said Talara, grinning. "I rather like that title, honestly…"

* * *

 **Tag**

Julia read the digital pad again and let out a sigh. "So that's it," she said.

"It is." Meridina nodded.

"Do you think I could talk him out…"

"I do not believe anyone could change his mind right now, Julia," Meridina said. The informal name use came from their private surroundings in the captain's quarters. Julia was at her desk in said quarters, clad in a cherry red bathrobe from shoulders to midway down her thighs. Meridina's arrival had found her fresh from her morning shower. Meridina herself was in uniform and now seated in a comfortable chair in the living area adjacent to the desk.

"He's throwing away everything he's built over the last two years." Julia tossed the pad onto the desk. "Damn him."

"I am at a loss with him," Meridina admitted. "He is so full of shame and guilt. He is challenging everything he has become since he took command of the _Koenig_."

"But he'll turn to the damn bottle!"

"That, I believe, is the greatest source of his shame." Meridina shook her head. "He is humiliated by his inability to control his urges. He is comparing himself to his father."

"Yeah. And that would make him feel horrible." Julia rubbed at her eyes. "I don't want him to resign like this, though. Not when he's impaired."

"He is certainly impaired emotionally."

"I'm going to talk to Maran about it. With what happened on New Caprica, Zack is a psychiatric casualty for certain. We just took too damn long to find it out."

"Nevertheless, he will not remain on the ship. And I do not know where he will go."

"I know. And I can't make him stay. I just have to hope he doesn't get into trouble." Julia set her hands back on the desk. "Thank you, Meridina, for handling it. I'm sure Zack's problems don't make him pleasant for you to be around."

"I have experienced far worse in the way of troubled minds," Meridina replied.

"Still, I'm sorry for any discomfort it caused you."

To that Meridina grinned slightly. "Compared to our problems in the Fracture, Julia, Zachary's thoughts and emotions were no difficulty."

"I see." Julia reached for a mug of replicated coffee. "Speaking of the Fracture, I'm sure you're glad to be out."

"I am, although I also find myself… perturbed."

"Perturbed?"

"So much happened, and my _swevyra_ feels a cloud over the events," Meridina said. "The purpose of our attackers, and the source of power that came to our aid. I cannot help but feel that we have come to the attention of very powerful forces."

"Well, yeah." A thought came to Julia. "Do you think that NEUROM might be behind that strange assassin that tried to kill Angel and Jarod?"

"I do not know either way. And our information seems insufficient to make a guess."

"Right." A thought came to Julia. "Do you suppose Admiral Gal-Nazad and Squadron Leader Tissim are in big trouble for our escape?"

"Quite possibly. The Ministry of Fate seems unkind to those who fail its objectives. Although I feel there was something more to what occurred."

"Whatever happened, I'm just satisfied that we got out of there." Julia frowned at her desk. "Those people are nasty. I actually feel a little sorry for Gal-Nazad and Tissim."

"True." Meridina said nothing more. But she couldn't help but wonder at the sensation of dread she felt when she thought of NEUROM, its Ministry of Fate, and what had just occurred. There was more to the situation than felt apparent.

EIther way, she knew Julia was right to feel sorry for the two NEUROM commanders. Her feelings told her that they were unlikely to trouble the _Aurora_ crew again.

* * *

 **In the heart of NEUROM space, deep within the Fracture...**

Inside the cavernous hall, everything shone in gold, gold reflecting gold... Massy gold, gold plate, mirrors reflecting gold—there was gold over blue and gold flooring, gold around the windows, gold in the ceiling, triangles forming a set of false-arches and converging on triangular points in the roof, lighting rectangles projecting down, light gentle but white and stripped of natural colouring. It tended to wash out the view from outside, and fade the rest of the colours, the tapestries, the furniture, the elaborate wooden desk with brass fittings, the reclining couches covered in rainbow quilts.

The massive gold-plated doors, covered in tesseract patterns, slid open and two women strode through them. One had white hair in a mess of disorder, hidden under a cloak. Her skin was dark and unnatural, and her eyes red. The other was a tiny mouse of a woman, dark curly hair with dusky skin that had been bleached by countless aeons far from exposure to the rays of a sun. She wore a practical spacer's suit surmounted by a black cape, and her eyes were concealed with a pair of massive, completely opaque sunglasses.

Sitting on an open-backed couch, a third woman was the only original occupant of the chamber. Her legs folded in lotus, she sat quietly, draped in piles of furs. Her eyes looked away from them, toward the visage outside the windows. There, the brilliance of the sun washed out the view of the immense landscape curving around its glow – the lakes, the rivers, the farms, the cities. The huge mountains that rose until they seemed to touch the sun.  
The white-haired woman stepped in front of the figure in repose, her boots smacking on the tile. She made a neat, precise bow which belied her look as so much of a homeless bag lady. Her shorter companion followed suit.

The woman blinked as if she had not noticed them before and looked to them both. "Tisiphone. Megaera."

"Master, you called us both at once. That is rare, and I am concerned," the woman called Tisiphone answered levelly. "There was a disturbance in the Force within the Fracture."

"We both felt it," Megaera agreed. "You surely know more."

"You sensed a technology," replied the Alekto, something like a woman bedeviled with a headache, "which briefly visited us. A threat to the Force, I believe, draining, disrupting."

"It is _not_ necessarily true, Master," the elder woman replied, sparing a glare for her younger counterpart for a moment. "The Rakatan used such technology as that which I infer you speak of."

"It's not _quite_ the same, though certainly this is your area of expertise, not mine." A dry smile, laced with bitterness. "That's not what concerns me, however; that would be the denouement. The Lady of Admirals permitted one of her servants to intervene against us. _That_ is what happened. A War Cruiser effected the escape of the two ships—the one using the Force crystal _and_ the Alliance ship..."

"The _Aurora_?" Tisiphone jerked, her hand reaching instinctively for her belt.

"The _Aurora,_ " the Alekto agreed. "Sidney's pet project. You remember the orders that I gave to CORTEX." It was not a question.

"Yes, they were to absolutely not attack or interfere with the _Aurora_ in any circumstance whatsoever, no matter the price that we paid for it," Tisiphone agreed.

"He disobeyed, didn't he?" Megaera asked.

"Yes, my son disobeyed. As he often does!" The Alekto's calm voice turned into a snarl by the end of the statement. "He gave explicit orders to the States Reserve Fleet which led to them attacking the _Aurora_ and need I spell out to you how _utterly deadly_ that could be to the entire universe should the worst occur? If he is right, reality itself might start to destabilize and our only hope would be to get on our knees and beg to the Useless Fop! ...Or take ourselves through the Darkness to another universe cluster and abandon all we have created here to annihilation."

The weaker two of the Erinyes exchanged a glance. Anything to do with the titular 'Lady of Admirals' always put their mistress into a foul mood, no matter how trivial. They both knew there were real grounds for fear, though, when it came to the _Aurora_.

"Master, you should assume direct control. It is the only way to prevent these kinds of incidents, and if the Lady of Admirals is willing to risk the truce so blatantly..."

"You are being kind to me. To us. This was our fault. Our side's violation." Gloved hands crackled knuckles, the Alekto's eyes opening to gaze downward. "Direct control. Like you've wanted me to for centuries?" The Alekto smirked. "Come now, you can't hide it from me."

"Master is the most powerful being in this universe, and I am being modest," Tisiphone answered, dropping to one knee in a gesture that Megaera did not follow. "You are the ultimate weapon. Forget but assuming direct control of NEUROM; even the Imperator Byzon would bow to you within a year of your fleets going forth."

"You would create some beasts to conquer the surface of the worlds for me, I imagine? I suppose even the legendary strength of the Bragulans would be little use against a terentatek... No, no wars of intergalactic conquest."

The elder woman sucked in her breath with a hiss, and shot daggers as Megaera paraded slowly around to massage the Alekto's shoulders and adjust a multicolored rainbow shawl that was draped over them. "You are an ambitionless cur and disrespectful to the one who trained you," she shot at Megaera. "Do not tempt our mistress into inaction again!"

"Don't fight," the Alekto interjected, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. "This is no matter of personal pride. It's objectively true the All-Father is imperiling something far more important than anything the past games have. He certainly has an ulterior motive. A message must be sent, and a plan drawn up to assume control for the purpose of _containment_ and holding NEUROM together if he does not heed the message."

The hands on her shoulders stopped, as the woman behind them grew more pale. "...Of course, Alekto. It's true that we cannot let the All-Father continue to pursue this course. When we were discussing matters with the Tal'kona'sha it was clear that with the end of the Ancients, with the Old One having gone beyond the rim, that we would have little in the way of reliable allies against these kinds of events. If the Lady of Admirals were to decide the truce had been violated… We are still the weaker power."

Tisiphone smiled. "So you both see. We must act, Master."

"So we must." She folded her arms out. "Take the appropriate measures to make it clear to my wayward child that he is not to act against my explicit decrees. If the hand offends, strike it off!"

"The Fates are already attending to other tasks..."

The Alekto nodded quietly and raised a hand. "Very well, go yourself with my leave and deal with all those who disobeyed our instructions. It is time for CORTEX to undergo a cleansing."

Triumphant, Tisiphone bowed, turned, and departed with her cloak fluttering behind her. As the doors opened, she called out to one of the red-skinned courtiers beyond: " _Prepare my ship!"_

* * *

The arrival of an unmarked craft of unknown type with the energy/mass ratio of a heavy attacker never boded well in the fleets of NEUROM. Less so when the vessel in question had just returned from a failed mission. _Much_ less so when the occupant disappeared from the internal scanners the moment they arrived…

...And then appeared, hooded, cloaked, in rough, black leather garments over a disorderly dark pair of boots, hands likewise encased in black. Her skin seemed almost black, too, gray and blackish and off-coloured like a rubbing of dirty ash with a shock of disorganized white hair. She turned to face Admiral Gal-Nazad, the hood no longer concealing, and her eyes were red.

He dropped to his knees, and slowly, then quickly, the rest of the bridge crew of the _Tatrin's Bane_ followed.

The woman's red eyes gleamed. "My Master does not tolerate disobedience!"

"But, Excellency... This mission originated from the Palace of the All-Father himself."

"Admiral Gal-Nazad, you are the ranking officer, and the responsibility is your's! The All-Father had no authority to order this mission and do you understand what that means?"

"Oh, Fates..." His voice hoarse, he closed his eyes and cast them downwards, body stiffening as his mind revolted at what that meant. A memetic imprint from his childhood seared across his features, in absolute terror.

"Cross the Fates and face the _Furies_ , Admiral," the voice was laced with glee as it invoked the old rhyme.

His face went ash pale, skin gray with fear at the hideous bedtime rhyme that was supposed to scare children, now coming to life before his eyes. She responded by smirking, gloating at him with her half-shadowed face. "The..." He coughed, choked for words, and trailed off with a gurgle in his throat. Only in his thoughts did he complete the sentence.

"That's enough speculation," she addressed a thought in his mind. "Admiral, the only thing more intolerable than disobedience to The Alekto is _failure_. Truly your degradation is complete, but I am not here to turn you over to _anyone._ We Furies are quite capable of delivering Fate ourselves."

She paused, and let hope spring in the smallest ember of the man's soul before she quashed it. "My Master has authorized your death. _Personally_!" With an unmistakable _snap-hiss,_ a blade of glowing hues of ruby and crimson descended until the tip lightly scorched the deck, bringing the smell of burning grip-sealant and melting durasteel in a hideous whiff that was shortly joined by the smell of a body relaxing in death.

Right next to the severed head which toppled to the deck.

The red glow across the bridge disappeared, and The Tisiphone looked up, her eyes seeming to strip the flesh off the Flag Captain and stare into his _soul_. "Captain Soru, forward the recording to the All-Father's Palace."

"But, but, Excellency, _He_ shall be..."

"If he punishes you for acting as the messenger of one of the Erinyes, the All-Father will not like the consequences, I assure you. You are under _my_ orders and only I and my Master may punish you for them. The Tisiphone has commanded it, now obey!"

"Yes, Your Excellency!"

With a contemptuous sneer, the woman drew her cloak closer and spun about, leaving the bridge with no more than a whisper of rippling wind to mark her passage, just as she had come. She had other business to attend to, just like she had attended to Admiral Gal-Nazad.

 **Author's Note:** These last two scenes were written by Tomyris.


	24. Episode 3-05-1 Yesterday's Enemies P1

**Teaser**

The denizens of the space station _Babylon-5_ , a quarter of a million in all, were used to a certain amount of chaos and spectacle in their lives. The station's role in the events of their home universe of E5B1 made that inevitable. Even the removal of the InterStellar Alliance government to Minbar hadn't diminished this, not with the station's continuing role as a diplomatic post. Indeed, the station's population was becoming more fluid than ever with the visitors and residents from the other universes and the unique species to be found there. These days one could find Ferengi retailers and Volus traders haggling in the Zocalo, or Asari maidens and Miqo'te wanderers dancing in the more lowbrow establishments.

Dealing with the potential conflicts of all of these beings, visitors and residents, was part of the job description of Security Chief Zack Allan and his staff. It was often a hectic job, occasionally frustrating, and almost always thankless.

Normally Zack hated being called to Brown Sector, where destitute lurkers struggled to survive among a cutthroat, multi-species criminal underworld. But given the choice between said call or dealing with a feuding Ferengi DaiMon and Brakiri syndicate official, Brown Sector suddenly had a great deal of charm.

Now he and a hand-picked strike team were standing outside of one of the entrances to a seedy dive set up in the heart of Brown Sector. Zack pulled his PPG and waited for the confirmation signal to appear on his newly-issued omnitool. He worried that the mostly-hard-light machine wasn't working when the signal didn't come, and didn't come… and finally it did come. The suspect was sighted. One by one the teams marked that they were in position. The arms dealer wasn't getting away.

"On three," he said into the security channel. "One… two…"

On the count of "three" a hushed "Go!" was the response. In one movement three teams of security personnel rushed into the bar. The denizens, many having reasons to believe they were the target, hit the ground to ensure they weren't shot if a fire fight broke out.

While Zack was certain half of the people here had active warrants, he was only here for one. One of his Narn personnel was securing the target by the time he walked up to the pasty-skinned Human-looking man. "Arthur Gagnor, you're under arrest on charges of arms smuggling, bribery, illegal possession of military-grade ordnance… and skipping out on a docking bill on Kalnit Station." Zack blinked at that one. "The Brakiri must really be mad at you over that last one."

The look on Gagnor's face was one of shock more than fear. He clearly never expected to come to B5 Security's attention. "All of my stuff is legal and above-board," he insisted. "You've got no right to hold me."

"Tell it to the judge," Zack replied. "Get him out of here."

Gagnor's pasty face was pale as he was led away. Given the look of the crowd Zack was quick to join his security people in departing. A riot in Brown Sector would certainly lead to headaches with Captain Lochley.

The thought was fitting when, a moment later, Lochley's image, garbed in the blue uniform of an Earthforce naval officer, appeared on a screen projected from Zack Allan's omnitool. The commander of B5 had a dusky complexion with brown hair pulled into a regulation-fitting pony-tail. " _You found our guy?_ "

"He never saw us coming," Zack answered. "Seemed real surprised."

" _Don't they always?_ "

"I guess so. But it is a bit weird, Captain, if you ask me. Records show the guy's been through B5 half a dozen times in just the last two years. Now the Brakiri and Drazi are suddenly interested in him?"

" _He probably crossed the wrong Brakiri syndicate on a business deal_ ," Lochley answered. " _The fact that he's a gun runner is reason enough to want him off the station._ "

"Well, he'll be on his way to the Brakiri Homeworld by tomorrow," Zack said. "Then he won't be our problem anymore."

" _Again, good job Chief. Now, I believe you have that other case to get to?_ "

Zack frowned. All of his hopes that Lochley would let him off when it came to dealing with the DaiMon evaporated. "Yes, Captain, I do," he said in resignation. "Allan out." He turned the channel off. Ignoring the knowing smirks and grins on his security people, he walked on in the hopes of quickly exiting Brown Sector.

* * *

 **Several weeks later...**

Shining in the light of an alien sun, the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ maintained a geosynchronous orbit over the planet Cestus 3. A Federation _Ambassador_ -class starship, the _Tucker_ , was to the _Aurora_ 's starboard side, while a blockier, single-hulled Gorn warship was to port. One could notice some vague similarities in the layout of the Federation and Alliance ship, principally with the layout of a primary hull and a drive hull with a bow-mounted navigational deflector dish, with the warp nacelles attached by pylons to the sides.

There were clear design differences, however. The smaller Federation ship's primary hull was a saucer attached by a clear neck to the round drive hull. The kilometer-long _Aurora_ 's primary hull, while wide proportionately as well, had a long shape to it, closer to an arrowhead than a saucer, and the drive hull started much further up, directly connected to the primary hull with the deflector dish only about twenty-five percent of the way down the ship's length and almost directly below the location of the main bridge at the top of the primary hull. The two hulls shared a wide and long connection area, flowing together without any visible neck. The rear end of the primary hull was marked by a drop in height of over fifty meters. Toward the top of this drop was the main shuttle bay for the ship while, below it, was the armored dock for a supporting attack or scout ship; in this case, the _Starship Koenig_. Below this dock, at the top of the drive hull, was the recovery deck for the _Aurora_ 's starfighter wing laid over the hanger deck and its attached launch tubes for the eighty-eight Mongoose starfighters of the vessel.

The drive hull itself started to extend down to the ship's lowest thirty-third through thirty-fifth decks aft of the deflector dish, providing additional machinery spaces and the decks used by the ship's company of Marines, with the secondary shuttle bay at the rear of Deck 32 towards the stern. Four long, sleek warp nacelles with bright blue ramscoops and drive coil sections were arranged in a flat X shape around the drive hull, just far out enough to give their hydrogen-collecting ramscoops clearance around the hull.

In the _Aurora_ 's main conference room Captain Julia Andreys, the vessel's commander, stood with her officers in their dress uniforms. Unlike the standard duty and formal uniforms, the dress uniforms were primarily white with branch color trim - burgundy red in the case of Captain Andreys - and gold-embroidered epaulettes. Rank insignias were still on the collar, and awards and commendations were worn on the left or right breast of the suit. Various such medals were being worn on the officers of the _Aurora_ , both those of Alliance origin or from the systems that made up the Alliance.

They were joined by Starfleet officers wearing their dress uniforms, which were long flowing one-piece jackets of branch color and black over black trousers, and the reptilian Gorn in elaborate leather outfits. The Gorn were a particularly large species of reptilian bipeds, with long tails and sharp claws. There was, even here, a slight tension in the air, if anything from the knowledge that the Gorn could overpower most of the other attendees if they desired.

That they didn't desire such was obvious to the digital document that was now being signed by one of their number. Opposite from that Gorn and two flanking subordinates was an older woman with graying light hair in a blue dress suit. To one side of her was a Tellarite male in a gray and black suit, to the other side was a Human man in a Starfleet dress uniform with the rank of Captain. Once the Gorn and his entourage signed the document, she too signed, as did the Starfleet captain and the Tellarite. Julia picked up the document and, after a ceremonial examination, pressed a key to transmit it formally to their respective governments. "Prince S'skist, Governor Bacco, congratulations," she said. "The border treaty is now complete."

"Thank you, Captain Andreys, for your assistance in these negotiations," Governor Nanietta Bacco answered. "They haven't been easy."

"This is true." The Gorn's voice was a reptilian hiss. Julia didn't let herself respond with an instinctive shudder at it. "I am pleased that our species have chosen to move on from our past. This treaty will maintain peace between the Federation and the Gorn Hegemony for decades to come."

"That is my hope as well…" 

* * *

With the ceremony over, Julia led the assembled to the Lookout for the post-signing reception. Hargert had gone above and beyond as always, serving food from a variety of cultures including his attempt to satisfy the Gorn palate. As always, it included at least two cakes of decent size.

Angel gave Julia a look as they waited to take their first portions. "I wish they would let us remove these things once the actual ceremonies are over."

"Technically the reception is part of the ceremony," Julia pointed out. "Or the event, anyway. Whatever the treaty, things can happen here that will still affect everything that comes after."

"You're not going to let us duck out early, are you?"

"Not too early."

Once they had food Julia went to find a table. She expected one of the others to come over. She was surprised when it was Governor Bacco herself. As politicians went, Julia found the Governor of Cestus III to be refreshing in her moderately-blunt honesty and unassuming charm. Spending time with her was not going to be the chore that other politicians would make it. "Governor, how may I help you?" Julia asked.

"You've done quite enough already, Captain," Bacco said. "I think the talks would have ended again if you hadn't shown up."

"I don't think I can take credit," Julia insisted. "You and the Prince already had the acceptable terms laid out. I didn't provide anything for the treaty itself."

"No, but you gave us the push to put it all together," insisted Bacco. "Because of that, my constituents can sleep peacefully without worrying about the Gorn. And the Gorn can do likewise."

"That's the benefit of peace," said Julia. "The Multiverse has enough war going on as it is."

"Yes." Bacco nodded. "I hear your war is going well?"

"Except for everyone dead from it, I guess," Julia remarked. "The Nazis are counter-attacking our forces in Argolis right now. The _Aurora_ is one of the few Alliance ships that hasn't been called in over it."

"I don't pay as much attention to the conflict as others," Bacco admitted. "Although I do seem to hear a lot about Nazi counter-attacks."

"They're getting desperate as our forces are approaching Earth," Julia said. "The hope is that the Nazis are running out of crews because of it. If they run out of enough people, maybe it won't matter how many ships their yards can build."

"Hopefully you will put an end to them sooner rather than later," Bacco said. She turned to the Lookout window and the view of Cestus 3. "We're not strangers to violence out here. For a century the Gorn have been disputing this area of space with us. There have been all manner of raids and attacks. Now maybe we can put that behind us."

"That can be the hardest part, can't it?"

"Yes. People are still afraid of the Gorn. This treaty won't stop it." Bacco's expression was thoughtful. "I can only hope that given time, people will stop being afraid."

"It would be nice," Julia said. But she knew from experience that time didn't always heal the emotional wounds of violence. "Sometimes all you can do is hope."

"Will your ship be remaining long enough for shore leaves?" asked Bacco.

"Maybe. I have no orders to leave just yet."

"Then I'd like to invite you down for a Pioneers game."

"Pioneers?"

"The Pike City Pioneers. One of the teams in our planet's baseball league."

At that Julia nodded in understanding. "I didn't know baseball was still played in this universe."

"It is on Cestus 3," Bacco said proudly. "It's our favorite past time."

"I'm sure you'll get a few of our people down there for the game, then," she said. "But I'm not really a baseball person. Basketball is my game. Besides…" Her face fell a little. "The one person I would have considered going to a game with isn't here anymore."

"Oh?"

"A friend of mine played baseball back on our world. But he had to leave. He's… going through a bad time in his life." Julia decided she didn't want to say anything more about Zack. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm thankful for your hospitality, Governor, and I didn't mean any offense."

"I understand, Captain," Bacco answered. "It's always hard to see those we care for suffer."

All Julia could do in reply was nod. She simply didn't have the words to do otherwise. 

* * *

The next morning Julia commenced her usual morning rituals. _T'ai chi_ and _mok'bara_ forms to loosen up for the day and a warm shower to finish waking up and prepare herself. Once she was at her desk in a red terry-cloth bathrobe, a white towel wrapped around her drying blond hair, Julia took the time to check the reports that came in during the "night" while eating a bowl of cornflake and blueberry cereal. The Alliance fleet was still stretched thin from the ongoing engagement in Argolis. A second battle was now being waged at Alpha Cassiopeiae that had already drawn in the last reserve fleet in the Stellar Navy. One of the intel reports alluded to the possibility that the Reich was reacting to the declarations of war by the Aururian Empress and the Democratic Worlds' Assembly from Universe A2M6 by launching an offensive with everything they had available. Other reports chalked it up to rumors of a growing split in the Reich between the military leadership in the OKW and the Nazi Party's SS.

So far the _Aurora_ hadn't been to the front in over half a year. Julia wondered if that would continue or if they would be called to it soon, given this event.

After finishing her cereal it was time to get the day started. She shut down her desk computer station and returned to her bedroom to get the uniform she'd be wearing for the day. 

* * *

When Julia arrived on the bridge she found the command staff officers at their stations, or preparing to assume them. Nick Locarno was relieving the Falaen (or Altean, now) Ensign Talara from the helm. Jarod was already at Ops. Tom Barnes was fussing with something beside the Engineering station while Caterina Delgado was already busy with her science/sensors station. Her older sister Angela was now at Tactical.

Last but not least, Meridina was in the command chair. The Gersallian woman stood without looking. Her " _swevyra_ " abilities - the "life force" powers she knew how to wield - had undoubtedly told her of Julia's arrival before Julia could announce it. As she approached Julia could make out the one extra accessory to Meridina's appearance that none of the other bridge crew shared; her lightsaber, the circular, flashlight-shaped weapon strapped to her belt on the left side. "Good morning Captain," Meridina said. She spoke English with a lilting accent that was vaguely Irish in tone. "I trust you rested well."

"Of course," Julia answered. She took her seat and Meridina slipped into her chair to Julia's right. "No last minute failure of the new treaty, right?"

"None," Meridina stated. "It would appear that the final settlement these people have sought has finally come about. You should be proud for the part you played."

"I'm not sure I deserve that much credit." Julia settled a little into her chair. "Are we ready for departure?"

"The last liberty parties are due to transport back in an hour," Jarod answered, turning to face her.

"Alright. Until then, we'll maintain standard…"

A tone from Jarod's control board interrupted Julia. Jarod turned his attention back to the board. "I'm getting a distress signal from Alliance bands," he said. "It's coming from the colony on Gamma 12 in Universe E5B1."

"I am aware of this colony," said Meridina. "It is a joint project between Gersal and several of the Human states in the Alliance."

"How many ships can react to them?"

"Not many. From what I can tell, even with our distance and the need to jump, we'll be the first to arrive if we maintain high warp."

"Right. Okay, bring up our liberty parties now. Prepare the ship for emergency jump."

"Transporting now." After several moments Jarod nodded at his station. "Transport confirmed. All personnel are back aboard."

"Take us out."

"Setting jump drive to Eta Serpentis system jump anchor. Engaging…"

The _Aurora_ 's jump drive generated a green vortex in the space over Cestus 3. The kilometer-long starship flew into the point. On the other end it was in the middle of open space.

"The spatial aspect was too high," Jarod revealed. "We're ten light years off the anchor."

"I expected that," Julia said. "Helm, maximum warp, engage."

"Aye ma'am."

While Locarno initiated the _Aurora_ 's powerful Darglan-built warp drive, Julia thought of the situation. Who in E5B1 would attack an Alliance colony? It wasn't even near what was once Darglan space, so it was unlikely to be the Psi Corps or that IPX group from the Earth Alliance. None of the ISA races would have a motive to. Nor would they want to risk President Sheridan sending the _White Star_ Fleet against them for violating the peace of the E5B1 galaxy. That left only a few options... "Jarod, anything else from Gamma 12?" Julia asked. "Do we have identification on the attackers?"

"I'm getting telemetry from the Gamma 12 sensors now," he said. "Visual data confirmed."

"On screen."

The holo-viewscreen activated to show a shot of Gamma 12's orbital space. Ten vessels hung in orbit. The biggest ship had a flat, wide profile with four large engine ports on the back and as usual with dreadnoughts of E5B1 outmassed the _Aurora,_ being slightly longer than 1.54km. It was flanked by smaller ships that were more rounded, with less sharp edges to their hulls, of primarily yellow coloring with black markings. Wing tips to either side were tipped with a light pinkish emitter, possibly a weapon port, with two open barrels were slung under the bow. The yellow color scheme was met with the black patterns on the other ships as well, although the lead dreadnought's fork-pronged main hull was primarily black, with the secondary hull section above and on the rear half of the ship was an orange-toned color. The large ship had a cluster of three large weapons barrels mounted spinally in the opening at the bow and encased in a round armor shield, splitting the black hull into two partitions with its presence to provide the pronged appearance.

"I don't recognize those vessels from any of the E5B1 recognition charts," Julia said. "Do we have them in the library?"

"I'll check," Jarod said.

Julia turned her head and faced the science station. "Anything interesting in the sensor data, Lieutenant Delgado?"

Cat shook her head. "The sensors on Gamma 12 aren't the most sophisticated. I'm still trying to figure out more about them from these sensor returns."

"ETA, Mister Locarno?"

"Twenty-one minutes at current warp velocity, Captain. I have us at Warp 9.9993."

"That is our fastest speed, yes?" asked Meridina.

"Just about."

"At this rate we'll probably burn out the fraking field generators," muttered Barnes.

"If we have to spend a day replacing burnt out parts, that's better than finding a burnt out colony," Julia said. "Anything else from the colony?"

"I'm afraid not," Jarod said. "It looks like they're being jammed now. I'm attempting…" He stopped speaking. Julia noticed his eyes stare at the result on his screen. "Oh my God," he muttered.

That worried Julia. Jarod rarely said things like that. "Jarod, what is it?"

"The computers just matched the ships at Gamma 12 with E5B1 records," Jarod said. He seemed almost horrified.

"And what are the results?"

Jarod looked up at the ships on the viewer again, as if trying to confirm what he was seeing, before he turned back to face Julia. It was unsettling to see how startled he was.

"The match is at ninety-nine percent probability," Jarod said. "Those are _Dilgar_ ships."

 **Undiscovered Frontier**  
 ** _"Yesterday's Enemies_ , Part One"**

 **Authors' Note: This episode, and the setting, incorporates as canon the Legendary Fanfiction by Lightning Count, " _The Dilgar War_ ", with his full blessing and permission: ****s/2594689/1/The-Dilgar-War**


	25. Episode 3-05-2 Yesterday's Enemies P1

There was silence and confusion on the _Aurora_ bridge. "Dilgar?" Meridina frowned. "I am not familiar with this species."

Julia was. "They were supposedly wiped out almost thirty years ago," she said. "They were an aggressive, genocidal species that attacked virtually every race in what is today the InterStellar Alliance. They might have conquered them all if the Earth Alliance hadn't joined the war." Seeing Meridina's curious look and figuring what it meant, she preemptively answered the question that was coming. "Last summer, while the _Aurora_ was in the repair yard, I attended a command seminar at Defense Command where an Earthforce officer who served in the war spoke about Earth's mobilization efforts against the Dilgar, and the scope of the battles with them. The Dilgar and the Liberation Navy fielded thousands of ships at some battles. The war had gone down to the knife due to the sheer bloodyminded behavior of the Dilgar. Some of the things the Dilgar did to the other species…" Julia trailed off.

Meridina nodded quietly. "I sense what you mean. And it does not bode well for the colonists if they are truly Dilgar. What happened to them, then, that we have not been fully briefed about such a vicious species?"

Julia's look was somber. "A few years after they were defeated and forcibly repatriated to their home system, the primary shed its outer layers in some bizarre natural disaster and killed the entire population."

"So they are presumed extinct." A thought occurred to Meridina. "Is there a record of any other species using their ships?"

Jarod provided an answer. "No. In fact, the records suggest every single one of their battlecruisers was accounted for in the war. But we've got two of them over Gamma 12 right now."

"Who else is in range?" asked Julia. "Can another ship make it there before we do?"

Meridina turned to her small station and checked fleet operation logs. "Just the _Heerman,_ Captain. She is at Alpha Sextus."

 _Commander Imra's as solid as they come,_ Julia thought, feeling her skin chill. _Although I would prefer more than another attack ship against a force of that size and power. We'll have to make it work…_ "Tell the _Heerman_ to make best possible speed."

"I am relaying the signal." After a moment Meridina nodded back. "Commander Imra acknowledges. Her message states that she is already underway. Their ETA is now nineteen minutes."

"And ours?"

"Eighteen," said Locarno.

"Good. We'll need every ship we can get. Set running status to Code Yellow." At that command's implementation, yellow lights activated at points on the bridge to indicate the heightened alert level for the ship;. "We'll go to Red in ten minutes."

Jarod was still looking over the relayed visuals from the Colony. "Lieutenant Delgado, I want you to analyze these images from the colony. They're only eighty percent matches for Dilgar ships and some are showing energy signatures different from those reported in the files we have."

"On it," Caterina replied.

Julia allowed the others to get to work. At this point, her biggest worry was that they'd arrive far too late and find the colony a twisted wreck. The Dilgar reputation for atrocity and genocidal behavior was the stuff of nightmares. The Nazis and SS couldn't hold a candle to some of the things the Dilgar did to the other species in the League. Savage medical experiments, massacres, torture… if a crime existed against thinking beings, the Dilgar committed it.

 _Everything said they were dead. How are they still around_? thought Julia. _How could they hide for all these years?_ One way or another, she would have to find out. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ dropped out of warp in the Gamma 12 system primed for battle, with raised shields and armed weapons. The moment the ship decelerated her fighter launch tubes lit up. Mongoose starfighters moved into squadron formations to fulfill mission orders in the prospective battle. From the rear of the primary hull the _Koenig_ emerged and backed its way out off its dock. Once the ship was clear it flew "above" the _Aurora_ , raising shields and arming her own weapons.

On the _Aurora_ bridge everyone was secured into their seats. "Put the Dilgar squadron back onscreen," Julia ordered. She leaned forward, watching the starscape around Gamma Twelve.

"Putting them on," Jarod said.

The image flashed to showing the squadron holding position, much as they had been in the last image received from Gamma 12. Julia glanced to Caterina. "What's their status?"

"I'm detecting energy signatures broadly consistent with Abbai-standard grav shields at standby on the three largest ships. No weapons charge." She glanced up. "They haven't even moved toward the colony, Captain. They're holding high orbit. I can confirm the ship types from the records, too. One _Mishakur_ variant, two _Sekhmet_ s, two _Tikrit_ s, five _Ochlavita_ s. It looks like they've been modified with warp drives." Cat was checking her readings again. "The seven smaller ships… are showing deflector shields with energy signatures consistent to Klingon D-7 model cruisers. And their warp drives also have intermix ratios comparable to Klingon ships."

"That's a hell of a mishmash of technology." Julia thought of how the Batarians also widely adapted technology from other universes whenever they got their hands on it. Wherever these Dilgar were… That thought prompted Julia to ask, "Can you verify their species from the life sign readings?"

"They're not Human. I'm cross-checking with the library records now…" Cat looked back to her and nodded. "I'm reading all the crews as Dilgar, going by the Earth Alliance records."

Julia's curiosity at that point became overwhelming. "Hail them," she said.

Jarod nodded. "It looks like they've implemented Multiverse-standard communications. I'm already getting a return signal."

"Dilgar Commander, this is Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ , representing the United Alliance of Systems _._ Identify yourselves and your intention."

The holo-viewscreen removed the image of the Dilgar ships. Replacing it was an image showing the Dilgar bridge. Two unambiguously female humanoids were in the visible image, one sitting down in the command chair and one standing at her side. They possessed a dun-brown fur that looked like brown skin if Julia blinked too hard, classic sharply raked pointed ears and yellow, broadly-set feline eyes. The woman in the command chair had a sort of dirty blonde hair, and was dwarfed by the second, a tall and massively built woman standing to her side in a grey uniform to contrast the dark blue with ornate decorations of the tiny, sitting woman's. Both had tinges of gray hair, the woman in the command chair more, and they shared a crimson sash across their uniforms which was counter-wrapped about their necks like a scarf as well, despite the different colour of the uniforms.

The woman spoke without preamble, and the translators did not kick in: She spoke fluent English in a neat, clipped accent which Julia started at, for it was almost identical to that of the _Aurora_ 's JAG officer Lieutenant Vajpayee, though her voice had an unpleasant rasp, a bit like that of a lifelong smoker. "I am Warmaster Shai'jhur, Head of State of the Honourable Union of Tira and Rohric. I have arrived here with this squadron to ask for your help, intervention, and mediation, in the interests of galactic peace and of the protection of innocent civilian life. On those grounds, I would treat with you and your people, Captain Andreys."

Of all the things she had expected to hear… Julia sank back in her command chair. "Hold position and don't make any sudden moves with your ships. I will confer with my staff and government and reply shortly."

"Of course, Captain Andreys. Thank you for the courtesy. We will hold position."

At a nod from Julia, Jarod ended the communication. "That wasn't what I expected," he admitted.

"I didn't either."

"Funny how they thought the best way to ask for our help was to show up at one of our colonies with a full squadron of warships," Angel noted dryly.

"Maybe they were afraid of being attacked if they only sent one?" Cat asked.

Julia was already looking to Meridina. "I do not sense immediate danger," said Meridina. "But if you are asking me to read their minds, all I can say is that they were very well-disciplined mentally. I would need to be closer, and more direct, to reach their thoughts."

"Right."

"The _Heerman_ just signaled," Jarod said. "They've dropped out of warp under cloak and are ready to begin an attack run."

"Have them hold position," Julia said. "And get me Admiral Maran." 

* * *

" _The Dilgar._ " Admiral Maran seemed to be considering the very sound of their name when he said it. The Gersallian admiral was at his desk in Defense Command. The skyline of Portland was visible behind his head of gray-streaked dark hair. " _I have heard only stories about them. Remarks from representatives of the ISA races, usually in reference to atrocities by the Nazi Reich. Apparently even the Nazis can compare favorably to the Dilgar._ "

"I've heard the same," Julia said. "And suddenly they still exist."

"Warmaster Shai'jhur mentioned two members of a union, likely worlds," Meridina noted. "Tira and Rohric."

Jarod tapped away at his omnitool control. "We've got nothing on Tira. But apparently Rohric was a colony world of the Dilgar before they were forced to return to their homeworld Omelos. It's remained unsettled since the Liberation forces made the Dilgar abandon it."

"It sounds like they missed a few," Locarno remarked.

"What would you like me to do, Admiral?" Julia asked.

" _For now, talk to them. Try to find out why they came out of hiding so blatantly. But be careful with making any commitments. As things stand, we can expect the E5B1 species to be watching our interactions with the Dilgar like hawks. And that is if they give us the benefit of the doubt._ "

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

" _The fighting at Argolis and Alpha Cassiopaiea has drawn in all of our available reserves. I may be able to find a ship or two to send your way, but don't expect significant reinforcement. Be careful. Maran out._ "

Maran's image disappeared from the screen. Julia looked over the others. "Jarod, Meridina. According to fleet logs, what ships can render us assistance in a pinch?"

"Just a few," Jarod answered. "All light vessels."

"Nothing to help us fight a dreadnought, then."

"Well, if they're here to talk, we won't need it," Cat said.

"Given their reputation, I'm not putting a lot of faith in that," Julia admitted. "So it's nice to know our options."

"Even when they all suck," Barnes muttered.

Julia grinned wryly at him. " _Especially_ when they all suck," she corrected. "Go ahead and re-establish communications with the Warmaster."

Jarod did that deed using the conference lounge's controls. A few moments later Shai'jhur's image appeared over the table courtesy of the holo-emitter in the middle. She faced the image directly. "Warmaster, my government has authorized me to speak to you on your request."

" _The reputation of the Alliance is deserved, then_ ," the raspy voice answered. " _The rumours of our demise may be greatly exaggerated, as you humans would say, but our enemies are working on 'fixing' the problem. To put it bluntly, Captain Andreys, my people are going to be slaughtered without your assistance."_

Julia showed no reaction to that announcement. "I'm listening."

" _A force of Brakiri and Hyach ships has seized Tira. The Drazi are sending a fleet to exterminate the population. I request the aid of the Alliance in protecting my people._ "

"There's no record of the Dilgar ever possessing a world called Tira," Julia said.

" _Nor would there be. It was a… desperate gamble, founded by Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan's forlorn hope of sending civilian ships randomly into hyperspace to seek new worlds._ " Shai'jhur stopped speaking long enough to cough. " _Captain, all will be explained. I am not here to deceive. But time is of the essence. Our sources, what little of them have escaped notice by our enemies, have already confirmed the gathering of the Drazi fleet. They are intent on extermination._ "

"How do you know that?" Angel asked. "What proof do you have? For all we know, they're just out to make sure you're not preparing for another attack. Given the stuff your people did to them, I know I'd be sending the biggest fleet I could find to keep an eye on you."

Julia watched to see what Shai'jhur's reaction to Angel's remarks could be. At first, she was too busy coughing to give a reply. Julia wondered how ill she might be. _Or is it an act to play for sympathy?_

Once Shai'jhur was able to stop the hacking cough from interrupting, she gave a reply. " _I do not deny we have earned distrust, or that your argument is a valid one. But the Drazi are not a kind people either. The Enphili can testify to that fact, for instance._ "

Julia looked to Jarod. He looked up from his omnitool a few moments later and nodded. "They're a low-tech species along the Drazi frontier," he said. "Before the start of the InterStellar Alliance, the Drazi sponsored raiders that attacked them and other worlds like them to keep them from becoming a potential threat to Drazi expansion. ISA intervention put an end to that."

" _They were also complicit in the orbital bombardment of Centauri Prime_ ," Shai'jhur observed with a kind of dry humour infecting her voice. " _Against the wishes of President Sheridan and the InterStellar Alliance leadership, naturally. They will not hesitate to attack civilian targets, Captain. Of course I could go on and talk about the virtually enslaved population of Shambah, but really, the point's been made._ "

Julia didn't need Jarod to confirm that for her. She remembered the story of Centauri Prime all too well. Because of that violent attack, the Centauri withdrew from the InterStellar Alliance completely and had turned themselves into a hermit kingdom. "As you said, the point is made," Julia conceded. "But if I'm going to confront member races of the InterStellar Alliance like this…"

Before she could finish, a tone filled the room. " _Bridge here_ ," said Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi, Jarod's primary backup at Operations. " _Captain, the_ Shenzhou _just dropped out of warp. Captain Ming-Chung wishes to speak with you and Warmaster Shai'jhur urgently._ "

Julia blinked and gave Jarod a look. "What's the _Shenzhou_ doing here? I thought they were on rotation over the Darglan homeworld?"

"That's what they're listed as doing," Jarod said.

Julia knew there was one way to quickly find out what was going on. "Tie them in with our current communication, Lieutenant."

" _Aye ma'am._ "

The holo-screen expanded to show a second image. Captain Li Ming-Chung of the _Starship Shenzhou_ appeared on the screen. She was Julia's age and a veteran of the pre-Alliance days of the Darglan Facility. Her name broke the usual Chinese naming conventions as part of her rebellion from the patriarchal nature of that culture, placing her personal name first like a European name and then the family names of her slain mothers.

To one side was her First Officer. Commander Tuyan Otiros was a blue-skinned, teal-spotted Dorei of the Yenmar Republic. On her left the viewing seat was taken up by a woman of dark brown complexion, a human with a bindi on her forehead that marked her as a practicing Hindu. Her hair was gray with time, her skin healthy and young from being sheltered in starships but her physique frail from accumulated years of zero- and low- gravity.

" _Captain Andreys_ ," Captain Ming-Chung greeted her, the urgency tight in her voice. " _We tried to arrive before something irrecoverable had happened. The lady to my left is Captain Kaveri Varma, Earthforce Retired. She has important information about the Dilgar situation._ "

Julia couldn't hide her surprise, nor the sheer bewilderment - and suspicion - of the timing. "Oh? Go ahead, Captain Varma."

" _Captain Andreys, the attack on the Dilgar world of Tira consisted of twenty Brakiri and twenty Hyach vessels which were sent after a Dilgar supply-purchasing network was unraveled. I don't understand how or why, but Mister Arthur Gagnor, arrested on Babylon 5 several weeks ago, was actually an agent of the Dilgar government of Tira-who had previously provided assistance to groups working in concert with your Captain Dale and Commander Meridina, I might add._ "

Julia glanced to Meridina. "I recall the name," she said. "It was through observing him that we located Lyta Alexander."

That matter settled, Julia returned her attention to the screen. This prompted Kaveri to continue. " _The Brakiri and Hyach sent high-level communications to the Drazi homeworld and a first wave of more than sixty Sunhawks is enroute and will arrive at Tira in another twelve hours. Captain, there are only twenty million Dilgar on Tira-but that is half the surviving species, and there's no substantive war industry. There are mercenaries, hired by the Brakiri, who have already rigged flood-gates with explosive charges which could flood the entire capital. Some of the information is from Warmaster Shai'jhur, certainly, but I have independent verification on other parts and it is frankly imperative that we act quickly to avert genocide._ "

Shai'jhur took a breath and looked up briefly to the massive Dilgar woman at her side, before addressing Julia. " _Well, Captain Andreys. You have heard Captain Varma. May we meet? Time is of the essence, but I wish to verify to you and your people … That we are a nation in distress. Despite being a flagship variant the_ One-who-fights-alone _is not well suited for a conference, so I don't mind presenting myself aboard either of your fine ships._ "

Julia considered the request quietly. When she spoke, it was with her eyes on Li. "Captain Ming-Chung, have you been able to verify any of Captain Varma's statements? Do you trust her as a source?"

There was a moment of consideration from Li before she nodded. " _Captain Varma approached us in a manner that justifies some of her claims, yes. And on our way here we passed close enough to Drazi space to detect definite signs of fleet mobilization. Her story is… credible, at least_."

"Alright." Julia looked to Meridina next. Meridina's only reply was a moment of consideration followed by a quiet nod. "Very well. Warmaster, you may come aboard and meet with myself, Captain Ming-Chung, and Captain Varma."

" _We are thankful for your consideration, Captain._ One-who-fights-alone _out._ "

* * *

Captain Ming-Chung and Captain Varma arrived first on the transporter. Julia and Meridina were waiting with Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond, the ship's Chief of Security. The Australian woman had a complexion close to porcelain. Her black hair was cut short around her head and her eyes, a brilliant green in color, were fixed on the transporter pad. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" Kaveri was certainly traditional.

Julia nodded. "Welcome aboard, Captain." She stepped forward and offered her hand. Varma accepted the handshake cordially.

"We are receiving a telemetry signal from the Dilgar flagship, Captain," said the technical officer manning the station, a young Human woman of East Asian ancestry. "Four life-forms."

"Go ahead, bring them aboard."

There was another series of bright bursts of light accompanied by a light buzz. The form of the Dilgar leader appeared on the transporter station with another of her officers at her side. For a brief moment she seemed genuinely disconcerted. The other Dilgar, a female who seemed much younger and had a remarkable shade of long red hair on her head that contrasted with her dun light fur on the rest of her body like a mane, did not. If anything the younger Dilgar seemed more intrigued than put off by the transporter. Behind them stood two more officers, the towering, heavily built female in grey that had been seen in the viewscreen and a young male in blues who stepped forward.

"Here stands a Warmaster!" The junior officer shouted.

"Warmaster Shai'jhur, welcome to the _Aurora_ ," Julia said with a formal tone as she recovered her surprise from the shout.

For a long moment, Shai'jhur's eyes lingered on Kaveri, before they flickered to Julia. "Thank you, Captain. The introduction is-traditional, I confess. My officers are Battle Captain Fei'nur," she gestured to the massively built woman in green, "Combat Master Tra'dur," a nod to the redhead, "and Combat Expert Can'ur. Respectively they are my security and reconnaissance chief, my operations officer, and what you humans would call my Flag Lieutenant."

"My first officer, Commander Meridina, and my chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond."

"A pleasure to meet you all," she said, shaking hands down the line in the human fashion. "Captain Ming-Chung," she added, and then paused… And gently took Kaveri's hands in her own. "It's been a long time, Kaveri."

"Namaste, Shai'jhur. It has indeed. I hope you have been as well as you could, with all that has happened."

"It has not been an easy time, Kaveri, but dharma laid our path, and more often than not since those terrible dread days, we have walked in hope."

"I am gratified to hear it. Would that we had more time, but… matters press upon us urgently."

All of the Alliance officers were staring at the two by the time the exchange finished, save Meridina, who was not so much staring as quietly observing and sensing the interplay.

Kaveri glanced around, and offered with a wry smile, "I know what you're probably thinking, and the answer is simple enough. If you've ever seen an old, rather intellectual American-Japanese War movie called 'Hell in the Pacific', that's our story-well, except the ending. That was pretty bloody different."

"I am familiar with the existence of such 'movies'," Meridina said, "although I have only viewed a few at the insistence of Lieutenant Barnes."

"His taste in movies doesn't quite go toward that one," Julia observed. She tried to remember if that was one of the old movies her father loved to watch when she was little, and a dim memory of an American and a Japanese soldier castaway on an island came to her. It certainly made as much sense as an explanation as anything else would. "My senior officers are gathering in Conference Room 1. We'll meet them there."

* * *

The _Aurora_ Conference Room was no longer made up for the formal gathering that the Gorn-Federation treaty had called for. A number of tables were set up in a half-circle around a central holotank. The _Aurora_ bridge officers were at one table, the _Koenig_ officers at another. Seats for Captain Ming-Chung and Commander Imra of the _Heerman_ were provided beside Julia. This left a third table for the Dilgar to take up. Everyone noted that Varma stood with Shai'jhur as the Dilgar clustered around the replicator.

Cat took a breath and approached them, offering a small smile. "You can order some snack food by voice command, though I'm not sure we have anything compatible with Dilgar digestive systems."

"Most Earth proteins are," Shai'jhur answered.

Her utterly massive grey-uniformed subordinate stared at the hole in the wall suspiciously. "Replicator. Provide meat." She ordered in English.

The replicator beeped. " _Insufficient detail,_ " answered the feminine computer voice.

Fei'nur looked half-crestfallen as she looked past Cat toward Shai'jhur. "Warmaster, it doesn't seem to be working."

"Try asking for …" Shai'jhur glanced from Kaveri to Cat, and offered a reassuring little wink to Cat. "...Turkey jerky."

"Replicator, give me turkey jerky," Fei'nur asked. Her look grew only more perturbed as it beeped again.

" _Specify flavor._ "

This time, Fei'nur had a solution: "Default." A bag of turkey jerky strips materialised in the air, and with a child's wide eyes she tore it open and began to eat, her expression growing brighter as she did. "This is utterly _incredible_. It tastes like meat."

Cat was trying to hide a grin. The Warmaster grinned back, making her own selection and then going to sit down with the rest of her staff, save Fei'nur who remained standing.

Julia had almost giggled at the strange scene between the Dilgar, Cat and the replicator, but it was clear time was of the essence and after she sat, she turned to Jarod and whispered, "Did you get through to Maran?"

"No," he whispered back. "He's gone. According to Admiral Tsu, the _Kentan_ is off to join the fleet at Argolis."

Julia nodded grimly. The Reich's offensive there must have become especially fierce if Admiral Maran was bringing the _Kentan_ into the battle. "So he didn't leave any instructions?"

"Admiral Tsu relayed a message. He's trusting your judgement."

"Ah. It's good to be trusted," she noted, with some sarcasm. All the pressure was on her yet again.

Aside from Meridina nobody paid much attention to their exchange. The rest of the command crew were obviously curious about what was going on with the Dilgar. Meridina gave Julia an urgent look, one matched by Lucy. Both sensed the quiet impatience in the Dilgar. A fierce worry for the fate of their fellows. Understanding that, Julia nodded to the Dilgar table. "Warmaster, if you would please? Give us the specifics."

"But of course," the Warmaster replied. "I am sure there is a great deal that it would be nice to cover, but suffice to say, I will cover the historical particulars for now in the interest of brevity. In the closing year of the war I was a Battlemaster and an escort forces commander with a pentacon of destroyers. At Third Balos I organized the rearguard and fought to the bitter end to allow as many of our ships to flee back to Alaca and Omelos as possible. As a result, Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan, who had recovered from a sustained illness, resumed direct control of the remaining war effort, as Warmaster Jha'dur had disappeared. He promoted me to War Captain and put me in charge of a special squadron of captured ships, testbed prototypes, and other vessels of that sort, as well as new construction. The _One-who-fights-alone_ is an example of the later, a _Mishakur_ incorporating the technology of what you call the _Sekhmet_ -class. We were almost out of fuel and the enemy was constantly raiding Omelos at that point, so my force worked up into an effective combat group back at Rohric."

"I am actually a native Rohrican, not born of Omelos. Before the build-up to the war the world had a population of about two million; we were one of the Forty Families, the original landowners who had homesteaded the planet in the first wave of colonisation. The government sent about another twenty million colonists during the runup to the war, but they were not Rohricans, not culturally. A bit more than a month after Third Balos, the Liberation Navy made its final push on Omelos. I was recalled to support the fleet at Omelos and die in glory. May we be blunt, Captains? It was the _Führerbunker_ at that point! _Der Untergang_! The Supreme Warmaster promoted me to Warmaster in the recall message, likely enough to drive me to obey the orders-no Warmaster had ever surrendered to the enemy. I disobeyed anyway."

As Shai'jhur was talking, Cat kept glancing to the replicator. Jarod noticed it, and his eyes followed her's, widening fractionally as he watched Fei'nur stuff a bag of jerky into a uniform pocket, push the repeat button on the replicator, stuff another bag into another part of her uniform, and keep going, with some kind of single-minded fanaticism about acquiring as much replicator jerky as possible.

Whatever else, though, Shai'jhur appeared serenely oblivious, and carried on with her story. "Well, we are all a very stubborn lot on Rohric, so we moved the orbital infrastructure of our outer colonies-Innata, Wahant and Rohric-into orbit of a distant Brown Dwarf almost a lightyear from the Rohric primary where they could be hid from casual sensor tracks. I held my fleet there. The Rohricans..." Shai'jhur dissolved into a brutal series of coughs that ended with something that looked much like blood hacked onto the scarf around her neck, her entire tiny body shaking from top to bottom.

"The League never landed troops to force your people back to your homeworld?" asked Julia. She felt a little guilty pressing the woman, but as a negotiator she also wanted to know how serious the illness was. Leo was quietly scanning in the background.

"You've just seen the reason why." Kaveri had a sympathetic look on her face as she stepped in to reply. "The Dilgar, you see, had a _very_ poor selection of colonies when they went into the stars. Two marginally habitable worlds they had to wrest from the Drazi in violent border skirmishes and that were constant sources of conflict with the Freehold, one volcanic hell with a corrosive atmosphere too thin to allow life outside of domes, one world that was so inhospitable that they sent prisoners there to farm or die, and… Rohric. Which _looks_ like a somewhat arid but otherwise acceptable enough world. Until you land. Then you find out that the entire planet is infested by a particular strain of spores, produced by a very resistant species of the local flora. They burrow into the skin and the lungs, producing bleeding sores from a virulent allergic reaction in every known species. Who would _want_ to expose their people to such a thing? They bombarded the visible signs of habitation and then departed. I assume the population took shelter from observation in the caves and wadis of the desert, Shai'jhur?"

Shai'jhur had recovered in the meantime. "Exactly, Kaveri. We learned to live underground while the fleet sheltered at low power, orbiting the Brown Dwarf until the League stopped coming around. Then we built a distant station infrastructure there. There were about three million counting the populations from Innata and Wahant, the new settlers we'd managed to keep, and the fleet. To that, well… Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan's notional plan was to buy time for as many colony ships loaded with sleeper pods as possible to leave Omelos-traveling randomly through hyperspace. They went in two broad directions. I thought the plan was insane and managed to intercept enough of the ships in one direction to save three-quarters of a million."

"During the brief window between the League withdrawal and the destruction of Omelos, we rescued more from the surface. But the real surprise came later on-Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan's second thrust had borne fruit after all. Battle Captain Fei'nur was on a reconnaissance mission and discovered another Dilgar organization operating. They called themselves the Ghosts of Omelos and had found a water world roughly beyond Tal'kona'sha space, and settled a million Dilgar, using cloning to recover their numbers. _Unfortunately,_ there was a dispute over political authority which contributed directly to this incident and was only resolved by it. To put it very simply, I had been pursuing democratic reforms and education to create a legitimately Dilgar society broadly compliant with the norms of sapient rights practiced by the Earth Alliance and now ISA. They hadn't, and they didn't like that I had. But the occupation made them finally sign the union out of desperation."

"That sounds like it could be trouble," Jarod said. "If they're unreconstructed elements, I'm sure they'll want to reconsider once they're out of danger."

"They're not quite that bad. They were all carefully selected to be part of a New Dilgar that were to be a meritocratic society beyond the old honor and old nobility which enabled so much destruction and amorality. They have simply not had opportunities for open dialogue on the past or participatory politics. And, to be frank, I have always been the lawful government of all surviving Dilgar. Warmaster is a military-political title; as the only Warmaster I am the Head of State. Period. And I am committed to sapient rights and democratic reform. Period."

Julia glanced toward Meridina. Meridina nodded once. "I sense her sincerity." A few seats down Lucy did as well.

"Alright," Julia said. "And you want our help. I suppose the question then is if we can talk the Drazi, Brakiri, and Hyach into a compromise solution."

"Given the history, that's going to be a pretty tall order," Locarno said.

"Still, we can't let them perform genocide," Leo added. "Their own Declaration of Principles makes it clear they're supposed to pursue another way."

The mention of the ISA Declaration of Principles prompted Julia to look to Meridina. "Do you think we could get G'Kar to help? They should respect him."

"I am uncertain as to his whereabouts," Meridina admitted. "But I will attempt to contact him and inform him of the situation."

"Either way, if we're going to stop this, we need to get to Tira," Li observed. "But the Drazi have a several hour head start on us, and it's going to take us nearly eighteen hours to get to Tira at our highest warp speed."

"The Drazi will arrive several hours before then," Varma pointed out. "That's enough time for them to wipe out the entire population."

"Mister Scott, do you think the _Aurora_ could make it to Tira in eleven hours?" Julia asked. "At our highest warp velocity?"

"I wudnae recommend it, Cap'n," the old engineer said, shaking his head. He stood out among the Alliance officers for his choice of engineering uniform, a black engineering vest over a white jacket. The beige trim of operations was visible on the vest, as well as the three gold strips of Commander rank. "Ye'd have t' maintain our highest warp speed for th' entire run. Ye're more likely t' burn out th' drives before we get there."

"What if you warp in hyperspace?" Varma asked. "Isn't that possible?"

"It'd be daft, ma'am," Scotty insisted. "Th' warp field cannae form properly in th' energies o' yer hyperspace layer. Even if we managed it, we'd lose track o' th' beacon network in th' first second."

"He's right about that." Jarod was resting his chin on his hand. "But there's another way to cheat. We use interuniversal jumps."

"You mean we set the anchors to pull us closer to Tira's coordinates with each jump?" Cat asked. "Because it could work."

"But ye cannae jump often enough, Mister Jarod, ye know that," Scotty said. "Two jumps, maybe, but after that ye can burn out th' drive if ye dinnae give it time t' cool down."

"We've done two jumps before," Julia noted.

"Aye. An' it puts strain on th' drive each time. An' ye're lookin' at three jumps, minimum, just t' get us close enough t' warp in."

"If it is at all possible, an entire world rests on the attempt," Varma insisted.

Varma's plea caused Scott and Barnes to look at each other and then Jarod. "We'll need ships or other anchors at the right points," Barnes said. "Otherwise, no anchor, there's no telling how far off the jumps will take us."

"I'll calculate the best possible courses," Jarod said. "And on the bright side, we might pick up a few ships on the way."

"So if we do this, we'll get there in time?" Julia asked.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Jarod shook his head. "I can't tell you for sure that we'll get the spatial aspects we need to make it in time. We could still be two or three hours late."

"It's still our best option," Locarno insisted.

"If we sent a signal ahead, maybe we could warn them to stop?" Cat asked. "Maybe buy us some time?"

"Dilgar and Drazi were in a blood feud long before the Imperium attacked the League, I fear…" Kaveri trailed off for a moment, as her face paled and her voice grew softer; "...but my daughter, Zheng-li, may be in position to buy you a little time. If I may have access to your com array?"

"How?" Julia asked.

"She is the captain of a new Earthforce destroyer on patrol in the coreward League. I sent her a message before I set out for my rendezvous here."

Bringing Earthforce into the affair made Julia wary. It seemed like a complication that could make the politics of the situation even more explosive. But there was no denying that they needed someone to get there before the Drazi. If they could be made to consider holding their fire for just an extra hour…

"Alright," Julia said. "Mister Jarod, please assist Captain Varma in sending her message, and then report to the bridge. We need to get underway immediately."

"One final thing," Shai'jhur remarked as she was getting up. "I think for purposes of coordination between our squadron and your own during what will be a very complex set of maneouvres, I should have an officer aboard the _Aurora._ Combat Master Tra'dur is one of our best astrophysicists, may she remain?"

Without hesitation Julia nodded. "Yes. Lieutenant Caterina Delgado, our science officer, will coordinate with her."

It said a lot about Caterina's development during her time with the Doctor - a year for her, four minutes for everyone else given the Doctor's time traveling ship - that instead of seeming flustered or worried, she nodded and gave a professional reply of "I'll take her to Science Lab 2. We can use the simulation systems there to plot the best course with the possible spatial aspects of our jumps in mind." Caterina stood and moved toward the door. Tra'dur followed.

"If everything is settled, I should return to my ship to prepare for these jumps," Li said.

"We'll keep in touch through a tactical commline," Julia said. "This meeting is dismissed."

"I will be traveling with the Warmaster," Kaveri said, softly, as she prepared to follow Commander Jarod, "so there will be a second transport to the _Magaratha._ "

"Is that the name of Warmaster Shai'jhur's ship in Dilgar?" he asked as she walked. Kaveri nodded in the affirmative, but the look on her face told him everything about she was thinking about.


	26. Episode 3-05-3 Yesterday's Enemies P1

The _Huáscar_ had done marvels on her speed run to Tira. Alert status lights indicating she was at enhanced readiness gleamed, modified ZEBRA, bare minutes from being fully buttoned-up for combat. Captain Zhengli Varma stepped out onto the bridge after offering a last set of prayers at the tiny idol rack in her sea cabin. Around her the crew reflected tension and confusion, uncertainty at the course of action their Captain had flung them on with little warning.

She was a slight woman of south China in her blood, and south India in her heritage. Her Line Medal was safely in a chest in her sea cabin, and her command had been a quiet nightmare. Her crew was still riven between pro- and anti-Sheridan factions and she herself was distrusted by both and only held the command through General Lefcourt's personal confidence. But her command was still one of the newest _Warlock_ -class heavy destroyers in the fleet, larger than many dreadnoughts - even counting those of the Allied Systems fleets - and the fastest ship that had ever served in EarthForce.

 _Huáscar_ had more than that, too. She also now had deflector shields fitted with improved power generation systems linked to her reactors, and there was, with all the other Warlocks, the X-RAY Special, the code name for the biomechanical sensor system whose controls, buried deep in the ship, gave her a ranged accuracy to her weapons fire that had stunned Zhengli during trials. Earth couldn't have asked for a more powerful nor poised warship, but the internal relations of Earthforce remained balanced on the head of a pin.

Below them floated the spectacularly beautiful water-world of Tira. _So the Dilgar found life here._ Her excitement at that, the peace of her mother's soul, and frankly the peace of her own, warred with memories. There was her time as the night-shift second in command on Babylon 5, her brief interview with Jha'dur, bemused and baiting a member of the house of Varma of whom she had proved not unacquainted. ' _I shall make sure you and your mother get the serum so that I may hear the Dilgar tongue in my hour of triumph._ ' The mad, broken image of the last Dilgar.

Well, not quite the last, thank the merciful Gods. The species had not died, and for the first time Zhengli had gazed on an image of the woman who, in a desperate gesture of hope, had reached out to trust her mother in the middle of a war with no trust possible. And now here she was, with twenty million innocent civilians on the planet below. Forty ships in front of her, more coming, and only her proud destroyer.

Around her were twenty Brakiri ships, eighteen Hyach, and five Hurr. The wreckage of two Hyach ships remained, also, to provide testament to the Dilgar having offered resistance before they retreated. And all of them were tracking the _Huáscar_ with a suspicion in stark contrast to their status as allies.

"The Brakiri have hailed us," WO1 Baeraz reported from comms. "They're demanding to know the purpose of our presence in a Brakiri system."

Zhengli snorted incredulously. That was impressive even for the Brakiri. "We're a hundred light years from Brakiri space, and they haven't filed a formal claim with the ISA territorial board. Tell them that."

"Yes Sir…" A moment. "They want to speak to you directly."

"I'll handle that." She glanced to the comms section. "Patch me in to the Brakiri."

"Aye-aye, Captain."

"Brakiri Commander, this is Captain Zhengli Varma of the Earth Alliance Ship _Huáscar._ I would know your intentions."

" _Captain Varma, we are conducting security operations on the surface of the planet we have claimed. These security operations are consistent with the ISA charter to maintain galactic peace._ " It was telling that the Brakiri commander refused to give his name.

Zhengli decided that if they were going to play games, so would she. "The planet appears to have a pre-existing native intelligence, Brakiri commander. Your claim to this system is not recognized, and your operations have an offensive character to them. Surely you will not mind if an Earthforce ship observes your operations more closely?"

She waited for an uncomfortably long period of time for a response, before turning to her crew; "Take us into high orbit, set Condition Two."

* * *

The first jump took the longest to set up. Using data from Cat and his access to the active fleet positioning logs, Jarod found an Alakin warbird on internal patrol in their native universe, A7R6, that had the right position for the first jump. The four Alliance ships present made their jumps in sequence, each bringing some of the Dilgar ships with them. The _Aurora_ took charge of ensuring Shai'jhur's flagship made the transition.

In Science Lab 2 Cat immediately brought up a holo-starmap to display the last leg of their planned course. "See if there are any ships in the vicinity of Phi Trajanus," she said aloud.

" _What about Beta Durani?_ " Jarod asked.

Cat checked and shook her head. "No, that aspect would bring us too far off our course. Our last jump could carry us into Tal-kona'sha space."

" _Good point. I'll let you know the coordinates for our next jump._ "

Upon Jarod's reply finishing, Cat noticed the young red-haired Dilgar had sat aside a pad on which she had been working calculations by hand and was staring in open admiration at the holo-table displaying the starmap. "You don't have holographics?" she asked.

"Never to this level of sophistication," Tra'dur replied. There was a simple wonder in her voice. "The technology of your ship is incredible, more than you can realize. I have dreamed of working with equipment such as this."

"Well, you can right now," Cat said. She tapped a key to highlight a block of stars around their target. "We need to ensure that our last jump puts us somewhere in there. That means we have to be in one of these systems on our next jump." Another tap of the key brought up another block of slightly larger size.

Tra'dur examined the map. "I would avoid this star." She pointed to a particularly ominous Wolf-Rayet exotic. "The gamma ray pulses it gives off could penetrate shielding inside of one lightyear."

"Hrm…" Cat double-checked the records and nodded. "You're right. Let me mark that off." The boxes shifted slightly. "But now it's carrying us too far in the Y plane. So we need to adjust like so…" The box shrunk yet again. Cat frowned at that. "This is going to be tricky." She keyed the comm line to Jarod again. "Jarod, on our last jump, we'll need to send one ship ahead first to anchor the others. The arrival zone is too small to risk a free jump scattering the group."

" _I read you._ "

Again Cat looked to Tra'dur, and when she did, she couldn't help but stare at the calculations she'd been writing. Her eyes widened. Tra'dur had been double-checking the computer computations by hand, an act that of all the people Cat knew… Only Cat could do. And despite the situation, the millions of lives riding on this, Tra'dur entranced with the opportunity to be where she was. "You don't have any labs like this back on Rohric, do you?"

"No. It would be an extravagance even if we had access to the full range of your technology." There was a sadness in Tra'dur's voice. "That was my first lesson as a child: Unauthorized emissions were a grave risk. A radio wave from the surface when we were hiding from a passing scout could be the end of our species. I first learned physics and calculus by lantern-light in a classroom built into a cave. The old government led us into this hell and the price was paid by the children too young to be responsible for it."

"Well, maybe not any more?" Cat ventured. She stepped up beside the Dilgar. The species was not as overtly feline as the Caitians or the Rr'timm, but there was still the look of a graceful cat to Tra'dur. One staring longingly at the door of its cage. "Maybe things can be different for you now."

"Perhaps." There was the faintest flicker of hope in Tra'dur's expression. "It would be nice if we could move beyond the blood in our past. Mother… Mother has been doing her best."

"Your Mother?"

"Warmaster Shai'jhur is indeed my mother, and the only parent I've ever known. I am the second of six."

Cat's face became pensive. "I know what that's like. My papa died when I was still very little, so I don't remember him." Something occurred to her a moment later. "So your father is why you're 'Tra'dur' and not 'Tra'jhur'?"

Tra'dur looked up wryly. "Well, that was the clan name of the gene-donor my mother used. A very distant relative of Jha'dur, but I hope you don't hold that against me. When I was young mother taught me that the principles of universal rights outlawed punishment of relatives for the crimes of another…" She stared at the wall and swallowed. "Doesn't that rather apply to all of us, right now?"

"Yeah," Cat answered. "It does."

* * *

On the _Aurora_ bridge Jarod finished examining the fleet logs. What he found caused him to grin. "Well, that's luck," he said.

"Commander?" Julia looked at him.

"I found the next ship in our chain," he said. "Our next jump is S4W8. There's a refugee convoy moving toward Phosako space under convoy."

"Do the Phosako ships have jump anchors?" Meridina asked.

"No. But the allied ships with them do. The _Eagle_ is with the convoy."

"Arik's son's ship?" Julia nodded. "That'll do just fine. Put him on so he knows we're coming, and why."

"He's answering our hail now."

The image of a bronze-skinned man with a closely-trimmed beard appeared on the holo-viewscreen. His uniform was unique, modeled after the Alliance uniform but with a silver torch as rank insignia on the collar to mark him a Commander in the New Liberty Defense Force. " _Captain Andreys. It is a pleasure_ ," Yonatan said in an accent of some refinement. Julia recalled his mother spoke English the same way. " _What can I do for you?_ "

"Help me stop a genocide in progress, Commander Shaham."

Immediately Yonatan's expression darkened. His own people had come perilously close to experiencing such an end, if not for the intervention of the _Aurora_. " _Tell me how._ "

"We're going to use you as a jump anchor," Julia said. "Once we're done with that, if you can detach yourself from that convoy we'd be glad to have you. If not, you've still contributed."

Yonatan seemed to consider it. " _Allow me to communicate with the Phosako squadron commander. I will signal you when we have come to a stop and you can safely jump in._ "

"Thank you, Commander."

Yonatan disappeared from the screen. After he was gone Julia looked to her left, where Tom Barnes was sitting at the Engineering station against the wall. Cat's science station was astern of him and currently manned by Lieutenant al-Rashad. "Status on the jump drive?"

"It's already showing strain," he answered. "You've got maybe two jumps before we'll need to take the entire system down for a comprehensive repair."

Which would take days, Julia knew from experience. "So we make these next jumps count."

"The _Eagle_ is signalling. They're ready to receive our jump."

"Signal the warning to the others and jump when ready." Julia felt impatience gnaw at her. They were running out of time. The Drazi would be arriving at Tira any time now. And the only thing between them and genocide would be a single ship.

* * *

It had only been about thirty minutes after the conversation with the Brakiri commander ended before her sensor tech operating the long range scans jerked up. "We've got them, Sir."

Lieutenant Carstairs stepped over, leaning down. "What is it, Johnny."

"Sixty-two repeat six two signatures approaching from the outer system gate. Consistent with the energy emissions of a mixed group of Drazi Sunhawks Mark-One and Mark-Two."

"All right. Captain." He turned to Zhengli's side. Major Foster the XO was in the secondary CIC since they were already running at Condition Two. "We've got the Drazi force coming from the outer system… They have overwhelming strength, how are we going to talk them out of opening fire on the surface?"

Zhengli took a breath. "I'd say the Brakiri mercs being on the surface would do that, but let's not kid ourselves. Neither the Brakiri or the Drazi care about hirelings. Patch me through again to the Brakiri Commander."

"Aye-aye, Sir!"

Zhengli watched the broadcast indicator light up blue, taking a breath. "This is Captain Varma. Brakiri Commander, do you accept responsibility for the command of the Drazi forces entering the system?"

" _Absolutely not! They are here of their own volition, Captain Varma! But certainly they are concerned about the existence of a Dilgar state and will take measures to remedy that situation._ "

"If the Brakiri, Hyach and Hurr ships in the system open fire on the surface of the planet, I shall open fire upon you," Zhengli replied bluntly. "The surface of this planet is under the protection of Earthforce. We will _not_ permit genocide, and it would be a manifest violation of our earlier terms for you to join in any kind of Drazi attack on the system, is that understood?"

" _These are the Dilgar, Captain Varma! If they had possessed sufficient technology, they would have been worse than the Shadows!_ "

"You already have troops on the surface, Brakiri commander. I will add that any massacres of civilians by them will meet the same response. I don't care that they're Dilgar. They're sapient beings and they've been sitting here doing nothing to you. Any act of genocide will be interrupted by our maximum effort. And in fact, if you _withdraw_ your troops from the surface, I shall also regard that as a preparation for genocide and take appropriate measures."

" _You have nothing to be concerned about_ ," the sneering voice came back. " _We are merely containing the situation until a final solution can be arranged. You have no right to command me to end an occupation, or to maintain one._ "

"I might choose different words than those for the meeting with the ISA," Zhengli replied drolly. "President Sheridan probably won't like hearing about a final solution. _Huáscar_ out." She made a cutting motion across her neck.

"Drazi ships are still on an inbound vector for the planet. They have weapons charged, Sir."

Zhengli nodded. "Get me their commander, Officer Baeraz."

"Aye-aye, Sir… Drazi commander responding to hail."

"Drazi Commander, this is Captain Zhengli Varma of the Earth Alliance Ship _Huáscar._ The surface of the planet Tira which we are currently orbiting is under the protection of Earthforce. We are currently dealing with a situation in which the Brakiri have already landed mercenaries and you may be assured that I will not permit you to land troops or open fire upon the surface."

" _This is Tar'koth of the Drazi Freehold. I do not care about your claim of protection, Captain Varma. There are Dilgar on the surface of that planet, in number, representing a fleet which fled into hyperspace when our old League friends helped us beat them. They are a danger to the entire galaxy unless they are removed," he chuckled, "no, to the entire Multiverse! We have come to remove them._ "

"I will not permit you to end the lives of twenty million innocents, not in uniforms or under arms, Tar'koth. The Earth Alliance did not permit the League of Non-Aligned Worlds to conduct genocide against the Dilgar during the Dilgar War, and we sure as hell won't let you do it now against a prostrate colony of twenty million survivors of Omelos."

" _Join us as allies, or stand against us, Captain Varma. You have no other choice. The Dilgar were living in Hell, we will send these Dilgar there, and they will be very welcome there where all the rest of the Dilgar are waiting for them. No matter what you say about genocide, you let us finish the Dilgar at the end of the war. Just in a convenient way that made you all feel better._ "

"Are you saying, Tar'koth, that your government _knew_ about Omelos' sun?"

The Drazi laughed. " _Are you saying that your government_ didn't _?_ "

Zhengli's brown skin had paled as far as it could, and in her officers they all knew that was a sign of rage. "This is your last warning. Break off your approach course and remain in the outer system. The terms have not changed. Tira is under the protection of Earthforce."

" _We are your allies!_ " Tar'koth began to rage, laughing mockingly. " _You would not dare!_ "

Varma made another cutting motion to the neck to order the channel closed. "Lieutenant Carstairs, confirm readiness conditions."

"Captain we are holding Condition Two and the ship is set Modified ZEBRA throughout."

Zhengli stared as the first wave of Sunhawks became to move toward Tira in direct contravention of her ultimatum, feeling her pulse briefly overwhelming her brain, before a strange kind of calm settled down upon her. _Twenty million civilians on the surface, that's what matters._ "Shields up. Sound General Quarters."

Lieutenant Carstairs as the Officer of the Watch had the duty of repeating the orders. He tensed, glanced to Zhengli, and then ahead. But his stentorian voice cut the bridge. "Aye Captain! Tactical, activate deflector shields! Bosun!"

"Bosun's Mate, Aye Sir." _He_ didn't even hesitate.

"Sound General Quarters!"

"Aye sir!" The Bosun's mate took his whistle and activated the 1MC. As the ancient, clarion notes cut across the circuit an Earthforce ship was going to stations in earnest for one of the first times with artificial gravity, and the current protocol had reverted to USN wet-navy traditions since the zero-gravity action protocol had become useless. The noise was unmistakable and instantly commanding.

"General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battlestations! The direction of travel is up and forward to starboard, down and aft to port! General Quarters! General Quarters!"

"Shields show nominal at full power, Sir," Lieutenant Syung confirmed.

"Well, we're going to find out how well they work," Zhengli said quietly, then spoke loudly enough to be heard "Excellent, thanks to our Confederation friends we're going to give quite a surprise to the Drazi." She spun to her command chair, clapping herself into it and securing the straps. "Target the lead Drazi group!"

"Fire Control, target the lead Drazi squadron!"

"Time plus one minute, Captain! All power systems at combat diversion, reactors have military power available."

"Range to the Drazi squadron?" Zhengli glanced to Lieutenant Syung.

"One hundred five kiloklicks and closing, Sir. Time to firing range is one minute and counting." Syung's fingers danced over his consoles as he guaranteed the flow of data to central fire control.

Zhengli didn't want to distract him again. "Lieutenant Carstairs, sing out when we have the range." She activated the channel to the CAG. "Major Larsen, launch the alert squadrons."

"Aye-aye, Captain."

She activated the open channel to the Drazi flagship again. "Drazi commander, this is Captain Varma of the _Huáscar_. Laugh all you want, but as I said, humanity will not permit even our allies to commit genocide. We will open fire at the time of _my choosing and convenience_ if you do not immediately break off from approach to the planet. This is your final warning: You are instructed and commanded to break off!"

" _Eat vacuum, human! The Freehold can afford the reparations for a single human cruiser if it means we have ended the threat of the Dilgar once and for all!_ "

Zhengli's face clouded as the comm line clicked off. "If it is to be our fate to be a second _Persephone_ , I can think of few nobler fates." she muttered, half to herself - thinking of the cruiser whose loss, attempting to defend refugee shipping over Tirrith, had irrecoverably started Earth on the path to the Dilgar War.

The Bosun's mate sounded over the 1MC: "Time plus two minutes."

"We have the range," Carstairs spoke softly.

Zhengli nodded once.

"Material Condition ZEBRA is set throughout the ship. All hands at General Quarters, Sir! Time is two minutes, nine seconds."

The words crossed her lips without another moment of hesitation. "Lieutenant Syung, you are fire free."

The two massive particle beam mounts fixed forward on the _Huáscar_ opened fire in unison, each at a different target. They were identical to the mounts on an Aegis defense platform, and the result was immediate and dramatic. One of the targeted Sunhawks was cut in two, and the second one exploded as the beam coursed through its engineering section. A lead salvo of twelve missiles was already heading toward the Drazi as the phased plasma cannon and railgun turrets which could bear bracketed and hammered a third Sunhawk with terrible fury.

The Drazi had not responded to the attack. Zhengli truly had shocked them, they had honestly led themselves to think that she wouldn't open fire. And they had been wrong. As the third targeted Sunhawk exploded from massed fire, the missiles began their final approaches, and the brief moment of the Drazi standing passively by as they were cut to pieces was lost.

Curving into evasive patterns and accelerating, the Drazi broke from the planet, and instead, angled to englobe her while minimizing their exposure to the particle cannon. As her fighters moved in to engage their Drazi counterparts (and there the odds were much better, 36 against 60), all of the surviving Drazi ships came in straight for _her. Huáscar_ 's particle cannon caught two more of them as they manoeuvred anyway, and as her shields lit up from stem to stern with the massed fire of more than fifty Drazi warships and _held_ , for a moment, just a moment, Zhengli thought she might get out of this alive.

...If someone came in the next five minutes or so.

* * *

The impromptu task force that Julia assembled during their jumps cruised along at warp in formation. The _Aurora_ was in the lead with the _Magaratha,_ as Jarod had re-labeled the tactical for brevity with the Dilgar name. The _Shenzhou_ was in formation with the other Dilgar cruisers. The _Koenig_ and _Heerman_ were now joined by the _Eagle_ , cruising along at warp beside them, while the pentacon of Dilgar lighter ships now numbered with a pair of light Alakin warbirds - painted in gold and browns as by Alakin style - and a cruiser-sized Dorei _Unama_ -class starbird, a ship of bright purple and green and blue. Rounding out the ad hoc group was a Gl'mulli orb ship from the same convoy the _Eagle_ had withdrawn from.

All things said, this ad hoc group was not as potent as a full task force from the Alliance would have been, but depending on the conditions at Tira, Julia hoped it would be enough to get the Drazi to back down.

"We're approaching Tira," Locarno said.

"Anything on sensors?"

Cat was back at her station. "I'm picking up multiple contacts. Profiles match Hyach, Brakiri, Hurr and Drazi ships… and one matching the profile of an Earthforce dreadnought, _Warlock_ -class."

"How many Drazi?" Julia asked.

"Fifty-two… no, make that fifty-one."

This let them know what they could expect when they dropped out of warp twenty seconds later. Julia watched the screen as it resolved on the battle raging before their improvised squadron of Alliance and Dilgar ships. Before them was a _Warlock_ class destroyer, her deflector shields failing as they came in. She now stood, wreathed in the massive ring of hundreds of simultaneous explosions as her interceptor grid worked to keep her covered, as the hammer-blows of heavy hits tore into her armor. Julia watched the ship _shudder_ from stem to stern and knew they were just in time.

" _That's the_ Huáscar _, Zhengli's ship_ ," Kaveri's voice came from the _Magaratha._ " _And she doesn't have long, Captain Andreys._ "

"Agreed. Jarod, put me on with them. When he nodded Julia spoke up. "This is Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora._ Drazi commander, cease-firing on the _Huáscar_ immediately and withdraw from planetary orbit, or I will be forced to open fire. You have ten seconds to cease firing."

" _You have brought the Dilgar warships to us to be destroyed, Captain Andreys, and for that I will thank you. Break off now, this is our business!_ " Drazi ships started manoeuvring away from the _Huáscar,_ but not away from the battle and planet. They were vectoring toward Julia's squadron, and Warmaster Shai'jhur's pentacons in particular.

It was as simple as that. The _Huáscar_ could be destroyed at any moment, and it was clear the Drazi were coming on for them. There was no time to talk. "Tactical, lock weapons. Commander Meridina, signal the squadron to open fire."

The two responded immediately. Within seconds the forward pulse plasma cannons of the _Aurora_ were thundering their sapphire fury at the nearest, largest Drazi _Sunhawk_. The Darglan weapons were more than a match for the Drazi ship and blew it apart. Solar torpedoes from the _Aurora_ 's bow launchers acquired another Sunhawk, which broke in half from the resulting destruction. More plasma fire from the _Aurora_ , this in the form of beams from the emitter banks, carved flaming gashes and wounds into the Drazi ships. The _Shenzhou_ , not to be outdone, busied itself with scattering a squadron of Sunhawks coming in on an attack run against the _Huáscar_.

The light starships - and the Mongoose fighters from both Alliance cruisers - dove ahead of the ships to break up Drazi formations. Working together the _Koenig_ and _Heerman_ crippled a Sunhawk. The plasma cannons on the Dorei starbird blazed bolts of brilliant purple energy into one Drazi ship and then another. The Alakin opened up with their weapons in support of the Dorei ship when it came under fire from three Sunhawks. One of those ships took a spread of torpedoes from the _Eagle_ , which moved on to attack a Sunhawk still menacing the failing shields of the _Huáscar_. When a Sunhawk menaced the _Eagle_ from behind, its engines were blasted into debris by the Gl'mulli orb ship.

The Alliance ships opening fire did not startle the Drazi into inaction, however. With several of them cursing the fickle nature of Humans, they returned fire with full vigor. The lessons learned in engaging the _Huáscar_ were now employed against the _Aurora_. Concentration of fire was the order. The Drazi pressed the attack with the full might of their numbers. They seemed bound and determined to fulfill the mission of genocide.

The _Aurora_ shuddered from a hit to the shields. "Shields still holding at sixty percent," said Jarod.

"Forty-two enemy contacts still intact. Forty-one now."

" _Captain, on your command we are ready to engage_ ," Shai'jhur said.

"Not yet." Julia had a feeling that once the Dilgar opened fire, nothing would stop the shooting until one side or the other was completely annihilated. She checked the tactical map beside Meridina's seat. "Helm, bearing zero two eight mark zero zero three. All ships, follow."

The movement was confirmed and the various ships followed. The Drazi kept their attack up for the entire time, taking further damage and loss and inflicting very little of the latter in the process.

"Shields still holding at fifty-three percent," Jarod said after a wing of Sunhawks broke away from an attack run. Angel carved one of them up with a barrage from the port-side plasma emitters. "The warbird _Yreep_ reports shield failure… they're taking direct hull damage."

" _We're on it_ ," Apley said over the tactical commline. The _Koenig_ moved to torpedo the Sunhawks harassing the wounded Alakin ship. At the same time one of the Dilgar _Ochlavati_ positioned itself to shield the Alakins from further damage. Their shields held, barely, against the attack.

The change in position was complete. The Drazi, now reduced to nearly half of their original force, were falling back to regroup. Julia's maneuver put her ships - and the _Huáscar_ \- into position to thwart any attempt to bombard the city on Tira. "Attention Drazi ships. I am asking you to cease fire. There's no need for this bloodshed."

" _There is every need!_ " an aggrieved Drazi commander shouted. " _The Dilgar must be destroyed before they can regain their strength! And we will not let you or anyone else stand in the way!_ "

"Is this what you want? If you continue to engage my ships, you could end up provoking a war with the Allied Systems. Do you think the rest of the InterStellar Alliance is going to let you do that?"

" _They suffered from the Dilgar too. They will not suffer them to live._ "

"Then why haven't they joined you in attacking my ships?" Julia asked. "Why aren't they helping you?"

There was no answer to that. Indeed, for a time there was nothing. Not until they could just make out what sounded like a strike of scaled flesh against scaled flesh and a body slumping to the floor.

It was a new Drazi voice that spoke next. " _This is Captain Tarinak. We acknowledge your superior tactical position, Captain Andreys, and we will halt our attacks. We request a ceasefire to recover our comrades from their ships._ "

"We'll be glad to assist in your efforts."

" _You will do no such thing_ ," the Drazi growled. " _We remember what the Dilgar did to prisoners. We will not leave our comrades to that fate._ "

"The Alliance doesn't torture people, Tarinak."

" _It seems you prefer to let others do the deed for you_ ," was the sneered response. " _You should leave. When the rest of our fleet arrives, the Dilgar will die. And so will anyone who stands with them._ " There was an audible cut to the line signifying the Drazi had cut the channel.

"I can feel the fear and rage from here," Meridina said. "They will not listen to us."

Julia watched the Drazi ships launch recovery shuttles. "Maybe the others will. Mister Jarod, hail the lead Brakiri vessel."

A moment later a Brakiri appeared on the holo-viewscreen. He had a visible cleave to his high forehead, with the bone ridges seeming to support it over his eyes. Dark brown hair swept down around the back of the Brakiri's head. " _I am Captain Tabir. We monitored your conversation with the Drazi. I can assure you, Captain, that I have no intention of bombing the planet below._ "

Julia stopped herself from pointing out he was willing to let the Drazi do the job for him, and so he wasn't getting any credit from her. "I'm glad that the Earthforce captain and I aren't the only ones opposed to genocide."

" _Our purpose here is self-defense only. Before the Shadows, the Dilgar were the greatest threat our people ever faced. We had to act once we discovered they still existed._ "

"I can understand investigating, certainly. Although an armed invasion was maybe a little too much?"

" _We had to be sure they had no stockpiles of offensive armaments_." Tabir smiled at her. " _After all, under the terms of the treaty by which we spared the Dilgar at the end of the war, they were not supposed to leave their homeworld. They are in clear violation of that treaty. Our response was entirely measured and in keeping with the intentions of the InterStellar Alliance. Our occupation is legally justified._ "

Julia considered her options. Ordering the mercs out was likely to only cause the conflict to re-ignite, assuming the mercs didn't first "accidentally" set off the charges on the barrage gates holding the water back from the city. And while she was certain the Brakiri wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice those mercs if they were pushed into a bombardment, it would certainly be bad for future business with the like and not an option to be taken lightly, so the settlement on Tira was safer if the mercs remained where they were. "As long as your mercenaries are limiting themselves to a search for offensive armaments or mass casualty weapons, I have no objection to letting them finish their work," she said sweetly. "In fact, I'll be happy to help you. My Marines are ready to beam down and join your search."

" _Your offer is greatly appreciated, but it would undoubtedly aggravate the locals further. Any sort of incident might result from this. I think it is best if we complete the search on our own._ "

Translation: send the Marines down and the colony burns.

"Very well," said Julia. "We'll remain in orbit until we hear from Tuzanor or Portland. If you are empowered to begin negotiations for the Brakiri, I'm told the Dilgar leader is ready to seek a permanent peace with the entire InterStellar Alliance."

" _I shall consult my government. A chance to end the threat of the Dilgar forever cannot be missed, and the Brakiri Syndicracy will certainly recognize the Allied Systems' role in this awkward situation. Now, Captain, I must contact my superiors on the homeworld. Tabir out._ "

The moment he disappeared Julia's diplomatic smile vanished. "That sniveling ass," she grumbled. "At least the Drazi are being honest about committing genocide." After giving vent to her feelings on the matter Julia turned to Cat and asked, "What's the status of the _Huáscar_?"

Cat looked over her screens. "I'm reading multiple points of hull damage and systems failures. Nothing too severe, though. They can probably fix themselves up without any help."

"Regardless, they saved the day here. Mister Jarod, please hail them." Julia stood from her chair. The holo-viewscreen changed to show a woman of mostly East Asian extraction, like Li Ming-Chung, in the blue uniform of Earthforce's fleet branch. She looked to be in her mid-thirties.

"Thank you…" her eyes narrowed on Julia's uniform. She was instinctively looking for Earthforce insignia, Julia guessed, although Captain Varma quickly corrected herself and looked to Julia's collar for the four gold strips of the Captain rank. "Captain. _Huáscar_ thanks you for your help."

"We're glad to help," Julia answered. "You did the right thing to stand up against genocide. You and your crew deserve to be commended."

"It is always the duty of a Kshatriya to uphold Dharma, Captain. The Dilgar are not deserving of death. They never were." Zheng-li took a breath, and looked up with fire blazing in her eyes. "The Drazi have admitted their government was aware of the fate of Omelos' sun. They _let_ twelve billion people die. They _knew_ the Alliance had forbidden that as an end game of the Dilgar War, and they let it happen anyhow. No, we are not going to let then succeed. Not now that the threat is clear."

There was a sudden commotion behind her outside of the feed. "Sir, why are you bringing FMFs to the bridge, Sir?"

"Stand down, Bosun's mate, we are upholding the laws of the Earth Alliance against barratry!"

Zhengli's face lost all expression, and she turned to the side, lunging to rise and raise her PPG. The screen cut out.

The sight drew the attention of the entire bridge. "What just happened?" Julia asked.

"They cut the transmission at the source," he answered.

"Get them back," Julia demanded. "Now."

The _Huáscar_ remained a quiet image on the _Aurora_ bridge's holo-viewscreen, damage still visible on her dark hull, and an unknown struggle occuring aboard her.

"Someone on the vessel mentioned barratry. That is the Human term for seizing or hijacking a military vessel, I believe," Meridina observed.

"It can apply to civilian contexts, too, but in Earth Admiralty Law it specifically means gross misconduct by the Captain and senior officers," Jarod corrected.

"Gross misconduct… Anything yet, Mister Jarod?"

He shook his head. "Nothing." After another moment passed his station let off a tone. "Wait. We're getting a hail."

"On screen."

A man in an Earthforce uniform with a sandy blonde high and tight haircut and blue eyes appeared. He spoke in an English midlands accent. "This is Major Foster, Acting Commander of the EAS _Huáscar_. The Captain with whom you were speaking is guilty of barratry and filibustering the territory of the Brakiri Syndicracy and has been removed from command and confined to the brig. You have engaged and attacked the Drazi Freehold's fleet while they were on a peacekeeping mission, while violating Brakiri territory. You have no right to interfere in the affairs of our galaxy and I expect that you will withdraw and allow ISA member nations to handle this matter amongst themselves. You have forty-eight hours to comply."

"This isn't recognized Brakiri territory, even in the ISA," Julia retorted. "And you heard the Drazi. This isn't a peacekeeping mission, they're here to commit genocide. How can you side with them?"

"I think it will quickly become apparent that the Dilgar are a serious threat to galactic peace. The Dilgar, of course, committed genocide three times over and attempted it another _eight,_ " Foster replied. "They are the most dangerous species in existence. And the Drazi are our allies. I will, of course, execute directives from Geneva, but I am not going to allow our allies to come under attack, Captain Andreys, unless I receive explicit orders to the contrary according to my lawful chain of command. The Brakiri clearly have _not_ being committing genocide. And I'm sure we'll find plenty of Dilgar war criminals on the surface to arrest."

"Your allies won't come under attack if they don't try to commit genocide, Major. And the last time I checked, Earth was a signatory to the InterStellar Alliance Declaration of Principles and the Geneva Accord on the Prevention of Genocide, among other laws that the Brakiri and Drazi are blatantly violating here." Julia fought to keep her voice under control. Incredulity was becoming outrage inside of her. "Whatever the crimes of the last generation of Dilgar, one planet of barely twenty million survivors is hardly a threat to galactic peace! How many Dilgar war criminals can be left after Third Balos and the battle for their home system anyway?"

"The Brakiri are _not_ committing war crimes, Captain Andreys, and they have the surface. And I'm _not_ concerned about the Drazi. They're our friends and we'll talk it out with them. Unlike the butcherers you are trying to defend."

"So you're holding the sins of Jha'dur and her ilk against the entire species?" Julia asked. Her next remark was delivered in a pointed tone. "That's the same logic the Minbari used to justify their war against Earth."

"I suggest you think twice before comparing us to the killers of our entire generation. The fact is that it's my duty to insure the survival of Earth, Captain. Don't stand before us." With a chilled expression on his face, the screen blinked out.

Julia returned to her seat and let out a breath, wondering if the situation could get any worse, and dreading that it most likely would.


	27. Episode 3-05-4 Yesterday's Enemies P1

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 3 April 2643. Captain Julia Andreys recording. We remain on station over the planet Tira to protect the colony of Dilgar. By doing so, we court a war between the Alliance and a number of species from Universe E5B1 including, it seems, the Earth Alliance. But if we withdraw, the Drazi and Brakiri will exterminate over twenty million civilians. My choice seems to be war or genocide. One is undesirable, the other unacceptable._

The command staff of the _Aurora_ were in their conference lounge. The monitors showed their counterparts on the _Shenzhou_ , _Koenig_ , and _Heerman_ , while a fourth image showed Shai'jhur and Kaveri over on the _Magaratha_. Outside the window their ad hoc squadron was visible in orbit over Tira. The Dilgar now numbered thirty-six ships with the arrival of what was left of Tira's defense forces.

"Tactically we have a partial advantage," Jarod said to the assembled. "The _Huáscar_ is still repairing its damage and the remaining ISA fleets mostly have un-upgraded vessels with no deflector shields. We could drive them from the solar system."

" _But if we try, that would precipitate full scale war with the InterStellar Alliance_ ," Li noted. " _President Sheridan wouldn't be able to resist the demand of the races here._ "

"The Earth Alliance would fall in just to get a chance to seize the Darglan homeworld," Julia added. "Unfortunately, if we don't do anything, once the Drazi reinforcements arrive and the _Huáscar_ finishes repairing, we'll be the ones at a tactical disadvantage."

" _We can't remain at Tira indefinitely_ ," Imra said. " _The fleet's still engaged in S4W8._ "

"I need solutions." Julia's eyes moved slightly to face the monitor with Shai'jhur. "Warmaster, our only option may be for you to formally contact Tuzanor and ask for President Sheridan to intervene personally. He's the one figure that the ISA races respect and fear enough that they'll back down."

" _I am prepared to do it, I have nothing against Sheridan. But there are some complications, especially in regard to Earthforce but really with the old liberation allies in general. I'd like to discuss them with you, if I could, in person._ "

"We can have you beamed back aboard whenever you're ready, Warmaster."

" _I'll be ready with my staff in ten standard minutes._ "

* * *

Fifteen minutes later Julia brought Shai'jhur into her ready office off of the bridge. She offered a seat at her desk to Shai'jhur. The Dilgar leader coughed for several moments, only stopping after she sat down, supported by Battle Captain Fei'nur. Kaveri Varma sat at her right side. Julia took her seat at her desk. "This is about as private as you get on this ship, Warmaster," Julia said. "What is it you need to discuss?"

"Well, I'll lay out the situation plainly, Captain Andreys," Shai'jhur started after a moment. "The issue is that what the Brakiri commander said to you is false. The lawful Dilgar government never agreed to be confined to their homeworld. To paraphrase Louis XIV, I _was_ the lawful Dilgar government and the only regime continuity. Properly I am not the true Head of State under the old laws, but certainly since the death of Supreme Warmaster Jha'dur I have been the Head of Government. And it was with full constitutional continuity that I passed my reforms. And the rightful Head of State was a one hundredth degree collateral relative of the late Emperor, who abdicated her responsibilities to me when I began reforming the government. That 'treaty' was signed with the Surgeon General, who had no authority to sign it. Not while both myself and, bluntly, Jha'dur, as Warmasters, remained alive."

A pause, and she sighed, looking down into the table, before forcing her head up and continuing. In that moment, she looked old. "The Warmaster Council never _told_ the rank and file what was going to happen to Omelos' sun, you understand? _I didn't know._ My original objective with what I called the Rohric Independent Fleet was simple: I was going to wait until the League got tired of occupying Omelos, possibly supporting a resistance campaign on the planet, and then when they were distracted by other events and fully demobilized, I would sweep in and liberate my people. It was a good plan, for the circumstances. Then Omelos' primary explosively decoupled its outer layers… And twelve billion Dilgar died. But the fact remains, Captain Andreys, that I am legally at war with the former member nations of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds and the Earth Alliance."

There was no immediate perceptible change to Julia's expression or posture as Shai'jhur explained the situation. It was certainly a legal minefield, of course. She had effectively brought the Allied Systems into the Dilgar War. At the same time, the facts on the ground were still the same. Genocide was wrong and it had to be stopped. And if the races of the ISA signed on for genocide… then the onus of the bloodshed was on them.

"So the obvious necessity of the moment, Warmaster, is to end the war legally. Which I'll admit is easier said than done. And it's going to require President Sheridan's involvement.

"He can negotiate for the ISA in full," Shai'jhur agreed. "However, I wish to make something else clear, first, which I think will make everything easier." She glanced to Kaveri, who handed over an embossed folio which was marked with a sharp claw-pattern crest. "I have consulted my government and by universal vote of the elected Statutory Council, I hereby present the Honourable Union of Tira and Rohric's application for accession as a member state of the United Alliance of Systems."

Julia accepted the folio and glanced over it. The language was translated into English and very formal. The formality might have made it obtuse if not for the straightforward nature of the text.

It was certainly a bombshell as well. Julia imagined that once announced it would certainly hurt Alliance relations with most of the ISA's races save, maybe, the Minbari. The Alliance's position in E5B1 would become quite precarious. The Earth Alliance's push to undermine the Alliance's claims to former Darglan worlds would get plenty of adherents. And all for the sake of not even fifty million people on two planets.

Of course, when she considered just how willing those factions were to commit genocide…

"I'll transmit this to the appropriate authorities on Portland," she said. "Normally starship captains aren't the usual channel for these things but given the circumstances, the application should still get processed and brought before the Council. Although you have to understand that the Alliance has strict requirements on sapient rights."

Shai'jhur looked serious as she nodded. "You can have your people review a complete packet of our constitutional law, recent press documentation and electoral records. Of course we anticipate having an Alliance working group visit to verify these, but they should provide a straightforward demonstration of our ability to meet, within our own species' laws, customs and culture, the rights and norms of the Alliance. No different than the Gersallians or the Dorei. I am sure we have some innovations that will mystify you but in the end it will all be perfectly clear that we are fully committed to meeting the principles required for membership. Indeed, as a demonstration of my commitment to full interspecies equality I have already signed documents granting Kaveri Varma citizenship in the Union and the rank of Battlemaster in our Armed Forces."

"The Cabinet and the Senate will likely determine how the investigation is conducted." Julia considered the folio and what Shai'jhur had just said about Varma. "If I may," she began, "what happened between you and Captain Varma? It's clear that the two of you are a lot closer than anyone else imagines."

Kaveri smiled. "I believe I can start, though there's a few parts I don't know that Shai'jhur will have to fill in."

* * *

Lt. Kaveri Varma had been the only one out on the escape pod from the _Denali_ \- and now she was diving for cover as her escape pod exploded, and staring in horror at most of her supplies going up in a brilliant fireball as the fuel cells cooked off. Now she had almost _nothing,_ and the _Dilgar_ were here... She plunged into the scrub and waited.

In the distance, there was a booming noise of a shuttle having gone down... And then nothing came for the rest of the day, except for the wind and the waves, which rose, and fell, with a brief storm tossing across the isle, so far out to sea. The next day, there was nothing except silence, and without the escape pod, no radio nor beacon, either.

The lack of troops made her believe that, perhaps, the Dilgar had perished in the crash, but to be safe, she stayed away from the crash-site, working with the small kit she had in her survival pack. At least she thought the fish were edible, starting to hack together a fishing pole for use as the sun set. On Earth, at least, it was an ideal time, bringing back memories of heading to the beach at dusk when she was a girl in Konkan.

Fishing was patient, quiet work, resumed the next morning, and the weather was dark and grey, but otherwise well as the sun brightened slowly in the horizon with the dawning of the next day. And about thirty minutes on, a voice in halting English cut the darkness.

"Stay where you are!"

 _Nope!_ shot through her mind like lightning, as Kaveri dove for cover, scrambling as quick as she could for broken ground.

"...Human, are all humans - disobedient!? " The voice echoed again, almost trenchant.

As Kaveri searched, she could see the glint of a scope up in the rocks, and a flash of dark blue over the gray. But she would not let herself be drawn into revealing herself, and she stayed silent. _A Dilgar who knows English? Intelligence? Divine, but I do not wish to be captured by her!_ Her survival rifle had gone up with the escape pod, which meant she felt _uncomfortably_ reminded that Dilgar had evolved from a line of carnivores, and this one was _armed_.

The Dilgar rose, and began to pad down across the rocks, now, keeping the rifle leveled and walking low, in a swift, nimble gait which was sure-footed in the scree of the slope leading down to the beach, a predator's walk from an already small figure.

Darting away, she was trying to break contact, thrashing through the scrub - trying to get far enough away to slow down and start to _hide_ , rather than end up with a bullet in the back.

"Please stop, human! A truce! A truce! You have my word! A truce!"

Pausing, Kaveri halted, looking back, incredulous. "... What?"

"I just wanted to ask you a question, human, but I could hardly expect you to not attempt to kill me if I came unarmed!" She came to a stop as well.

Kaveri did not dignify that with a response, only thinking back to intelligence's reading of the Dilgar, and how they did little but prepare for war and personal combat.

"Human, this is really quite important." She drew herself up - and the rank tabs showed that she was a Battle Captain. Not exactly a low-ranking Dilgar.

"Human, ...can you fish?" 

* * *

Kaveri smiled wryly as she finished the story. "So, four and a half months later, Shai'jhur was rescued, and I was left behind. Two weeks after that, I was recovered as part of the general fleet advance. They asked me a lot of uncomfortable questions, but to be honest, I always felt Shai'jhur was the one in far more danger."

Shai'jhur smiled. "Perhaps I was, but I believe I understood Warmaster Jha'dur better than most did."

"...Warmaster?" Julia glanced at her, feeling a bit trenchant at the idea of someone 'understanding' Jha'dur.

"You were always at your safest with Jha'dur if you told the truth," Shai'jhur replied, and started her own story.

* * *

It was a frail, tiny looking Dilgar female by any measure who entered the antechamber to the Lab where Jha'dur did her reports and computer time. Steady yellow almondine eyes betrayed no fear, however, as she drew herself up and saluted. "Battle Captain Shai'jhur reporting as ordered, Warmaster."

The figure at the desk did not look up for some time, before finishing whatever file she was finishing, and looking up. "Battle Captain. Your preliminary report has come to my attention - you have spent much time with one of the humans, by what you wrote." Cold eyes transfixed her, the commander of First Strike Fleet, the battered force thrown back and shattered by the humans, who still was searching for some way to turn the tide. "You did not return with them."

"I'm a drylander, Warmaster. I didn't know how to fish. So I made a deal with the human, who did," Shai'jhur replied, standing rigidly at attention.

"What was the nature of this arrangement, Battle Captain?" Gaze falling back to her paperwork, the Warmaster was making short notes with a stylus.

"Whichever of us was rescued first wouldn't tell our rescuers about the other to give a fair chance to get clear. Beyond, of course, the truce of cooperation that lasted for the duration of the time on the island."

"Which of you was rescued first?" Looking up, Deathwalker lurked in the eyes before her. "Why did you think of such an arrangement?"

"I was, Warmaster. I thought of it because I considered that a veteran Battle Captain was a sufficiently greater asset to the Dilgar than a green Lieutenant to the humans, and I could learn most of the useful intelligence from her over the time we were together, anyway."

"You have learned useful intelligence?" There was a fractional shifting, and then Jha'dur was leaning closer. "Sit, Battle Captain. What _have_ you learned?"

Shai'jhur moved to sit. "Of course, Warmaster. I can explain in some detail how the war is being presented to the human population, and what their response to the war and the war effort has been, as well as various sociological observations on humans."

"She did not share any military intelligence, but by being friendly she shared those things which would not naturally occur to her to be important."

"The humans are much better acquainted with us than we are with them, Warmaster, I might add."

"You will tell me, Battle Captain. You will tell me _everything_ , and spare _nothing_. If I am _satisfied_... you will leave this ship to take up a new command. If I am not..."

Shai'jhur bowed her head and raised her hand. "I'm not sure about the nobility on Omelos, Warmaster, but on Rohric we are taught not to lie." She swallowed. "I'll get started, and spare nothing."

"See that you do not." 

* * *

"You see, honesty and competency together could forgive a great deal with Warmaster Jha'dur, Captain Andreys. Failure of your own making and incompetency, honestly admitted, were what got you, if you handled the matter with some dignity in your failure, a pistol with a single round and five minutes, and if you tried to lie or make excuses - your one-way trip to Lab Nine." Even after thirty-two years, Shai'jhur shuddered a little.

For Julia the most surprising thing wasn't the shudder that involuntarily shook Shai'jhur. That seemed the reasonable thing. It was that, through the story, Shai'jhur spoke about Jha'dur with what sounded like respect, even a little admiration. Julia would expect that from a defiant Dilgar refusing to accept the abuses and evils their war on the other races had caused, but it was quite clear Shai'jhur was not such a person. "It sounds like you still respect her, almost," she said carefully.

"Jha'dur was my commander, and we had clean glories, Captain. We also had occasions when I volunteered myself and my crew for dangerous duty in the rearguard and the pickets to avoid being assigned as a bombardment ship. That's how I kept my hands clean. I'm sure there were others who did the same… But very few survived, period, after Third Balos. She was also probably the smartest woman of any race in the past ten thousand years. She was damned by our system, Captain Andreys. What was it the human philosopher Hannah Arendt said? The Banality of Evil? Yes, exactly that: She was an orphan, Captain Andreys, and in Dilgar society orphans were cast out to die. Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan helped her - merely by keeping her from being expelled from school as a favor to an old comrade, her father. That was it. And that was considered exceptional, to the point of placing in peril his position as a high-ranking Intelligence officer."

"She kept her brother and herself alive by slowly pawning off her entire family estate, when she was a girl. And then when she had gotten into the academy, they took her aside and told her that her entire species was going to die in less than fifteen years unless they won the war. The way they indoctrinated children on Omelos in those days… They were raised to see all aliens as animals. She was set up. Is she a war criminal? Yes. Did she deserve to die? Yes. Did she, in the end, make choices which killed innocents? Certainly. But that was the fault of our entire society too, not just Jha'dur. From her point of view, she was just a woman trying to save her people. If we pretend Jha'dur was Deathwalker, was this creature of evil, instead of being a brilliant tactician loved by the lower deck who also happened to kill billions, we're just escaping our collective responsibility for what happened. Jha'dur was not born fully formed to evil, she was made that way by our entire society."

"I can see why you've put so much effort into reforming Dilgar society," Julia remarked. "I can't imagine it was easy."

"It wasn't easy, but I was well-motivated, Captain. I have watched pretty much my entire people die. We take expectant mothers up to the Brown Dwarf Station to try and protect children from the spores, keep the children there until they're two years old. Can you imagine what it is like as a mother to take your children back to the surface of Rohric after that? Some parents kill themselves and their children to avoid it. Depression, hopelessness, alcoholism are the norm. I promoted Dharma study in an effort to provide people an explanation for why, to give them anything to latch on to other than hopelessness. It…" She squeezed her hands.

"But I owe it to all those we left behind. Don't we, Fei'nur?"

"Warmaster." The giant woman took a step forward, her face carefully schooled into a reserved, neutral expression.

"If sins are expatiated in blood, Captain, we have certainly bled. It was… Living through the end times." Her eyes seemed almost apocalyptic as old memories were coming to the forefront of her mind.

* * *

There was a quiet tension in the Lookout. Anyone could look through the transtanium windows and see why, with the sight of the Brakiri and Hyach ships, not to mention the large _Huáscar_. It was odd that the ship that had made their success so far possible was now known to be an enemy, but the word was already spread through the crew.

Despite the nervous tension Cat was sitting and enjoying a meal with her sister. Violeta was on the bridge and not available for dinner, unfortunately, but at least they would get to see each other when Violeta's bridge watch was over. For now there was Hargert's offered meal, a particularly German offering of sausages (including, yes, sausage stew), rice pudding, and noodles with gravy and a cabbage casserole. "I was hoping it would be Latin night again," Cat admitted to Angel.

"You always want Latin night," Angel pointed out. "Besides, you can always replicate it if you really don't want the German stuff."

"Yeah, but then that would be mean to Hargert," Cat protested. "He works so hard."

Angel nodded once in agreement. "So, how was it with that Dilgar girl?"

"Who? Tra'dur? She's nice. And jealous of our technology. And as smart as me."

"That I would have to see, because nobody is as smart as you."

Cat gave her sister a bemused look. "What about Jarod?"

"Jarod cheats." Angel looked around. "So where is she?"

"Still on the bridge," Cat replied.

"No, not your girlfriend. Your new friend," Angel said. "Aren't you supposed to be working with her?"

"Well, yes, but when I said I was coming here to eat she said she wanted to finish a simulation she was running on the Science Lab 2 computers." Cat smiled and giggled. "It's some astrophysics model she drew up in school or something, but the Dilgar don't have sophisticated enough computers to examine it. We do."

"Ah. Well, I can see why you'd be friendly with her." Angel laughed. "You're both hopeless geeks."

The Dilgar woman entered just then, bag slung over her shoulder. With her striking red head of hair over her dun fur, and that cute tiny button-nose, yellow eyes looked about alertly. Swathed in crimson sash and scarf, her blue uniform with gray tone had gaudy rank tabs and, science officer or not, she had a sword buckled at her side. Stepping up to the counter, she spoke briefly with Haegert and then picked up a tray with a bowl of sausage stew, two sausages by themselves on the side, and a tiny helping of noodles covered in a very large quantity of gravy. The amount of meat was almost comical for the tiny woman as she looked around, and then headed straight for Cat and Angel.

"Oh, hey," Cat said upon Tra'dur reaching the table. "Did you finish your simulation?"

"Yes, I did. It confirms something about hyperspace that one of my relatives hypothesized back in the old Imperium but never followed up on," she said rather excitedly. "I think it might provide the theoretical link between the hyperspace used here and that used in S0T5."

"Are you going to write a paper?" Cat asked.

"...I'd like to, yes. It would be a great thing to be doing recognized science again, as a people. We have some very strong biological sciences still as well, and I've thought before we might be able to help the League races we hurt in the past, but, of course, they might not like our help." She was quietly demolishing the massive pile of meat dishes she'd acquired, taking mouthfuls between sentences.

"You should contact the Vulcan Science Academy," Cat said. "The Vulcans only really care about the logic and scientific grounding of papers, and they're becoming the lead science organization for the whole Multiverse."

"I want to go there! I should really like to study at the VSA," Tra'dur said with an unbridled delight. "Everyone would just be focused on science, you're right, and I wouldn't have to be concerned. Though I think Vulcans are vegetarians…"

"They are, but they still have meat programmed into their replicators," Cat said.

"Big on meat, aren't you?" Angel asked.

"We are preferential, but not obligate, carnivores. Also, I hate to claim status as a victim for myself, but we always wanted for food growing up, and the spores stunt our growth. My generation of Dilgar is as short as our iron-age ancestors on Omelos. Battle Captain Fei'nur is an example of a Dilgar who grew up healthy."

"Maybe our medical technology can help with those spores? Chelate them out of the body or something."

"Oh, they'll pass if you stay away from Rohric for long enough. That hasn't exactly been an option for anyone. And mother's family was poor, but stubborn, so they stayed on Rohric to be free and respected before the war. That would be another advantage of the Vulcan Science Academy… Or staying on a ship like this, exploring. I've only been to about twenty systems in my life and about six have been on this trip. I want to see the Multiverse!"

"Well, that sounds familiar." Angel grinned at Cat.

Tra'dur was grinning, now, and reached into her bag, pulling out … A pair of bagpipes. "For hobbies, I confess to having learned this human instrument, I understand it's very old, as well as a few others. Can I play it here?"

Angel blinked. "Just where did you get a set of bagpipes?"

"Well, to be honest, it was war booty passed down in the family." She turned the pipes to display a silver regimental plate. _The Black Watch. Royal Highland Regiment of Canada._

"So it's a trophy from the war." Angel shook her head. "Be careful showing that thing around Scotty. He takes the bagpipes almost as seriously as he does the engines."

"I honour them by keeping it according to their regulations and playing it as respectfully as they would," she answered, raising the instrument to her lips. Quite flawlessly, she started to play _The Black Bear._

Everyone in the Lookout started looking their way. Some were surprised, others annoyed, a few simply bewildered at the sudden blare of bagpiping. Angel and Caterina shared uncertain looks, each wondering just how this was going to turn out. Especially if…

"Now who's playin' th' _Black Bear_ in th' middle o' dinner?" a voice called out.

Cat and Angel turned and watched Scotty enter the Lookout, still in his engineering vest over a long-sleeved white turtleneck and black trousers. He looked around and quickly followed the eyes of the others in the room to their table. Cat and Angel said nothing while the older man came over. His eyes went to the bagpipes and then to their current owner. There was the slightest hint of… not quite anger, but certainly instinctive disapproval.

"Commander, Sir," she smoothly finished and rose. "My name is Tra'dur, Combat Master on the _Magaratha_. I should like to think I do them honour, Sir. They were meant to be played."

"Oh, lass, you're right they were. But they're a' regiment's, aye?"

"The Canadian Black Watch", she answered, reverently holding them as she displayed the name plate. "I made the repairs myself."

"An' ye did a good job, lass. They are in tune." He looked at the plate for an unusually long time, quiet. "There's about a thousand men between you an' those pipes I'm guessin'."

"I don't hold it against them, I hope their families won't hold it against us." She looked up, her eyes almost glassy. "They were such incredibly brave men. They held the rear-guard on the retreat at Balos. We had never seen such soldiers before, never would again. Not even our worst dared deny their courage. The story goes that Warmaster Jha'dur was so impressed by them that she ordered the few survivors be left to go free. I play for them as much as for myself."

"Ah, lass." His eyes were more grandfatherly. "I willnae say it's wrong, but they might be upset. 'Ere, I'll help ye get a pair fitted for yerself, real ones, nae replicated, an' ye can play those an' make 'em yers."

A nervous, but relieved smile, touched Tra'dur's lips, and she nodded. "I'd be honoured, Commander…"

"Montgomery Scott, lass." There was a little twinkle in his eye. "Do these things right, and I think ye'll make a fine piper."

* * *

From the moment that she had started, Shai'jhur seemed gripped in the spell of a terrible memory. She recounted Fei'nur's arrival, the terrifying realization… The desperate call for help from the surface of the doomed world. Her small lungs heaving, claws skittering on Captain Andreys' desk, each word was uttered with a dull precision. Behind her, Battle Captain Fei'nur shrunk in place like the story was physical pain.

* * *

 _I am the Warmaster at the End of Days._ It had been the first thought that had flashed through her mind when she heard ragged Fei'nur's report when she had finally reached Rohric, after her daring escape from Balos. Her second had been to lay her cards out and beg the humans for help.

But the humans were far away, and the preliminary signs of Omelos destabilizing were already occurring. Her own people had been terrified the Earth Alliance would not help, and Shai'jhur was not sure if they would, or if they would pretend they had tried their best and would be unable to. And in the end, the event simply happened too fast to plan their way to another resolution.

Instead, Shai'jhur had activated her invasion alarm and used the emergency mobilization protocols to fling every single military and civilian ship in the Rohric Independent Fleet for Omelos, arriving as the radio broadcasts, steadily more desperate, began. And it had been Fei'nur, child of the Ogkharin ghetto, Fei'nur, the replacement, who earned her commission by killing a squad of Drazi with an entrenching tool, and who Shai'jhur had trusted to commence the evacuation on the End of Days. The League had obligingly retreated to let the Dilgar die, and into the short gap between the retreat and death, Shai'jhur had quietly slipped.

The radiation was peaking, and Ogkharin was sweeping toward the terminator line. The dawn would be bring lethal radiation for everyone on the surface. "Combat Expert…" Shai'jhur's voice cut the open line. "You need to finish up the last transport. You have ten minutes until Ogkharin reaches the terminator." She spoke in a strangely detached tone. Around her bridge, listless, hopeless faces and eyes contrasted with those lit with a desperate energy. They had long since muted all the civilian channels: They didn't need to listen to the death cries of the western hemisphere.

"Understood, Warmaster." The voice that came through was flat, emotionless. There would be time to look at the new scars on her soul later, Fei'nur thought, looking around at the masses of Dilgar around her. _Her_ people, the ones living close enough to the spaceports to reach them when the evacuation orders had come down, not the hand-picked selection of society which had made it aboard the evacuation ships before the Battle of Omelos. Now, the slowly growing light on the horizon portended death for anyone who did not make it aboard these last transports. She bit her cheek hard enough to draw blood as she withdrew a small cylinder from her jumpsuit and pressed the button atop it… setting off the charges that would collapse the passenger gangways to the loading platform, as she turned to those around her; "When the sun rises, anyone not aboard dies! _Move_ , Dilgar, move if you want to live! Push until you can barely breathe!" _And some of the weaker will not be able to, but there's no other choice…_

In later years, Fei'nur knew she was the last Dilgar to breathe the choking, polluted air of Omelos. Somehow, in her nightmares, it always tasted sweet.

The next day, Warmaster Shai'jhur came to visit her personally where she lay in her hospital bed, almost overcome with radiation burns. "Combat Expert," she began, hesitantly, and then reached for Fei'nur's hand in an unprecedented gesture from a Dilgar superior officer. "Thank you for your effort. Both with the people and with the Warmaster's Council files."

Her eyes were flat, when Fei'nur coughed and shuddered, weakly grasping her Warmaster's hand back. "Anything… for my Warmaster. I will never forgive that I failed her, that I arrived too late… but I will force myself to live with the shame. She found it within herself to do so, how could I do any less…?"

"I must ask for more," Shai'jhur answered softly. "I am going to take every measure necessary for us to survive. Survive as Dilgar, a proud race, and free. Some of those measures you will not understand. They will bother you. Challenge what we were told. What we believed. You must, with the reckless lack of fear of a woman who has seen what you have seen, challenge them. Remonstrate. Question what I do. I will always listen. And then you must accept when I stay the course, and do it anyway. But I will always listen."

"I am not sure if I am capable of such a thing, Warmaster, but if such is your order, I shall attempt it with my utmost, to death itself. Is this something you find satisfactory?"

"Yes. It is all I would ask." Around them, the incoherent moans of those drugged into bliss as they died, those just too late to save, washed into the dreadful numbness of the day after the apocalypse.

* * *

Shai'jhur finished, leaning into Fei'nur, who stood as woodenly as a statue. Kaveri had leaned back in her chair, quietly weeping. "And so we pulled ourselves together. I had six daughters to set an example for the rest. We had a new war on our hands, against drunkenness, drugs and suicide. So, Captain, now you know everything. Including how twelve billion Dilgar died. Perhaps we adults who started the war deserved it, but wither the children?"

"No." Julia shook her head. There were no words she could conceive of to deal with the grief and loss. It was a truly terrible thing to contemplate the death of an entire people, a unique species and culture that might have yet had something to contribute to their galaxy, to the Multiverse. Forever denied the chance at redemption.

Not to mention the children. Beings who, by definition, were innocent of the crimes of their parents. "Children don't deserve to suffer for the crimes of their parents." As she said the words Julia wondered if her own people could have that thrown back into their faces. An interstellar war could be terrible on civilian populations. The protection that starships and space installations enjoyed ensured that civilian targets faced utter annihilation if not defended themselves… and it was those same defenses that were targeted first to enable planetary invasions. How many children in the Reich had died while the Alliance fought their parents?

"And so here we stand." Shai'jhur sighed, like so much of a deflated balloon. "Captain, I must figure out what is happening on the surface. We are being denied information, and we must know how bad it is. But I don't want to send my own effort independently."

"I was already considering sending a team down." Julia shook her head. "If we move too directly, the Brakiri will probably blow the barrage," she said. "We have a runabout specifically designed for stealth insertions. But I have to warn you that even that's not guaranteed."

There was no hesitation on Shai'jhur's part. "Battle Captain Fei'nur can go, to support your personnel in conducting the reconnaissance and avoiding blue-on-blue incidents. The rest should be your's, Captain."

"I'll inform Major Anders and Lieutenant Lucero."

"An operations officer? This could involve intense special forces activities, Captain, I wouldn't necessarily think it wise to have someone slowing down the group."

Julia nodded and grinned. "Lucy is not your average operations officer. She's been trained in the arts of the Gersallian Order of Swenya, if you've heard of them. She's become experienced enough that they consider her to be an honorary Knight, in fact."

"Only vague rumours," Shai'jhur answered. "We still have telepaths, though they are no longer restricted to the Mha'dorn. Yes, if that is her ability, I understand perfectly. Fei'nur, you are detached to assist the Alliance forces in conducting a reconnaissance of conditions on Tira."

"Yes, Warmaster!" she came to attention.

Shai'jhur smiled. "Now, we just need to wait for Sheridan's reply."

* * *

 _While I foresaw my career ending in such a fashion, I was expecting it to be at the hand of either Sheridan or Clark's people, not at the hands of my own crew._ The thought floated to the surface of Zheng-li Varma's mind, as she sat with her legs folded under her in her own ship's brig. Her eyes slowly opened, as she regarded the reinforced steel door before her, then closed again. _I must trust that I have instilled the values of righteousness into my crew, that they will choose to see this as mutiny. We are often tested, but it is so difficult to wait, when one can do nothing. Still, to fail to act to protect the helpless… would be failing in my duty. There was nothing else to be done._

Her reverie was interrupted by a soft knock on the cell door. "Captain?" It was Lieutenant Johnathan Goodman, the Security Officer for the _Huáscar_ , a big, easygoing man from Belize. "We're arranging to have your regular meals brought down."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. This will all end badly, mark my words. Even Admiral Hamato was not willing to engage in indiscriminate bombardment, nor his subordinates. Earthforce does _not_ want to sully itself in this. We will not come off well."

"You know Foster's politics. The entire crew is on pins and needles right now. Nobody wanted to fight our allies, though, but Foster doesn't care about that. What he cares about is that he thinks you imperiled Earth's interests for the sake of aliens."

"I've _never_ done that, Lieutenant. This will turn the UAS against us, and make us multiversal pariahs. It's in Earth's interests to be part of a wider community, to be what we _should_ be. Sheridan threw me off _Babylon 5_ , I thought that was the usual defence against a charge of race treason?" She was bitter-sounding, as the wounds the Minbari War had left on Earthforce seemed to be ensnaring her again. "The Dilgar did evil things, but at least they had a _reason_ for it. We wanted to see them become part of the galaxy again, like we did for the nations defeated in the Second World War."

"It isn't that you're _wrong,_ Captain, it's that to a lot of our officers, you went rogue. We had no orders. You just _acted._ " He hesitated, a chill, cold sweat visible on his face.

"Are you telling me that I do not have a responsibility under the Genocide Convention, Lieutenant? I do not need orders - I would be a criminal if I waited for them and allowed it to happen. I swore an _oath_ , and I am acting within it. You recall the Legal Handbook? _'A state's obligation to prevent, and accordingly to act, arise at the instant the State learns of, or normally should have learned of, the existence of a serious risk that genocide will be committed.'_ The Captain's eyes were cold, hard, and unforgiving. "I will see the Commander _spaced_ if he results in us failing in that sacred charge, Lieutenant. I am _ashamed_ that so much of the crew followed him, and regard it as a personal failing as Captain of the _Huáscar_."

Goodman looked uncomfortable. "Captain, when the war ended everyone agreed to put it behind us, but you know, Major Foster is one of Clark's people…"

"And did I not stand with General Lefcourt at Mars, in accordance with my oaths? Did not Sheridan expel me from Babylon 5? I am a soldier, and I will not abandon my duty. I see Major Foster as having committed _mutiny._ " The word fell like lead between them. Her uttering it raised the stakes to an entirely new and dangerous level for _Huáscar's_ crew.

And Goodman knew it, pacing in front of her cell nervously. "Look, Captain, you know the crew is basically split into two camps. Those of us who sided with Sheridan think you did the right thing and those who served Clark regard this as a betrayal of Earth's interests. They don't think Geneva applies to aliens and they never have and never will. I…. Sharon Farallon," the Chief Engineer, "is the one who's most torqued off about Foster. I'm worried he might order her arrest next. I'll… I'll talk to some people, Captain, I'll keep Foster's Nightwatch buddies out of here. But you gotta understand that if this goes down, it isn't going to remain non-violent."

"This is far more clear-cut than anything Sheridan ever did, Lieutenant. Regardless, be careful. This is a wound that the Minbari inflicted on us, and it has not yet healed. I will not have good people shot down by a mutineer if I can help it."

"Well, I'll get people talking," Goodman answered. "Since I'm Security, nobody is going to question my coming into the brig. I'll… get people talkin'." He looked levelly at Zhengli. "I'm with you."

"You are… a good man, Goodman." She half-grinned at the pun, managing to find a hint of levity in the situation, as painful as it was. " _Huáscar_ will get through this."

Goodman laughed at the joke despite of, or perhaps because of, his nervousness. "I'm prayin', Captain. You're right about it, though. It's right and wrong that matters here… And it just ain't human of us to stand by and watch civilians get shot down from orbit. I'll talk to you again soon." He closed the viewing screen and his footfalls drifted away.

Shortly afterwards, one of the guards slid Zhengli's food into the cell. As she did, the woman whispered softly: "You did right, Captain, but I don't how we're going to get past those Nightwatch goons."

"We'll find a way. Be _careful_ , feel out some of the others. We need to act before they open fire on those UAS ships. Earth will have a whole lot bigger problems than some alliances with genocidaires being messed up if Foster really does that."

"Aye _Aye,_ Captain.."

* * *

After dinner Caterina headed back to Science Lab 2 to check on a couple of things. One of those was Tra'dur's simulation which explained, or at least further explained, the Dilgar woman accompanying her. "You look really content," Cat observed.

"Commander Scott was very kind. I've always loved music so much. I know all of the human spacing songs, and any others I've found along the way, but instruments were hard to get…. To many of our own songs from my mother's era are just terrible, so I prefer the human ones," she grinned wryly. "And by terrible, well. Actually, I don't think it's even appropriate to start singing something that recursively talks about how it was 'sung again with a lot of blood'."

Cat made a face. "Yeah, I wouldn't either." She took a seat at one of the computer controls and activated the ongoing simulations. Her own simulation was one of her newest investigations as a result of their trip into the Fracture. Attached to it were notes from Doctor T'Dala and Professor Satek of Vulcan regarding the new parameters for evaluating T'Vral Distortions. She read them again just to do so, and to feel giddy at having two esteemed astrophysicists writing notes to her like she was a fellow colleague, not a student.

Not that she wasn't still a student. She was in many ways, and she didn't even have a doctorate. But it was still a great boost to her confidence.

"So what are you working on, Cat'Delgado?" Tra'dur asked as she settled down, reorienting herself to the system and checking the paper notes that had still been important to the way she worked, after the way she learned.

"It's a simulation on T'Vral Distortions," Cat replied. "They're a result of intense space-time distortion near a star allowing the bleeding of subspace into real-space. They've been theoretical for two hundred years until I found one in the Fracture last month." There was a real enthusiasm in Cat's voice. "It was amazing to see Doctor T'Vral's theory was true. The Vulcan Science Academy is asking me to do a presentation this summer at a symposium they're hosting on the Citadel in Universe M4P2. I've already put in my leave request for it and it's _so exciting_ …"

"The Citadel? I've heard that each of its arms is as grand as _Babylon 5_! I should love to see it. If they're doing a symposium there… Perhaps there will be peace, and I can actually go to such a thing."

"It's enormous. It doesn't have the same charm as B5, but there's lots of interesting things, and nearly every sapient species from that version of our galaxy has residences on the station."

"I see-or rather I don't, but I wish I did." A smile crossed her face, showing her fangs. "Do you have a mate, Cat'Delgado, or is it just the mathematics for you?"

A deep blush appeared on Cat's face. "Uh… I'm with someone, yeah," she managed.

"Tell me about him?"

Cat swallowed and giggled nervously. "Uh… well… you see… I'm not sure how your species and culture or whatever view this sort of thing, but…" After drawing her silence out Cat sighed and came out with it. "...well, I'm with another girl, not a guy."

After a quiet pause built up some anticipation in Cat, Tra'dur laughed softly. "Cat'Delgado, my mother is _hopelessly_ only attracted to females. But she was a noblewoman in the old Imperium, so she had a mate for a time. But the relationship ended when their son died-that's a long story. But that's why she had us with a genetic donor instead of mating again. In the old Imperium it wasn't forbidden, it was just that you were expected to do your duty to your species and procreate."

Cat made a face at that. "Eww," was her response.

"Well, we came up with some better technology for that. I'd just been so impressed by everything around me that I'd assumed you had it as well."

"Well, I think we do," Cat said. "It's just the idea of being forced to be with a guy just to have a kid. It's… yech."

"It is rather disgusting to think about, I admit. Copulation with someone you don't even wa-" And suddenly, just like that, Tra'dur fell silent, collapsing across her desk.

There was a moment when Caterina was completely uncertain of what had just happened. Training and experience kicked in after that moment. Her hand went straight for her omnitool and triggered the communication system. "Delgado to Medbay, medical emergency in Science Lab 2!" 

* * *

An anti-grav stretcher bearing the unconscious Tra'dur came right through the sliding doors into the medbay's emergency care ward. A pair of orderlies moved the Dilgar girl to a bed. Leo entered with Doctor Lani Walker, of the Tohono O'odham people of the American Southwest, behind him. "What's wrong?"

It was Cat who called out "She just collapsed!" from the door.

While Walker commenced scans to determine any issue with Tra'dur's blood chemistry and lower organs, Leo went right to the most likely source. He activated the powerful scanners built into the emergency ward bio-bed and used them to scan Tra'dur's brain. As the results showed he narrowed his eyes and operated the scanning controls with his omnitool, refining the results. Once he got to the right magnification he nodded. "I'm picking up some kind of organism in her brain. It looks like… spores, with associated lesions in brain tissue. Still minor."

"It must be the spores from her homeworld," Cat said. "Can't you get them out?"

"We're going to try. In the meantime." He looked to his nurse. "Let's start off cautiously. Five ccs of oxylin, now."

"Yes Doctor."

Leo glanced back to Cat. "This is a serious medical situation, Cat, I'm afraid you need to leave."

"Oh. Okay," she said. "I'll go let Shai'jhur know."

"Sounds good to me. We may need the help with her physiology." Leo immediately returned his attention to his patient. "What do we have in the library files on them anyway?" he asked Walker. "I want to know what I should be avoiding here…


	28. Episode 3-05-5 Yesterday's Enemies P1

The individual on the monitor was not someone Julia usually dealt with. The tan-skinned man in question was on the large side, dressed for business (at least with the high-collared 27th Century aesthetics of a FedStar Earther), and seated at a desk behind which a window showing the Portland skyline was visible. Small dots that could only be air cars moved in streams around the large buildings. " _This is highly irregular, Captain_ ," the man said in a Spanish accent. " _Councilman Mutombo usually receives these applications through the Foreign Office or from diplomatic representation in Portland. There is no precedent for a naval captain to submit one._ "

"This is an irregular situation, Mister Vasquez," Julia answered. "And we're dealing with a possible genocide out here. The Dilgar application for Alliance membership could provide a diplomatic mechanism we can use to prevent it."

" _So you have said. I admit I am not sure we should even be involved in this. We're already waging one interstellar war…_ "

Julia tried to keep the frost out of her voice when she pointed out, "Yes, against enemies who commit genocide. As an Alliance officer I'm bound by regulation, ethics, and basic morality to do whatever I can to prevent genocides. This is one mechanism we can use to do that."

Vasquez looked down at his reader again, as if studying it for an imperfection. Finally he sighed in defeat. " _Alright. The Councilman will be returning from the current Council session in an hour or so. I'll bring this to his attention. I can't promise he'll call the Committee right away…_ "

"Just do what you can, please," Julia pleaded. "It could mean the difference between life and death out here."

" _Right_." A sympathetic look came to the aide's face before he reached off-screen for the key to terminate the call.

After sighing with relief Julia immediately sent another call to Defense Command. But they couldn't relay her to the _Kentan_ or any other responsible official. An attempt to contact Admiral Maran's flagship directly failed; it was undoubtedly in the middle of a combat operation. And the Presidential Mansion stonewalled her immediately on getting ahold of Morgan, insisting he was in high level meetings and could not be disturbed. She barely got the official in question to promise to relay her message to Morgan. And the Foreign Office insisted Secretary Onaram was off-world in important classified meetings.

Whatever rest she hoped the conclusion of these efforts would bring did not come. Julia barely had time to rub at her forehead before she got the call from the Medbay. " _Captain, you should get down here_ ," Leo's voice said. " _This is serious._ "

"On my way," she said.

Getting called to the medbay was rarely good, Julia thought during her trip. It usually meant a complication to their mission or a medical crisis that was going to affect the crew in some way.

Upon arrival in the medbay she was met by Doctor Walker. "Doctor Gillam is still with the patient," she said.

"Who is it?"

"One of the Dilgar aboard. Lieutenant Delgado said her name was Tra'dur?"

"Damn." Julia shook her head. "She's the exchange officer. And the daughter of their leader. What's wrong with her?"

"A number of spores worked their way into her brain. She lost consciousness. The spores are causing lesions to form in her brain tissues."

"Knowing Doctor Gillam, he's doing everything he can."

"He is. But our knowledge of Dilgar physiology is limited. We can't fight this thing effectively unless we know more."

"We'll have to…"

Before Julia could finish that sentence a blue light appeared over the back of Walker's left hand. She pressed the light and opened the communication. "Doctor Walker here."

" _I got through to Shai'jhur_ ," Caterina said. " _She's having one of her medical personnel connect to us to help._ "

"I will inform Doctor Gillam," Walker replied. She returned to the emergency care ward with Julia behind her. Julia looked to the occupied biobed, where the young Dilgar officer was still unconscious and being looked over by Leo. "Doctor, we will be getting a contact shortly."

"Good." Leo glanced up briefly. Noticing Julia, he nodded and returned to work. "Captain, thank you for coming. I thought you should see this. It might be relevant to the Dilgar case."

"Oh?" Julia asked. "Doctor Walker said spores got into her brain?"

"Yes. Probably the ones Shai'jhur mentioned." Leo tapped a key and shook his head. "And removing them is almost impossible. They're really small. Our surgical transporters don't have the resolution to get them. Not without taking healthy tissue too."

"I can ask Mister Scott about improving them," Julia said.

"We could use that. Right now I'm trying to get the spores that are in the bloodstream. I'll send samples to Lab 3 for biological analysis."

"I'm sure Doctor Ke'mani'pala will be a great help."

The screen in the medbay flashed with the indication of an incoming connection. Leo answered the incoming call.

A young looking Dilgar female appeared on the screen, a redhead just like Tra'dur. In fact, it looked like there was a distinct family resemblance between the two. This was confirmed a moment later. _"This is Surgeon-Commander Nah'dur of the_ Redoubtable _. The Warmaster informed me that Tra'dur was suffering from fungitoxic hydrocephalus, is that correct?_ "

Leo nodded. "I'm Doctor Leonard Gillam of the _Aurora_ and that would be my best guess, yes, Surgeon-Commander… Are you related to the patient?"

" _Yes, she's my older sister, but we don't have regulations about family members treating each other and anyway, it is straightforward. We have all been deviled with these spores since we were very young, the scarves we wear are to hide our bloody spittle from our enemies, but to me, these spores are the enemies I will someday beat. Tell me, what would your normal method be for removing a foreign object from the brain?_ "

Leo glanced to Dr. Walker. The woman grinned. Nah'dur was, to a word, eccentric. "We have transporter based surgery," he explained the concept, watching the woman take notes on a pad.

When she finished taking notes a moment after he had finished explaining, she looked up with a chipper grin. " _Brilliant. This is going to be very easy. The spores may be too small to resolve, but Dilgar antibodies shouldn't be, and the fluid in the lesion will have a high concentration that the surrounding tissue will not. By this point the lesions should be large enough to fit nicely within the resolution limits. I'm sending the calculation for that to you, as well as the chemical trace of the antibodies. Very, very few spores will have gotten to the brain, so if you target each lesion, she should be waking up tomorrow no worse for wear since we're still at an early enough stage that the displacement isn't causing a buildup in pressure or cell damage. Of all the people… This happens to about one in a thousand Rohricans in their lifetime and it's just plain bad luck. I could get you the drugs we normally use to treat it, but there are side effects and about five percent still die and another thirty percent have brain damage. I don't want my sister's three hundred kilo brain messed up, and I'm quite confident this will work. Though she'll owe me some rotgut from the_ Magaratha _'s still._ "

Leo had confirmed the presence of the offered calculations by this point. "Thank you, Doctor," he said. "Here we go." He loaded the relevant data into the system. Within a few seconds the bio-scanners located the antibodies inside of the lesions. With a couple presses to the control board the surgical transporters started to remove the antibodies and spores within.

The procedure was still delicate. A look from Doctor Walker was all Julia needed to leave the doctors to their work.

Upon receiving the order from Julia to report for the insertion mission, Lucy returned to her quarters to suit up. She removed her uniform and put on the Gersallian-made armor she used for field missions. The armor was purple in color and quite mobile despite its look and size. Lucy finished fitting the final pieces and re-clipped her lightsaber to the belt. She reached into her closet and retrieved a blue combat robe of Gersallian make, which she pulled on. She left the hood down as she always did.

Once she was ready Lucy departed for the other side of the ship. The _Gonzalez_ would be departing from its place in the secondary shuttle bay, at the rear of the ship's lower drive section.

In that bay the squat form of the _Gonzalez_ was waiting. It was the replacement for the _Basilone_ , one of the many small craft lost to the near-disaster that struck the ship toward the end of the prior year. Like the _Basilone_ the _Gonzalez_ was a stealth insertion runabout, equipped with its own cloaking device and a turreted gun that could be used to give fire support to friendly troops trying to board the craft. Lucy approached the main door on the side when she was met by a man in light Marine power armor. His complexion and appearance indicated a man with at least some Native American heritage. The rank insignia on his suit showed he had the rank of Major, or equivalent to a Lieutenant Commander. "Lieutenant," he said. "I'm told you'll be coming with us."

"Major Anders." Lucy nodded once to the commander of the _Aurora_ 's Marines. Major Gabriel Anders was the relatively new head of said Marines. Indeed, with a few exceptions all of the Marines on the ship were new given all of those lost fighting the Cybermen and Daleks. His predecessor, Commander Kane, had gotten along well enough with Lucy, but had nearly been killed fighting the Daleks that included having limbs blown off. This would be her first working with Anders. "I'm here for the mission."

"So I see." Anders looked over her with uncertainty. "You're not going in armor?"

"This is my armor."

"Not powered, though." He shook his head. "I'd feel better if you had a proper suit. At least a support tech suit. It'll make insertion easier and I won't have to worry about you taking a hit."

Lucy sighed at that. "Major, I'm trained in the life-force arts of the Gersallians. They consider me an honorary knight. Trust me, you've got nothing to worry about."

"I've heard about all of that," Anders said. "But life force magic or no, you'll be safer in an armor suit."

"But less mobile and able to fight," she countered. "This is how I do things, Major. You're going to have to trust me." Lucy hoped she sounded conciliatory. At the same time she didn't want to waste time going to Julia over this.

Anders sighed. "Your funeral," he murmured.

With that out of the way Lucy followed him aboard the _Gonzalez_.

The _Gonzales_ ' departure from the _Aurora_ was done carefully. The other ships in the friendly squadron were used to mask the opening of the bay door from being seen. The stealth runabout cloaked before emerging from the bay. Under the control of Ensign Getamanan the craft slipped around the friendly vessels in orbit and made their way toward the water world below. Beside Getamanan, Lucy monitored the systems and made sure their approach angle would prevent re-entry heat from exceeding the stealth craft's absorption and cloaking capability. Major Anders and Fei'nur were seated behind them to observe.

The Gersallian's piloting was spot-on throughout the re-entry phase. Once they were fully in atmosphere he altered the attitude of the craft to minimize wind resistance - avoiding creating an aerial wake profile that particularly fine sensors might detect - and brought them in toward the Dilgar colony.

A great reversing lake system, sometimes outflowing into an estuary and sometimes accepting water from the sea, mingled in a beautiful, light blue expansion of tropic, brackish water. Secure on one coast of the lake, situated on the largest piece of contiguous land on the water world (an island-continent around the size of Brazil), a simple set of rammed earth barrages with steel floodgates salvaged from wrecked freighters defended the city from tide and wet season flood.

It was designed for a million people, and the rest of the population had spread beyond it, but it remained the nerve-centre and capital of Tira. Modular buildings built out of shipping containers predominated, some up to ten stories high, and wooden low buildings with thatch roofs the rest, but the streets had been smartly laid out. There were signs of fighting, though, for smoke rose at places, especially in the outlying areas near to the jungle.

Lucy shook her head. "There's a lot of wild fear and anger down there," she said. She checked her sensors. "I am showing multiple groups of Dilgar together at various points in the city, all in internal spaces. Individuals only in the streets with large numbers of non-Dilgar, consistent with an enforced curfew. And there's concentrated bodies of Dilgar on the outskirts in the jungle verge."

"Surviving government forces then," Anders said. "We can link up with them if it proves necessary. But orders are to observe, not intervene."

"I know." Lucy tapped another series of keys. "I'm not showing active loss of life going by the bio-scans. They're not trying to kill everyone… wait." A particular reading came up. "Okay, it looks like one set of life signs is decreasing. But they're very faint."

"Can you get us close?" Anders asked. "This sounds like it bears investigating."

"I am doing so now, sir," Getamanan answered.

The _Gonzalez_ changed heading slightly and flew toward one particular structure in the northern section of the city.

"Where are you planning to land to avoid accidental detection on the ground?" Fei'nur asked, looking over the readings but evidencing no distress.

"We'll drop onto the site," Anders said. "With our personal cloaks engaged and with a height of ten meters with stealth landing boosts engaged."

"Shuttle only to orbit, then?" She clarified, nodding to the plan. It was straightforward enough.

"That's the usual plan for these ops," Anders answered.

By this point the _Gonzalez_ was hovering in the air above the structure at the desired height. "We're in position, Major," Getamanan said.

"Alright." He stood up. Lucy and Fei'nur did the same. Technical Officer Wang moved from a backup station at the rear of the cockpit to take Lucy's place. They walked into the back where more of Anders' Marines were waiting, already in their light power armor. "Get ready for a quiet drop, everyone. Activate silent drop protocols."

The various Marines nodded and operated the omnitools that appeared, on command, over their forearms.

Lucy, for her part, merely went over and retrieved the blue Gersallian-style robe from a hook she'd set up for it. She pulled it on over her purple body armor and noticed Fei'nur giving her a curious look. She answered with a little grin before checking that her lightsaber was still fixed to her hip.

One of the Marines hit a key at the back of the runabout. The rear loading hatch opened. Anders nodded to his people and was the first to jump out. He shimmered out of view in the process Not quite halfway to the ground, quiet thrusters fired on the boots and back of the armor. Anders landed softly (or relatively softly anyway) on the roof of the structure.

One by one, the other eleven Marines in the infiltration squad did the same. Fei'nur and Lucy would be the last to go down. Lucy sensed readiness in the Dilgar in the moment before she jumped, shimmering out of view as she did.

Lucy slid the tactical goggles over her eyes before she reached to her belt and triggered her own personal cloak. Once she was cloaked she jumped out. The wind in her face was strong. If not for her goggles her eyes would be closing to protect themselves. This would ordinarily be dangerous if not for her other gifts, which were already guiding her to begin applying counter-force to her landing. Her timing was well enough that she was virtually floating the last hundred centimeters before her feet hit the roof. She looked around and observed the others in formation through her tactical goggles. She glanced toward where Fei'nur was. "Can you adjust the wavelength on your cloak?"

"I apologize, I am still getting used to operating your equipment," Fei'nur answered innocently, then nodded. A moment later a wavery form showed on the tactical goggles. "I am ready. We will proceed to the anomalous lifesigns."

"Sanders, Xalin, take point," Anders said. Two Marines, a Human woman and a Dorei male, moved to the obvious entranceway first. Lucy walked up behind them and ran a scan with her omnitool. "Anything, Lieutenant?" Anders asked.

"Nothing," she said. She brought up a hand and waved it side to side. The door opened in sympathy with her motion. "Let's go."

They descended into a stairwell. For several floors they went down surrounded in a darkness that would have obscured them even without their cloaks. Their progress was not slow, but neither was it with urgency. There was clear method in their pace that Fei'nur found it easy to follow. As always, Humans - even Humans from another universe - proved to be quite good at soldiers' work. Lucy Lucero was the visible non-soldier of the group, but there was a self-discipline to her movement that kept her in step with the others.  
Once their readings showed they were at the right floor Lucy stepped up to open another door. This required half a minute of careful work to thwart a security sensor on it. Once it was quieted the door slid open and they stepped into the corridors of the facility.

"This facility has been cleared of regular civilian workers," Fei'nur observed. "The codes have all been set on overrides. And it's a biomedical facility." She cut herself off after that. "Not biohazard, though," she amended after a moment.

"I'm still showing decreasing life signatures on this floor." Lucy shook her head. "And this isn't just some biological waste they're destroying." A sick feeling filled Lucy's gut. She focused and felt it. Life was being ended. "This way," she said urgently, and for the first time she, not the Marines, was at point.

They heard smashing glass and laughter before long. Lucy brought them into a chamber occupied by mercenaries. Most were Brakiri, but there were members of other species too. Humans, Narn, and a couple from the other League races. Lucy recognized a Krogan among their number.

The chamber had originally been laid out with about two thousand humanoid-sized clear tubes with equipment in them. As it stood down, three-quarters of them were smashed, wrecked, deactivated. Laying on the floor in pools of blood in varying degrees of development were Dilgar fetuses. _Babies._ As they stood there, the Brakiri standing to the side and watching with sneers and smirks, the mercenaries were using fire-axes seized from the facility to smash open more of the cloning tanks, throwing the infants onto the ground and stomping, hacking and bashing them to death. There were already so many dead on the floor of the cloning hall that the entirety of the walkways were slicked with blood and shattered intestines.

A surge of violent emotion threatened to grip Lucy. Her discipline forced it back down. This was destruction, death, just for the sake of the act, and it was horror to see it being carried out.

One of the mercs looked around. The others noticed. Lucy did too and grimaced. They had a telepath with them. "Telepath," she muttered over the secured tactical comm line, in a low enough voice that it didn't leave the stealth field. "We're blown." She looked to Anders, wondering what would happen.

She knew what Carter Kane would've done. He would have likely opened fire. This was a chance to see how Anders, who always seemed more reserved than the _Aurora_ 's prior Marine Commander, would react to the matter.

Anders' reaction was a quiet, "Open fire."

Fei'nur lunged to the left in an explosion of movement the moment that Anders' orders left his lips. She had her rifle up, firing integrally suppressed subsonic smart-rounds which tore into the cluster of the Brakiri away from the tanks. She had done it without saying a word, utterly expressionless until the moment she acted. And then she was, just like that, an explosion of motion and energy and disciplined fires.

The telepath, a Hyach, was already calling out a warning. But it was too late for many of the mercs. Anders' Marines opened fire with deadly precision, gunning down a number of the mercs even before they could reach for their rifles. One of the Marines made sure to shoot the Hyach in mid-warning.

Lucy had a feeling that lightsaber marks would make it completely impossible to deny their presence. She reached out with her life force and ripped the weapons from the mercs that, even now, were still working on killing the infants in the tanks. They looked in confusion at their empty hands in the moment before Lucy started yanking them to the ground, one by one.

One of the Marines' targets was the Krogan. But said merc, with crimson carapace over pale flesh and a suit of blue armor, proved more resilient than the mercs with him. He lifted a massive Krogan shotgun from behind his back and pointed it forward. There was a sudden roar and a blast that hit one of the cloaked Marines. Blood spewed out behind the cloaked figure. The shotgun's mass effect-enhanced rounds had ripped into a weak point in the light power armor. The Krogan roared in rage and fired his shotgun again. The second blast nearly hit Anders. He was already side-stepping to avoid it.

The relaxing of fire allowed the other mercs to begin returning fire from cover. Anders' Marines immediately moved for cover themselves. One dragged their wounded comrade out of the door to get him to safety.

Lucy had no choice. She pulled her lightsaber and activated it. The brilliant blue blade was visible outside of her cloaking field. It moved in a blur to bat away the incoming fire.

And then the Krogan went flying. It was the kind of fight which seemed absurd, since one combatant in it was invisible. His eyes rolled around, searching for the enemy who had knocked him wide, but instead the cloaked figure of Fei'nur struck again, and this time with a point-blank round, shrapnel pounding into the ground, firing until the Krogan knocked her away.

He rose, tracking with his gun through the streaks in the blood on the floor. But Fei'nur was moving lightly already, and this time when her gun spoke, he staggered and fell from a burst of rounds carrying into his armoured head. An invisible dash past fire as they cleaned up what remained of the merc squad, and she was standing over him, and fired twice, thrice, four times. His body heaved and moved no more, a mangled mass of gunfire wounds.

It was then that Fei'nur dropped to her knees in the gore, and very, very gently, with a shaking hand, she touched one of the shattered little bodies. "To Death I dedicate this day, and you, little ones, I beg, Gods of the silent wastes, take these kills as theirs and honour them with all the comrades I have known." She rose with a face as taut and pinched as death, and did not speak much again in their mission.

Already the comm units of the mercs were ringing with demands for a report. Anders glanced from the dead bodies of the Dilgar infants and fetuses to Lucy, who was trying not to throw up at the sight of the carnage. "There's no way to fool them, is there?"

"I don't know enough about their comm protocols, and even then I can't guarantee I'd get the proper checkphrase."

"Then we're made."

"Yeah." She looked at the intact tubes. "And if we run, they'll just destroy the rest."

"They're just embryos, right?" one of the Marines said. "Our orders don't include standing our ground against an entire city's worth of mercs."

"You're right about that, Marine," Anders said. "But this isn't a matter of choice. This is genocide. They're killing them to kill them." After exchanging nods with Lucy Anders looked to his Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Sanger, I want all access ways watched, now. We're holding here until further orders." While the Marines worked to implement his command, he hit the comm key on his omnitool. "Anders to _Aurora_. Captain, things down here are FUBAR, and more FUBAR than you could ever believe…"

Seeing the images from Tira hit home to the _Aurora_ officers what this entire conflict was about. Every face around the conference table was turning pale. "That's…that's inexcusable," was all Leo managed.

"Maybe we should just blow the crap out of them now and get it over with," Locarno said, his voice strained with rage. "Who needs allies like these murdering psychopaths?"

Julia had to admit that Locarno's option was tempting, more than it should be. The sheer specieist destructiveness of the act was direct testimony to the genocidal intent on display here. "Transmit that to Defense Command and to Councilman Mutombo's Office with a full content warning. If anything, it will keep the ISA's diplomatic corps from trying to spin this."

"They'll simply claim it's faked," Jarod pointed out. "Even with the authenticator coding in the recording."

"Let them claim whatever they want. The Alliance, our Alliance, needs to know what's happening here." Julia shook her head. "The important thing is what to do with Anders' team."

"The Brakiri do not have energy shield technology yet," Meridina said. "Transporting them out should be quite simple. Although perhaps not the best option for the Dilgar."

"Once Anders and Lucero are gone, they'll just start killing the rest of the Dilgar," Richmond pointed out.

"But they'll be overrun unless we support them," said Locarno.

"And if we do that, the Brakiri probably open fire," Julia finished for all of them. She leaned forward and rested her forehead on her open hand. The options in front of her all had pitfalls, and the unavoidable truth was that the situation was escalating.

A tone filled the room. " _Captain._ " Lieutenant Takawira's voice came from the bridge. " _Captain Tabir is signaling_."

"Put him in here," Julia said. She drew in a breath and readied herself, casting away the visible fatigue and uncertainty that was evident in the prior moment. She turned her chair to face the wall monitor behind her. Tabir's face appeared on the screen. "Captain Tabir. What can I do for you?" she asked diplomatically.

" _Correct a misunderstanding._ " Tabir was still trying to show the business charm like before, but there was visible strain to it. Meridina was quick to inform the others of the anger she sensed in him through a mental projection. " _It seems you ignored my prior request to keep your forces out of the city. Now we have had a misunderstanding and my forces have taken losses. My ground commanders are quite ready to destroy the building they've occupied in retaliation, but I am restraining them for the moment.._ "

Julia's mind raced as she put together her reply. She struggled to keep her face impassive as she did so, not an easy thing given what she was feeling toward Tabir. "We were conducting a reconnaissance only," she said, "but my commanders on the scene detected a loss of life signs from the building. They investigated and found your forces slaughtering a chamber full of unborn Dilgar."

" _Yes, their super-soldier program_ ," Tabir said. " _The Dilgar are known to have been experimenting with genetic augmentation during the war. Given the decades since we expected them to have made some progress. Our forces were ordered to destroy them to remove the threat. We have already reported our success to Brakir. Or rather, partial success I should say._ "

 _We need to have Lucy and Anders get a genetic sample_ was Julia's thought, the charge immediately sending her heart hammering. _Am I getting played?_ "I would like to verify that they are from such a program and not a general re-population effort," she said.

" _Be my guest. Although your people have an imperfect understanding of Dilgar genetics and physiology, and I must say your most likely source for that data is going to be understandably suspect. I assure you, Captain, I did not approve this solution until my experts were certain of the nature of the embryos in question. Now, I believe we should settle this unfortunate impasse._ " Tabir grinned widely. " _I am quite willing to accept that this was an honest mistake on the part of the Alliance forces. We Brakiri recognize that the Allied Systems have a strong ethical code that requires you to act against genocide, and we appreciate this code. But I can only be so generous. If your forces do not withdraw I will not be able to restrain my ground commanders, and the structure will be destroyed by bombardment. For the safety of your forces you must withdraw them, and this time, keep them out. You have one hour to withdraw your people. Tabir out._ " The Brakiri commander disappeared from the screen.

For a moment Julia remained silent.

"He believes his charge," Meridina said. "Mostly. Although he does not care if it is true."

"If it's true, we might be getting played for suckers," Angel pointed out. There was deep uncertainty showing in her face. "I mean, could this be a con? Something to turn us against the ISA?"

"There was sincerity in Shai'jhur," Meridina said.

"Yes, but she could be really good at faking it," Angel said. "Your senses aren't completely perfect, are they?"

"You are correct. They are not infallible," Meridina conceded. "But I am not so inexperienced to be fooled easily. I am confident that my reading was accurate."

"Yeah, but confidence is something you're supposed to have to make your powers work," Angel said. "So that's not entirely convincing."

"I don't believe him," Cat announced.

Everyone looked toward her. She was still pale from the recording, but the assertive way she'd spoken was a bit of a surprise.

"I think he's a lying, genocidal bastard," she declared, "and that we should continue to help Shai'jhur."

"Cat." Angel gave her a sympathetic look. "I know you're bonding with Tra'dur, but it's not always that simple."

"It is. I've talked to her. I've listened to her. All she wants to do is write science papers, visit places, and attend the Vulcan Science Academy."

"Maybe that's true for her," Angel said. "But it doesn't mean her mother's not playing us for saps."

"She's not. I'm sure she's not."

"But you can't be sure," Angel insisted. "And are you really believing this? Or is it just because you think the Doctor would believe the Dilgar?"

Angel immediately regretted the accusation given the look of sheer betrayal on her sister's face. She managed to say, "I'm sorry" a moment before Cat stood from the table and walked to the corner. A quiet sniffle came from the corner a moment after she arrived there.

"Trust but verify," Julia said. "Have Lucero and Anders recover genetic samples."

"Tabir is right, though," Richmond said. She looked at Leo for confirmation. "We don't know enough about Dilgar genetic structure to confirm augmentation."

"I've got genetic samples from at least one Dilgar who is clearly unaugmented," Leo answered. "The tissues I scooped out of Tra'dur are in Science Lab 3 so we can examine the Rohrican spore, but we can just as easily examine the genetic structure too."

"That's not going to be enough," Jarod said.

"No. It's a start though. I can send the data on all samples to Doctor Franklin and ask for his help."

"Do you think the Earth Alliance will give us an honest answer?" Meridina asked.

Leo met her eyes. "I don't know if they would. But I trust that Doctor Franklin would."

"Do it," Julia said. "And we're running out of time. I want options."

"Our impasse remains the same." Meridina shook her head. "If we withdraw, they kill the remaining children."

"And if we don't, they kill them anyway, plus our people, when they bomb the building," Jarod added. "And stopping them from that will require us to openly engage the Brakiri."

The next line came from Angel. "Setting off a possible war with the InterStellar Alliance, for people who might be screwing with us."

Julia listened to them and turned the options over in her head again. At the same time, her heart already knew something about this situation.

In the end, that helped determine her decision.

Julia brought her omnitool into view and tapped a key on the blue light construct around her left forearm. "Andreys to Bridge. Get me Captain Tabir."

" _Yes Captain._ "

A few moments later Tabir appeared on the monitor. " _Yes, Captain?_ "

Julia didn't bother with a diplomatic smile this time. "Captain, I'm going to put this bluntly. There is no law in the Multiverse that allows anyone to kill cloned children, even genetically augmented ones. Even the Federation, which bans most forms of genetic alteration, would not commit what your people have done. So I'm not going to standby and let you continue this culling. My people will move in and protect the facilities where the Dilgar children are being grown. Your people will withdraw from them immediately. If you fail to comply, the _Aurora_ and her squadron will open fire. Is that clear?"

For the first time the business-like facade of Tabir failed. He scowled at her. " _You sanctimonious fool. Don't you realize the Dilgar are playing you?! That this has probably been their plan all along, to turn us against each other!_ "

"We're already vetting their claims, and we'll investigate the charge that the children are bred super-soldiers ourselves. And we don't need the Dilgar to do it. But for the time being, stand your mercs down. The killing stops here."

" _I need time…_ "

"It takes one call, Captain, and you can make it over this open channel," Julia countered. "So make it. _Now._ "

Tabir's scowl turned into a hostile snarl. For one moment it looked like he would defy Julia. To test her resolve and see if she was bluffing. But as the snarl faded slightly it was clear that Tabir was reconsidering any such thoughts. There was too much resolve in the face he was glaring at. He finally stabbed his finger at a key nearby. " _This is Tabir_. _Halt all operations against the Dilgar cloning facilities._ "

" _What?!_ " a disbelieving voice said on the other end.

" _Do it now, or you won't get paid!_ " Tabir growled. " _And suspend all plans to attack the Alliance team. Otherwise I'll turn you over to their captain myself._ Yatiri _out_." He released the button he'd been holding and looked back to the screen. " _This is pointless on your part anyway. The Earthforce ship is on our side and the Drazi reinforcements will be here soon. Face the facts, Human. There's nothing you can do to stop this, here or at Rohric. The Dilgar should have stayed dead and soon they will be. Tabir out._ "

The signal cut. Julia let out a breath and turned to the others. "You heard it too?" she asked.

"They know about Shai'jhur's planet," Jarod said.

"Th' timin' sounds fishy if ye ask me," Scotty said. "Decades o' nothin', they learn everythin' now?"

Julia nodded. "And it begs the question of how the Brakiri and Drazi learned about the supply network from Tira in the first place." She shook her head. "I'll put it in the report. We need to get people down there."

"I'll assemble security teams immediately," Richmond said, standing up.

"And send down the other Marines too. I'm going to call up Captain Ming-Chung and the other commanders we have with us to see who they can spare," Julia said. "In the meantime, you're all dismissed."

Everyone stood up and left. Angel glanced toward her sister, but Cat refused to look at her. She remained standing in the corner until everyone was gone, at which point she went out the door.

Along with her thoughts, Julia looked out the transtanium windows of the conference lounge to consider the deceptively peaceful ocean planet below. It seemed that every step they took, every decision, inched them closer to war.

But what else could she do? Even if Shai'jhur was a master actress and was playing her, even if the Dilgar on Tira really were creating a population of super-soldiers… the acts of the ISA races were just wrong. They were out for blood, to kill an entire species, and she couldn't stand by and let that happen.

A saying Julia had learned in school came to her lips. "'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing'," she whispered to herself, as if the words would fortify her in the decisions she'd made. They did, to a degree. But there was no avoiding the fact that her decisions were putting them on a course she didn't want to take.

She just had to hope that, in the end, her decisions would prove the right ones.

Tra'dur had recovered, awake and alert, within a few hours. The abrupt blackout has been related to the allergic response in the brain, and alleviated as quickly as it was relieved. Leo had still insisted on her remaining under careful observation based on Surgeon-Commander Nah'dur's notes and the lights were kept down to a bare minimum to avoid irritation of a partially inflamed optic nerve. Resting with a bare minimum of stimulation, just an earpiece playing some books on tape Cat had downloaded to the hospital bed for her, she was bundled up and quiet during the ship's night period.

The door to sickbay hissed open quietly, as a grey-clad figure padded silently over to her bed. "Tra'dur…?" echoed out in the hushed hisses and growls of a Dilgar trying to keep her voice down.

"Fei'nur…?" It was just as hushed as the young woman blinked wide eyes and loosed the earpiece from her ear. "I had heard you had been in action on the surface, but not much more."

"You don't want to know more, Fei'nur…" She stepped closer, and glanced about for any observers, before leaning down to enfold the young Dilgar in a firm embrace. " _Gods_ , but you do not wish to know more."

Tra'dur leaned into the hug and the steady, ready affection of her mother's oldest retainer. It was hard just to call Fei'nur a subordinate by this point, she was something more, the woman who had always been there since they were young. And Tra'dur knew and felt the warmth in her of family, of the one half of a family she'd never have. For all the Clan of Jhur was a warm and welcoming extension of her mother's line, it was Fei'nur who stood in for having a house of Dur other than her own sisters. So, for a time, she just snuggled.

The massive woman who'd fought for so hard, so long, to keep her and all her sisters safe silently held her close for several long minutes. "We will need you in the trials to come, rest yourself well, Tra'dur."

"I know. I won't even move. I've been following the Doctor's instructions. He went ahead and used my sister's method to remove the spores from the lesions in the other parts of my body as well, so … Until the next time we're back on Rohric, I'll get to be well. Thank you for coming, Fei'nur. It was nice to see a familiar face."

"Always, Tra'dur. I _won't_ let the animals get you. Any of you."

"Fei'nur…" Tra'dur sighed gently. "Well. You should get back to the _Magaratha._ You need sleep after a mission like that, and I am truly fine here."

"You had better! We'll see you back aboard soon enough, I hope. I don't like trusting you to the ani- _humans_."

When the call came, Julia considered that it had been too much to hope that she got even a moderate night's sleep given the events of the day.

This was why she decided to sleep on the couch in her ready office.

She rose from said couch the moment the tone woke her up. In one motion she grabbed her uniform jacket from the nearby hook. She didn't bother to put it on before leaving, so it was loose as she walked out onto the bridge with brisk urgency. She closed the jacket in the moments before she made it to the command chair, where Lieutenant Takawira was standing. "Report."

"Seven ships coming in, Captain," the Zimbabwean officer replied. "They are approaching at Warp 8."

Julia wondered what that meant. Warp drive was still slowly percolating into the E5B1 galaxy. Could this be unexpected reinforcements? _But why wouldn't they jump directly to us?_ "What can you tell us about them?"

Ensign Tagas, the Dorei man at sensors, looked up from his board. "Sensors are giving me data now. It looks like they have deflector shields raised already. I'm showing an intermix ratio close to the others, but not quite. Give me a moment while I check recognition tables." Julia said nothing during that moment. "The intermix ratio is in Federation records. Old Romulan drives, from before they switched to quantum singularity power plants."

"Most likely Dilgar then."

"Yes. I'm getting profiles now, checking against recognition charts…" Tagas looked up. "Sir, these ships… they're from a dead species."

Julia wondered what he meant by that. "As in?"

"According to our recognition charts from the InterStellar Alliance… those are _Markab_ ships, Captain."

"But they're extinct," Julia said. "Someone else must be aboard them." As soon as she said those words, she figured it out.

Tagas confirmed it a moment later.

"Markab ships, Warmaster? Your reinforcements are _Markab_ ships?"

Julia was in her office again, looking at the image of Shai'jhur over on the _Magaratha_. The Dilgar leader was just finishing a coughing fit.

" _Of course they are, Captain Andreys. As we have previously discussed, the Dilgar remain lawfully at war with the races of the League… And the Markab, Mentab, and Earth Alliance._ "

Julia sucked in her breath. "So, when the Markab…"

" _Yes, when the plague exterminated the Markab-Gods, but I wish we'd had the chance to help, we knew so_ much _, we might have undone some damage by then-I had absolutely no choice. I salvaged one hundred and thirty-nine jump-capable warships from Markab space without being detected. In fact, I consider it to have been a very great feat which would keep my people a spacefaring nation for decades longer. To be blunt, Captain, the Markab had no use of them. They're some of my newest and best heavy cruisers, so of course they were in our refit program._ "

"You realize how this will look?" Julia asked. "It reinforces the ghoulish view of the Dilgar that the other species have."

Calm Shai'jhur actually let a sharp passion fall into her voice as she answered. " _Please, Captain. Give me peace. There were innocent Dilgar who needed to survive, and I did what I must. Perhaps I am a tomb-robber, but I am not a mass murderer and I am not a tyrant. My people are free, and they deserved to live. For the sake of the Gods, every species within a thousand lightyears was salvaging Markab ships. They had a fleet of more than a thousand ships, and countless armed transports as well. The Dilgar are hardly the only ones._ "

Julia sighed. "Somehow I doubt they will care." She shook her head. "Either way, the Drazi second wave will be more manageable now. Although the matter of the _Huáscar_ being on their side is still going to pose problems."

" _Is there anything you can do about the_ Huáscar _, Captain Andreys? Captain Varma saved twenty million people from genocide. She deserves to do more than rot in an EA prison for the deed. Kaveri has been… holding up as well as can be expected, that considered, but it is a hardship, and a danger. If Major Foster engages us…_ "

"Unfortunately, Foster's been keeping an anti-beaming shield up, so I can't just transport over boarding parties. We'd have to engage. And there's no telling what he might do if we start a fight. According to his record, Foster fought on Clark's side in the Earth Civil War, and the Nightwatch rated his loyalty as high. He might very well kill Captain Varma rather than let a rescue attempt prevail."

" _He will not speak with you?_ "

"He's refused all attempts at communication since our last," Julia confirmed. "I'd love to get Captain Varma out, trust me, and I'll make sure the Alliance knows what she did. And Sheridan will know too. But I can't safely get her out, and trying will only blow this situation up. For the time being, I'm afraid we have to trust that Foster won't want to outright kill his commander arbitrarily."

" _Kaveri will keep praying, and so will I. Thank you for making any effort, Captain._ " Shai'jhur reached up and rubbed her head. " _We should both go back to sleep, I imagine. However, I will give you the warning in advance that I also salvaged a large number of Cascor ships which were marooned in deep space by Warmaster Jha'dur during the war. We mostly use them for spare parts, though, and I did that even before Omelos was lost_."

"Right. Thank you for the head's up." Julia nodded. "I'll keep you informed of any developments from the Alliance, Warmaster. Hopefully we'll hear something back soon."

"There is one thing I can do which might be sincerely constructive. Or, rather, what Kaveri can do. She would like to make an all-frequencies broadcast now that our cover is completely blown, with an appeal containing special information she believes would seriously impact any effort by the Earth Alliance to side with the former League powers politically. I have my fleet at Rohric on full alert, but instead of abandoning hope, I think this is the best aid we can provide to the cause of a pacific settlement."

"What information?" Julia asked, wondering just what Varma was holding back, and if it might fix this situation.

"As it turns out, Captain, the Varmas aren't the only people in the Earth Alliance to think that the death of a species is a moral crime…"


	29. Episode 3-05-6 Yesterday's Enemies P1

The next morning, Shai'jhur was slumped back in her chair at the desk in her Admiral's office, idly picking through her breakfast of seedcake wafer piled with cheese, eggs and sausage. It was a guilty pleasure for a Warmaster, and hardly Jha'dur's stealing the Emperor's Chef (who ran a restaurant on Far Outer these days for the fleet's officers, the sole survivor of the _Vendetta_ ). She rubbed her eyes and drank tea.

"Warmaster." For such a large woman, Fei'nur was _quiet_ , as she slipped into her superior's office. "Are we… forgive me, I will wait until you have finished."

"No, you're the one who just came from the front and seeing something horrible. Do you have an appetite? Do you want the rest, in fact?" Shai'jhur glanced up, nursing her mug.

"No time for rest, Warmaster, there never has been, these years. I… there were _humans_ down there, Warmaster. The Supreme Warmaster was _right._ " She shuddered visibly.

"Mercenaries. Hirelings. Held in contempt by the ideological founders of liberty in human ideology," she translated a few bars of a song:

 _"No refuge could save the hireling and slave  
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:  
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,  
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."_

"Of course, the Alliance will hold them in contempt and crush them too. I mean, they are in a massive war with other humans as we speak, Fei'nur." Shai'jhur curled her lips to show her teeth. "You know I have spent decades preparing for this. We are few, they are many, they are the objective. It would have been the Earth Alliance, if the multiverse hadn't come. We never had an option except to charm the humans, not since Omelos."

"That … doesn't … None of that changes… this is _why_ we fought the war, Warmaster… things just like… what happened." Fei'nur was still repressing a boiling fury and hollow coldness inside her

Shai'jhur quietly finished her food, staring ahead and occasionally taking a drink. Then she looked up again. "We fought the war to survive, Fei'nur. Humans are not animals. We did that to our enemies just like they have done to us. It is tooth and claw… unless someone chooses to be different. That's the whole point of the dharma that Kaveri taught me, that I taught our people. The explanation for why. These Nazis they fight are proof that the Alliance is sincere, even if the humans in this universe are in the main irredeemable. But both are also proof that humans can be good or ill, just like we can be. Didn't they fight at your side against the monsters who were killing children, Fei'nur?"

"Not as eagerly as I would have liked. One called them _embryos_ , Warmaster. As if they were not _helpless babies_ , when we are already so few... " Her hands worked, flexing into fists, as if she wanted to throttle her foes if they would be so kind as to present themselves to her.

"There are human cultures which permit the termination of the unborn, they call it abortion, which they see as permissible, to differentiate it from murder," Shai'jhur explained. "The one who spoke so… may have struggled to see the difference, to understand that even by that definition, this was still a crime against a _people,_ as a _whole._ Did he obey his orders, or did the human commander punish him or not?"

"He obeyed orders, they all did. Humans tend to be a disciplined people, their militaries, or so I have seen. Or so I _had_ before _Huáscar_ 's crew mutinied. I have trouble reconciling the image of the stoic humans who crushed us, and… this."

"Kaveri has been taking it very hard. It's a sign of the divisions of their civil war. But I… I have faith, I really do, Fei'nur. So we're going to hold the course. We are going to grow back strong again, in this Alliance-someday there will be billions of Dilgar again, I promise. Can you stay committed to it, because you know it's the only option as much as I do? Can you be polite to them, and respect their rights, even if you can never stop thinking of them as animals?"

"I know my duties to my Warmaster, I swear it. Our people come above _everything_. No matter what I must do."

"Including if what you must do means making friends with some of those Alliancers? The Gersallians, the Dorei, just as much as the humans? Could you call them comrades, could you battle at their side against these Nazis, against another foe?"

"If it is for the survival of our people, Warmaster, I can do _anything_. I proved that on Balos, didn't I?" Old pain suffused her voice when she spoke of that tunnel-riddled hell of a planet.

"I'm sorry, Fei'nur," Shai'jhur looked away and sighed. "I often think of old friends these days. They're all dead, except you. All we lost? The families, the blood, the clans, the customs and traditions, the music, the _food._ I understand very well Warmaster Jha'dur's fear that we would lose ourselves. Become furry humans. But I dance this dance… Trying to make them care about us enough to save our blood and species when we are too weak to save ourselves. And sometimes it does make my stomach churn."

A shrug, a wry, distant look. "Or maybe it's just the chains of leadership. I never wanted this. I wanted my ranch to be free of the spores! A place for old comrades to celebrate those incredible victories in the days when we thought we could do it all, when we did more than we even believed we could. You know, just sit back and remember the proud days when we were all what we wanted to be, as officers, as Dilgar. And instead it's just you and me, side by side, and if the spores were gone, we'd all be dead. So we cough them up and are thankful for it… Gods. Have you gotten tired, Fei'nur? Have I deceived you? Is our time passed..? Have I led us astray?"

"Warmaster, I have been tired for a very long time, and I am not the Supreme Warmaster. I… am not what she was. I don't think about such things, I'm not a strategist, or a philosopher. We'd all be _dead_ if not for you, and that's enough for me to be willing to die for you, ma'am."

"Sometimes _I_ want to sing the old songs and hold my head high again, Fei'nur. I'm hardly immune to the feeling of bitterness. But it's exactly for the same reason I'm pursuing this course. We're in it together-I want there to be another generation of kits. And again, and again, unto the end of the universe. And I simply don't see another way except reform-and Alliance."

"Not since Third Balos, Warmaster, not since that terrible day… I hate it sometimes, Warmaster but it's the only way. Was… that all? I need to re-take my station." Visibly uncomfortable, Fei'nur had enough of politics - and painful old memories - for the day.

"All right." She glanced at her desk. "We've mobilized everything. Everything is in readiness. Now we just have to wait, and try to find a little trust. Take your station, Battle Captain."

"Thank you, Warmaster. I am, as always, steadfast at your side."

"I know, Fei'nur, and I would never doubt it. You are the last of your breed, and the best." Despite her certainty that this was the best course, in that moment Shai'jhur did feel very tired, and very old. _All that was bright and good of us is still here. If the humans don't let us down..._

* * *

Ordinarily Caterina woke up alone when the time came, given Violeta's duty schedule and her own. This morning proved different when she woke to find Violeta sitting at the small table in her quarters, a prepared breakfast waiting for Cat. It wasn't just any breakfast, but a plate of breakfast taquitos and marshmallow cereal. Cat had no doubt the taquitos were egg and cheese-filled, a favorite breakfast comfort food just as the cereal was. She went to the table still in her "Geek Princess" pajamas. Violeta was wearing a black-and-purple shirt that went down to her hips, the purple lettering on the front declaring "I Beta-Tested _Ultimate Fantasy: Worlds of Adventure_ and all I got was this stupid T-shirt!" Below the shirt her legs were bare, all the way to her feet. She watched quietly while Cat started on her breakfast. It was soon clear that the meal wasn't replicated either, but cooked by Hargert and his staff in the kitchen. "I thought you needed a comfort breakfast," Violeta said. "Given the way you were sobbing when you got back last night."

Cat swallowed a piece of taquito. "I was probably overreacting," she said. "It's just… I can't believe she said that."

"Who and what?"

"Angel. She… she's suspicious of the Dilgar. And because I'm not and I want to help them… she said I was just doing it because I was trying to act like the Doctor and it just… why would she say something like that?"

Violeta shook her head. "I think we're both adjusting to what you've been like since you traveled with the Doctor. You've… well, you've been a little different since you got back."

"I know," Cat said. "But am I really that different?"

Violeta seemed pained for a moment. "Well, I… I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Cat, okay?"

"Mmhmm," Cat answered through a mouthful of food.

"Sometimes… I wonder." Uncertainty showed in Violeta's purple eyes. "I wonder that if the Doctor came back around and offered to take you away again… if you'd say yes. If you'd leave me to go running off with him again."

Cat had to swallow. Once she did a guilty look came to her face, a look that was all the answer Violeta needed. "I… I suppose you're right to wonder," Cat admitted. "The Doctor showed me so many places, so many things I never imagined. I do wish I could see more. But I would also want you to come with me."

"But I can't," Violeta said. "This is my place, Cat."

"I know." There was worry in Cat's tone at that admission. After all, if their desires and obligations could cause them to separate like that, what could it mean for their relationship in the long-term? She'd never thought of Violeta has her soul mate for life, but if that came about Cat was more than willing to spend her life with Violeta. There was enough love there, it seemed.

That was the key word, wasn't it? _Seemed_.

And yet, despite those doubts, Violeta was still ready to take the extra time to get Cat a nice breakfast from Hargert, even in the morning.

"I don't think I'll be traveling with the Doctor again anyway," Cat said. "Even if we do run into him again."

"But that's because he wouldn't let you, isn't it?" asked Violeta.

Cat sighed and nodded. "Yeah. And I wish I could say I'd say no if he offered. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Vee."

The use of the pet name brought a sad little smile to Violeta's face. "I know you don't. And I know you can't help but be the enthusiastic scientist and explorer that you are, Cat. I don't want to take that away from you. I just… I don't know. I wish I could understand why it feels like something's been off since you got back."

"I'm not sure either."

"Are you going to talk to Angel?" Violeta asked. "Let her know how she hurt your feelings?"

"I think she does know. And I think she's sorry too. I just… I'll talk to her later." Cat reached forward, prompting Violeta to do the same and take her hand. "Thank you for breakfast, Vee. It's wonderful. But I'd better hurry up if I'm going to be there for the staff meeting."

"Of course," Violeta answered. "And I'll see you on the bridge later during the watch change."

* * *

Hargert's people provided breakfast pastries and coffee for Julia and her officers. It was clear from the images that his counterpart on the _Shenzhou_ provided the same for Captain Ming-Chung and her officers, with Commander Imra from the _Heerman_ aboard _Shenzhou_ as well. "There's still no telling when the Drazi reinforcements will get here," Jarod said. "I've consulted intelligence sources but that's gotten me nowhere."

"Our intel assets aren't exactly paying attention to the ISA races," Julia said. "Or even the Earth Alliance, and they're the ones who've given us the most reason to be worried."

" _I am just as concerned about the_ Huáscar," Ming-Chung said. " _If they were to join the battle, we will be hard-pressed even if the other League races remain uninvolved._ "

"If it comes to that, we'll try to deal with them. The _Magaratha_ also has a lot of firepower that can help us out."

"Speaking of the Dilgar, why aren't they involved in this meeting?" asked Leo.

"Too many captains to easily discuss matters," Julia said. "I told Shai'jhur I'd share the pertinent information with her afterwards, just as she'll inform me of what her captains have discussed."

"And the fact that she might have hidden genetic augmentation plans from us?"

To Angel's remark Julia shook her head. "That alone? No. I'm not convinced the Brakiri charge is accurate anyway."

" _Nor am I_ ," said Li. " _These people have allowed their hate to get the better of them._ "

" _Although we must not lose sight of the fact that their hate was earned_ ," Imra added. Julia and the others noted that she was still wearing sunglasses, even in the artificial lighting of the _Shenzhou_ conference lounge. " _We cannot simply ignore their worries if we wish to negotiate._ "

"The problem is they don't want to negotiate on this," Jarod said. "They want to kill off the Dilgar and be done with it."

" _Then we must assure them it is safe to leave the Dilgar alone._ "

"A tall order, since that requires that they accept the right of the Dilgar to exist." Julia replied, a little frustrated that Commander Imra's facial expression was inscrutable under those sunglasses. But she'd worn them even during the stand-off with the Aururians, and Julia assumed she had some kind of medical exemption to wear them, so she wasn't going to press the point.

" _Captain_ ," Imra replied after a moment, " _Perhaps we should focus on the structural mechanism. It would, if anything, be easier to convince people of the Dilgar good intentions if they really become member applicants. They'd be opening their entire territory to monitoring, their government to human rights audits. It's boring and it's not a breakthrough, but once we get real power-brokers involved in the talks, it might be enough._ "

 _"I think she's right_ ," Li added. " _Look back home to Earth and our time. The Dayton Accords were a bunch of technical minutiae but at the end of the day the verification and compliance measures worked. Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks lived in peace for longer than two decades in Bosnia the last time I checked. And we're not asking for Brakiri and Dilgar to be next-door neighbors, either. Actually, it seems the real hard nut to crack would be the Drazi, period. If there's another Drazi fleet coming in that could be the biggest threat to finding a peace._ "

"I've already submitted their application to the Council. Right now I'm waiting to hear if Councilman Mutombo submitted it to the Admissions Committee." Julia sipped at coffee for a moment. It helped with how tired she felt. "What about the ground teams? What's their status?"

"We have dispatched units to the locations where the Dilgar cloning tanks were still intact," Meridina replied. "Security teams and Marines from the _Shenzhou_ and our allied ships are working with our people. All the facilities are now employing defensive shields to withstand limited bombardment."

"But they don't have the power sources available to protect against a determined orbital bombardment," Jarod said. "So we'll have to keep providing protection from up here."

"We will, for as long as we can," said Julia.

" _I take it that the Dilgar are not joining those teams?_ " Li asked.

"Warmaster Shai'jhur agreed with me that it might not be advisable to have armed Dilgar on Tira. At least, not more than there are already," Julia noted wryly. "Whatever you want to say about her, she's proved adept at recognizing that we have to take the lead in this situation. Given the stakes for her people, that's got to be tough."

" _Perhaps we should prepare a plan to evacuate the Dilgar from Rohric_ ," Commander Otiros suggested. " _That may be the best solution to ensure their survival and the easing of the other species' worries._ "

"While I'm sure the Dilgar there might appreciate no longer dealing with those spores, that would require finding them a suitable garden world," Jarod pointed out. "And it would take us months to evacuate twenty million people. Months that we probably don't have."

"Yes. I sadly suspect the Drazi will not give us the time to evacuate them." Meridina shook her head. "And it was made quite clear that they know about Rohric as well."

"Which is something I find damn suspicious," Julia declared. "The timing of all of this is off to me. This Dilgar ring suddenly gets exposed, and then somehow the Dilgar are completely compromised?"

"Mister Gagnor was quite careful when I encountered him with Robert on Kalnit Station," said Meridina. "It is interesting that he got caught regardless."

"Could Lyta Alexander have been involved in compromising him?" Richmond asked. "She is stated to be quite a powerful telepath."

"I am not certain. Her priorities seem to be her planned war with the Psi Corps, not this affair."

"Either way, I want everyone on their toes. There's something going on here that I don't like. Now, when it comes to our tactical dispositions…"

* * *

On the planet below the mercenaries were getting restless. It was known they had lost comrades to the Alliance teams. More than that, their Brakiri employers had backed down to the Alliance commander when pressed, and so the Alliance was getting its own toe-holds on Tira. For the mercenaries of species native to Universe E5B1, that was distressing and infuriating. The Human mercs of E5B1 seemed especially upset, which given the Clarkist viewpoints of many of them was not too surprising.

But there were mercs who were less concerned with it. These were those mercs the Brakiri hired from other universes. There weren't many, since the Brakiri knew that they wouldn't have the same hatred of the Dilgar that native mercs would possess, but given their dislike of Centauri mercs and the numbers they wanted, the Brakiri couldn't be picky. Some of their hires came from the Universe D3R1, from the Arcturan Free States. Attempts at hiring the services of Inner Sphere mercenaries had faltered on logistics issues - too costly for the mercs' supply lines - but more flexible were mercenaries from the M4P2 universe. The Brakiri force thus included squads from all of the major merc outfits of that universe. The technically-adept Salarians and Asari of Eclipse, the vicious Blood Pack and its aggressive Krogan and Vorcha, and the well-organized Human, Turian, and Batarians of the Blue Suns were all represented.

Two of the mercenaries from that galaxy were not among those three outfits, however. They were hired freelancers, here to do a job and get paid. The Brakiri reflected their view of such freelance mercs by assigning them to the edge of the jungle where Dilgar resistance had, until recently, continued. Now there was a deceptive quiet that gave the two beings time to think. Thinking was something both were prone to; it came with their ages, ages long enough that one, were he to have come from this galaxy and not his own, would have been centuries old in Valen's time.

"Still quiet," said Urdnot Wrex. The Krogan Battlemaster was in a set of red combat armor that matched the color of the carapace protecting the top of his head. The armor was not immaculate in appearance, smeared with the mud and dirt of the defensive position - what the Human mercs were calling "foxholes" - that he shared with his comrade. His shotgun was slung on the small of his back while an M-15 Vindicator assault rifle was laying nearby with his other kit. "They're definitely holding back."

"I would be too," said his compatriot, the older of the two. Nakmor Drack had a paler complexion and his carapace's green color matched some of the local flora. His eyes were a dark green in color compared to Wrex's red. His combat armor was a light beige color, with a Claymore shotgun matching Wrex's attached to his back. "They've got reinforcements in orbit. No point in hitting prepared positions when you've got that advantage."

"Right." There was a dissatisfied tone to Wrex's voice.

"What's the matter, whelp? Afraid you're going to lose your edge in this hole, get a little slower than you already are?" There was a teasing tone in Drack's voice. Both were centuries old, but Drack had centuries on Wrex.

"I'm still more spry than a fossil like you, Drack," the younger Krogan retorted playfully. "You still carrying around those guns from the Rebellion?"

"Nah. Sold them off centuries ago." A bemused glint showed in the green eyes of Drack. "So when do you think we're getting relieved?"

"As soon as they realize the Dilgar aren't hitting us anymore," Wrex guessed. "Then that pissant Brakiri will put us wherever he thinks we're most likely to get killed."

"Damn Brakiri," grumbled Drack in agreement. "If the money weren't so good, I'd never give those types a minute of my time."

"The money is _real_ good, yeah." Wrex chuckled. "Which is why they're working so hard to get us killed. Although what I want to know is why you need more money. You should have earned enough in your lifetime to retire from this crap, Drack."

"Look who's talking," Drack retorted. "You may be a whelp compared to me, but you've had centuries to get rich too. Yet here you are."

"I've got my reasons."

"As do I."

"Yeah." A dangerous look came to the red-eyed Krogan. "Maybe it'll make this job easier to stomach."

Drack picked up his main weapon. The M-8 Avenger was a common weapon in their home galaxy, with a full automatic fire mode. He checked the cooling systems on it for an idle second before saying, "Job feels like it's going sour, doesn't it? Worried you'll end up in an Alliance prison?"

"Not that." Wrex shook his head. "You've heard about what they've got the rear squads doing?"

Drack's eyes never left his weapon. "Some things, yeah."

"I don't sign up for crap like that," Wrex said.

"Probably why they don't have us doing it." Drack chuckled darkly. "And maybe that's the real reason the Brakiri are trying to get us killed. But there's no getting out of it now."

"No," Wrex muttered, his tone now as dangerous as his look. "There isn't."

* * *

After a night of tense waiting and preparing defenses, Lucy and Anders beamed up to the _Aurora_ after an exchange of personnel. They walked out into the corridor together. "I keep my gear in my quarters," she said. "So I don't need to go to the armory."

"Right."

There was an uneasy silence. "We did the right thing," Lucy said.

"We violated orders too." Anders sighed and nodded. "But yeah. The right thing." He looked to her. "You're pretty good with that lightsaber. But can that armor deal with a grenade? Or a crew-served weapon? I imagine even you can be caught by surprise."

"Possibly." Lucy grinned slightly. "But not very likely. And the armor is tougher than you imagine. The Gersallians have a long history of needing to protect their knights."

"I noticed you've been tweaking with your suits," Lucy said.

"I'm a combat engineer, Lieutenant. Using standard kit would be a sign of laziness or no damn imagination."

To that, Lucy had to chuckle. At the same time, she knew she was ignoring the unspoken tension. "We probably made the situation worse, yeah. But it really was stopping murder."

Anders nodded quietly. "It was. It's not the first atrocity I've seen. I've been at the front against the Nazis for most of the war, I've seen my share of mass graves and bayoneted babies." A tired, haunted look crossed his face.

"God…"

"God's got nothing to do with it," Anders said. "It's the other guy helping with that."

"No argument there," Lucy said. "I just hope something good comes out of all this."

"All you can do sometimes. All you can do…" 

* * *

The second day of the standoff was more tense than the first. Julia could feel it in her crew in a way that didn't require life force powers or telepathy. It wasn't that they mistrusted her choices either, that much was sure by the proud looks she received. The wounded Marine from the strike team was talking in the medbay, as were other Marines rotating back, and everyone knew what was going on down on Tira. Whatever happened, Julia could feel assured that her crew were behind her on this standoff.

At lunch Hargert had the sausage stew out in tubs. Other healthy fare were mixed liberally with popular comfort foods - hand-pressed _seemai_ strips for the Dorei, _liyume_ for the Gersallians, steamed _tikchp_ for the Alakin - in a way certain to boost morale. Julia was finished with her bowl of stew and a roast beef sandwich when Hargert walked up to her. "You're treating us today, Hargert," she said.

"You and the crew deserve it, Captain," he replied. A determined look set into the old German cook's face. " _Nie wieder_."

Julia understood what he was getting at and nodded. "Yeah." She left the Lookout.

When she emerged from the turbolift onto the bridge, the main staff was on duty entirely. Meridina vacated the command chair for her. "I hope your lunch was enjoyable, Captain," she said.

"Hargert is pulling out all of the stops today." Julia settled into her chair.

"It was nice of you to let us all go first," Locarno said. "Although knowing Hargert, your meal was just as fresh."

"The burden of command," Julia replied with a small smile. "No status changes?"

"None," Meridina confirmed. "The Brakiri are not interfering with our ground teams as of now."

"Although they are moving their mercs to surround the buildings," Cat added.

"I expected that." Julia crossed her arms. "Now we get back to the hard part."

"Waiting until something happens, you mean?" Jarod asked drolly.

"Didn't think it had to be said, Commander," she replied.

Jarod grinned at her and nodded. As he turned his head forward again, a tone sounded from Jarod's board. "I've got a jump point opening."

Julia's posture lost all ease. "On screen."

The holo-viewscreen activated to show a blue jump point opening in nearby space. The vessels that emerged from it initially were blue and gold in coloration. The designs were long and, while not sleek, contained rounded lines that ended in sharper edges at some points. After they emerged from the jump point a much larger ship emerged. It was tall rather than wide or thin, a central body topped by a long fin with two fins of equal size and prominence flowing from beneath the central section. Julia didn't recall the other ships before, but she'd seen this one a number of times.

Cat read out what she was seeing. "Seven Abbai cruisers of the _Kishara_ -class and a single Minbari _Sharlin_ -class, Captain. They appear to be traveling together."

"Hail them."

The holo-viewscreen shifted to show a Minbari-styled chamber. But the figure on the screen wasn't Minbari but Human, a woman who looked to be in her mid to upper thirties with blond hair and blue eyes. Julia recognized her immediately. "Director Holloran," she said.

Tessa Holloran, the Director of Covert Intelligence for the InterStellar Alliance and former "Number One" of the Martian Resistance, nodded. " _Captain Andreys. It's been a while. I see you've gotten yourself into trouble out here._ "

"Some, I suppose," Julia conceded.

" _President Sheridan has sent me to mediate this dispute between your Alliance and our own_ ," Holloran continued. " _I hear you caused a mutiny on an Earthforce ship too. Ordinarily I might find that amusing, but it's not going to make keeping the peace any easier._ "

"I suppose not." Julia clasped her hands behind her back. "We're ready to host negotiations."

" _And the Minbari would prefer you do it too_ ," said Holloran. " _There's bound to be a lot of shouting and this is a Religious Caste-controlled ship, I don't think they'll appreciate it._ "

"Will the other races agree? Or Major Foster?"

" _I imagine a man of Foster's background will take a Human-crewed ship over a Minbari one, regardless of who the Humans are. As for the other races…_ " Holloran grinned. " _Let's just say I've come prepared to win their cooperation. And since we're on a deadline to prevent war from breaking out, I'd like to get started as quickly as possible._ "

"We're ready when you are, Director."

" _I'll give you a final time in one hour. Expect it to be within five._ " Holloran reached forward and her image disappeared.

Julia let out a breath and cradled her head in her hand. She sent a forlorn glance toward the always-stoic Meridina. "Tell Leo I'm going to need aspirin," she mumbled. "A _lot_ of aspirin."

Meridina replied with a small, understanding smile. 

* * *

The footsteps in the corridor in front of Zhengli's cell fell more softly than Goodman's or her usual guards. There was still a steady military rhythm, but the boots sounded a gentler cadence. Then, they stopped before the door to her cell, and there was a light, muted knock. "Captain?" It was the voice of her ship's Military Department Telepath, Elia Saumarez.

"Miss Saumarez. Come in, if you'd like?" She gave a smile, and tried to calm her thoughts - agitation and bitterness, she thought, would be like a bitter brew for the woman before her. "My apologies for you being caught up in the middle of this."

"Thank you, Captain." She keyed the cell open, and stepped in, after setting a fifteen minute timer, flexing her gloved hands as she looked to where Zhengli sat, in her crisp Psi-corps uniform and with the appearance of a dark, lithe caucasian of Franco-Welsh heritage. "It is an uncomfortable position for a telepath, I will not deny it."

"Well, I would say being in the Military Department is probably uncomfortable _before_ one adds any… late unpleasantness to the mixture, or so I would think, Miss Saumarez."

"To an extent. I remember visiting West Point once on an investigative detail. Seeing the buildings on their ramparts at the Hudson, the great dining hall with the mural of War, the playing fields where they raise our Earthforce officers up. Captain, I.." She laughed softly. "I always wanted to be a starship officer."

"I wish you could have gotten closer to it than this." Zhengli helplessly shrugged. "But you are talking to the, what was it Captain Ivanova called me… _polezniye duraki_. Or that is the plural, it has been several years, and I have never been a Russian expert."

"Hardly appropriate, regardless, Captain. You were utterly decisive in working to defend the Dilgar… Who really do look like they're staring a genocide down the face. Apparently the League has found out about their other world, too."

"Well, that was of an old argument about Psi Corps. I…" She let her face fall into her hands. "What can I do for you, Miss Saumarez?" Her voice was tired and muffled as it came through her hands, as the weight of her situation pressed on her.

"Old argument about Psi-corps?" The dusky-skinned woman looked archly at her. "Would you tell me?"

"I presume her dislike for the Corps is… at least a little legendary? We got into a shouting match - off duty, at least, thank the Almighty - when I heard that she threw someone from the Commercial Corps out a window while stationed at Io, and that then-Captain Sheridan had gotten her off of the charges."

"...Wait," the woman blinked, sincerely confused. "You got in a fight with Captain Ivanova over telepaths? On our side? I confess, Captain, I had seen as you enlightened, but that's quite the depth. Thank you."

"I prefer to think of myself to be more of a student of history. How Earthgov treats you - telepaths… it… _frightens_ me, Miss Saumarez. It frightens me very deeply. I see parallels and unheeded lessons that chill me to the bone."

"Parallels?" She glanced around and shivered, a little, with Zhengli's tone. The door beeped with the fifteen minute unlock, but she ignored it and let it unlock, taking no action.

"Earthgov's marked you with those badges and those gloves, taken all your rights away, separated you from society and treats you more like _wiretap devices_ than people… and when I see that little Psi badge on your coat, a horrified part of me sees a yellow Star of David, and I see the Nuremberg Laws in the Metasensory Regulation Act… and that strikes irons into my soul."

The telepath's face melted, gloved right hand balling into a fist she clapped into the wall. "I… I want to thank you for saying that, Captain. It takes great courage to admit that your people are wrong. The Corps, you know, it gives us purpose, without it we might be gone simply because how would we find the will to live without the community it offers? I feel a lot of sympathy for the Dilgar right now, I admit."

"You know what the old veterans said, when the boneheads were slaughtering us? _At least the Dilgar had a good reason_. Well, now they are trying to be what we wanted them to be, and I was _not_ going to let them be murdered. Granted, look where that has gotten me..."

"...In the same place as Inmate Number 4859, Captain?" A look of composure had settled back onto her face.

"I would not call myself so worthy, Miss Saumarez. You should be going, lest they arrest you as well."

"Major Foster wants me to accompany him to the _Aurora_ for the negotiations. Do you have a message for me to pass to the Dilgar? Your mother is, I understand, on their flagship."

"You shouldn't put yourself in that much danger, but if you want to re-assure them that I am thus far, held in good conditions, and that this action is _not_ taken with the blessing of Earthgov… that should be enough, I hope."

"Danger? Danger? What Witold Pilecki did…" She stamped her foot and bit her lip and brown eyes stared sharply at Zhengli. "I'm with you, Captain. I'll pass any message you want me to and I'll tell Goodman I'm helping him get you the ship back. You just better have a plan to find me a place to live, because when the Corps finds out they will make an example of me. Ma'am."

"Well, the UAS might be such a place, Miss Saumarez. I am given to understand the feeling of alien minds can be… _difficult_ , else the Dilgar might see you as a heroine."

"Well, either way, good enough for me. I wanted to be a starship officer, here's my chance." She smiled grimly, looking about as pale as she could. "Morally, if not in point of law. All right. I've got to go, Captain."

"Be _careful_. I do not want dead heroines. We will get only a single attempt at this."

"Understood, Captain. One attempt. We'll make it stick." 

* * *

Shai'jhur carefully had the broadcast room put together to look like it was a conference room in a nondescript, drab human building. It was linked into the transmitters of the _Magaratha_ , and from there it would go through the _Aurora,_ and then through the Allied System interuniversal network and rebroadcast throughout E5B1. Pretty much any civilian source with a retransmitter and many military ones for crew off-duty use would pick it up.

There were some touches like a glass of water on the lectern, which was simple and unadorned to avoid creating explicit affiliation identifiers beyond a hastily prepared version of the old UN roundel for human rights which had long been deprecated here, but was useful enough as a symbol.

Shai'jhur walked with Kaveri to the room as the Dilgar comms techs confirmed the linkage, and paused at the entrance. "All right, Kaveri. I thank you for reaching out to do this, more than words can express. The fact that you have chosen of your own volition to share our fate is _not_ something that we will forget." She glanced around the air, as if the words were meant for more than one, but there was still a confident smile on her lips.

"I accepted that fate a very long time ago, my friend." Moving to sit, she took an audible deep breath, folding her hands before her, and gave a nod, waiting for the ready light to blink on.

"Sentinents of the galaxy; my name is Kaveri Varma, A Captain of Earthforce, now retired, and I come to you with a plea, and a call for action. Thirty-one years ago, the Dilgar War was brought to an end, when the Liberation Navy destroyed the last forces of the Dilgar Imperium capable of effective resistance. The Earth Alliance restrained our allies, then, and refused to let them give in to their darker natures and destroy the Dilgar as a species. When the sun of Omelos killed all the Dilgar we had herded there, to allow them to reform, away from the temptation of war, some of the victims of the Dilgar cheered. This, I do not hold against them. The old Imperium was a creature of blood and death, and it carved a swathe across the galaxy." She took a sip of water, before going on.

"Not all the Dilgar died on Omelos. On two worlds, small groups survived, and _on their own_ , they began the process of reform I, and others in the Earth Alliance, dreamed they would. Indeed, they have petitioned for membership in the United Alliance of Systems, knowing this will involve audit and oversight of the truthfulness and depth of their reforms. At this very moment, a force of Hyach, Brakiri, Hurr and Drazi ships hold a blockade over one of these two worlds, restrained only by a rag-tag squadron of ships who stand valiantly against them. In the name of shared sentience, I call upon the races of this galaxy to stand _against_ this crime, against this murder of helpless _children_. I call upon humanity to do what it did once, and stand against the death of the Dilgar - to honour the ties of shared blood and sacrifice!"

"Yes, _shared_ blood and sacrifice! At our darkest hour! There is a world in human space where tens of thousands of Dilgar _live_ still, rescued by elements of Earthgov who foresaw that the reforms of Omelos might not find fertile ground, of those who wished to live free! When my daughter bid farewell to all she knew, to _stand and die on the Line_ , there were _Dilgar_ who stood with her - the last six pilots of the Imperium, who wished to repay the debt they owed to humanity, to leave our hidden refuge and die along with the blood which had saved them. Five of them perished with our tens of thousands, but today, there is a Dilgar man who breathes and holds a Line Medal, the same of my daughter; who came through that terrible hell and who _fought with us in our darkest hour_. My daughter's crew has not only mutinied against their captain, they state any attempt to _stop_ this holocaust will be cause for them to open fire! This is not Earthforce, this is not what humanity should be! In the name of the Almighty, stop, set down your work, look around you! We should be the promise of what humans can be, what this new alliance should be! Do not stand by and let a slaughter ensue! Do not let the helpless burn for old scars, old wounds! Stop the killings, or we shall be what Deathwalker wished us to be, a mirror of what the Imperium was! Do not let Earthgov stand by and disavow what is coming to pass here! Let every good soul cry out and stop this from coming to pass! I have always stood for _Dharma,_ and if my government will not stand, if it will let the colony it saved be an _aberration_ in its' course, I _shall stand_ , and shed my blood in defence of righteousness and the innocent. Thank you all for listening. Please… do _not_ let this evil deed come to pass, I _beg_ of you all."

The recording stopped. Shai'jhur quietly walked into the room. She smiled to Kaveri, and stepped around, her feet trodding lightly, before she paused behind the woman. "Thank you. It was a very long time ago that you taught me that there were orders that should not be obeyed, half by your example and half by what came after. And I was slow, and, to some extent shirked the responsibility by hiding from it, volunteering for dangerous duty instead. But, you know, today you have reiterated that. Stood against your own people for the sake of it. It's that flaming spirit to which I owe so much."

"To thine own self be true, I believe, is the quote; and you have certainly come around, Shai'jhur." The aging woman smiled back. "I could come up with a large list, but I rather intend not to leave… if you will have me. You seem as if you could use my help, and there will be nothing left for me after that."

"I wasn't joking when I spoke with Julia yesterday. As far as I'm concerned you're a Citizen of the Union now, Kaveri."

"Then it seems I am, and here I shall stay, Shai'jhur. Who would have thought, all those years ago…"

"Something of a marvel." Shai'jhur extended her hand. "Come on. I've got to get ready for the conference. And, with any luck, I'll soon get to meet Zheng-li…"

Kaveri took the hand, and nodded in agreement. "With luck." 

* * *

The summit meeting was being held in Conference Room 1. Julia brought a sizable Alliance contingent; Meridina, Jarod, Lucy, Captain Ming-Chung, and Commanders Imra and Shaham. Holloran attended with an Abbai matriarch and a Minbari religious caste member. Shai'jhur brought some of her officers, including Tra'dur and her sister Nah'dur, and Kaveri Varma attended as well. A scowling Major Foster had a black-clad woman with a Psi Corps in on her breast as her only marking. He shot daggers at Kaveri when she sat beside Shai'jhur. The fact his entourage wasn't larger made Julia wonder if he had to leave his other loyalists behind to keep control of the _Huáscar_. Tabir attended with a few Brakiri and a pale-green scaled Drazi in an ostentatious uniform had been introduced as Captain Tarinak. A pair of Hyach represented that species and its small contribution to the situation.

Each side took a table. The Abbai and Minbari sat with Holloran at the lead table. Julia and her people attended the one to Holloran's right, and to their right the Dilgar sat. Opposite them, to Holloran's left, was the Brakiri and the Drazi tables, with the Hyach sitting on their own. Tellingly, so did Foster, who was still silent. The tension in the room was unmistakable. Kaveri's announcement about the Dilgar colony in the Earth Alliance now placed a clear rift between the Drazi and Brakiri and their erstwhile ally in Major Foster. Julia hoped, perhaps in vain, that his own government's role in saving the Dilgar from extinction might persuade him to at least remain neutral in the coming argument.

"Alright." Holloran looked over everyone. "A week ago we were all friends. Now you want to kill each other. Why?"

"The Dilgar are a threat to our very existence!" Tarinak shouted. "We all remember the crimes they committed against our people! We will not tolerate their continued existence, we _cannot_. We will not be their victims again!"

The heat of the Drazi outburst was then cooled by Tabir's quiet tone. "I share my Drazi colleague's concern," he cooed. "When we arrived, we found the Dilgar performing a large-scale program of breeding genetically-augmented clones. What else could they be planning but an eventual war against the InterStellar Alliance?" Tabir leveled a look at Julia and her people. "Some people have misinterpreted our deactivation of this dangerous program, unfortunately."

"You were killing children!" Lucy shouted, furious. "You're out to commit genocide!"

"Even your own people hold that the embryos and fetuses that have not fully developed are not considered fully alive," Tabir noted. "You cannot claim we are conducting a campaign of genocide. We have not harmed the civilian population of Tira. Although I will add that the Brakiri Syndicracy is asserting a claim on this system."

"Oh?" That was from Holloran.

"Yes. Our space is not far from here, and we are the first to take possession."

"There are several League species closer than you," Julia pointed out. "The Gaim, the Llort, the Yolu… and the Hyach, Ipsha and Abbai all have outposts closer to this space than the Brakiri. Don't they get a say?"

"We will negotiate with them through the auspices of the Alliance," Tabir answered.

"And you ignore the fact that Tira is already settled."

Tabir smirked at that. "Not legally. Our treaty with the Dilgar specifically forbade them from settling worlds outside of their solar system. The colony on Tira is illegal."

"You have signed no treaty with the Dilgar!" Shai'jhur's declaration was flat and emphatic, a rising point on the end. "I was lawfully appointed by Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan the day before the Battle of Omelos, as all our records broadly confirm. Not like that would even matter, for the Surgeon General could hardly overrule Supreme Warmaster Jha'dur. Those treaties were signed by an illegal government. The end of the Dilgar War is here. With me."

Tabir didn't miss a beat. "If that is all true, then the war continues. And we are under no obligation to sign a peace treaty with the successor of butchers."

"And it means that the Allied Systems have joined the war on the Dilgar side," Major Foster said, now suddenly involved in the conversation. "The InterStellar Alliance will have to act against them as well, and their illegal occupation of territory on Earth's frontiers."

"We'll be the judge of that," Holloran said.

"Of course you will." There was a dangerous edge to Foster's voice. "But everyone knows Sheridan is an ally and supporter of all of these aliens. Do you think he'll oppose their wishes?" He glanced toward the Drazi. "I can say, with near-certainty, that Earth will stand with our old allies against the Dilgar and whomever protects them."

"You're assuming a lot of authority for a Major in acting command," Julia noted.

"Little more than you assumed, Captain, when you committed your Alliance to war alongside the Dilgar," Foster retorted.

"Why should we trust you?" Tarinak grumbled. "Your people preserved the Dilgar as well!"

"It is precisely for that reason that I would not care to speculate on the real intentions of the Earth Alliance government," Shai'jhur said, consciously ignoring Foster and his proclaimed authority. "Of course, if you want to resume hostilities, I recall the human diplomats of the time explicitly warned the League that genocide against the Dilgar was forbidden, immoral, unconscionable to human interests and beliefs. I have spent three decades teaching that to my people. We retreated to our borders, abandoned all systems we conquered. Do any of you _want_ Rohric? Tira is linked naturally to our space and its discovery was pure fortune. It's also a swamp, ninety-five percent water. We are asking only for what we hold, within the auspices of Allied System membership. Nothing more."

Tarinak jumped from his chair. "The Drazi Freehold will not stand for the Dilgar to become part of the Allied Systems, we will see your worlds burn first!" That last line was directed to Julia.

"You're being unreasonable," Julia replied. "We…"

" _Enough!_ " All eyes turned toward Holloran after that shout. "Let me remind you all that I'm not a diplomat, and I don't give a damn about putting up with your petty bickering. We're here to stop a war, and if any of you really wanted a war we wouldn't be talking!" After a moment the Mars-born woman took a breath and continued. "We're recessing for an hour. I'm told the ship's lounge is providing refreshments. Help yourselves." 

* * *

The ship's security staff were in place to keep everyone moving forward to the Lookout. By the time they arrived Hargert was already bringing out the first trays of food on anti-grav serving tables. In his own stab at diplomacy, they were filled with Drazi and Brakiri finger foods.

Some were getting bites to eat. Others were speaking quietly in corners. Julia found herself approaching Holloran. "If you're not a diplomat, why did Sheridan send you?" Julia asked.

"Because he needs Delenn to help him hold the Council in check," Holloran replied. "Otherwise she'd be out here."

"It's that bad?"

"It's going haywire. ISN's been reporting the Dilgar colony non-stop. When they're not talking about that, they're talking about the Dilgar petitioning your Alliance for membership. You're not making a lot of friends on Earth, Captain," Holloran said darkly. Then she smiled a little. "Which means that Mars is falling in love with you, by the way."

Julia gave a short, bemused laugh at that. "I'm glad someone loves me. I'm going to have Senator Pensley demanding my head on a platter. Quite possibly literally."

"Right." Holloran's look turned pensive. "This entire thing is suspicious as hell."

"Which part?"

"All of it. The sudden discovery of the Dilgar network. Gagnor is compromised when he's been operating quietly for years without a single problem. Then suddenly the Brakiri and Drazi know about Rohric, even though Gagnor wouldn't have known." Holloran's voice had an edge to it. "Call me paranoid, but I think we're being played."

"You think someone gave Gagnor up to the Drazi and Brakiri? And then found Rohric on their own?" Julia frowned. "Who?"

"I'd like to know. So would Sheridan and Delenn. There are a number of powers that might want to set our Alliances at odds. Like the Centauri, if they want revenge for the bombing of Centauri Prime. Durla's been amassing a lot of power lately. And there's the Drakh as well."

"I heard about them. The Shadows' old servants?"

"Yes. They still cause trouble at the edges of Alliance territory. They might be pushing their masters' old 'progress through conflict' idea." Holloran shrugged. "Hell, for I know it could even be a faction on Earth who were hoping you'd get dragged in. A lot of the power players on Earth would love to see your people driven from our galaxy, or at least compelled by the InterStellar Alliance to withdraw from Darglan space."

"And that's just the powers in your home universe." Julia shook her head. "It could be someone on our end. A Dominion infiltrator who's evaded detection. Or maybe one of the Gersallian Dissenter factions that went radical." Her mind also went to the report about the Cylons getting their hands on a Nazi shield-disruptor torpedo. Could the Cylons be causing this?

"I'd keep my eyes open, if I were you," Holloran warned.

Julia nodded. "Thanks. We'd better split up, though, or the others will think you're playing favorites."

To that Holloran grinned. "Maybe I am. Martians have our own worries about genocide." At that point she walked away.

Julia considered what Holloran had just told her. Her own suspicions were confirmed. Someone was fueling this situation, and with an agenda she knew nothing about. She had a bad feeling things were going to get even worse.

And then they did.

Suddenly, in a single blur, a green disruptor beam exploded out of nothingness against the wall. People spun out of the way, diving for the floor as a few screamed in shock. The target was Shai'jhur, standing by the bar and trying to engage the Abbai representative, and Julia gaped in horror, for the searing flash suggested a disintegrate setting.

The Warmaster flung her arms up, and the beam caught on the jacket of her uniform, which glowed green as it did. Below the green glow, the blue of the uniform and the medals that she wore vanished in a cloud of neutrinos, but instead of the Dilgar woman following her uniform into oblivion, a black mesh interweave was revealed instead.

Julia recognized it immediately. _Anti-disruptor absorption mesh! They must have gotten it from the Ferengi, too._

A moment later, the weapon appeared-flying through the air. There was a cough of pain and a shout from nowhere, and Lucy started, as if only she were following an invisible fight as her lightsaber glowed hot and ready.

Shai'jhur, her fur singed, collapsed to the deck, drawing only ragged breaths. And then from nowhere, a gun fired, but this time Lucy leapt into action, charging the invisible figure. Her sapphire blade intercepted the spark of blue energy and batted it to the ceiling. A second shot met the same fate. Lucy felt a tingle of recognition that she pushed away, not needing to deal with it at this critical moment, while seeking out her invisible opponent through the Flow of Life. With immense focus she reached forward without a sympathetic grasp from one of her occupied hands. Another weapon, a _familiar_ one, flew in the air beside her and hit the ground. "I can see you!" she shouted. "Surrender!"

The invisible foe did not. She sensed her foe shifting, trying to get distance, but she was moving too quickly. She slashed through the air and knew her lightsaber brushed against someone. She sensed instinctive pain at the burning of flesh. It wasn't a critical wound, but it was bad.

Nearby a table was knocked over. There was more than one cloaked attacker here. Indeed, more than one cloaked figure.

It was Meridina who acted next. After a moment's concentration she reached her hands up. An object, a sleek gray device that a number of those present also recognized, came out of the air in front of Lucy.

Lucy found herself facing a black clad foe. Her lightsaber had burned a wound on her opponent's shoulder, charred flesh visible through the gap. She brought her lightsaber to attack again.

Her opponent raised his arms. As he did, silver material suddenly surged from the back of his wrists. The material glistened in the air and a slight metallic sound came as it hardened… and sharpened. The figure now had two long blades of silver material attached to his wrists.

"You," Lucy said. "What are you doing here?"

The brown-haired man smiled in reply. "What do you think?" asked James Hawk, in a rhetorical way. "I'm here to kill bad guys."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	30. Episode 3-06-1 Yesterday's Enemies P2

**Teaser**

The sudden attack in the _Aurora_ lounge took everyone off guard. The moment Shai'jhur went down Julia's hand was already going toward her omnitool. It lit up around her left forearm and allowed her to key the intraship communications system. "Andreys to Security, I need a full tactical response and medical team to the Lookout!" She went over to Shai'jhur. Kaveri was kneeling beside her, horror written over the older woman's face. Nah'dur came up and knelt beside her mother. "Let me see!" she hissed.

By this point Lucy was in action. Julia looked up in time to see the dark clad figure she was fighting shimmer into appearance. Even as the metal blades formed from the back of his wrists, Julia recognized his face.

Lucy's voice filled the room. "What are you doing here?"

And James Hawk answered, "What do you think? I'm here to kill bad guys." The interuniversal rogue and vigilante lunged forward, his wrist blades - formed from the Darglan-made nanites that infused and enhanced his body - whistling in the air.

Technical augmentation met metaphysical augmentation, and the latter won. Lucy met Hawk's enhanced speed with her own. The blue of her lightsaber blade came up to parry Hawk's wrist blades. The Darglan nanites didn't fail right away to the lightsaber, but the metal they were forming immediately turned red. Hawk withdraw his arms and moved for another attack.

Meridina struck before he could. In one motion she lashed out with power and sent Hawk flying into the wall. While he tried to stand and recover she focused on him and intoned " ** _SLEEP_** ". The Psi Corps telepath from the _Huáscar_ widened her eyes at sensing the power behind the mental compulsion.

Hawk sneered as he got back to his feet. "Sorry, lady," he said. "That won't work this time."

Meridina blinked. "I see," she said. Telepathically she communicated her findings to the others. _His mind has been hardened against compulsions. Someone has trained him how to resist telepathic commands._

Lucy nodded and kept her lightsaber in a defensive position. Meridina stepped up beside her and ignited her lightsaber as well.

The bizarre shadow-puppet fight continued between the two cloaked rivals, Hawk's comrade and Shai'jhur's defender. The smoke from the smoke grenades that had been loosed to complicate the picture was beginning to spread extensively through the Lookout, as shadowy forms revealed by the particulate matter whirled the air particles in their wake.

Unable to target each other except by the flash of weapons or the feel of breath or movement, and with the Surgeon-Commander and Kaveri having rapidly dragged Shai'jhur out of the lounge, the assailant was trying to finish off the other cloaked foe. It was a half comedic fight of whirling blades that were invisible, slashes and feints and blood dripping on the carpet from people who could not be seen, and could not see each other.

Hawk noticed Nah'dur and Kaveri pulling Shai'jhur through the starboard door to the Lookout and threw his hand forward. Slivers of nanite material hardened into metal zipped out. Meridina caught them with her life force while Lucy advanced. Hawk got his left hand blade in place just in time to catch her attack. He counter-attacked with his right hand, but Lucy's lightsaber caught it in a fluid movement. Hawk had to withdraw it as it started to glow red. "That's a fun new toy," he said to her.

"You're insane," Lucy shot back. "You really infiltrated the ship and thought you'd get away?"

Hawk smirked confidently. "I got away before, didn't I?" With his speed he kicked at Lucy. She saw it coming and moved just quickly enough to avoid a kick that, given its power, would have easily broken her jaw. She swept her lightsaber at his knee and barely missed.

Hawk's evasion turned into a roll of necessity when Meridina's lightsaber caught him. She moved in on his right while Lucy kept to his left, pinning him up against the _Aurora_ 's Memorial Wall. "Why are you attacking us now?" Meridina asked.

"Not you," Hawk said. " _Her_."

Even with his newfound mental protections, both picked up the image in his head. "You want to kill Warmaster Shai'jhur?" Lucy asked. "Why?"

"Well, for one, the title's kind of a giveaway on what she's about, isn't it?" Hawk's blades came up again. This time he advanced on Meridina, who quietly parried his attacks despite the smoke obscuring them. Lucy went in for a swipe at him this time, but Hawk again rolled away. The smoke was not thick enough to obscure the lightsabers, allowing them to be spotted easily, unlike Hawk's own weapons.

In the meantime, the strange shadow-fight continued. There was a simple reason for it: The first to drop their cloak would be at a massive disadvantage, neither one of the still-cloaked fighters did. Julia couldn't tell who was winning, or even who was fighting, though she assumed that it must be Fei'nur, the ominous Dilgar commando who had always been at Shai'jhur's side in the meetings before and clearly had her own cloak.

People were scrambling and fleeing as chairs and tables went flying across the room without apparent cause. As they did, the lounge opened up enough, and heavy gunfire cracked the air, aiming for a twirling figure outlined in the smoke which now wreathed and choked the entirety of the Lounge. As it did, the cloak flickered and vanished, and revealed with a hole in her side dripping blood, but lunging up with wrist blades and a ferocious expression, was Hawk's ally Helen. The large woman was built like an Amazon of legend, tall as well as muscled. She flung herself for cover as the gun spoke again.

Hawk fell back toward her position. It was fairly close to the port side door. Meridina was moving toward the same while Lucy remained to her right. Julia imagined Fei'nur would take their cue and watch Lucy's right, boxing the two in. "Your friend is wounded," Meridina stated. "Surrender and we can provide medical…"

There was a sharp laugh in reply. Even through the smoke, both could already sense the wound healing abnormally fast. The Darglan nanites within Helen were rebuilding the damaged tissues cell by cell and stopping the blood loss. What had been life-threatening a moment ago was quickly only becoming critical.

All three sensed the attack that came next. Meridina and Lucy with their talents, Fei'nur from the sense that one fighter had for another. Hawk and Helen came out of the smoke, blades swinging defiantly. Meridina parried Hawk's strikes. Lucy, sensing the sheer rage building in Helen, let her come forward by giving not quite a meter in space. Not enough to risk Helen getting away.

More than enough to give Fei'nur room to tackle her now-visible foe.

While Helen went flying through the smoke, Lucy brought her lightsaber blade up and readied to fight either foe. She wasn't needed; Meridina was aptly handling Hawk and, despite the healing, Helen was weakened enough from her wound that Fei'nur was now easily overpowering her. A solid blow sent Helen flying into the bar. A sharp snap of bone and a cry made the extent of her injury clear in the second before Helen hit the ground. Only now did Lucy move in. Not with her lightsaber, but with her life force. She summoned the energy within her and directed it at Helen, pinning her to the ground. "She's down!" Lucy directed a glare toward the direction of Fei'nur, invisible to the eye but not to the Flow of Life. "She's down, she's a prisoner," Lucy repeated, sensing the killing intent in the Dilgar woman.

 _But they attacked the Warmaster…! Still… she… fought with us. The Warmaster would not wish me to be cause of a conflict with these people._ Grudgingly, Fei'nur forced herself to relax and re-sheath her knives.

That left Hawk. Meridina waited patiently to see what he would do. His confident look was replaced with an angry snarl. "What are you doing protecting that monster anyway?" he demanded. "I thought you Knights were supposed to protect the innocent."

"To my knowledge and experience, Shai'jhur is not a monster."

"What, because she says so?" He laughed bitterly before lunging at Meridina again. This time his crossed blades met her lightsaber. They pressed against each other. Within two seconds his blades were glowing red. "You're on the wrong side!"

"You ruined an entire world," Meridina reminded him. "Your judgement is suspect."

A moment later the standoff between their weapons ended. Hawk's blades lost. The lightsaber finished melting the nanite-forged material until it fell away. Hawk stepped back, desperately trying to reform his weapons, but Meridina was too quick. Given a moment free from his speedy blade attacks, she concentrated with her power and gripped him, slamming him into the wall by the port door. He struggled in her grip but couldn't move. Meridina was too powerful for him.

The smoke was clearing with the aid of the ventilation systems for the _Aurora_. Julia looked around at the mess of their reception. Many of the diplomats and delegates had fled. Jarod was kneeling beside Tessa Holloran. The ISA Director of Covert Intelligence was still on the ground. After a tense second of worry Julia could see she was moving, but slowly. Fei'nur and Helen had slammed into her during the fight.

The doors to the Lookout opened and security teams marched in, pulse rifles raised. Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond, their Melbourne-native chief, had her own. "Secure the prisoners!" she barked in a fine Australian accent. Four of her people did so. Restraint cuffs were locked around the wrists of Hawk and Helen.

Julia had her own worry. "What happened to Shai'jhur?" she asked.

"Doctor Gillam's teams are already taking her to medbay," Richmond replied. "She's still alive."

A mutter of "Dammit" came from the wall. Security were placing leg-cuffs around Hawk's ankles to fully restrain him. He was snarling in frustration.

If Julia looked in a mirror, she'd realize her expression almost matched his. 

* * *

**Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"Yesterday's Enemies,_ Part 2"**

The Lookout was a mess. Set up for a reception for the diplomatic teams meeting over the fate of the Dilgar of Tira and Rohric, the crew lounge of the _Starship Aurora_ was a mess of toppled anti-grav serving tables and chairs. Most of the attendees were now in the corridors outside being escorted into spare quarters nearby until matters could be dealt with.

Captain Julia Andreys surveyed the damage with her peer, Captain Li Ming-Chung of the _Starship Shenzhou_. The Chinese woman's dark hair was disheveled from her part in helping deal with the chaos, but she seemed otherwise intact. She certainly acted like it. "That was the renegade from the vessel _Avenger_?" she asked Julia. "The same people who bombarded the 19th Century Earth of Universe C1P2?"

Julia nodded. "It was. His girlfriend was commanding the _Avenger_ in that fight."

"Then their ship may be nearby." Li frowned. "It will take both of our vessels together to have a chance against it."

"Which means that the Drazi and the _Huáscar_ get to fight the Dilgar without distraction." Julia thought back to their prior battle with Hawk and his people, over Earth of C1P2. "We did beat them before, but it was with superior tactics. And given what we think they're doing to themselves…"

"I recall the report," Li said. "The Darglan brainwave infuser devices. They are overusing them."

"That's what Leo says." Julia sighed. "Damn. And we were wondering just who was stoking things around here. With their access to Darglan technology, I can buy Hawk and his people being the ones to betray Rohric to the Drazi and Brakiri. They may even have helped them find Tira."

"Why? What do they gain?"

"Beating the 'bad guys'," Julia said, sighing. "What else?" Her eyes scanned the room until she found who she was looking for. The Brikari captain Tabir was standing with his fellows in a corner. She approached. "Captain Tabir," she said.

"Captain." He smiled thinly at her. "Quite the rush of excitement. Although I had anticipated far better security by your people than you've now evidenced."

"These rogues have access to the best Darglan technology," Julia answered. "I'll make sure my security people find ways to prevent them from doing this again."

"I see. But I was not simply referring to the shooters. There was also the matter of the other cloaked fighter. The one using a concealment field based off technology native to our universe."

Julia considered pointing out that, by definition, that's what Darglan technology was, but she understood the context. "I see what you mean."

"I hope our future meetings are more secure. Perhaps we should hold them on my vessel? Or on Tira."

"I can assure you that we don't need to worry about this problem now. Measures will be taken now that we know the extent of the threat." Julia smiled thinly. "Speaking of said threat, I am wondering how they came aboard. The Abbai and Minbari allowed themselves to be beamed, but you and the Hyach and the Drazi all insisted on shuttles. Since our sensors show no sign of transporter activity, the infiltrators had to have come by ship."

Tabir's look was smug. "Are you accusing us of being responsible for this attack? During a diplomatic summit sanctioned by President Sheridan? I trust you have proof?"

Julia felt an irrational temptation to say yes, she damn well knew they brought Hawk aboard. Either the Brakiri themselves or the Drazi. With Darglan-tech cloaking for shuttle-sized ships, Hawk and Helen could have easily evaded notice in warping in and boarding the Drazi or Brakiri before the meeting. But that was not how diplomacy was played. What she knew was different from what she could prove, which was very little at the moment. "I was wondering if they may have slipped aboard one of your shuttles before you left," Julia lied. "After all, your internal sensors would do even worse against their Darglan-made personal cloaks than our own do."

"A plausible theory, I suppose. But I can assure you that the Brakiri shuttles were not boarded in this fashion."

"If you say so, I'll trust your judgement, Captain." Another lie, which was sadly a part of diplomacy.

"Do you intend to resume the negotiations?" Tabir asked. "If not, I wish to return to my ship."

As much as Julia wanted to get the diplomatic wheels turning, with Shai'jhur in the medbay and this new complication it simply wasn't possible. "My security people will clear you once statements are completed and arrangements for your return to our shuttle bay can be completed. The talks will be resumed when possible."

"Of course. Until later, Captain." With that same slimy smile that made Julia wish she could punch him, or even worse, have Angel punch him, Tabir walked away.

Julia sought out Commander Richmond. She was busy getting statements from the Abbai. The finned humanoids, both female, were gracious enough, and Julia let them finish their answers before saying, "Commander, if you have a moment?"

Richmond gestured for them to go and turned to face Julia. She was not as tall as Julia. While Julia had a fairly normal tone to her Caucasian complexion, Phryne Richmond's skin was almost porcelain in its coloring. Her green eyes were striking, like emeralds, while Julia's tended toward an aquamarine coloring. A head of dark hair was cut short, almost to a bowl cut. In some ways Commander Richmond looked like she would be at home in a period piece set in the 1920s, although her Alliance Stellar Navy uniform, with the olive brown of security as the trim color at the level of her shoulders and along her cuffs, was nothing like what a flapper would be wearing. Two gold strips and one black strip with a gold border were fixed to her collar, identifying her rank as the four gold strips on Julia's collar identified Julia's. "Yes, Captain?" she asked.

"Find out anything more?"

"We have no indication of how they got aboard, if that's what you're wondering," Richmond said. "My best guess is that they came on with the Drazi or the Brakiri. Internal sensors are all functioning properly and show no sign of a transport."

"But they couldn't see them through their cloaks," Julia noted.

"Unfortunately not. Just as they don't see our people when they're using them. Our friends are using our own technology against us."

"You don't know the half of it," Julia murmured. She remembered the fight with the _Avenger_ , and how Hawk escaped. "You've made sure that their cells are isolated?"

"Of course," Richmond said. "While I wasn't here the last time, Commander Meridina's notes on Hawk's escape were most thorough. The brig was refit to surround each cell with a forcefield cube. Hawk's nanites won't be able to drill through and access systems this time."

"Good. I'd like to be there when you question them. With Commander Meridina."

"Of course. I have just a couple more statements to finish, Captain, then we'll be ready." Richmond's green eyes glistened. "We'll see if a taste of their future will make them cooperative."

Remembering the last time they interrogated Hawk in the brig, Julia sighed. "Don't count on it." 

* * *

The excitement had been quite a surprise for Yonatan Shaham. He mused that he would never have to worry about such things on the _Eagle_. Nor did he envy his father for having to handle these sort of things as Captain of the Alliance's _Enterprise_.

 _Although even hosting diplomats is preferable to how life was before all of this_ , he pondered. Twenty months of living as commander of the _Eagle_ and resident of New Liberty Colony didn't compare to the twenty-five years he lived on the vessel _Tikvah_ , one of a dwindling population of surviving Jews trying to stay one step ahead of a triumphant, interstellar Nazi German Reich. Their vessel's name proved to have been fortunate in the end. Though _Tikvah_ herself was gone, crippled and then destroyed by being rammed into the Nazi SS-crewed dreadnought _Adolf Eichmann_ , her population of five thousand - the last Jews native to Universe S4W8 - were still alive and residing on the New Liberty Colony of Universe H1E4. Their largest surviving ship, the _Eagle_ , was herself now part of the New Liberty militia force, dividing time between helping the Alliance's war effort against the Nazi Reich and providing security for the colony's solar system.

This situation… this was something different. And Yoni was excited to be a part of it, even with the boredom of diplomacy. Not just from helping the _Aurora_ 's crew - assisting those who saved his people was a choice he would always make - but from the chance to participate in making history for an entire galaxy.

And that didn't count standing against a genocide in process.

From what he could tell, security was in the process of sending everyone off to be returned to their ships. He was therefore surprised at seeing the blue-uniformed Earthforce commander approach. He recognized Major Foster from the earlier talks. Foster was the First Officer of the Earthforce destroyer _Huáscar_ , which he had seized from its Captain after she intervened in the planned Drazi attack to annihilate the Dilgar population on Tira. It perplexed Yoni that Foster was doing such a thing. His commander had thwarted genocide, but he was declaring his intention to side with the Drazi and fire on the _Aurora_ and her ships (including Yoni's own _Eagle_ ) if they interfered. He couldn't quite keep the disgust he felt at Foster's choices from showing on his face.

If Foster noticed it, he didn't mention it. The Earthforce officer spoke with an English accent, one from the Midlands of that country. "I recognize you," he said. "ISN did a story about you and your ship. Yonatan Shaham of the _Eagle_."

Yoni nodded. He remembered having to ferry that blond-haired reporter woman around, at the request (order) of Governor Rankin. It had been irritating with the woman constantly demanding access to his bridge even during combat alerts. "You have the advantage of me, Major," he replied.

"I suppose I do," Foster replied. The innate hostility he'd shown toward Captain Andreys wasn't visible now. "I'm part Jewish on my mother's side, actually."

Yoni blinked at that. He was still getting used to the idea of people who could be part Jewish. The idea of non-Jews being willing to have families with Jews was something he could never have imagined growing up. "I see," Yoni replied after remembering himself.

"What are you doing here, Commander?" asked Foster.

"I beg your pardon?"

"What are you doing here, helping these people protect the Dilgar?" Foster asked, this time with some heat in his voice. "The Dilgar are monsters. They made even the Nazis look humane with the way they treated other species. I don't see how you can defend them, given how close your people came to extermination."

Yoni's eyes focused on Foster. He tried to imagine what this man thought, about his people, about right or wrong. "That is why we must," Yoni said. "Genocide is wrong."

"Not in all cases," Foster said. "Sometimes it can be the only way. Some species are simply too aggressive to be allowed to survive. They're threats to everything we are, everything we hold dear."

Yoni thought back to what he had heard about this universe. "You refer to their war on the rest of this galaxy. Or perhaps another war you remember?"

That caused a glower to form on Foster's face. "You've heard of the Minbari War, then."

"Something, yes. They brought Humanity in this universe to the brink of annihilation before showing mercy."

A scowl formed on Foster's face. "'Mercy'. That's what people say. I think they got tired of having our people fight them to the death. Why annihilate when you can enslave, and do it with subtlety?"

"I do not follow."

"They left Earth prostrate. Reliant upon their aid and good grace. Then they encouraged us to trust them. After all of the good men and women they killed." Foster seemed to catch his excess zeal and restrain himself. "Some of us weren't fooled. We learned the lesson of the war. Humans have to stick together. We can't rely on aliens, even those we thought were our allies. And we have to be ready to do anything to survive."

"Including genocide?" asked Yoni.

"If it's them or us," Foster answered. His face was stony in its resolve. "We can't be squeamish. Not when it comes to the survival of Humanity."

"The Nazi say things like that," Yoni remarked. "That life is only about survival, and survival is for the fittest. But that is not how I wish my life to be led."

At that Foster openly scowled at him. "So you're one of those sentimentalists. I'm surprised. I would think someone with your background would understand what I was saying. Or are you telling me you wouldn't wipe the Nazi Reich out to save your people from the same fate?"

Yonatan didn't answer right away. He couldn't. Growing up, yes, there had been that dark section of his heart. The idea of wiping the Germans from the face of existence so his people could stop running, could stop _dying_. As he'd grown older and the rest of the fleet had been picked off, one by one, those thoughts had persisted. Even when he learned they were wrong.

Those thoughts made him see Foster in a new light. Foster had felt the same things. The difference between them was that Foster hadn't recognized those dark feelings as wrong. Yoni's dark dreams were Foster's earnest ones; annihilate the enemy before he annihilated you.

"Do you believe the Dilgar are such an enemy?" Yonatan asked. "They deserve to be wiped out?"

"I think they could become one," Foster remarked. "We already have enough threats to the existence of the Human species."

Incredulous at such an argument, Yonatan pointed out the obvious. "The Human species is the most plentiful in the Multiverse."

To that Foster laughed harshly. "And how many of them are already bonded to aliens? The Humans of the Federation are subjects of the alien majority who sacrifice them to alien interests. The Maquis prove that. The Allied Systems? The Gersallians and the Dorei will be running that show, given their widespread use of telepaths without protections for the Human majority. The Inner Sphere are backwards feudalists that the aliens can crush at leisure. Earth in M4P2 is already subject to the rule of the Asari and their puppets." Another laugh was bitter. "And so are we, now. Sheridan's selling us down river for his Minbari wife and alien friends."

The tirade caused Yoni to shake his head. "You've allowed hate to root into your soul, like a poison. You ask me why I protect people who once committed the same crimes as the Nazis? I suggest you look in a mirror, Major, and that you consider yourself. Because whatever the Dilgar did, you are far closer to the Nazis than they are now."

"You don't get to judge me!" Foster barked. "The Minbari slaughtered my parents and my brother! I watched their ships annihilate everything we could muster! We came to the _precipice_ of extermination!"

"Indeed? I have been there with my people as well, Major," Yoni answered quietly. He looked at Foster and felt guilt. He could remember similar feelings of hate against those trying to exterminate his people. Could he have let it turn him into this? A man more than ready to permit genocide? It was with this thought still in his mind and heart that Yoni added, "And yet, we still have our souls."

At that, Yoni did the only thing he could do. He turned and walked away. 

* * *

Julia and Meridina entered the brig in the company of Commander Richmond. Given what happened the last time, no chances were being taken. Six security personnel were on duty inside the Brig and another six were outside, ready to help the moment anything happened.

The brig was a large chamber with about twenty cells, arranged along each wall save for the wall with the door. Along the walls to the right and left - bow and stern, given the place of the door - six cells were lined up. The port side wall across from the door was where eight more cells existed. A central pit area near the door was for the brig control, where security officers observing the brig could monitor their prisoners and the brig systems.

The cells with Hawk and Helen were on the port wall. One cell separated them from each other. Each had the appearance of only having one forcefield-sealed side - the entranceway - but in truth each cell was contained by a forcefield cube that would be revealed if someone tried to go through the wall. The measure was a complicated technical problem, and one that increased the energy demands of the brig. Hawk himself had proven the necessity of it during their first encounter due to how he escaped from the brig.

Now he was sitting quietly on the bench of his cell. His compatriot Helen was pacing her cell like a great cat, an angry snarl on her face. Her dark combat suit had a massive hole on the right side of the belly that revealed fair skin that was faintly pinkish, all that remained of the wound Fei'nur had caused with her gunshot. Muscle rippled there. Helen looked like she could challenge Angel in terms of building muscle, and she matched Julia in height easily. Her gray, East Asian eyes flashed with anger when she looked toward them.

Despite everything, there was a confident gleam to Hawk's brown eyes when he looked to them. "Ah. The cheerleader. Well, not that anymore, I see. You get to be in charge now." He glanced toward Meridina. "Fun new toys you and the other one have now. Laser swords."

"What are you up to, Hawk?" Julia asked. "Why are you here?"

"Why am I here? We're here to do what we always do," Hawk answered. "Kill bad guys."

"You mean you're after the Dilgar."

"You are aware that they will be exterminated by the Drazi, correct?" asked Meridina.

"Not all," Hawk said. "I told the Drazi to leave some alive. Just where they can't hurt anyone. That species is one I wouldn't trust with any kind of advanced technology." He crossed his arms. "What confuses me is why do-gooders like you people are protecting the scum."

"They asked us to stop the Drazi from committing genocide," Julia said. "We barely got here in time."

"The Dilgar deserve what they get," growled Helen. "After everything they did, they don't deserve to live."

"That is a rather extreme position, and one based on hate and fear," Meridina noted. "Certainly beings like yourselves, who insist that you are thwarting evil beings, should recognize that."

"Helen's always been in favor of permanent solutions," Hawk remarked. "And the fact is the Dilgar are rotten to the core, and always have been. It's hard to stick around with a species that sees everyone else as an animal to be tortured and enslaved at their whim." Hawk kept his eyes locked on Julia. "Even your new buddy the Warmaster is a piece of crap. You didn't think the title was just for show, did you?"

"It's a rank of political and military power for them," Julia pointed out.

"And how do you think she earned it?" Hawk spat. "She earned it fighting in Jha'dur's fleet, that's how. Helping that evil maniac bomb planets and infect entire worlds with plagues."

"Do you have proof she took part?"

"We can show she was in the fleet," Hawk said. "Besides, she's also a rapist piece of crap too."

To that charge Julia furrowed her brow. She glanced to Meridina, who nodded. "He believes the charge."

"What, you didn't know?" Helen cackled. "Boy, that's rich. You naive idiots will believe anyone, won't you?"

"You say she's a rapist. How do you know?"

"It's in the Earthforce records," Hawk said. "We hacked into them while setting up this op. It's how we know Warmaster Shai'jhur deserves a pulse blast to the brain, not a damned medal or whatever it is you want to give her."

"Who did she assault, then?" Meridina asked.

"That Hindu woman sitting with her at the talks," Helen said.

Julia visibly started at that remark. "You mean Captain Varma."

"Kaveri Varma? Yup." Hawk nodded. He nodded to the security desk. "Check our omnitools. I had the records loaded on mine. Earthforce investigated Varma when she was rescued from that island. They found the evidence. Shai'jhur raped her while they were stranded."

Julia exchanged an uneasy look with Meridina. Behind them Richmond activated the systems to scan their omnitools. She swallowed when she saw the results. "Captain," she called out.

Julia turned and approached the security desk. Richmond helpfully displayed the results for her. The Earthforce physicians who examined Varma after her rescue found indications of Dilgar microbes on her body and in her system and other signs of sexual contact. A report from the debriefers came to the conclusion that the Dilgar then-Lieutenant Kaveri Varma had been marooned with had overpowered and assaulted her and essentially used her as a slave for both fishing and personal pleasure. "'Lieutenant Varma has not responded to requests for further detail on the attack'," Julia read. "'We believe this is due to her strict adherence to conservative cultural and religious beliefs. Recommend investigation end at this point for sake of the victim and further close observation at initial future postings for psychiatric reasons.'"

"See?" Hawk said. "Did you think we went to all of this trouble just because the Drazi have a bug up their ass about the Dilgar? Nope. It's that stuff that convinced us. You want to talk about the Dilgar not being evil anymore, but you're setting up a rapist to take over."

"Why would Varma be sitting with her then?' Julia demanded from him.

"Abused people do things like that sometimes. Thirty years of Stockholm Syndrome, maybe? All I know is what was done to her."

"So if it wasn't Shai'jhur begging us to save her people from genocide, you expect me to believe you'd leave this situation alone?" Julia demanded.

"We wouldn't be helping the Drazi fight Rohric, that's for sure," Hawk said. "Tira? They're run by people who think the old Imperium just needed to be more democratic toward other Dilgar. You didn't think they were producing clone babies by the million because they like kids, did you? It's a forced repopulation measure. And they damn well would have tried something eventually." A harsh laugh came from the renegade. "Face the facts, blondie. You're on the wrong side of this thing. And you need to get righteous soon, or our ship's going to blow holes into all of your pretty little ships before we wipe the floor with the Dilgar."

The threat reminded Julia of what they were dealing with, in more ways than one. Hawk and his followers were compromised, she remembered. They were frying their brains with the Darglan brainwave infusers from the Facility they'd taken over. She would have to bring that up.

But for now… she needed to find out the truth of this. It didn't change the facts of genocide, as far as Julia was concerned. But if Shai'jhur was a predator…

She motioned to the door. Richmond and Meridina joined her in the corridor outside. "Do you believe it?" she asked them.

"The records seem convincing," Meridina noted. "But the Earthforce analysts could be wrong."

"I'm not sure we can take that possibility at face value," Richmond said. "We need to investigate further."

"You do that. Meanwhile…" Julia turned to leave. "Meridina and I will confirm what happened."

"How do you intend to?" Richmond asked. "Even if she is cooperative, Captain Varma may mislead you consciously or subconsciously out of shame or loyalty to Shai'jhur. Her testimony by itself will be insufficient given the Earthforce findings."

"There is still a way to confirm the truth from her," Meridina said. The look on her face was uncomfortable. "But it is not an easy choice for us to make. Or, rather, for me to take."

Julia nodded grimly. She knew precisely what Meridina had in mind.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Aurora_ Jarod was sitting in the command chair. Lt. Sabiha Neyzi, a young Turkish woman and operation officer, was manning his usual station with professional quiet. From the command chair all he saw of her was her dark hair pulled back into a bun. The helm was manned by Nick Locarno for the moment, although his watch would shortly end and Violeta Arterria would take over.

Jarod glanced over to science, where Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad was observing the sensor systems' data. "Nothing new?"

"No sir," the Arab woman replied. "No new vessels have arrived through the jumpgate or any other method."

"What's the status on the _Huáscar_?"

"Her repairs are continuing. It looks like their shield systems are fully restored, although there may still be some damage from their fight with the Drazi that aren't showing up on sensors. For that matter, the intact Drazi Sunhawks all seem to have finished repairs. The ones still damaged have pulled back toward the jumpgate."

"Of course they have," Jarod murmured.

"This is quite the situation, isn't it?" Locarno asked. "Especially with that lunatic Hawk and his crew mixed up in this."

"That's the worst news we've had, I think," Jarod said. "I wouldn't be surprised if everyone he's got working with him is frying their brains trying to learn everything from the Darglan technology. There's no telling what the brain damage they're suffering will do to them, psychologically or physiologically."

"Well, it certainly doesn't seem to make them more sociable," Locarno remarked. "I'm more worried about what's going to happen when that ship of theirs shows up. If the Earthforce dreadnought sides with the Drazi too…"

"...then we're in a lot of trouble," Jarod agreed. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

But, given the way these things usually went… it probably _would_.

* * *

Julia didn't want to wait. She knew it could be cruel to Kaveri to bring up the past, and that it might bring back old painful memories, but she had to know what her version of events were. Otherwise… otherwise it meant she really was supporting a monster. A monster trying to keep her people from being genocided, but still…

"It might be best to seek further analysis of the Earthforce records," Meridina suggested as they walked toward the entrance to medbay.

"It would take time to find the officers who debriefed her. If they're still alive." Julia shook her head. "No, this is something we need to deal with _now_."

"You are worried that you have supported the wrong side?"

"No, genocide's still wrong," Julia said. "But I want to make sure I'm not helping a rapist become the undisputed leader of her species."

Once in the medbay they found Nasri treating one of the servers from the Lookout. "Smoke inhalation," she confirmed. "He will be fine."

"We need to see Kaveri Varma," Julia said. "It's important."

"She is in the critical care ward with Shai'jhur," Nasri replied. "I will go get her."

"Is Doctor Gillam in his office?"

"No. He is with the patient, the radiation dose she received..." Nasri immediately understood. "I will inform him you need to borrow it."

"Thank you."

Julia and Meridina went to Leo's office. It was comfortably furnished. Leo had a copy of his medical doctorate on one wall, along with an image of him as a child with his late parents. Another image on a side desk was of everyone together in the early post-Facility days, celebrating the second anniversary of the New Liberty Colony.

The retired Earthforce captain stepped in, her face pinched and pale. "The doctor said you needed to speak to me urgently Captain, Commander…?" Her eyes glanced between the two of them, and there was a guarded look in her gaze.

Meridina gave Julia a concerned look. She sensed the severe strain on Kaveri's emotions. The subject was bound to make it worse.

"This is a… delicate matter," Julia said. "And I'm sorry if it dredges up painful memories. Would you like to have a seat?"

"That is not exactly the best opening to any conversation… very well, however." She moved to sit, her eyes narrowing, as if she could somehow sense the direction of this conversation.

Julia swallowed as she struggled, even at the last minute, to choose her words carefully. "During our interrogation of the prisoners, they mentioned that they gained access to the Earthforce records on what happened to you. And they repeated the charge in those records. That you were assaulted by Shai'jhur during your time with her during the war." Julia kept her hands together in front of her, as if ready to take Kaveri's hand in support. "We need to know if this is true. And I'm sorry that we have to ask something so private."

Her face went blank, and her mental walls slammed up reflectively, anti-scanning training taking over. "No." Her voice was flat and cold. "And your apology is _not_ accepted, Captain."

Meridina was quick to send her mental impressions to Julia. Including the mental walls. Julia nodded once. "I see," she said. Julia found that she wanted to believe Kaveri's denial, if only because Hawk's charge being true would make this entire situation even worse. But Kaveri's defensive reaction… she didn't know what to think, and it showed. And this situation was certainly too delicate to plunge ahead thoughtlessly. She looked to Meridina for help.

"I will not enter your mind if you do not wish it," Meridina assured her. "Gersal does not have your Psi Corps, but we have our own code of conduct for mindwalkers. Telepaths. I shall provide you the contact information to the _Farisa Genut_ to issue complaints if you feel I have violated your mind."

"Almighty, you think I am _afraid_ of the Corps?" Kaveri seemed incredulous of their words. "I am _uneasy_ , yes, at the thought of being scanned, but I trust the motivations behind their actions more than your people's, if only because of uncomfortable familiarity with them." She grit her teeth. "You do not trust my denial, do you? You _actually_ believe Shai'jhur could have done such a thing? Do not you understand the old Dilgar Imperium's views of such things?" Hurt flashed in her eyes, and a defensive tone had crept into her voice.

The heat of Kaveri's denial was unavoidable. It didn't feel like a defensive protest to protect an abuser. At the same time… Julia shook her head, trying to get a feel for what her own instincts were telling her. "The Earthforce records insist you were raped. The evaluations all list your religious beliefs for why you refuse to talk about it. I don't want Shai'jhur to be guilty, but with the situation like it is, _I have to know_ , Captain Varma. I have to know the truth of what happened to you on that island. Because Hawk? He believes it, which means his followers do, and Foster probably does as well, and the Drazi and Brakiri will damned well believe it. And that means this situation will become a shooting war, and if Hawk's ship shows up - and that is very likely - it's… well, it's a battlecruiser, Captain, a battlecruiser bristling with the most powerful weapons the Darglan ever developed. If it joins with Drazi reinforcements _we will lose_ , and every Dilgar on Tira will die. Possibly followed by the ones on Rohric. I need to be able to show they're wrong, or if not, that Shai'jhur isn't the same as she was thirty years go."

"She is exactly the same as she was thirty years ago! Perhaps older, more worn-down by the weight of the crushing duty that pulverized Jha'dur before her, but her heart is the same! She tries to follow _Dharma_ , as she did before she even knew the word! It…" Her gaze fell, and her tone shifted to grow more quiet. "It… was consensual. That is why there are the laboratory results supporting the charge. I let Intelligence believe it for the sake of my career, and for my little Zhengli's sake."

Julia bowed her head in reaction. She felt horrible, like she had just violated Kaveri as well… which was quite accurate in one sense. She felt Meridina's mind gently brush her own. Their contact allowed her to understand that the mental walls kept Meridina from confirming the truth of Kaveri's words. Only a deliberate telepathic scan could confirm the truth. There was a hesitation in Meridina's thoughts on that. She did not want to do this.

"What more do you want, Captain?"

"We need to be able to say you're not lying. That you're not covering for Shai'jhur," Julia said. "We need to know for sure." She didn't need to say how. Kaveri would know the one certain way.

"Very well, Captain." Her shoulders sagged, and the woman let out a deep sigh. "I have avoided this, avoided any duty that would require this, ever since then…" It took a moment's effort, and a soft humming sound as she centred herself, and willed her mental blocks away.

It was with great trepidation that Meridina pulled up a chair to sit in front of Kaveri. She closed her eyes and focused upon the woman. Felt her instinctive anger and displeasure at the situation, her continued worry over the ones she loved, for wounded Shai'jhur and imprisoned Zhengli, and most importantly… her determination to protect them.

There was only a moment's instinctive resistance, like skin resisting a needle, before the mind of Kaveri Varma opened to Meridina. Meridina's training, her personal discipline, ignored the memories that drifted past her. She focused on that critical moment in the life of Kaveri Varma. The escape from the dying _Denali_. The island. " _Human… can you fish?_ " Days and nights spent working together, her and this alien woman who coughed up blood every so often, who's frail form belied a power of will, an understanding of the universe that Kaveri came to realize was the same as her own. From that a bond grew. An impossible one. Love in defiance of a universe torn by war to the knife between their respective species.

Meridina felt the immense closeness Kaveri felt toward Shai'jhur. She had been willing. Shai'jhur had been. They had learned something together, shared something on that island, and they shared it still. Meridina felt an affection that she had never felt before in another being.

With careful deference to the tender memories she had accessed, Meridina pulled her mind out from Kaveri's. To her surprise, tears had formed on her eyes in sympathy for Kaveri's tears. "It was real," Meridina said in a low voice. Not "she's telling the truth". Not "she's not delusional". Those three simple words. "It was real."

Julia nodded. "Thank you."

"I shall provide you contact information for the _Farisa Genut_ on Gersal," Meridina said to Kaveri. "I ask that you inform them if I have caused you any harm or discomfort."

There was a flash of skepticism, that of a woman from the Earth Alliance, who had known all she had, but it faded, and she nodded. "It was… something that apparently had to be done."

"I'm sorry it came to this," Julia said. "I understand if you can't accept my apology. It's still there."

"Words cannot make up for actions, I fear. Shai'jhur and I have both learned this lesson very well indeed. May I return to her now, Captain?"

Julia nodded quietly. "Yes," she said hoarsely.

She nodded and stood, making a namaste gesture in valediction, before turning silently to return to the Dilgar Warmaster's side. She paused at the door. "Zhengli remains in danger, Captain. I would again ask if there was anything you can do, or else…I fear for what may come next."

"I'll do whatever I can. I'm just not sure of what will help her." After watching Kaveri go, clearly distraught at that reply, Julia mumbled, "We just did something horrible."

"Sadly necessary, but yes," Meridina agreed. "I will report this to the _Farisa Genut_."

"If they find you having acted badly, what will happen?"

"At the most extreme, they would assign a _farisa_ to accompany me and keep my mental gifts suppressed, or require me to take drugs to suppress my mindwalking. The latter would also disrupt my ability to access my _swevyra_."

"Would they…?"

"The situation provides enough amelioration that I may be simply required to provide compensation to Captain Varma. Perhaps an oath to refrain from all use of mindwalking until the _Farisa Genut_ determines I am not a danger to others." Meridina was still shaken. "Power is linked to responsibility, as you know. The greater the power, the greater the responsibility, lest society be unbalanced. _Farisa_ on Gersal accept the need for the _Genut_ on these grounds, just as those with _swevyra_ accept the need to answer to the Order of Swenya."

"At least they don't force you to walk around wearing black uniforms and gloves," Julia murmured. "Did you see that telepath from the _Huáscar_?"

"I saw and felt," Meridina confirmed. "I would invite her to come to Gersal if I thought it would not endanger her or our purpose here." Meridina rose from her chair. "We should speak to the others about our interrogation of Hawk and his compatriot. And make preparations."

"For the arrival of the _Avenger_ , yes." Julia sighed. If they were lucky, maybe the fighting on S4W8 had let off enough that Maran could send reinforcements.

The thought made her snort in derision. They were never going to be that lucky...

* * *

The _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ command officers met once more in the conference lounge off of the main bridge. Everyone listened to Julia and Meridina relay what happened after the attack.

"So great. The nuts with the Darglan battlecruiser are back," Angel muttered. "This entire situation is beyond screwed up."

"I think it was that way when we caught the mercs slaughtering babies," Lucy remarked darkly. "This is just further evidence of the screwed up-ness of the problem."

"We have to assume the _Avenger_ is going to show up. Suggestions?"

"The last time we fought, we were able to use our speed and tactics to beat them," Jarod said. "But now we can't leave orbital space."

"Can't we?" Locarno clearly had a thought on that point. "If they're gunning for us again, it might actually be best for us to run. Then we draw them away from the other ships."

"That means we leave the _Shenzhou_ and Shai'jhur's ships to fight dozens of Drazi ships and an advanced, deflector shield-protected Earthforce warship," Jarod reminded him. "The _Shenzhou_ 's not built to fight the same enemies we are. Shields and technology might let them mow through the Drazi, but the _Huáscar_ may be too much for them. Even if the _Magaratha_ is helping."

"Besides, we might need the _Shenzhou_ 's help to fight the _Avenger_ ," Julia said. "I'm not sure we can take our last victory for granted against them. They've had over fifteen months to train and learn new tactics. Or download them into their brains, given how much they're using that Darglan infuser technology."

"I'll keep all departments on combat standby," Jarod promised.

"The flight wing is on ready status. All pilots are prepared to launch within five minutes of the order," added Lieutenant Commander Patrice Laurent. The _Aurora_ 's Wing Command Officer, or CAG as some called him, looked to Julia with his light brown eyes. He and his sister were among many they had helped out in the days that they, like Hawk, operated out of a Darglan Facility. The two had been rescued from a beleaguered jail in their native Central African Republic, and both leapt at the chance to leave their divided homeland behind and see their families settle on New Liberty. Given that Patrice was now the commander of eighty-eight starfighters and his sister Madeleine captained the _Starship Challenger_ , another _Discovery_ -class starship like Li Ming-Chung's _Shenzhou_ , their decision had clearly paid off. "I am worried about our new pilots. Virtually all of them are without prior combat experience. I have paired them in wings with combat veterans where possible, but the veterans are not happy with the arrangement either…"

"I understand, Commander," Julia said. "I would have preferred giving the new pilots more time before their first combat op too, but I'm not sure they'll get it."

"If a fight breaks out in orbital space, my Marines on the planet will probably get attacked as well." Major Gabriel Anders was sitting between Lt. Commander Richmond and Lt. Commander Laurent. The Commander of the _Aurora_ 's Marine Troops had both Caucasian and Cherokee background to him, with a tint to his otherwise fair complexion and dark hair. "I'd like to give our positions in those warehouses extra supplies while we can."

"I imagine the Brakiri will react badly if we are clearly digging in," Meridina noted. "It may be best to show caution in such reinforcement."

"We wouldn't be down there if the Brakiri weren't having their mercs slaughter the children the Dilgar were growing in their facilities," Julia pointed out. "If they don't like it, Tabir can bring it up with me. You'll get your supplies, Major."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Hopefully the mercenaries will remain quiescent until we resolve the situation," Richmond said.

"I hope so too," Julia murmured. "If there's nothing else, let's get to work."


	31. Episode 3-06-2 Yesterday's Enemies P2

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 5 April 2643. Captain Julia Andreys recording. The deadlock over Tira continues. And there is a new urgency to this situation now that we know that James Hawk and his renegades are helping the effort against the Dilgar. Hawk and his accomplice remain in the brig under heavy guard, but I fully expect their ship, the_ Avenger, _to show up. If it does, and the Drazi reinforcements come with it… then we may not be able to protect the planet._

 _The good news is that Warmaster Shai'jhur survived the attack. As a reformer with legitimacy from the prior government, she may be the only hope for the Dilgar to make a final peace with their old enemies, and with the charge against her being wrong, we actually have a shot at making it happen._

The emergency ward in the medbay was quiet save for the silent recognition beeps from the biobed display Leo was examining. The occupant, Shai'jhur, was awake and quiet. Kaveri Varma was holding her hand quietly. Leo could tell that Kaveri was not in the best of moods after she returned from her conversation with Julia two days before. But he was more concerned with treating Shai'jhur than finding out what had happened.

Finally he let out a contented sigh. "It looks like your disruptor absorbing mesh worked like a charm," he said. "The radiation dose will take some time to deal with, but at your age I wouldn't anticipate untreatable complications within your natural lifespan."

"You mean at sixty-three I can't have children anyway," Shai'jhur answered dryly. "Still, it was quite sufficient, you're right. I've six daughters besides," and two of them were in the room, Tra'dur and Nah'dur. "So it's hardly a loss. Fei'nur's quite pleased she procured it and made me wear it. Thank you, Doctor."

"You're welcome." Leo tapped a final key to confirm his latest update to her medical status. "How are you feeling? This tells me how your body is doing, but it can't tell me for sure if you feel any discomfort."

"I'm ready to assume my duties," she replied. "If anything the removal of the spores was a welcome side-effect. So, I will make do, as usual."

"You can resume duties tomorrow," Leo answered. "Today you're remaining for observation."

"Doctor Gillam, I am a Head of State. At any moment, hostilities may commence which will decide the survival of my people. Your advice is well-intentioned, and doubtless best. But the noose is around our necks, and I need to be returning to the _Magaratha._ "

"Which means your people need to make sure you're fully healthy. You might not be in critical condition, but you don't just get up and walk away from a disruptor shot like that in a single day," Leo insisted. "For today, if anything critical happens, you can deal with it from here. Tomorrow, you should be good to go."

Shai'jhur shook her head. "Doctor, I have dealt with worse. Ultimately treating my health tenderly is a luxury I simply do _not_ have."

Leo thought it over. He looked to Nah'dur after a moment. "Doctor, she's normally your patient I'm guessing. What do you think?"

"...I _wish,_ " Nah'dur answered. "Unfortunately, I only passed my Surgeon-Commander's boards three months ago. Nineteen years old, the youngest recorded, I might add! At any rate, I do have my mother's medical files and she is a terrifically resilient woman. Nothing she's dealt with here is going to be the same as the brutal old discipline of the Imperium's Navy. Realistically, radiation symptoms have no good cure except anti-nausea drugs and repairs to cellular reproduction mechanisms. The first controls the short term impact, the second the long-term. I agree that she should avoid strenuous activity and I have nothing against Battlemaster Or'kun, but if she encounters anything in the _Magaratha_ which stresses her she is, bluntly, no safer in your medbay."

The door to the emergency ward slid open. Julia walked in, looking fairly refreshed given the events of the prior day. Her blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail at the back of her head. "Good morning Doctor. Warmaster." She nodded to them.

"Captain." Leo smiled thinly. "We were just debating whether or not the Warmaster could be released from the medbay."

"I'm assuming you'd rather keep her for longer observation?"

"She got shot by a disruptor. So, yes."

Julia nodded in understanding. She smiled thinly at Shai'jhur and those with her. "Leo is being protective of his patients as always. Under normal circumstances I would encourage you to listen to him. But I think we need to get negotiations going again, and soon. There's no telling when Hawk's ship is going to show up."

"Do negotiations even have a point at this juncture? I would prefer to make myself available for discussions with your Ministries. The sooner we are an applicant to Alliance membership the sooner this business can be referred to the offices of the Foreign Ministry and at that point the ISA will have no choice but to negotiate in good faith. Brokered talks will just lead, I fear, to delays as our enemies prepare a powerful attack to finish us once and for all."

"Your application is still being processed in the Council," Julia said. "And with President Morgan out of communication and Admiral Maran at the front, I haven't been able to get anyone involved yet. I'm going to try again today to reach Secretary Onaram. But until we have confirmation of any kind of response from Portland, attending meetings with Director Holloran is our best bet."

"Of course I will defer to you on the matter. However, the full extent of my remaining warp-drive forces, another seven Markab cruisers, will arrive soon as well, and I must be prepared for hostilities. Our fighters are of Centauri make and will be a cruel surprise for the enemy. Realistically, these _Avenger_ foes of yours will force us to fight: From what I understand, their technology rivals the Tal-kona'sha, so it will be no easy task as well."

"Their ship is the same model as the _Aurora_ ," Julia replied. "But with the best weapons the Darglan adapted before they were forced to withdraw from interuniversal society. In all likelihood, it's going to take the _Aurora_ and the _Shenzhou_ together just to meet them evenly. And that's not counting if Foster brings in the _Huáscar_."

"We can likely deal with the _Huáscar_ if we must. The _Magaratha_ and the battlecruisers also have anti-beaming shields that we'd not revealed yet. They'll hold up to a few shots. The power cores and equipment came off of Klingon L-24 'Ever Victorious' battleships. The _Magaratha_ has two such cores."

"Since we don't know how many Drazi will be here, or if the Brakiri will join the fight, I hope it doesn't come to that."

"Such as it is." Shai'jhur hesitated for a moment, then looked sharply to Julia. "Captain Andreys, I confess that I am concerned with the content of the conversation you had with Captain Varma."

Julia sighed. Her expression betrayed her own discomfort with the situation. "Given the allegations, I had to be able to report to my superiors that the Earthforce report was wrong. Otherwise it would have undermined your position with the Alliance. I can't apologize enough for putting Captain Varma through that."

"Miscegenation was bald-faced illegal in the Imperium, Captain," Shai'jhur replied, her expression hooded. "It was considered, I suppose, a kind of bestiality with more or less explicit treasonous overtones."

"Earthforce didn't understand that, apparently." Julia thought about that. "You said Jha'dur required honesty. I can't imagine it was easy to deal with things on your end either."

"I didn't continue that story mostly to keep Kaveri's privacy… I… It's ironically true. I told Jha'dur _everything._ " She took a breath, and with her eyes fixed on the walls, began. 

* * *

The conversation had already gone on for the better part of the day. Whether or not the food and water had been drugged was impossible to tell (certainly Jha'dur would use something too subtle), and whether or not there were Mha'dorn agents sensing her depended on politics beyond her power or right to understand. Regardless of it, Shai'jhur knew she was reaching a point that would decide her future, but her governing assessment, and lesson from the experience of her peers in First Strike, told her that there was no going back. She was noble born, but Rohric born too. She would pay truth's wage, and not regret having done it. "So, Warmaster, both Kaveri and myself began to adapt to the notion that we would, respectively, never seen another Human or another Dilgar again. Again, the probable outcome of socializing with her promised to be greater than any other."

The auburn-haired figure before her leaned back in her chair, a frown visible on her face. "And so…you made the decision that a _human_ would be a good choice for your… companion, from a lack of choice, I presume, for your sake. _Do_ go on." Her pitiless gaze had transfixed Shai'jhur, placing her on conversational death ground.

"I am a realistic woman, Warmaster. Both Dilgar and humans are species which require groups to maintain their sanity-social species-and the humans are, like us, nonetheless warriors. Yes, it was not a path I would have walked without the prospect of an eternity of isolation, but the prospect existed, so I walked it. She was agreeable, and I was agreeable. Faced with the prospect of loneliness, our conversations covered personal topics… Until such time as they ceased to be only conversations. Though it shames me to confess it, I gave in to impulse and became intimate with Kaveri."

She could _see_ her Warmaster's face lose expression, lips curling up a hint in disgust. "I see. What impulse drove you to _do_ such a thing, Battle Captain? You are _Dilgar_." There was a pause, discipline seeming to reassert itself over disgust. "This is nonetheless useful information for me. You will explain everything that occurred between you two, in exacting detail. You will spare nothing. Is this understood?"

"Of course, Warmaster," Shai'jhur replied. "I will spare nothing. In my loneliness, I felt a warrior's soul in Kaveri. Whatever the nature of her people, the honour of a 'kshatriya' had transcended it. I, of course, was the dominant partner, but she was willing from the first…" With calm precision, she continued into the details, even the explicit details, phrased in the biological terms that Jha'dur expected.

When the tale was done, she finished softly. "And, of course,we agreed that, as warriors born and bred, we would face each other without hesitation or pity on the field of battle if our nations required it, no matter the feelings that had passed between us before. So with that, and my wishes for her health as long as she did not face us on the field, I departed for the shuttle, and left her behind, by the terms of the agreement we had struck." Shai'jhur looked levelly across the table with her hands folded.

The woman known as Deathwalker had listened for _hours_ , taking notes in a neat hand, when she chose to, and gave a solitary nod of her head. "You are perhaps mentally unbalanced, certainly perverted by Dilgar standards, and assuredly wildly socially unpalatable. You are also a quick, independent thinking fleet officer who shows a great deal of promise for the future of the Imperium, Battle Captain. Now, why are you not _afraid_ of the outcome of this debriefing? It is a reasonable fear to have, with my reputation."

"Warmaster, I have told the truth to you, and you will judge me according to the truth that I told. Whatever that judgement is, I have faith it will be just, and I don't fear my own just ending, whatever it may be."

"Very well, _Battlemaster."_ There was not a flicker of emotion in her Warmaster's voice as she pronounced her apparent judgement of Shai'jhur. "Report to the shuttle bay. You are to report to the northern polar shipyards. Further orders will follow. Speaking any word of this conversation, or what has caused it, will be cause for _severe_ punishment. And, I will be watching your personal conduct. Your settling down and bearing kits for the future of our species would be a wise decision." The emphasis she placed on 'severe' brought a spine-tingling promise, at whatever Warmaster Jha'dur considered _severe_.

"I will do my duty," Shai'jhur answered with stiff formality. "Until Death, Warmaster." She rose, and saluted.

"Dismissed. We fight to save the Dilgar, Battlemaster. Remember that above all."

As Shai'jhur left, she swore she could see Jha'dur reach for a magazine out of the corner of her eye, of all things.

* * *

Shai'jhur finished and with the help of her daughters, rose from her medbay bed. She still smelled of smokey, singed fur. "So, that's the tale of the Warmaster and myself. In reviewing the records, I later discovered she had issued a directive that if a human named Lieutenant Kaveri Varma were ever taken prisoner, she was to be immediately summarily executed. That was, I think, by Jha'dur's standards intended as a kindness both to her and to me."

"Given her reputation, summary execution does sound kind," Julia noted.

"It is for the best that all of her age and kind are gone, except perhaps her brother. I regret the absence of Warmaster Dar'sen, who even the Drazi admitted fought a clean war, though. Of course, his opponent, wise and honourable in his own right, vanished in his effort to help the humans in the Minbari War, and what his fate is, none can say. If Stro'kath were here, I would think peace to have a chance … But all those old names have fallen down into death, and only those who remember legends remain."

A tone came from Julia's omnitool, joined by a blue light over the back of her hand. She tapped it. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, Director Holloran is hailing. She has the other species ready to start another meeting,_ " Meridina said from the Bridge.

Julia gave Shai'jhur a careful look. "I'll be there shortly to confirm a meeting time. Andreys out." Once the call was over she said, "It won't go anywhere, I'm sure. But until I get anything from Portland, there's no reason not to see where this leads."

"I will negotiate in good faith. But our terms remain simple. We want to join the Alliance. As a sovereign nation we are interested only in securing the peace which would allow us to do so."

"Fair enough. I'll go talk to Holloran." At that Julia left, more optimistic about the talks than Shai'jhur was, but knowing they had to make the effort regardless. 

* * *

It was about midday when there was a sharp rapping on the door of Zhengli's cell. Unlike previous visits there was something imposing in it. "Captain Varma?" _Of course:_ It was Foster.

"I see I am still the Captain, Major Foster." Zhengli stood, folding her hands behind her back and giving a steady, level look to her cell door. "If you surrender immediately, I _will_ recommend leniency during your court-martial."

"You have been lawfully relieved of command," Foster replied, cuttingly. "That was confirmed by Geneva. I am using your rank as a courtesy, not to imply you have any authority over the _Huáscar_. I have come to deliver you the option, communicated to me by Geneva, that we can transport you to Minister Holloran's custody, presumably to then be released, in response to the political _problems_ your mother has caused. Needless to say, charges might follow if you ever returned to Earth space."

"My mother? What are you talking about, Major?" She had a hint of honest confusion in her voice, as she wracked her memories to think of what this could be about. "You expect me to believe that Earthforce Command has endorsed _mutiny_ against a ship's captain after the civil war? You would have code-locked communications for me as proof, if this were the case. Are you not finding as sympathetic an audience as you wished, Major?" Her eyes flared with anger at her one-time subordinate.

"Your mother made a live broadcast containing classified information from the comms room of a Dilgar warship," he sneered. "It has caused no small difficulties for the government, so of _course_ my actions have been proved correct, as I knew they always would be."

"I see the Senate's dislike of _inconvenient_ facts remains as true as it always has been, Major. Very well, if that is how you wish to phrase the matter. As the Captain of the _Huáscar_ , I demand a formal Court of Inquiry over my relief."

"You idiot, you are being given a chance to flee to your mother and the Alliance. Don't you have any kind of sense at all? You're finished, and if you embarrass the Senate more than your mother already has, you might be _more_ than finished."

"You do not understand the soul of a Kshatriya at all, do you, Major Foster? I stood on the Line, a year before I should have passed out of West Point, I saw the sky filled with death, saw my vision fade and the chill seep into my bones in the vacuum of our shattered cruiser, and you seek to threaten me? I pity you, I truly do, for you do not understand the virtue of dharmayuddha." She shook her head, with a soft sigh. "I know my duties, but it seems you have lost your way. I repeat my demand for a Court."

"And you will doubtless get it, when this situation has been dealt with. Of course, we are likely to be at war with the Alliance soon enough, and who knows what will happen to you after that. These lunatics are willing to turn the entire galaxy against them just for the sake of the Dilgar, and think nothing of it. I imagine," he smiled thinly, "You'd rather fancy being with them, considering that they like aliens more than their fellow humans. You _do_ have one last chance. If you insist on a Court, you will remain confined and the consequences are not up to me."

"Then I shall see you in the next cycle, Major. You've _doomed_ yourself by your hasty action, or are you saying you consulted with the Joint Chiefs before my relief, and they concurred? I never barred you from using the Gold Channel to consult with any superior. You are facing the airlock under Ten Eighty-Eight. I _again_ urge you to return command of the ship to me, that I may recommend leniency for you and _especially_ those who have followed you in this course of action."

"No wonder your family has fallen to what it is, Captain. You keep quoting regulations and have no understanding of _politics._ " He coughed, and folded his hands behind his back. "That will be all. You've made your decision."

"I have no fear of gaining _veeraswarga_ , Major."

"You're a religious lunatic, I'm _sure_ that will reflect well." With that he spun on heel and stalked out, the cell door slamming shut behind him.

 _We are both convinced of the righteousness of our cause, but only one of us upholds Dharma…_ With a quiet sigh, Zhengli folded her legs under her once again, and let her eyes flutter closed, resuming her attempt to centre herself. _You told the galaxy about New Eden, mother… Earthgov will be furious of that alone. I pity the governor, he's going to be facing a firestorm of opinion with the next transport._

* * *

Shai'jhur had returned, officially without Fei'nur present… As a practical matter, the truth of that would be irrelevant if the peace was held. If there was another attack, then the details of her observance or lack thereof hardly mattered. With a single staff officer at her side, she was once again on the _Aurora,_ once again in the conference room, once again facing a mass of alien representatives who wanted her dead.

"How do you expect us to feel secure when the Dilgar are allowed to bring invisible assassins with them?!" Tarinak was protesting. "The venue of this meeting _must_ be moved, and moved to where all delegates can enjoy security."

"Which rules out virtually every ship in this system," Julia pointed out. "And Tira itself certainly wouldn't work."

"The Brakiri submit that the _Orsala_ be chosen," Tabir said, referring to the Minbari ship. "The Minbari were not involved in the war with the Dilgar, and they should have the technology to keep anyone from using invisibility devices of any sort."

Julia wasn't so sure of that. The Minbari were certainly advanced, one of the more advanced species in the Multiverse, but if the _Avenger_ crew had any more operatives here, or had shared their technology with the Drazi, then she would be betting their safety against the Minbari having the means to defeat Darglan technology. It was a bet she wasn't sure about taking.

A thought came to her. She almost nodded to the Earthforce table but stopped herself. She gave a quick, furtive look to Shai'jhur. _Meridina, is Fei'nur here?_ She thought, hoping that the power behind the thought would keep Foster's telepath from hearing. _Did Shai'jhur slip her in again?_

Meridina gave her an uncertain look. _I feel her in the vicinity. But I am not sure where at the moment. Her mind is very disciplined and mindwalking is not exact with such._

Julia frowned at that. If Meridina had problems, Saumarez would too. Her idea to have Saumarez provide a guarantee wouldn't work.

Holloran looked toward Julia and Shai'jhur. "Do you have any objections? I won't bother the Minbari if both sides won't accept it."

Julia glanced Shai'jhur's way.

"The Minbari attacked the Dilgar Imperium without provocation," Shai'jhur replied. "I have irrefutable evidence of it salvaged from the wreck of the _Vendetta_ at Third Balos. Nonetheless, in the interest of galactic peace, I will accept a Minbari ship as the grounds of the talks."

"Then I have none," Julia said.

To that Tabir smirked. "You have become her follower, I see."

Julia gave him an intent, quiet look. "If the leader of the Drazi Freehold was present, Captain, would you presume to make a decision he might not approve?"

"He probably would," Foster muttered from his table.

"Well. I guess I'll call an end to this meeting then," said Holloran. "I'll return to the _Orsala_ and ask the Minbari to arrange a meeting. Until then, there's no point in remaining here. I'm dismissing the meeting."

Duly dismissed, the others stood and made to leave as if they were eager to do so. Holloran let them go and quietly stepped up to Julia. "You know they're just trying to buy time, right?" she asked pointedly. "Once the Drazi reinforcements arrive they won't be up to talking."

"We need time too," Julia said. "As things stand, they see no reason to listen to Shai'jhur's offers because they don't know if I'm going to be ordered out or if the Alliance is going to support Shai'jhur. If I can get an announcement from Portland…"

"I'm told President Morgan is unavailable. Even Ambassador Mayan hasn't been able to reach him. Even your Foreign Secretary is unavailable."

"I know. They're dealing with other matters beyond the purview of a starship captain," Julia answered. "I'm hoping that Admiral Maran will get away from the battlefield long enough to give me some indication of how the Alliance government is dealing with this. But until I hear something from Portland, we're stuck in this situation."

"I hope that they get back to you soon," Holloran said. "Otherwise the shooting is going to begin."

"I hope so too," Julia sighed. She looked over to where Shai'jhur was walking up.

"Miss Holloran," Shai'jhur looked up. "Technically the InterStellar Alliance can put an end to this matter with the _White Star_ Fleet. What do _you_ desire from our people?"

"Sure, Sheridan could send the _White Stars_ in," Holloran agreed. "But that takes time. Ever since the Centauri left the Alliance we've had to spread them out to protect Alliance space. And I don't have to point out that if he does it wrong, he turns every species that fought your people against him."

"He could send them to keep the peace between your Alliance and ours," Julia pointed out. "That's him doing his job."

"And I'm sure he's got the _White Stars_ moving to do just that, but it's still going to take time." Holloran glanced toward Shai'jhur. "As for what I want? I want people to stop shooting each other so Mars can assert its rights without having Earth play the security card. That means no renewal of the Dilgar War."

"For what it is worth, I feel myself in a very similar position. The Imperium threw the refuse of Omelos at us as forced colonists and told us to deal with it. We Rohricans decided freedom was worth the spores and we liked to keep it that way. I remain convinced that our peace is best achieved in the format of our government joining the Alliance, Miss Holloran. We will be giving up an independent foreign policy which could lead to decisions threatening ISA members, and placing ourselves under the jurisdiction of the Alliance courts, I think you will have far more security that way then you would even if you militarily occupied Tira and Rohric."

"I agree with you on that for certain," said Holloran, the experienced guerrilla fighter. "Funny. Your people will be better off giving away some of your independence. Mine will be if we get more."

"I would support it, if I could do anything productive," Shai'jhur grinned. "But I can't help but feel an endorsement from the Dilgar is presently the opposite of productive, and will be for some time. Thank you, Miss Holloran. We will meet again on the _Orsala._ "

"I'll let you now when we're ready for you. Warmaster, Captain." She left with the Minbari and Abbai aides assigned to her accompanying her.

Julia watched her go. "Fruitless, as expected," she said. "Right now all we can do is buy time, and hope our response gets here first."

* * *

Meridina was in meditation when the call came through the IU transceiver. She stood, still in her plain brown meditation robe over a cream-white sleeveless vest and knee-length leggings, and directed her attention to the wall. A holo-screen came to life. The image projected was from Gersal. The distant spires of Jantarihal were visible behind the thin face and quiet demeanor of her old mentor, _Mastrash_ Ledosh. He nodded. " _Meridina. I received your message. Is all well?_ "

"It would be a lie to say so, _Mastrash_ ," Meridina admitted. "The species here are willing to commit genocide over their fears and hatred of a past foe."

" _I have heard something of it from the Foreign Office._ "

"If so, why have we not received instructions? Or orders?"

" _It is not my place to know_ ," Ledosh pointed out. " _From my knowledge, little can be truly decided until the President finishes his work and Secretary Onaram returns to Portland._ " Ledosh considered her. " _Something else troubles you, Meridina. I can see that._ "

"To verify testimony, I had to mentally scan the mind of a Human woman."

" _You have done this often. Why does it trouble you?_ "

"Because she did not truly want me in her mind. She only agreed out of perceived necessity," Meridina replied. "To confirm for us that she was not a victim of assault by the Dilgar leader."

" _I see. Did you direct her to the_ Genut _?_ "

"I did, yes. I have the feeling she is uncertain about them. She is used to the Psi Corps of this universe's Earth."

" _Ah. And they are most unkind beings. Or so the_ swevyra'se _aiding the Byron Free Colony's efforts have informed me._ " Ledosh placed his hands together at the table. " _Although I have the feeling that you are troubled by more than this, Meridina._ "

There was no hiding things from Ledosh. Meridina sighed and nodded. "The feelings I felt in Kaveri Varma. I have never imagined such feelings. Her bond to Shai'jhur is unbreakable. And feeling it… it has left me… unbalanced? I do not know."

" _Love is inherently unbalanced_ ," Ledosh pointed out. " _It is about taking another soul, another being, and placing them above others in your feelings and considerations._ "

"I have read Swenya's writings on the subject," Meridina said. "And I have felt physical affections in others. But this was beyond such a thing. Swenya's writings did nothing to prepare me for that sense."

" _And this troubles you?_ "

"I… I do not know," she admitted. "I recognize that for a _swevyra'se_ , such affections can be dangerous. Their loss can cause resentment that fuels darkness. Even so… there is a spiritual side to these things. WIth the right person."

" _There are those who say such, yes. But if I may, Meridina?_ "

"Yes, _Mastrash?_ "

A small smile came to Ledosh's face. " _Your destiny is outside of the Order. The concerns you may have had when you counted yourself as one of our knights are no longer those you must consider. Live your life as you please, Meridina, trusting in your_ swevyra _and your own judgement. You do not need to get my approval to consider these things._ "

Meridina listened to him speak and could only nod. "I understand, _Mastrash._ I am sorry for interrupting you in your duties."

" _It is no trouble. You have merely pulled me away from an onerous work of translating pieces from a book into modern vernacular._ "

Meridina blinked at that. "I never imagined you would take such a task on yourself, _Mastrash._ Surely there are translation experts in the Order who can assist?"

" _This is a private project. I would prefer to not bother our experts. Their time is valuable._ " Ledosh nodded once. " _I want you to know that your accomplishments and advancement are being noticed. Your father is quite proud of your promotion, I think, though he does not say so._ "

Meridina noted the sudden conversation shift. She said nothing about it, however, choosing to let Ledosh have his way. "He once told me I should be commanding the _Aurora_ ," Meridina said. "I hope I live up to all of your expectations."

" _I imagine you will._ "

"Before you go, _Mastrash_ , how goes Gina's training? She did quite well on New Caprica. I can't imagine her taking much longer to earn a chance to undergo the trials..." 

* * *

Science Lab 1 was different from 2. The displays weren't meant for showing data of large physics-related experiments or starmaps. There was no large holotank. Rather the lab was built around workstations tied to the powerful simulation computers of the Lab, which were themselves tied into the _Aurora_ 's powerful computer cores.

Cat was sitting at one of the work stations. The image showed a model of the colony on Tira, or rather the barrages that kept the seas from consuming the Dilgar settlement and adjoining jungle. The sensor data was real-time, courtesy of the _Aurora_ 's powerful sensor suites and the defensive sensors set up by the Marines on the planet. The videos were showing armed humanoids marching along the access catwalks that lined the barrage gates. The one image zoomed in on an object planted at the center of a closed gate. The gray object was shaped with four arms and a wide circle. A digital display and small access controls showed on it.

Cat turned upon hearing the door open. "Tra'dur? Can I do something for you?"

"You've already done a _lot_ for me, Cat. Thanks for calling the medbay when I collapsed. My sister says I'm going to enjoy the next few months as probably the healthiest I've ever felt…" She was smiling.

"Oh, thank you." Cat smiled back and nodded. "I'm glad you're going to feel better."

" _I'm_ glad to be feeling better, as well… What are you up to, Cat'Delgado?" She asked, in that particular Dilgar way of compounding names, though she got the multiple syllables of the surname right enough.

"Oh. Jarod asked me to look into the situation with the colony's barrage," Cat said. She raised her hand toward the screen. "With the water levels where they are, if the mercs blow the gates the entire colony goes under. We're trying to figure out ways to prevent that."

"Can we detect the chemical traces of the explosions on the mitre gates from orbit, Cat'Delgado?" She asked, taking a console by Cat's side. It was impressive how quickly she went to familiarize herself and work from an Alliance standard console.

"That's going to take work," Cat said. Her expression turned thoughtful. "I'm not sure. It depends on the construction of the bombs." She looked up. Now excitement showed. "But we don't have to."

"No?"

"No. We can send the sensors down to our Marines that are protecting those clone tanks," Cat said. An excited look appeared on her face, joined by a grin at having figured it out. "It'll have to be a high resolution materials scanner. Even if it doesn't tell us what the explosives are made of exactly, it might let us rule some materials out."

"Hmm, yes. We can in fact aid this process. I'll pull the Tiran files on where the intakes to the filtration systems are from the buildings nearest the waterfront. If the Marines can point the sensors at the filters, they should get a much higher concentration density than is floating around the regular air, and that would make the detection much easier."

"Then all we need to do is figure out if there's a way to counteract the explosives quickly." Cat grinned at her. "So let's get those files and see what we can do."

* * *

Twilight was approaching for the Tira colony. With the sun starting to set, Urdnot Wrex finished his daily check of his firearms.

"Another day and we're still here." An amused laugh came from the old Krogan sharing the foxhole with him. "Our paymasters are going to be disappointed."

"They get what they paid for," Wrex answered, smirking. "If they wanted mercs who got killed easily, they shouldn't have hired us."

There was a crackle over the comms that brought their attention. "Urdnot here," Wrex said, anticipating someone calling.

" _Standby, Urdnot. Communication from Colonel Greden impending._ " The voice was clearly not Brakiri. It sounded Salarian, in fact.

"They might be having those Eclipse mercs handling their comms too," Drack pointed out.

"Then I hope they're not surprised when they see the invoice. I remember a pirate warlord in the Terminus Systems who had a heart attack at seeing one of their invoices."

"They probably took him for everything he had."

"I don't know what the Brakiri thought they'd earn on this job, but I'm betting their accountants won't be happy when it's over." Wrex got that dangerous glint in his red eyes again. "This whole situation gives me a sense… like I've seen all of this before."

"Dangerous thoughts again, whelp?"

"I'm a thinker, fossil," Wrex retorted pleasantly. "One of us has to be."

At that, Drack laughed. "And beggars can't be choosers."

"All of this talk about the Dilgar. I've heard those words before."

"We all have, whelp," Drack said darkly. "But let's face it. We've already picked our side here. You sign the contract, you take your chances. If you don't like it, well, I hope you kept enough to meet the severance penalty."

The gentle teasing was the same, but nonetheless Wrex gave Drack a more hostile look this time. Drack spelling the situation out wasn't necessary. At this rate, though, Wrex was mostly hoping that the Brakiri or their allies would say something, do something, that would let them walk away from the contract. He simply did not like what was going on here.

A moment later a Brakiri officer in a fine suit appeared over Wrex's forearm, the incoming call activating automatically on his omnitool. Colonel Greden immediately commenced speaking. " _Ah, Mister Urdnot, Mister Nakmor. We thank you for keeping your position so well. We have something a little more befitting your experience, however._ "

"Oh yeah?"

Wrex's disinterest didn't seem to faze Greden. " _The Allied Systems' Marines are posing a direct challenge to our control of this colony. They are preventing us from fulfilling the directive laid out by the Syndicracy on Brakir, the elimination of the Dilgar super-soldier program, through their foolish insistence that it is genocide to destroy the fruits of that program. We want our best in a position to strike their forces should it prove necessary, or to block any effort by the Alliance to seize the barrage gates. We are re-assigning you to a position at Point_ Tachan _. Commander Weyrloc is awaiting your arrival. Proceed there as soon as your relief arrives. Greden out._ "

Wrex was already frowning. "They want us with those Blood Pack idiots."

Drack chuckled at that. "We're getting assigned to Weyrloc Tral? That's rich. I once fought off his entire platoon on Beyak in the Spinward Traverse."

"I can't imagine he'll be delighted to see us," Wrex noted. He started collecting gear for stowing. "And he can damn well wait, too. I'm not leaving anything of mine to whatever chumps the Brakiri pick to take our place."

Drack humphed. "This is why I keep my gear stowed, whelp. I like to be able to move fast."

Wrex ignored that. Better to let Drack have his occasional remarks than to get angry over them. He liked the old Krogan too much to want to kill him.


	32. Episode 3-06-3 Yesterday's Enemies P2

Julia entered the Lookout the following morning for breakfast. Even without gifts like Meridina's, she knew her crew was feeling tense and worried about how things were going. They were on the verge of a conflict with species that were supposed to be prospective allies.

Hargert was quick to provide a stack of pancakes with blueberries mixed in with eggs and toast. A glass of white milk was provided with it. "A simple breakfast meal, to keep the spirits up," he said to her with a wink before returning to his kitchen.

It was good. Very good, so good that Julia would regret not finishing it.

She'd managed her fifth or sixth bite when her omnitool sounded. She dropped her syrup-coated fork and tapped the blue light over the back of her hand. ""Andreys here."

" _Captain, we have received a signal from Portland_ ," Meridina said. " _Admiral Maran is waiting to speak to you. He has instructed me to connect to the_ Magaratha _as well._ "

Julia jumped to her feet. Without a thought, she left her breakfast behind. "Get everyone to the conference lounge, now," she said into the omnitool as she raced to the Lookout's port door.

Hargert watched her go while laying a plate of waffles and eggs for another crewmember at the Lookout bar. He let out a little sigh. "Such is the way it is," he lamented on his way to her abandoned meal.

* * *

Scotty was the last of the command crew to show up at the conference lounge, arriving at the six minute mark after being called. Traveling the length and height of the _Aurora_ from Main Engineering took most of that time. He found his usual seat beside Jarod on Julia's right.

The screen split into several images. One had Shai'jhur, Kaveri, Fei'nur, and Nah'dur. Another showed Li and her crew on the _Shenzhou_ , and yet another Commander Imra over on the _Heerman_. The last was the one Julia had been waiting for. Admiral Maran was at his office. For all his control, there was no betraying the fact he was tired.

" _It's good to see you all_ ," he said. His lilt was not quite so pronounced as Meridina's. " _I have spent the night reading your reports with Secretary Onaram. It made for interesting reading over the stimulants required to keep us awake. Captain Andreys, Captain Ming-Chung, Commander Imra, Commander Apley… you have all performed admirably in the circumstances. Preventing genocide is one of the core duties of the officers of this Alliance._ "

Julia nodded and said "Thank you," as did the others.

" _Warmaster Shai'jhur_." Maran's eyes shifted slightly. He was clearly looking at the monitor showing her, a visual communication being routed through the _Aurora_ 's IU transceiver. " _I am sorry if we kept you waiting. The Nazi counter-attack at Argolis was serious enough that I had to lead a relief force to keep our positions there intact. Although even if I hadn't been at Argolis, President Morgan and Secretary Onaram have been occupied with sensitive diplomatic matters that left them out of communication. Due to changes to that, they have been able to consult the reports from Tira, including your application sent to Councilman Mutombo._ "

"I am pleased. With any luck, Admiral Maran," she answered with a twinkle in her eye, "The Councilman is the sort of man who does not mind reading constitutional law in the information we provided. It is a completely indigenous Dilgar innovation based on our own customs of courts and Councils and I understand it may take effort to review."

Maran nodded once. " _Your application has been submitted to the Admissions Committee of the Alliance Council. This has been announced this morning in a press release by Councilman Mutombo that has already received some diplomatic attention in your home universe. The Earth Alliance and Minbari ambassadors are currently in meetings with Secretary Onaram. The Drazi are already recalling their diplomatic staff in protest. The poor Secretary has had quite the return to the capital, I'm afraid to say. But he and the President have approved what I am about to say._ " Maran's look was somber. " _The United Alliance of Systems disapproves of genocide. Captains, Commander, your orders are to remain at Tira and protect it from any attempts to attack the colony. You are authorized to open fire on any vessel that attempts hostilities against the Dilgar._ "

" _Admiral Maran_ ," Shai'jhur dipped her head. " _I will conform my operations to Captain Andreys' intent, should the situation require it._ "

" _I expected as much. I'm afraid we won't be able to send you any reinforcements for the next few days. The Reich counter-offensive drew in all of our available reserves across the Alliance fleets._ " Maran's expression was apologetic. " _I'm sorry the news isn't better, Captain. You're in a tight situation there. If our attempts to get through to President Luchenko succeeds you may have the_ Huáscar _back on your side…_ "

When Maran paused for a moment, another voice began to speak. " _You do not understand the political situation in Geneva, Admiral. I do not blame you for this, but Major Foster would not be holding so firmly to his actions if he did not have at least some support. She will stonewall you until the situation is resolved, one way or another. The wounds left by the Minbari on Earth's psyche still bleed._ " Kaveri spoke, with a subdued tone, her gaze dull. " _They are seeking to pay as small a political price as they can, now. Everything comes to politics in Earthgov, in the end, not principles. Not anymore._ "

" _They have their own reasons for supporting a conflict with us_ ," Li said from the feed coming from the _Shenzhou_. " _We've had several problems with Earthforce or Earth-backed teams trying to slip into Alliance territory to excavate around old Darglan space. Undoubtedly they believe this might give them a chance to drive us out of the area, should a general war erupt._ "

" _IPX believes any ruins with strange technology should be immediately dug up. You should have seen how quickly they were robbing the graves of…_ " She glanced to Shai'jhur and paled a hint. ". _.. Markab_."

" _We have considered the possibility_ ," Maran said.

"So we can't expect reinforcements anytime soon?" Julia asked. "From any source?"

" _I'm sorry, but no. Not with the state the front is in. I'm sorry. Make do the best you can. You beat the_ Avenger _before, hopefully working together you can do so again._ " Maran checked something off the screen. " _I'm afraid I'm due for strategy meetings. We'll keep doing what we can to help you, I promise you that. Maran out._ " His image disappeared from its place among the others.

Shai'jhur looked around. A thin smile touched her lips. " _Well, four Alliance ships, four of your member nations, and one from your allies. Twenty-four of mine have shields, the twenty-six survivors of Tira do not._ Avenger _and_ Huáscar _yes or no, we will do fine with what is here, but if the Drazi come as reinforcements, please do remember that while they may treat you leniently, they have already shown us the death-banner, apportioned the blood, and made the ceremonial hail: There is No Quarter from our enemies. They have made mark on us for Death._ "

Julia wetted her lips and remembered what that bloody term meant to the Texans 'down south', visions of the Alamo and _Deguello_. "Don't worry, Warmaster. This is the same for all of us."

"And knowing what Hawk's people are capable of, or Foster, it may be the same for us too," Angel added.

" _We must stand together, certainly_ ," Li agreed over the link.

"We'll see what diplomacy gets us later today," Julia said. "In the meantime, everyone remain on standby, and keep an eye on the long range sensors just in case the _Avenger_ shows up." 

* * *

After the meeting, Leo went by the medbay long enough to verify the cases for the day. Doctor Lani Walker, a younger doctor from the Tohono O'odham tribe in Arizona and Sonora, provided the paperwork. She also gave him the results of the scans he'd requested from Doctor Hreept the prior day. Leo looked over the results and frowned. "Just what I thought," he murmured.

"What is it, Doctor?" Walker asked.

"A suspicion that's proved true," he said. He finished signing off on the results and transmitted them to the central systems, but he didn't return the digital reader. "I need to show this to someone. Mind watching things for a little longer?"

A gentle smile on her face was joined by a shake of the head. "Of course not, Doctor."

"Thanks." With the reader in hand, Leo departed the medbay.

His next step was a part of the ship he rarely saw and never enjoyed. Indeed, he seemed to surprise the officers on duty when he entered the brig. They stood and he waved them down. "Don't worry", he said. "I'm not here for you. I need to see them."

His arrival had drawn the attention of Hawk. Helen remained laying on the bed in her cell, apparently asleep. "Well, this is interesting," Hawk said. "I guess that medical scan yesterday found something."

"More like it confirmed something," Leo said.

"Well, I'm a captive audience Doc," Hawk remarked. "Spit it out."

"A few quick questions first," Leo said. He activated the digital reader to take notes while his omnitool recorded the interview. "I need to know if you're experiencing any neurological symptoms."

"What?" Hawk asked, as if the question was surprising.

"Neurological symptoms," Leo repeated. "Headaches, blackouts, seizures."

"My head's fine," he insisted, ignoring the headache in the center of his forehead.

Leo's expression made his skepticism of the answer clear. "Actually…" Leo tapped his omnitool and used it to display two holographic, three dimensional models of brains. One had various basic colors on it. The other was more chaotic and wild in where the colors were present. "This is your brain." Leo indicated the second. "And this is my brain."

"All I see are weird colors."

"What you're seeing is that your brain isn't operating normally," Leo said. "The neurons aren't firing properly. Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated beyond normal for Human beings, and it's causing damage to your brain cells. In short, Mister Hawk, your brain is being overloaded and is burning out." Another tap added a third brain with a similar pattern to Hawk's. "So is your friend's." Leo indicated Helen's cell.

Hawk crossed his arms. "Alright, let's say I believe that's what your light show says," Hawk said. "What's causing it?"

"Given my medical records from our days in a Darglan Facility, I'd say it's your use, and abuse, of the Darglan brainwave infuser technology," said Leo. "You do know you're only supposed to use that thing twice a year, at most?"

"How we do things isn't any of your damn business," Hawk snarled. "Especially since we need those infusions to keep up with you people. You're just trying to get an advantage over us."

"I'm not," Leo said. "I'm trying to keep you from frying your brain until you drive yourself into becoming a psychotic maniac. Or a drooling vegetable."

"This is just out of the kindness of your heart, then?"

"I swore an oath as a physician," Leo said. "It requires me to try and help you."

"Is that why you're helping a piece of crap like Shai'jhur?"

"She's my patient. And she's not guilty of what you think she is."

"Oh, right." Hawk guffawed. "Her dear Human friend vouched for her. You've heard of Stockholm Syndrome, right?"

"Among many things. But that doesn't mean she's lying. In fact, we confirmed she's telling the truth with a telepathic deep scan." Leo set his arm down. The omnitool, and its brain displays, disappeared. "Whatever you want to say about Shai'jhur, even if you think she's not the reformer she claims to be, she's not a rapist. And maybe you need to be more careful about jumping to conclusions."

At that Hawk jumped to his feet. He stormed toward Leo with such speed that Leo was certain that Hawk would plow into the forcefield. Instead the agitated vigilante stopped just shy of it. "Did you see what the Dilgar did to their victims in the war?!" Hawk demanded. "The butchered populations?! The camps?! The experiments?! _The Valley of Bones on Balos!?_ And you're still going to defend them?!"

"The people who committed those crimes are gone," Leo pointed out. "You don't get to punish an entire species for the sins of a few of its members! Or would you have us slaughter every German for the crimes of the Nazis?"

"If you're talking about those jerks from the S4W8 universe, yeah, you probably should!" Hawk countered. "Because they're all part of it! They all benefit!"

"But didn't you tell Captain Andreys you told the Drazi not to kill them all?" Leo asked. "Did you change your mind? Have you decided genocide is the answer after all? Or are you so _pissed off_ that you'll say anything just to continue the argument?"

Hawk snarled in frustration and rage. He clenched his fists. But he said nothing.

Leo considered him quietly. The lights of the brig reflected on the surface of his dark skin. "Maybe it's not even the brain damage," Leo said. "Maybe you've got a personality disorder already. Or maybe you're just pissed off at the world and this is how you deal with it. You treat every problem like a nail that needs a hammer. And with that Darglan ship, you've got a big damn hammer. Either way, in the long run, you're not doing any good. All you're doing is taking out your frustrations on convenient targets."

"You know _jack crap_ about me!" Hawk thundered. "And you know crap about what suffering is out there! You know crap about it all because you're busy flying around in your pretty little ship patching up little boo-boos while the bastards of the Multiverse get to keep hurting people!"

"I know enough," Leo retorted. "You don't think I know what it's like? I've seen the victims too. _I've treated them_. Have you ever had to tell a concentration camp survivor that her Nazi rapist impregnated her? Or operate on a girl barely in her teens because she'll die without a new heart, but her body is so weak from what the Nazis did to her that the surgery nearly kills her? Or try to get a Goa'uld out of its host's body before it can kill her out of spite? Ever remove the control hardware Batarian slavers implant in their victims to control them? _I have_. I know there are monsters out there and God save me from ever having them in my medbay because I might just dope them up and let nature take its course!" Leo drew in a breath to reign in his own temper. "So yeah, I know all too well what kind of suffering these people cause. I'm the one who patches up their victims, just as I might have to patch them up too."

"That's the difference between us," Hawk said. "I wouldn't even let them get to you. I'd gut the bastards long before they got to your beds."

"Yeah. Because that's all you care to do. 'Kill bad guys'. And look at where that's gotten you." Leo didn't mean their surroundings, either, and the glint in his eye and the tone in his voice made that clear. "Killing the bad guys feels good, I'm sure. But you'll never kill all of them. And the way things are going, you and your friends are going to burn your brains out trying. Assuming you don't get yourselves killed when the bad guy you're after turns out to be stronger or smarter than you gave them credit for. And if you care about your friend here at all, or any of the others working with you in your Facility or on your ship, you'll do what I suggest. You'll stop using those damn infusers."

A thoughtful look on Hawk's face gave Leo hope that he might have gotten through to him, at least a little. But all too quickly, defiance and anger returned to those features. Hawk returned to the cot in his cell and sat down, glaring at him. Sighing, Leo turned and left. 

* * *

The bridge of the _Aurora_ was quiet. It tended to be more quiet these days. The others were adjusting to Julia's command style with only occasional grumbling, which she tolerated because, when it came down to it, many were her friends and she wasn't a total disciplinarian (not to mention that certain five letter word Tom Barnes would have used).

The quiet had its advantages. It helped with thinking, certainly. But among the disadvantages was allowing the tension of a crisis to get on nerves. Including Julia's.

Julia glanced toward sensors, where Cat was busy working. She was in her uniform skirt, as usual. "Nothing yet?" Julia asked.

"Still nothing," Cat said.

"Right." Her attention returned to the front of the bridge. Locarno and Jarod were working quietly. Given that everything in space was in constant motion, manning the helm was a full time occupation in order to make sure the ship was not drifting away from a planet or other vessels. In much the same way, Jarod (or one of his subordinates) was needed to keep a constant eye on the ship's systems and to be prepared to deal with anything from cyber-attack to raising the shields at a moment's notice.

At Tactical, Angel was keeping an eye on the Drazi. She would warn if they were assuming a hostile stance.

This ponderings about the roles her friends and subordinates played on the quiet bridge were a nice, temporary distraction from the gravity of their situation. Said distraction went away when a warbling tone came from the operations station. "The _Orsala_ is hailing," Jarod said. "It's Director Holloran."

"Put her on."

The holo-viewscreen activated to display the blond Mars-native woman on the screen. " _I wanted you to know that the Minbari are arranging our next meeting for tonight. At about 2000 hours your time._ "

"That's pretty late," Julia noted.

" _Yes, well, they needed time to get security measures in place and to prepare one of their meditation rooms for the meeting._ " Holloran smiled wryly at that. " _I think the Captain is hoping that a peaceful setting will encourage peace in the talks._ "

"I admit I'm hoping that the announcement from Portland will get the Brakiri to think again about this," Julia said. "They won't be happy, but risking their growing commerce with the rest of the Multiverse should dissuade them."

" _Don't be so sure. In fact, right now I'm not sure the announcement has done you any favors_ ," Holloran warned. " _According to my last update from Tuzanor, the Allied Systems announcement has the Alliance Council in an uproar. The Drazi are actually calling for Sheridan to deploy the_ White Star _Fleet against your Alliance, and are threatening to withdraw from our Alliance if Sheridan accepts the Dilgar application._ "

"That's insane," Julia muttered. "They can't really believe that we'd let the Dilgar become anything like their old selves. We'd come down on Shai'jhur or her replacement like a ton of bricks."

" _The Drazi have an old grudge with the Dilgar that predated the war. As far as they're concerned, this is an unwelcome complication that undermines their expansion plans_ ," Holloran pointed out. " _I'm more worried about Earth. My sources indicate that Earthforce is quietly preparing to mobilize the fleet. And Earth's delegation to Tuzanor has been meeting with the Drazi, Brakiri, and Hyach representatives today._ "

"They're fueling the fire," Jarod remarked. "They want this to become a shooting war."

" _The old Clarkists certainly do. And the rest of the Loyalists probably see it as a means to consolidate control over the colonies that are pressing for more autonomy._ " An angry look came over her face. Mars would be included in that. " _Plus IPX would love a chance to drive you out of old Darglan space. They're itching for a chance to strip the Darglan worlds of anything they can find_."

"I'm aware of that," Julia sighed. "Dammit. I was hoping that they'd back down once it was clear my government was backing me."

" _Don't give up on peace yet. The Minbari, the Abbai, and the Gaim are all against turning this into a war. Sheridan might be able to use their influence to get the Council to agree to a peace treaty with Shai'jhur built around Allied Systems oversight of Tira and Rohric. But it's going to take time, and if anyone starts shooting here…_ "

"Yeah. I can figure where that will go." A thought came to Julia. "What about the Narn? They've rebuilt a lot of their fleet, right? If they weigh in on either side, that might make the difference."

" _They're rebuilt enough of it that they could sway things if they weigh in. But I wouldn't bank on them. The Kha'Ri have no love for the Dilgar either. And they've worked with the Drazi before._ " Holloran shook her head. " _Honestly, Captain, our best bet is to keep the talks from collapsing. We need to buy time for the diplomats on Tuzanor…"_

"Captain, Director… sorry for the interruption." Cat's voice filled the bridge, although her eyes were still on her screens. "But I have a ship on long range sensors."

Julia kept looking forward. Her face seemed more resigned than anything. The other shoe was dropping. "Is it them?"

"The warp signature's a match," Cat said, nodding. "It's the _Avenger_. They're coming in at about about Warp 9."

" _If I remember the warp scales correctly, that's pretty fast_ ," Holloran said.

"Not for us," Julia answered. "The Darglan built warp drives that allow for high cruise speeds. That's actually below our own."

"They are not in a hurry this time," Meridina noted. "Even though they must know that we have their leaders."

" _They may know the Drazi are sending another fleet_."

Julia nodded in agreement with Holloran. "It wouldn't surprise me. Lieutenant, what's their ETA?"

"Approximately thirty minutes," Cat replied.

"Well, we'll know whether or not we're in a shooting war then. Carry on, everyone." Julia settled into her seat, anticipating the next half an hour to feel like a half a day in comparison. 

* * *

The call woke Yonatan Shaham from the nap he'd been enjoying in his quarters. He quickly pulled his uniform jacket back on. Thanks to the design of the _Eagle_ , built in Kameli yards over a decade before, the captain's quarters and office were on the same deck as the main bridge. It was only a ten second walk from the door to his office to the control bridge for the light attack ship.

The _Eagle_ had changed much in the ten years since Yoni's father, Arik Shaham, had first escorted his then-teenage son onto the bridge of the _Tikvah_ 's most powerful escort ship. Back then the control stations had been mostly physical switches and keys, kept working through sheer determination and constant jury-rigging, with the air always seeming stale due to a fault in the air processors. But two months in the New Liberty-run shipyard at Abdis H1E4 had changed everything. Now the _Eagle_ 's crew enjoyed Darglan-tech touchscreen and hardlight controls. The air was just as good as being on a planet. And the old control couches and chairs had been replaced by the same harness-equipped chairs seen on the rest of the Alliance fleet. The same refits had seen the _Eagle_ fitted with new pulse phaser cannons of the same power capacity as those on the Alliance _Trigger_ -class. The torpedo launchers were now compatible with Alliance-standard solar torpedoes. Virtually every system had enjoyed some sort of upgrade, and with replicators equipped the _Eagle_ went from being utterly dependent upon support from other ships to being capable of extended cruises.

The crew even reflected this change. While the majority were still the Jews from _Tikvah_ , roughly one out of four personnel were drawn from the New Liberty population as a whole. Among them was his new First Officer and Ship Operations Officer, Lieutenant Commander Othello Freeman, a former African-American slave from Alabama on Earth C1P2. The tall man kept his hair combed and his face shaved and looked imposing in the same black uniform with command red shoulders that Yonatan was wearing. The torch insignia on his collar was blue, marking his rank just as Yoni's silver torch marked his. Their uniforms were otherwise nearly the same as those in the Alliance Stellar Navy, although the branch color took up the entirety of the shoulders.

Othello noted his arrival and nodded. "Commander," he said, his voice accented with a drawl common to people of his background. He spoke with a deliberate tone regardless of the drawl, ensuring that the auto-translators had no issues for non-English speakers. "The renegade ship's about t' drop from warp, sir."

"Thank you, Commander Freeman." Yonatan took his chair and checked the harness. Othello returned to Ops, displacing Ensign Yeol Levi to head to another post. At the helm, Ensign Benyamin Amsalem was ready to commence maneuvers. Lieutenant Rebekah Shameel, a Mizrahi Jew who immigrated from the Earth of H1E4, sat at the weapons station.

In keeping with the practice learned over their years on the run from the Reich, Yonatan tapped a key on his chair and opened the dedicated intercom from the bridge to the ship's engineering spaces. "Potential hostile coming in," he said. "Do we have combat power?

The response came from a fellow _Tikvahite_. Lieutenant Miryam Levitsky, the ship's chief engineer, answered, " _Yes, Yoni, we do. You are clear to engage._ "

"Thank you, Miri," he answered. Removing his finger shut the intercom off.

Moments later the new holo-viewscreen of the _Eagle_ changed to show the arriving ship. Yonatan was struck by the resemblance of this Darglan-built vessel, the _Avenger_ , to the _Aurora_ herself, or his father's ship the _ASV Enterprise_. But where those ships had long, graceful lines, with their weapons installed in ways that minimized their interference with the ship's profile, the _Avenger_ was anything but graceful. Visible weapon emplacements spotted the ship's dark hull. The lines gave her the look of a predator, sleek and angry, looking for prey to devour.

"Their shields are not up," Rebekah reported. Her olive complexion and dark hair gave her a striking look. Deep brown eyes looked over the tactical display. "Their targeting systems are not locking on."

"So they're not here for combat. Yet."

Othello was frowning at the ship. "So they're the ones…" he muttered.

Yonatan almost asked what he meant, but stopped himself. He recalled the reports now. The _Avenger_ was responsible for the devastation of Othello's Earth. Millions of dead from its attack and the near-collapse of civilization afterward. And now they were here.

"Steady, Othello," he said gently. "Are they hailing?"

"There is an open communication from the vessel now. I am putting them on."

The holo-viewscreen changed to show a number of images. One was of the _Aurora_ bridge, where Captain Andreys was standing and looking at the screen intently. Another showed Director Holloran on the _Orsala_. The final image was of a severe looking young woman with brown hair to her shoulders and a thin face. She was wearing a gray suit of some sort. " _I am Tina Carmine, currently in charge of the_ Avenger. _We're here to support the Drazi Freehold in eliminating the threat of the Dilgar, and ensure the punishment of Dilgar war criminals._ "

" _I'm Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance_ Starship Aurora. Avenger, _you have no standing here. You don't represent any government or people. And you're all wanted for the bombardment of Earth C1P2 and the mass death inflicted on that world._ "

Another image joined, that of a scale-faced Drazi. Yoni recognized him as Tarinak. " _The_ Avenger _vessel has been authorized by the Drazi Freehold to join our forces in thwarting the revival of the Dilgar. Any attack on them will be taken as an act of war against the Drazi Freehold and we will respond._ "

Tabir's image appeared as well. " _The Brakiri Syndicracy recognizes the_ Avenger _and its crew as legitimate privateers in service to the Drazi Freehold. We too will consider any fire against them as hostile._ "

There was no image to join the next voice. " _Earth concurs with our allies_ ," Major Foster said simply.

Julia nodded. " _The Alliance does not recognize the_ Avenger _crew as a legitimate private military force. But in the interests of peace, we accept their claimed status with your forces. We expect the_ Avenger _to conform to the current truce._ "

" _I will remind you, Captain Andreys, that the deadline for your withdrawal is nearly up,_ " Foster said. " _I will suspend enforcement in the face of the upcoming meeting on the_ Orsala, _but I fully expect your squadron to begin withdrawing soon._ "

" _Your charity is noted, Major_." Julia's tone was professional, but none could fail to hear the ice in it. " _We'll keep it in mind when this situation is resolved, and if any findings of genocide and the abetting thereof are given. We'll be on the_ Orsala _when scheduled._ Aurora out."

The communication ended only partially. Yonatan quickly noted that Julia remained linked to him. Li appeared on the screen as well, sitting on the bridge of the _Shenzhou_. " _A nice reminder that he could face the gallows for what he's doing here,_ " Li stated to Julia. " _Not that I expect us to be able to follow through on that._ "

" _Maybe, maybe not_ ," Julia conceded. " _Given the situation, I think it best if you two remain on your ships instead of attending the new meeting._ "

"I agree," said Yonatan. "These _Avenger_ people are too volatile to take the risk."

" _Agreed_." Li nodded. " _We'll do what we can to protect your ship while you're on the_ Orsala _, Captain._ "

" _Good. I'll relay the same to Commander Imra and the other ships in the force._ Aurora _out._ "

The communication ended. The holo-viewscreen shifted to show multiple ships in the orbit of the water world below. "This situation will not end well," Benyamin murmured.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I have faith that the Lord of Hosts will recognize our cause and aid us," Yonatan said, repeating the sort of exhortation his father used to make. "All we can do is our duty. The Almighty will judge whether we succeed." 

* * *

Late that evening, there was another tap on the door, much softer than Foster's announcing his presence. It was Lieutenant James Reichert, a soft-spoken and lithe helm officer whose expression was nonetheless usually one of savage intensity.

"Lieutenant... ?" Zhengli stood to greet her latest 'guest', blinking in a hint of confusion. "What is it?"

"Captain, Lieutenant Goodman was going to act. However, everyone has started debating what to do now that the government has essentially confirmed Major Foster's actions. We're certain they were illegal, and you acted according to the law, but clearly something's happening back in Geneva." He took a breath. "We need to act soon. Major Foster is exceeding his orders even in the Pronouncement he read. _Huáscar_ is supposed to remain neutral and observe developments at Tira. He's been openly coordinating with the crew of that pirate warship, the _Avenger._ "

"It is politics. The bane of the Earth Alliance since the founding. We are heading down a dark path, Lieutenant. When Sheridan revolted, I held my oaths. In urging you to act, as reluctantly as I do, I believe I do the same. _Huáscar_ should not be a name spoken in the same breath, and with far more venom, than _St. Louis._ We have to act, and if we cannot go home again… that is a price righteousness demands."

"...I understand perfectly, Captain. Please understand that Foster is going to alter the guard arrangements, so you're not going to have any more communication with us, and I need to leave very soon. Some of us have already done things that leave us committed, and I don't think the rest of us are so craven we're going to let the others down."

"I will stand with you all to the end, Lieutenant, wherever we end up. May fortune smile upon us all, for the sake of what we do."

"Well," he ran a hand through his dark hair. "I don't think it's going to end quietly now, Captain. I don't think we have that choice."

"I remember how to use a sidearm, Lieutenant. If order is to be overthrown by craven political calculus… then I cannot stand by and let it happen. It is the _soul_ of Earthforce we are fighting for, and may they some-day remember it. Go, or they will be suspicious once the new rotation checks the logs."

"I understand, Captain. We'll obey." He snapped to attention and saluted. "They won't dishonour _Huáscar,_ whatever happens, they won't dishonour Earthforce. We won't let them. Good luck, Captain." He spun on heel, and after that, it was silence in the cell block.

Zhengli Varma whispered a soft prayer for their success, and that they might come out the other side alive, her loyalists, as she settled down to wait once more. 

* * *

Even in the middle of a crisis paperwork still had to be done. Julia was attending to just that in her ready office off the bridge, trying to ignore the menacing Drazi Sunhawk that was visible out of her window. While the ship was not in of itself a threat to her own, the intent of the ship was menace enough. Joined with the aggressive _Avenger_ crew? That was even worse.

She was finishing a requisition report when there was a chime at the door. "Come in," she called out.

Cat entered, wearing her uniform with the skirt instead of pants as she usually did. Behind her was the Dilgar science officer, Tra'dur. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant Delgado, Combat Expert Tra'dur?" Julia asked them.

"Captain, Lieutenant Delgado and myself have developed a plan for disabling the explosives set at the mitre gates on the city's barrage." She nodded to Caterina. "Cat'Delgado, please, go ahead."

"We're going to set up sensors as close as we can to the gates," Cat explained. "If we can get the right readings, we'll know what kind of explosives they're using and can find a way to counteract them."

Julia's eyes went from Cat, and her visible enthusiasm, to Tra'dur, who tried to hide the same but couldn't quite manage it. "It's a good idea. I'll have the Marines do the scans right away."

"I'm not sure they have the training for what we're doing," Cat said. "This is delicate equipment. It has to be assembled just right, and the readings carefully analyzed."

To that Julia folded her hands on the desk. "So what you're saying is that you want to beam down."

"Yes."

"You want me to send my science officer into a potential combat zone."

A year ago that might have deterred Cat. Short of a scientific discovery to be had, she was rarely eager for such missions. But now Julia could see no sign of such a sentiment now. Another sign of the change that the Doctor had caused in her. "You don't really need me up here for this situation. Down there I could save Tira."

"True," Julia conceded. "But you're late on your field mission exercise evaluations, and…" Julia shook her head in exasperation. Her voice lost the authority she'd been using before when she added, "This is bad, Cat. Those mercs could kill you."

"The Daleks could have too. And the Nazis."

" _Touchè_." Julia considered herself and felt a bit of reproach. Was she being reluctant to send qualified personnel because she didn't want to risk her science officer? Or was it because she didn't want to send her friend's little sister into a firing zone? _We're all in a firing zone anyway, I suppose._ "Alright. I'll have Commander Richmond assign you a security team. And I'm sending Lucy with you to help you with the technical side of things."

Cat smiled and nodded. "I'll be ready."

"You're going in full action uniform with ground operations kit, Lieutenant," Julia ordered. "Anything less is unacceptable, understood?"

"Understood, Captain," Cat replied. "I'll get ready immediately and report to the armory."

"Report to Transporter Station 3 in one hour. We should have a security team for you then. You're both dismissed."

Cat and Tra'dur left the ready office. When they were gone Julia briefly set her face in her hands and sighed into her palms. "Angel will _kill me_ ," she muttered. 

* * *

A question forming in Cat's mind finally came out after they stepped into the turbolift. "Deck 4," she said, before turning to Tra'dur. "The way you pronounce my name. 'Cat'Delgado'. Is that a social convention for Dilgar?"

"Yes, Cat'Delgado, it is. Amongst the Dilgar only close relatives-I mean to the second degree at most-and lovers and mates may call each other by their prenomen."

"So you might call your mother 'Shai', and your sister 'Nah', but you call Fei'nur by her full name?"

"..Well, as it happens, Fei'nur almost raised us by herself, so sometimes as a girl I'd only use her prenomen. But she's pretty traditional and I would never do that in public these days. However, you've got the right of it: Say Battlemaster Or'kun on the _Magaratha_ I'd always call Or'kun, yes." She was smiling with a fond memory. "Even though you're human, I didn't want to be presumptuous."

"Oh, it's fine," Cat said. Ahead of them the lift door opened. Cat led her out onto Deck 4. She took the usual right outside of the lift entryway. "I just figured that might be a mouthful. Our family names are a lot longer than yours, I mean. In Human society we usually use the last name for formality. That's why Julia, I mean the Captain, called me 'Lieutenant Delgado' instead of 'Lieutenant Caterina Delgado'."

"Yeah, mother uses the human method in English. I just felt a bit nervous about following her lead so readily. Cat. Perhaps because it's short, so it sounds like a Dilgar prenomen. I'd… I tried to use it before, and I'd like to fit in more, here, really. I mean everyone's been so kind to me, especially yourself and Commander Scott."

"Well, you can call me Cat in private, if you want," said Caterina. "And if he says you can, we all call Commander Scott 'Scotty'. It's an old nickname from his comrades when he was in Starfleet decades ago." They arrived at the door to her quarters. The ship automatically recognized her and let her in. Inside she found Violeta sitting on the couch, in her uniform pants and the burgundy red undershirt of her duty uniform. "Oh, Vee! Getting ready for duty?"

"Yeah." She grinned. "I left my spare uniforms in your closet." Violeta noticed Tra'dur and stood. "Oh, hey. You're the Dilgar officer assigned to the ship, right?"

"Yes, Ensign. I'm Combat Master Tra'dur, a pleasure to be at your service."

"Ensign Violeta Arterria, navigation officer." Violeta grinned at Cat. "Well, soon to be Lieutenant Arterria."

Cat's eyes widened. A grin crossed her face. "You got the promotion?"

Violeta nodded eagerly. "Commander Locarno gave me the notice this morning. The promotion board approved it. I'll be Lieutenant junior grade on the first of next month."

"That's wonderful!" Cat went up and embraced her girlfriend tightly. She gave her a congratulatory kiss on the lips. "That's so great! You've earned it!"

"Thank you," Violeta said. She glanced back to Tra'dur before meeting Cat's eyes again. "So, what's going on?"

"Oh. Oh, right." Cat chuckled nervously. "Uh, I'm here to get into my action uniform. We're beaming down to install sensors in the Marine posts."

Violeta's expression turned to concern. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Oh, we'll have a bunch of Marines with us, and Lucy, and they're sending a security team with us too. I'm sure we'll be safe. Well, as safe as we can be right now, I guess…"

It was clear Violeta was still worried for Cat's safety, but she didn't say anything. "Okay. Well, be safe… and I'd better finish getting ready, my first watch of the day begins in forty minutes and I've still got to grab a bite to eat."

"Oh." Cat winced. "I'm sorry for keeping you. Have a good watch."

"And you be careful." Violeta went to the chair over which her black uniform jacket - with the red trim the same color as her shirt - was laid. She picked it up and began pulling it on while walking out of the door.

Tra'dur coughed gently. "I didn't want to interrupt with your mate. Thank you for introducing me. Is she a different breed of human?"

"Hrm? Oh, the purple hair and eyes?" Cat giggled as she walked into her bedroom. Tra'dur remained at the door while she went for her closet and the action uniforms there. "They're cosmetic genetic alterations for coloration. It's pretty common in the Sirian League." She pulled one of the uniforms out. The action uniform was a multi-piece set, made of specialized material and backed by an interior ceramic plating to protect from weapons fire and with prepared pockets and a belt with a pulse pistol holster. Its design would also help in more extreme temperatures and could easily be fitted to an environmental suit. She laid it out on her bed. "I'll be out in a minute, just let me change."

"Oh, of course." Tra'dur fiddled with her weapons and checked the fit on the slim vest under her uniform jacket, folding her hands as she waited.

When Caterina emerged, she was putting her pulse pistol into the holster on her hip. The uniform nevertheless looked mostly like the one she'd been wearing before save for the pockets on the side and on the pants. The twin gold strips of her rank insignia were even in the same place on her collar. "Alright, I'm ready, let's head to the armory so we can get field gear."

"Lead on, Cat." The lithe little auburn-haired Dilgar woman in her grandiloquent uniform swung in on the human science officer's side without a moment's hesitation. Utterly confident, there was something of a leader in her scientist's mind, too. 

* * *

The drive through the Dilgar colony city was quiet for Wrex and Drack. The mercs on the streets had no trouble keeping the frightened Dilgar pacified. Pockets of them could be seen on the street, watching the anti-grav truck carrying the two in silence. At one corner Wrex watched with smoldering silence as a group of mercs were busy curb-stomping a single Dilgar, laughing all the while. The Dilgar was silent: even the meanest civilian Dilgar knew enough to expect no mercy from aliens. His disgust was evident to his older compatriot, who remained quiet regardless.

Soon they were driving past a gray-toned structure. Like many of those present, it was made in part with materials salvaged from Dilgar ships used for the colony mission, the rest being made of basic raw materials like concrete. The tetracolor and torch of the Allied Systems fluttered on the flag that topped the three story structure. Wrex made out power-armored Marines watching one of the entrances with weapons ready. "Looks like they'll be throwing us into a frontal assault," he remarked.

Drack laughed at that. "Knowing Weyrloc Tral, he'll throw bodies at them until he runs out of bodies. Or ammunition blocks, if we're really lucky."

" _Nobody_ is that lucky," Wrex grunted.

Pulling away from the building, the truck came to a stop in front of their destination. The two Krogan jumped down from the anti-grav truck and stomped their way into the positions held by the Blood Pack. On their way they moved through a half dozen red-armored Krogan and twelve Vorcha. The latter had a particularly fearsome appearance for humanoids, with growling voices coming from mouths marked by visibly long, sharp teeth. The Vorcha were the cannon fodder of the Blood Pack, although they were tough for such fodder given that, like the Krogan, Vorcha enjoyed a regenerative physiology that let them heal from even severe injuries.

The building in question had been a residence for a Dilgar family. Now the banner of Clan Weyrloc was hanging from the roof. Given the state of their furnishings, Wrex suspected they wouldn't be back whatever happened.

Inside they found that one of the living areas was now serving as a makeshift command post. A Ferengi-made holographic interface was sitting on a table in the middle. The hologram it was showing, depicting one of the structures occupied by the Alliance forces, wavered. It shut down completely when a fist slammed into the table and smashed it. "Blasted machines," growled an angry Krogan voice. The Krogan in question had dark green coloring on his carapace, his skin a beige tone, and his armor the same blood red as his followers. Red eyes a shade darker than Wrex's shifted and took them in. "So the Brakiri sent me the has-beens," he muttered. "Nakmor Drack. Urdnot Wrex. I'm surprised either of you had the brains or the quad to take work like this."

"Still sore over the last time, Tral?" asked Drack, who grinned in amusement at the memory.

"You did me a favor, Drack," replied the Weyrloc leader. "Those were my weakest recruits."

"Of course they were." Drack let the lie stand. The Weyrloc had pride, not to mention their delusions of being the most powerful Krogan clan.

"So, you two are here, and you're assigned to the main strike team," Tral said. "Word is we'll be going for those Alliance people soon. Our employers want to send a message. No prisoners."

"I heard we were just going to shell the buildings to rubble," Wrex said.

To that Tral laughed. "The Brakiri consider us cheaper than the munitions. So we're going in. And we kill everything we see. Do you think you two fossils can manage that?"

"No surrenders. Kill everything." Drack snorted. "Sounds like a Weyrloc plan to me."

"If you survive, there'll be a bonus, I'm told," Tral continued. He snorted. "Then we can blow the dam gates and get off this rock."

"So it's coming to that, huh?" Wrex asked.

"What, you feel sorry for 'em?" Tral asked. "Way I hear it, the Dilgar pissed off every species around in this universe. Just collect your pay and forget about it. Now get the hell out of here while I get this damned system fixed. The next time I see a Ferengi, I'm ripping off those stupid ears."

The two stepped out of the room. "So they're going to do it," Drack said.

"Yeah."

"Anything we can do about it?"

To that Wrex shrugged. "Probably not. Don't mean I have to like it. And the next time a Brakiri offers me a job…"

"...we'll both tell them to piss off," Drack finished for him. 

* * *

Sharon Farallon, the _Huáscar_ 's Chief Engineer and a short, brown and mousy woman who could nonetheless take down a man three times larger than herself at arm wrestling, had been the most enthusiastic in regaining control of the ship from the XO. She had also been the one made the most uncomfortable by the directives from Geneva which seemed to confirm Foster's actions. She was sitting across from Lieutenant Goodman, or more properly was braced against the wall, glancing to Reichert occasionally and keeping her eyes away from Officer Saumarez.

"Guys, this is going to be mutiny now if we go ahead with it. Before, yeah, it would have been legal, but they're addressing Major Foster as the commander."

Reichert held his hands behind his back like he was at parade rest. "Lieutenant Commander Farallon, I seem to recall they said obedience to unlawful orders is not an excuse when they were hanging those Nazi bastards at Nuremberg. And a couple of other times after that, too."

Sharon grimaced. "Look, you know that don't actually give a rat's ass about that back in Geneva. The Russians have half taken over the Earth Alliance and they only ever apply those rules to the losing side. We're going to be in more shit than you can realize if we act against Foster. Possibly the Death of Personality if we get people killed…"

"I thought you were on Sheridan's side, too, Sharon," Johnathan Goodman spoke in his soft rumble.

She shot him a look. "We all were here, except Officer Saumarez. But the war's supposed to be _over._ "

"We'll have a ship, we hardly have to surrender!" Reichert almost shouted. "Look, Foster's still violating orders. He's exchanging communication with these pirates who showed up, and the government sure as hell never sanctioned that. At worst we'll be in the same place he was and he got his actions confirmed by the government."

"If I go back now, Commander Farallon, I am going to cease to exist," Elia spoke very softly. "The fact we haven't acted doesn't matter."

"You have a legal obligation to prevent genocide, Sharon," Lt. Reichert spoke again. "You know that's exactly what they're planning. It's a secret open enough to drive a shuttle through."

"And we'll never see our families again..!"

"And the Dilgar won't have any families because the Drazi killed their babies by bashing them against a wall!"

Sharon swallowed. "They're also a bunch of aliens."

"And one of them is sitting on an Earth Alliance planet right now with a Line Medal around his neck, and a memorial in the town square with the other five inset into it. Who the hell else helped us during the Earth-Minbari War, Sharon?"

"The Drazi _said_ they did!" She flushed.

"Stro'kath's fleet is a ghost, nobody knows what happened to it."

Lieutenant Goodman squeezed his hands, a cold sweat on his dark face. "Okay, the way I see it is, that's a higher order, preventing genocide. If Foster disobeys it, we gotta take him down. We don't have time to ask Geneva, the Dilgar could all be dead by then. But that's like an order from God," he continued, lapsing more into his caribbean accent. "Y'gotta follow it, if you care about your soul."

Sharon sighed and looked at the terrified but resolute Elia across from her. "All right, if we get into.."

Lt. Goodman's comm trilled. The others went dead silent as he picked it up. "Yes… Yes, Captain, what do you..? Oh, of course, Captain, I understand. Uh, negotiate? Captain? I'm just a Lieutenant, I can… Yes, Sir, I understand. Right away Sir." He deactivated the comm and stared at the others.

"What the hell was that, Johnathan?" Sharon asked.

"Major Foster wants me to go to the Minbari cruiser to represent Earth in the talks."

"Goddamnit, that means he's onto us, it has to," she snarled.

"Maybe," Lt. Reichert answered. "But he has to go. And I've got a solution for that."

"Look, we're not doing anything unless we absolutely have to, do you understand? Lieutenant Reichert, do you understand me!?" Sharon was outright shouting, now, Elia wincing away from her.

"Understood, Sir," he said, very, very softly. 

* * *

With the _Avenger_ on the scene, it went against Julia's instincts to beam over to the _Orsala_ for continuing talks that were unlikely to go anywhere. She didn't trust the _Avenger_ crew given what she knew about their condition, or even without that, their sheer aggressiveness. The idea of a shooting war breaking out with her off the ship…

Taking her First Officer with her? That was almost insurmountable a hurdle.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't trust me," Jarod remarked while escorting Julia and Meridina to the Transporter Station.

Julia gave him a guilty look. "It's the principle of the thing," she said. "I shouldn't be away during a crisis."

"The Brakiri and Drazi leaders will be away as well," said Meridina. "And there will be someone from the _Avenger_ present."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Julia answered. "Especially since we don't know anything about their command structure. This 'Tina Carmine' may not even be Hawk's usual third-in-command. Besides, they don't strike me as the type to care about diplomatic rules. Attacking while we're on the _Orsala_ is something I can see them thinking of as clever."

"A good point, but if they are here as allies of the Drazi, one suspects the Drazi are requiring them to conform to diplomatic niceties. Otherwise they will look bad as well."

"That assumes the Drazi care," Jarod said. "Remember, these are the same people who launched raiding attacks on their weakest neighbors. They were even willing to attack Sheridan's _White Stars_ when the ISA was initially founded." Given they were nearing their destination, Jarod stopped. "Either way, I'll have the crew on standby should anything happen."

"That's all I can ask."

"Good luck." Jarod smiled slightly and nodded before stepping away. They both heard him murmur, "We'll all need it" as he stepped away. 

* * *

Julia and Meridina met Shai'jhur in Transporter Station 1. She had that same quiet aide with her. Julia wondered where Fei'nur was currently. Shai'jhur had already been shot once and Fei'nur seemed the type to never risk it again.

Julia motioned to the pad and said, "After you, Warmaster."

Shai'jhur stepped onto the pad with a wry look. "I never get more used to this, of course. Carry on, Captain."

"One moment." Julia turned back to Jarod. "I shouldn't have to say that if it comes down to me or the ship, the ship comes first. But I will anyway because it feels like the right thing to say."

"Somehow I suspect that the _Orsala_ is a lot safer than the _Aurora_ right now anyway," replied Jarod. "But understood."

Satisfied, Julia nodded to him and he left. She and Meridina joined Shai'jhur on the pad. "Transport when ready."

A Dorei woman was at the transporter controls nodded. "I'm receiving the coordinates from the _Orsala_ now. Confirming."

The transporter beam whisked them away from the _Aurora_ to the Minbari ship. They arrived near the launch bay for the ship's shuttles and fliers. A Minbari male in white and light beige robes with a bone crest that Julia associated with the religious caste met them at the entrance. "Greetings, and welcome to the _Orsala_ ," he said. "Please follow me."

While walking through the ship Julia and Meridina took in the internal design of Minbari ships. They favored purples and blue lighting and coloring, occasionally green, for their interior halls, which were primarily darker hues around the lights. The diversity in color was greater than the azure corridors of the _Aurora_.

The Warmaster's expression was dour in the extreme, as if she would rather be anywhere else in the world. Her yellow eyes flashed from corridor wall to corridor wall.

They arrived in a room with a series of rounded tables closely matching the makeup of how things had been on the _Aurora_. Tarinak was present, as was Tabir, and Holloran and the lead Abbai delegate, Forna, were near their table. Foster was not present. An Earthforce lieutenant was near that table instead, a big, black-skinned man with an easygoing expression, sitting quietly and, Julia thought, a little uncomfortably.

There was a new position as well, a table with just one figure beside it. He was in a gray jumpsuit of sorts, a thin young man with combed black hair. This was apparently a concession to the formality of the situation, as he looked anything but comfortable in the surroundings, and more to the point, not at all caring about the weight of them. The only thing on his face was obvious, evident boredom, boredom which turned into clear hostility when he looked toward Julia. He snarled in open contempt and crossed his arms. Julia ignored him with just as much contempt. _They didn't send the current commander of the_ Avenger, she noted to herself. A whisper in her mind indicated Meridina had picked up that thought as well. Seeing no point in talking, Julia found her table with Meridina and sat down. Shai'jhur took her seat just as quietly.

As everyone began to filter into their seats, Julia noticed that Foster still hadn't shown up. A vague suspicion formed in her mind. Yoni Shaham had mentioned their discussion, and Foster's remarks about the Minbari, so he might be delaying his arrival to mess with them. But given the situation, Julia didn't like this one bit.

"The Captain of the _Huáscar_ will of course arrive shortly, as well as the ranking officer of the pirate?" Shai'jhur said airily, refusing to sit.

"We're not pirates, you damned butcher," the gray-suited man barked. "You're the damn pirate, and we're going to make you pay!"

The Brakiri shot an angry look toward that table. "I'm afraid that with your capture of their commanders, the Drazi associates are a little uncertain of their command structure," Tabir noted. "They are a very… informal group, you see."

"And yet they fly around with one of the most powerful, advanced battlecruisers in the Multiverse," Julia noted wryly. She glanced toward the man. "Where is Miss Carmine?"

"She couldn't come," he said sullenly. "I'm Andy. Andy Lattrel. I'm going to be dealing with you." His voice made it clear that his idea of "dealing" with them would involve shooting.

The look on the Brakiri was one of open contempt. _He does not approve of the Drazi choice of allies_ , Meridina relayed to Julia telepathically.

 _The Brakiri are businessmen, that kind of bluntness is too much, I guess_.

Shai'jhur would have none of it. "You may _think_ you will be dealing with me, but all you will be doing is conveying a message to your commanders. I have read Verne, I know your literature, and I can name your game, you cur! Don't think me a naive alien, I know you break the laws of your own race! Your Darglan _Nautile_ flies no flag and conducts a war of revenge under the colour of no law, Sir. Tell your commanders that they are _Hostis humani generis_ and I will put them to death if I catch them! If you want to enforce the law of nations, _live by it_!"

Before any retort could come from Andy Lattrel, Holloran smacked her hand on her table. "The next person to issue a threat gets my boot up their ass." The look on the Director's face made it clear that, as the Director of Covert Intelligence for the InterStellar Alliance, she was not a diplomat, nor did she believe she had to be.

Shai'jhur ground her teeth. "Very well. Where is the Earth representative, Major Foster?"

"I'm Lieutenant Johnathan Goodman, Earthforce. I was sent by Major Foster to represent our interests. He will not be coming aboard."

"And I will not negotiate with subordinates," Shai'jhur answered immediately in a show of anger and contempt. "I have endured enough humiliation, we will not also have a farce of talks without the ranking personnel of each power present."

"Call up Foster," Holloran said to Goodman. "Tell him to get over here now, or his lack of cooperation will be made clear to both Earthdome and Tuzanor."

Goodman wryly twisted his face into a grimace and reached for his commlink. The conversation was brief. "I'm sorry, Director, but he won't come."

A cold feeling went down Julia's spine at hearing that.

As Goodman spoke, Shai'jhur stepped over to Julia and spoke softly. "This is a _ruse d'guerre_ , as you humans would say. Get back to your ship." Her eyes snapped to Holloran. "Director, call me back when the principals are all actually present, and I will come, even if it is the middle of the night."

Julia and Meridina exchanged worried looks as they stood up. Meridina's hand quietly reached for her omnitool.

Shai'jhur pulled out her own commlink.

There was a tone from another table. Lattrel was activating a multidevice. "They're leaving!" he shouted. " _Go now!_ "

" _Two to beam up, immediately_!" Shai'jhur shouted in Dilgar. The two Dilgar disappeared into the amber glow and sparkling tones of a Klingon transporter model at least a half-century old, but perfectly serviceable for the circumstances.

"Emergency transport, now!" Meridina shouted.

Holloran watched in stunned silence at their sudden departure. As her head turned to face Lattrel, he too vanished in a flash of light.

" _Director_." The voice of the Minbari captain came over the air. " _The independent cruiser has opened fire. The Drazi are moving to engage._ "

"Damn," Holloran muttered.


	33. Episode 3-06-4 Yesterday's Enemies P2

The space over Tira lit up with energy weapon fire. Powerful bolts of sapphire energy erupted from the banks of the vessel _Avenger_ and slammed into the unshielded hull of the _Aurora_.

Julia and Meridina materialized on the bridge and nearly hit the floor from the violent shaking. "Raise shields!" Julia shouted while stumbling to her command chair. She buckled the safety harness immediately. "Damage report!"

"They knew where they were aiming," Jarod answered. "Primary 1 shield generator is completely offline. They severed the power lines. Hull damage in Decks 7 and 8, section B."

"Switching to backups," Tom Barnes said from Engineering.

"Returning fire!" Angel added.

The _Aurora_ 's own plasma weapons retorted. The _Avenger_ 's shields snapped back into place a moment before they struck. Blue light fizzled around the bolts and beams of the same color. "Their shields are still holding," Angel reported. "The other ships are moving to engage as well. _Shenzhou_ is opening fire."

More fire struck the _Aurora_ 's overtaxed shields. "Shields down to eighty percent," Jarod said. "The secondaries are up, but I'm not sure how long they'll last against the _Avenger_ 's guns." The ship shuddered once more as he finished speaking. "The Drazi are moving into combat formation."

"I've got activity at the system's jump gate," Lieutenant al-Rashad said from the science station. "It looks like someone's coming through…" She turned briefly. "Drazi, sir."

"How many?"

"Fifty… no, sixty… I have seventy individual signatures now through the gate." Al-Rashad blinked. "And even more now. Not Drazi this time… recognition profiles show them as Cascor vessels. A carrier group."

Julia swallowed. "Damn," she muttered.

But there was no time to dwell on that, not with the _Avenger_ 's fire again rocking their shields. "Evasive maneuvers. I want all fighters in vacuum, _now_. Open tac comm links!"

As she spoke the Drazi came in, weapons firing. The remaining Drazi of the first wave were focusing their firepower on the _Aurora_ as well, although ten broke off to engage the _Shenzhou_ and three more were maneuvering to try and contain the _Koenig_. Julia watched on the tactical map, hoping that the Brakiri and Hyach would remain out of it while focusing on the immediate problem.

Locarno was pushing the _Aurora_ into the quickest maneuvers the kilometer-long starship could manage. The Darglan drives and systems running her made her agile for her size. But the _Avenger_ enjoyed a similar profile, if not quite as nimble, and Hawk's people had clearly honed their tactical skills since the battle at Earth C1P2. Whomever was at the helm was keeping the _Avenger_ on the _Aurora_ sufficiently to allow its more numerous weapons to batter the Alliance vessel. Ruby energy fire from the Drazi Sunhawks joined them, pounding away at the _Aurora_ 's deflectors on the weak side and keeping Jarod from shunting power to face the onslaught of the larger vessel.

"They're throwing everything they have at us," Jarod said. "Shields are down to fifty percent."

"Get the squadron on those Sunhawks!" ordered Julia.

"Transmitting orders now," Meridina confirmed. 

* * *

"What's our tactical picture?" Shai'jhur asked as she settled into the bridge, glancing to Kaveri. She had arrived from the transporter room only a minute ago after returning from the Minbari cruiser, and had heard about the Drazi attack as she returned to the bridge on the _Magaratha,_ or rather the attack of the Drazi and the _Avenger._ "Are the other League races also moving into position? If so we should hit them now."

"Yes, Warmaster. They are moving into attack formations very similar to that used by the late-war Liberation Navy, aimed at Tira and ourselves. It is beginning."

"All right, I want the Rohric Group to go in and pin the Brakiri head on. The Cascor ships arriving are trailing the Drazi and aren't a concern yet, assuming they actually even engage as opposed to just hanging back and defending their carrier. Then the Tira group sweeps around - see - rakes the Hurr and Hyach from above and then turns into the rear of the Brakiri. Their ships will be caught between two fires and unable to answer and the Hurr and Hyach can only pursue by opening the planetary surface to us, so they might well not."

"If they destroy the fleet, the planet is helpless, Warmaster. That lesson they should have well learned from the war. They will pursue. If they destroy the fleet, they are free to act."

Shai'jhur grimaced. "Then we'll pass through the Brakiri at point-blank range and detach our fighter groups to attack them as we do. That will allow us to support the Tira Group when the rest of the League squadrons pursue them, and if we carry through a very intense initial attack from catching them between two fires we can leave the fighters to finish the Brakiri."

"And we can cover them, with their weak interceptors and lack of shields. It has tactical sense to it. _Huáscar_ has not yet launched her own fighters, we may yet have a chance, but I expect… the _Avenger_ will likely seek to repeat the turning point of Third Balos."

"You're right, they'll concentrate on Andreys' ship, if they remove the _Aurora,_ we can't stand against them. Well, forward the fleet! The sooner we hit the Brakiri the sooner we'll have freedom of action."

"Agreed, Warmaster." Kaveri gave her a thin flicker of a smile. _To fight alongside Shai'jhur after this long is a strange feeling, if not unwelcome._

The two Dilgar forces began to accelerate and split, the unshielded Tira force moving in to attack the Hyach and Hur as they prepped and launched starfighters. The fast Centauri models they had quietly purchased, embezzled from government stocks during the low points of the Republic, outperformed everything there except for the Alliance fighters.

The Rohric force swung into range of the Brakiri, and the Brakiri opened up with their massed energy beams. But with the lead 'heavy' Pentacon of _Magaratha,_ two _Sekhmet_ s and two _Tikrit_ s, the mixture of deflector and grav shields and interceptor grids turned the opening fire. The reply was tremendously accurate even at range, the sensors on the three lead ships were better than those of the Centauri and so were their targeting mechanisms.

 _Magaratha_ 's main battery commenced fire, a blinding concentration of three Hyach spinal lasers replacing the infamous double-barreled mass driver of her half-sister _Deathwalker_. They tracked with their target, tearing through the armour of the lead _Avioki_ as space blazed around them. The two battlecruisers on her flanks met her movements perfectly, engaging two more Brakiri ships with tremendous effect.

The first Brakiri ship collapsed into two pieces, drifting apart in a cloud of debris. "Shift fire!" Kaveri snapped.

Rushing in closer, their next target again was subject to that devastating power, the Brakiri ships indisposed to easily maneouvre while maintaining their own bearing on the enemy. Behind them, as Kaveri expected, the Hurrr and Hyach were breaking formation over the planet after the initial attacks by the Tira group, now maneouvring also into range with the Brakiri. But thrusting up from zero-zero relative the planet, they had a disadvantage, deep in the 'hole' of the grav well, and for a few brief minutes, Shai'jhur's sweeping envelopment came together, Brakiri ships disintegrating under the fire, hacked in two by the beams or spinning slowly off crippled.

"As we pass between them, cut thrust and rotate Y-positive to fire into their starboard flanks. We'll take their right flank and leave our guns open against the Hyach, they're the biggest threat. Full thrust until the signal is given! To Death we dedicate this day! Rohricans, choose your routes and cut the Brakiri formation!" 

* * *

The atmosphere on the bridge of the _Huáscar_ was as tense as hell as they watched the fleets begin to engage. This was one of the largest fleet battles since the Civil War to happen anywhere, hells, larger than most of those. Major Foster was sitting in his command chair, the ship still at Condition Two. He hadn't yet called stations, but now it was just a matter of time, and going from modified ZEBRA to full ZEBRA would hinder movement through the ship.

Lieutenant Reichert knew that much, and he knew how much of a problem that would be. More to the point, if they were serious about making their stand, they had simply run out of time. He wasn't going to give Sharon a choice. Choices were for situations where there were multiple equally morally valid solutions. Here, there was just one morally valid solution, and it was going to go down. Even it cost him his life.

"Reading one hundred and ten Drazi ships, Sir," the long-range sensor operator reported to Major Foster as the attack force swept in. "The Cascor and Brakiri are also moving in. Six Cascor, twenty Brakiri ships. Hyach and Hurr forces are positioning themselves to cover the surface of the planet."

"Thank you, Jimmy," Major Foster glanced around the bridge. "It's clear that our allies are facing direct hostilities from the Dilgar and the Allied Systems. We're going to act accordingly. Lieutenant Reichert?"

"Sir!" James Reichert stepped forward, his body tensed. He knew what he had to do. He knew the only way that would force them all to act.

"You are the Officer of the Watch. Sound General Quarters."

"Sound General Quarters Aye Sir," he answered, and began to turn toward the Bosun's Mate. But as he turned, he flipped up the cover on the holster of his PPG instead.

Major Foster saw it and lunged to his feet to escape the command chair. As he did, still half-crouched over in front of, it, James finished spinning toward him and drawing his gun. The PPG spat fire, and Foster's face twisted into a rictus of agony as the rounds blasted at power through his uniform and into his torso.

"All hands! All hands!" At the back of the bridge one of the former Nightwatch men was on the internal comms. "Lieutenant Reichert has just shot the commander! There is an insurrection against lawful order on the ship! Take immediate measures to secure seditionists and traitors! I repeat, our lawful comma-"

His message cut out as Reichert opened fire again, the man toppling away from his station in a burst of fire which left his head burning, blatantly dead, as a few missed pulses set consoles for the intercoms burning.

James looked up, expecting death. But when the Bosun's Mate's gun spoke, he was firing on the GROPOS at the back of the bridge. He took the unanticipated survival, at least for a moments longer, for what it was worth, and lunged to the deck. The fight was on. 

* * *

Down in engineering, the declaration that Major Foster had been shot on the bridge had brought an instant halt to all effort. People stared at each other, and at the intercoms as continued communications suddenly were punctured by the sound of PPGs firing.

Sharon Farallon knew that the situation came down to her. She could either act or not act, and the thoughts of her friends, family, home, all came together. Chilè, beautiful Chiloe island, her parents were still alive…

She heard boots in the corridor outside of main engineering control. _They know my politics. They won't give me a choice._ She snapped into action. "All right, break open the arms locker! Move! Move! Secure the blast doors on the double!"

They slammed down just in time as she jogged over, remembering _she_ was the one with the access, entering the combination that opened the site-locker for arms on engineering. Passing them out to her crew, there were shouts beyond the blast doors, but nothing on the ship would get through those, not short of setting off a nuke. And there were plenty of access points through the reactor.

"We're fighting for the Captain!" She announced as her people began to form in order, unaware of whose side they'd be fighting on. "We're fighting for the Captain and for Right. We're all going to stick together no matter who's side we were on last time, we're all comrades, we're all going to do this right. We're going to get up there and put Captain Varma back in command and we're going to stop Major Foster's mutiny cold, we're going to stop this genocide cold. Are you _WITH ME, Huáscarenos_!?" 

* * *

The space around the _Aurora_ was lit up with weapons fire from multiple sources. The great Alliance starship was being hounded on all sides by her counterpart and their Drazi allies. On the _Eagle_ Yonatan Shaham watched this occurring on his tactical map while, on the screen, a Drazi Sunhawk was belching fire and atmosphere from the impacts of the _Eagle_ 's pulse phaser cannons. A solar torpedo from the launchers slammed into the red bulb at the rear of the Sunhawk and shattered it. The Drazi ship was out of action. "Direct hit," Rebekah reported from tactical.

The vessel shuddered under them. "Another Drazi ship on our stern, above," Othello said from Ops.

"Evasive maneuvers," Yonatan ordered.

The _Eagle_ pulled into a tight, corkscrewing turn to throw off the Drazi ship. Ruby fire filled the space in front of them; another Drazi was engaging. "Shields holding at eighty-five percent," Othello said.

"They're cutting us off," warned Benyamin. "I'm trying to get us clear, but there are so many…"

There was one less a moment later. One of the Alakin warbirds opened up on a trailing Drazi Sunhawk. The hits damaged the unshielded Drazi ship, forcing the Sunhawk to break off its pursuit of the _Eagle_. Benyamin used the opening to maneuver the attack ship around one of the attacking Sunhawks, getting them out of the immediate fire zone.

"Good job, Beni," said Yonatan. "Resume attack pattern. We must keep the enemy off of the _Aurora!_ " 

* * *

The _Aurora_ bridge was shuddering yet again as the fury of the _Avenger_ raked their failing shields. The two ships now "above" and "below" each other, with the weapons on the ventral hull of the _Avenger_ raking across the same arc of the _Aurora_. Locarno was busy twisting the ship to present their port side while return fire struck back. From "above" and to port, Drazi Sunhawks continued to fire on the _Aurora_ as well, keeping Julia's ship pinned in and unable to shift the shield arcs to deal with the heavy fire of the _Avenger_.

Nearby the Dorei starbird _Keyan_ was firing. Purple-hued plasma energies also slammed against the _Avenger_ 's shields. Drazi Sunhawks peppered the bird-like Dorei ship with energy fire that met her shields in turn. The Alakin warbird _Yreep_ exchanged fire with another Sunhawk; the other warbird, _Greepk_ , was taking fire from two more. The _Koenig_ moved in and blew one apart while being pursued by three. The Gl'mulli orb ship _Tu'pam_ zipped "upward" and poured plasma fire into a group of Sunhawks moving in an attack vector against the _Aurora._ One burst apart and its compatriots broke away, simply to fly into the guns of the _Eagle_ as they opened up. It lost a wing to the fire of the attack ship.

"The Dilgar are fully engaged with the Brakiri and Hyach," Meridina noted.

"Then I hope they take them out in time." Julia winced as the ship rocked again, throwing her against her harness. "How bad?"

"Shields are dropping below thirty percent," Jarod warned.

"All tertiaries are online now," Barnes added. "We can't reinforce the shields any more."

"If you can get me clear of the Drazi, I can try to direct shields against the _Avenger_ ," Jarod said.

"That's what I'm trying," Locarno said. "But there's too many."

Despite their own worsening situation, Julia's thoughts went in another direction. "What about our Marines?" she asked. "What's their situation?"

Meridina was quick to connect to them. A moment later Anders' voice came over the comms. " _Anders here_."

"What's your status, Major?"

The answer was clear when she heard the burst of pulse fire in the background. " _We're holding_ ," was all he said. 

* * *

Cat looked up from the assembly of the material scanner she and Tra'dur had nearly finished. Below, at the ground level, she could hear the sounds of gunfire. She glanced about on the roof to see the reactions of the others. Lieutenant Pete Lindstrom was already looking her way with a grim expression. "You're hearing it right," he said. "Mass effect firearms and pulse fire. They're attacking us."

"I do not think they would attack us if their fleet was not also attacking," Tra'dur mordantly observed.

"Oh, they have," Lindstrom said. "Already got the confirmation. Hold tight, ladies, and finish your work quickly. Out here we're exposed."

"We're pretty much done," said Cat. She turned to the assembly and activated it. With her omnitool she was able to direct the delicate sensor. The quiet whirring of a motor within sounded. The tip, blinking green, turned until it faced toward the barrage gates in the distance. Cat brought up a screen showing the direct target of the sensor and shifted it toward the intakes on the filtration systems. "Have anything?"

"I am picking up traces," Tra'dur confirmed, looking on a results screen beside the device. "But the sensor must get a stronger signal to accurately resolve it."

"Continuing to shift…"

Their work might have continued in silence if not for the other development. Ensign Reubens called out to Lindstrom, "Sir, from the northeast!"

Lindstrom, not a small man himself, turned in the direction that his broad-shouldered engineering-rate officer called out. He could make out the form of the attack craft as it drew closer. "Take cover!" he shouted to the others. He found a spot behind one of the climate control units for the building and knelt there.

The crimson-tinted craft drew close enough that they could make it out as a Brakiri-built troop craft. A side-mounted particle weapon was its main armament. It's role was to deploy troops from the air, which in this case meant dropping them right on the roof with the security team. Lindstrom and his people opened up with their pulse rifles as the vehicle swooped in. Its hardened armor skin absorbed the shots from their weapons. The powerful pulse cannon of the side mount returned fire, spraying the rooftop with orange bolts that kept everyone in cover. Cat and Tra'dur had to abandon their place by the sensor assembly they'd built to avoid the incoming fire. Cat immediately transferred the sensor output to her omnitool and kept working. "I'm getting data," she said. "There's a chemical trace that doesn't fit our data on the planet or the gates."

"Let me see."

"Whatever you do, stay down!" Lindstrom shouted. He rose just enough to look over the climate unit. The assault craft was stopping just inside the edge of the roof. Armed Brakiri mercenaries started to jump off. Lindstrom raised his rifle and sprayed fire in that direction. He had to stop and go prone when the heavy gun turned his way. More fire from the rest of his team converged on the Brakiri troops. One lucky shot caught a Brakiri in the chest and dropped her. But no one could get anything but snapshots off with the speed in which the side gunner brought his weapon to bear. Thanks to his cover fire the Brakiri soon held a portion of the roof.

"Lindstrom to Anders. We need heavy support on the roof," said Lindstrom.

" _We're a little occupied down here, Lieutenant_ ," was the reply. " _I can't get anyone up to you yet._ "

"Get someone soon if you don't want to give the Brakiri control of the roof," Lindstrom replied, frowning. What was going on down there? 

* * *

The Dilgar of Tira built their cloning centers as semi-public places, where the colonists would come and interact with the personnel responsible for growing the new infants from the provided genetic stock of the colony. The front door led to an open foyer of two storey height where the colonists, pleased or not, would be directed to the doctors and other personnel that would match them to the children that their government mandated them to raise, and to seek medical assistance with the same. Of course, the building followed Dilgar standard public architect styles which made it essentially a heavily reinforced blockhouse within the limits of the materials from which it had been constructed.

Anders, now wearing a standard field power armor suit, was on the second floor of the foyer, watching his Marines pour their fire into the crimson-clad Krogan and Vorcha streaming through the front entrance. These weren't normal foes either; both species were incredibly resilient physiologically, with biological redundancies and healing that approached active regeneration. A number had already made it to the first area of extensive cover, a set of brass models depicting an ideal Dilgar family of two adults and numerous children playing around them.

Anders smiled thinly at that. He'd been hoping attackers would try that. "Everyone ready," he said into his command line. "Standby…"

He waited until the number of enemy troops using the stand and sculpture as cover was plentiful. Any moment they would attempt a charge toward the corridors and entrances that would carry them deep into the structure. It was only as they began to move that Anders spoke again into his comms. "Blow it."

The explosives that his Marines had hidden, at his direction, started to go off. They utterly destroyed the Dilgar sculptures - no loss there, as far as Anders was concerned, ugly things that they were - and the stand that they'd been built upon. In the process they turned the same into shards of metal and debris that further wounded the attacking mercenaries caught in the repeated blasts. By the time the last explosion cleared, they had killed at least a dozen enemy combatants and wounded more.

Furthermore, they had - as planned - removed that big piece of cover. The frontal assault of the mercs would now have to go through the killing zone of his Marines. Anders fully expected them to try, if only to keep him from diverting troops to the other entrances or the roof.

The roof was worrying him. He would have to get troops up there, and soon. But right now, he needed his fire teams here and at the other entrances. Lindstrom and his security team would just have to hold down a bit longer.

Anders took the time to contact the other buildings, starting with Lieutenant Sanger over in the clone warehouse where they'd started this whole thing. While he was physically here, his responsibility included every Alliance shooter in the colony, Marine and security, and he had to make sure they were all holding.

Meanwhile, confirmation came. The mercs were hitting the rear entrance too. 

* * *

The rear entrance was more of a dock than anything, a place for the Dilgar to deliver heavy equipment to support their repopulation efforts. Now it was being assaulted by the native E5B1 mercs, primarily Human and more Brakiri. They came through the wall by blasting charge and were met by fire from armored Marines.

That alone was bad enough, but at least it was something they were used to.

Lucy Lucero? She was something they _weren't_ used to.

They'd made it just past the bays when Lucy dropped down from the framework above. Her lightsaber flashed to life with a snap-hiss, buzzing loudly in the air as she brought it down on the PPG rifle of a Human merc.. The merc, another woman with the same light brown complexion as Lucy, gave out a cry of surprise at the blade that cleanly removed her hand and half of her arm while slicing her weapon in two. Lucy twirled and nailed her with a kick that sent her flying.

In her blue robes over purple body armor, Lucy was very distinct from the conventional dark color of the Marines supporting her. That brought attention. And weapons fire. Lucy's weapon became a blur, a solid line of blue tracing through the air and reflecting PPG bursts and other fire back into her foes. They fell, wounded and surprised, still firing as trained and only adding to their troubles by doing so. A Brakiri man tried to catch her from behind with a bayonet. She deftly avoided the blade and retaliated with an upward cut that removed his left arm.

With the weight of numbers showing, Lucy gathered her will in. When she let it out, it was in a wave of force emanating in all directions from her. Merc after merc was thrown back, smashing into the walls or the remaining bay doors with a loud clatter and loud groans. Lucy drew in the power and lashed out with it again. Mercs coming up to the bay doors went flying back out of them. Those who didn't were gunned down by the Marines in prepared defensive positions behind her.

Despite their clear advantage here, Lucy didn't feel any triumph. She already sensed the danger. Above her, and elsewhere in the building.

"They're getting inside," she said into the tactical channel, her lightsaber buzzing while intercepting more fire.

" _Hold as best as you can. I've got people watching the structural points. We'll hit any team hard if they manage to get there._ "

"Right." _I should be on the roof, protecting Cat_ , was Lucy's mental response. But she was needed here for the moment. She had to hope that Lindstrom was keeping Cat safe. 

* * *

The order to attack found Wrex and Drack while they were sitting in the barracks area several buildings down from the cloning facility that was their target. Tral assigned them to a group heading through a side entrance to the structure while the other entrances were hit with full frontal attacks. With a platoon of Krogan and some of the Brakiri and Human mercs as support, they approached the door. Wrex held up a hand and motioned with it. A Human with a speciality omnitool stepped up to the door. "No need for a breaching charge," he said. "I can override."

"Hrm." Wrex didn't like the sound of that, but he did nothing to keep the merc from continuing to work. He wasn't about to let this apparent gift go unquestioned. He'd heard too many good things about the Alliance Marines.

"There, see? Easy-peasy," said the tan-complexioned Human. He hefted a PPG rifle. And went into the door. Others moved to follow. "Stupid Systemers think they're so much smarter than us, I'm going to enjoy shoving my…"

A pulse blast from the far side of the entrance struck the hacker in the head. With his brain flash-fried he died instantly. Wrex called out, "Take cover!" and did the same. He reached for his Claymore shotgun while Drack, moving up to the door, sprayed fire toward the Alliance troops with his M8 Avenger.

Wrex shifted, looking to take a shot toward their assailant, but the angle was no good. He had to wait until he had a better opening to make his move.

Drack took cover beside the interior door as well, barely avoiding the responding pulse fire. He glanced to the mercs remaining outside and frowned. "Get your asses in here," he demanded. "You know the plan. We keep going."

For a moment it wasn't clear if they would respond to Drack's order. Then the Krogan moved, coming through the door while Drack laid covering fire. Wrex helped where he could, getting a shot off that took down one of the Alliance troops firing at them.

"Screw this." Wrex turned away from the door and to the wall. "Stand clear!" As soon as he was sure the others had done so, Wrex focused until dark matter surged around him With the assistance of his biotic power, Wrex rushed forward and slammed into the wall. The material gave way before the power of a Krogan Battlemaster. Wrex stomped into the next room over, a supply room of technical gear, and hit the opposing wall with enough force to go through it as well. He stopped in the middle of a corridor of brown coloring with white floors. "This way," he said to the others. 

* * *

In orbit over Tira the desperate fight continued. The _Aurora_ twisted and turned, her failing shields enduring the wrath of her counterpart. The _Avenger_ 's pulse plasma cannons raked across the _Aurora_ 's port side as she maneuvered. From the starboard, several Drazi ships commenced another attack run. Multiple beams of sapphire energy from the _Aurora_ lashed out at them. One faltered, trailing flame and debris from its wounds, leaving the others to pepper the _Aurora_ with ruby light.

On the bridge Julia was watching the tactical display with frustration. The Dilgar were still fully engaged with the Brakiri and the other ISA races in the battle. Rather than go after them, the Drazi were focused on the _Aurora_. Even with over twenty of their number destroyed or crippled, they kept coming. With their numbers, they were overwhelming the other Alliance ships trying to help.

"Shields are below ten percent, cohesion is failing," Jarod warned. "We're taking significant bleedthrough damage to the hull armor. Major hull breaches have formed on Decks 6, 8, 12, 18, and 25."

"Armor self-repair systems are operating at full capacity," Barnes added.

"You can't get us any more shield power?"

"There's nothing left, dammit," Barnes protested.

" _Avenger_ shields down to thirty percent," Angel said. "Maybe we should take a page from their playbook. Get the other ships to focus entirely on them!"

"Then the Drazi get to pick us off one by one," Julia replied. Looking at the map gave her an idea. "Locarno, full impulse, break away from orbit."

"Aye ma'am."

"The Drazi may turn their attention to the planet," Meridina warned her.

"They want us gone first," Julia said. "But don't worry, I'm not leaving just yet."

The _Aurora_ broke away while red and blue energy played over her azure hull. The _Avenger_ turned to give chase with a number of Drazi ships trailing. As Julia had anticipated (and hoped) the Drazi were more interested in defeating the _Aurora_ than they were in performing their bombardment now.

On the tactical display Julia watched the growing distance with the _Avenger_. They were still taking fire - the Drazi were numerous enough that they were moving through another section off their force - but were at least taking less of a pounding on most of their arcs. "Get ready to put shields forward," Julia warned. "Mister Locarno, at my mark, a one hundred eighty degree turn, as quickly as you can."

"It won't be on the dime, but I might manage a nickel," Locarno replied confidently.

"Anything less than a penny and I'll have to be disappointed," Julia replied.

"A penny then…"

"Ready… ready…" The ship shuddered again. Their shields were virtually gone. " _Mark_."

Locarno used every trick in the book. He fired thrusters, he shifted engine priority on the fly. And with his expert hand, the _Starship Aurora_ made a snap turn in space with surprising speed. Suddenly they were facing their attackers head on.

"Full impulse," Julia ordered. "Right at them. All shields forward!"

"Chicken?" Locarno asked, already enacting the order.

"Close," Julia confirmed with a nod. "Break topwise on my order. Tactical, everything you've got, on the _Avenger_ , same mark. Mister Jarod, set the tractor beam to repulsion and hit that Drazi in the middle with it."

"Right."

At the distance and speed, there were only ten seconds to go. The _Avenger_ 's crew apparently saw this as a challenge. Their weapons continued to blaze at the _Aurora_ , battering her forward shields.

At the appointed moment, Julia gave the word. "Mark."

The _Aurora_ 's bow weapons and torpedo launchers erupted in fury at the _Avenger_ even as Locarno maneuvered the ship "upward" to avoid a collision. The _Avenger_ 's shields held against the barrage with effort.

Then the tractor beam lashed out and struck the Drazi ship. Because of the angles it drove the Drazi "down" into the _Avenger_. Neither of their foes could react in time to prevent the resulting collision. Due to the energy of the Drazi ship in motion the _Avenger_ 's shields failed to hold it back. The Drazi ship went to pieces from the strength of the impact. The same impact ripped a hole in the larger ship's hull. Systems damage knocked out power in the entire area.

Nevertheless the _Avenger_ refused to quit. Wounded and angry, she came about with the remaining Drazi and resumed her attack on the _Aurora_. "Torpedoes!" Angel cried in warning, noticing the other ship firing a full spread.

"Evade!"

"Trying!"

Locarno did try. The _Aurora_ maneuvered to evade the incoming weapons fire. Her interceptors fired at the trailing sparks of blue-white light.

But it wasn't enough. The ship shuddered violently, badly enough that Julia felt like her harness might break.

Even before Jarod reported the result, she could already guess it. "We just lost a secondary shield generator and one of the tertiary ones." He looked back at her with a grimace. "Our shields are _gone_." 

* * *

In the rear docks of the Dilgar cloning facility, Lucy's lightsaber continued to move in a sapphire blur. Plasma and particle blasts from the mercenaries were tapering off. The mercs were learning that volume of fire was just increasing the amount of fire Lucy deflected back at them. Their tactics now seemed to be firing from cover, as if to wear her down.

More than wear her down. Buy time.

And then Lucy sensed it. She felt the twistiness in space that always came when a biotic field was being generated nearby. It had a feel like nothing a life force wielder ever had. She fell back toward the other Marines. "Anders, they're in the building!"

" _Yeah. Turns out they've got a Krogan Battlemaster. He brought a unit in the side door and knocked down a pair of walls to get around Charlie Squad's defensive position._ " Major Anders' reply was firm and to the point. " _They're slacking up here, but not enough that I can detach everyone. And Lindstrom needs help on the roof._ "

"They're doing the same back here. Just enough to make sure we can't leave." Lucy fell back into cover and dropped to a knee. Her lightsaber disengaged with another snap-hiss of electronic noise. From her position she was able to make eye contact with Sergeant Coleman, the senior Marine at the spot. "Coleman, can you hold?"

"I think so!" he shouted back. He checked the charge clip on his pulse rifle. "We've got a heavy armor team if it gets hairy! You should go help Charlie Team stop that third group!"

Lucy almost agreed. But she took the moment to focus. She let the energy within her guide her thoughts. What was the best way to do this?

Immediately she knew where she needed to be. "I'll get to them when I can, but we've got another problem. Hold here while I handle it!"

Coleman didn't question her, even if he didn't particularly like the feeling that she was overriding his judgement. He'd heard enough to trust Lucy's instincts. "Good luck!" was all he said.

Lucy nodded in reply and fell back from the dock area. 

* * *

Wrex's group managed to get halfway through the building before the Alliance troops finally caught up with them. A firing team of armored Alliance Marines met them at a waiting area filled with seating for civilians and a desk. A Marine popped up from the latter and fired off a quick shot. Wrex's biotic field took the hit without failing, buying him time to duck back into a corridor. More pulse fire came. "Looks like they've got something here to defend."

"One of the structural points. And the cloning tank rooms," said one of the Human mercs behind them.

"Right." Wrex looked toward Drack. "Cover me."

The older Krogan nodded and hefted his assault rifle into a firing ready position.

Wrex went out first, biotic field raised and shotgun at the ready. The moment the Alliance Marine popped into view his Claymore roared. The most powerful shotgun in the Multiverse proved its worth yet again. Armor yielded to its power and blood shot from the resulting holes. The Marine toppled back behind the desk.

Others rose to open fire on him and were met by a hail of fire from Drack. Drack moved into the room as well, his assault rifle blazing. The suppressive fire sent the Marines down for a few critical seconds, long enough for Wrex to close the distance on the desk. With a loud roar and a burst of both muscle and biotic power, Wrex knocked the desk clean off of its foundation and threw it backward. The soldiers behind the desk were already scrambling backward. "Fall back!" one shouted, guiding the other toward a nearby door. Fire from behind Wrex converged on them. One of the Marines went down to a leg wound. His buddy squeezed a shot off in the direction of the mercs shooting at him. He glanced toward Wrex, who remained with his biotic field up, doing nothing. The Marines got their wounded man out before more fire converged.

"So, we're here," Wrex said. "This is one of the points for the explosives, right?"

"Main support pillar, near the clone tanks," Drack confirmed.

"Then you know what to do," Wrex said, looking toward a Brakiri. "Get the charges set. We hold here." 

* * *

The dreadful silence of isolation in Zhengli's cell was abruptly broken by the sound of a PPG rifle cycling outside and shouting, some of it confused and incoherent. There was another period of silence, and then sobbing and a shuffle of a body. Footfalls reached the door, and a moment later the cell opened.

Standing in front of Zhengli was Elia Saumarez, a trace of blood dripping from her nose and a sheet-white expression on her face. She had one PPG rifle in her hands and one slung over her shoulder, and without even speaking she thrust the one in her hands to Zhengli.

"Thank you, Miss Saumarez. Link?" She needed _information_ , trying to retake control of _her_ ship, as she checked the rifle and held it at a low ready, adrenaline surging. "Let us get our destroyer back."

"Of course, Captain," she added a commlink a moment later, trembling a bit, but locking and checking her second PPG. On the ground in front of them one of the security personnel was shaking in place like he was having a seizure, crying and staring at the wall. Elia stiffly avoided looking at him.

"Come on." She tapped the link; "All hands, this is Captain Varma! I am retaking command of this ship! This mutiny must end! Lay down your arms and I shall call for clemency!" She glanced to the telepath. "Let us be going, they may trace that transmission. We need to take the bridge, and quickly."

"Captain, I'm not sure what's going on there, but this started," she stuttered and then spoke clearly, following at her side past the other dead bodies, "when Lieutenant Reichert shot Major Foster on the bridge. I'm not sure anyone is actually in charge there. Afterwards, Commander Farallon had her engineering crew start shooting at some of Foster's people who came to arrest her, and that's when she told me I was the only one in place to break you out. Foster sent Lieutenant Goodman to the Minbari cruiser and he's still trapped over there."

"Then we need the bridge or the main computer core, Foster should not have been able to lock me out of the systems yet. Most of the crew will be uncertain, and momentum in this sort of morale environment counts for a great deal." Zhengli had exploded into motion, and showed not a hint of hesitation as she moved forward. Saumarez could feel the swirl of emotion within her, but not a hint showed in her posture.

"Right, Captain! Main computer core is closer. If we're lucky we'll…." She brought her gun up. "Someone coming," she hissed softly.

Zhengli gave a single sharp nod, and slipped into cover. _This is reminding me far too much of a Brown Sector sweep. Saumarez, nod if they have hostile intent._

Mercifully, she didn't nod. A woman rounded the corner-it was the security guard from two days before. Corporal Watters. She jerked up to a halt, four other guards at her back. "Captain, ma'am! We're for you!"

"To Computer Central then, and quickly! Let us take our ship back, _Huáscarenos_!"

"Come on, _Huáscarenos_! We'll do it together!" It was a stunning sentiment to hear from the lips of a Psi Corps officer, and she jogged out to take the lead, screening the others with all of her senses, as no military telepath was supposed to do. But for all of them, there was no turning back.

"You heard the woman, let's get moving!" Zhengli accepted it, as her mind calmed and focused. _Victory or death, now, and I have to see all of mine through it._

* * *

On the roof Cat and Tra'dur were busy examining the sensor's data while Lindstrom and his security team fought the Brakiri mercs. Every few moments the big gun on the troop gunship would rake across the roof, forcing them to duck even further as bits and pieces of metal were shaved away by near hits. "Can't we do something about that?" Cat shouted.

"We don't have the hardware," Lindstrom replied. "We need the Marines up here, and they can't come right now!"

"Then what we are supposed to do?" asked Cat. "They're not stopping."

Lindstrom almost barked that he didn't need to hear that, but he didn't. He spotted one of the Brakiri mercs about to overrun Reubens' position and opened fire on the merc. The Brakiri ducked back into cover. Lindstrom nearly lost his head when the mercs' transport gunship raked its anti-infantry support weapon right over his cover. "Major Anders, we're not going to hold out much longer," he warned.

" _You don't have a choice, Lieutenant. I've already got an enemy team inside our defense perimeter and the other sides pressed. I don't have reinforcements for you. If you have to, retreat from the roof_."

Lindstrom looked to the roof entrance door. It was in the open, at an angle where the Brakiri ship could easily mow them down. "I don't think that's an option…"

The door flew open. Lindstrom watched Lucy Lucero storm through it, blue robe trailing, her weapon shining in the air. "Get down!" he shouted. "You're…"

It was too late. The dropship gunner was opening fire.

Lucy seemed to see it coming. Her weapon was a blur. The energy fire that could have killed Lindstrom or any of his people was knocked away upon impact with the blue blade. The other Brakiri mercs went for cover as their own ship's weapon fire was now threatening _them_.

Lucy's hand came up in a motion. There was a distant thump, a cry of surprise, and the fire suddenly stopped. Lindstrom glanced around the corner just long enough to see the gun was unmanned. "We're clear!" he shouted. "Secure the roof!"

The security team left cover only under the protection of each other. The mercs, deprived of their fire support, cut off from their transport a moment later when Lucy rushed into it, could only fire shots where possible at foes who were quickly flanking them. One by one they went down to stun blasts. Lindstrom finished off the last and immediately turned to his charges. "Are you okay?" he asked the geeks.

"We're okay," Caterina confirmed. Tra'dur had simply continued to work with a kind of single-minded sangfroid.

On the gunship, Lucy was standing behind the pilot, lightsaber up. "You're flying for us now, got it?" she asked. "And this way, you may actually avoid charges for abetting a genocide. That sounds good, doesn't it?"

The pilot dared do nothing but nod.

"I thought so." Lucy smiled sweetly at him before glancing back to Lindstrom and the others. "We have a ride, if you have a plan."

Cat and Tra'dur exchanged glances before getting right back to work. 

* * *

In his post at the front entrance, Anders listened to Sergeant Coleman and sighed. He'd fully intended for Lucero to go after the Krogan Battlemaster and the group that got inside his building. But she was on the roof instead, and he was short of options.

"Perez, Janyam, Patel, you're with me," he said. "We've got to stop that team that got inside."

His choices all looked his way. Like Anders, Sergeant Janyam was in normal Marine infantry armor. The Gersallian man had a tanned complexion with dark eyes and hair. A family emblem of sorts was on the necklace with his physical dogtags. Corporals Perez and Patel, however, were in heavy infantry armor. Taking them from the front was a gamble, but with a Krogan Battlemaster in the building, Anders needed the firepower. There were plenty of reports in the Corps about the Krogan Battlemasters. Biotic powerhouses that were some of the most dangerous individuals of the M4P2 universe.

"We're with you, Major," Sergeant Janyam said. 

* * *

Wrex supervised the charge being set with an increasing feeling that things were going bad. It wasn't just the flow of the fighting. The attacks at the front and rear were completely stopped. The force hitting the roof screamed something about a Human woman with an energy blade and stopped transmitting - presumably the same woman that the rear attack group had claimed was knocking them around earlier. The odds were good that the other guys were on the way.

No. It was something more than that. This job was about to go sour.

Then he heard the shattering of glass.

Wrex scowled. "Mind staying with him?" he asked Drack.

Drack nodded and hefted his rifle. Wrex returned his Vindicator to the mounting port on the back of his armor and stomped toward the sound. It was coming again, and again, followed by wet, meaty thumps.

He turned the corner of the gray halls into a room filled with monitors. Some were now going blank. But Wrex wasn't looking at the monitors.

He was looking at the little bodies now littering the floor. The smashed ruins of a generation being grown in this building. Even now a pair of Brakiri were stomping on the dying little Dilgar. At another tank a Krogan in Blood Pack armor was laughing in the moment before he smashed his armored head into another tank. Fluid drained out through the crack, pulling the little form inside with it. He immediately smashed the infant with his boot.

Something in his expression gained the attention of the Brakiri merc officer who followed his unit in. The dark-eyed Brakiri smiled at him. "Don't mind us," he said. "We're just doing a little follow-up work. The last team to hold the building only got around to removing half of the Dilgar clones. We're taking care of the rest."

"Then what's the point of the bomb?" Wrex asked.

"Oh, the bomb will finish them off." A savage gleam appeared in the Brakiri's eye. "But just in case it doesn't go off, removing a few more Dilgar from existence will make this worth something."

Wrex growled at that. "You're enjoying this," he accused the man.

At that the Brakiri laughed. "Of course I am. The Dilgar are animals. The entire species is a cosmic mistake, a nightmare that we're putting an end to. Did you know they did the same thing to our children. They did _worse_. Because that's what the Dilgar are. Vicious, bloodthirsty killers, every one of them." Hearing the growl in Wrex's throat, the Brakiri rolled his eyes. "Oh please, don't give me a moral lecture. You knew it was coming to this, mercenary. Did you think that bomb wouldn't blow these tanks apart? You're just as responsible for this as we are. That's what we're paying you for, after all. To help us rid the galaxy of the Dilgar once and for all. Just stick it out like a good mercenary and you'll get your money, then you can go back to that ruin of a planet you Krogan come from and continue to die out."

The words struck home. Wrex had, indeed, been ignoring what this mission meant. He'd done what he always did, focusing on the mission at hand. What the client did with his work was the client's business, so long as he got paid. That's what it took to survive now. Nothing changed that. It was galling to think that, for all of the reservations he'd stated to Drack, he'd still ultimately fallen in line like a good little merc. He'd become just another Krogan mercenary fighting for a chance to fight.

His red eyes wandered over to another shattered tank. A little Dilgar baby, this one fully grown and ready to be decanted, was ripped from the tank by an over-eager merc. For a brief moment, just a brief one, Wrex thought he could hear a cry come from the infant. If there was one, it was drowned out when another merc buried a fireax into the infant's head. A spray of dark blood came out through the thin baby fur.

Wrex closed his eyes to escape the image. But the image didn't go away. Instead his mind betrayed him. It twisted the image lingering there. The slaughter remained the same. The baby let out a cry before the ax came down and silenced the little life forever.

But now the baby wasn't a Dilgar. It was a _Krogan_ infant that the mercs were slaughtering. All around him were the broken, ruined bodies of little Krogan babies, to join a thousand years worth of Krogan infants that the genophage had slaughtered in their mothers' eggs.

That forced Wrex to open his eyes. He looked over the room again.

"Now return to your post, Urdnot," the Brakiri officer demanded. "Leave us to our work, since you clearly have no stomach for it."

For a single, dangerous moment, Wrex simply looked at the Brakiri while thoughts filled his head.

"I gave you an order, Krogan." Now the Brakiri was frowning. And the other mercs were starting to notice. "What are you still doing here? Have you suddenly gone mute?"

The scowl disappeared from Wrex's face. "Ah, what the hell," he muttered, sounding defeated.

The Brakiri smiled.

The smile was still on his face when Wrex pulled his shotgun out from the small of his back. Indeed, it was only beginning to fade from confusion in the moment before Wrex's finger found the trigger.

The Brakiri's head exploded.

For a single stunned moment the other mercs didn't know what to do. Wrex used that moment to bring the Claymore over and fire it at the nearest merc. The torso of the Brakiri merc was nearly blown completely out by the blast. He fired again, killing the merc's buddy as he started to move, before he took cover behind a shattered tank. A moment later particle weapon fire from the various mercs converted on his location.

More than that, a loud roar filled the room. The Blood Pack Krogan didn't know what was going on, but had apparently decided Wrex was his enemy anyway. He charged toward Wrex's cover. Wrex figured what was about to happen. He'd already swapped to his Vindicator rifle and rolled back out of cover. A biotic field absorbed the incoming fire in the critical moment he needed to squeeze the trigger. With a loud series of shots Wrex hit one merc in the head and another in the gut. With only two mercs left in the tank chamber besides the Blood Pack Krogan, the odds had improved. They were still bad, but they'd improved.

Wrex had only one option to avoid incoming fire. He turned to the raging Blood Pack Krogan and charged him. The Krogan met his charge and the two went flying into the wall with enough force to smash an indention into it. Releasing his Vindicator rifle and letting it hit the ground, Wrex grabbed the Krogan and turned him toward his allies. This left him open to a vicious punch from his opponent. It was a good punch, too, but Wrex knew how to take them. He let go of the Krogan and threw his own. But his punch was backed by a burst of biotic power. The Blood Pack Krogan went flying back into another of the shattered tanks. He might not have fallen if not for losing his footing in the blood of the same Dilgar infants he had helped to slaughter. The Blood Pack Krogan did finally fall backward into the clone tank. Without time to pick up his rifle, Wrex brought his shotgun back out and shot the Krogan in the face.

Or rather, tried to. His shot did manage to rip chunks of flesh from the Blood Pack Krogan's head, but it was off given the particle blast that hit his arm and threw his aim. Wrex grunted and pulled back toward the wall, trying to get a measure of cover. It took a lot of effort to force his biotic field back to strength. By the time he finished and got the shotgun up to face the approaching mercs, they were already shooting at him. Orange energy pulses battered his biotic field back down.

The Claymore in his hands roared. The shot blew the guts out of one of the two mercs. Wrex swung the Claymore over slightly to shoot the other one.

But nothing happened.

Steam rose from the Claymore. It was overheated at the moment. It wouldn't fire again until the internal systems marked that it was safe to do so. That was likely seconds away.

More than enough time for the merc's next shot to get through the biotic field, and likely find Wrex's head.

Gunfire rang out. Another shotgun. The merc's arm was nearly stripped to the bone by the blast. His weapon dropped to the ground and he did a moment later.

Wrex looked over to the door. Drack stepped in with his shotgun raised. He swept the room once before lowering the weapon and walking over to Wrex. "Nice job, whelp," he said while Wrex stood up. "I was wondering when you'd make a move."

Wrex barked a laugh at the older Krogan. "So you're okay with this? I just wrecked our contract, and both sides will be after us now."

"Been there. Done that."

"Heh. Yeah." Wrex looked to the door. "We'd better stop the bomb."

"Already did," Drack answered. "The moment I heard the first shot, I put the bomb tech down."

"Dead?"

"Probably wishes he was."

Wrex nodded in approval. His eyes went over to the clone tanks. The broken ones, and the intact ones. "This could be us," he said. "Can't you see it? We could use something like this to get around the genophage. And you know the damned Turians and Salarians would try something like this if we did."

"The Salarians would just bomb it from orbit and claim it was a rogue asteroid," Drack said.

"Yeah." Wrex stepped toward the door. "So, let's think…"

A loud roar filled the air. Both turned in time to get bowled over by the Blood Pack Krogan Wrex had shot. Even with half of his face a bloody mess, the Krogan was alive. Alive… and in the grips of a blood rage. Drack brought his shotgun back over and took a shot that blew chunks of flesh from the Krogan's arm. Heedless to the damage, the Krogan punched the old veteran hard enough to stagger him, then used his good arm to pull the shotgun away.

Wrex slammed into the Krogan from behind. The Krogan roared and spun. It wasn't thinking tactically, but its move nevertheless worked to send Wrex on and into another broken clone tank. The Krogan's eyes darted between them, as if deciding on who to kill first.

A massive blue pulse slammed into the chest of the Blood Pack Krogan. Even with his mass, the Krogan went flying and hit the blood-slicked ground. He roared and tried to get up again, but took another shot, and another, until the blue pulses left him a steaming pile of cooked flesh on the floor.

The two Krogan mercs looked toward their rescuer. They both recognized the Alliance Marine armor for what what it was.

Major Anders looked around the room. It wasn't the dead Dilgar children that got his attention - that was a sight he'd already endured - but the dead mercs? That was interesting. "So..." He stepped in further, allowing two Marines in heavy armor to squeeze through the door. They raised their arms to point their weapons at Wrex and Drack.

The two Krogan looked at each other. Both knew that the Alliance troops had them dead to rights.

"So," Anders continued. "Just what the hell happened here?" 

* * *

In orbit the Drazi Sunhawks continued to go after the _Aurora_. Its sapphire beams sliced into them. One blew apart. The others peppered the unshielded armor hull of the _Aurora_ with ruby energy, leaving scorch marks and debris.

The _Avenger_ , however, was not joining them. Its weapons fire seemed to slack off here, with only secondary weapons firing in the vicinity of the _Aurora_ 's weapons mounts.

Given all the damage, the _Aurora_ crew was working hard to keep their ship in the fight. One such damage control team was scrambling toward a patch of unrepaired damage on Deck 20 when they saw the lights. All four turned and spotted the six dark-clad humanoid figures that appeared from a Darglan transporter effect. The six figures raised pulse rifles. The lead on the team, Petty Officer Samaro Tenga, managed to get to her omnitool. "Boarders!" she shouted into the ship comm system, seconds before a pulse blast struck her in the chest. 

* * *

The ship shook again below Julia. Not as severely as she imagined would happen, however. The _Avenger_ seemed to be holding back now, using lighter weapons and going after the _Aurora_ 's weapons in turn. "We just lost one of the plasma emitters," Angel said.

Beside her Meridina relayed the information. "Boarding party spotted on Deck 20… another on Deck 10…. two more on Deck 20."

"They're after Hawk and his girlfriend," Julia answered. She tapped the comm button on her chair arm. "Bridge to Richmond."

" _I already have teams en route, Captain_ ," answered Richmond. " _We'll stop them._ "

"I hope so." Julia returned her attention to the fight. The ship took another hit, this time from the Drazi. They smelled blood, and unlike the _Avenger_ , they were willing to make the kill. "I know shields are out, but do whatever you can to keep the Drazi from hitting us somewhere critical."

"Doing what I can," Jarod answered.

"Same here."

"Still returning fire," noted Angel. "I got a few hits on them with their shields down, and it looks like their shields are already dropping below fifteen percent."

"That's better than zero, though. Do what you can to even the odds."

"Perhaps we should try the same?" Meridina suggested.

"Right." Julia activated the tactical comm. "Attention all ships. We're being boarded. I say again, the _Aurora_ is being boarded. We have lost shields and the _Avenger_ and Drazi have us pinned in. Whatever you can do to help, it'd be appreciated." 

* * *

"Warmaster!" The Combat Captain at the sensor post turned toward the centre of the bridge, eyes sharp. "The pirate warship has knocked out the _Aurora_ 's shields. We're detecting multiple beam-in signatures, and they are requesting assistance."

Shai'jhur looked at the floating wreckage of Brakiri ships to her sides, the smashed Hyach vessel they had out-shot ahead. It was like old times, but what came next wouldn't be. "We can afford the heavy Pentacon. Form three-dimensional pentacon! Stand by for precision warp."

Only the Dilgar, so new to the technology, would calmly think of demanding precision tactical use from warp drives they had purchased from Ferengi scrap dealers, that had been built by the Klingons seventy years before.

Kaveri was working at her console, trying to think ahead. _Daring, yes, but_ Avenger _will be badly distracted, and… they never used a three-dee pentacon before._

Shai'jhur glanced to her with a wry smile of two long-connected souls that sometimes had a virtually psychic intuition. "It was an old tactical plan of Warmaster Jha'dur's. We implemented it. Stand by warp drive!"

"Warp drive synchronized throughout the pentacon, Warmaster! Route is clear of enemy shipping!"

"Engage!"

The five ships went to warp for just a fraction of a second, lancing across the battlefield and reemerging before the _Avenger_ as she stood off, transferring boarding parties to the _Aurora._ That meant the pirate's crew was distracted, and that was just the moment that Shai'jhur could have hoped for.

"All ships, fire forward batteries!" The massed concentration of seven Hyach spinal lasers combined with the standard pulsars and bolters of the five ships as their three-dimensional pentacon covered the _Avenger_ from all directions. Her shields flared briefly, withstanding the enormous power directed against them. But the Hyach spinal lasers on the three core ships cycled quickly, and the _Avenger_ had no such luck with the next salvo. Supported by a flurry of ion bursts, bolters and pulsars from the five Dilgar ships, the Darglan shield bubble, one of the most advanced technology protective systems in the galaxy, failed. The Dilgar fire was unerring, they had the same X-RAY SPECIAL targeting sensors as the _Huásca_ r on the three big ships, and not a single shot missed. Fire was ripping across the regenerative armour of the _Avenger_ now, with the spinal lasers in particular carrying sufficient power to really make themselves felt, gouging deep through plate.

Explosions rippled across the hull as the _Avenger,_ not a regular military ship and with her senior officers captive aboard the _Aurora,_ thrashed like a confused tiger caught in a trap as the flash of vapor indicated Shai'jhur's ships had vented air to space. Instead of raising shields immediately the crew finished their beam-ins of boarding parties rather than risk the death of their comrades, and in the meantime, Shai'jhur's pentacon continued to hammer them. Finally they brought their shields up, the hull wreathed with plasma and huge gouges and lines raked across her armour. Coming about to evade the fire, the formation caught her in every direction, and for a moment, drove the merciless battlecruiser back.

It was only a moment, but Shai'jhur took it for all it was worth, and pressed home her attack. She had to keep them off the _Aurora_ long enough for her crew to get a handle on the boarding parties, or else it would be all for naught.

"They will break out of the pentacon fire-cone momentarially, Warmaster. We are about to be very hard pressed indeed." Kaveri warned, watching the power curves of the enemy ship shift.

"Stand by to reverse formation by pivoting about current heading. We'll snap around and return them to it at least the first time. Implement the orders, Battlemaster." Shai'jhur leaned forward into her straps, and for a moment, the ghosts of ten thousand ships surrounded her pentacon. She _would not_ fail them.

"Understood, Warmaster." The human woman's voice started to roll out in accented Dilgar, preparing the squadron to execute the elaborate manouvre. "Ready."

She watched the _Avenger_ snap violently to starboard and accelerate. "Execute!"

Kaveri's orders snapped out, and the complex three-dimensional formation turned about inside itself, a complex ballet as left became right and thrusters burned, _hard_ , to kill their velocity and get them moving on the opposite vector. _This sort of formation could have given the Nova squadrons a difficult time. It seems perfect to focus fire on a foe._ Sometimes, she couldn't help thinking of the past, of what had led them this far - and the mirror of humanity the Dilgar seemed to be, more often than not.

The commanders needed no further information. These were Rohricans, survivors of 30 years of waiting and Shai'jhur's desperate secret operations. They had initiative that would have gotten them shot in the old Dilgar Navy, and it showed. As the evolution of the formation was completed, they immediately resumed firing upon the _Avenger,_ once again catching her into the kill-box of the three-dimensional pentacon. Shai'jhur leaned forward, chin against her gloved hands, as the maximal concentration of fire from five ships again splashed over the great Darglan battlecruiser. "Kaveri?"

"Warmaster?" Kaveri glanced over to Shai'jhur, incongruous in her uniform to the other Dilgar, but now being respected-proved in battle.

"They wouldn't be fighting, these others, if the _Avenger_ wasn't here. Third Balos works in both ways for this battle. Keep us on the _Avenger!_ " _Just a little bit more time_...


	34. Episode 3-06-5 Yesterday's Enemies P2

The _Aurora_ shuddered beneath the impacts of enemy fire. On the bridge of the beleaguered ship, Jarod and Barnes cooperated from their stations to deal with the problems the attack was causing their beleaguered vessel.

"Damage report," Julia asked, desiring the update.

"Shields are still down and we've taken a hit to the port impulsor. From what I can tell, they're targeting our shield generators and engines." Jarod checked another screen.

"Hawk may have downloaded information from our systems during his prior incarceration in the brig," Meridina proposed. "The _Avenger_ 's fire is remarkably accurate."

"But no longer against us alone." Julia was observing closely while Shai'jhur's dreadnought and other heavy ships battered away at the Darglan-built battlecruiser. More and more fire from Hawk's ship was going toward them, not the _Aurora_ , while the Dilgar fire was battering the _Avenger_ 's armored hull down. The other ship was resilient, but the lack of proper training and experience in the other crew was showing. Their maneuvering reflected what must have been a fear that going too far would leave their boarding parties isolated.

"Anything yet on those boarding parties?" Julia asked.

"Commander Richmond is already deploying security teams toward the brig," Meridina said. "Would you like me to go assist?"

The temptation was there. Meridina's skill set would make her invaluable to repelling the enemy. But she was also the First Officer, and had a critical role to play on the bridge given their combat situation. Ultimately Julia shook her head in the negative. "No. I need you here, Meridina. It won't do any good beating off the boarding parties if we lose the ship."

"Of course," Meridina said. A part of her felt it inappropriate to be here, to be in a chair relaying orders when her skills could be put to more active use. But she was no longer a Knight of Swenya, by her own decision, and by the same she had chosen to be Julia's First Officer. This was a consequence of those choices, and so she pushed those thoughts away.

 _I must trust Commander Richmond to do what she can_ , Meridina reminded herself, and she whispered a short wish, or prayer depending on one's point of view, for her former subordinate's success.

* * *

The ship's security teams were deploying, and Commander Richmond deployed with them. She was in action uniform and had a pulse rifle in her arms with the rest of Team A, now moving laterally across the ship on Deck 20. "Teams B and C, approach from Section H. D and F are coming from the aft," she said into the security teams' comms.

" _Yes sir_ ," was the answer.

The first indication of contact with the boarders was when they stumbled upon the prone figures of a damage control team. One of her people leaned over and scanned them with an omnitool. "They're still alive," the Asian woman said. "They were shot with a stun setting of some sort."

"That's awfully kind of our opponents," noted Richmond drolly. They'd behaved similarly a year before as well. "Mark them for a medical team. We're proceeding."

They continued toward the brig. One azure corridor after another passed by the team.

They nearly stumbled into the first strike team. The black clad humanoid figures came around a corridor just ahead of them. Their technique was sloppy to Richmond's eye; just moving in a mass, but they had at least been monitoring their sensors and knew her people were coming. They opened fire the same moment Richmond's people did.

The teams were nearly matched, seven on six with Richmond being the extra shooter on her side, but the exchange of fire proved even better for her. Blue pulses filled the space between the two teams. The first hits on either side were absorbed by personal forcefields, but only the first. Richmond's target went down. A cry beside her told her she'd lost one of hers.

The difference here was tactics. Richmond's people dropped to a knee, presenting a smaller target and stabilizing their aim. The other side didn't. Her people practiced concentration of fire, the others didn't. In the exchange that followed she lost one more member of her team, but they lost all but two. The last two finally ducked back into the corridor they'd emerged from. Richmond gestured and one of her people pulled a stun grenade. The object was the size of an orange and shaped like a control handle. The throw was practiced and precise. It hit the opposite wall of the corridor entrance and bounced further in. A bright flash of energy temporarily filled the air. Richmond glanced at her sensors and confirmed her targets were down.

She had a choice. Secure the boarders, or head on to the brig. Given the location of her people right now and the boarders, only the latter would let her arrive before they could take the brig. So she made that choice. "Team G, re-deploy to Section G Deck 20, marker is down. Secure prisoners."

" _Yes sir_ ," was the response.

She and her team continued on.

* * *

On the rooftop of the Dilgar cloning center on Tira, Tra'dur and Cat were finishing their examination of the explosives on the barrage gates. "It's an Octaazacubane compound meta-stabilized by secondary compounding with a biogel, Cat," she looked up, triumph flashing on her face before she fell back to a frown.

Caterina nodded at the result. Now that they weren't being shot at, she and Tra'dur were able to focus on the task at hand. "Octaazacubane. Hrm. I suppose we could synthesize a neutralizing compound. But I'm not sure my omnitool can replicate something like that."

"Besides, we'd have to hit every gate," said Lindstrom. Nearby Lucy was still on the Brakiri transport, making sure the pilot obeyed instructions. "If our new friend's correct, we don't have time for that. Any other options?"

"An electrical current would probably do it, if we could introduce one to the bombs."

"Correct, it could be destabilized by electrical current. That would deflag the explosive in a sub-order detonation. If we could control the electrical current supply we could control the detonation order and keep it from being strong enough to damage the gates," Tra'dur offered, scribbling some set of calculations onto a small notepad and handing it to Cat. "Now, how to introduce a current…"

Caterina looked over the calculations and checked the scan results again. "The gate," she said. "The gates and barrage, I mean. They're made of metal. But the water's brackish. Do the records show if they use a sacrificial anode to protect against corrosion?"

Tra'dur blinked. "Oh right. We have such little water on Rohric…" She had an armoured box of a little computer that could access the Tiran network, and leaned into the cover of the massive concrete of the building, delicately tapping keys across finger-pads and the click of retracted demi-claws. "Yes, the barrage motor-generator rooms also have the galvanic rig in them."

Cat grinned at that. "Perfect! If we can channel the necessary current into the wiring, we'll disable the bombs!"

"Galvanic lines are 'dumb' without a control circuit. We'd need to physically hook a pulse-modulator into the circuit or else hack and reprogram something already in the motor-generator room that's linked to their power supply."

"So we need to get over there," Lindstrom remarked.

"Well, we have one of their vehicles," Cat said. "We could fly there. They may not even realize it's us until we're already landing."

"That would still be a hot assault. The control centre is the perfect place to defend the charges from," Tra'dur said quietly, fingering a bandolier of grenades she had somehow picked up during the day. Unlike Cat, she was perfectly comfortable with weapons.

Lindstrom activated the comm line. "Anders, we think we have a plan to eliminate the threat to the gates. But we'll need enough firepower to take out whoever is watching the place."

" _I don't have any Marines to spare_ ," Anders said. " _But I might have something for you_. _I'll send them up._ "

"I wonder what he means by that?" Cat wondered aloud.

She got her answer a few minutes later when the roof door opened again… and two big, bloodied Krogan in battle armor stomped onto the roof. "Uh… hi," Cat squeaked.

Lucy looked over from where she was monitoring their captive pilot. "So you're the biotic I sensed rampaging around earlier."

One of the two, a red-eyed Krogan, eyed the lightsaber in her hand. "And you're that Human the mercs were screaming about." He chuckled. "Name's Urdnot Wrex."

"Nakmor Drack," said the other Krogan.

"And you were working for the Brakiri," Lucy said.

Lindstrom looked somewhat bewildered at that, but said nothing.

"Key word there. 'Were'. So." Wrex flexed his arms. "Major Anders said something about a hot landing."

"Those are always fun," Drack added

"We're hitting the control center for the barrage," Lindstrom said. "So our science officers can execute a plan to disable the bombs on the gates."

"Ah. Good plan." Wrex cracked his knuckles. "I'm not the best swimmer, so I'm in."

"Prosthetics and water don't mix. So let's get this done," said Drack.

Tra'dur, saying nothing of the abrupt change of heart, shoved her hands into her tactical webbing and glanced quietly from Lindstrom to Cat. Her anxiety over placing trust for the city in the hands of defectors was reflected only in the way her small claws silently flexed. But there was no other way.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Shenzhou_ , Li watched the _Aurora_ endure another barrage from the attacking Drazi. "They're not working together very well," she observed.

"Evidently not, Captain," Commander Otiros said from his seat beside her. "The Drazi are going for the kill regardless of their allies' efforts."

"We can't let them." Li frowned at the thought of losing the _Aurora_. The officers of the other ship had saved her from the hell of prison and given her an opportunity to live the life her dear mothers would have been proud to see her live. She would not let them be lost, not to these genocidal maniacs. "Helm, interpose us between the Drazi and the port side of the _Aurora_."

At the helm, Lieutenant Tabitha Crosswell responded immediately. "Aye, Captain," she said, her English that of the New Lancaster colonies descended from the northern English counties. "Adjusting position."

"Full power to shields, every _itam_ you can manage."

Otiros' order was echoed by the other Dorei on the bridge, Operations officer Lieutenant Commander Turam Ipigos. The blue-skinned, teal-spotted Dorei woman moved her slender fingers over the controls. "Shields are now at sixty percent."

"I'm locking on the next group, Captain," said Lieutenant Enrique Medrano. The tall _Cebuano_ was quick to anticipate her by adding, "Firing."

Sapphire bolts erupted from the bow pulse plasma cannons of the _Shenzhou_. They were not as powerful as their counterparts on the _Aurora_ and _Avenger_ , but against the unshielded Drazi they proved nearly as lethal. One Sunhawk spun away, leaking atmosphere and flame. The second hit by Medrano's fire blew apart another. Torpedoes blew the wing off of a third.

The Drazi attack didn't relent. With the _Shenzhou_ in the way, firing her phasers and plasma cannons rapidly to cover the _Aurora_ , the Drazi commanders started to go around her. This proved fruitless as the rest of the ad hoc Alliance squadron met them as well. The _Koenig_ , _Eagle_ , and _Heerman_ cooperated in pursuing the Drazi maneuvering around them. The Dorei and Alakin ships moved up above and behind the _Shenzhou_ to help take fire and block off the Drazi approach vectors. The _Tu'pam_ zipped around between them, pouring plasma fire where she could.

Challenged, the Drazi pressed their attack in greater numbers. Wave after wave of Drazi Sunhawks flew in, their weapons blazing with ruby light that constantly met the shields of the _Shenzhou_ and the other ships. The Alakin warbird _Yreep_ lost shields first. The Drazi fire striking the bare brown and yellow hull of the winged starship left wounds spewing flame and atmospheric gas in the moments before emergency forcefields or bulkheads could contain the hull breaches.

"Shields down to forty percent," Ipigos warned. "We're taking so much fire the shield generators are being overwhelmed. We're already taking bleedthrough damage. Armor self-repair systems fully engaged."

Li nodded and gripped the arms of her chair, as if to provide additional support combined with her harness. Otiros gave her a concerned look. "Captain, we may need to resume maneuvering soon."

"We have to hold position with the _Aurora_ as long as possible," she replied. "Otherwise the Drazi may destroy them." Even as she gave the command, the ship shuddered again, with an entire squadron of Sunhawks unloading their strongest fire into the _Shenzhou_ 's shields.

"Shields down to thirty percent."

 _I will buy you as much time as I can, Julia_ , Li thought. _That is all I can do._

* * *

Julia did not miss Li's efforts, and those of the other commanders. "Can we get shields back?"

"Too many generators are offline from battle damage," Barnes answered. "We've got repair crews doing what they can, but it's going to take a while."

The ship shook again. "They just took out a plasma emitter, starboard side," warned Angel.

The _Avenger_ 's fire on them was nevertheless light. Most of its fury was being directed at the Dilgar pentacon that had come to the _Aurora_ 's assistance. Julia watched the holo-viewscreen as plasma cannon fire from the big Darglan-built ship savaged one of the _Tikrit_ -class ships in the Dilgar formation. "Keep fire up, as best as you can," she told Angel.

"It would help if we could get the bow cannons back on target."

"Sorry, but with the impulsor damage, we can't outmaneuver them," Locarno said.

"Do what you can, Commander," Julia said. She turned her head to Meridina. "Status of the boarding parties?"

"Three parties defeated so far. Commander Richmond will be arriving at the brig just ahead of one of the parties."

"Hopefully she can hold them until the other teams get to her." WIth that, Julia returned her attention to the battle over Tira.

* * *

Richmond and her team arrived at the brig. The two guards on duty there already had their weapons out and ready. Behind them, the prisoners were sitting quietly in their cells, observing with obvious interest.

"Defensive positions," ordered Richmond. "And seal the door. They'll be here any minute."

"You should probably let us go," Hawk said. "If my friends have sent who I think they've sent…"

"Your input is noted," Richmond answered. "And ignored."

"Your bruises and broken bones, lady," said Hawk. in the cell beside him, Helen snorted.

Richmond turned her attention to the door. The seal would take time for her opponents to work through, unless they used a blasting charge. Which had a time delay of its own anyway.

But the unexpected happened.

With a loud shriek of protest, the door began to slide open again. As if someone was physically forcing it open. Gloved fingers appeared in the gap that now formed between the door and the side of the doorway. Someone was gripping the door and forcing it open, in defiance of the seal and all of the inherent mechanisms made to prevent someone from doing just that.

An object popped in through the now-open doorway. "Grenade!" Everyone ducked behind the workstation or into the open cells in the second before the blast shook the area. An energy wave dissipated against Richmond's personal shield A stun grenade of some sort, little different than the one she had used earlier, but less potent.

"Fire!" she shouted. Her team, and the on-duty guards, opened up on the doorway. The burst of fire hit a figure who impulsively rushed in. After a personal shield absorbed a couple of shots the attacker went down.

Return fire came around the edges, fierce and heavy. Richmond and her people had to keep to cover themselves, although not so much that they couldn't keep the fire up.

And then another grenade flew in, and another… these went further than the first had. One landed at the opening of a cell that one of her people was taking cover in. There was nothing that officer could do at that point, and the stun grenade knocked him unconscious despite his shield.

The next figure that came in was shot at as well. But unlike the first, this one had a long, massive tower shield formed in front of him, off the same silvery material that Hawk and Helen had used earlier. This one was using the Darglan enhancement nanites to form a protective shield for himself. Richmond thought it clever, at least for a short-term advantage. In the long-term she and her guards could maintain fire and batter through the nanites.

As it turned out, they didn't have the time for that.

Behind their shielded ally, the rest of the enemy team was moving in with weapons out and firing. After an exchange off fire another of Richmond's people went down. She noticed it and frowned. She looked over their opponents and hid a grin. "Cover me," she demanded, and the guards nearest her nodded.

With the cover fire of two of her guards, Richmond emerged from cover and held her rifle steady. She aimed low, almost to the ground, and spotted when she thought she'd find. The shield maker hadn't made his shield quite long enough. It hovered about twenty centimeters above  
the ground. That gave her sufficient room to aim as his foot. She pulled the trigger immediately.

The blue pulse hit the shield holder square in the foot. A shriek of pain and surprise came. The shield-holder lost their concentration,or something to that effect, and the shield lost its cohesion and retracted a bit. This opened up a second shot that hit the man in the lower leg, and a third. The shield-holder toppled.

But the others were in now. The enemy took cover in the nearest cells, or on the opposite side of the control station. One actually went up to it and started operating a multidevice. It wasn't hard for Richmond to guess what they were doing. "Take out their hacker!" she ordered, immediately trying to shoot the enemy in question.

Before she could, another of the dark-clad figures shot forward and grabbed her, or rather her weapon. She held on for dear life, intending to wrest control of her rifle back. Richmond was stunned when she instead was lifted into the air with her weapon. Her attacker was strong enough to lift her with one arm. She got a glimpse of his face. An alien of light skin that would be Caucasian on a Human. Thin ridges - bone ridges? - were on the temples above the alien's thin eyebrows. From the angle she thought she saw more ridges on the visible ear, which ended in a point reminiscent of Vulcanoids. He glared at her and moved, pulling her in a motion while he seemed to be trying to yank her rifle away from her.

A moment later she was flying across the room, her grip on the weapon lost. She slammed into one of her guards and they went down. When she looked back up she noticed the alien man picked up and tossing another _Aurora_ security officer. This one went flying back into the forcefield of Helen's cell. Given the force with which the field was hit, it was no surprise he went down unconscious.

She still had a couple guards in the fight, and Richmond herself pulled her sidearm out. They could still win it, she felt, if they could bring the alien down before he tossed them all around.

Then Richmond saw they were out of time.

The hacker succeeded.

The forcefields over Hawk and Helen's cells dropped. The two jumped into action. Nanite material flowed from their wrists and formed blades. Hawk's blade was sharp and strong enough that when the guard he attacked tried to block it with his rifle, the blade cut it in two cleanly. He followed up with a kick that sent the officer to the ground with a broken jaw. Helen didn't give such a chance to her target, striking with enough force in a push that sent her foe flying. She looked to the others. "About time!"

"Get everyone off the ship, now," Hawk ordered. He was speaking into his multidevice. "We…"

Richmond was already firing at that point. One of her shots hit Hawk in the chest, sending him down. The other hit the strong alien and did the same.

Unfortunately, her next shot didn't manage the same on Helen. A howl of rage came from Helen at the impact of the shot on her shoulder, just above the heart. Instead of falling unconscious, she merely snarled and whipped a hand out.

Richmond never saw the blades in mid-air. She felt them first, powerful impacts that tore through material and flesh to embed themselves into her right shoulder and arm. The shock of the impact caused her right hand to fall away from her weapon. One-handed, her aim went off and she only managed a glancing shot on the enraged Helen, who seemed to shake off the impact against her side. Before another shot could be tried, Helen was in close-quarters. Richmond had to pull her hand back to prevent the swipe from severing it at the wrist.

Then the other arm came up. There was nothing the _Aurora_ security chief could do to keep it from plunging into her belly. Pain shot up through her torso at being impaled through the belly and lower spine. Richmond slumped against the wall.

Enraged, Helen stabbed her again. This time the blade went into her chest, cutting through ribs to slice through Richmond's lung. She let out a harsh breath at that. Blood began to fill her lung the moment the blade was pulled away. And there was yet more pain as Helen's other arm came back in and a third stab punctured her other lung. The fourth stab was lower, then higher…

Richmond coughed up blood when she tried to speak, stopping any words from being articulate in the hacking sound. Her green eyes looked up at Helen's face. Pure rage burned in those gray eyes, the one mark of East Asian ancestry on Helen's face, which was twisted into a ferocious, hate-filled snarl. But before the sixth stab could land, the strong alien grabbed her arm. "She's down," he said. "We've got to get back. The ship's taking a hammering."

"Fine." Helen's voice was a growl. She seemed to struggling against her temper. "Is he okay?"

"He'll be fine when we get him back to the ship," was the alien's answer. "We have to go. _Now_."

Helen looked down at her blood-soaked blades. One shifted shape and became a visible comm device. "Helen to _Avenger_. Get us out of here."

Richmond watched them disappear in flashes of white light. Darglan transporter signatures. When she tried to breath out, blood bubbled from her mouth.

At that point, she lost consciousness.

* * *

The commandeered Brakiri troop transport was approaching the barrage dam. In the rear loading area Lindstrom's security team finished final weapons checks. "What'll we do about him?" Lindstrom asked Lucy, gesturing to the pilot.

"We have an understanding," Lucy said from her place at the back of the piloting compartment. "Once we land he's going to give me his sidearm and leave."

"He's just going to raise his boss and tell them where we are."

"They'll know something's up with this thing anyway," Drack said. "The only thing he'll tell them is what they'll already know."

"What can we expect in terms of defenses?" Lindstrom eyed the approaching structure. They were maybe fifty seconds from a landing point.

"Human and Brakiri mercs," Wrex said. "The guard party for the control room. They won't have the arming codes for the bombs, though. Greden'll have the trigger, and he's probably across town in his HQ." Wrex pulled his shotgun from hits mounting place above his tail. The large weapon automatically extended to firing mode.

"A Claymore." Reubens' awe was evident. "I've always wanted to fire one of those."

"Hey knock yourself out." He offered the weapon. "The interesting part is when the recoil breaks your arm," Wrex added, grinning.

The grin turned into a chuckle at the look that crossed Reubens' face. Wrex withdrew the weapon a moment later.

"Landing now," the pilot reported. His voice made it clear that whatever happened, all he wanted to do was run.

The transport craft hovered to a landing on a cloud of dust and debris. One of Lindstrom's security personnel, Petty Officer Mreep, slid into the control chair for the support gun. The Alakin officer brought the barrel into position to provide fire support.

The moment the craft was landed, the pilot released his harness and jumped out the door to his left. He ran away from his craft and their destination, as expected.

"Let's move, people!" Lindstrom ordered, jumping off with pulse rifle up. The others followed, Wrex and Drack in the lead and Lucy remaining in position to protect Caterina and Tra'dur.

The control center was set into the middle of the barrage dam's structure, attached by a spit of landfill to the rest of the colony. Their landing site was on that spit, roughly thirty meters from the front door.

They made it twenty meters before the first shots rang out.

Ruby bursts erupted from the ground in front of Lindstrom. PPG fire. He reacted the only way he could in his open position; he started to run. The snap-hiss of Lucy's lightsaber sounded to one side. Beside him, Wrex was covered in the dark light of biotically-formed dark matter, a protective field that would take a few shots before it dissipated.

Mreep opened fire a moment later. The pulse cannon now under her control spat pulses of orange light into the control center's outer wall, and the windows being used as firing positions. The suppressive fire had its desired effect. The fire against them slackened.

They got to the door. Lindstrom's plan had been to kick it in, or blow it open. Urdnot Wrex had his own plan. A surge of biotic power struck the door and dented it in. It didn't come off its track entirely, however.

At least, not until Wrex slammed into it.

His shotgun thundered a moment later. There was a scream, calls for backup, and Lindstrom was inside with the Krogan. Fire was collecting on Wrex's biotic field. It wouldn't last more than another second or two. Lindstrom used that second to open up with his own pulse rifle. Blue bolts erupted, _WHUM WHUM WHUM_ , and found a Brakiri merc in body armor. The merc went down regardless. The slacking fire bought time for Wrex to find momentary cover in front of the security desk near the door.

Drack entered next. His assault rifle swept in the opposite direction, toward a metal-backed door. Lucy swept an arm out and it opened, revealing a corridor of offices beyond where more mercs were hiding to evade the pulse cannon of the transport outside. Drack's assault rifle thundered a second before they could react. Two of them went down before the others could get to the protective cover of the offices in the hall.

But the direction that interested them was beyond the security desk. More fire came from that direction. They might have hit Drack from behind if not for Lucy, now working on deflecting fire back toward the shooters. With more of Lindstrom's people coming through the door, and Wrex popping up again to fire another shot from his massive cannon of a shotgun, they soon had enough fire and protection to move forward. "Opam, Bower, on that door, watch our back," Lindstrom ordered.

"Yes sir." The two security officers took up their positions with the desk as cover, freeing Drack to join Wrex again.

Beyond the security desk was another hall. The mercs they'd shot were in the open; the others had scrambled into the secured offices beyond. As they moved through Wrex and Drack cleared the offices like hardened veterans. Lindstrom was awed by the way the two Krogan moved with tactical finesse. Drack would open the door, Wrex would throw in a bolt of biotic force guaranteed to send anyone inside flying, and then either of their shotguns would ring out once or twice. Lindstrom figured it would have taken his full security team twice the time to clear their way down the hall, and that was if they were moving quickly and not concerning themselves with potential casualties.

They reached the control center for the dams to find the mercs had turned it into their hardened defensive point. "Allow me," Lucy said to the two Krogan. With what seemed like suicidal confidence she stepped forward, lightsaber in hand, and went into the kill zone. Any other human being would have died. Even the two Krogan would have faced so much fire they might have gone down. But with the powers at her direction, the speed at which she could move, all of the fire in the world couldn't stop Lucy. Her lightsaber was a sapphire blur in the air, catching seemingly every shot (certainly every one that could have actually hit her). Within a few moments she was at the first of the mercs. A swing of her weapon, a cry, and two dismembered arms and a rifle hit the ground. Without even looking towards them, Lucy sent two flying in a wild, unfocused surge of power.

"Huh." Wrex glanced to Drack. "Impressive."

"Yeah," agreed Drack.

With that exchange the two Krogan went in to join her. Behind them, Lindstrom kept Cat and Tra'dur back, allowing the two science officers to watch as the Krogan and Lucy worked together to clear the room. It didn't take long, between the fury of the Krogans' firearms or the speed and raw power at Lucy's disposal.

When the last of them went down Lindstrom tapped his omnitool. "Mreep, Liu, come in."

" _What about this transport?_ "

"Blow it," he ordered.

By this point Cat and Tra'dur were heading to the controls. "This shouldn't take too long," Cat said.

"Whatever happens, we'll hold," answered Lindstrom. "Just make this work."

"I've modified this sensor pack to work as the modular, but Cat, I need you to interface with your multitool to figure out the length of the galvanic wires. We have to know the length to calculate the signal pulse modulation." The latter was for the benefit of Lindstrom and the Krogan. "If we get the energization pulse off we could end up destroying the gates ourselves." Tra'dur knelt down with a bit of trembling freneticism finally showing through.

"I'm already calculating that, getting scan results to make sure," Cat said.

"How much longer?"

"Not long," Cat answered Lindstrom.

They were answered by the explosion outside. Lucy looked to the window looking out over the vehicle lot. The transport they'd used was a burning wreck, as was planned.

The group of Blood Pack mercenaries beyond it? Not as planned.

"Well, you may want to hurry up all the same," she said. "We've got company."

* * *

They had locked down the bridge's access to the ship controls and left the _Huáscar_ floating still in space, and now, they were nearly to the end of their journey. Zhengli Varma could feel the burn in her lungs of a strenuous exertion, of a series of desperate fire-fights that had brought them this far. She flexed her fingers around her PPG and nodded, looking about her little group. "Just one lunge left, and we will have the bridge. Everyone ready? Simmons, Glenkov, you will give us covering fire from that junction, Saumarez, do what you can, you are doing _great_ , but do _not_ kill yourself doing it. Watters, you are with me. We will take the security station and then I shall override the blast doors. Questions?"

"No sir!"

"No, sir!" they echoed.

Elia smiled, tho' her expression was dreadful, wiped her nose, and reached out. "I'm ready, Captain."

"Take it easy, Saumarez. I mean to get my crew through this, and that damned well includes you, Ensign." She cracked a smile. "Battlefield commission. They can court-martial me for violating the MRA later." She tugged part of her insignia off of a shoulder-strap, and offered it. "All right, thirty second count on my mark."

The surge of pride as she took the insignia and affixed it was as intense as the one that Zhengli had seen on her comrades, felt herself, as they turned out at West Point to go straight to fighting the Minbari. She took her position with a tight little smile on her face that said all it needed to.

"Mark." She took a few deep breaths, flexing her hands again, letting the pounding of her heart fade into the background, as she softly counted down. "Now!" The rifle came up, and she was moving to rush the control station, plasma blasts streaking out as she fired from the hip. _I joined the Fleet, not the GROPOS!_

It was a rapid fusillade of fire from her people, but there were only four defenders at the post, and Elia took them on in warfare both mental and physical while Corporal Watters led point. They were pushing themselves to the limit, but in doing so, they ended it in seconds. The wounded and dead lay around the post, and Zhengli was at the control station. It read an internal override lock, but as Captain she still had the code for that.

"Breaching positions!" She placed her people in what-cover was available, then keyed in the override herself. "Weapons down, now!" She half-screamed, already charging through the door before the crew inside could react. _Let it end, please, I do not want to kill any more of my crew!_

Inside was a charnel house, at least eight dead. One of the sensor techs, who had been unarmed and kept their heads down during the fighting on the bridge, was bandaging the Bosun's Mate who had somehow survived. A few others were manning their posts, looking up in varying degrees of shock and relief as Zhengli stormed onto the bridge with her pistol. There was Foster, there were several other officers with Nightwatch backgrounds… Several of his men who had the same background.

Dead in varying degrees of squalor and PPG burns.

And there, toppled over the command chair, with twelve pulses scouring his body but his handsome, almost pretty young face intact, was James Reichert, pale and almost graceful in death, like some 19th century painting of war rather than the real thing.

"... Ah, James…" She stepped forward, and gently lowered him down to the deck herself, closing his eyes and shrugging off her jacket to place it carefully over his face. "Rest well, _kshatriya_ , your duty is done and well." She murmured it in soft tones to herself, before standing to press the comm controls; "This is Captain Varma, I am in command on the bridge once again. Major Foster and his mutineers here are dead. Those of you who remain, surrender _immediately_ and you will be returned safely to Alliance space upon the end of these hostilities. You have sixty seconds to comply."

The comm-line from engineering opened. "Captain, this is Commander Farallon. I've got engineering down tight and most of the aft spaces as well. What are you going to need from me?"

"Combat power, Commander. The battle is going poorly for our side, and we are going to have to bring _Huáscar_ into the line as soon as we can."

"Bringing the reactor to combat output now, Captain," a grim, resigned, and exhausted voice answered. "We're with you. But God, it's the Civil War all over again."

"Worse, Commander. Worse. Stand to your duty, Commander, it is all we can do." She glanced down at the shrouded figure lying at her feet. "As soon as security reports the ship is secure, we will be clearing for action. Make ready, everyone."

Elia was standing by the sensor deck, with its techs still alive and now resuming their duties as the Bosun's Mate was carried away on a stretcher. Corporal Watters took up his position even though she was a Marine.

As she did, Elia turned to Zhengli. "I'm not sure we have the time. That big Dilgar dreadnought is taking a pounding from the pirate battlecruiser. If we hold engineering, the computer core, and the bridge, we can operate the weapons off remote, right? We should call stations now. And it might make the enlisted go to their stations even if they were fighting us, for fear of an alien attack. They don't need to understand, just obey."

The Sinic woman bit her lip, staring at the tactical display for a moment, before she gave a single sharp nod. "Corporal Watters! Sound Battle Stations! All hands, this is the Captain! Lay to your battle stations, _Huáscarenos,_ we are going into action, this is _not_ a drill or a trick! Clear for action and all pilots to your fighters!"

Elia took position next to the sensor operators. She didn't know what to do, but she could _sense_ when the operators felt they'd found something important. That would have to be enough, for the paucity of regular officers. After five painful minutes they finished working to stations, shields up and about half of their fighters successfully launching.

"Helm, new course, zero-six-five mark zero-two-zero relative, all ahead standard. Bring interceptors and shields online. Battery control, give me that enemy battlecruiser, both main beams!"

"...Locking.. Locked on target, Captain!"

Elia's eyes widened and she snapped to address Zhengli before the sensor operator could open his mouth to report to her. "Their shields are down, Captain, we've got a chance to get the drop on them!"

"Everything, missiles, plasma cannons, particle beams, _now!_ Alpha strike them, _immediate!"_ Her orders snapped out to fire control, and she leaned forward in her seat.

"Aye Aye, Captain! Firing!"

As the _Avenger_ came about from recovering her boarding parties from the _Aurora,_ she was abruptly struck by the full power of the _Huáscar_ 's batteries. The two main beams were powerful enough to heel her on her beam-ends, burning massive streaks down the Darglan armour with raw power to make up for their want of finesse, leaving weapons turrets wrecked and smashed, the _Avenger_ 's defenses having been hit so hard by so many weapons that finally major systems were being smashed and destroyed with no protection from shields or armour.

"Burn, you pirates… keep firing, maximum cycle rate! They will recover, but we can do them real hurt until they do!"

As the _Huáscar_ kept firing, the big Dilgar dreadnought, the _Magaratha,_ pulled herself out of a dead spin as one of her starboard engines came back. Thrusting into formation with the two _Sekhmet_ s, the three ships all that remained of their pentacon, they swung back toward the _Avenger…_ And opened fire with renewed intensity.

" _Magaratha_ , keep to our port! We can cover you with interceptors!" Her voice snapped out in Dilgar, as her eyes watched the display and she smoothly switched back. "Where are my fighters? Fire control, watch those Sunhawks on the starboard! Take them with the flank cannons! Hard to starboard! We have nowhere near won yet."

"Nineteen fighters forming into coverage against missile fire, we don't have pilots for the rest yet, Captain!" One of the comms ratings confirmed.

"Engaging as ordered," weapons repeated back.

Elia looked up from the tactical display. "Sir, the _Avenger_ is bringing her shields back up, but the energy trace already suggest localized failures. They've taken serious internal damage."

"Keep hitting them," Zhengli said tautly. Ahead of them the _Avenger_ was coming about. They'd pay for it.

* * *

With the _Huáscar's_ precipitous attack on the _Avenger,_ the situation for the heavy pentacon, which had seen one _Tikrit_ destroyed and another disabled by the _Avenger_ 's fire had abruptly changed. The accumulated damage had been so great as to temporarily cripple the _Magaratha_ and destroy one _Tikrit_ with another damaged when, abruptly, the tremendous forward batteries of the _Huáscar_ had gored the _Avenger_ like a lion on its meat.

"Warmaster, _Huáscar_ has joined the fight! She's hitting the _Avenger_ , hard!" Kaveri Varma's heart soared - her daughter must have retaken her ship, and brought her into the line without hesitation.

"Warmaster, we're receiving a request to conform movements with the _Huáscar,_ they need cover from the Drazi attacks on their flank."

"Do so," Shai'jhur ordered. She was hiding her own grin. Little Zhengli had been a name known to her for decades. There was something in her triumph which naturally thrilled the soul.

"I knew she could, Kaveri," Shai'jhur said softly, and in English, to avoid breaking the tempo of the bridge, before switching back to Dilgar. "Now we need to finish this fight. What's the status of the Drazi squadrons?"

"Pressing hard, Warmaster. We are on the verge of being overwhelmed in all sectors." She kept her voice level, but the tactical plot had very little good news to offer.

"Detach the _Sekhmet_ section to reinforce the main body. Direct them to conform to Captain Ming-Chung's movements, she is in the best place to operate with them. I want to hammer the _Avenger_ to pieces but we can't lose the battle just to see it done."

"Understood, Warmaster. Our own damage is becoming critical, though the repair parties are working to restore what they can."

"Here, I have an idea…" Her eyes suddenly gleamed. "Detach them. Summon another ship from another direction to surprise them instead. It will be worth two battlecruisers locked in a turning battle."

Ahead of them the _Avenger,_ wreathed in the fire of her interceptor grids, was half covered in scars, but still a fighting warship. Shai'jhur intended to shortly remedy that.

* * *

Commander Abebech Imra was her own little legend in the Alliance military forces. With a pair of dictator shades, and a resume an arm long claiming she had fought for pretty much every decent regime within a hundred light-years of the Fracture, she had an isolated, rock-solid crispness that belied the Alliance stereotypes of S0T5. A few weeks after the constitution had been signed, she showed up and signed up for the Alliance Navy.

After serving on a succession of large ships, she had been the Operations Officer on the dreadnought _MacArthur,_ shot down deep in the Reich during a major counteroffensive. Two hundred and eight survivors from the isolated squadron had been rounded up by Imra and told to hide. Somehow the SS patrols had failed to find them and their evasion and recovery had saved their lives, considering what the Reich did to alien and non-white POWs. She'd been given the _Heerman_ after that, and in three months already made her mark

Even now in the heat of a battle that they had started while outnumbered almost three-to-one, the Old Woman was as calm and inscrutable as ever underneath her glasses. (She did smile when they called her that, though.) The battle raged all around, and her soft-spoken orders came only when necessary, directives to a well-drilled crew.

Her Helmswoman, Lieutenant Sarah Jenkins, glanced back to see her glancing at the tactical holo, the light from it illuminating the deathly pallor on her black skin, her hands clad in sharp gloves, as ever. There were times when the Old Woman came off as scary as hell, and serving under her was _definitely_ an acquired taste.

"Helm, seventy-five degrees to starboard, nose up twenty-five, full impulse," she said in precise English with a hint of Ethiopia slipping through, or wherever it was, since Ethiopia hadn't existed for thousands of years in her home universe.

"Aye, Captain. Coming about.." She obeyed as the _Heerman_ peeled to the _Koenig_ 's port.

Imra's hand shifted and the tactical holo flashed. "Torpedoes fire on designation," she ordered as the designated target flashed for weapons. It was a Sunhawk trailing drive gas. The torpedoes lanced out and found the wound that had already been made. They burned bright in the flash of impact, and the ship's drives went completely dead, crippled and spinning off as a hulk.

"Come about to starboard," she ordered. "Then form on the _Koenig_ again."

"Weapons, target the enemy fighters," she added a moment later, addressing the lithe Turkish man at the weapons station.

"Aye, Captain!" Lt. Abdulmehmet's answered with alacrity now and a hasty salvo of forward weapons onto the crossing targets smashed four of the large and ill-manoeuvring Drazi fighters.

"Message from the _Magaratha_ , Captain! They are engaging the _Avenger_ in tandem with _Huáscar_ ; the enemy's shields are down, they need any help possible."

"Before she can withdraw… And the Huáscar has switched sides again. How apropos." It was an unusually extensive statement in combat from Imra. She keyed her tactical link. "Commander Apley, I aim to come about hard to starboard and thread through that central group of Drazi. I'll be on the _Avenger_ then and she's uniquely vulnerable to an assault ship from the port quarter. Please cover me."

"Clear, Commander. Forming to your port to engage the Drazi Centre…"

Sarah though her Commander approved of Apley. The orders rolled out sharp and precise, and they ran the gauntlet at close range, sweeping through unshielded opposition toward the stunningly battered hull of the _Avenger._

"Weapons, target the port nacelles and fire."

With that freedom, Abdulmehmet laid in the coordinates for the upper nacelle and opened fire with their full batteries. Lancing across the field in a strafing run, while the _Avenger_ was engaged with the massive Dilgar warship and the huge _Huáscar,_ a limping _Aurora_ sweeping around to strike them from starboard, they now had the enemy boxed in.

The crew of the _Avenger_ had just begun to charge their warp drives to escape when the concentration hit the nacelle. Piercing the ablated and wrecked self-repairing armour, it dug deep. The result was thoroughly dramatic. The upper left nacelle exploded.

"Cover us behind the dreadnoughts!" Imra snapped.

Sarah drove them on a pinwheel course up and under the _Huáscar_ to evade fire from the veritably crippled _Avenger,_ while behind them, the _Aurora_ again opened fire.

Commander Imra clapped a gloved hand into gloved fist, and other than that, was as calm as ever.

* * *

The change in the tide of battle with the _Avenger_ changed the mood on the _Aurora_ bridge. With the _Huáscar_ in the fight and the _Heerman_ 's attack run crippling the battlecruiser's warp cability, the _Aurora_ was in position to finish her foe off. "I don't want them escaping," Julia said. "Target the likely location of their jump drive and fire."

"Firing now," Angel said, enthusiasm in her tone.

One by one, the plasma emitters and cannons on the starboard side of the _Aurora_ lit up, scouring the same side on the _Avenger_. The battlecruiser strove to return fire with her own weapons, and where she hit the _Aurora_ 's unshielded hull was being blackened and broken. But with the fire of the _Huáscar_ still on _Avenger_ , and _Magaratha_ supporting, the _Avenger_ was in deep trouble, and her fire was clearly slacking from loss of power.

"Perhaps we should offer them the chance to surrender," Meridina proposed.

"Knowing them, they won't take it," Julia said. "But for form's sake…"

"Putting you on," Jarod said.

"Vessel _Avenger_ , this is Captain Andreys of the _Aurora_ ," Julia said. "If you surrender now you won't be harmed. We will take you into Alliance custody." That was important. Julia already knew Shai'jhur wanted to execute Hawk and his allies, and Zhengli might feel the same way. Both saw Hawk and his people as no more than pirates. "You've lost this fight. Dragging it out just results in more of your people dying."

The _Aurora_ shook again. _Avenger_ was still firing. "More hull breaches, Decks 14 through 17 and 19 through 25," Jarod said.

"Armor self-repair is down to 80% effectiveness," Barnes added. "Damage has exceeded capacity."

"I think that was your answer, Captain," Angel noted. "I've got a target lock with torpedoes."

"Fire," Julia ordered.

The _Aurora_ had come around enough to put her bow launchers on the _Avenger_. Two spreads of eight solar torpedoes fired from the launchers. With her weakened interceptors _Avenger_ had no hope of stopping even a quarter of the torpedoes. The resulting hits blew chunks out of their drive and primary hulls. One torpedo impacted on the upper starboard warp nacelle and blew it apart. Flame and wreckage spewed from the wounds in the other ship, exceeding its armor repair systems' capabilities with the level of damage suffered. It was plainly evident to all that the _Avenger_ was finished.

Even to the crew of the ship, apparently, given it moved to break from Tira. The _Huáscar_ and _Shenzhou_ , the latter damaged as well by her fight with the Drazi, both maneuvered to cut her off. More weapons fire carved into the _Avenger_.

"I'm picking up a particle charge," Lieutenant al-Rashad said. "They're opening a jump point."

"I'm trying to get their drive, but their drive hull's got internal armor or something," Angel said. "I don't think I can hit them enough."

Nevertheless she tried, as did the other ships. By the time the green vortex formed ahead of the _Avenger_ , she was a burning, flaming wreck of a starship. With what seemed like a last gasp of power, her drives powered up and she flew into the jump point. Torpedoes from the _Shenzhou_ and missiles from _Huáscar_ pursued, hitting both the vortex and the _Avenger_ even as she surged into the maw of the vortex. The point began to destabilize from the impacts. It was beginning to collapse.

Too late, however, to stop the escape of the _Avenger_.

"Where did they jump to?" Julia asked al-Rashad.

"I'm analyzing the jump point now, I think it was Universe A4P5."

Julia sighed at that. From this point in space, the spatial aspect of their jump would be unlikely to carry them into range of Alliance space in that universe. Even if the Alliance could spare the ship to vector in, they'd probably be gone, back to their Darglan Facility, by the time the ship got there.

"Status on the other ships? Could they jump and pursue?"

"I would not recommend it," Meridina said. "All ships report moderate to heavy damage. Only the _Heerman_ and _Greepk_ have warp capability currently."

"And there are still at least sixty Drazi ships out there, with another forty or so ships from the other League species," Jarod added. "And I'm sure they're pretty mad."

"So no pursuit." Julia muttered "Damn" under her breath. This incident had proven yet again just how dangerous Hawk and his people could be. With any luck they'd be out of action for months fixing their ship. _And frying their brains trying to learn more to fix it more quickly, or to refit it… how much more powerful will they be when they show up again?_

That consideration was for later. Julia forced herself to set it aside and focus on the present. "What about the Colony?" she asked. "Have they blown the gates yet?"

"No," Jarod said. He blinked. "And they may not get the chance. I'm picking up several of our people at the gate control center for the barrage. Including Lieutenant Delgado and Combat Master Tra'dur. And it looks like they're being besieged by some of the mercenaries."

Julia noted the worry that now showed on Angel's face. "Have security beam a team down as soon as they can."

"It's going to be a bit," said Barnes. "Our transporters are down from battle damage."

"See if any of the other ships can help," Julia ordered. "We need to make sure that barrage stays intact." Even as she gave that order, she knew that whether or not they could get help down, the survival of Tira was down to Cat and Tra'dur.


	35. Episode 3-06-6 Yesterday's Enemies P2

Gunfire filled the hall outside of the control room. Lindstrom was too busy patching up the bleeding wound on Bower's lower belly to do anything. The security team members still capable of fighting were still at their defensive positions at the windows, firing to keep the enemy outside suppressed and unable to join those already inside.

Lucy stood near the entrance. "They're readying for another push," she said. "Mostly Krogan."

"Tral ran out of Vorcha," Drack observed. "He may be leading them himself."

"If you mean the guy in charge, I think so." Lucy grimaced. "The thoughts of what he wants to do to you are pretty graphic." Now she winced. "You have _four_?"

"Yup," Wrex answered, as if he were reading her mind. "Hey, how's that pulse coming?"

"We're almost ready," Cat replied. "There's miles of wiring we have to account for when planning this, and the pulse has to be precise."

"Right. Well, no rush, just a half dozen or so of Tral's best are about to rush this room, you've got all the time you need."

Cat winced and went back to work.

"You don't seem that worried," Lucy observed.

"When you get to our age, kid, this is nothing new," Drack answered. "I've lived through worse."

"It's just part of the business, really," Wrex added, hefting his shotgun. In the distance there was a roar of anger. "And there he is."

" ** _Urdnot!_** " The deep Krogan voice roared down the hall.

"Don't mind him, the Weyrloc are always like that."

"Always so dramatic," Drack muttered in agreement.

The next shout was a roar, and it came from more than one voice. "Here they come," Drack said, readying his shotgun.

Six Krogan came barrelling down the corridor. Lindstrom opened fire first, spraying them with pulse fire. Their kinetic barriers absorbed his shots. Before his fire could break through the barriers, return fire from two of them forced him back into cover.

When they got close, Wrex and Drack leaned around the entranceway enough to fire their weapons into the Krogan. Wrex's shot was a head-shot, and even a Krogan couldn't survive one at that range from a Claymore. Drack's shotgun blew the leg out from under another of the Krogan.

But the four behind them - five counting Tral, who was now running to join - couldn't be stopped quickly enough. They barrelled into the room. Wrex fired another shot that tore into the guts of one, leaving his Claymore in a state of overheating. Drack has two shots before his shotgun reached the same threshold. One nearly tore the arm off the same Krogan Wrex had just shot. The other was a glancing hit to a second Krogan. Drack fell back and switched to the Phalanx pistol he was carrying. The heavy pistol barked and sent a sliver of metal into the jaw of the Krogan he'd barely hit. Wrex threw a biotic pulse into his opponent, sending the gutshot Krogan into his ally and down.

But in the process, the other two Krogan got into the room. Lindstrom was firing on them, but even his hits couldn't put the Krogan down in time before they got to his position. That left Lucy to intercept one. She sliced the arm off the Krogan and immediately had to duck and roll away to avoid getting shot point-blank by the other Krogan. The now armless Krogan charged at her, roaring in rage and pain. Lucy caught him with her life force power and sent him flying back. He slammed into the far wall and collapsed, allowing Lindstrom to put him down with another burst of pulse fire.

The fifth Krogan, still intact, fired his shotgun. Lindstrom couldn't get back into cover in time. He went down with a number of wounds on his side and arm. The same Krogan turned his gun over to Drack, who was putting a shotgun blast into the head of the gutshot Krogan to put him down. "Look out!" Lindstrom cried, even as he bled over the floor.

Drack didn't look. He dropped and rolled, a maneuver that made every joint, prosthetic or natural, ache. When he finished the roll he hefted his shotgun and fired almost blindly. Instinct and experience proved themselves; his opponent, still tracking with his weapon, took the hit and stumbled backward. His shotgun blast went over Drack's head.

There was a buzz in the air. The Krogan screamed in wordless rage at the loss of his arms, courtesy of Lucy's lightsaber.

The sounds of combat didn't end, however. They turned and found Wrex wrestling with Weyrloc Tral over Tral's shotgun. " _I'll serve your quad to my varren!_ " the Blood Pack leader screamed.

Drack's gun came up. Lucy's lightsaber did too. But Reubens stopped them. "They're getting in!" she shouted from her window. "We can't stop them all."

Drack and Lucy exchanged a tired look. Even now more Krogan from the Blood Pack were coming down the hall. These had rifles, and formed a firing line. Drack pulled his own and Lucy brought her lightsaber into a defensive position. "Lindstrom, we'll hold them. You…" She stopped. She could sense Lindstrom had slipped into unconsciousness from his wounds. "It's you and me big guy."

"You hold 'em, I'll shoot 'em," the old Krogan answered.

"Sounds like a plan." Shots rang out and Lucy's lightsaber became a blur. It took everything she had to move fast enough to deflect the incoming projectiles with her weapon. Drack's weapon thundered behind and beside her. The angle wasn't good for him to hit anything - not around her weapon - but the fire did keep the Krogan from advancing closer.

Behind them, Wrex kept his hands on Tral's shotgun to keep him from using it. He didn't respond to Tral's threats, instead snarling and concentrating on staying alive.

Nearby, Cat looked over the data a final time. She didn't seem to be thinking about the violence all around them. "Okay, we have fifty one point three kilometers of wiring in the system. That means the pulse needs to be a strength of…"

"We can make it work at 56 volts alternating at 20 hertz, driving thirty-amp," Tra'dur finished, concurring with Cat's calculations, "And the wire will take that."

"Right. Setting the system now." Cat went to work on her omnitool.

"Look out!" Tra'dur grabbed Cat and pulled her forward. A moment later Wrex and Tral landed where she'd been sitting, still struggling over Tral's shotgun. The impact knocked Cat fully into Tra'dur and sent both to the floor.

"Cat, finish it! Now!" Lucy shouted.

It was easier said than done, given Cat was now tangled up with Tra'dur in the floor. She got her arm free and ran her fingers over the omnitool. "Fifty-six volts, twenty hertz… setting ready, charge… _now_."

WIth a final press of her key, Cat sent the pulse into the wiring.

For a tense second she and Tra'dur, still on the floor, waited. Cat listened for any indications of the bombs going off, worried that maybe, in the end, the calculations were off.

But no such explosions came. Instead there was just the rushing sound of flare-off as the chemicals burned instead of exploding.

Tra'dur got free enough to check the barrage status displays. "The gates are intact!" Relief was visible on her face. "It's finished!"

"We did it!" Cat shouted in agreement. She got back to her feet. "We… _look out!_ "

This time it was Cat who tackled Tra'dur, knocking her out of the way. Wrex slammed into the display screen, snarling, Tral's shotgun no longer in his hands. Tral raised the same toward him. "Was this what it was all for, Urdnot?!" the Blood Pack leader bellowed. "You broke with our employers, you killed my men, for what? For them?!"

"No, you idiot," Wrex growled. "For us. Killing those Dilgar children, it's no different than what the Turians did to us."

To that Tral laughed. "None of that matters. Who cares about what the aliens do to each other. So long as they pay us for it and give us a good fight, it's all the same to me. Alliance, Brakiri, Turian, as long as the credits come in, I don't give a damn."

"I do," Wrex retorted.

Tral snarled and lifted his weapon. But as he did, a gun barked from a third direction, a heavy slugthrower. Again, and again, and again. The Krogan turned… And then as a fourth round drilled home, collapsed.

Tra'dur looked over the smoking barrel of the gun to Wrex. Wrex nodded to her and took in a breath. "Thanks, kid," he said.

"He had earned it," she answered, her eyes fixed on a blank wall, saying nothing more.

All involved could hear that the sounds of battle had slowed. More pulse fire sounded in the distance, joined by mass effect firearms, but nothing concerning them. "The cavalry's here," Reubens said from her perch. A tired grin crossed her face. "It's Major Anders and some of the Marines."

"About damned time," muttered Lucy. She went over to where Lindstrom was unconscious and bleeding out. "Cat, I need a first aid kit," she said. "You'll have to apply the anti-septic foam. I'll keep him from bleeding out…"

Not to be outdone, the others went to work as well, disarming the unconscious and dead enemies around them and treating the wounded. There would be time to rest later; as things were, the battle was over.

For now, anyway.

* * *

Zhengli watched the last of the Drazi force withdraw to positions a few light seconds from the planet with a silent kind of numbness. When it was clear they were far out of range, she heaved a breath and rose. Looking around the carnage of the bridge listlessly, and ignoring the living crew, she moved among the dead instead, the dead from both sides.

Marking their position and status, and grimacing at having to interrupt, Elia drew herself up along the bank of technicians' panels in CIC. She was the only other officer on the bridge. "Orders for _Huáscar_ , ma'am?"

Zhengli had moved to kneel beside the shrouded forms beside the command chair, and one in particular. She glanced up at Elia's words as if shaken from a reverie. "Hold station, Ensign. I think the fate of the ship is in the hands of the diplomats, now."

"Aye Aye, Captain," she answered, and quietly stepped back to the comms banks to attend to pressing questions-and give Zhengli a moment of relative quiet. She could _feel_ the _rawness_ in the woman who had liberated her, no scan required.

She caught a glint, and leaned forward - taking a hand that was growing cold, and running her thumb over the black onyx stone there. _Foster. A graduate of West Point like me, and he took such a different course_. She glanced at her own, at the barely visible scar, where a jeweler had changed 2248 into 2247, her passing out having come a year early, to throw the cadets into the war, into the last desperate hope of Line. Foster's had the date of 2251, and she let out a soft, pained sigh. "That was the difference, wasn't it? You joined right after the Line, when there was all the pain and blood, when we were all so desperate and so rightly terrified of the stars, when I remembered those heady days before, when it seemed we could do anything… and all those scars still weigh us down." Her voice was barely audible, as she moved to stand once more, resting a hand on the captain's chair. "You did good, _Huáscar,_ you did good. May your next captain do right by you."

* * *

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 6 April 2643. Captain Julia Andreys recording. With the retreat of the_ Avenger _and Captain Varma regaining her ship, the fighting has stopped over Tira. The former League ships have withdrawn to just outside of combat range and seem to be waiting for reinforcements. We are much in the same position ourselves, given the state of our ships._

 _On Tira itself, the mercenary offensives against the cloning facilities have halted. Our control of the colony's barrage dam and elimination of their bombs means we now have the superior position on Tira. The Brakiri leader, Colonel Greden, has agreed to a ceasefire, and we have granted it for the time being._

 _Now all we can do is watch, wait, and deal with our wounded._

Marines wounded in the fighting below and crew by the fighting in orbit filled the wards of the medbay. Julia made the rounds of the wards with Leo accompanying her, silent. Her crew responded to her presence with nods and greetings. They knew the stakes, and they did not resent the risk she had put them through.

She would never know what the dead thought. They remained silent under their shrouds in the mortuary section of medbay, where Leo only gave her the barest glance.

"Twenty-six Marines dead, between our contingent and the Marines from the _Shenzhou_ ," Leo observed. "Another twenty security personnel dead planetside, along with eighteen outright fatalities up here."

"I was worried we'd get more," Julia admitted.

"We almost did," Leo said. "Doctor Walker did an outstanding job patching up the borderline cases."

"I'll enter her for a commendation," Julia said. She frowned. "Commander Richmond?"

Leo led her to the critical care ward. Their security chief was on a biobed being tended by a nurse. She was in a gown and sleeping comfortably. Bandages showed on her visible arms.

"We got the bleeding under control before she was a lost cause," Leo said. His expression was severe. "From what the others said, Commander Richmond shot Hawk, and then his girlfriend went ballistic and started stabbing her in a fury until one of the boarders stopped her."

"She struck me as having a shorter fuse," Julia said. "I'm just glad she didn't kill Commander Richmond."

"You and me both." Leo gestured for her to follow. "Something interesting came up in the security investigation of the brig. Lieutenant Yrapk ordered it sent to me and Lab 3 for analysis."

"Oh?"

Leo led her into his office. Once there he went to his desk and tapped controls. On the wall monitor of the office an image popped up, a DNA helix. "What am I looking at?" Julia asked.

"A genetic sample recovered from the fight. Including on Commander Richmond herself, a sweat droplet."

"From one of the boarders?"

"Right." Leo motioned at it. "It's from an alien species we've never encountered before. A very strong species given what the testimony said."

"That means the _Avenger_ has been making friends in universes we haven't been to yet," Julia noted.

"It seems like it, yes," Leo confirmed.

"So there's no telling what resources they might have." Julia sighed and grinned weakly at Leo. "Thank you for sharing this, Doctor… Leo." The correction was said with warmth. "I'm just glad we didn't take more losses."

"As am I, Julia," Leo answered. "As am I." 

* * *

A tense night passed. Both sides continued to tend to their wounds. Julia awoke the next morning wondering what would happen next. Would the Drazi and Brakiri get even more reinforcements and fight? Or would their diplomats, and Sheridan, prevail in securing peace? It seemed like more than enough blood had been shed already, and all in the name of fear.

As Julia sat at her desk in her quarters, a steaming cup of coffee in her hand, her silver night robe shimmering in the low light, she wondered about it all. Just days ago - although it certainly felt longer - she had seen two sides that had shed each other's blood agree to peace, regardless of the violence in their mutual past. Now it seemed a dream. The races in this universe seemed so frightened and hostile toward the Dilgar that they weren't listening to anything said. Every argument, every point, was distorted beyond recognition.

How did you stop such hate? How could you get through it?

Julia wasn't sure. She just had to hope that cooler heads prevailed.

* * *

The bridge of the _Aurora_ was running smoothly as always. Cat was back at her proper station, and everyone else was at theirs. Julia and Meridina were in their chairs. "They still won't talk," Julia noted.

"Indeed not," Meridina agreed. "Director Holloran has been unable to secure agreement to resume discussions."

"I wonder what they're waiting for…"

"Reinforcements, probably," Jarod said.

"Well, we know the _Avenger_ won't be coming back, at least," Locarno pointed out. "Given the damage they took, they're going to spend months in drydock."

"Maybe, maybe not," Jarod said. "We still don't know what kind of technology the Darglan left in their Facility. With their advantages with the nanites and in weapon emplacements fitted on their ship, they might also have better fabrication and industrial work drones than we had. They could get her fixed faster than we imagine."

"I doubt it'll be soon, either way…"

Before the conversation could continue, Cat looked up from her station. "We have jump points opening, a hundred thousand kilometers to port bow."

Julia drew in a breath. "On screen." She found herself hoping it was the _White Star_ fleet.

It wasn't.

Over a dozen jump points opened in all. From each flew fighters and warships. Most of the warships were darkly-colored, with red and black patterns that seemed to emulate war paint. Two large weapon emplacements were set into the bow of the ships, the most prominent weapons on their profiles. Julia recognized them from the profiles of E5B1 ships she'd been studying.

Cat reported on them. "I'm picking up two dozen Narn cruisers. Most are _G'Quan_ -class, two _G'Sten_ -class. Multiple Narn fighters are accompanying each. They're coming out in combat formation."

"Given the Narn and the Drazi worked together against the Centauri a couple years ago, I'm not liking our odds," Jarod said. "Especially since those _G'Sten_ -class ships have full deflector shields and artificial gravity." A moment later he noted something. "The Drazi are hailing them."

"Put them both on."

One screen showed a Narn in uniform seated in a chair, wearing a harness. Another showed Tarinak, who seemed over-eager. " _At last, you have come_ ," he said. " _Join with us, Narn, and help us wipe the last of the Deathwalker's legacy from the face of the galaxy, along with those who dare to take up arms alongside them!_ "

Julia couldn't keep her stomach from turning. There were enough Narn ships that, given their lingering damage, the fight was clearly against them. She drew in a breath and couldn't quite let it go while waiting for the Narn response.

" _I will relay you to our commander_ ," said the Narn. A moment later the screen shifted to another room on what was presumably one of the _G'Sten-_ class cruisers, as the occupant was clearly enjoying artificial gravity.

Julia let go of the breath she was holding.

" _The Narn Regime has come to uphold the InterStellar Alliance Declaration of Principles_ ," declared the author of the same. G'Kar looked every inch the leader on the screen, wearing the same leather garments Julia had seen him in the prior year. " _Captain Tarinak, Captain Tabir, I insist you stand down immediately._ "

The Drazi captain's eyes had widened. He began to splutter. " _But… but… how can you side with the_ Dilgar _?! They are a threat and they must be…_ "

" _I am well aware of all that has transpired, Tarinak_ ," G'Kar retorted. " _And I know that if anyone has been emulating the deeds of that monster Deathwalker, it has been your people and your single-minded quest for genocide. The Narn Regime will_ not _stand for such conduct, and we will oppose you, here and on the Alliance Council_."

At that point another image popped onto the screen. Julia recognized one of the Abbai delegates, in a graceful, flowing blue dress. " _This is Ambassador Forna of the Abbai Matriarchy. The Matriarchy joins the Narn Regime in opposing the brutal methods that the Drazi and Brakiri have sought to impose upon the settlers of Tira._ "

"The Abbai ships are taking up formation with us," Jarod said. "Their defense systems are activating. And the _Orsala_ is also charging weapons and maneuvering into position with us."

Despite the growing odds against him, including a Minbari War Cruiser, the Drazi commander seemed persistent. " _But this is our chance!_ " Tarinak protested, almost wailing in doing so. " _We can finish them off for good! If we let the Dilgar live…_ "

Caterina interrupted Tarinak's protest on the _Aurora_ bridge. "Captain, the Cascor ships are breaking formation. They're withdrawing from the Drazi and Brakiri fleet."

An open audio transmission flashed through the system. " _This is Admiral Timmar of the Cascor Commonwealth. We came here to defend the Alliance against Dilgar aggression, not participate in the genocide of a race. We will stand with G'Kar."_

G'Kar folded his arms and looked at Tabir. " _Follow the honorable Cascor to reason, friend. If we let them live, if we join hands with yesterday's enemies, we demonstrate to the galaxy that we have moved beyond the pain and blood of our past_ ," G'Kar finished for him. " _We will show everyone that the Alliance looks to the future._ "

" _And if you're wrong?!_ " This was from Tabir. " _If the Dilgar prove to be our foe after all…_ "

" _Then we will face that future together. That is the entire point of the Alliance. We are one. The League failed against the Dilgar because it was not united as one. We will be one. We will have no need to fear them then._ " G'Kar held his hands together by way of demonstration. He seemed to re-focus slightly. Julia realized he was looking at her. " _Captain Andreys. Commander Meridina. It is good to see you again._ "

"The same to you, G'Kar," Julia answered. For the first time in days she felt relieved. Everything was finally working out.

Now Shai'jhur was showing on the screen too. " _Warmaster Shai'jhur. We have much to discuss_ ," G'Kar said.

"Much, G'Kar, much," Shai'jhur answered softly from the bridge of the _Magaratha._ "I had held a fear that only the Humans would hear our efforts at peace. But I see it is not so. Let us sit, G'Kar, all at one table. And together, then, we will put an end to the Dilgar War."

* * *

Several days later, several of the ships that had once been in orbit over Tira were now in the orbital spaces over Rohric. G'Kar's ship, the _G'Sten_ , was flanked by the _Orsala_. The Abbai, Brakiri, and Drazi ships were in a loose formation with the Minbari ship; the _Aurora_ had her own orbit, with the _Magaratha_ having another.

Now two more ships moved into position. A _White Star_ took up a position with the other ships. And the Sirian League carrier _Majestic_ had an orbit of her own.

Given all of the large ships, it was nevertheless little surprise that all of the participants insisted on having their conference on the _Aurora._ Julia and her officers were yet again in dress whites, but this time the personages were even more plentiful and august than they had been at Cestus 3. Among the tables in Conference Room 1 sat President Sheridan, President Morgan with Admiral Maran, G'Kar, and senior leaders - if not heads of state and government themselves - from the other former League races. Shai'jhur had her own table; Julia sat with President Morgan and Admiral Maran while her officers were among the spectators.

There had been another surprise as well. Another _Warlock_ -class Earth destroyer, the EAS _Titans_ under Captain Susan Ivanova, had arrived at the Rohric Conference. She had completed an upgrade cycle like the _Huáscar_ , and one of her missions was to carry a skeleton crew to reclaim control of the ship from Captain Varma and her renegades who had left so much egg in the face of the Earth Alliance. The second was to deliver a representative of the New Eden Dilgar to the conference.

The years had been far kinder to Ari'shan than they had been to Shai'jhur. The Warmaster was a living wreck scarred by decades on pitiless Rohric, where Ari'shan had become a family man on a lovely, perfect garden world. He was still the shortest and smallest of the sons of Supreme Warmaster Gar'shan, but he had grown into a dignified presence which none could deny.

Shai'jhur was speaking. "Of course, as we now meet, I am already making arrangements to complete the release of seven hundred and four prisoners of war that we presently hold in detention. All were held according to the Geneva Conventions after having been taken as survivors of ships destroyed in operations we conducted after the Fall of Omelos. Unfortunately, no prisoners were within my area of operations upon the Fall of Omelos who predate it; but under my authority the laws and norms of war were observed, and though I understand that there will be protests that some were held in detention for upwards of thirty years, their confinement met all of the standards of international law…"

Julia listened without comment to the ongoing discussion. The end of decades of declared war was not done in an hour's talk. There were legal issues to be handled, such as Shai'jhur's release of prisoners and the status of Tira. The entire peace treaty that had previously been held as in force had to be renegotiated with Shai'jhur and her Union, with every term considered, discussed, bickered over, discussed again, and finalized. It was stultifying work, but it was the basis of diplomacy, the grease that made the wheels of grander moments turn.

The details were still coming together relatively quickly. Shai'jhur asked only for the systems of Omelos, Rohric, Wahant, Innata, and Tira, as well as a region of space with ill-defined jump-routes between them that looped in a semicircle around the antispinward edge of the Tal-kona'sha. Tra'dur had a place, too, showing in a presentation which Cat confirmed as the unbiased observer that the region held at most one garden or water world, so that very little in the way of bountiful space and useful planets were being ceded to the Dilgar by giving them the corridor.

The Cascor had taken the lead in taking responsibility for the actions of the former League powers at Tira, acknowledging the ships Shai'jhur had salvaged from their old fleet as rightful spoils of war. In what had clearly been a bit of horse-trading, the actions of the other old League powers were being ignored in favour of a scheme where only mercenaries who had actively murdered the Dilgar unborn would have charges brought against them, and only of manslaughter, not murder and genocide. This concession had allowed opposition elements in the Syndicracy to take control of the negotiations, and though they were slow, there was clear progress. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission would be formed instead to evaluate both sides without bringing further charges.

"And I must say, G'Kar, you ought to lead that commission. It seems a perfect role for you," Shai'jhur said as the conversation turned back to it in relation to claims by the POWs.

G'Kar nodded in reply. "I look forward to the task. Our peoples, all of them, must be given the chance to heal and move forward."

"Then we find ourselves looking at a future," Shai'jhur answered, "in which the blood has finally ceased to flow…"

As they continued to talk, Joseph Carrouthers from the Alliance Foreign Office Admissions Department stepped up to Julia from the gallery. "If I can have your attention for a moment, Captain?"

Julia turned away from the ongoing discussion and nodded at the man. "Alright," she said.

"We've finished the preliminary analysis of the Union's constitution. The governance structure is a series of five councils of parallel responsibilities, some split into two halves to ape a bicameral legislature, but they're all small, nine members each. The Warmaster still has a fair number of reserve powers-but in principle the position is elective on a life-term, though standing for it is very difficult. To her credit, Warmaster Shai'jhur has put real effort into securing the independence of the judiciary. There are certainly _concerns,_ but a lot come down to how hard the system is to evaluate because of how radically different from a traditional Earth democracy it is in structure. Based on that, it's been decided to accept their candidacy. So, as the conference host, you can assure G'Kar that any observation mechanisms based on the Union being a candidate state can be guaranteed. Actual accession may be problematic, since they have such a small population, but that's a political concern outside the scope of our office. Affiliate status like New Liberty and New Caprica may be an alternative."

To that Julia nodded. "I'll relay that when appropriate. Thank you, Mister Carrouthers."

Once the layout of G'Kar's Truth and Reconciliation Committee was laid out, one of the Abbai Matriarchs raised the next point. "I would like to hear from the Allied Systems on the status of this Dilgar petition for admission, since it provides such an important foundation for this agreement."

Morgan and Maran both nodded to Julia - the President had certainly been informed beforehand - and she nodded back and leaned forward in her chair. She hadn't spoken much in these talks, even as host, allowing the others to guide the discussion as was warranted. Now some of the most important beings in the E5B1 Universe were giving her their undivided attention. "The Alliance Government has accepted the candidacy of the Union of Tira and Rohric."

"And if their candidacy is rejected by your organization?" That was from a Gaim. "What shall be our recourse then?"

"Well, there are alternatives to outright membership," Julia answered. "Even if their candidacy is ultimately denied, they are eligible for affiliate status with the Alliance, much as the New Liberty Colony and the New Caprica Confederation enjoy already. While this does grant more political independence than normal membership, affiliates are still subject to observation from the Alliance Government to ensure they are in compliance with the Alliance's foreign policies and standing international agreements. So essentially, whether or not they become full members of the Alliance, the Dilgar will be subject to the kind of Alliance oversight this treaty requires."

"Very well," the insectoid alien replied through the electronic voice of its translator. "The Gaim are satisfied by your response."

The other governments all echoed their general agreement.

* * *

As Julia was working on reports in the aftermath of the signing ceremony with G'Kar, President Morgan and Warmaster Shai'jhur, the soft trill of the door-buzzer intervened. "Come in," Julia said, looking up. The door slid open and the Warmaster walked in, a quiet expression upon her face. This time, she was alone.

"Captain Andreys. I wanted to take the moment to talk, if I may have some of your time."

Julia nodded. "Is everything okay?"

"Better than it has ever been before, most likely," she laughed, and moved to sit. "My latest talks with President Morgan were fortunately not about the peace here, but the war we will shortly be entering."

"So you're joining the fight against the Reich?" Julia smiled a little. "Given the losses we've endured, you'll be welcome. We can use all of the ships we can get. The way things are going, the _Aurora_ is going to wind up at the front soon."

"Considering that you're maintaining a permanent neutrality patrol for our space, we had to do something to make up for it. Our starships are hardly like your's, but forty-five of them will more than compensate for the five ships your government will keep on permanent picket duty. And I also agreed to provide crews and commanders for five war emergency cruisers that will be given to us as lend-lease. And we do have the equipment and ability to mobilize fifteen light divisions for service outside of the Union, so I also committed that to President Morgan." From such a tiny state in population, it was an incredible effort, and Shai'jhur clearly knew it as she said it.

Julia knew it too. "It's sort of fitting, actually," she said. "I first learned of the existence of your species because people from this universe were comparing your old government to the Nazis. Now you'll be fighting at our side to put an end to the Reich."

"It is a chance for us to regain our honour and dignity. That is very important, for there to be symbols that we are valued and contribute, that who we are is not attrited by the path forward."

Julia was almost ashamed of the thought in her head. That if any of those Dilgar were harboring doubts of Shai'jhur's reforms, if any of them were inclined to think there was nothing wrong with what their people did, being exposed to the Nazis' atrocities could certainly be persuasion to the contrary. She nodded toward Shai'jhur instead. "I don't think anyone can criticize you on that score if you're helping us put the Nazis down."

"Oh, I'm always ready to be surprised," she said dryly. "Nonetheless, there are some ways that could help. It's part of why I came here. I'd like your advice on how it would be possible to get permission for an actual Alliance ship to be commissioned which has a crew that is half Dilgar, and half from the rest of your member nations. I would very much like to have such a symbol of united forces as an inspiration to my people and the Multiverse."

The thought was an ambitious one, Julia had to admit. "Well, I would bring it up with President Morgan and Admiral Maran, I suppose," she said. "And if you're ever in Portland, it wouldn't hurt to speak to Councilman Zoral from the Defense Committee, or Defense Minister Hawthorne. As much as Hawthorne's not one of my biggest fans, he's also got a lot of pull, and he might help you if he feels there's something to the idea." As the idea circulated in her head Julia nodded. "And I think it's a good idea. And with our shipyards implementing more and more Darglan technology, our biggest problem is finding people to crew ships, not getting new ones built."

"Then I will bring it forward. On the other side of things, I have given Kaveri and Zhengli both commissions as you know, and I intend to put two of the War Emergency Cruisers under their command. Assuming Zhengli recovers well enough for it."

"I can't imagine what it'd be like to have my crew mutiny on me." Julia shook her head. "Although I guess I'm spoiled by the fact that many of my senior officers are people I grew up with, and with a couple of exceptions I've known them all for years. It's a luxury most captains don't get. I hope she recovers. She'll make a fine addition to the Alliance fleet."

"It's just been very hard for her. Most of everyone she has known is dead, or thinks her a traitor. But she is not the only one suffering now. There's the New Eden Dilgar, too."

"I heard that Earth was expelling them." Julia shook her head. "It seems spiteful. I know that Humans in this universe haven't gotten over the Earth-Minbari War, but the way they go about things seems so counter-productive. I mean, the Minbari are basically gift-wrapping them new technology through the ISA, and some of them still believe this is all some trick to subjugate Humanity. We come along and they hate us too. It makes me wish we showed up a few years earlier in the timeline. Maybe we could have helped put Clark down in a way that didn't let his followers keep their influence…" Julia shook her head. "Although I know that's probably not how it would have gone."

"They're getting eighteen months, payment at market value, and payment for new homes and relocation. We're setting aside a more northerly archipelago on Tira for them. I hope their values will help the Tirans; I've asked Ari'shan to serve as the planetary governor. It's still an expulsion, no much how much they've tried to sugar-coat it. As for trying to end Clark's influence…" She shrugged. "Be thankful you are not the only heroes in the whole universe, Captain."

"I know there are others. I'm reminded every time I get to see Madeleine - Captain Laurent on the _Challenger_ \- and Li." Julia's look turned pensive. "When I think about people like Clark and his followers, what they've done, what they might've done… well, I can see why some people think it would be so much easier to just shoot them and be done with it."

Shai'jhur's expression hardened. "Hawk and his people. I read the reports. They're becoming monsters. Like drug addicts commanding a ship. We Dilgar were lucky, I fear for the next group, tainted by association, who faces their lynch law."

Julia nodded. "The damn thing is that he, they, are utterly sincere. They think they're out to make the Multiverse a better place. It reminds me of why we can't go around 'killing the bad guys'. It becomes far too easy to start seeing the world in black and white and to think you can be the absolute judge of it. Getting to decide who lives and dies…" Julia shook her head. "...I don't think anyone should have that right. Not by themselves."

"Well. I won't dwell on it, except to hope I won't have to face them again. If nothing else, I don't want any of my people being overzealous. The cloning chambers on Tira left a mark." She stretched and flashed her claws for a moment, before her expression lightened and she continued. "I'm taking up too much of your time, for which I apologize. However, I did have another matter to ask about before departing, if I may."

"Go right ahead." Julia grinned. "This is why I keep up with paperwork."

"Well then. I'd like for my daughter Tra'dur to be formally assigned as an exchange officer to the _Aurora._ She worked well here, got along with your crew, and contributed materially. You have helped us, we should repay the debt. And she's very eager for the chance."

Julia considered the idea. The reports from Cat, Lucy, and Lindstrom had all made clear how useful Tra'dur had been in stopping the bombs on the barrage gates, and the Dilgar science officer seemed quite eager. After several seconds she nodded. "I'll recommend it. Admiral Maran can put her into the Transfer Officer Training Program and get her into the next course right away."

"Thank you. I'd make one other offer-for a friendly baseball game between the crew-team on the _Magaratha_ and your own-but Rohric is, alas, not very welcoming to foreigners. Perhaps when we visit you at another port?"

Shai'jhur couldn't have anticipated the wince that briefly formed on Julia's face. Julia noticed the confusion that showed on the Dilgar ruler's expression and fought to turn her expression into a friendlier one. "Sorry," she said. "Yes, that sounds like it'd be fun. There are quite a few baseball fans and players on the crew." _But not the one who should be here…_

"Well, if the chance comes… With my regards." She reached down, and fishing it from her pocket, offered Julia a baseball. "It will be interesting. The Centauri only had a copy of the 1903 rules."

"Oh, it will be," Julia agreed, forcing a smile on her face as she accepted the baseball. It looked off, which was understandable given the Dilgar were a century behind the game Julia learned about growing up. The hard part was the thought of Zack that went through her head while looking it over. "And I'm looking forward to the game." _And hoping Zack will be back for it..._

* * *

The talks had finished. The agreements had been signed. The old League races and the new races of the ISA were departing. Lawfully, formally, and in fact, there was peace. The Dilgar lived. And now, there were just the loose ends of the changes that had been wrought. Like this one.

"Good Morning, Ari'shan," Shai'jhur offered as the legendary pilot entered. She was seated next to Kaveri with breakfast. "I know you look like you have something very important to ask me, but please, sit, we've enough food for you as well."

He glanced between the two of them before moving to sit. "Shai'jhur. It has been a very long time since we've seen each other, even if that was only in passing. Miss Varma. A pleasure to meet you again." The younger Dilgar inclined his head in respectful greeting. "I accept the hospitality."

"A long time indeed. Certainly no chance to ever speak privately before. I'm sorry about the affairs with New Eden being what they are, but… My offer to tap you as the Governor of Tira is sincere, and I hope you're giving it considerable thought."

"The Earth Alliance has a similar divergence of opinion to… well, no. That's not true. The civil war proved, as _loathe_ as I am to admit it, that Jha'dur was right. The humans _could_ have been us, with different pressures. Just as we could have been them. I will accept the position, with some reservations and caution. We need to move forward, and you offer our best chance of doing so, with the expulsion of my people from human space."

"Thank you, Governor." Shai'jhur grinned and leaned back. "Obviously, all of your reservations have to be within the constitution, but I don't think that will be an issue. I will be appointing my eldest daughter Tai'jhur as my Seneschal, as I expect to be commanding the expeditionary force against the Nazis…"

"On the _note_ of my sister, Warmaster… I cannot help but notice your daughters, some of them share a very… rare but storied clan name that differs from your own."

Shai'jhur blinked, looking like a woman for all the world trying to avoid something she should have known was coming. "Well, they are related to the House of Dur. I'd hardly give that name to some of my children in idle…"

Kaveri spoke up, a softly hesitant tone in the way she spoke, "I had wondered the same, I admit. There were only two at the start of the war, and only one at the end…"

Shai'jhur stiffened, silent.

"If they are my sister's, Warmaster, I do not hold it against them, or you. Jha'dur was… _brilliant_ , a mind of the like not seen in a thousand years… but the burdens she bore… also turned her into what she became. Your daughters seem… very much like what I wish she could have been - what she _wanted_ to be."

Shai'jhur's voice cut with unusual vehemence. "I had to find some way to honour her…. Honour our fleet! We fought, and we died by the tens of thousands, and I approved the curricula, I gave the orders - no praise, no glory, no honour for all of those who perished…" She collapsed, weeping freely. "Damn it all, but all of those ghosts haunt me and I must tell them that they are remembered as a faceless mass led to die by the evil."

"She was our leader. The Warmaster of First Strike Fleet. You know that, you know that. We all loved her. Every one of us would die for her, and most of us did. Ari'shan, Kaveri… She was our symbol, our commander. I had to honour her and the dead through her, somehow. So, I found my way." She wiped at her tears and looked up, blinking wide, yellow eyes. "The genetic database of the Warmasters. I had Spectre Fei'nur salvage it. The second genetic donor to all six of my children is Warmaster Jha'dur."

Ari'shan nodded, slowly. "I understand the bonds of comrades in war, Shai'jhur, and I understand the desire to find _something_ to tell ourselves it was worth it."

Kaveri looked more pensive for a long moment, before reaching out to embrace the smaller Dilgar and pull her closer. "You have done no evil in this." A pause. "Do they know? I assume so, by their ages…" Kaveri would ask, pitching her question loud enough for Ari'shan to hear, as the aging pilot leaned back, shaking his head at the thought of what Jha'dur would have thought to have _six_ kits… by Shai'jhur. _Gods, but she'd have been furious, I think. I think._

"Yes," Shai'jhur was answering Kaveri "I taught them honestly. They know she's their mother, too, and they can make their own decisions about her as long as they understand the policy of the government. For the most part, I think they're very mature… Though, Ari'shan, you may want to talk to Nah'dur someday. I think she quietly idolizes Jha'dur. She's my youngest and she's always been terrifically impertinent…"

"So was Jha'dur, once she had her confidence. I will try and give your youngest a further understanding of Jha'dur, beyond the likely ideal she idolizes."

"Thank you…" Shai'jhur laughed harshly and bitterly. "Jha'dur commanded me to have children to do my duty by my race. I have done my duty. Her blood will enrich us for a thousand generations, more brilliant than any other Dilgar who has ever lived. The humans would never understand-present company excepted-but I actually think Supreme Warmaster Jha'dur might: I had a moral, ethical duty to keep her blood from perishing from the diversity of our race. And the House of Dur deserved my womb and household to its service, for no others could be trusted with the duty of raising up her line. Gods hold us fast."

"She was always seeking to make herself difficult to understand, Warmaster. In the later months of the war… that side of her may not have. She certainly always felt the pressure of being one of the only Dur, and when her brother was killed… she _changed_. Despite everything, I…" Ari'shan trailed off. "She _was_ my sister, and the Vorlons likely killed her. Not even seeing my pilot's wings could shake her out of her course, when the EIA went to talk with her on Babylon 5, to try and invite her to New Eden. Her shadow will be something we may someday succeed in escaping, but her _legacy_ is another matter."

"I don't wish to escape it completely," Shai'jhur replied bluntly. "Oh, I have made myself more human than I often care to admit, Ari'shan. Let my daughters become more human than sometimes pleases me. I can love a human without being one. Gods, but it seems poor Zheng-li is more interested in our culture than her own at this point, so I understand the feeling of, ah, alienation. But Jha'dur did give one overriding objective in the war, that seemed to still be the reason she refused to come to New Eden, an objective sound enough that I obey it, gods protect the Alliancers from ever finding out. Keep the Dilgar, Dilgar."

Ari'shan's face pinched in a bit of upset anger. "I did the best I could to lead my people, Warmaster. The Alliance had requirements, demands, things that had to be done."

"Oh, in _your_ place I'd have done the same, Gods, don't get me wrong! You had fifty thousand. Keep our blood alive and trust that the blood is strong! That was it, I understand. But for me, I wanted the political and cultural foundations of participatory governance and of Law to be fundamentally Dilgar, untainted by human example. I don't know what she'd think, but I think this was the right cut to make."

"You held to the old oaths, and the laws, as I wished we could have during the war. The Alliance… they never told me details of… anything, really. I had human friends, yes, before most died fighting the Minbari. What they _did_ tell me, however…" He leaned forward, and whispered directly into Shai'jhur's ear, before sitting back, holding a disquieted expression on his face.

Shai'jhur rocked back in her chair and looked between the two of them. "Gods. May I not live to see the day."

"I would not hold out hope that fate is yet done with our people, Warmaster, but we _are_ Dilgar, and we will go forward, together, all of us."

* * *

"Excuse me? _Battlemaster_? Are you quite all right?" The nervously respectful Dilgar trembled, even at using the rank with a human, no matter what uniform she was in. He had come from the tiny glassware shop across the narrow hall on the station, and probably ran it. She had been there for several hours, not moving from the seat in the hallway, staring out at the stars. And she was far from the places that officers and government agents usually congregated.

"No, but I thank you for asking." Her lips and tongue weren't quite designed for the hisses and growls of Dilgar, but she replied easily enough, looking up and giving a polite, if strained, smile, keeping her 'fangs' behind her lips so as to not give unintentional challenge to a stranger. "Do you make your glass, or resell that others do? Forgive me for asking. Is my sitting here an issue? You may speak freely." _I think that may have been the most words I have strung together in three days._

"We make our own," he answered proudly, "in the zero-gravity sectors. It is one of the few arts we can afford, and it is lovely. Would you like to come into the shop and see, M'lady? You've done nothing wrong, but we worried you were unwell and wished to call someone if you needed it and we might be of service."

"We?" She forced herself to stand, brushing imaginary lint off her uniform jacket as she did. "Please, show me? It has been a difficult last few weeks, and I will be off to war soon enough, it seems. What is your name? I am Zhengli'Varma." Somehow, the syllables rolling together felt right in her head.

The man smiled a little nervously. "It is a _grand_ name, certainly, Battlemaster. Clan Varma is already well-respected, considering the stories that have been told around the Warmaster's work. You were at Tira, then. Please, come as an honoured guest. The we is myself, my mate, my eldest who work this all. We are lucky, to be stationers, and lucky too, to have our own business when so much serves the needs of the state. I shall be pleased to show you our art."

"I would be pleased to see it. Be at ease, I have come from humble roots, and not forgotten whence I did."

"I would honour you for what you have done, not who you are, Battlemaster." He paused at the front of the shop, hesitating for a moment. "In those ages past of my mother and father's time, that was what we aspired to. To be judged by what we had done, not who we were. Now, the Warmaster teaches us that lesson well. Here, Battlemaster, come and see my wares, and judge _us_ for what we have done, too. I shall be very proud if M'lady approves. If you are to be among us, it makes me happy that you would learn our art and our ways! I never dreamed aliens would do such."

"An honest craftsman's work is always worthy of approval. If you have some of our classical work that will survive most of what a spacer may throw at it, I shall be quite keen to acquire at least a small set."

He paused, and looked at her for a moment at her use of _our…_ And then smiled. "I do have some pieces in the classical tradition of Dilgar art, and a few of the solid glass ones will surely stand a pounding in the quarters of a starship commander…"  
Later, looking back on that moment, Zhengli realized it was the first time she had really felt _comfortable_ since she had involuntarily left _Babylon-5_.

* * *

Shai'jhur was sitting at her desk on Far Outer Station, reading through the copious masses of files she had to authorize, most of them relating to the admissions process for the Alliance that she had begun. Sitting there, sometimes drinking tea, she was thoroughly subdued until the moment of a familiar rustling.

Fei'nur at least had the grace to look uncomfortable, as she wavered into view. "Forgive me, Warmaster… but if I may? I don't think Warmaster Jha'dur spared you solely due to your competence. In her personal effects salvaged from _Vendetta_ , I found… this…"

In her hand was a ragged old magazine, glossy and plastered with gaudy advertisements, one of a multitude that had hawked cheap consumer goods on Omelos, before the war.

Shai'jhur saw that in block letters the advertisements had been overwritten by two words: _Practical Cookbook._ Quietly, and with a bit of trembling anticipation, she opened the pages. Inside, carefully and neatly cut, were parts of labels, carefully glued to pages. She recognized them immediately, though the words were preserved to remove any doubt.

 _Jhur Family Canned Meat Products  
A Handy Recipe for Family Satisfaction  
With meat from wonderful radiation-free Rohric!_

"Warmaster, I believe that you were spared because of the memories she had of those cans, of what they had represented to her when she was trying to survive." Her eyes flickered up to fix on Shai'jhur's. "What yourself and Battlemaster Varma had done would not likely have otherwise been forgiven."

"When she… I read the files, you well know. When she was an orphan, and dreadfully poor. Her and her brother must have half-lived off the cans my family's ranches produced, didn't they?" She looked at the pages, half trembling and half spellbound.

"She _never_ spoke of such things, Warmaster. You know she was intensely private about her life, but… if you could accept the occasional bit of bloody coughing when the sterilizing didn't quite work properly, it was the best canned meat you could get, on the kind of money my family had. She was always logical. Avoiding the sorts of contaminants in the other foods at that price point would be worth it."

Shai'jhur grew very still, and stared down at the faded can labels glued onto the advertisements. They had been neatly, with a child's hand, organized by type of recipe. They had been carefully pressed. It was a smart girl, taking special care to make a useful thing that would last. Old above her time, wise for her age. Brilliant.

But just a poor orphan girl trying to help her brother.

"Have you ever thought that life is just a collection of great circles, and that Jha'dur and I simply spent decades traveling ours?" Shai'jhur's voice was cracked and hoarse, but not from the spores. She looked up. "Though she cannot know it, and did not know it when she gave the command, Warmaster Jha'dur saved the Dilgar."

"I wish to think, Warmaster, that she would be happy for it. She did not want what was thrust upon her, the power, the responsibility. It destroyed her, but in the end… she won. We Dilgar endure, making our _own_ path."

"In another century there will be billions of Dilgar again. They will have the chance to set their own course, and the Alliance will shelter us until we can stand on our own feet. It will be their decision whence to take the next step in the journey. We will be in our graves… And I think I'm glad for that."

"I hope the Supreme Warmaster has a chance to see this, and some-day live amongst us again, ma'am. She deserves that much, wherever she is."

Shai'jhur stared at the wall for a long time. She didn't answer the last Spectre's comment. Then she quietly folded the cookbook closed and handed it to Fei'nur. "Give this to Nah'dur when she's mature enough to understand it. She'll be the one to appreciate it the most."

"Yes, Warmaster, I shall. She will be proud of them all, I think." The tall woman stepped back, and shimmered back out of visibility once more.

* * *

 **Tag**

The _Starship Aurora_ continued a quiet orbit over the dead world, the last testament to the people who had made her and the organization she represented possible. The ship's vigil over the broken world of She'teyal, the homeworld of the extinct Darglan species, was a temporary assignment. The _Shenzhou_ was now leading the Alliance task force monitoring the borders of the Dilgar Union, and her replacement as the ship overseeing the excavations on the Darglan homeworld would not arrive for another day or so.

Julia stood alone in her quarters looking out on the dead world. Her uniform for the next day was already laid out, while her silver nightgown shined slightly in the dimmed lights of her quarters. Sixteen months ago she had stood on the surface of She'teyal in an EVA suit, looking out on the ruins left by the species that changed her life long after they had been exterminated. It was that same mission that prompted their first contact with the races of the E5B1 universe and their first visit to _Babylon-5_ , which in turn had made their participation in the history of the last two weeks possible.

The past few months felt like a whirlwind even by the standards of her life since the discovery of the Darglan Facility beneath the mound on the Dale family's farm. As Captain of the _Aurora_ she had gone from a desperate battle against the Cylons to the stand-off with the Aururians, the Fracture survey mission and the encounter and battle there, and now the fight over the fate of the Dilgar. It seemed like these quiet moments were few and far between given those crises. She wondered if it would get any worse, and figured that it probably would.

At the same time, the accomplishments made it all worthwhile. Thanks to her efforts the Aururian Empire and their rivals, the League of Democratic Worlds, were allies in the war with the Reich. The Cylon threat had been thwarted. Princess Allura and her _Castle of Lions_ \- and that green lion ship piloted by Katie "Pidge" Holt - had been protected from being seized by NEUROM's sinister Ministry of Fate, winning the Alliance a potentially powerful ally in the long term, and in the process learning more about the origins of the Falaens of Universe A7R6. And this situation with the Dilgar… because of that, Julia had literally sat at the same table as the President of the Allied Systems while serving as the host of one of the greatest assemblages of leaders the E5B1 universe, maybe even the whole Multiverse, had seen. The likes of President John Sheridan and G'Kar had treated her as a figure of respect. Growing up, she had always anticipated becoming some business owner, or maybe a low level politician, when she dreamed about gaining responsibility and becoming a leader. Thanks to the Darglan, her dreams had become nothing compared to the reality of her accomplishments.

And yet… and yet there was a bittersweet taste to it. A bittersweet taste that became the center of Julia's thoughts when her eyes met the invitation Shai'jhur had offered. The Dilgar leader's interest in Human culture had felt bizarre at times but, in the light of what the Dilgar went through, understandable. That they picked baseball of all sports to emulate…

Julia found that, like before, she couldn't look at anything concerning baseball without thinking of Zack Carrey. He was her friend, and knowing he was out there suffering following the loss on New Caprica…

And then there was Robert Dale. Her oldest, truest friend in the world, the one person who was without a doubt her soulmate. Months in a coma, then waking up to find that the powers he'd barely been capable with were suddenly greater than he ever imagined. Cumulatively he'd been gone for half of a year now, a void that she thought of whenever he wasn't there to share breakfast or dinner, or to discuss their missions, or simply chat about how their lives were going. She found that, regardless of her success, she missed them both.

 _We're supposed to be doing this together_ she thought. _The three of us, and the others…_

Julia finally stepped away from the window and went over to her desk. She sat there for a quiet moment, looking over the Dilgar-made baseball Shai'jhur had gifted her, until she could no longer stop herself. A tap of a key activated the comm systems. The _Aurora_ 's interuniversal and subspace transceiver arrays stood ready to transmit whatever she wrote or said.

She smiled warmly. "Hey Zack," she said. "Uh… it's been a while and I just wanted to let you know that we miss you. I hope you're getting a handle on things. I know you've been through a lot, and I'm sorry that I didn't do enough to help you deal with it. Maybe then… maybe you wouldn't have left…"

* * *

A hundred light-years and a universe away from the _Starship Aurora_ and the lifeless world of She'teyal was a garden world of Universe S2C3 that, two years before, was dubbed Guanxi. The settlers of the planet were initially Chinese from the planet New Guangdong in Universe L2M1. But as sometimes happened with these worlds the flow of migrants shifted and the primary settlement of Deng Guo City was now heavily populated by Caucasian and South Asian settlers from the D3R1 universe, mostly Colonial Confederation or individuals who decided the Arcturan Freeholds were a bit too "free" for their personal comfort (and safety).

The resulting melange of cultures and languages gave Deng Guo City - "Deegee City" to the local English speakers - some unique aspects, including a growing patois of Malayalam, English, and Chinese. What was certainly not unique was the usual kinds of establishments to cater to the ships coming and going from the Deng Guo City Spaceport. Guanxi was the breadbasket of the Allied System colonies in S2C3, and the spaceport was often full of ships landing to pick up foodstuffs for the mining colonies and settlements in nearby star systems while dropping off everything from raw ore to consumer goods manufactured elsewhere. The trading ships came from the local Human star nations to add their own goods to the local markets and to pick up Alliance-made consumer goods for sale elsewhere. Catering to these spacers and merchants were the usual assortment of bars, drinking holes, and brothels. Sometimes they were even under the same roof.

One such bar was an establishment with the eccentric name of "Pop Tate's Chocolate Shop". It was not quite disreputable but leaning in that direction. Inside a handful of patrons, mostly spacers or people passing through, were seated at tables. A holo-vid viewer displayed a news report about the war in S4W8. An old school jukebox was playing music from the local S2C3 Humanity's listings, a cover of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds". Only two men were up at the bar, nursing drinks.

One of them was Zachary Carrey.

He was in civilian wear, a jean jacket with a wool-lined collar over a faded blue shirt with the insignia of his old minor league baseball team on it. Blue jean pants the same color as his jacket were buckled by a black leather belt around his waist. A pair of blue sneakers covered his feet, which were perched up on the stool he was seated upon. A half-finished glass of bourbon was set before him while his eyes were fixed on the digital pad in his hand. Audio continued to play.

" _Maybe then… maybe you wouldn't have left…_ " said the voice of the woman he loved more than anything in the Multiverse, a fact that further fueled the guilt he felt within. " _I just wish you would stop hating yourself. You deserve to be happy too. Even if you go through with this resignation, if you leave the_ Koenig _and_ Aurora _behind… please, just find something you love doing, and do it. Don't waste your life away. Clara wouldn't want that. Rob wouldn't. I don't want that. Please. I know that you blame yourself for Clara_ …"

With a tap of a key on the device, Zack paused the audio message from Julia. A swipe of his finger brought up the image he kept on the display. Clara looked resplendent in her crisp white nurse's uniform. Her dimpled smile was as radiant as a star. Looking into those bright eyes, full of love, was like a stab to Zack's heart; those eyes would never be bright again. He closed his own eyes as tears formed in them and his mind flashed back to the mining facility on New Caprica. To the sight of Clara's body, riddled with bullets fired from a Cylon Centurion.

Although he knew it was futile to try, Zack grabbed the glass of bourbon and downed what he had left, as if it could wash away that painful memory.

"Too bad it doesn't work," a voice grumbled.

Zack set the glass down and turned his head to the left. Two stools down was another bar patron. He was an older man, probably in his forties Zack guessed, or maybe thirties and a very hard life. His black hair was grown out some, not quite to shoulder level, but his beard and mustache weren't. Bits of gray showed in the beard.

"My dad never gave up trying," Zack mumbled. "So it must have done something." He slid the glass forward and, after a moment of inward struggle, produced a plastic bill of currency for the nearby bartender, a grizzled man in his fifties with a dark bronze complexion. A bottle of bourbon whiskey was produced from under the bar and employed to refill his glass. The money disappeared.

"Lovely lady you've got," the other man said. "Sad story there, I'm guessin'." He produced his own currency. More brown fluid was poured into his glass.

"Yeah." Zack looked over his new drinking partner. He was in a white shirt, short-sleeved, with well-developed muscle on his tattooed arms. The shirt hung down over a pair of camo-patterned pants. There was a hardness in the distant look in his brown eyes. Zack spotted an object in the other man's hand, a photo of someone with a Caucasian skin tone. Given the position of the man's thumb he couldn't quite make out the face or other features, but Zack could see red hair that looked like it had been pulled into a ponytail. "I guess I'm not the only sad story." Zack brought the glass to his lips and took a small drink.

"You could say that," the older man said. "Your sad story?"

Zack took another drink and forced it down. The haze of the alcohol was spreading through his head. "She came out here because of me. She died out here trying to help people. And the damned thing is, I didn't deserve her at all. As much as I loved her, I'm in love with someone else."

"Right." The man nodded. He took a drink.

"Your's?" asked Zack.

"Not dead."

"Oh?"

Even through the haze growing in his head, Zack could see the haunted look that came to those eyes. "Worse," was all he said.

Zack nodded wordlessly. And he took another drink.

The haze in his head was such that he didn't quite pay attention when the other man got a call. The voice of another man was speaking, a younger man with a crisp, military tone that reminded Zack of Apley. Zack caught a reference to the ship being ready but little else. When the discussion was over the older man quietly stood from his stool. He made sure to collect the photo of the red-headed woman. He left a small pile of bills on the bar. "Here. Another one, on me," he said to Zack.

Zack almost asked his name, but it came out slurred, and it was too late besides. His drinking partner was gone.

The bartender collected the cash and poured Zack another drink. Zack turned the message from Julia back on and listened to her plead with him to not Clara's death destroy him, how everyone cared for him, all of that fun stuff that was both true and yet not what he needed to hear. Zack finally sighed and turned the message off. He fumbled for another bill.

The bartender shook his head. "No more for you," he said, in an accent that was vaguely South Asian Indian. "Time to go."

Zack frowned at that. He scooped the money back up and went to the door.

He never saw the blow coming. Pain shot through the alcoholic haze and he span about, hitting the ground with a surprised cry. Bleary, he looked up in time for a man to grab him by the collar and haul him bodily into a nearby alley. Once there a fist slammed into his chest, right above his stomach and over his diaphragm, knocking the wind out of him. Zack crumbled to the ground. Someone kicked him in the side. He heard voices speaking but they made no sense. He looked up to see three men arrayed around him. He glimpsed something dark in the hands of one, who was shouting something to the others.

Then there was another voice. The men turned. One went for a weapon, but before he could bring the gun up he went flying. Zack nearly fell unconscious at that point and was only vaguely aware that his attackers were being beaten back. By the time his senses had returned - relatively speaking given how much bourbon he'd had - he was alone with just one other figure in the alley. His rescuer was in a jacket… no, not a jacket, a robe, of brown color, with a hood that cast shadows that obscured the face. He could just make out what looked like loose cream-colored pants on the legs of the figure. Something in his head told him he'd seen this kind of clothing before. It wasn't Human-style clothing, but something close…?

His rescuer reached up and lowered his hood. This revealed the face of a bearded man, the beard made of dark hair - darker than Zack's own - and well-trimmed.

But what finally caused Zack's mind to recognize his rescuer was the warmth in his familiar green eyes, the same warmth evident in the man's voice as he reached down to take Zack's hand.

"Hey Zack," said Robert Dale, grinning at his friend as he helped Zack to his feet. "It's been a while."


	36. Episode 3-07-1 Where The Wind Takes You

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 21 April 2643 AST. Captain Julia Andreys recording. The_ Aurora _has arrived over the planet Arc-Royal in Universe F1S1 with an Alliance diplomatic team to observe talks between the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere and the Clans of Kerensky. Secretary Onaran has spent weeks arranging this summit in order to stabilize the existing Clan-Inner Sphere truce and, it is hoped, establish the possibility of a more permanent peace._

 _In addition to our role in the talks, we will also be providing some of the security forces to ensure the safety of the negotiating teams._

 _On another matter, the new commanding officer of the_ Koenig _has arrived to take up his post._

The command officers of the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ gathered in the conference lounge to greet the new arrival when he entered the room via the starboard-side lift.

The officer that Ensign Jean Hajar, a helm and engineering officer of the _Koenig_ , escorted into the lounge was young as well. Well-combed and cut blond hair gave him the appearance of a disciplined young officer, as did the controlled expression on his round face. Light brown eyes surveyed those present and betrayed, just a little, the emotions under the surface. The newcomer looked almost uncomfortable in his Alliance military uniform, with the three gold rank strips of a full Commander on his collar. Julia introduced him to the others. "Everyone, this is Commander William Atreiad, formerly of the Colonial Navy, and the new Commanding Officer of the _Koenig_."

There was polite applause. Everyone was trying not to hold the fact behind Atreiad's appointment against him; specifically, the slow degradation of their friend, Zack Carrey, former commander of the _Koenig_. Nevertheless Julia noticed that Tom Barnes had an unhappy look. She restrained herself from sighing.

When the greetings finished, Julia nodded to Atreiad, who replied, "Thank you for the warm welcome." He seemed a little nervous himself. Julia couldn't be shocked; after a brief promotion to Captain in the Colonial Navy due to his role in Adama's ploy to delay the Cylons, he had transferred to the Stellar Navy with the equivalent rank of Lieutenant Commander, just to have the service bump him another rank in the span of a month to fill one of the needed command billets. The rapid rise was certain to jolt anyone.

"I understand I am taking a post held by someone that you all care deeply for," he continued. "Commander Carrey enjoys the respect of the Colonies as well, and I have to say that I'm daunted by the prospect of commanding the _Starship Koenig_ in his absence. I pray that I'm capable of being half of the commander that Zachary Carrey is."

Those self-deprecating remarks won Atreiad the audience. Lieutenant Commander Creighton Apley, the First Officer and Navigation Officer of the _Koenig_ , was the first to start applauding. Julia was the third.

When the applause ended Atreiad stepped up to Julia and handed her a datapad. On it were his official orders. "Commander Atreiad reporting as ordered, Captain," the young Colonial officer stated.

"Welcome aboard, Commander. Go ahead and take a seat, I'll give everyone a final briefing."

Atreiad nodded and did so, taking up Zack's usual seat beside where Julia herself used to sit, now Meridina's seat. Everyone took their typical seats and Julia settled into her own. "As you've all noticed, we've made orbit over Arc-Royal. Under the political system of the Federated Commonwealth, this planet is ruled by Grand Duke Morgan Kell, whom you may remember."

There were nods. Julia imagined Barnes was ready to call him the "cool old guy", but he said nothing and was merely frowning in his seat.

"The Grand Duke is a most remarkable individual," Meridina said. "I sensed there was something unique about him."

"Duke Kell has agreed to a request from ComStar's Primus Mori to host this diplomatic summit," Julia explained. "All of the Inner Sphere and many of the Periphery states are attending, as are representatives of the Clans' Grand Council."

"Huh." Jarod showed surprise at that. "That's quite an accomplishment. I didn't think the Clans would ever agree to talks on this scale with the Inner Sphere. Even the Wardens don't seem to actually like the Great Houses that much."

"The war against the Reich is the ostensible reason," Julia noted. "Officially the Clans are here to join in planning further invasions of the Reich's central worlds. To bid for them in their style. However, Secretary Onaran believes that ilKhan Kerensky can use any agreement as the basis for expanding, or maybe extending, the Tukkayid Truce."

"It won't be easy," Locarno said.

"Likely not. And it assumes the Inner Sphere can work together and present a united front." Jarod shook his head before looking to Julia. "So what are we doing here?"

"Observing, mostly," Julia said. "The Alliance is remaining officially neutral in Clan-House relations for the moment."

"Really? I thought we told both sides we'd help the Inner Sphere if the Clans invaded," Angel pointed out.

"That was before the Clans agreed to join the war too," Julia replied. "That complicates matters. Our guarantee wasn't withdrawn, of course, but we can't be assertive about it if we want to keep the Clans in the fight. Onaran may play peacemaker if he wants to, but our part is to simply watch, and to provide extra security. There are parties that would love to derail these talks."

"I will have security teams ready for your use, Captain." From her seat, one wouldn't imagine that Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond was barely two weeks away from having been stabbed to near-death by one of the rogues of the _Avenger_ crew. "And we'll coordinate with ComStar and Kell Hound security easily enough. Might I borrow Lieutenant Lucero?"

"And Commander Meridina, yes," Julia said. "Any other questions?" There were none. "Then you're all dismissed." The assembled stood from their chairs. As they went to leave, Julia called out, "Lieutenant Barnes?", prompting Tom Barnes to stay. "How are you feeling?" she asked him once everyone was out of the room.

"Fraking lousy," the foul-mouthed engineer declared. "They… He's really done it." There was sadness in Barnes' eyes when they met Julia's. "Zack's gone for good, I mean? Because they've got that Colonial guy taking his ship now."

"He resigned, Tom," Julia reminded him. "For the moment Maran is holding the resignation on the grounds that Zack may not have been of sound mind, but if nothing changes he'll accept it. He'll have to. And in the meantime, the _Koenig_ needs a commander."

Barnes clenched his fists. "Dammit, we let him down. We let Zack down. He needed us and we just… y'know, we just let things go."

Julia felt a lump in her throat. She knew he was right, even as she knew nothing was going to stop Zack from leaving when he did. "He has to want our help, too," she said quietly. "And he didn't."

"There has to be something we can do."

"Right now? No." Julia shook her head. "Wherever he is, Zack has to figure this stuff out on his own. All we can do is hope and pray he does, and that he's okay."

It was obvious Barnes did not like that answer. That was fine to her, as Julia didn't either. Her mind wandered for a moment, thinking of Zack and everything that had happened since the New Year.

"Mind if I go?" Barnes asked her. "Scotty needs me to finish a visual inspection of our impulsor engines."

The request forced Julia out of those thoughts. "Of course," she said. "You're dismissed, Lieutenant."

Barnes let out a deliberately-drawn out sigh at her formality before heading to the lift.

Julia watched him go and turned to face the windows. Arc-Royal hung in space "below" her, at the bottom of the gravity well that was keeping the _Aurora_ in roughly the same relative position through a geosynchronous orbit. She watched the planet alone for several moments. The task ahead was going to be another difficult assignment, but the tricky diplomacy of the F1S1 universe was not what was on her mind. She found herself thinking, instead, of missing friends.

 _Zack, Rob, wherever you guys are… I hope you're alright._

* * *

Zachary Carrey was used to headaches when waking up. It was not an encouraging sign, given what it said about his drinking habits of late.

But now it was joined by nausea, nausea that drove him to scramble out of his bed. It was a softer bed than he'd enjoyed in weeks. His mind couldn't think of why, at the moment. The last few days had been a bit of a blur. Faces he was unfamiliar with, and only one he could put a name to. And even that one didn't fit his thoughts anymore.

A search of the room indicated the small closet space with a commode. Zack stumbled over to it and retched into the metal receptacle. It took a few minutes for him to regain control. His throat and nose burned from the stomach contents that had come up through his throat. His hand reached and reached until he found the switch for the commode. Jets of water forced the vomit through the bottom and to their final destination in the ship holding tank.

Standing up, Zack could feel his head clearing enough to recognize himself in the mirror. He was in a pair of white boxers with a blue line pattern. His bare chest showed muscle definition, but it was starting to atrophy from lack of sufficient exercise, or food for that matter. His face was pale.

"I look like crap," Zack muttered to himself, even as he tried to figure out where he was. This wasn't his room in the Deng Guo City traveler's motel he'd picked. Had he boarded another ship while drunk? The thought briefly scared him until he noticed the fading bruise on his stomach. He'd been punched, hard. Other remaining spots spoke of other blows. He'd been attacked. That had been stopped, and now he was…. here?

As his thoughts cleared, a face came to mind. Familiar, save the facial hair.

There was a knock at the door. Zack grabbed a pair of trousers from his open travel bag - when had he gotten his stuff? - and pulled it on while approaching the door. "Coming," he grumbled. His head still hurt. When he reached the door he tapped a key to open it.

The figure outside was one of those he wasn't sure about. A male humanoid alien in a jacket and leggings. After a moment Zack's brain registered the appearance. _I'm on a ship with a Minbari_? he thought, looking at the white bone crest on the alien's head. "Are you well?" the Minbari asked.

"I just puked and my head feels like an elephant was sitting on it. So _no_ , I'm not," Zack answered irritably.

"I see. Your symptoms have not cleared yet."

"Who are you anyway?" Zack asked. The hall outside of the room had doors to what he assumed were other rooms. A control cockpit or bridge was visible to his left, through a sliding double door, with the streaks of warp space faintly visible. The color and look of the interior was definitely Dorei, vibrant shades of green on the walls with purple trim around the doors and panels. "What ship is this?"

"You are aboard an independent vessel, the _Keyeri_ ," the Minbari replied. "I am the co-owner of the craft. My name is Lennier." Lennier gestured toward the rear of the central hall. "Our eating area is open for you to use. You most likely require some form of sustenance given your condition."

Zack felt his stomach gurgle. Some of it was hunger, but the rest was queasiness. "No point until I know I won't just throw up," he replied quietly. With the moments ticking by his thoughts were focusing better. "I have a friend aboard."

"Yes. He is in the cargo bay."

Zack nodded and stepped out. "Thanks," he said. Lennier nodded and returned to the ship's cockpit area. Zack went in the other direction, toward the stern. A turn to his right led to a platform overlooking a relatively small cargo bay and a set of steps down to it.

There was little cargo in the cargo bay. In the middle of the open space two people were seated with crossed legs, in a way Zack associated with "meditation". The figure closest to him was a woman, a Dorei with blue skin and hair and light purple spotting. The latter was visible down the rear and front of her bare shoulder blades, as she was wearing a yellow tube top and thigh-length shorts of white color.

Opposite her was Zack's friend Robert Dale. He was in a white sleeveless undershirt and blue boxers. His hair was slightly longer than was normal for him, now approaching the base of his neck, and for the first time in his life Robert was letting his facial hair grow, with a trimmed beard and mustache of the same dark hair as on his scalp.

A bleary image came to Zack's mind. Of the look of his oldest friend as he reached down and helped Zack up. " _It's been a while_ " echoed. It had been quite a greeting.

Zack's attention was now drawn to an object, or rather set of objects, hovering in mid-air between Robert and the Dorei woman. The frame suggested a rough cylinder, with parts creating a housing attached to a power cell and a control. A shining green crystal moved through the air and fit into a cradle in the housing.

Or so it seemed. A moment later a part fell from the housing. It came apart, the crystal next, and in a burst of invisible power the entire thing seemed to explode. Parts flew everywhere. One stopped in mid-air before the Dorei.

Another piece, small and stinging, struck Zack. Right between the eyes. He let out an involuntary cry and reached for the impact point. "What the hell?" he said a moment later.

Attention turned to him. Robert already had frustration on his expression, but now it turned to concern as well. "Zack, are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't mean…" He sighed and started to stand. "How are you?"

"Feeling like crap," Zack answered.

"Hopefully you'll be through the withdrawal soon," Robert said. "I'm more worried about your head. Julia's message said something about potential brain damage from Niltox?"

"It's fine," Zack insisted, glowering. His bad judgement over the Niltox was another unpleasant sign of how low he'd gone. "What was that anyway?"

"Yet another failed attempt to follow Lucy's instructions," Robert said, looking disappointed. "I'm still trying to get a handle on my abilities now that they're stronger."

"I thought you were going to do that in some super-remote Gersallian monastery?"

"That was to help me get enough control that I wasn't spontaneously knocking things over," Robert pointed out. "I managed that after about a month." After that he gestured to the Dorei woman. "Anyway, this is Druni Jestani, formerly of the Order of the Silver Moon, and co-owner of this ship, the _Keyeri_."

"I met her partner already," Zack noted. His brow furrowed in recollection. "Silver Moon? The order of lesbians with the bondage sex rituals?"

Robert sighed while Druni snorted. "If you weren't his friend and clearly affected by drinking too much, I would smack you for believing that lurid nonsense," Druni grumbled. "We're not all _yassi_ \- lesbians, I mean - and _banno egh banno_ is not sexual!"

"Remind me to remind Tom to stop watching those things," Robert moaned. "They'll just get him into trouble."

To that Zack snorted. Given his headache, he immediately regretted the reaction. "Getting Tom away from his porn is like getting you away from your heroics, Sir Robert the White. Although come to think of it, for you they might be about the same thing..."

That won him a playful glare, the playfulness made clear by the smile on Robert's face. "Well, I see your sense of humor is still intact," he said.

For a brief moment, Zack did feel like things were… normal? Right? Here he was, bantering with his close friend like the old days. _But it's not the old days anymore, and Clara's still dead, and I've become a Goddamned drunk just like Dad._

Robert's smile faded. He could sense the shift in Zack's mood and, if not the thoughts themselves, the general thought behind them. Before he could say anything, a tone came from a panel on the wall.

Druni walked over to it and tapped a key. "Yes, Lennier?"

" _We have arrived. I have brought the ship out of warp and requested landing clearance. We are standing by._ "

"Ah. Good." Druni nodded and looked to Robert. "We're here."

"I guess it's time to get dressed," said Robert.

"Huh?" Zack blinked. "Where is 'here', then?"

Robert responded by activating his omnitool. It was an amber-colored model, one of the M4P2 civilian omnitools instead of the blue lighting of a Stellar Navy-issue one. An image popped up of a garden planet. Tall, wide mountain ranges were visible on a great continent. The orbital space was full of starships, many of them utilizing solar-sails or, Zack realized, subspace-sails. And he could only think of one species that used such ships widely.

"Gy'sara," Robert answered, as if the ships themselves hadn't given the answer away. "The Gy'toran Homeworld."

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"Where the Wind Takes You"_**

The _Keyeri_ descended through clouds on her way to her destination. In the ship's cockpit Zack and Robert sat toward the rear while Lennier piloted and Druni supported him. They were watching as the clouds parted for good, giving a spectacular view of Utal Pranam, the capital city of the Gy'torans.

A G2 star, the same type as Earth's, shined golden rays upon the scene. Below them a city was sprawled among the hilltops along a great river and the canyon it had carved into the planet's surface over the last eon or two. The buildings were blocky structures of lavender, burgundy, and golden shades, with some other colors mixed in, some rising high enough that they were actually above the walls of the canyon. Said walls were not bare either, but rather bore structures built into the canyon sides. Long bands of nets connected some of the buildings to others at varying altitudes. Signs in the blocky cuneiform of the primary Gy'toran trade language were set into many of the structures.

The _Keyeri_ remained over a hundred meters above the canyon on its approach, and for good reason. Just below them, a large craft made of wood and steel was gently plying its way through the air. Zack was astonished to see that the vessel was covered in great white canvases, like an old sailing ship before the days of steam, spread out above, to the sides, and even billowing out from the bottom of the ship. Small figures were hustling across the sails' attached netting, manipulating the sails with pinpoint precision. One sail began to fold in on itself; it was being furled in. Then another.

"A wind-sailer airship," Robert noted. "Just like their starships."

"Goddess, it is amazing," Druni breathed. "I had heard the stories…"

"How could that work?" Zack wondered aloud. "I mean, a ship that size would need an active anti-grav engine or a lot of speed and lift to stay aloft."

"It most likely has a gravity drive for these approaches," Lennier stated. "However, Gy'sara's gravity is lighter than many other species' homeworlds, and the mountain and canyon formations on the continents encourage higher wind speeds. Wind-sailing airships are quite feasible."

"And an integral part of their culture," Robert added.

"I am bringing us in to their aerospace port," Lennier added. "We will be landing momentarily."

Their course took them to the north of the main city. The buildings started to diminish in size, clearing the skies over the canyon below for greater aerial traffic. And that was precisely what was there. More wind-sailers were evident, some no larger than a rowboat with gliding sails. The _Keyeri_ remained in her own approach vector that took her past a large, elegant wind-sailing ship with multiple internal decks and massive, furled sails. Zack looked over said ship with a keen eye. Its very size seemed to defy its ability to remain aloft, even if for the moment it was docked in what looked like a cradle extended from the canyon wall.

Said wall was their destination as well. Along this entire section door after door had been carved; the Gy'torans had turned this entire area of Utal Pranam into an aerospace port to service their capital. One such set of doors, a smaller set near the top of the canyon, was open for them. Lennier flew them in with quiet precision. The dock inside was a basic hanger. Visible fuel cells allowed for a variation of ship types to have vital fuel recharged or replenished. Work-coat clad Gy'torans scuttled along on four limbs to secure the _Keyeri_ to her dock.

"Here we are," Robert said.

"Yeah." Zack blinked. "Uh, why are we here?"

"Why else would we be here?" Robert asked, his eyes glinting with humor. "Sightseeing."

* * *

Securing the _Keyeri_ hadn't taken long, and Zack spent that time packing his bags. A part of him considered telling the others "No thank you" and going off to book passage on the next ship leaving for Alliance space. But he couldn't bring himself to do that. Not yet. It didn't feel right, not given the effort Robert had clearly spent tracking him down.

Besides, he wanted to see the Gy'toran homeworld too.

The aerospace port's main facilities were actually above the docks, built on the surface of the forested plateaus that overlooked the canyon. From the windows that lined the pathways of the terminals Zack could look out at the trees. They were primarily red, with pale violet and purple leaves, although some of the species evident were of a dimmer red color. An eight-legged animal of almost feline appearance darted up the surface of one of the trees, disappearing into the canopy. An avian with blue and green feathers swooped in close to the window before banking out to land on another tree.

"Zack?" Ahead of him, Robert broke off from the others and looked back to him. He was wearing the same Gersallian traveling robes he'd worn when rescuing Zack from his attackers on Guanxi, although he kept the hood down around his neck here. "We're heading to the hotel, we probably shouldn't split up until we get there."

"Right," Zack murmured. He walked toward Robert and they kept going.

"You've been traveling a bit yourself, haven't you?" Robert asked. "I mean, I almost caught up to you in M4P2, but you left Eden Prime before the _Keyeri_ could get there."

"I heard it was beautiful there, wanted to see it," Zack said.

"And?"

"I guess I'm jaded by New Liberty and New Caprica," Zack said. "Because it looked like just another garden planet to me."

Robert shook his head genially. "It had its charms though. And the Prothean ruins are spectacular."

"They were, I guess," Zack conceded.

When he didn't say anything else, Robert continued to speak. "I don't blame you for wanting to just get away for awhile. With everything that's happened…"

Zack said nothing.

"...anyway, I'm looking forward to this." Robert kept a friendly grin on his face, even as he felt like he was forcing it. "And look on the bright side. We lost a lot of weight coming here. That might have been useful back in school."

"Ha," Zack chuckled, but only slightly. He knew what Robert was trying to do, and he didn't feel like humoring him for the moment. He wanted some time to process his thoughts. Particularly the memories of talking with Clara. While she'd never mentioned Gy'sara in particular, this was the kind of traveling she'd talked about doing if Zack ever left the Stellar Navy. And now he was here doing it, and she… she was gone. Dead, not coming back.

Robert went to open his mouth again and stopped. Zack wasn't ready. He had to be patient.

They caught up to Druni and Lennier at the mass transit terminal. A large air-bus - not a sky-sailing model either - was already pulled up to the terminal and docked, taking aboard passengers. They got in line and waited.

* * *

The estate of Grand Duke Kell was the locale for the summit, in the planetary capital of Old Connaught. Julia looked out a window in the upper floor room set up for the talks and considered the city. While named for an Irish province, the capital of Arc-Royal was built more like the kind of homey, small German towns that Julia had seen in old photography in history classes or in Anna Dale's family photographs. Indeed, it was almost hard to believe it was the capital of a planet.

"It is quite a sight, isn't it?"

Julia turned and faced the man speaking to her. He was roughly her age, a little taller, wearing a dress uniform of light beige with brown on the chest. A brass-colored rank square with a red star was located on both lapels of the uniform's neck while the arm bore a red star with one ray longer than the rest pointed downward, a "daggerstar". Green eyes a different shade from her own eye color met her eyes. "Khan Ward," she said respectfully.

"Captain." Phelan Ward - formerly Phelan Kell - nodded once. "How do you like Arc-Royal?"

"It's… certainly a lovely world," Julia answered. "It's your homeworld, right?"

"To some extent, although I spent part of my youth traveling from world to world with the Kell Hounds." Phelan looked out over the town again. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Hrm?"

"On your promotion, and your command," he answered. "And on some of your accomplishments as well. I took the time to read up on your career so far as a captain. You seem to have had quite an eventful year."

"You could say that." Julia grinned slightly at that. "I'm surprised the Clan Grand Council let you come. Wouldn't they consider you biased?"

"They would have to defend such an argument if they argued it in the Council," Phelan said. "And I would have been honor bound to challenge them to a Circle of Equals." His mouth formed into an appropriately-wolfish smile. "And I'm not the easiest opponent to face, inside or outside of a 'Mech."

"Ah." Julia nodded once.

"Of course, that will not stop certain Khans from using my presence to debate against whatever arrangement we make," Phelan continued. "Which is why I am only here as an observer for the ilKhan. Khans from the Ghost Bears, Star Adders, Snow Ravens, and Nova Cats are the primary negotiators for our delegation."

"Right." Julia tried to remember which Clan was which. She recalled the Bears and the Cats as Invading Clans, but the Adders and Ravens were more of a blank. "The Clans have already taken a few worlds for their own, I believe?"

"Neu Brandenburg, Wesselwelt, and New Denmark," Phelan said. "And we have enclaves on ten other planets taken from the Reich, although your Alliance has insisted we honor your Harris Station Charter, so we do not enjoy full control of those other worlds."

Julia nodded in reply. She was familiar with said Charter, signed a month after the Battle of New Austria. It guaranteed political liberty to the communities of subjugated nationalities and ethnicities. The original intent of the charter had been to grant entire worlds freedoms, but between the needs of the war and the demands of the Turians, the charter allowed for the coalition members to maintain their own enclaves and bases on those worlds, even if the communities there would gain independence. Clearly the Clans were getting the same arrangement the Turians enjoyed.

"I had better go see to my fellow Khans," Phelan said. "Have a good day, Captain."

"Thank you, Khan," she answered. She took a final look out the window before walking away herself. 

* * *

Julia soon found Meridina and Lucy in the company of Commander Richmond. They were with a Kell Hound officer, an older one with clear authority. "I can have the field ready within the hour, Colonel Allard," Richmond was saying, her upper class Australian accent a marked difference from the usual accent one expected of Australians.

"That will be acceptable, the first meeting is in ninety minutes," was the reply of Colonel Dan Allard, the commander of the Kell Hounds. He was checking his timepiece. "And speaking of that, I have to go assure Curaitis that everything is ready."

"Curaitis?" Meridina recognized the name, that of Archon-Prince Victor's security advisor. "Is he participating in security planning?"

"More like he's being given a partial say in it," explained Colonel Allard. "As are the security people for all of the House delegations. And the Clans for that matter. It's not making it any easier. But between your security and our forces, we'll manage. Please excuse me."

With Colonel Allard gone, it was just the four ladies from the _Aurora_. "What do you think?" Julia asked the others, specifically Meridina and Richmond as the former and the current security chiefs of the _Aurora_ , respectively.

"I would feel better hosting these talks aboard the ship," Richmond admitted. "The _Aurora_ is a more secure environment and it would be far easier for security to control access. The Kell Estate and Kell Hound Headquarters employ dozens, hundreds, of local civilians for their functions, and even with control checkpoints and other security measures, someone with the right tools and skill could penetrate the system anyway. We recently learned this the hard way, you may recall."

Julia nodded. She mentally flashed back to prior incidents in these situations. The attack at New Chicago when Draconian operatives attacked a diplomatic reception was a particular memory. Of course, even the _Aurora_ had faced a similar security breach: the reception in the Lookout over the Dilgar survivors on Tira, when the renegade leader James Hawk nearly killed Warmaster Shai'jhur, the leader of the remnant Dilgar government. She suspected most threats wouldn't have access to the top-model Darglan technology that had let Hawk and his ally slip aboard the _Aurora_ , but there were still plenty of stealth technologies and other methods a potential assassin could use.

"I would recommend you leave myself and Lucy on security assignment, Captain," Meridina stated. "Our presence makes it more likely we can detect a threat before it strikes."

"I agree," Julia said. "I'll ask Colonel Allard to prepare rooms for you so you can remain on site."

"Jarod's going to have to re-assign someone else for the port lateral sensor array's inspection," Lucy pointed out. "I was supposed to start that tomorrow, and we're already a day overdue."

"We'll handle it," Julia promised. "Your priority is protecting the summit."

Lucy nodded. "If that's where you need me." She looked around. "Maybe I should go swap into a security uniform then?"

"No, stick with what you've got," Julia said.

"Your call, Captain," Lucy replied.

Julia checked the time and looked to Meridina. "The other leaders should be arriving soon, Secretary Onaran will be expecting us to join him in welcoming them. We'd better get going. Let me know if anything develops."

"Of course, Captain," Meridina said.

"I'll inform you of any further issues, Captain, Commander."

After a final pair of nods, Julia and Meridina departed to join the Allied Systems Foreign Secretary. Richmond checked the latest report on her omnitool before looking to Lucy. "If you don't mind me asking, Lieutenant, why are you still in the operations branch?"

Lucy almost missed the question, as she was busy running a diagnostic on one of the security scanners they'd placed. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, while you often do operations duties, during crisis moments you are usually in the field performing combat duties," Richmond pointed out. "It seems a waste to keep you in operations branch."

"There are times I feel the same way," admitted Lucy. "But I like some of the work. This," she gestured toward the lightsaber hilt on her uniform belt, "isn't all of what I do."

"I understand that, Lieutenant Lucero, but I think it's wasteful," Richmond said. "Whatever your role was on the _Aurora_ when she first launched, your place on the crew has changed substantially. Your capabilities as a field officer with your metaphysical talents call for a re-evaluation of your assignment."

Lucy took a moment to consider the argument. Julia had made similar remarks not too long ago. She wasn't just an ops officer anymore, and hadn't been for nearly two years. Richmond wanting her transferred to security did make sense.

Although, when it came down to it, she didn't want to devote her time to security either.

"I'd like you to think about the transfer, Lieutenant," Richmond said. "I have an open billet for my second-in-command coming soon. I think it will be a good fit for you."

"We can decide it later," Lucy said. "We should finish getting everything set up first, though."

"Agreed." With that Richmond keyed her omnitool's comm system and said, "Taggart, Ihjamal, I need your status."

" _Yes ma'am. We just finished installing the sensors on the ground floor dock. We're moving on to the interior foyer…_ " 

* * *

The light in the temple was faded, reflecting the twilight sky outside. Low flames licked at the walls where the torches gave scant aid to the illumination of the room.

The flood of light that suddenly made the chamber as bright as a sunny day came from the armored figure in white that, even now, thrust her shining, almost-blazing sword into the flesh of the great wyrm guarding the chamber. Its powerful claw swiped at its foe and created sparks along the shield, also colored white with silver and gold symbols upon it.

Ensign Talara, the only non-Human of the party and the only one still standing, finished her casting a moment later. It took most of her remaining MP to cast the once-per-battle raise spell, but the circumstances demanded it. The bright light that emanated from her coated the fallen forms of her compatriots. They stood rapidly, as if freed from invisible bonds, although the truth was that the fallen forms had merely been holograms; the real players were, to reflect their status, merely locked out of the game.

Ensign Violeta Arterria acted first. She nocked an arrow into her glistening, silver-hued bow, sending said arrow into the eye of the great wyrm. "We've almost got it!" she shouted. "It's down to five percent!"

The next figure to strike was Angel Delgado. Clad in a crimson chongseom garment with gold embroidered figures, and defiantly missing the feathered headband that rounded out her class uniform, Angel rushed in and landed a punch on the scaly body off their foe. Faint, flaming light formed around her as another punch landed, and then a powerful kick.

"Angel, we would have won already if you'd just use the chakras right!" The protest was from her sister Caterina. At barely five feet she was the smallest, least intimidating member of the party, wearing voluminous blue robes and a floppy yellow hat that virtually obscured her face. It was perhaps fitting that she was also the one with the most powerful attacks.

"Don't worry about that, Cat!" Violeta shouted. "Another Flare should do it!"

Cat nodded and held her rod up. She began reciting words in Spanish. The actual words didn't matter for the game, and she could have used any language she wanted, really any words she wanted, so long as she identified the trigger word of the spell she wanted to use. But Cat felt that Spanish worked best for reality-warping spells, at least in lieu of actual Latin.

The great wyrm lashed out at Angel, who ducked a swing of its mighty tail, but wasn't quite fast enough to avoid a hit that sent her flying. The green bar on her wrist display dropped to twenty percent. Any follow-up blow would sent her back down, and for the rest of the fight.

Talara clanged her shining holy sword against her shield, creating a flash of light that seemed to get the dragon's attention. In the second before it attacked she cast a quick cure spell, which enabled her to survive the massive blow that struck her despite her armor and shields. She was knocked backward. "Are you ready?"

With a defiant " _Flare_ ", Cat unleashed the spell she'd been channeling. Red light gathered around the dragon. It looked like fireflies were suddenly gathering, all rushing in on the wyrm's body regardless of how it moved. The energy suddenly burst outward in red light and flame. The wyrm screamed in agony.

But it still wasn't dead.

Violeta put an arrow into its neck. Angel landed another series of punches. It struck out again and Talara, aided by the abilities she'd picked, intercepted the blow before it could level Violeta. Again her shield and armor absorbed some of the damage, but now her health was blinking red; she couldn't take another hit.

But because of those same abilities, Talara found herself allowed to make an immediate counterattack. She lunged with her blade and drove it into the scaly flesh of the creature's hand. It gave way, letting her cleave so far that the wyrm's hand was bisected by the blow. A colored marker appeared over its head.

Cat cast another spell, this time with blasts of blue energy from her rod. Violeta followed it up with an arrow. Their efforts hit the head directly. WIth a final cry, the creature toppled over.

A victory fanfare played around them.

"We… we did it…" Cat gasped for air for a moment. "We finally beat the Dragon King!"

"Without a dedicated healer," added Violeta. " _That's_ the surprising part." She approached the fallen body, which faded away and revealed a chest. She opened it and grinned. "Ha!" She reached in and pulled out an elegant purple cloak that matched her eyes and hair. She unlatched her current cloak and put it on. "Diana's Cloak," she boasted. "I can't believe it dropped."

Angel reached in and retrieved a leather vest of dragonscales. "So… I wear this for now on?" she asked.

"If you want," Violeta said. "You can also set the game to consider it equipped without actually wearing it."

Talara pulled out a silver helmet with eagle wings on either side, wings that were twice as long as the pointed ears showing from the sides of her current white-coated helmet. "This is… an improvement?"

"Oh yeah, that's a Tier 10 helmet, your helmet is only Tier 8." Violeta giggled. "The drops are worth it, aren't they?"

Cat found a new rod, with a bejeweled tip. "That's a real rare drop!" Violeta proclaimed with awe. "The Starbringer Rod! You can use it to cast Comet four times per battle without draining MP."

"Oooh." Cat put the rod on her waist, unequipping the old one in the process. "So what now?"

"Given we finally cleared the Dragon King? I'd say we play the cutscene and then cast the Teleport spell to return to Caer Draconis. We have to turn the main quest in to get the full XP reward for the module."

"We can do that tomorrow," Angel said. "I need a dinner after that workout."

"And I need to change and get ready for my shift," Talara added.

"We can do that," Violeta said. "Computer, save progress and shut down."

" _Processing… progress saved._ "

The Hall of the Dragon King disappeared, as did the empty chest. They were in a chamber of blue walls that wasn't even a quarter the size of where they'd just been. "The next module's a fun one," Violeta assured them. "The Palace of Cagnazzo. It's an underwater level."

"I am _not_ swimming around," declared Angel.

"We can set it to behave like we're on dry land," replied Violeta. She grinned at Cat. "You'll want to practice your Thunder magic abilities."

"It'll be fun," Cat said. "And then maybe we'll be ready for the Floating Islands of Djubara?"

Violeta nodded as she walked past Cat. For a brief moment a look of what seemed like resignation formed on her face, but she didn't give any of them a chance to notice by assuring she was in the lead as they departed the holodeck.

* * *

The bus brought the four travelers into the heart of the Gy'toran capital city. A traveler's hotel catering to alien visitors provided rooms at an economical cost. Lennier and Druni departed for their rooms.

Zack nearly did the same, but ultimately he decided to follow Robert out of the hotel's front entrance and into the city proper. Utal Pranam buzzed around them. With some exceptions the figures that milled around them were Gy'torans. They were a six-limbed species with flexible sectional positions that allowed them to potentially run on four of their limbs. Even all six, if they had reason to stay low and needed to really move. Their faces broadly resembled koalas, while their fur ran a spectrum from blue through shades of purple to reddish colors.

Now that the two were on ground level, they could see the reason for the netting covering so many buildings. As they watched, one Gy'toran simply grabbed hold of said netting at the ground and began climbing up the side of the building. Within thirty seconds he was six stories up and entering a door set into the netting. "Woh," Zack said. "I guess they don't need elevators."

"Well, they probably do have them, if just for the injured or for carrying freight," Robert pointed out. Nearby another pair of Gy'torans lowered themselves to ground level from another set of netting.

"In this gravity climbing must be pretty easy."

"I'm not sure I'd want to give it a try, either way," Robert said. "Not without climbing harnesses."

"Don't you have superpowers now?" Zack asked. "You could just will yourself to float or something."

"It doesn't really work that way, Zack." They walked past what looked to be a shop. Gy'torans were burbling away in their native language outside.

The next shop they saw had holoscreen frames on sale. Test models were set to Gy'toran news casts and a couple of offworld ones, including the Interuniversal News Network (IUNN). Two smaller Gy'toran, youths, were staring at the screens. One turned and looked up at them as they walked past. His - or her, perhaps - face betrayed what looked like bewilderment. The Gy'toran nudged their compatriot and now another set of dark eyes focused on them.

"Um… hello," Zack said. He wondered if either had auto-translators.

"Hel...lo…" one said with a high-pitched voice. "Not speak Human well. _Te'kam ri_ … you want buy?"

"We're just sightseeing," Robert said.

"Sight-see?" There was momentary confusion on the Gy'toran's face. Slowly realization seemed to dawn for the young alien. "Ah! Sight-see! Yes! I sell sight-see!"

Zack gave Robert a bemused look. "I don't think he understands that. Maybe you should say 'visiting'?"

"Visit! Sight-see!" The Gy'toran reached into a box and pulled out something that looked like a brochure. On the front was a ship much like the giant wind-sailer they'd seen while the _Keyeri_ was on final approach. "We sell sight-see!"

The two immediately comprehended what the child was talking about. "You sell tickets to one of those big wind-sailers?" Zack asked.

The Gy'toran's nose tilted back and forth. Robert, for his part, sensed the answer was yes. "Sounds interesting." He took the offered slip of folded paper and unfolded it. A map showed the vessel in question and its route, connecting Utal Pranam to a major regional city of the north, Ilam Tran. The route, back and forth, went between Gy'sara's two greatest mountain ranges. Robert read descriptions in English, Lushan Dorei, Common Gersallian, Alakin Trade, and what looked like Asari Standard. He was pretty sure another set of characters was Vulcan. The designer of the brochure used every bit of space for either imagery or text. "It looks good." Robert handed the paper to Zack. "What do you think?"

Zack looked it over quickly. A part of him didn't really care. But there were some magnificent views. Finally he said, "Sure, let's go. I mean, nothing better to do, right?"

"You buy?" the Gy'toran kid asked, hope in his voice. He presented a digital device. With a keypress the Gy'toran cuneiform characters turned into English, listing the price of various tickets. Robert was thankful that he'd kept his savings up and ultimately decided on one of the better sets of rooms, a two-bedroom suite on the second-highest deck, with round trip tickets. Two days there, a day in Ilam Tran, and two days back sounded about right. He used his multidevice to connect to the Gy'toran sales device and confirmed an encrypted payment. He took special care to ensure safety protocols would keep his account information secure. A glance over the information showed this was some sort of vendor arrangement; the kids sold the tickets on behalf of the ship's operators in exchange for a small cut. He wondered if some cynical Gy'toran clerk figured aliens would be more likely to buy from Gy'toran children on account of how cute and furry they looked.

Then again, the Girl Scouts always did good selling their cookies, so the fur might not have had anything to do with it.

Once the transaction was complete Robert and Zack moved on. "Well, I didn't plan on this," Robert admitted. "But it should be fun."

Zack nodded once, trying not to think of how much he wished Clara was here to see this. Or, come to think of it, of how much he wanted a drink. Those thoughts he was especially careful to avoid as much as possible. 

* * *

The Meinhoff House was an extended-stay residence in Old Connaught, one that was seeing a lot of business with the summit. Every room was rented out due to the offworld business.

One longer-term customer, who had been present for a number of years, was an uninteresting man named John Goddard. Goddard had an extensive history with the planet, being a resident of Arc-Royal for most of his adult life. This background had been instrumental in getting him hired as janitorial staff to the Kell Estate. His work was diligent, the quiet competence that rulers and their managers loved to see in domestic staff.

But the truth was, John Goddard didn't exist.

The man who wore the identity like one might wear clothing was a very plain looking man. He was Caucasian, average build, average height, and a face that easily gets lost in the crowd. That was the important part in his line of work. Having a face that never gets a second look from the viewer.

He was looking over the data again. The money being offered was quite good, but the real draw was the challenge. The chance to prove that even the high and mighty Alliance couldn't stop him was just the thing to cement his reputation in the underworld.

Plus… it was fitting, what he had been hired to do, and that always worked for someone with such a meticulous approach to life, granting further order to something normally so messy.

And it was indeed fitting that the man who killed Melissa Steiner would now claim the life of her child.


	37. Episode 3-07-2 Where The Wind Takes You

Druni and Lennier were in the common area for the guests. Robert walked up to them while they were observing the activity of the capital. The head of a Gy'toran briefly appeared at the bottom of the window before disappearing - presumably said Gy'toran would have to go around said window while climbing around the exterior. "Enjoying the view?" he asked.

"Yes," said Druni. "How was your walk?"

"Interesting. And I ended up purchasing tickets on one of the passenger sky-sailers. Zack and I will be gone for a few days." Robert tapped at his omnitool. "I could buy a couple more if you want to go too. It's a five day round trip to one of the regional cities and goes right through one of the major valleys."

"I thank you for the offer, but it is best if I remain here," said Lennier. "Our ship requires some maintenance work I will be attending to."

"So I'll stay too," Druni added. "We'll be here when you get back." She nodded. "Help your friend, Robert."

He nodded back. "That's what I was planning to do."

* * *

After leaving Lennier and Druni, Robert found Zack in the hotel's lounge and bar. He was seated at the bar with a violet-colored beverage. For a brief moment Robert wondered if he was drinking again, but he didn't sense any impairment. He walked up and sat beside Zack. "Trying out the local stuff?"

"It's a fruit pop thing," Zack answered.

A Gy'toran with a deep blue tint to their fur walked over, two hands holding glasses and a third a bottle. "Want some, sir?" The pitch of the voice indicated the barkeeper was female. "The _yattal_ is made daily."

"Sure." Robert watched the Gy'toran expertly pour a glass of the violet liquid for him. He grasped the glass and took a drink There was some carbonation, and the taste was sweet and tangy, almost too tangy. He swallowed it. "Wow. That's some pop."

"Pop?" asked the Gy'toran.

"A term we have for carbonated drinks like this," Robert replied.

"An interesting sound. 'Pop'. Pop pop pop…" The Gy'toran continued on.

After taking another drink Robert glanced back to Zack. He could sense the turmoil inside of his friend. A yearning for release from his pain. "Are you punishing yourself by coming here?" he asked.

"I have to be able to control it," Zack insisted. "That's where I went wrong. I couldn't _control_ it."

"And you think tempting yourself will help with that?"

"Is there something you want, Rob?"

The question did get to the point. "I want to help you, of course," Robert replied. "I hate seeing you like this."

Robert could sense a part of Zack bristle. He almost apologized but stopped. It felt like anything he said, anything, would be taken badly.

A momentary sense of frustration came to him. How could he do this if anything he said would make things worse?

"The ship leaves in a couple of hours," Robert pointed out. "We should probably get our stuff together."

Zack reacted by finishing his glass. He stepped off of the bar chair. "Sure," he said. "Let's go." 

* * *

Two hours later Robert and Zack were standing on the observation deck of the sky-sailer passenger liner _Tri'kep_. It was easily the length and width of a 21st Century cruise ship, if lacking the height of one, with four decks for passengers and facilities, the observation deck at the bottom, and the restricted top deck where the sails were accessed by the crew and the main pilot house was found. A rear section of the ship contained engineering spaces on all decks that were likewise restricted.

They were not the only beings on the observation deck. Other tourists were present, as were Gy'toran passengers.

"I guess they don't have transporter networks here yet," Zack remarked, watching a Gy'toran tend to her children. One of the larger children had to pursue and take hold of a small sibling who was walking away, as curious little children were known to do in many species.

"A lot of worlds don't," Robert remarked.

Looking around they noted various passengers. A group of Tellarites were nearest to them. Further down three Asari, two of blue complexion and one with more of a lavender shade, were pointing to the window and discussing the sights. A pair of Dre'kari were holding hands at another port. A lone Minbari in religious caste robes was quietly watching the others on the deck, as if his fellow passengers were more interesting than the sight outside.

The ship shuddered slightly under their feet. "Here we go," Robert murmured, turning his attention back to the window. Outside the aerospace port began to recede, slowly.

For nearly two minutes they slowly pulled away from the aerospace port and accompanying canyon wall. Because of the shape of the ship, with the observation deck as the widest one, they could look up through the clear canopy roof and watch as the great sails of the _Tri'kep_ unfurled. Small figures moved rapidly among the horizontal masts supporting the sails, which quickly billowed out as the active winds of Gy'sara's atmosphere pushed into them.

The ship picked up speed now. The sight below began to recede as she gained altitude as well. Eight minutes after they cast off, the ship was entirely clear of Utal Pranam. Now the ship was over a forest canopy crossed by roads and pathways that connected small households. Inside the canyon the river moved through open fields and orchards market by small homesteads. A much smaller city, more of a town, was further ahead.

Around them the other passengers started to leave. Soon they were among only a few still sitting or standing on the observation deck. Wordlessly they too left, content with what they had seen so far. 

* * *

The preliminary meetings ended early, allowing everyone to retire and make preparations for the main meetings to commence the next day. The _Aurora_ security personnel assigned to the meetings were given spare rooms in the estate to facilitate their participation in the round-the-clock security effort.

Whatever his personal nature as a soldier and mercenary, Morgan Kell had the same obligations in hosting dignitaries and other nobles as any other Inner Sphere lord, particularly one who ruled an entire planet. The room was twice the size of Meridina's quarters on the _Aurora_ and elaborately furnished. She felt somewhat uncomfortable being in the lap of such luxury. The suite had a living area with couches and seats upholstered with fine red and black material. The tables were made from fine woods from across the Inner Sphere. A door led to the bedroom and the bathroom for the suite, where a soft bed covered in a blanket of goose down was waiting for the end of the night. The bathtub had built-in water jets to make it… Meridina couldn't recall the word, but knew Humans treated it as a luxury item.

For the moment she eschewed all of the luxury. Now out of her uniform, she wore a plain sleeveless white garment and leggings while she sat on the floor to meditate.

She sensed Lucy's arrival in the moments before the knock came on the door. She responded mentally to invite Lucy, who entered without further word. "I figured you weren't enjoying the luxury," she remarked.

"No. It is unnecessary." Meridina shook her head. "While I understand some extra comforts, Humans have a tendency to be wasteful when they have the means."

"That's the Knight of Swenya in you talking," Lucy said. "I, for one, intend to soak in the bath for at least an hour before going to bed. With the jacuzzi feature turned on." She grinned wryly. "You should try it. It's relaxing."

"That is what meditation is for," Meridina replied. She watched Lucy as she took a seat nearby. "Is there anything you wish to discuss?"

"Nothing important at the moment. There's a bit of tension around here, but we expected that. And I have a… I don't know, just a feeling I guess."

"A feeling of…?"

"Worry. Like something is going wrong, but I can't be sure." Lucy sighed. "Plus I've got Lieutenant Commander Richmond trying to talk me into swapping my posting to security."

"Is she?" Meridina ran the thought through her mind. "It is a reasonable proposal. You are an important asset in field operations as a _swevyra'se_ more than an operations officer. Security is a reasonable assignment."

"Maybe." Lucy shook her head. "But it doesn't feel right to me." She leaned forward in her seat. "I just… I don't know. I know that I've moved beyond being in operations. I'm not just an engineer anymore either, or a runabout pilot. But security doesn't feel right either. Nothing does."

"And yet, your place is on the _Aurora_."

"Yes, it is." Lucy let out a little sigh. "I still feel that. But it's like people want to fit me into a puzzle but the edges aren't fitting. And I highly doubt ships will get a department solely for life force users."

"Indeed not, given the attitudes of certain leaders in the capital." Meridina needn't mention Defense Minister Hawthorne or Admiral Davies by name. "Give it time. I suspect you will come up with something."

"Or have someone come up with it for me," Lucy pointed out. "Whether I like it or not."

"An incentive, perhaps, to not allow the question to linger." Meridina stood up. "Do you wish to train? It may help you settle."

"No. I think I'll stick to the plan to soak in the jacuzzi." Lucy smiled, and there was friendly mischief in the look. "See you in the morning? They're starting at 0920 ship time."

"I will see you in the morning," Meridina answered. 

* * *

The next morning Lucy and Meridina were in place with other security personnel as the summit began.

Seated with Foreign Secretary Onaran, Julia recognized that the occasion was, for the denizens of Universe F1S1, historic. For the first time, the independent rulers of the Inner Sphere's states were sitting with leaders of the Clans and of the Periphery nations. Even the distant Hanseatic League had sent a delegation to attend negotiations.

Primus Mori called the summit to order. ComStar's delegation - Mori herself and Precentor-Martial Focht - were seated equidistant to the three large, round tables where the Inner Sphere, Periphery, and Clans were gathered. A fourth table outside the rough circle was where Julia and the other observers could watch the proceedings.

"I call this meeting to order," said Primus Mori. "Welcome to the Connaught Summit. I am pleased to see that so many have accepted our invitations to this historic occasion."

Julia listened quietly to Mori's remarks. Occasionally she glanced toward the other leaders to see their reaction. The Clan Khans looked the least impressed. They were here to bid for worlds to attack, nothing more. The Periphery leaders only showed interest when Mori briefly remarked on economic cooperation and the sharing of technology, as the Inner Sphere's markets were starting to see the release of Multiversal technology such as consumer goods.

"Now we must come to the primary reason for this summit," Mori said. "Many of the states assembled here have all declared war upon the Nazi German Reich of the S4W8 universe. Your contributions vary by your available resources and the needs of your home territories, but you have all made valuable contributions of one sort or another. We must now ensure that those contributions are being directed toward the intended result; the complete defeat of the Reich and the elimination of the threat it poses to us. Precentor-Martial, you may proceed."

Focht activated a holotank showing a starmap of the S4W8 universe, or at least a section of space including Earth. Julia noticed the apprehension in some of those assembled, especially the Periphery realms. While the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere were certainly no slouches in terms of possessing plentiful worlds and resources, it was clear why the war still raged as it did despite the size of the Coalition. Even with all of the space they had lost in the eighteen months since the Battle of New Austria, the Reich still controlled an area of space far greater than the combined space of all of the attending states of F1S1.

"As you can see, the war may be far from over," Focht remarked. "Although our victories have been increasing as of late, and there are some indications that the enemy's military power is stretched to the breaking point, they still control a significant amount of space. We must decide on the best course for reducing them." Focht nodded toward the Alliance table. "I have been in discussions with Admiral Maran and the Alliance Defense Command, among other Coalition military leaders, on the best avenues…"

"Under what authority does ComStar negotiate on the matter of the war?" asked a Clan Khan. He was in a uniform of green coloring; the holographic nameplate in front of him marked him as Khan Cassius N'Buta of the Star Adders. "Your ComGuards have not participated."

"True. But we are still belligerents," Focht answered. "Additionally, while I grant that the Clans have not given me leave to discuss the war on their behalf, the leaders of the Inner Sphere have, and I am presenting my findings on the subject. Unless you have an objection?"

The Clan Khans consulted with each other briefly. "We have none," said Bjorn Jorgensson, the Ghost Bear Khan and _de facto_ head of the Clan delegation. "While the Grand Council keeps its own council on the war, we will consider the advice of the victor of Tukkayid."

"My thanks, Khan Jorgensson." Focht nodded to him. "In discussions with Admiral Maran and other Coalition military strategists, we have decided that an offensive aimed toward the taking of Terra S4W8 is our best strategic option at this time, and preparations have thus been laid. As this will necessitate the taking of many systems between our current frontlines and the Sol System, the proposal is to follow the example of the Clans. Each Coalition member providing ground troops will be assigned an invasion corridor. This will work to reduce complications to our logistics networks, strained as they are, as well as the issues that can arise from sharing those worlds that do not come under the Harris Station Charter."

"But what about naval support?" asked Sun-Tzu Liao. "If we divide our fleets per corridor, does this not give the enemy's remaining fleet strength the chance to attack our ships in detail and destroy them?"

"The Admiral is planning a military operation to deal with the remaining enemy fleets guarding the approaches to Terra," Focht remarked. "Indeed, ComStar has agreed to provide some of our refitted ships to these fleets as our first contribution to the military effort."

"The Grand Council will consider a similar contribution, then," the Snow Raven Khan, Lynn McKenna, announced. "We have completed several refits of our own."

"The important issue is to allocate invasion corridors," Focht stated. "Since logistics must be considered, our choices are already limited to these assigned routes." A tap of a key lit up several wedges of space pointed toward Sol, leaving other approaches dark.

The Clan Khans contemplated the map. Julia figured a couple of the offered ones wouldn't work for them, as the Clans would best launch from territory they controlled already.

Before this discussion could continue, a hand went up. All eyes turned to Princess Katherine Steiner-Davion at her seat, just down from her brother. The Heir-Presumptive of the Federated Commonwealth and serving Regent of the Lyran half of said state was a lovely woman with hair the same blond tone as Julia's, her eyes icy blue and vivid. She was in a blue and white suit, a civilian look in comparison to her brother's military uniform. Julia recalled her from the banquet at Tukkayid nearly a year before. One thing that came to mind was that she preferred to be called "Katrina", the name of her maternal grandmother.

The other was that Robert had been leery of her. When asked, all he would remark on was that he'd felt "hunger" in Katrina. Julia hadn't yet seen what he meant by that.

Focht nodded to her.

"Military matters are but one factor in what we are here to discuss," said Katrina. "Indeed, we have an opportunity before us that should be the focus of our efforts."

"Such as, Highness?"

"It is rather obvious, isn't it?" Katrina was technically addressing Focht, but in truth she was speaking to the others. "With the leaders of every branch of our universe's Humanity present, it would be a crime against our people to not make the ultimate effort." She set her hands on the table. Clearly even her brother didn't know what she was up to. "The goal of this summit should be nothing less than the restoration of the Star League, and I move that we add that item to the agenda."

The room erupted with shouting. 

* * *

A day out from Utal Pranam and the sky-sailer _Tri'kep_ was now flying over open farmlands. The grains and cereals of Gy'sara grew in abundance on the river-enriched soils beneath them. From the altitude they were at the structures of the Gy'toran farmers were small round things. Bumps on the mosaic of fields. Not quite below them, off to the east, was another of the planet's rivers. Along it were more structures, occasionally clustered together into towns. Boats still plied the waters.

Zack sat on the observation deck and let his mind wander. For all that he was on an alien world, the scenery reminded him of home. Childhood memories filled him.

"Makes me think of home."

The voice brought Zack's attention back to the here and now. Robert came over and sat beside him. "We're supposed to enter the mountains sometime in the next few hours," he said. "It's supposed to be a pretty good sight."

"Yeah."

Robert went quiet, sensing his friend wasn't ready to talk. For his part Zack allowed himself to fall back in time mentally. A six year old boy living in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to do until his mother decided to bring him along one summer day to work with that nice Dale family. They had a boy his age and his mother thought it might get him a playmate.

Instead, he got two, both the boy… and the boy's best friend, a cute girl with long blond hair and a sweet smile. And both quickly let this lanky new kid with the sad look join them in playing and watching cartoons and everything else they did in common.

"Do you miss being a kid?" Zack asked Robert.

Robert gave him a quiet look. "I guess sometimes," he admitted.

"We never had to worry. We could just play all day and nothing else mattered."

"We all grow up sometime," Robert sighed. "And I remember more than just playing. I remember farm chores."

"Yeah." Zack nodded. He remembered chores too. And the hardest of them all was "wake up Daddy to go to work Saturday", which often included his father's breath stinking from all of the whiskey and beer he'd been drinking away during the prior evening.

Robert glanced toward him, sensing that Zack's painful memories were being stirred. He also sensed the growing guilt within him. The feeling Zack felt that he'd become just as bad as his father. A desire to just stop feeling.

But that sense was soon closed off. Zack stood up. "I'm going to get something for lunch," he said. "I'll see you later." His tone brought doubt about that actually coming to pass.

Still, there was nothing for Robert to properly do but nod and say, "See you later". He watched his friend head for the stairway leading up to the other decks with a heavy heart. Zack was intentionally shutting him out, and for all of his abilities, Robert didn't know why.

And if he was going to help Zack recover, he had to find out.

* * *

The sun was only starting to set in Old Connaught, which reminded Cat of some of the small towns in Germany and Switzerland that she and Violeta had toured during their first leave together. The two were seated at a bistro near the town center. The cuisine was a mix of German and Gaelic food, and the offered special was a German-style beer from a microbrewery. Cat found the taste more enjoyable than she had expected it to be. Even though they were on leave they were still in uniform - with Cat favoring the skirt-bottom instead of trousers like Violeta had - and that drew the attention of many of the locals.

"They must not see a lot of Alliance personnel around here," Violeta observed while spinning her fork in a plate of noodles with gravy.

"I'm not surprised they don't. There aren't a lot of Alliance ships that operate in or near the Inner Sphere." Cat grinned. "Although maybe it's your hair and eye color too?" She pushed her fork into her potatoes and took a bite of what the fork picked up. Her fork next ventured into the bratwurst. "It's so interesting how these things happen."

"What?" asked Violeta.

"The way cultures get mishmashed on colonies, I mean," she said. "I mean, here you've got a planet with Irish city names mixed with German ones, but even the people with Irish or Scottish last names act like they're German."

"It's what happens when planets get settled by multiple nationalities from Earth for long enough," Violeta said. "Well, if they don't segregate themselves. That can happen too."

"It's all so… interesting. It's like they become big melting pots."

They continued to eat for a moment. Under the table Cat extended her leg and gently brushed her foot up against Violeta's. A grin crossed the face of the purple-haired woman. Cat noticed that the grin seemed to turn melancholy. "Is everything okay?"

"Hrm? Oh, yes." The grin became happy again. "I'm just… well, I'm just dealing with unexpected news."

"Oh? What is it?"

"Commander Locarno told me that I've been picked for an NOS promotion."

Cat's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean like on top of the one you're already getting?"

"Yeah." Violeta nodded. "So I'm going to be a full Lieutenant."

"Congratulations," Cat said, grinning happily. "You deserve it."

"Thank you. It's a lot of responsibility. I'll end up in charge of navigation and piloting officers. I mean, as in I have to evaluate them and write it out and read their reports… it's a lot of work."

"Oh, I know," Cat said. "I should probably get working on the paperwork from the science labs. I mean, I enjoy reading about their experiments and simulations, don't get me wrong, but then there's the watch logs for the other science officers manning the bridge sensors post too, and the daily activity logs for the science labs…"

Violeta nodded in understanding. It was clear that the promotion wasn't solely a source of enthusiasm for her, but she said nothing more about it for the rest of the dinner. 

* * *

To say that the summit had been derailed by Princess Katrina's suggestion would be an understatement. The proposal to re-found the Star League may have sounded like an idealistic gesture to some, particularly those in the Inner Sphere, but it immediately resulted in a convulsion of hostility and emotion from the Clan Khans. It was clear Sun-Tzu Liao was displeased with the proposal as well. Julia pondered if that displeasure was linked to the Periphery delegations, specifically those from Canopians and Taurians, who reacted as if they'd been slapped.

Unfortunately for the summit, one of the delegates with the Taurian Protector Calderon had gone beyond merely disapproving of the proposal, instead embarking on a tirade denouncing the Inner Sphere's "infatuation" with the Star League, the "tyrants who murdered millions of innocent Taurians before subjugating the survivors", and insisting that it was an insult to the Periphery nations to even suggest restoring the "Camerons' bloody legacy". This in turn prompted a ferocious response from the Clans, specifically the Star Adder and Snow Raven Khans, in defense of the Star League and what it represented, and it took Mori half a minute of gavel-pounding to restore order before she could recess the summit.

Now, with a few hours for the participants to cool off, they were reconvening. Julia used the recess to file a report on the development and check up on her ship. Now she and the other Alliance observers would be back to their passive role, wondering if Katrina's innocent suggestion had ruined the entire thing.

 _Or not so innocent_ was the thought that sprang to mind. While Katrina was showing quiet resignation at the abuse her proposal had generated, and seemed as charming as ever before the session, Julia kept thinking back to Robert's ill feeling about her. She almost wished for his senses herself, if just to understand what he felt. Katrina came off more as a naive politician trying to push for an idealistic goal than anything. _I may need to ask Meridina or Lucy about it later._

Once the session was underway, Ragnar Magnusson - ruler of the small rump remnant of the Free Rasalhague Republic - immediately made a motion to table any discussion of the Star League. It was swiftly seconded by Theodore Kurita and passed by unanimous vote. Katrina lowered her eyes as if disappointed or humiliated.

Immediately the discussion went back to military matters. The idea of invasion corridors was explored in depth. Theodore Kurita criticized one of the lanes, insisting it should be widened at the expense of the Turian Hierarchy (prompting an irritated look from the Turian observer nearby) to ensure the corridor's viability as it neared the Sol System of S4W8. Victor proposed another alteration and Sun-Tzu was criticizing the entire concept and Victor's argument in particular. Victor protested in turn.

At that point Katrina managed to get the floor again. Everyone wondered what she would say, given her lack of military background and the result of her last contribution. "What if we combined the smallest invasion corridors, then? I understand that it would complicate the shipping that supports the troops, but common…"

She never got a chance to finish. The snap-hiss of a lightsaber filled the room. Lucy let out a shout and lunged forward.

The shot rang out a moment later.


	38. Episode 3-07-3 Where The Wind Takes You

No human eye could see the round. Lucy herself didn't see it. She felt it. Where it was going to be. And she put her lightsaber in its path.

The piece of metal that struck the blue blade of her weapon was nothing but a sliver, but it had been accelerated to lethal speed. Instead of striking soft flesh, however, it collided with the containment field of the lightsaber. The result sent the sliver flying upward until it slammed into the ceiling.

The summit erupted in chaos with the gunshot. Even without seeing where the round landed, the security personnel surged forward and started throwing themselves on their respective leaders. Julia grabbed Onaran and pulled him down. Her omnitool flashed to life and she triggered the comm immediately. "Andreys to _Aurora_! Shot fired in the summit, we need additional security and a medical team _now!_ I say again, a shot has been fired!"

Lucy stood in the middle of the room, her lightsaber shining in her hands and ready for any further attack. The threat she felt was fading. Whomever had taken the shot wasn't firing again. _But where did it come from_? She projected a thought toward Meridina. _Do you sense where they are?_

Meridina was standing near the Commonwealth table with her weapon out but, for the moment, inactive. _No hostile presences._

 _And the windows are intact. No bullet holes. No sign of where the round came from._

With the time since the attack increasing with no follow-up, those assembled were picking themselves off of the floor. Lucy focused inward. She sensed the life forms in the area. The lingering fear, the shock, the uncertainty. There was nothing from an assassin. She felt no presence in the Flow of Life she couldn't account for.

 _Nothing_. The thought came from Meridina. With her weapon drawn and active as well, she looked to Julia. "Whomever fired the shot has fled. I do not sense them."

Julia nodded. "We need to get everyone and everything secure. Then…" She noticed the confused, bewildered, and angry looks on the assembled. "...then we're going to need answers."

* * *

The _Tri'kep_ was drawing closer to the mountains now. Below them the open fields were turning to hills. At their altitude the residents of said hills were completely invisible, their presence only indicated by the circular structures that dotted some of the hillsides and the strips of road set through the hills. A scattering of trees could be found closer to the river.

The cabin Robert and Zack were sharing was toward the bow of the ship. The windows were thin strips, too small to climb through for an adult, but thanks to the curvature of the hull the lower windows allowed them a view of the ground. The higher ones provided instead the growing profile of mountains. White-topped and gray, with patches of other colors to show the locations of trees, the mountains would be larger in the morning when they were well within the range and in the final day of the initial trip. Robert sat at the kidney-shaped personal desk that the cabin came furnished with. The furnishings were made with multiple species in mind, so there was no discomfort sitting in the armless chair that accompanied the desk. He looked over a message on the system.

Behind him, Zack was laying on his bed. The two beds were on opposite sides of the room. Single-sized but comfortable, topped with a amber-toned comforter with white sheets. The Gy'torans who ran the _Tri'kep_ undoubtedly took their inspiration from visiting Human motels and inns.

The silence in the room ended when Zack looked up from the bed. "What are you up to anyway?"

"Replying to a letter from Beth," Robert replied. "She wants to know how we're doing."

"Oh." Zack made a low "hmph" sound in his throat. "I guess you can tell her about what a screwup I've been."

Robert turned his head back and faced Zack. "I wasn't planning on mentioning you at all. But if you want me to say hello for you…?"

"No thanks."

Robert nodded and returned to his message. After typing a few more lines he stopped and looked back to Zack. "I'm trying to respect your privacy, Zack, but I can't help but feel some of the things you're feeling."

"Ah?" Zack returned the look. "Well, Rob, now you know why I slipped."

"This is why you've been drinking?" Robert asked.

"Yeah. And don't bother with the 'alcohol is a depressant' speech, I heard it a thousand times and gave it at least a hundred." Zack's voice betrayed the anger and shame roiling within him. "It makes the pain go away for a little while."

"Or you simply forget the pain because you black out," Robert pointed out. He turned the chair completely to face Zack's bed. "Zack, alcohol isn't going to heal you. And that's why I'm here, to help you heal."

There was challenge in Zack's voice when he responded, "Who says I want to be healed?"

For a moment Robert couldn't reply to that. "Whatever has you so angry at yourself that you could say something like that, that's what you need to talk about, Zack. It's eating away at you."

It was clear Zack was well aware of that fact. He pursed his lips and turned on the bed to face away from Robert. Slowly Robert turned away, recognizing the conversation was over.

"How is that power thing going for you?" Zack asked out of the blue.

"Hrm?"

"Your powers being too much, I mean."

"Oh." Robert drew in a breath. "Well, I'm not spontaneously hitting things with it anymore. I've got it under that much control. The trick is using it. Big things… they're a maybe, so long as my control doesn't slip. But the control is usually easy. Small, finite control things, I'm still having a lot of trouble with."

"Yeah, I noticed." Zack rubbed at his forehead. "Do you like having more power than you used to?"

There was silence from the deck. "Well… I'm not sure," Robert admitted. "It gives me the means to better protect the people I care about, I suppose. But sometimes I think I'd prefer it if someone else had it."

Robert was surprised by the humorless laugh from Zack. When he gave him a wondering look, Zack explained, "Leave it to Robert Dale to get upset at having something a lot of people would love to have. Hell, something some people might kill for. But you, nah, you almost sound like you want to get rid of it."

"I never said that." Robert sensed the agitation in Zack. "But it's dangerous. And these powers already cost me my relationship with Angel. If I didn't think I'll need them in the future…"

Robert let the sentence hang. Zack didn't bother to pick up on it. The agitation that was inside of him was growing, festering. After several moments Zack rolled off the bed. "I'm hungry," he announced. "I'm heading to the lounge deck."

"I'll be up there soon," Robert said. Zack showed no sign of responding to him before stepping out the door. Robert shook his head and turned back to his message to his cousin. _How do I get through to him?_ he wondered. _Can I?_

* * *

With the situation as it was, Julia held the staff meeting from a room in Morgan Kell's ducal palace on Arc-Royal. Meridina, Lucy, Richmond, and Jarod were with her; the others were in the conference lounge on the _Aurora_ , visible above the holotank in the middle of the room. " _We've gone over the data Jarod sent with the simulators in Science Lab 2_ ," Cat said. " _The firing angle is definitely the one he indicated._ "

" _Aye_ ," agreed Scotty. " _There's nae a better angle t' account for th' information ye've sent._ "

Meridina glanced to the model and what it said about the intended victim. "Then the intended target was Katrina Steiner-Davion," she observed.

" _Yes_."

"I wonder why?"

Lucy's verbal pondering prompted a reply from Jarod. "She's more popular than her brother is in the Lyran worlds. They see her as a Steiner and Victor as a Davion, and a number of people think Victor may have even arranged his mother's murder to seize power. If Princess Katherine were to be assassinated, Victor could face widespread discontent. Maybe even uprisings. He may even be accused of masterminding it."

" _Yeah, these wackos in the Inner Sphere are way too quick to believe tabloids,_ " Barnes grumbled. " _They probably believe in black helicopters too._ "

"What is just as interesting is the weapon," Richmond said, ignoring Barnes' sarcasm. "His Grace's security people have determined the projectile was barely the size of a grain of rice, and its contact with Lieutenant Lucero's weapon has left it reduced to a grain of sand embedded into the ceiling. The composition, according to scans, is an alloy of tungsten with nickel and iron. Their conclusion, which I concur with, is that it was fired by a weapon using a mass effect field."

" _So the killer has access to weapons from M4P2_ ," Angel noted.

"Or someone is using that universe's native technology to create their own firearms," Richmond added.

"There are sound reasons," Meridina observed. "The weapon can be feasibly built from materials that evade most standard security scans. It also permits an assassin effectively limitless ammunition."

"Where did they fire from, though?" Lucy asked.

" _According to our calculations, the edge of the ballroom_ ," Cat replied.

Julia frowned at that. "Security should have seen them. So whoever it is had a personal cloak of some kind."

"There is more to it than that." Meridina frowned. "We did not sense them. Cloaks cannot hide a being from the Flow of Life, nor keep their minds from detection by a _farisa_. A telepath." She clarified for the sake of Richmond. "Why did we not sense them?"

" _Could it have been a robotic drone of some kind?_ " Locarno asked.

Meridina answered his question first. "The Coserians are rumored to have tested such, but a delicate operation such as this would require the drone in question to have been programmed quite carefully."

" _In other words, they'd need to have an AI._ "

In response to Cat, Meridina clarified, "Or a very sophisticated VI, yes. The alternative of remote control is unlikely given the security systems."

"It might explain why it made only one shot," added Lucy. "Cloaking fields don't last forever, and it takes time to slip through this estate. It might have needed all of its remaining time to escape before the cloak failed."

"Don't rule out remote control," Richmond instructed. "It's always possible someone found a way to hide a signal from detection, or even piggyback on our frequencies."

"You and Jarod investigate that possibility," Julia said. "Meridina, Lucy, I'd like you to keep an eye on the VIPs. Concentrate on Prince Victor and Princess Katherine, but we can't rule out that a follow-up attack might not target another delegation. I know you can't be everywhere at once, but…"

"...we will sense where we are needed," Meridina finished for her benefit.

"Meanwhile, I have to join Secretary Onaran in briefing President Morgan," Julia said. "Not to mention smoothing over feathers still ruffled by the Star League issue."

"It would appear this 'Star League' has quite a diverse reputation," Meridina noted.

"The Clans revere it, the Inner Sphere sees it as part of a lost Golden Age, and the Periphery realms remember them as occupiers and exploiters," Jarod remarked. "Honestly I'm not sure what was in mind for bringing it up."

"I'd like to know myself, but that's not our priority." Julia stood up. "Everyone is dismissed." 

* * *

The Kell estate's suites for VIPs had been nearly overrun by all of the dignitaries present. Walking through that wing of the estate, Meridina found she did not envy the task of the managers for Morgan Kell in having to arrange quartering and sustenance for so many leaders.

Even though her enhanced senses - the product of her life energies, summed up in the Gersallian word _swevyra_ \- enabled her to feel there was nothing amiss without entering the various suites, Meridina nevertheless knocked at each and checked with them directly. Given the assassin's ability to hide itself from her as it had, this seemed the best course of action, and the one most likely to be preferred by the attending delegates given the day's excitement. In many of the rooms she found the delegations deep in discussion about the disruptions that had afflicted the first day of the summit.

The first exception to this she found in the suite of the Kuritas, the ruling family of the Draconis Combine. There the Coordinator of the Combine, Theodore Kurita, was in discussions with his leaders and his son, Hohiro, who was still on Luthien and speaking with his father via a subspace uplink. Sitting by herself in one corner was Theodore's daughter Omi. She was clad in a silk _kimono_ of black color with red trim. Her dark hair went down to her shoulders. Blue eyes the same color as Lucy's rose to meet Meridina's face. "Commander Meridina," Omi said politely. "A pleasure to see you again."

"A pleasure as well, Lady Keeper," Meridina replied. "All is well?"

"We have no troubles." Omi stood. "I have a request of you, Commander."

"Yes?"

"I would like to visit a dear friend with another of the delegations. May I accompany you and meet him in your presence?"

Meridina immediately sensed the flutter of emotion in the other woman. The friend she sought to visit was someone she cared for deeply. More than cared for, in fact. Her reply was to nod. "I have no objections." She looked briefly to Omi's father to see if he had any.

Theodore had indeed been listening, even through his discussion with his son. He shook his head. "I am satisfied that my daughter's safety and honor are in safe hands with you, Commander," he said formally.

The wording was one Meridina found interesting. The Human English word "honor" seemed to have connotations that varied by culture. The Kuritans and their society put special weight upon their consideration of what honor was, and she recognized the gravity of the charge. "Very well. Let us continue, Lady Omi."

Omi remained quiet as Meridina checked in on the next few groups. Ragnar Magnusson had evidently retired, and his delegation were perfunctory in their exchange with her. Emma Centrella of the Magistry of Canopus was polite enough; she was, like Theodore, in consultation with her government back on Canopus. Her neighbor, Kamea Arano of the Aurigan Coalition, was enjoying a quiet meal with her delegation in complete safety.

They next arrived at the Federated Commonwealth delegation suite. Inside they found Victor with his security man, Curaitis, his aide Jerrard Cranston, and Morgan Hasek-Davion. Meridina noted Katherine was not present. She already knew that Princess Katherine had her own suite and a small Lyran delegation separate from Victor's, but she was surprised that the two were not discussing plans together.

The occupants looked to her and to Omi. Curaitis nodded politely, although Meridina had the feeling he wasn't pleased with their arrival… or rather Omi's. The others were friendly enough. It was Victor who stepped forward and took Omi's hand in what, for the Commonwealth, passed for a gentlemanly gesture. Meridina immediately sensed there was more to it, however. Affection, desire, and several other sentiments emanated from both. "Lady Omi, a pleasure to see you again," Victor remarked politely. "What can I do for you this evening?"

"A chance to see you again is sufficient, Prince," Omi answered politely. "Commander Meridina has been kind enough to permit my presence."

"My thanks to you, Commander."

"There is no harm." As Meridina said this the full weight of what was happening came to her. The feelings in the two, the way their eyes met, the affection when Victor pressed his lips to Omi's fingers in the gentleman's fashion of his people… these two, the children of houses with centuries of blood and hate between them, were deeply in love.

* * *

Caterina's work with the investigation on the assassination was over, as was her bridge shift for the day. After a check on the science labs to look over some simulations she was running on involving subspace interactions with normal space and hyperspatial domains - inspired by some of the things she'd seen while exploring W8R4 with the Doctor - she returned to her quarters. Much to her delight, Violeta was waiting for her, currently between watches on her shift. She'd even removed her uniform and put on a lovely shoulderless purple dinner dress that matched the gene-engineered color of her eyes and hair. It was a mark of Caterina's own progress that she wasn't self-conscious about how Violeta had more pronounced curves than she did, which the dress made perfectly clear.

On the table were two candlesticks with lit candles on them, candles made of a fragrant wax that gave the air a flowery, gentle smell. A bowl of salad was in the center, adjoined by two bowls of soup and two plates with thermal capture covers over them that kept the food from cooling and, for the moment, obscured what Violeta had ordered for her. Cat shed her uniform jacket and joined Violeta at the table. "It's not my birthday, and our anniversary is a few weeks away," she observed. "Is this another 'romantic dinner just for the hell of it'?"

"Yes," Violeta said, but Cat could tell something was wrong. Violeta herself quickly backtracked. "No. No, I wanted to give you this dinner so we could talk."

A little knot twisted into being inside Cat's stomach. The long fear that this was too good to be true came roaring back after spending so long suppressed inside of her. "Well, okay," Cat said, admonishing herself not to jump to conclusions. "Do you want to eat now or…?"

"Let's eat first," Violeta said. "Then we'll talk."

* * *

Meridina waited patiently for Victor and Omi to finish talking. Their conversation had been quiet and mundane as things went, covering their life experiences as of late. Meridina willed herself to not pay attention to what was actively said, although it was more accurate to say she intentionally forgot what she overheard after overhearing it.

When they were done they shared a platonic embrace. The pain of separation was acute with both of them, joined by another pain of longing. They wanted to be together, not just in the physical sense but emotionally, even spiritually.

Even that slight sense of such powerful emotion made Meridina think of Kaveri Varma. The deep sense of love and affection that the older Human woman had inside of her for the Dilgar leader Shai'jhur was one of the most intense feelings Meridina had ever felt. It made her realize just what had kept her parents together through the years, whatever their differences.

They left the suite and returned to the hall. "Do you have more stops to make, Commander?"

"No. Lieutenant Lucero has taken care of the others. I am available to take you back to your family's suite now, Lady Omi."

"Very well."

They walked through the ostentatious corridor quietly, at least at first. "You seem as if you have something on your mind, Commander," Omi said.

Meridina nodded quietly. "I suppose I have, yes."

"What is on your mind?"

The question was spoken with quiet, regal dignity. Meridina considered how to answer it. "I have... considerations, I suppose. Questions."

"About?"

"Feelings. Love, I believe your word is."

Omi smiled sadly. "Victor and I did little to hide our affection for each other, true."

"My senses made clear the depth of your affections," Meridina said. "And I could feel frustration."

"Our love is one that cannot be fulfilled without violating our duties," Omi explained. "For us to be together, much less wed, would create terrible political circumstances for our realms. Victor's people would fear their worlds would become the dowry; my people would be incensed if such did not happen and see it as my father giving me away."

"That is unfortunate." Meridina considered the feelings she'd sensed in Kaveri Varma. She had also been divided from the one she loved due to duty. Indeed, due to war. "Falling in love with one who is meant to be an enemy is a great sorrow, although it has its opportunities I would think."

"Perhaps it would bind my people closer to Victor's. But the bloodshed between us… there is much hate."

"That is unfortunate. Hate is a conduit of darkness. The Flow of Life is impeded." Meridina felt a comfort in saying such. It was a retreat to the familiar for her, to discuss the philosophies of Swenya instead of the unfamiliar passions of love.

"My brother Minoru has written letters home about such teachings."

"Is he still on Solaris then?"

Omi shook her head. "No. He has since moved on. He is currently dwelling on Vulcan in a monastery, exploring the Vulcan beliefs."

"I see. I wish the best for him. He has what my people consider a connected _swevyra_. His life has a strong connection to the universe, through which he experiences the Flow of Life."

Omi nodded. "You have questions about love, yes?"

The subject was one Meridina had been glad to stay from. "Considerations, questions… Many things. I am not unfamiliar with the sentiment. My father is a rare figure among the _Mastrasham_ for being happily married to my mother. My brother Qalkrsl has recently married as well, and my sister Leniraya and her lover Penrine have been together for many years. Whenever I have had the pleasure of seeing them I have felt the love they experience."

"But you have not experienced it yourself?"

"I do not believe so," Meridina replied. "In the Order of Swenya, love is considered a potentially dangerous feeling to have. It can unbalance one's perception. It makes one being more valuable than others. A Knight of Swenya must care for all other beings equally to remain in the Light."

"I see." Omi nodded. "But you are allowed?

"Yes, if we can demonstrate suitable detachment, the Council blesses unions," Meridina replied. "My father Karesl followed that path when he met my mother Drentiya."

"Then you could too."

"I could. I am no longer in the Order as it is. The choice is entirely mine." As she said those words Meridina pondered what they meant for her. Could she ever feel that way for someone? "If you were to define love, then, what would call it?"

"It is a complex thing. Many of our finest poets have written on the meaning of love for centuries, indeed, millennia. The Christians say love is kindness and forgiveness. For my people it is a spiritual and physical bond. Physical affection and intimacy are enjoyable aspects, but one must feel the spiritual connection as well, and it must be a pairing where both sides are honored. Indeed, many legends and histories speak of those who experience love of a purely spiritual nature, without physical attraction."

Meridina considered that. She searched herself for such feelings. Just remembering Varma's emotions was enough of an experience. The deep connection to another being seemed to be frightening in how it might warp her perception of the world. To make someone else more important than other beings. To experience the real fear that you might lose that person, a fear that was a real and dangerous path to corrupting darkness. Her training made it feel like something she should avoid. To not be able to be with the one you loved due to duty… that was right in front of her in the guise of Omi Kurita, barred from the one she loved by the needs of her people. It hardly seemed worth it.

And yet… and yet… the warmth she felt there. The warmth she had felt when Victor and Omi spent time together talking. The warmth her parents gave off when they were together. For the first time Meridina imagined experiencing that for herself. What would it be like?

"Is it worth it?" she found herself asking.

Omi remained quiet for a moment. "Is what worth it?"

"Your love for Prince Victor. Is it worth it, despite the pain I know it brings you? The pain that duty will forever separate you?"

Omi closed her eyes. A tear formed at the corner of one eye. While it was clear that even mentioning it was making her experience that pain of separation, Meridina felt the answer coming even before Omi spoke it. " _Hai_. Yes. It is worth it. Victor and I have only met face to face but a few times, but it has always been worth it."

"I see."

"Now may I ask a question, Meridina _-san_?"

Meridina gave her a curious look. "It would be only fair, I believe. What is it?"

"Your questions about love… is it because you love someone?"

The question made Meridina think. Did she feel that way toward someone? Did she feel a connection like that, a desire to always be near to them?

For a brief moment she considered that the answer was no. No, she didn't. But even as the sound began to form in her throat, she stopped. The look on her face betrayed a certain consideration on the subject, a sign that she, honestly, wasn't sure.

Omi smiled at her and nodded. She said nothing else as they went on their way back to the suite occupied by the Kurita delegation. 

* * *

Dinner was quiet for Cat and Violeta. Cat mentioned in brief some of her simulation work, and Violeta remarked about the navigation officers' experiences as of late, but it was clearly small talk to get them through the meal. Cat wanted to enjoy the meal and made herself smile as she ate it, even though her appetite was now thoroughly undermined. Once they were done and the dishes fed into the replicator, they walked over to the couch and sat down beside each other. Violeta took Cat's hand. "Cat."

The food in her stomach didn't keep it from twisting. "Vee. What's wrong?"

"Straight to it. Always the scientist." A weak grin briefly crossed Violeta's lips. "It's about the promotion."

"Oh?" Some relief was showing on Cat's face. The fear that this was a pity dinner and that she was about to get dumped was gripping her with irrational strength (that she might deserve it made the fear all the more stronger). "What about it?"

"The promotion, the second one I'm getting, it's because the fleet needs more command navigation officers. Because my performance reviews have been so high, they picked me." Violeta's grip on Cat's hands tightened slightly. "I'm sorry, Cat, but I'm going to be transferred off of the _Aurora_ in two months."

Cat drew in a breath. It took a moment, just a moment, for the news, and for the ramifications, to hit her. "Then… you and I… we can't…"

"Maybe once and a while," Violeta said. "I mean, if we can get leaves to match up. Or if whatever ship I wind up on meets up with the _Aurora,_ we might be able to spend some time together."

"I…" Tears were forming in Cat's hazel eyes. "Can't we… can't we have you assigned here?"

"That's not what Personnel wants," Violeta pointed out.

"So you'd have to say no in order to stay…" Cat sniffled. "I… I guess that'd hurt you, wouldn't it?"

"Well, given the war? They wouldn't be happy with me," Violeta pointed out. "Especially if they realize why. It would probably tank my career."

"And… and I don't want that." Cat couldn't decide if she was lying or not when she said it. "It's just… I know it's silly, but I thought you'd always be here."

Violeta was kind enough not to agree with how silly the thought was. From the beginning of the Alliance, Cat knew that the way things worked now, nothing was guaranteed. Admiral Maran might generally work to keep them together on the _Aurora_ , but that could change. It nearly had a couple of times already, especially when Julia was offered command of the _Enterprise_. Maybe that had "spoiled" Cat on the possibility, making her think it could never happen.

Except, of course, now it had.

Violeta pulled Cat into a hug. "I know it hurts," she said. "But we can find a way to make it work."

"Yeah." Even as Cat agreed, she was already dreading the likelihood that, in the end, it wouldn't work. She thought of all the times her sister had been heartbroken by Robert in their breakups. Now she understood Angel more than she ever had before.

There was nothing left to say for either of them. They remained quiet, holding onto one another in the quiet of the quarters.

* * *

The _Tri'kep_ 's upper-most deck - not counting the top deck itself - was primarily for the services aboard. A lounge-bar-restaurant and an adjoining recreation room dominated the deck. The lounge had, as one of its appeals, an open air balcony with seats for dining. A windshield glass followed the curve toward the bow to protect the diners from the air-flow of the vessel's movement.

Zack sat at one of the tables. A half-eaten roast beef sandwich and plate of french fries was before him, courtesy of the ship's replicator. Apparently food was one area where the Gy'toran ship wasn't equipped to immediately pander to Human tastes. For a drink he'd chosen a grape soda after a great deal of thought and the temptation to visit the bar.

Getting away from Robert, coming out to eat… it didn't help. The tangle of emotions inside of Zack, his loss and grief and guilt and shame, wouldn't go away. It never would, it seemed. He was stuck in a pattern of mourning Clara and blaming himself for her fate. She had been too good for him. Their happy memories together provided no solace for him. It only reminded him of how false he had been toward her.

 _You weren't false_ , a part of him insisted. _It was real. But it wasn't Julie._

Another truth that made it all worse. Being with Clara had dampened the desire, certainly. His feelings for Clara were always genuine. But they never changed the yearning he felt for Julia Andreys. Given how long he'd desired her…

"That's not good," a voice said. Its pitch and tone was higher and had the cadence of a Gy'toran.

Zack turned his head and faced a Gy'toran male wearing the dark blue suit of the ship service staff. The dark eyes of the Gy'toran, set on a face that reminded Zack of a koala, glanced toward him before looking back out at the approaching mountains. His lavender fur seemed to be sticking out.

When he thought about it, Zack realized the cawing sounds were not new. He'd been hearing them for minutes. But only the Gy'toran's remark brought his attention to them. Flights of birds with blue and violet plumages were soaring past. Not just flights, but entire flocks, reminding Zack of what migrating bird flocks were meant to look like.

"What do you mean, mister…?" Zack stopped and tried to decipher the name tag of the Gy'toran, written in the cuneiform script of their trading language.

"Retan'timara," the Gy'toran answered. "And the birds. It's not good for our trip."

"Oh?"

"Those are flocks of mountain birds. _Tre'miri_ , _Jatami_ … look at them all," Retan'timara remarked. "I've flown this route for twenty turns - you Humans call them years - and this only means one thing. There's a storm in the mountains. A bad one."

"What? You don't have weather control systems?" Zack asked.

Retan'timara shook his head. "Never. They would interfere with the winds. The winds are too important to our planet's life." The Gy'toran slipped into a seat at the table beside him. "You seem lost in thought, traveler."

"My name's Zack Carrey. Or just Zack." Zack made a little snorting sound. "Used to be Commander Zack Carrey, but I screwed that up royally."

"Ah. Zack it is. Human names sound so simple."

"'Zack' is the short form of "Zachary'," Zack clarified. That's my proper first name."

"I see. More sounds. And you Humans like to have multiple names." An interested sound came from the throat of the Gy'toran.

"So what do you mean about a storm?"

"Oh. We get them. Usually they are driven through the mountains until they collapse, but if a storm is strong enough or comes through directly from the Tran Plain, it can be vicious in the valley. Bad for wind-sailers."

"So we'll have to turn around?"

"Maybe. We're fast enough to outrace a storm. A moment." Retan'timara recovered a device from his pocket. Clipped words came through; someone speaking in Gy'toran. Zack listened as Retan'timara replied with increasing agitation. When the conversation was over Retan'timara's face contorted slightly. "They say the storm is not expected to enter the valley ahead of us. It will go south and we will miss it."

"You don't agree?"

"The wind is wrong," said Retan'timara. "For what they claim. No, I think the storm will come across us."

Zack didn't like the sound of that. "Aren't they making preparations?"

"Some. Even a new sailer knows to respect storm winds. But he will not turn south, or climb to go over the storm. Insisting on keeping our route. Peh." Retan'timara made a little gesture with his middle arms. "Thinking of bottom line. Would have to refund tickets if we returned to Utal Pranam. Expends more power from batteries if we climb. But I am a service staffer, so maybe he is right and I am wrong." Retan'timara chittered wordlessly. "You look as if the winds have pushed you off-course, Zachary."

"You might say that, I certainly feel like a ship getting tossed around by storm winds," Zack noted bitterly.

"The storm winds of life, yes. All sorts of winds can guide us on our lives. And one never knows quite where the wind will take you. All you can do is watch sails and keep straight."

"Your culture isn't just about winds and sailing, is it?" Zack asked.

"Oh, of course not! I know some aliens think that, so silly. And your entertainments always get it wrong. The winds are _important_ , but they are not all. Winds spread the seeds, but it is the soil that grows the trees and the crops. Winds guide the birds, but the waters provide them fish and drink, the trees their nests. Just like your species, winds powered our ships for millennia, but now we have steam and thruster and anti-grav."

"Most species and cultures don't build sailing ships for space, though," Zack pointed out. "Or sailing airships."

"Gy'sara is special for that. Low gravity, high winds. On most worlds our wind-sailers would drop like stones!" The Gy'toran's laughter sounded like a rapid chittering noise. "I know little of space drives. Subspace-sails work for us. Good currents in our space, maybe? But like you we have thrusters, plasma drives, even impulsors now. And warp drive. But subspace-sail is our technology and we are proud of it."

"Well, can't argue with that, can I?" Zack asked rhetorically. His eyes looked back to the mountains. The sun was starting to lower in the sky. Still, he could make out the blue and green hues of the trees below, and high snow-capped peaks that reminded him of panorama shots of the Rockies. The birds were still cawing and flying by. The sunlight was just starting to turn to an orange shade as the sun lowered over the mountains. It was a majestic vista.

He wished Clara was here to see it.

Then another thought came. To be honest, he also wished Julia was here to see it. And at that, that she was here instead of Robert, and that their shared cabinn was for them, that she had finally found within herself a love for him that equaled the one he felt for her. With that thought came memories of Adrana, of the alien computer and the simulated world that the guiding intelligence had created for him. A world crafted from parts of him that he was not proud of.

And the truth was Robert was here. His best friend, someone always there for him, there right now in fact, looking to help him. And out of uniform so there was no longer that little gap that had popped up since… the beginning of the Alliance? Or of their Multiversal adventures as a whole? Whatever it was, it wouldn't be there any longer. Robert was just Robert again.

Just Robert and a bunch of weird life force energy powers, that was.

Thinking of Adrana and Robert and Julia and Clara simply reminded Zack of everything hurting him. It was a big emotional knot that he couldn't untie, and he was tired of it. He wanted the knot to go away.

And there was only one way it would.

If Robert had been there, at that moment, shame might have kept Zack from actually making the request. But he wasn't. And Zack… wanted to stop feeling so very much at that moment.

So he turned to Retan'timara and asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any tequila, would you?"

* * *

Making rounds around the Kell Estate was getting old. Lucy completed another circuit of the stairways leading up to the floor with the various suites used by the VIPs and checked in with Richmond. "All clear."

" _Confirmed, Lieutenant_." The Australian woman's voice barely crackled over the radio. " _I need you to check on the air conditioning system on the roof, please. We're getting an anomalous reading from security sensors._ "

"I'm on my way."

" _I'll send you backup, they should meet up with you just after you arrive on the roof._ "

"Roger that. Lucero out." Lucy ended the call and went to the stairs again. She used her omnitool to bring up the plans for the Kell home, showing her which stairway would lead her up to the roof. With her life force energy Lucy didn't feel quite as tired, not physically anyway, but mentally she was ready for the day to end.

At the top of the stairwell Lucy stepped out onto the roof. The old-fashioned external appearance aside, the roof nevertheless had flat areas where the air conditioning systems and communication receivers and transmitters were located, as well as a single low tower with a beacon light for warning away aircraft. Lucy called up the sensor readings that were anomalous she approached. She approached their centerpoint and found herself near one of the air conditioning units.

A sense went through her and drove Lucy to check said unit. As she approached the gray, block-shaped unit, she noticed that its profile was off. It didn't match others around her. As she drew closer she could see why; something had been attached to it. A gray canister with no markings was above the main intake. Tubing ran from one end of the canister and into the intake grate.

Lucy ran a scan of it and frowned. It was made of material to block sensors. Now fully suspicious, she looked it over to see if there were any signs of tamper-proof gear that might forestall removing whatever it was; something that, she suspected, would not be good for the occupants.

Her first inkling of danger was just a second before the gun went off.


	39. Episode 3-07-4 Where The Wind Takes You

The surprise for Lucy was just how little warning she had. The instinctive sense of danger that her powers gave her usually proved far better warning than it had now.

The one second warning time basically eliminated any chance to avoid getting shot. Not with her lightsaber still inactive and on her belt. All Lucy could do was throw her body to one side in the second she had. She felt like someone had just run a razor blade on her skull, slicing away a bit of her curly dark hair along with a bit of skin and the layer of flesh on her scalp above her ear. A slightly different angle would have sent the projectile against the surface of her skull.

Lucy rolled on the roof when she hit it, shoulder first. Another shot grazed her shoulder with no wound, unable to defeat the Gersallian-made armor she was wearing, although it did put a hole in her blue robe. Even as the shot struck her, Lucy's hand was grasping the lightsaber on her belt. It came free as she had designed its strap to do. The moment she completed the roll her hand held it away and her thumb found the activation button. The familiar electronic snap-hiss answered and the cylindrical weapon in her hand formed a blade of shining blue energy. She moved the blade and another shot bounced off of it.

There was no sign of her attacker. Whomever it was had a cloaking device of some sort. Nor did she sense life, at least not the life she'd associate with a grown adult of any species. She focused with the life energy Meridina had taught her to wield and sought out the threat against her. More than that, the means by which the threat hid from her. Another shot from her foe was also batted away with almost contemptuous ease.

Lucy dashed forward before the next shot. Her lightsaber slashed through what looked like open air on the rooftop. A moment later a figure wavered into view, a Human female with skin a shade darker than Lucy's light brown complexion. Only one natural brown eye glared up at her; the other eye was gone, replaced with a cybernetic implant plate over the left side of the head, a big red electronic eye in place of the missing organic counterpart. Something sparked near the cyborg's mid-section.

The cyborg was carrying a Phalanx pistol from M4P2. When she raised the weapon at Lucy again, Lucy's lightsaber sliced the gun in half. "No more of that," Lucy said. "Whoever you are, surrender."

The woman didn't glower. There was no defiance. She considered Lucy for a moment before simply throwing herself backward with enough force that she fell from the roof.

Lucy rushed to the edge. She sensed nothing of the cyborg's thoughts and wondered if this was self-termination of some sort. When she saw her opponent land on her feet and start running, she realized it had been an escape.

The thought of pursuit crossed her mind. But even beyond the sticky, hot blood now pouring down the side of her head as a reminder of her injury, Lucy knew she had other, more urgent matters to attend to. She turned back to the air-conditioning unit and resumed her work on the attachment installed upon it, presumably by said cyborg.

* * *

Meditation had always been a problem for Robert when it came to these powers. Given his duties as a starship captain and the time demanded - not to mention time he wanted to spend with Angel - spending time just sitting around seemed wasteful. Deep down, he had resented that part of Meridina's training most of all.

It hadn't been until after his time on Gersal at Umintamil that his view began to change. There he had no duties to attend to, no girlfriend he was trying to show some attention to, there was nothing but vast empty stretches of time. Meditation was one of the few things he had to do. Quieting his mind and simply feeling the warmth within him, the energy generated by his being, resonate with his surroundings, that had proved an enjoyable experience. "The golden serenity of the Light of Life" was what _Mastrash_ Kilaba, the "abbess" of Umintamil, had called it in their sessions. In his meditative state he imagined the older woman's face. The fine dark skin marked by but a few wrinkles, graying hair at her temples. Kilaba hadn't been the stodgy, stoic type he'd expected; she'd shown the same warmth and subtle, wry humor that Meridina often displayed.

His mind continued along this track, considering the discussions they had together and with Ledosh about his experience in the dreamworld. That the Flow of Life itself had acted to save his life after he took in the Time Vortex, that it was a force in of itself, aware and capable, but cooperative with those who could sense it.

This quiet train of thought sustained through his meditations could have lasted for hours. Sometimes it would. What interrupted it was a distant sense he felt. Loss, guilt, shame… it was Zack.

Robert's eyes opened. His mouth twisted into a frown, followed by a little sigh. He slid off the bed and left their suite. A walk down a fine-paneled corridor and up flights of stairs took him to the recreational deck of the _Tri'kep_. From there he easily found his way to the lounge.

Many people were out on the balcony now. Most of the passengers were, like the crew, Gy'toran, although Robert noted a felinoid Rr'timm and a Bolian couple with several Humans. The _Tri'kep_ was coming up to a relatively-narrow pass between the mountain ranges and everyone was outside witnessing the closing space of the mountains. Distant storm clouds were on the horizon and a flutter of worry went through Robert.

But he had other things to concern himself with. He found Zack at the bar, leaning on it with a bottle of what was likely tequila in one hand and a glass in the other. It was half-finished. A second later it was entirely finished, as Zack gulped it down. Robert winced at it; he'd had only a few experiences with drinks over his life, and he couldn't imagine just _gulping_ liquor like that. It must burn like hell. That Zack was apparently used to it…

Robert walked up and tapped Zack on the shoulder. "Hey," he said, trying to keep even the slightest judgemental tone from his voice. "Everything alright?"

"No," mumbled his friend. Zack was more inebriated than sober by this point. "Nothing's alright. Nothing's been alright for a long damn time."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Go away," Zack demanded.

Robert swallowed and considered his options. Zack's sullen silence was clearly meant to be a shield between the two, to keep Robert out. And he wanted to respect Zack's privacy. But at the same time, it was clear that Zack was suffering on the inside. His isolation wasn't helping him. For better or for worse, Robert _had_ to crack that shell.

"You're drinking again. I thought you wanted to stop."

"I never said that." Zack reached for the bottle and poured another shot.

"The fact you nearly burned your brain out with Niltox tells me you know this isn't good for you. This… this isn't fixing anything…"

"Some things can't be fixed, Rob. Let it go." Zack took a smaller swallow this time. "You can't save everyone. Especially when we don't deserve it."

Sighing, Robert sat at the stool beside him. "What could have done that makes you say that, Zack? It's not just your grief over Clara, is it?"

"I'm the reason she's dead," Zack muttered. "Me. She'd be alive if not for me. She wouldn't have come out here, she wouldn't have endangered herself."

"I think you're being unfair to yourself. And to Clara. She wanted to help people. She wanted to do good. You can't just chalk all of that up to your influence." When Zack didn't react to that Robert continued. "And blaming yourself for it isn't helping anything. You'll never get better, never get over losing her, if you don't stop it."

There was anger in Zack's brown eyes when he turned them to face Robert. They were reddened from tears and stress, red lines crossing through the white of his eyes. Robert remained quiet and hoped Zack would speak. That hope was dashed several seconds later when he turned away again. "Zack, I know you're in pain. I feel it now. You're my best friend, I can't just stand by and let you suffer like this. I'm not leaving your side until…"

Given their respective conditions, what happened next shouldn't have happened. A man halfway to collapse from drunkenness should, in general, be incapable of surprising a man who could sense the immediate future through the metaphysical energies of his own personal life force.

But that's exactly what happened. Robert sensed the intent. He felt it coming. But it shocked him so profoundly that he denied the warning instinct. It couldn't be true. It couldn't be happening.

Which was why he was surprised when Zack twisted around and punched him in the face.

The blow landed on Robert's jaw and cheek, a few centimeters to his left from being capable of damaging or even breaking his nose. The pain of the blow was exceeded by the shock of it. Said shock, and the force behind it, toppled Robert from the stool and sent him in a heap to the floor. A damaged blood vessel in his mouth seeped blood at the side of his lip.

"You can't just leave it alone, can you? _God dammit Rob! You always have to be the Goddamned hero!_ " Zack rose from his stool, not too drunk to stand, but more than drunk enough to have lost all restraint on his feelings. Around them some of the various beings were turning to watch them.

Robert's hand touched the side of his mouth. He glanced at it to confirm the blood. Instinctive fury at being struck was fought down. He wasn't about to throw a punch in retribution. Especially not here.

Zack loomed over him. "You can't help it, can you?!" he continued. "You literally can't Goddamned help it! You've got to be the White Knight riding in to save the day!" As Zack spoke the emotions within him filled Robert's senses. Anger, guilt, shame, frustration… and _envy_. "Is it your ego, Rob?! Huh?! Can't you just leave things alone when asked?! Oh, _of course not_! Because you're the great Robert Dale, the hero who found the Darglan Facility, who used it to liberate the oppressed and save the downtrodden! The man who flouted whole governments just so he could do what was right! The great Goddamned space hero who made the Alliance, the entire damned Multiverse as we know it, possible! Who are we mere mortals to tell you what to do?!"

"Zack…"

"God damn you." Zack's voice was a hiss. "God damn you, you are my best friend in the world, and whatever I've said before I'd _die for you_ , but you really piss me off sometimes, Rob. You take me for _granted_."

"No, I…"

" _I'm talking now!_ "

All eyes were turning toward them. Around the blazing inferno of Zack's erupting emotions, Robert sensed the embarrassment and bewilderment of the crowd at the sight. He wondered when someone would intervene in the public spectacle Zack was causing.

"You always have to be the great hero. You always have to save the day!" Zack continued. "And you don't even think about the rest of us, do you? Me, Tom, Julie, Angel and Cat, Leo… you take us all for _granted_. You never stop to think that maybe we have an existence that doesn't involve being your _fraking sidekicks_! And now you're so dedicated to being a space life magic using _swevyra_ -whatever that you literally threw away poor Angel! You broke her heart _again_ … but she'll still follow you into the mouth of hell, and you don't even…" Zack lost his voice for a moment. The sentiments he wanted to pour out of himself after so many years of quiet suppression seemed to be warring for access to his voice.

"Why are you so jealous of me?" Robert asked quietly, taking advantage of Zack's momentary quiet. He eyed a blue-furred Gy'toran in the uniform of the ship's crew now standing nearby. A stun taser was in her hand. He held up a hand toward her and mentally asked, _No, please wait._ He had the feeling he had bought Zack only a minute or so.

The first response to his question was a bitter laugh. "You really have to ask?" Zack's question was subdued. Pained. "You had everything I didn't. Your grandparents adored you. Mine barely acknowledged I existed. Your parents were the perfect couple. My mom worked and stressed herself to death while Dad was usually too drunk to get a job, much less keep one. Your family supported your decisions. My dad forced me to destroy my career." One by one the items were ticked off, but it was clear that even now they were building up to something even greater. "And the big thing? I can never be with the woman I love because you got to her first. And you… you won't even acknowledge it. The thing I can't have and you just _throw it away_."

Robert stared at him in confusion. "What? I barely knew Clara, I…" He stopped. Awareness dawned on his features. His green eyes widened in realization of what Zack was saying.

"Yeah." There were tears in Zack's eyes. "Even Clara… I gave her all the love I could, and I know she returned it and appreciated it, but I think even she knew. She knew that there was someone I loved more than her. It's why I never deserved her."

"Zack… I never realized."

That made Zack chuckle, although it seemed a sob as much as a chuckle. "Of course you didn't. Just like you never realize how much Julia loves you. I think I would give my soul up to have her love me half as much."

Robert's mouth went dry at the revelation. How had he missed it? How could he never realize just how Zack felt toward Julia?

"The thing is, the damned thing is, I know I'm wrong to have these feelings." A real sob escaped Zack's throat. "You've always been there for me whenever I needed help. Whenever Dad's drinking got out of control. After Mom died. You've always been my friend, my best friend, even more than Tom. And it's wrong that I resent you so much. It's…"

At that point Zack broke down weeping. He collapsed to his knees. "Adrana showed me how wrong I could be," he cried. "The computer… it showed me a world wherever I had what I wanted. Where Julia loved me. And you… it thought I wanted you dead, and… and… I should be dead. Not Clara. She deserved better. It should be _me_."

At that point Zack could say no more. He just kept weeping.

Wordlessly Robert brought his broken friend to his feet. "Let's go somewhere private," he said gently. "Then we can talk about it."

* * *

Once they were back in their cabin, each took a seat on their respective beds, sitting at the ends and facing one another. "I always thought you were just being... well, being your usual flirting self," Robert admitted to his friend. "I mean, when it came to Julia. I had no idea you felt something like this."

Zack sat hunched over. He was in the worst place to be; too drunk to hold back, not drunk enough to have stopped feeling. "She was never interested," he mumbled. "Even when you were with Angel. Maybe if I hadn't started looking for other girls…"

"I'm not sure that was the only thing," Robert said. "But I'm sorry. We… it's painful for you to be around us. Especially around her. Isn't it?"

"Sometimes. Sometimes I just push it to the back of my mind. I be the friend I've always been." Zack rubbed at his forehead. "And I know it's wrong to have these feelings. To resent you so much. I shouldn't. But I can't help it sometimes…"

"You don't have to apologize," Robert insisted. "I know what you're going through."

There was a bewildered yet curious look from Zack at that admission. He brought his eyes back up to face Robert.

"You always had it so easy with girls," Robert said. "And with everyone else. You were the socializer, the guy who put the parties together."

Zack smiled slightly. "Although Julia was always the organizer when she was involved. And those were often the best…"

Robert nodded at that. "But I was neither. I couldn't even host them usually."

"It's not like you didn't have any social circles of your own, Mister Wide Receiver for the football team."

To that Robert laughed. "Yeah, for a coach who thought running it up the middle was the most important kind of play. And besides that, you remember how the jocks thought. I wasn't the star pitcher, I was the glorified blocker of a wide receiver who could be beaten up by his girlfriend." A bitter look came to his eyes. "Half of them thought I was just Angel's beard, too. The only girlfriend Rob Dale ever had was 'that dyke'." The look became dark. "Sometimes 'that dyke spic'." Robert nearly spat out the last word. He shuddered at recalling its use.

"Huh." Zack shook his head. "I guess a few guys from the baseball team thought the same way about Angel. But she was never the traditional girl."

"Unlike your conquests. And I think everyone in the county knew about Beth and why she left, and they loved to use that against me too. As far as they were concerned, my cousin was 'a queer', my girlfriend probably one, and maybe my sister too, and that meant my masculinity was in question."

Zack snarled at that. "Idiots." The snarl turned into a smirk. "Isn't it funny that they picked the wrong Delgado sister?"

"A bit. Although God knows how they would've treated Cat if she'd been out of the closet during her school years. But to get to my point…" Rob sighed. "You and Julie were the star athletes. Tom was in all of the geek circles, and Angel was the best fighter in the school. Even Leo was the darling of the pre-med honors courses and the biology department. I wasn't any of those things. Hell, I think the only person among us who could match my situation was Lucy."

"And now you two are the ones with the mojo powers." Zack sighed.

Robert nodded at that. It was an amusing thing to consider. But he had other things on his mind. "The damned thing is… you were right about it. I do sometimes take you and the others for granted. I just always assume you'll have my back, that you'll agree with whatever I was doing. Even with Julia trying to warn me when it isn't true." Robert shook his head. "From the day I found the Facility I've been dragging the rest of you along without really considering if it was what you wanted. I just assumed you'd stand with me…"

"Well, we did," Zack pointed out. "We made the Alliance possible together, so yeah, we joined you in standing for it. Maybe without thinking it through… I know I've always had a few problems with this military stuff."

"While Julia took to it like a duck to water," Robert opined.

"Yeah."

For a moment there was silence. "I do love her, you know," Robert admitted.

"Well, yeah."

"And you do too."

"With all my heart."

Robert let out a sigh. "Isn't this awkward?"

Zack gave him an annoyed look. "Welcome to my world, Sir Robert."

"That computer simulation on Adrana really had you married to her?"

"Yep." A small blush came to Zack's face at memories of the simulation. "Oh yeah."

Robert laughed. When the laugh got him a bewildered look, he said, "It's just… that's what happened to me. After the Time Vortex nearly killed me, the dreamworld I was in… Julia and I were married. We even had a son."

"Huh. And the rest of us…"

"Around. Happy. Still living in the county, mostly, well, except you and Angel. You were a major league pitcher and were with Clara, Angel was a world-ranked MMA fighter. Our parents were all alive."

Zack moaned. "Of course. You get a dreamworld tailored to you and everyone's happy. I get one where I let you die so I could have Julia." Tears formed in his eyes. "See what I mean, Rob?"

Robert shrugged. "We all have dark sides to us, Zack. They just… come out differently, I guess. A part of me never wanted to come back from that dream world. Even if it meant abandoning you. Given I'm the reason you're all out here in the first place, what does that say about me?"

"That you wanted your family back. While that Adranian lady thought I wanted you dead so I could have Julia. And… the damndest thing of all… if I'd had that choice back then, of saving you or saving Julia… I'd have saved her."

"Good," Robert replied immediately. "That's what I'd want you to do."

Zack shook his head. "Yeah. But my motives…" He put a hand to his forehead. Shaking his head had been a mistake.

"Don't worry about that," Robert insisted, knowing full well Zack would.

Indeed, Zack nearly pointed it out. But he held back at stating the obvious, especially given Robert's gifts. Instead he said, "The same for me. Save her, not me."

"Of course," Robert agreed. A thought came to him. "Can you imagine what she'd say if she heard us right now?"

It took some effort for Zack to work out the reply given the haze brought on by the tequila. "She'd probably get mad at us. Grumble something about chauvinism."

"Yeah, she would," Robert agreed. He grinned thoughtfully. "Why don't you get some rest? The flight will be over by the morning." He stood from the bed.

A protest formed in Zack's mind and died before it reached his vocal cords. "Yeah, I guess. I'll get some rest."

While Zack laid back on his bed, Robert slipped out the door of the cabin. He returned to the lounge. There were fewer people present. He went out to the balcony, now unoccupied, and found a corner to sit and resume meditating. Even here he could sense Zack, not quite asleep, still fairly drunk, a big knot of guilt and shame and grief. Even with their breakthrough, these were feelings he would have to work out.

Robert considered Zack's admissions and what it meant for all of them. Looking back, he kicked himself for never realizing it. All of those times he and Julia and Zack had sat together for a meal, they had been torturing him on the inside. And poor Clara… he remembered how much she loved Zack. That she loved him in spite of his sentiment… the woman had truly been a saint.

An anxious feeling suddenly came to Robert, ending all of his musing on Zack. A nebulous danger was looming, or something like danger, but he wasn't sure what it was at the moment.

That is, until he heard a shrieking electronic tone. " _All passengers, please return to your cabins. All passengers to cabins. This is for your safety._ "

Robert's eyes opened during the announcement. He wondered why it came, at least until he felt the press of beating winds on his face. He looked up at the sky and frowned.

The dark and gray clouds were now taking up half the sky.

And he knew, then and there, that the storm was coming their way. It was going to move right across the _Tri'kep_ 's path.

* * *

" _Hold still_."

Leo's voice betrayed his frustration with Lucy's refusal to keep her head from moving. Lucy responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

Julia fought to keep amusement off of her face at Lucy's playful immaturity. Meridina showed no reaction either way. "Jarod confirmed the substance. It was a nerve gas toxin, a really nasty concoction that would have killed anyone exposed to it through the ventilation system. Even if we detected it in time, we would have lost people. If not…"

"...everyone in the Kell Estate would be dead," Lucy finished for Julia. "Yeah. I'm guessing that was the desired outcome."

"Commander Richmond is exploring the likelihood that this was another attempt on Princess Katherine's life," Meridina noted. "Less discriminate, certainly, but perhaps speaking to the killer being uncertain of getting a better opportunity."

"The alternative is that the killer is just going for whatever will disrupt things the most," Julia said.

"Yeah. Kill Katherine, and the Federated Commonwealth is destabilized. Or just kill a bunch of people and you wreck the summit." As she spoke Lucy shifted her head again, prompting a frustrated look from Leo before he resumed running the regenerator over the wound. "Although there's another possibility."

"Multiple assassins?" asked Meridina.

"Yeah."

"We'll know for sure once Leo compares your wound to the shot fired in the conference room."

"Which will require Leo to have a patient who _cooperates_ ," Leo opined, speaking in the third person for full effect.

Lucy rolled her eyes and braced her neck, letting Leo resume his work.

Julia let out a little sigh. "Well, I need to go deal with a few dozen dignitaries screaming that we're not protecting them sufficiently. Despite the fact that the attack was thwarted because our security is actually working. Let me know if you find out anything."

Lucy and Meridina watched Julia leave. Lucy forced herself to not turn her head to face Meridina, using only her eyes and her life energy to direct attention to her. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem, I don't know, tense."

Meridina did not respond immediately. When she did, it was with a shake of her head. "I have been considering… something. Thoughts."

"Anything interesting?"

"I am unsure. There are feelings I am unfamiliar with."

"Oh, so personal stuff. Say no more, go back to them."

Meridina appraised Lucy with her blue eyes. The two shared that eye color, indeed nearly the same shade of blue. As if it was a sign of the bond they now shared. Lucy could feel a degree of uncertainty in Meridina. An emotional one, not one of action.

"We must stop this assassin permanently," Meridina said suddenly, finding refuge in work. "Then the summit may continue uninterrupted."

"The problem is we don't know where she will be. We can't even be sure of her target. And we can't sense her with our life force energy. She must be completely cyborg. Hell, she was basically a Cyberman."

"I can only wonder what might drive an individual to allow such a thing, such an _abomination_ , to be done to them." Meridina shook her head. "Perhaps it will be mercy for her as well to destroy her."

"That's going to be a tall order. If she's made to infiltrate, and if we can't sense her with life energy because she has none…" Lucy stopped.

Meridina sensed Lucy was in thought. Beside Lucy, Leo removed the regenerator tool. "And done," he said. "You can twitch now."

Lucy didn't move.

"Lucy?" Meridina asked.

Leo added, with some amusement, " _Now_ she stays perfectly still."

"Energy," Lucy murmured.

"Yes?"

"Energy. _Energy_ is how we find her." Lucy slid off the bed and took off for the door. "Come on! I need to get some things from the machine shop!" With that, Lucy left the medbay.

Meridina and Leo exchanged bewildered looks. Just as another sarcastic comment crossed Leo's mind, the door swished open again and Lucy looked in. "And thanks, Leo! You're still my favorite doctor."

A little grin was his reply to her while Meridina moved to join her.

* * *

Despite the order for all passengers to head to their cabins, Robert was on his way to the top deck. Every fiber of his being was telling him he would be needed up there.

The access door was keycarded, as he expected, but it wasn't designed to stop someone with his abilities. Robert strained to keep his internal energies in check while using them on the delicate task of manipulating the interior latch of the door. His effort was not entirely successful; the latch was undone, but it was damaged as well. The door would be stuck open. There was no point in worrying about it, however, as he needed to get topside.

He emerged onto the deck near the stern. The surfacing was made of a fine-grained wood with metal rings at locations along the deck. Some had lines already latched to them, lines built into the harnesses of the deck crew.

And they were needed. The edge of the storm was coming over them, sending violent gales into the sails. Cries in the chittering Gy'toran language barely echoed over the howl. Robert looked up and watched Gy'torans scurrying over the masts and support structures for the wide sails, now being furled with great difficulty against the powerful winds.

"Human! Human, _what are you doing here?!_ " The voice was high-pitched and furious. Robert turned and faced a Gy'toran with a reddish hue to his fur and a beige tone to his full-body uniform. The koala-like face of the hexalimbed alien was screwed into an expression of worry and anger. "You should be in your cabin! It is dangerous here!"

"I know," he answered, almost shouting over the wind. "But you're going to need my help. I'm trained in the _swevyra_ arts of Gersal and I can…"

Robert's voice was cut off by an ominous cracking noise. He and the Gy'toran looked up to see one of the masts starting to lean to a side. The Gy'torans working on its sails, still completely unfurled and taking the full brunt of the incoming wind, seemed more intent on getting off of said mast than furling its sails. With a final snap the mast splintered, ripped away by the enormous force of the winds pushing into its sails. Both watched with horror as two of the six-limbed figures still on the sails were pulled away, betrayed by their own safety lines still rigged to the broken, falling mast.

Robert had only a second to act. He reached his arms up and felt his energy surge within him. The delicate control he learned with the Gersalllians asserted itself. The energies of life, his own and those in the Flow of Life, responded to his will. Those same energies gripped the flailing Gy'torans and pulled them toward the deck. _Separate your lines_! he urged them mentally. Whether it was his urging or their training, they did so, and were freed from the mast that even now fell rapidly to the stern. The two wheeled their limbs a bit in mid-air while Robert pulled them to safety. They landed on the deck before him, their dark eyes focused on him in shock.

The Gy'toran that was confronting Robert started chittering at them in rapid-fire Gy'toran. They replied immediately and ran off, leaving the two alone. "Thank you, Human, for saving my sail-minders," he said. "I'm the Sailing-Master of the _Tri'kep_ , Tramiltaram. I believe you would call me the Captain."

Robert nodded. "I'm Robert Dale. Formerly Captain of the _Starship Aurora_."

"Truly? I have heard of you. The Alliance-founder." The Gy'toran nodded once more. "My thanks, fellow Vessel-Master. Although it may be for nothing."

"What's wrong?"

Tramiltaram raised his upper and mid left arms toward the bow. Robert followed the motion to see what was ahead of them. Tall, jagged mountains showed in the distance, drawing nearer.

"We are coming up to Jumatam Pass," said Tramiltaram. "But now that we've lost our front maneuvering sail, we won't be able to make the turn into it. The _Tri'kep_ is going to plow into the mountain."

* * *

The attendees of the conference took convincing to attend another session. Onaran and Primus Mori both had to cajole Sun-Tzu into remaining. There was an uncertainty in the air when everyone got back together.

"An assault on Goeringwelt will require more than the forces you are allocating," asserted the Turian delegate, a general named Haras. "The Hierarchy can commit the 12th and 19th Regiments to the attack, but we will desire control of one of the secondary continents."

"Your offer of troops will be considered, General Haras, but for now we believe that the three Galaxies that the Burrocks and Coyotes have committed will be sufficient," answered Khan N'Buta. "Although if you wish to bid to join the attack, perhaps an arrangement can be made concerning the disputed enclaves on New Hebridia?"

"The Federated Commonwealth should also be consulted on that matter." This was from Morgan Hasek-Davion. "The 2nd Davion Guards played a role in the liberation as well, I remind you."

"Numerous states did, as I recall, General," Haras said. "But as New Hebridia is in the Hierarchy's Zone of Control, we reserve the right to approve final dispositions…"

Julia tuned out the finagling over occupation zones for the moment. Hearing them made her recall Robert's long time concerns about the Coalition and how the various belligerents might fight over the carcass of the Nazi Reich. Of far more importance to her, at the moment, was Lucy's plan. She spotted Lucy at her place, standing near the holotank. Meridina and Richmond were also at strategic points and Jarod was at the actual controls.

 _Is everything ready?_

The thought led to a number of slight nods. Julia settled uneasily into her seat and waited to see how it would go.

"...dispositions can be decided later," Focht was saying. "As things stand, the attack on Goeringwelt will at least tie down enemy forces on that world and further stretch their military resources. The enemy maintains manufacturing capacity on that planet for their fleet that our invasion forces can interfere with, increasing the strain on their fleet and logistical network." He nodded to Jarod. "Commander, if you would please bring up the material on Rosenburg and the proposed attack by Marik and Liao forces…"

Jarod began doing so. The holotank shifted to show another world, a garden planet. "As you can see, the enemy is defending this world quite strongly," said Focht. "It is likely not simply from the agricultural output of its farming communities. I…"

Lucy's arm shifted. Her omnitool did not appear, but Julia knew that was a trick. She might not see it, but Lucy had it ready to act at a moment's touch.

She gave said touch.

There was only the faint trace of pale azure light over the room. It still got attention. What got more attention was the twitching, sparking form that suddenly appeared beside the Clan table, clutching the curved form of an M8 Avenger assault rifle. The figure was a woman, the same cyborg Lucy faced previously on the roof. Her face was a rictus of pain and surprise with sparks erupting from the red eye and the adjoining implant. When she collapsed, Julia wondered if she was alive or dead.

All eyes turned toward the twitching figure. Meridina and Jarod reacted quickly, rushing to the fallen body and securing it. "Definitely a cyborg," Jarod said. "Honestly more machine than organic, seeing these sensor returns. Most of the brain is electronic."

"Which is why we did not sense her," Meridina murmured. "There is no true Life here, nothing connected to the Flow of Life."

"I wonder who she is…"

Julia glanced toward the table opposite from where she and the other observer-delegates were sitting. There was a paleness in the expressions of both Anastasius Focht and Sharilar Mori. She frowned at that. She didn't need Meridina or Lucy to tell her that they knew something about this attacker.

Julia was so focused on the ComStar leaders that she didn't notice the change in Lucy's expression. Meridina looked toward Lucy and the tables with a sudden start.

Suddenly Lucy was more a blur than anything. She rushed across the meters separating the holotank from the various tables. Her lightsaber was in hand, but she didn't activate it.

There was no shot. There was simply a cry of pain as she moved in the space in front of Prince Victor, who was quite surprised when she fell back into his arms. Everyone began to stand. Jarod and Meridina rushed over toward her, as did Julia.

By the time they did, she was coughing up blood. A look of pain and sheer surprise was written over her face. Jarod's omnitool came to life and the scan was complete in seconds. "She's been shot," he said. "There's a bullet inside of her left lung." This, in clear defiance of the utter lack of damage to her Gersallian-made armor.

There was no need to call for medical help. The door swung open and Leo rushed in with Nasri and another nurse, a tan-skinned Human male. "We got the cyborg," Jarod muttered. "Where did…" His eyes widened in realization. After a second he hit his omnitool again. "This is Commander Jarod. I need the anti-beaming field intensified, now!" Even as he spoke he was operating another control on the omnitool.

Julia didn't have a chance to ask why. There was a small sparkle of light over Jarod and Lucy, after which a round hit the floor. "What's going on?" she asked.

"We're being sniped," Jarod said. "With a transporter."

The door that Leo had just entered flew open again. Julia looked up in time to catch sight of Meridina as the door closed behind her.

* * *

Meridina ran through the halls of the Kell Estate, weapon in hand. Her senses were on the alert for the trace feeling she sensed, a feeling of frustration and quiet worry out of place with the others. There was her target. The assassin who had wounded - perhaps fatally - Lucy.

To her surprise, that thought caused anger to well up inside of her. An instinctive fury that someone had _dared_ to strike at Lucy, her student, her _friend_ … Meridina forced her emotions to quiet at that feeling. She could not let them interfere with her at this point. She had to stop the shooter.

And she would not fail.

* * *

The mountains looming ahead of the _Tri'kep_ lost their scenic allure at Tralmiltaram's prediction. Robert could easily imagine the wind-sailer plowing into the mountainside, killing the dozens - or was it hundreds? - of beings aboard her, Zack and Robert included. He couldn't let that happen.

"What if you cut all sails and just hovered with anti-gravs?" Even as he finished the proposal Robert felt a sense inside of himself that it was the wrong choice.

"The winds are too strong. We would be pushed into the mountains anyway," said Tralmiltaram. He noticed the look on Robert's face and shook his head. "And the anti-gravs don't have the power to turn us in time or raise our altitude. They're not powerful enough for that. There is a small hope of landing…"

Immediately Robert could sense that the hope would not work out. He concentrated on the problem, sensing the possible solutions… and realizing he had but one option.

His consideration was interrupted when he felt something tighten around his waist and chest. He looked down to see the Gy'toran captain tying lines around his torso. "Our harnesses will not fit you," he said. "But I cannot let you remain up here without a safety line."

"I understand." Robert drew in a breath. "Don't try to land. You'll never make it."

"We have no other choice. It is the only hope we have."

"I can save your ship. I can get you over the mountains."

The Gy'toran's dark eyes considered him. Tralmiltaram was both incredulous and yet curious. "How?"

"The same way I saved your people," he said. "It's our best chance. I'll need to concentrate though, and I have to start now."

Calculation showed on Tralmiltaram's face. Robert could only pray he would agree. It was their only chance to survive this.

"I entrust our lives to you," said Tralmiltaram, clearly uncertain.

Robert nodded and breathed in. _I've never tried something like this_ , he admitted to himself. _I know my power is stronger now… but can it manage this?_ The doubt gnawed at him for a moment. But only a moment. He couldn't let doubt hold him. Doubt was fatal to this power and would get them all killed.

He let out another breath and reached out his arms. The energy within him welled up, its golden warmth welcome to his soul, and slowly the ship began to lift higher in the air.

* * *

In a maintenance closet of the Kell Estate, John Goddard grunted with frustration as he finished dismantling his TR-116. He'd never suffered such a setback before, especially not when employing his skills with a sniper rifle. His target was unawares, security was distracted by that other assassin - a stroke of luck there! - and all he had to do was take the shot.

How did that damn woman know? How could she have known where to jump to intercept the transported bullet?

Maybe those rumors about people who could guess the future and fight guns with swords weren't as farfetched as Goddard thought. This was certainly more than just mind-reading, that was for damn sure.

The important thing now was escape. He could be searched upon leaving, so his TR would have to be abandoned. Breaking it down and hiding it would buy him time, at least, time to get to an egress point and slip away. He had a backup identity ready to flee the planet and, given his failure, his unhappy employer. Then… well, maybe it was time to check out another universe. His skillset would be valuable across the Multiverse, after all.

These considerations lasted only a few seconds. Goddard kept himself from continuing. He could do so later, when it was safe. For now he had to think about anything else, just in case.

Quietly, Goddard stepped out of the closet and went to resume his duties.

Meridina caught him a moment later.

* * *

The tilting of the _Tri'kep_ woke Zack up. The alcohol was not yet cleared from his system, not entirely, but just enough had cleared that he soon realized something was wrong. He staggered along the uneven floor to the window. Outside it was dark. Rain slammed against the ports with a ferocity that made Zack remember childhood storms that could form the deadly tornadoes that once nearly destroyed the Carrey home. He shook his head once, as if it could further clear the remaining haze. Over the intercom a voice was speaking in various languages. Eventually it came back to English. " _The ship is currently attempting a dangerous maneuver to reach safety. All passengers, please remain in your cabins and assume crash positions._ "

"Some vacation," Zack muttered darkly. A frustrated feeling came over him. Being in danger wasn't new to him of course. But he wasn't on the bridge of the _Koenig_ facing Nazis or Batarians. He and Rob were just helpless passengers…

...which was when he noticed Robert wasn't in the cabin.

"Dammit Rob," he breathed, knowing for certain - _for damn certain_ \- just what his best friend was off doing.

* * *

On the deck of the _Tri'kep_ , Robert was barely aware of his surroundings. The wind whipping at him, threatening to bowl him over, the rain soaking his clothes and hair, the screams and shouts of the frantic Gy'torans trying to save their ship. He was entirely focused on controlling the power surging within him, the same power now lifting the _Tri'kep_ higher and higher into the atmosphere as the mountains ahead loomed ever so closer.

To say it was a strain would be an understatement. Every bit of control he had was being pushed to the limit. The danger was not only that he might fail to clear the mountain ahead, but that his power would lose control and that he might push the ship too far, causing it to fall apart or to capsize in mid-air or some other catastrophe. Robert grimaced at the exertion this brought, the tension between the raw power needed and his control of it. _I can do this_ , he insisted. _No doubts. Do not doubt. I can do this._..

Ahead, the mountain loomed ever closer. Mere minutes, soon mere seconds, remained for him to succeed.

* * *

Meridina nearly missed the assassin, despite everything. She could barely sense the intent to escape or any other impulse but "get to work". The mind she was dealing with was disciplined in that respect, capable of accepting the most dull of drudgery as if it were nothing of consequence.

But there was the flicker. The flicker of uncertainty, of fear of discovery, of frustration at failure. She picked up on them. And she knew the man coming from the closet was the shooter.

"Please stop," she said to him. The man turned, a basket of cleaning supplies in his hand. He regarded her with the kind of annoyance a professional servant of his kind would. It was what one would expect to see and Meridina was surprised at how well the mask fit him. She could almost doubt her own recognition of him. If not for that merest flicker…

Meridina took no chances. She had her lightsaber ready to turn on at a moment's necessity. "You must come with me," she said. "I have reason to believe you are responsible for a shooting."

"Ma'am?" There was genuine confusion in the voice. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. What shooting?"

"You are quite a good actor," she said. "But I sense your deception regardless. Please surrender."

There were several moments when it looked like he might cooperate. The mask wasn't slipping any more than before, but she could sense the consideration of caution, of biding time. But then came the flood of worry, as he undoubtedly calculated his escape chances as being better before capture, and Meridina thus sensed the coming attack.

What she could not prepare herself for was the nature of it. The assassin flung at her a bottle from his basket. She sensed the danger and caught it with her _swevyra_.

The assassin brought his gun up and shot the bottle.

The explosion that resulted shook the hall. Meridina was thrown back into the wall behind her, slamming into it with enough force that she was dazed by the impact for a critical few seconds. The assassin was also thrown back by the blast, but as he had more space behind him he hit the floor instead of a wall. As he was ready for the impact he quickly recovered and ran away from her.

" _Richmond to Meridina_ ," a voice said over the comms. " _We just registered an explosion_."

"Yes. The assassin is here." Meridina got back to her feet. Her thumb shifted slightly and found the trigger for her blade, which flashed to life with the now-familiar snap-hiss combination. "I am pursuing."


	40. Episode 3-07-5 Where The Wind Takes You

The _Tri'kep_ shuddered in the winds of the storm. Already another of her masts was cracking despite the sails being secured. Tralmiltaram kept himself busy directing the crew on the deck to reinforcing the mast while keeping a nervous eye on the bow and the mountain growing in size there.

Robert did not see the mountain. His eyes were closed and his focus entirely on the power within him, sustaining both the energy necessary to save the _Tri'kep_ and the control on said energy. That was all that mattered - the storm that still raged could no longer register.

"Spirits of wind and sea, he's doing it," Tralmiltaram murmured. "He's actually doing it…" The mountain was disappearing from the bow. He fought through the wind to enter the pilot house, where digital screens showed the approaching mountain and the relative heights. "Status?"

The pilot's response was quick. "Ten thousand _uta_ and rising, sir."

"Clearance?"

The violet-furred female kept looking ahead, with four of her hands occupied with the controls. "Twelve thousand and two hundred _uta_."

Tralmiltaram eyed the instruments. Given their remaining time and the rate of ascent… this was going too close to call. And there was still the storm, which would only get worse the higher they went. These ships could perform in higher atmospheres if necessary, and there was always leeway in the safety margins, but the cracking of the mast showed they were risking stepping over the line.

He looked with worry back out to the deck, where the Human who was saving them seemed oblivious to the wind whipping at his clothes and the rain blasting his face. His attention was wholly on saving the ship, and all Tralmiltaram could do at the moment was hope he succeeded.

* * *

The man who called himself John Goddard had never felt so betrayed by circumstance before. His foolproof weapon was thwarted. His cover was blown. An explosive that should have wounded, if not killed, his pursuer had barely stunned her. Now he was running for his life. His egress plans were in tatters. Capture meant eventual execution at the hands of either his employer or his target.

He couldn't even think about his contingencies either. Not with his foe possessing mind sensing. The need to act without thinking was contrary to his very being. His entire reputation was built upon his ability to think his way to any target and out of any situation.

That wasn't to say he couldn't manage it, just that it was difficult.

He was coming up to a hall leading toward his destination when two armed security confronted him from it. "Down! On the ground!" He ignored them. Let them fire. He couldn't stop. If he was lucky, they might even hit his pursuer. He ducked into the room to his right and rushed for the far suite. After shutting the door he retrieved an item from his pocket. The multidevice fit over his wrist perfectly. With it he activated his remote for his last hope of escape. It rose from the ground level - the staff parking lot - and approached the window.

While the security men entered the room and cleared the main living room, Goddard opened the window. The car was now just ten meters below and climbing.

The moment the door to the suite crashed open, he jumped. 

* * *

Meridina threw the door open without touching it. There was a hint of fury in her expression that made the security personnel, both Kell Hound troopers, nervous, but they said nothing while following her. "Surrender!" she demanded, but she only caught a glimpse of the assassin as he jumped. She rushed to the window in time to see him land in an open-topped convertible aircar. The top slid close over him.

By that point, she was leaping. She landed on the top of the air car and brought her lightsaber down onto the roof. The material gave way to her blue blade, turning red-hot in the process. She pulled the blade back and went to strike again.

The aircar shot forward. Even with her skill Meridina lost her footing. She would have fallen off completely if she hadn't grabbed the wound she had just carved into the vehicle. There was a hint of hot pain in her left hand that gave way to numbness, not a good sign at all, and it was all she could do to hold on as the vehicle accelerated. It turned toward Old Connaught.

Letting go was not her intention. But her energy, her _swevyra_ , screamed inside of her. Her life would end in seconds if she didn't. So she released her grip and began falling to the ground. Meridina disengaged her weapon and focused her power beneath her, using it to absorb the impact when she hit the ground with bone-jarring force.

She looked up in time to see a ruby beam slice clean through the aircar. It exploded in a fireball. She felt out and there was no sign of life from the wreckage as it fell to the ground. The assassin was gone, dead.

To her surprise and regret, a sense of satisfaction came to her. Not the basic satisfaction of preventing the assassin's escape, but a brief savage glee that the man who shot Lucy, who might have _killed_ Lucy, was dead. Immediately she reproached herself at the thought. It was little better than the bit of dark satisfaction she'd felt at slaying Dralan Olati in their duel back on Jarod's home Earth nearly a year before. It was wrong to feel such, and that she felt it _scared_ her.

She glanced to her rear and noticed one of the Kell Hounds' walking tanks, a 'BattleMech', standing over her. It was one of the smaller, shorter models, just a few meters in height, a humanoid form with a lupine head module. A hand that ended with a weapon muzzle was still elevated. " _Commander, are you okay?_ " a female voice asked over a speaker. " _That looked like a nasty fall_."

It had been, but her powers had let her catch the force safely. Granted, it didn't do anything for her hand. Meridina glanced toward it and noticed the blackened, burned flesh from her instinctive grab of the hot wound her weapon had carved in the vehicle. "I am fine," she said simply, even if it was not at all true. She used her functioning right hand to trigger her omnitool. "Meridina to Richmond. The assassin is dead." 

* * *

At the periphery of his senses, focused as they were on his desperate task, Robert could feel the worry and fear of the Gy'torans on the deck. The mountain ahead loomed close and the winds of the storm were driving the ship toward the highest point. This was going to be close. Everything depended upon him.

The weight of that alone could be crushing, but he bore it. He had to.

He did not see the mountain receding below them. He did not see the dark, open sky of the stormclouds ahead, a false safety certainly, but still better than hitting the mountain. All he felt was the golden warmth of the Flow of Life that empowered him, that connected him to the universe and made this feat possible.

It was this sense that told him he'd succeeded.

When his eyes opened, Robert started to feel a chill. His clothes were drenched with rainwater and sweat. He brought up a hand to shield his eyes from the powerful winds whipping across the deck and threatening his footing. Indeed, the ship was still swaying under his feet from the power of the wind buffeting it, and without the life line he ran the risk of falling and slipping right off the deck.

This all took time to process. Robert's head wobbled from the strain of his efforts, dulling him for the moment. That dullness kept him from reacting to the warning sense growing within.

There was a cracking sound. He turned in time to see that the increased winds and the prior damage to the ship were wrecking the main mast. It mostly collapsed in one piece at least.

But not entirely. A tangled line above caused one of the spars to disintegrate. Debris rained down on the deck, some of it small and inconsequential, and some of it quite large.

Such as the metal shard that struck the deck near the jagged remains of the mast… and severed his life line from its anchor.

He looked about for somewhere to secure the severed line. Before he could find something a wind gust blew across the deck and hit Robert with enough force that he fell over. The ship tilted in the same direction from the force of the winds against it. With the rainwater on the deck adding to the problem, he pitched toward the side of the deck. He threw his arms out to try and gain purchase, a handhold on the deck. He found one, it slipped, and then another, which slipped as well. The handholds were designed for the smaller hand and textured skin of a Gy'toran, not a human hand with human skin. The rain water left his hands too slippery to find purchase.

He did finally hit the rail and stopped for the moment. His hands gripped the rail. But the ship wasn't righting itself.

In the pilothouse, Tralmiltaram already knew why. The monitors showed that the anti-gravs on that side of the vessel had lost power, overloaded due to the unexpected strain. The entire ship was pitching and the ship was losing altitude. "Engineering, we need those anti-gravs back!"

" _Acknowledged!_ "

Tralmiltaram braced himself with two of his limbs, holding himself to the side entrance of the pilothouse. Outside his crew were busy ensuring the lifelines were secured.

Then the ship's pitch worsened. The change in its attitude meant the wind pressed against it more strongly, which meant it twisted even more.

Robert braced himself against the rail with his arm while his feet tried and failed to find purchase. They dangled in the open air. His waterlogged sleeve and skin made keeping his grip difficult. His arm started to slip free. Below him trees and rocks loomed through the dark air of the storm, receding slowly as the _Tri'kep_ cleared the mountain it would have otherwise crashed into. Could he land if he used his powers? Safely?

His senses made him think it highly unlikely.

But he wouldn't have a choice. His arm was starting to slip loose. He didn't know if he could hold on long enough for the ship to right itself, or help to arrive. His lifeline was curled up against the rail. He tried to focus on it. Maybe if he…

" _Rob!_ "

Robert looked toward the stern. His eyes widened at the sight of Zack sliding down the deck, feet first, a life line tied around his ribs. It grew taunt as Zack reached the railing. His feet, bare, seemed ready to slip on the rain-slicked deck, but by crawling forward and keeping his knee braced against the base of the railing Zack was able to approach him. "Your line!" he shouted.

Robert nodded. He looked to the line and focused. He couldn't use his hands, not with his arms desperately gripping the railing with decreasing effectiveness. He relied entirely on raw focus to grip the line with his abilities. It lifted from the deck and shot over toward Zack.

Zack caught it against the deck. He wrapped the lifeline around the railing and then wormed what excess slack remained around his own, double-securing Robert's line.

At that point, Robert lost his grip on the railing and fell free.

The line went taunt. Pain shot through his torso, and given the grunt from Zack he felt the weight too. Robert wrapped his hands around the hanging line and held on.

Zack was holding his line too and started pulling. His bare hands found some traction despite the rain. He pulled with all of his might and lifted Robert up. "This would be a lot easier if you'd use your powers!" he shouted, with little effect given the howling wind.

Robert sensed what he said more than heard. "I'm not sure I can!" he shouted back. "I could end up overshooting and flying off the ship!"

"I didn't hear a damn word!" Zack grunted. The cord was biting into the skin of his hands from the strain of his gripped. "I'm not sure I can do this!"

" _Cut me loose if you need to!_ " Robert shouted.

Zack did hear that. A defiant grin crossed his face. " _Like I'm going back to tell Julia I dropped you! She'd kill me anyway!_ "

Through the rain Robert could make out his friend's grin. He matched it.

Crying out in effort, every muscle in his arms and chest burning, Zack pulled again and again. The remnant alcoholic haze in his head seemed to fade at the rush. Rain pelted his face and left his hair soaked, obscuring his vision. The shuddering of the ship seemed to threaten his falling from the _Tri'kep_ should it list just another degree or two.

Regardless, he kept pulling.

Robert's hand reached the rail first. It was only as he started to brace his arm that the ship seemed to tilt again, this time back to its proper level. Zack grabbed Robert's arm and hauled him over the rail as it continued to right. Robert landed with a dull splash. The two rain-soaked men looked at each other and laughed in relief. "You could've gotten yourself killed!" Robert shouted over the wind.

"Like you almost did?!" Zack retorted. He tried to wipe the water from his eyes and failed. "At least I have an excuse!"

"Yeah?!"

To that Zack guffawed, " _I'm still drunk!_ "

Robert's only response was to laugh. He continued to do so even when some of the deckhands arrived to escort them back below decks and out of the storm.

* * *

Julia and Commander Richmond arrived in the suites set aside for Primus Mori and Precentor-Martial Focht. They were seated with Secretary Onaran. "...disaster was at least minimized," Mori was saying. "The assassination of Prince Victor would have been a blow to the Inner Sphere."

"I concur." Onaran looked back, noticing the two officers. "Captain, Commander?"

"Commander Richmond has concluded her preliminary investigation and the Kell Hounds and planetary authorities will be taking over for her," Julia said. "From what she learned, the assassin who shot at Victor was a man named John Goddard. The weapon he used was a TR-116 with a unique modification: a miniature transporter."

"What do you mean by that?" Mori asked.

Julia glanced to Richmond. "With the appropriate sighting gear, which we found attached to the weapon, a sniper can fire through any number of obstacles and walls. The transporter attached to the weapon beams the fired projectile into point blank range of the target. The only defense is an active anti-beaming area-effect field. We were only using a standard anti-beaming field, which does not prevent beaming within the field's range, only transport in and out."

"Why one and not the other?" asked Focht.

"Because the TR-116's modifications are unique, sir. The transporter applied is a specially-made model, normal transporters cannot usually acquire and transport a moving projectile at such a velocity. As a result, the threat was not anticipated and an area of effect field deemed unnecessary due to technical and resource costs. Alliance security protocol will have to be updated now that we are aware of the possibility." Richmond frowned. "Whomever provided the specifications, they are still unknown. And the assassin's death precludes determining his source through interrogation. It is regrettable that the Kell Hound guards opened fire as they did."

"Indeed."

"If I may, Primus, Precentor-Martial?" Julia waited for them to nod before continuing. "You seemed to recognize the cyborg. Can you tell us anything?"

The two ComStar leaders exchanged glances. "This should not leave the room, although we authorize the Secretary to share this information with President Morgan and Admiral Maran only in strictest confidence," Mori said.

"Agreed," the Dorei man answered.

"Her name was Amara de Luca," Focht said. "Specifically, Adept Amara de Luca of ROM."

Julia frowned. "ROM. As in your security and intelligence agency?"

"Yes." Focht nodded. "At our order, Precentor Pardeau dispatched her three years ago to infiltrate the schismatic branch of ComStar in the Free Worlds League. They currently operate there as the Word of Blake. She missed her scheduled contact point seven months ago. And we have not heard from her since."

"Dear God," Richmond gasped. "They did that to her, didn't they? They turned her into that… _thing_."

"We know that the Word of Blake secured what materials existed for our cybernetic combat augmentation projects," Mori said. "But our intelligence on them remains thin."

"There are similar capabilities in other societies in the Multiverse," Julia observed. "The Coserians of N2S7, the Bynars and Choblik in S5T3, the Solarians of S0T5, to name just a few." Julia thought of the Cybermen as well, not to mention the horror of the Borg. "These Word of Blake people might have acquired further assistance from any of them."

"A sobering possibility," Onaran noted. "I will share this information with President Morgan and the Defense Staff under the strictest classification. We may have to consider upgrading threat assessments of this organization."

The remark was welcomed by the two ComStar leaders. Focht turned his attention to Julia next. "Do you have news about Lieutenant Lucero?"

"She's in stable condition in our medbay," Julia replied. "Doctor Gillam was able to remove the projectile and repair the worst damage in emergency surgery."

"She has our gratitude and wishes for her swift recovery." Focht folded his hands together in his lap. "The concern now is for the summit. The disruptions are making progress difficult. And the Clans' distrust of the Inner Sphere has only worsened by what has been displayed. I do not think any extension of the Truce of Tukkayid is feasible."

"What if you simply expanded it then?" Julia asked. When she had their attention, she said, "The Clans still sometimes raid above the line, right?"

"Not as often as we anticipated they would, but they do," Focht answered.

"Well, what if you talked them into a secondary truce that covers both sides entirely? For the duration of the war at least and sometime afterward? They're getting all the fights they want now, so their warriors are getting the advancement that was turning them against the Truce."

"A reasonable prospect," Onaran stated. "And perhaps the best that can be attained at this point."

"It has merit," Mori agreed. "We will propose it at the next meeting, once military discussions have concluded."

"Your contribution is welcome, Captain." Onaran nodded to her.

Seeing there was nothing more to be said on the matter, Julia asked, "Permission to be dismissed?"

"Granted."

* * *

In the _Aurora_ 's medbay Meridina looked over her hand. The burn damage was gone, healed by the advanced technology available to Leo and his medical team, and her presence was solely for Lucy's sake now. She lowered her hand and looked again to Lucy, who slept peacefully on a biobed in the standard care ward of the medbay. Displays showed her vital signs for the benefit of the passing nurses and doctors. They seemed to show her as in a stable condition.

Looking at Lucy, her tanned, light bronze complexion paled by blood loss and a life being spent in space, forced Meridina to think about the feelings she was dreading. The thought of Lucy's death was a horror, a real visceral one beyond the reaction Meridina knew she should have. Her brief glee at the destruction of the being who had come so close to killing Lucy worried her greatly. That was not how Meridina should act, whether or not she was in the Order. It was a potential path to darkness.

Meridina drew in a breath and focused inward for the source of it. Why would she feel that way toward that loss? The loss of a friend or associate was painful, yes, but the sheer emotion behind it, behind the mere possibility…

 _No. That… I…_ She picked at the thought as one would test a bruise or a damaged, aching tooth. This was an unexpected sensation. She could understand that she was closer to Lucy than to others on the crew, so there was reason to feel the loss more keenly, but the mere thought of Lucy being gone brought an emptiness to her. That was surprising. Lucy had been part of her life for only a few years now, only really the last thirty months (thirty Gersallian months anyway, by Human reckoning it was closer to thirty-four). In that time she had repeatedly surprised Meridina, manifesting her _swevyra_ , showing great promise in her training, great skill in moments of danger…

 _And she was there for me. On Gersal. Against Goras._

She remembered the waiting room, when her combat testing against Goras was yet to be waged. Lucy kneeling with her, begging her to reconsider, so upset at Meridina's readiness to die. " _Don't you know there are people who care about you? People who love you and don't want to lose you?! People who will be hurt if they no longer have you in their lives?!_ " It had been plainly evident that as much as Meridina's own family counted in that, Lucy had been describing her own feelings.

And now… now Meridina had them too. She knew a life without Lucy would be full of pain.

Meridina found that both frightening and exciting, and she wasn't sure which feeling was the one she should be concerned about. 

* * *

_It's not how it should be_ , Robert thought glumly, laying on his bed in a fresh set of clothes. "Life has no sense of drama sometimes," he said aloud.

That won him a bewildered look from Zack. "What?" he asked flatly, sitting bare-chested on the other bed in a fresh set of underwear and a blue towel draped over his shoulders. "You just lifted a flying cruise ship with your mind or whatever it is. And then nearly fell off in a raging storm until I caught you. That's pretty Goddamned dramatic."

"Yeah, but once it was over, that's when the storm should have ended," Robert protested. He gestured with his arm toward the window ports behind him. The dark clouds persisted outside and rain still pelted the ports. The ship was even shuddering a little under the onslaught of wind. "The sun should've pierced the clouds or something, casting golden rays…"

"This isn't a movie, Sir Robert," Zack guffawed.

After a moment of silence, both men began to roar with laughter. The real terror and fear of what had transpired on deck melted away, even with the storm still battering the damaged _Tri'kep_.

"Is that your new nickname for me?" asked Robert.

"Only when you try to play the hero."

"Like how you call Tom 'Teddo' whenever he gets on your nerves?"

Zack smirked at that. "Probably, yeah."

Robert nodded and sat up to face his friend. The grin remained on his face. He let out a light sigh and ran a hand through his wet hair. "Thank you, Zack. You saved my life."

"You're welcome, Rob. It's a shame you can't fly, though."

"I don't think flying is something people with our abilities can do," Robert admitted. "I mean, not like you see in comic books or something. And absorbing the impact of falling is usually not from so high up and in the middle of a storm like this." He looked to the port again. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"6th Grade," Zack confirmed. "We spent how long in that shelter?"

"Four hours. Without any toys or books or games." Robert shook his head. "And without Julia or Susannah to pass the time with."

"We managed it, though," Zack reminded him.

"Yeah."

Silence reigned again. Both went into thought. Zack ultimately brought his head back up. "I want to get control of this," he confessed. "You were right about that. I have to stop."

Robert nodded. "It's what I'm here for."

"I thought I could do it alone. I… I didn't want…" Zack shook his head. "Well, you know how I feel, right?"

"You don't want to be carried. You're afraid you'll end up like your Dad. The drunk the entire county seems to know about, that everyone judges or pities."

"I was already pitied. Growing up. Not by you and your family, or at least it didn't feel that way…"

"We did pity you," Robert admitted. "But Mom warned us about it. She knew you and your Mom had to have some pride."

"Your Mom was a smart woman." Zack's eyes glistened with tears. "She and my mom…"

"Yeah. She was devastated when your mom passed. I think she hated your Dad after that. She blamed him for your Mom dying so young."

"I hated him often enough for the same reason," Zack admitted. "I always thought it wasn't fair that he lived and she didn't." While tears flowed Zack shrugged. "Now I'm in his shoes. Inside." He tapped his chest. "I still want it, Rob. I want to control it, I want to stop, but in here there's a part of me that enjoys just shutting down. Drinking until there's nothing in here, nothing that hurts."

"I guess that's always going to be with you," Robert lamented. "Grandpa told me that's how it was with his uncle. The one who survived the Argonne. He lost so many friends, and he was in so much pain from his wounds, he just kept drinking as a way to deal with it. Even when he had to stop, Uncle Henry wanted a drink every day until he died."

"A drunk? In the _Dale_ family?"

To that Robert snorted with laughter. "We weren't as perfect as you thought, Zack. No matter what your Dad may have grumbled."

"I guess so." Zack chuckled at that. "I guess I have to live with this. With the need I mean. The temptation."

"But you can get help with that. I mean, you can do it without giving up your pride. It's not like you don't have a lot to be proud of already. You're a Founder of New Liberty like the rest of us. They'll be naming schools and roads and starships for you one day."

"Not sure I deserve some of that," Zack admitted. "Not just because New Liberty was mostly you and Julia and Beth. I got drunk on patrol, Rob. If I hadn't resigned my commission they'd probably have forced me out anyway."

"Maybe, maybe not. But if we get you cleaned up, I think Maran can work with that." Robert folded his legs under him, as if about to start meditating. "If you get help you can get back to your ship."

"You're more confident than me in that." Zack shook his head. "But it really doesn't matter. I have to do something about this, especially if I'm going to deal with my other feelings. So I guess I'll go find a therapist or something and let Maran know about it."

"The best thing you can do."

"As for my feelings about Julia…" He shrugged. "I've lived for years with them. Nothing'll change either way."

"Right."

Before the conversation could continue, Robert looked to the ports. A little light was now shining over the horizon. The storm clouds were breaking. "Looks like we made it through. We should be to Ilam Tran in the morning I guess. Even though we're off-course."

"Good. And if I may, Rob?"

"What?"

"We're going back in a shuttle," Zack insisted. "Do you understand me? A _shuttle_. Even if I have to _hotwire_ it. Are we clear?"

Robert's "Yes" was followed by laughter. 

* * *

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 26 April 2643 AST. Captain Julia Andreys recording. The summit meetings are still ongoing, but today the Inner Sphere and Clans have officially expanded the Truce of Tukkayid into a general truce between both sides, encompassing all space held by either. For the first time in years there should be no significant fighting in the Inner Sphere, allowing for forces from both sides to support the offensive against the Earth of S4W8._

The signing of the truce was held back until the day's military strategy meeting ended. Julia attended with several officers. The Khans signed on behalf of the Clan Grand Council, with any Clan defying the truce now facing punishment from the others; similarly Focht, Victor, Ragnar Magnusson, Thomas Marik, and Theodore Kurita signed for the Great Houses, with a similar pledge. The terms were verified as the signatures were given; the Truce of Ark-Royal would replace the Truce of Tukkayid for the duration of hostilities with the Nazi Reich plus one year, after which it would dissolve and the Truce of Tukkayid would again be in force.

"You know, given the wording," Jarod was saying in a low voice, "one could argue the Clans just agreed to add at least a year to the Tukkayid Truce. It was supposed to last fifteen years, after all, but it's effectively been frozen until this truce ends."

"Somehow I don't think the Crusaders would agree," Julia pointed out.

As soon as the truce signing was over, a hand went up. Julia felt somewhat perturbed to see it was Katrina. She was recognized by Mori. "Before we disperse, I would like to say one thing." She turned her attention toward Julia and her colleagues. "My thanks, and the thanks of the Lyran people and indeed all of the worlds of the Federated Commonwealth, go out to the officers of the Alliance vessel _Aurora_ for their efforts in thwarting the assassins who attempted to disrupt this historic occasion. You have saved my life and my brother's life. Our people will not forget your service."

"We humbly accept your thanks, Your Highness," Julia answered formally.

Katrina nodded and sat back down. Victor stood instead. "I too would like to formally thank you. Particularly Lieutenant Lucilla Lucero, who twice put herself in the path of a bullet meant for members of my family." He approached them after receiving a box from Cranston. "For your actions in saving my sister's life and my own, Lieutenant, I present you with the Order of Steiner-Davion." He opened the box, presenting a shield-shaped red medal with a blue-eyed Fox emblazoned on it.

Lucy accepted the box with a small blush on her cheeks. Just a faint one; it was hardly the first time she had been presented with a high honor, as the Senate Order of Merit on the left breast of her dress uniform jacket demonstrated. "Thank you, Your Highness," she replied.

"You are most welcome." Victor's gratitude was evident to all. As was, at least to the senses of Meridina and Lucy, the swell of gratitude from the viewing gallery where the elegantly-attired Omi Kurita was watching with other non-participating VIPs. "In addition to the Order, it is also customary for someone who has saved the life of the sovereign to be declared a knight. Although you are not a citizen of the Commonwealth, I am still extending the distinction to you, Dame Lucilla."

"I am honored," Lucy answered. "Does this involve the full ceremony?"

To that Victor grinned. "If you desire it."

"If it is okay with you, I am satisfied with the announcement, Highness," Lucy answered.

Victor nodded in acceptance, never losing the grin, and returned to his seat. Others in the audience murmured slightly. For some the idea of forgoing a formal knighthood ceremony was ludicrous, but there could be little surprise that someone from another universe would feel differently on the matter.

"This summit's business is concluded," remarked Primus Mori. "We are adjourned."

"Another successful mission," Jarod said to Julia. "At this rate you're going to make Admiral before you hit thirty."

"I'd be satisfied if it's before I hit forty," Julia answered. "As things are, I'm happy with my command right now."

"Ah." Jarod grinned at her. "You know the best part about this being over now?"

"What?"

"We can make the anniversary again," Jarod pointed out, still grinning.

Julia matched it. He needn't state which anniversary he meant. "I'll have to check with Maran, but yeah. Unless there's something urgent, we'll make the Founding anniversary in plenty of time." A small, sad look appeared on her face. "I hope Rob and Zack make it, at least."

Jarod nodded in agreement. "I do too."

They departed at that point. Julia found herself contemplating the last few days. The motives of a group like the Word of Blake were evident. From what she knew of the ComStar rebels, they abhorred Mori's liberalization of their order, and they were viciously opposed to the Alliance's technology-sharing programs and deals with the Inner Sphere. Breaking up the summit made sense.

But the assassin who tried to shoot Victor. The one who shot Lucy instead. Who was he? Who hired him? It irked Julia that she might never know. 

* * *

A short time later, Katrina Steiner returned to her suite, frustration and anger burning inside of her. She was met by her advisor Tormano Liao. The latter, the uncle of Sun-Tzu and brother of Candace Liao of the St. Ives Compact, bowed his head in respect. "Princess, you were as majestic as always."

"It was necessary." Katrina took the best seat. "I couldn't allow anyone to say I was ungrateful. Although Victor upstaged me quite well by handing out the Order of Steiner-Davion to the Alliance woman." _Damn him_ , she thought. _You had to compound the insult, didn't you Victor? You just had to grind it in my face, the power you wield over me._

"He could hardly allow himself to seem ungrateful to the woman who saved his life," Tormano pointed out. "Although the granting of a knighthood might have gone a little too far, perhaps. Particularly with the ceremony involved turned down."

She didn't deign to indicate her grudging agreement with Tormano. Inwardly she stewed about the failure of her plan. If not for those damned metasensory types, psychics or whatever they were, Victor would be dead and she would be Archon-Princess! That someone else sent an assassin as well made the opportunity all the more appealing, if frightening given the attempt on her life. If the cyborg had gotten away she could have even used it against Victor by ensuring the right people made the right charges over the media.

And yet, despite everything, it was stopped…!

At least the assassin was dead. She didn't have to worry about that loose end.

"I worry about your brother." The voice came from the other occupant of the room. The woman, Benedita Soveral, was clad in the basic duty uniform of the Alliance Stellar Navy, a silver aiguillette on the left side of her uniform jacket marking her a staff officer and burgundy red branch trim denoting command branch, and the single gold square rank tab of a Rear Admiral on both sides of her collar. Her Mediterranean complexion contrasted with Katrina's light skin and the East Asian tone of Tormano.

Soveral's presence with Katrina's staff was one of Katrina's victories over Victor; demanding her own military liaison officer from the Allied Systems. Although Katrina had never imagined she might get such _use_ from that victory...

"Admiral Soveral." Katrina nodded. "Whatever do you mean?"

"He is too close to the mind-readers," Soveral said. "To Robert Dale and now Lucilla Lucero. I cannot help but worry that his will and mind will become… _compromised_."

"I see." Katrina smiled thinly. "I appreciate your concern for my brother's mental independence. The freedom of the Federated Commonwealth is at stake…" _And since I have lost my assassin, perhaps it will be your Admiral Davies who provides me the means to assume my rightful station as ruler of the Commonwealth and First Lord of a reborn Star League._

* * *

The man who had called himself John Goddard walked into the empty room aboard the small star vessel. He felt none the worse for wear for his close escape.

His backup, a human woman of dark skin clad in a blue jumpsuit, smiled at him. "Congratulations," she said. "You're dead."

"So the cloned tissues worked." He frowned. "But can that agent keep her mouth shut?"

"She is not a mercenary like yourself, Mister Thayer, or the Kell Hounds she was asked to join," the woman replied. "She knows her duty. And as for you… your new employer was impressed."

"By a failure?" John Goddard a.k.a. Noble Thayer, also once Karl Kole, was frowning. "Prince Victor didn't even get hit."

"That was never our goal. That was Princess Katherine's goal. We simply made use of it in your evaluation, and you succeeded. Congratulations." She grinned wickedly. "I hope you're ready to be rich."

Technically speaking, he was already quite well off for his prior jobs, even accounting for the funds he lost escaping from the Commonwealth. This wasn't for money. "And my employer? Do I finally get to meet them?"

The woman replied by turning and hitting a key. A circle lit up on the floor. "Step in."

The assassin did so. A system scanned him swiftly, after which a holographic figure began to appear in front of him. A Human male, Caucasian, middle-aged at least, in what looked like a metal or plastic chair. Goddard watched his new employer light a cigarette and take a single drag from it.

And that was when he met those eyes, those inhuman blue eyes, and had his first inkling of worry that he was getting in over his head.

" _Good day to you, Mister… Goddard, is it now?_ "

"I have a lot of names," replied the man.

" _So you do_." The man took another drag from his cigarette. " _And your ability to use them to the fullest advantage is one of the reasons I invested time and effort in your evaluation. My organization can use men of your professional ability and skill._ "

"And you are…?" asked the assassin.

" _You can call me the Illusive Man_ ," was the reply. " _I oversee Cerberus, an organization dedicated to the cause of Humanity. And I would like to hire you._ "

* * *

Caterina was eating dinner alone in the Lookout. Violeta was on the bridge for an extra watch for the evening, and with all her work in the science labs done there was nothing more to do.

The look on her face undoubtedly served to lure Angel over to her. "How are you?" she asked her sister. "You look sad."

Cat forced a small grin when she faced her sister, but there was no hiding the tears in her eyes. She drew in a breath. "I guess I am."

"What's wrong, Cat?" Angel asked as she sat down, her meal in front of her. "Did you and Vee…"

"She's being reassigned," Cat said. "They're going to make her a full Lieutenant and a navigation officer on another ship. I mean, like Nick is here."

"Oh." Angel nodded. "Okay. I mean, that's good news for her I guess."

"We won't see each other any more. I mean, we'll be on different ships, probably in different universes most of the time… we can't…" Cat sniffled and shrugged. "I mean, I know some people manage it. But what if we can't make it work?"

"Well, maybe you won't." Angel reached over the table and took her sister's hand. "Relationships don't always last. But you'll at least have happy memories."

"Even if it hurts?" Cat blinked back her tears. "Is that how it is with you and Rob?"

"Pretty much," Angel admitted. "Just remember that. Whatever happens, the memories made it worth it. And maybe… well, maybe you'll find someone new."

"I don't know…" Cat shook her head. "I guess. I'll really miss her though. I'm so used to having her sleeping beside me, holding me when I… y'know, when I have bad dreams."

"You still have nightmares?" Angel asked.

"Well, yeah. Some are old. Some aren't. And Vee helps me get over them."

"Good for her. But you know, if she's not here, I always am."

Cat nodded. The smile became genuine. "Yeah, you are. I can't forget that. You're always here for me if I need it."

"What else is a big sister for?" Angel's grin turned mischievous. "Besides punching people who are mean to you?"

"Or goblins who try to stab me in the game," Cat giggled.

At that, Angel laughed. 

* * *

Days after the storm that nearly crashed the _Tri'kep_ , Robert and Zack stood at the one place Zack never thought he would ever see.

The gravestone dedicated to Clara Davis was not much larger than any of the others in the county cemetery. But it was impressive in the beautiful way it had been carved, the fine finish of the stone, and the sharp, well-crafted engraving. Clara's name was joined by her dates of birth and death, as was standard, and the epitaph " _Beloved by all who knew her, may she know peace forever_ ". An angel - clearly contributed by her family for the design - was carved near the upper corner. The other corner bore the firebird insignia of New Caprica.

Both men were wearing their Sunday best, as they would have put it in another life; dress jacket and button-down white shirts with dress ties and black trousers. Robert reached up and patted Zack on the shoulder. "Beth told me about the funeral," he said.

"She was here?"

"Clara was a volunteer of New Liberty, remember? It seemed right." Robert's smile was sad and soft. "President Roslin brought an entourage as well. Admiral Adama, Doctor Cottle, and some of the children she'd tended to in the school. Roslin and Beth announced that their governments are co-founding and co-funding a scholarship program in Clara's name, to send kids from our Earth to medical schools across the Multiverse."

"That's going to cost a lot."

"They've gotten a few donors to help out." Robert watched the tears flow freely down his friend's cheeks. "Clara made a difference out there, just as we did. She became a symbol of how much good people can do if they're just given the chance. Nobody can take that from her, ever."

"That's not what she wanted, Rob." There was a bitterness in Zack's voice. "She… she didn't go out there to be a symbol. She went out there because she thought she could do better… and because she wanted to be closer to me. All… all we were going to do was live a life on New Caprica. I was going to coach the kids in baseball and she… she'd nurse..." Zack stopped. He was sobbing too hard to continue speaking coherently.

"Yeah." Robert nodded. He kept a comforting hand on Zack's shoulder, feeling the sheer grief in his friend's heart, a component of the knot that months later still tortured Zack's very soul. "And I think that's why she's such a symbol now. She wasn't looking for it."

Zack gave no reaction to that. Robert didn't mind.

After taking a minute to get his sobbing under control returning to just the stream of tears flowing from his eyes, Zack reached into his pocket and removed a box of fine red velvet. Robert watched him open it and remove a beautiful ring set with diamonds. Zack kept the ring between his fingers and considered it. A small hollow feeling came over Robert at the realization of just what the ring was made for.

Zack put the ring back in the box and knelt at Clara's grave. "You knew how I felt about Julia," he said, "and you gave me your love anyway. I… I wish you were still here. I wish we could have had the life you wanted. You were… you were the kindest woman I've ever known, and I swear to God I would have been the husband you deserved. I would have given you the love you deserved, no matter what." Zack set the red ring box down at the base of the gravestone. "This is yours, Clara. No matter where my life goes or what happens, I'll always remember you, and you'll always have the love you deserved. Goodbye."

By the end of his final goodbye, Zack's voice was breaking. He stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes. His head turned slightly. They were just a few rows from where his parents lay. Robert felt a lump in his throat at the thought that they were also a few rows from where _his_ parents, grandparents, and sister were laid to rest as well.

 _And Julia's parents. And Leo's. Cat and Angel's parents are over in the Catholic section…_ The thought of all of the family members he and his friends had resting in this place served as a reminder of what they had all lost and, perhaps, why none of them were ever considering coming back to Kansas.

"Do you know what I want, Rob?" Zack asked quietly.

Robert had a good idea of the answer. He still asked, "What?"

"I want a drink." Zack certainly didn't mean water. "I want to drown the pain in tequila until I stop feeling."

"I know."

"She would be mad at me for feeling this way."

"Julie or Clara?"

" _Both_." Zack shook his head. "I can't help it though. I… I'll always want a drink, I guess. Maybe sometimes I won't want one too much, but still…"

"I think that's how it goes, sometimes at least. But maybe not for you?"

"I'll believe it when I stop wanting a drink," Zack answered. He sighed. "We probably shouldn't keep Lennier and Druni waiting."

"Right." Robert raised his forearm and activated his omnitool. " _Keyeri_ , we're ready."

The two had time to give the cemetery one last look before the transporter beams pulled them away.

* * *

The _Keyeri_ made orbit quickly and was soon on its way to a station-keeping point out past the Lagrange points. In the ship's mess area Druni was eating her favored _seemai_ snacks when Robert and Zack entered. "We will drop you off on New Liberty, then?" she asked.

"Yes," Robert said. He looked to Zack, who nodded back. "There are people there who can help him."

"I will let Lennier know to set a course, but first…" Druni set her snacks down. "While you were down there, we received a communication for you."

"Oh?" Robert's brow furrowed. "From Beth?"

"No." Druni gave him an intent look. "It was from the President of the Allied Systems. Looking to speak to you."

That prompted Zack to look at Robert too. Robert blinked. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"He would not discuss it with me, only that he needed you in Portland immediately for a meeting of great importance."

Robert sighed at that. Technically he was on extended leave until considered recovered from his coma, but if Morgan was calling, he could expect that leave to be effectively rescinded. "I suppose you'd better get a jump to L2M1 instead, then."

"I will let Lennier know." Druni stood and left the mess.

"Do you think they're giving you a new ship?" Zack asked.

"From what Maran told me? No." Robert shook his head. "Too many admirals don't want me in the command chair given my history of 'leaving my post', as they put it. And frankly, I'm fine with that. With my abilities, and what I know… I think I'm supposed to stay out of command from now on."

Zack nodded. "I guess I can see that. But if it's not a command…"

"...then what is it?" Robert finished for him. He grinned. "I guess I'll find out soon enough."

* * *

Just a few hours later, Robert was in his formal Stellar Navy duty uniform for the first time in months. Whatever the admirals who hated him felt, his rank insignia showed he was still a Captain, and it did get him nods and respectful glances as he went through the Executive Mansion in Portland. His destination, as it turned out, was a conference room, one of many.

And he wasn't the first to arrive.

The first person he saw was Admiral Maran, sitting in a chair at the end of the table looking over reports. Maran noticed him and silently nodded. Robert knew they weren't going to speak yet. That would come later. So he looked over the others present.

The first face he found in this search was a familiar one, and the person in question was already approaching him to talk. "Hey, so they did call you in for this." A smile crossed the man's face. "How have you been, Rob?"

"Getting along, Buck," Robert replied.

Buck Rogers, the time-displaced astronaut and pilot from Universe N2C5, let the smile grow while offering his hand. Robert shook it. Buck was in uniform as well, the brilliant white uniform of the Earth Directorate from his home universe. "It's good to see you again."

"Same here. How have you been doing?"

"Oh, the usual," Buck said. "Earth - my Earth - is officially part of the Alliance now, so things have quieted down a little. The Draconians are staying away for the moment."

"Hopefully it'll stay that way," remarked Robert. "The others?"

"Fine as always. Wilma's off at the front, actually, commanding our expeditionary wing flying with your fleet against the Nazi Reich. Doctor Theopolis and Twiki are still working with Doctor Huer." Buck grinned. "There's a rumor that Doctor Theopolis might get named to the Alliance Senate, along with Huer."

Robert blinked. "Really? That would be… well, history-making, certainly."

"That's right. Oh." Buck gestured to his right. "Got another mutual friend here to show you."

The man Buck led him to was in the corner. Robert recognized him immediately. "Commander Kane?"

"Major Kane now, Captain," replied Carter Kane, the former Marine troops commander of the _Aurora_. He was in the proper olive-colored formal uniform of the Alliance Marines. Several medals, including an Alliance Star of Valor, were visible on his uniform.

"I heard about what happened," Robert said. "They managed to grow you new arms?"

Kane smiled slightly and shook his head. "No. It would've left me off-duty for months, I wasn't sitting the war out that long." He held up his right arm. With a faint metallic whine Kane's hand folded outward, revealing the metal structure beneath the authentic-looking pseudoskin… and a weapon barrel built into the arm. "Combat prosthetics," he said. "And compatible with battle armor. I was waiting for Command to get me a unit when I got the call to see the President."

"Any idea of what's going on?" Robert asked them.

"Not a clue," said Buck. "But with all of us, there's no telling what they have in mind."

At that point the far door opened. Everyone turned and watched President Morgan walk in. Tall, well-dressed, with fine dark skin from his distant African ancestors, the President of the Allied Systems gave them all an intent look. Behind him was the President of the Senate, Senator Sriroj Thiang, a Thai woman that Robert could remember from as far back as the initial negotiations to found the Alliance. "Everyone, please be seated," he said aloud.

One by one everyone found seats at the table. Robert ended up sitting beside Kane and a purple-skinned, blue-spotted Dorei man. Glancing around the table he made out several more people of all four species of the Alliance. Some were in Alliance military uniform, a couple in member service uniforms, and others had on fine civilian suits. He noticed the red robes of a Temple Knight of the Gersallian Order of Swenya on one attendee, and the blue robes of a field knight in the same order on another. A set of purple robes that resembled a Japanese _kimono_ were on a Dorei woman of dark teal complexion and purple spots and hair matching the color of the robes, presumably marking her as a member of one of the Dorei religious orders with the same powers he had.

"Greetings." Morgan took a seat at the head of the table. Maran was to one side of him, and Senator Sriroj on the other. Beside Maran sat General Hatcher - the head of military intelligence - and across from him was the Speaker of the Alliance Council, a brown-feathered, gray-complexioned Alakin named Freepk. "I'm sure you're all wondering why you've been called." A few murmurs of agreement came from the assembled. "Each of you represent the finest in the organizations you have trained in. At one time or another you have faced high odds against you and managed to win anyway. And ultimately, you have all shown that you possess strong senses of right and wrong and a good character. That is why I have called you today."

"When we formed the Alliance, it was with the noblest intentions," Morgan continued. "It was to be the foundation for a new interstellar, Multiversal order, where species and star systems would attain peace by mutual cooperation and security. But it's clear we have a long way to go to build that Multiverse. There are threats to us, to the way we want to do things, and they have to be met. We are already at war with one due to the machinations of another, a group that we can count on to continue to bedevil us even with our new defenses against further infiltration."

"Even some of our allies for the moment may not remain so," he continued. "While others have also looked to cooperation for interstellar security, they are not above using sabotage and espionage, even assassination, to deal with those they consider threats to their interests. They may even resort to military force if they deem it worthwhile."

"It would be nice if we could ignore such means ourselves. But it won't do us or our ideals any good if we are defeated by foes we have no defense against."

Robert frowned. What was Morgan doing? A chill came to him as he thought of what the Alliance President might be building up to, of the things he and Maran had already done in the name of protecting the Alliance. His mind flashed back to the Changeling taken prisoner in the Senate attack, turned over to be a guinea pig for Sidney Hank's researchers.

Morgan placed his hands on the table. "But neither can we embrace these methods without some kind of check on them. That is why I have brought Senate President Sriroj and Speaker Freepk to meet you as well. They will be taking a role in what we are forming here today and ensure that we keep an accounting of ourselves in this work. There will be as much transparency as we can manage."

"Transparency on what, Mister President?" asked Kane. He was frowning as well.

"On you, Major, and what I ask you to do in the name of our Alliance," Morgan answered. He looked over them. "You have all heard of the Spectres?"

"Do you mean the special operatives employed by the Citadel Council against perceived threats, sir?" asked an Alakin in the uniform of the Alakin Union Defense Force.

"Yes. Those Spectres are fully supported by the Council. They provide for them and protect them. And in return the Spectres do whatever they feel they need to in order to enforce the laws and decisions of the Council, regardless of the costs." Morgan shook his head. "Such agents can be useful, yes. Having Spectres may have helped prevent last year's Senate attack, for instance. And with the consideration and support of the Council and Senate, the Alliance will field such agents as well."

By now Robert realized what Morgan was doing. He waited for him to finish.

"The Citadel has its Spectres." Morgan's voice grew firm. "I want something more. I want beings who can do this job without giving up on what we stand for, beings who will act with a code of ethics, a morality, beyond simple expediency and brutal pragmatism, and capable of accepting the need for oversight of their actions." His eyes met each of the attending in turn, including Robert. He could sense Morgan's resolve. His need to honor the morals and ethics he held in his heart and to have those who would do the same. "So I ask you, heroes and soldiers of the Alliance, to accept my invitation to become our Alliance's answer to the Citadel's Spectres. I ask you to become Paladins."


	41. Episode 3-07-6 Where The Wind Takes You

**Tag**

After Morgan spoke, a quarter of those invited refused for a variety of reasons Robert sensed. The others remained for the full session, including Kane and Buck. The powers and responsibilities of a Paladin were made clear, and Robert appreciated the effort that had gone into balancing the needs of such operations with the ideals of the Alliance.

When it was over, with all questions asked and answered, everyone began to leave. Morgan lingered with Maran long enough for Robert and Kane to approach. Robert let Kane go first. "I get what you're trying to do here, Mister President," Kane said. "But I don't like it. I don't like the idea of any government sending out agents with this much power."

"I understand your concerns, Major," Morgan said. "That's why I need someone like you to take up the mantle."

Kane considered Morgan for a moment before nodding in understanding. A small smile came over his face. "Right. I accept, Mister President." He accepted Morgan's hand and shook it.

It was Robert's turn, not just for a handshake, but for the question during it. "What about a base of operations? Your briefing stated we could pick our own. Are there any limitations to it?"

"I would prefer it if you picked something outside of the capital." Morgan grinned at him. "For now, having Paladins actively operating out of Portland might send the wrong message. But as long as you're in communication and capable of going where you're needed, feel free to pick anywhere in the Alliance."

Robert nodded. He matched Morgan's grin. Neither man, nor Maran, needed to say just what Robert had in mind.

"Well, Mister President, I'll be waiting for your call," Robert said. "But if you don't mind, I need to go catch my ship."

Morgan nodded in understanding. "Of course you do. Give my best to Governor Rankin, and thank her for the port. It's proving popular at my state functions."

"I'll pass that on." 

* * *

With the aid of an Alliance vessel in orbit over L2M1 Earth, the _Keyeri_ made the jump straight for New Liberty. Robert made sure to be in the cockpit.

After all of these months away, it warmed his heart to see the _Starship Aurora_ in her quiet orbit.

"Thank you for my time here," he said to Druni and Lennier while they directed their ship toward the spaceport. "I've enjoyed traveling with you."

"I may miss you after all," Druni said to him. She gave him a smile. "Good luck with your new job, Paladin."

"It was an honor to have you," Lennier agreed. "I wish you the best on your new path. And on yours, Commander Carrey." Lennier turned and nodded to Zack, who was seated and waiting.

"Thanks," Zack answered.

* * *

The two friends carried their bags off of the _Keyeri_ and into the private terminal of the New Liberty Spaceport. Outside Lennier and Druni would already be preparing their launch checks and requests. "Ever think they'll settle down?" Zack asked Robert.

"I don't know. I hope they're around long enough to have the option," Robert replied.

"And what about you, Paladin of the Alliance?" Zack asked.

"We'll have to see," Robert said.

" _Rob?! Zack?!_ "

The surprised shout drew their attention. They found Julia, Jarod, Cat, and Cat's girlfriend Violeta at the next terminal. Outside a ship of gold and brown colors, one Robert didn't recognize, was settling in to dock. Without prelude Robert and Zack gave them each a hug, save for Violeta who accepted handshakes instead. "You made it for the anniversary!" Julia's smile was heartfelt. "It's so good to see you both!"

"It's good to see you." Robert grinned at them all.

"So, the powers thing?" This was from Cat. "Are you still knocking things over or…?"

"That's under control at least," Robert said.

"It's not the only thing under control," Zack added. Seeing their looks, he nodded. "I… I'm going to get counseling," he said. "If only because Rob sorta sucks at it."

That won him a droll look from Robert and an amused giggle from Cat.

"I can talk to Sydney for you," Jarod offered. "He knows all of the psychiatrists and counselors on the planet."

"I'll take you up on that, Jarod," Zack said.

"So you don't want to drink anymore…?" Cat asked. "That's good news."

"No, Cat." Zack shook his head, resulting in her giving him a bewildered look. "I want to drink. I want it. That's why I need the counseling. And when I'm not getting counseled, I figure I'll look into helping out with whatever Little League they've got here. Maybe even take a trip to New New Caprica or whatever they're calling it and see my kids playing there. They never got to throw me that tournament."

"Sounds like a good idea," Robert said to him.

Julia nodded. "Agreed."

Zack smiled at them both. "So, how did you know we were arriving?" he asked. "I didn't even know until barely thirty minutes ago."

Bemused looks crossed their faces, prompting Robert and Zack to show some confusion. "We didn't know," Jarod said. "We're not actually here for you, as bad as that sounds."

"Oh?" Robert blinked. "So who are you here for?"

"Her."

Julia's answer prompted them to look at the gate for the new arrival. A short humanoid alien walked through it, wearing an Alliance Stellar Navy uniform with operations beige as the trim. A duffel bag was slung over her shoulder and another bag on her back. She was red-haired and Robert thought she looked distinctly feline, with some dun-coloured fur on her skin, but was clearly not Caitian or Rr'timm and, with the fur, definitely not Miqo'te.

Zack blinked in surprise. "Wait… her? That's… that's actually a _Dilgar_."

"Yep," Cat said.

"You just made contact with them last month," Robert said.

"We did," Julia replied. "And now the first officer they sent through the exchange program is here to join our crew."

The Dilgar woman walked up with enthusiasm showing in her body and her being. The moment she was in front of them her spine stiffened, ram-rod straight, and she directed her eyes at Julia. "Captain Andreys, Lieutenant Tra'dur reporting to your command."

"Welcome, Lieutenant."

"How was training?" Cat asked.

"It was exciting and taxing and quite well, all things told," Tra'dur said. "I am the first of what I hope are many Dilgar to wear the uniform of the Allied Systems."

"You look good in it," Violeta offered. Robert noticed that she and Cat were holding hands rather tightly, as if they might be pulled apart. It wasn't hard to tell there was something going on there.

"This is Lieutenant Tra'dur, formerly Combat Master Tra'dur of the Union of Tira and Rohric's military," Julia said to introduce her newest officer. "She is Warmaster Shai'jhur's daughter and served as the Dilgar liaison officer on the _Aurora_ during the Tira Crisis. Lieutenant, this is Captain Robert Dale, my predecessor as Captain of the _Aurora_ , and Commander Zachary Carrey…" Julia breathed in and gave Zack a sad look. "...former commander of the _Koenig_. We're all old friends."

Tra'dur acknowledged them with a formal nod. "Captain, Commander, it is my pleasure to meet you both."

Zack nodded quietly. "So Maran finally put someone else in? Apley?"

"No, not yet. Apley's still XO," replied Julia. "They sent a transfer officer from Adama's command. William Atreiad."

"Mark Atreiad's uncle?" Zack grinned wistfully. Robert sensed the pain in his friend at the confirmation that his ship had been handed over to another commander. "Well, at least he's the relative of a good pitcher."

"I guess." Julia's worry for him was obvious.

"Give him my best." Zack smiled at them all. "Well, I'd better get going, I need to arrange a place to stay and get my stuff put up. Maybe Gabe's got a spare bedroom."

"I'm sure Beth can get you a room in her home," Robert said.

"I might take her up on that, but either way, I need to go." Zack nodded at him. "It's good seeing you all again. You be careful out there."

"Zack…"

"Julia, it's fine," he insisted. "I… I have a lot to deal with. Including finding ways to keep saying no to the drink I really, really want. But I'll do it. I need to keep my life going and I can't until I get some help, alright?" He set his bags down and embraced her. "Watch out for Rob for me."

"Yeah… I will."

Zack picked up his bags again. "Cat, you and Vee are adorable, and you take care of yourself and your big sis too. Tell her I'll remember her next time I take a hit to the ribs! _Adios_ , _compadres!_ "

The assembled watched him walk on until he merged with the crowd at the terminal exit.

"Will he be okay?" Cat asked Robert. "He seems… better? A little?"

"He's still in a lot of pain," Robert said. "But… let's just say he got some things worked out." He rubbed at his face subconsciously, as if trying to remove any further bruising from Zack's punch to his face.

"I hope so." Julia turned and faced Robert. "And what's this about me watching out for you?"

"Oh. Right." Robert grinned at her and activated his newly-issued (newly _re-_ issued, that is) Stellar Navy omnitool. It felt natural to have the light interface as blue again. With a key press he transmitted the order from Maran and President Morgan. "I need a base of operations. Somewhere fairly secure, mobile, with access to secure communications to Admiral Maran and President Morgan…"

Julia read the text in front of her. Her brow furrowed. "'Paladin'? What…" She kept reading. "You've got to be kidding."

"I'm not," Robert assured her.

"But… you're basically…"

"Just because I can't command a ship anymore doesn't mean I can't help protect the Alliance," Robert said. There was something amusing with the look on Julia's face. "And this isn't me trying to…" He stopped. He didn't want to put it that way, he knew Julia wouldn't think that way… mostly. "I want to be back on the _Aurora_ , Julie. I want to come home."

"Well, the orders are pretty clear." A small smile came to her face. "A Paladin. Well, I guess we know who Morgan had in mind when he came up with that title. That fits you to a T, Mister White Knight."

Robert sighed at that. "Not you too."

"Let's head back, _Sir Robert_ ," Julia teased. She started to walk toward the terminal exit. "We'll get you quarters so you can get your white armor polished."

"You're taking this too far now…" Robert began, following her.

"It fits so well though!" Cat insisted, following. "Now we just need to get you a shield and a sword…"

Violeta was giggling as she followed Cat in turn, leading a confused Tra'dur with Jarod. He gave his new subordinate a wink. "You'll get used to it," he assured the Dilgar woman.

"I… see."

Tra'dur fell in with Jarod while, ahead of them, Julia continued. "I don't know where we'll put your noble steed…"

" _Julia_ …"

* * *

Everything was dark. That told Cat something was wrong. It shouldn't be this dark. The ship should have more light.

She slipped out of bed, still in pajamas. Violeta was gone, as was her uniform. Why? She wasn't supposed to be on duty yet…

Cat walked out into the dark corridors of the _Aurora_. Her omnitool cast eerie blue light over the empty halls. "What's going on?" she asked herself. She tapped at the holobelt.

 _Help_.

The voice was firm. It grew stronger as she approached a turbolift. It opened and she stepped through the door…

...and onto the bridge.

 _Everyone_ was dead.

Not just dead. Decayed. Withered. As if they'd been dead for a long time. She looked around at the dead displays, the dead lights, making the familiar place where she worked every day into a tomb. Horror built as she walked over to where her sister's corpse was sprawled against her dead console. Locarno was sprawled on the floor behind navigation. Jarod was half out of his chair, held only in place by his safety harness. His eyes, usually brimming with friendliness and intelligence, were dull and empty.

In the central chair, Julia was slumped backward, almost as if she'd fallen asleep. But her skin was gray and dry.

"It's only a dream," Cat murmured to herself. "Just a… a dream…" She approached her own console. She'd expected to find someone else there, but the expectation was wrong. She stared into her own lifeless hazel eyes. "It's just a dream," she repeated. "A dream." She backed up, one step at a time.

When she backed into someone she shrieked in surprise and turned. "What…?" Confusion joined fear. "What are you doing…"

The shadowed figure before her grabbed her head, and pain entered her head. She backed away, trying to escape, but she couldn't get his hands off her face. The pain intensified. She felt like she was falling into a darkness inside. Everything she'd faced… all of it was being consumed. "Please stop!" she begged.

A garbled reply came. She couldn't make it out.

The darkness in her mind opened, and Cat fell in, screaming.

When the darkness receded, she was in her quarters. In her bed. Her pajamas were damp with sweat. She sat up and looked around, wide-eyed, re-assuring herself…

"Cat." Violeta sat up beside her, groggy, tired, and concerned. "Another nightmare?"

"Uh huh," was all Cat managed.

"The same one?"

Cat swallowed and nodded. "Uh huh," she repeated.

Violeta embraced her. "Shh… it's okay. We're here. Nothing's happened."

It took a few more whispers from Violeta, but Cat finally laid back down, now cuddled in the arms of her girlfriend. And slowly, grudgingly, she fell back asleep.


	42. Episode 3-08-1 A Distant Thunder

**Teaser**

Beams and pulses of varying color filled the open void of space, creating flickers of light or plumes of flame and wreckage in their wake. Such was the visual sight of combat between starships of this level of technical sophistication and capability.

One such ship engaged was the _Starship Koenig_ , even now twisting her way around the wreckage of one enemy to refocus her firepower upon another. A vessel of unique design - similar to the _Defiant_ -class of the United Federation of Planets' Starfleet, itself the basis for the United Alliance of Systems' _Trigger_ -class - the _Koenig_ was made for this work, a dedicated combat vessel that sacrificed comfort, versatility, and cruising range for sheer firepower in as small a hull frame as could be managed.

Her foe was a _Z-2500_ destroyer starship of the Greater German Reich of Universe S4W8; known colloquially to the rest of the Multiverse as the Nazi German Reich. To the denizens of the Multiverse (and even others in S4W8) the very existence of this nation was a horror, an aberration, virtually a mockery of everything they held sacred. The Reich felt much the same way, leavened with their pride in their uniqueness and the sense that it made them special, and with their fear, indeed terror, in a Multiverse that now sought to eliminate them as well.

The Reich destroyer tried to evade. But it was itself committed to an attack run that its crew would not break off lightly. Even as the amber pulses of the _Koenig_ 's powerful pulse phaser cannon battery blew away the _Z-2500_ 's rear shields and battered away at her engines and hull, the destroyer finished the work of preparing her own weapons. Torpedoes raced from the launcher built into her bow seconds before the anti-matter that fueled her delicately-maintained reactors was freed by enemy weapons fire. The ship and her crew of a hundred men disappeared in a burst of light and energy.

Their torpedoes continued on, until intercepted by blue-white pulses and ultimately the flickering blue shields of the target of the doomed ship: the _Starship Aurora_.

The kilometer long ship was big, but the rapier-sharp lines and smooth, sleek shape of her hull gave her a feel of being far more agile than her size and mass suggested. Indeed, while certainly not as nimble as the _Koenig_ , the _Aurora_ was surprisingly agile. Under the expert helmsmanship of her navigation and piloting officer, Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Locarno, and guided by her captain Julia Andreys, the _Aurora_ was even now dodging fire from the looming shape of a Nazi dreadnought, one of the dreaded _Aryan_ -class. Thick, powerful super-disruptor beams lashed out at her. Only one of three actually stuck the ship.

On the bridge Julia felt her ship shudder regardless. At Operations Jarod didn't even turn his head. "Shields still holding at fifty percent."

"Maintain evasive maneuvers and continue fire on the dreadnought," she said in response. Julia's eyes ventured over to the tactical holotank, which was being utilized by Meridina as well in the Gersallian woman's function as First Officer of the ship. The markers there showed the Alliance combat group with the _Aurora_. Multiple Dorei starbirds, an Alakin warbird, three cruisers from the Federated Stars of Universe L2M1, a carrier battle group from the Kingdom of Avalon from S0T5, and new Alliance-model ships led by her own vessel and the _Igasana_ -class heavy cruiser _ASV Rotama_. The _Discovery_ -class ships _Gagarin_ , _Kitana_ , and _Challenger_ were also present. Although as star cruisers they did not have the dedicated combat capability of the _Rotama_ and other ships like her, they were still quite capable of combat and demonstrating that capability admirably.

Against the Nazi combat fleet the Alliance ships were facing even this force would have been woefully insufficient. But this was an allied fleet, with contributions from the other ships in the coalition assembled to fight the Reich. Ships from the Slavic Union, the Kerbals, the Dre'kari Community, and the Gl'mulli Directorate were present, as were a number of refitted combat-capable ships of the Federated Commonwealth, Free Worlds League, and Draconis Combine. A squadron of starships from individual clans and tribes of the United Clans of Ys'talla were a new addition, from those pro-Alliance Miqo'te tribes and clans exercising their rights to commit to the Alliance's efforts without requiring their planetary government to join in. Altogether, that gave this combat force equality with the Reich ships they were fighting.

Which was the point of it all, even if Julia wished she had more as the _Aurora_ barely evaded another super-disruptor shot. Her plasma beams played sapphire energy over the flickering red shields of the Reich dreadnought to no effect. They needed more firepower to break its shields.

"What's our countdown?" Julia asked Jarod.

"Ninety seconds until mark," he answered.

She smiled confidently. It wouldn't be long now... 

* * *

Deeper in the _Aurora_ , over a dozen decks below the bridge and a few dozen meters astern, the _Aurora_ 's security office was on standby. From here Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond and Major Gabriel Anders, the chief of security and Marine Commander of Troops respectively, would work to protect the ship from boarding parties or prepare their own.

The two had their assistants with them, as was normal, but they were joined by another. Robert Dale, still officially a Captain in the Stellar Navy, was not in the same action uniform or combat armor as the other two. His own armor, colored blue, was based on the field armor worn by the Gersallian Order of Swenya's field knights. A pulse pistol was holstered on his hip, making him appear poorly-armed compared to the others until one considered he could bat them around the room with a few moments of effort and a matching will. The hard part for him, in fact, would be restraining the power he was using, not simply using it.

Despite his superior rank, however, Robert was not their superior in operation. He had nothing to do with the ship's functioning now, a fact that left him nowhere to go during a combat alert. Working with security simply seemed the best choice for his actual job description: one of the new Paladins, operatives under the command of the Alliance President invested with great authority on missions given by the same.

Had Meridina and Carter Kane, the predecessors of Richmond and Anders, been the ones present, Robert might have at least been in the company of people who knew him more closely. But Anders had never served with him before and Richmond had barely known him. The two seemed determined to focus on their jobs and leave him to his thoughts.

 _I feel like I should be on the bridge_ , he mused to himself. It couldn't be helped. Two years of commanding the _Aurora_ made him want to be there. It was ironic given his actions in the past, and why so many admirals thought him unsuited for starship command.

"You get used to it," Richmond said, her Australian accent very refined, to the point it sounded almost like an English accent. Her green eyes met his, on a face of light, almost literally white skin - as white as the Human complexion spectrum permitted, virtually - framed by black hair. "Although I'm sure it's quite a change for you, Captain."

"It is," he admitted.

"Given your tendency to go out into the field instead of staying on the bridge, that's surprising," she pointed out.

To that he chuckled and grinned. "The thought crossed my mind too. God's sense of humor, I suppose."

"And we, the audience, are yet afraid to laugh."

"That's how the saying goes."

And again everyone went silent, waiting for a call from the bridge that might never come. 

* * *

The ship shook again, bringing the shields further down. But Jarod had another fact to report first, as he finished his ten second countdown. "...three...two...one. Mark."

From the ship's science/sensor station, Caterina Delgado looked up. Her chair seemed larger, if only because her frame was the smallest on the bridge. "Subspace spikes! We have ships jumping in! It's the rest of the fleet!"

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Julia said. She noted with pleasure the arrival of the incoming ships. Markers for them also indicated their identities. The ComStar cruiser _Avenging Sword_ led several lighter ComStar ships, reflecting that organization's first foray into the war. The Clan fleet contingent included a number of cruisers and destroyers of their fleets led by the Snow Raven cruisers _Storm Cloud_ and _Avalanche_. By far the biggest contingent were ships from the Aururian Imperial Federation of A2M6 that included, much to Julia's delight, the battlecruiser _Maya-Mayi_ under Margrethe von Lohringhoven, her opposite number during the crisis over the Oakland Colony of Phi Perseus.

The command of the force came from the two ships at the center of it, vessels larger than the _Aurora_ that were even now launching their wings of starfighters and larger gunboat vessels: the Battlestars _Galactica_ and _Pegasus_ , sole surviving warships of the Colonies of Kobol.

" _First Group, continue engagement_ ," said the voice of Admiral William Adama of the Colonial Navy, speaking from his flagship _Galactica_. " _Second Group, commence attack, priority targets are enemy dreadnought and supporting ships._ "

The jump-capable allied ships moved into engagement range immediately. Naval PPCs and lasers, phasers, and other weapon types opened up on the Reich force that now found itself outnumbered and facing an attack on a second vector. The enemy ships' formation soon began to disintegrate at the renewed attack.

For her part, the _Aurora_ continued engaging the enemy dreadnought as best as she could, with the assistance of the _Challenger_. As the two ships poured their plasma beams into the flickering ruby light of the _Aryan_ -class ship's shields, Kerbal bombers raced in at their typical breakneck acceleration, supported by fighters from the Avalonian carrier and, now, by Vipers from the _Pegasus_. The enemy fighter screens were fully engaged with the Alliance Mongoose starfighters from the _Aurora_ and her _Discovery_ -class cousins; what little remained were swept away by the Avalonian and Colonial fighters. The Kerbal bombers hit hard, focusing on the dreadnought's escorting ships. A _Sedan_ -class cruiser faltered, its disruptors blazing away at the _Kitana_ until the enemy ship succumbed to the attack from the Alliance cruiser.

Behind the Kerbals, Colonial Raptors and the various aerospace fighters of the Clans and ComGuards began their attack runs, shielded by more Vipers and a contingent of Aururian fighters.

With the dreadnought's escorts falling away due to the attack, the _Aurora_ could focus more fire on the big ship. Locarno brought them about and Angel Delgado, Caterina's sister, opened up with the ten bow-facing particle pulse cannons built into the _Aurora_. Thick sapphire pulses battered away at the enemy shields. From "above", the _Maya-Mayi_ moved in and engaged with her own cannons. Solid lances of gravitons from the weapons built into her bow struck the enemy dreadnought, bypassing its faltering shields entirely and subjecting the Nazi ship to vicious structural stresses that would easily damage internal systems over even a short exposure period. With the Reich ship faltering the _Aurora_ 's torpedo launchers opened up, sending the blue-white sparks of solar torpedoes into the ship's hull. They continued the attack run... 

* * *

Hours later the mood in the Lookout, the _Aurora_ 's crew lounge built into the bow of the ship, was one of merriment and excitement. The victory celebration was ongoing to allow the entire crew, all two thousand of them, a chance to attend at some point between watches or shifts. The view outside the window showed the garden world that, appropriately enough, was New Liberty in their home universe. In this universe it was the site of one the early Nazi colonies, New Prussia, which had fallen to an invasion by Alliance and Aururian troops. The orbiting starbase was busily being repaired from Nazi sabotage to serve as an Alliance fleetbase, while in the interim yardships were helping with repairs to the damaged ships.

The _Aurora_ was one of the luckier ships from the battle, with minor physical damage to her systems that wasn't tying down the crew from celebrating the victory and enjoying themselves. The celebration was taking on the air of a victory feast, much like the one undoubtedly being celebrated by the Avalonians. The Lookout's devoted host, Hargert, had an ongoing buffet of foods that the crew most loved, and given the versatility and skill of the old German cook, there was a diversity of choices to be had.

Another victory cake was being brought out when Julia entered the Lookout. Robert watched her enter from the bar with Barnes, Leo, and Angel. All of them kept quiet for the moment while Julia got her share of the dinner. Once this was done she murmured something at Hargert. Moments later a tone sounded over the speakers of the ship's comm system. "Attention, everyone," Julia said, her voice loud and clear here and, Robert suspected, across the ship. "The celebration we're throwing right now isn't just for one battle. We just received the official word. Admiral Maran and his fleet have beaten the main Nazi fleet at Epsilon Indi! The operation is a complete success!"

The Lookout erupted in applause.

"Command's estimating that the enemy's lost over a thousand ships in the operation," Julia continued. "All Nazi fleets around Earth have been routed. The Alliance and our allies are clear to begin the liberation of Earth itself from the Reich!"

The applause erupted again, even more loudly.

"You've all done well!" Julia continued. "And I'm proud of this entire crew. With your efforts and those of the other ships in our fleet and our allies' fleets, the war should soon be over, and we're going to win! I expect everyone to get their share of the victory meal. And I hope it's only the appetizer for the big victory we'll throw when the Reich surrenders!"

The loudest applause yet came, joined by cheering and hooting and other sounds. When it was over everyone settled back into what they were doing.

Robert kept watching Julia for the moment. For all of the awkwardness Robert felt sometimes while he was Captain, Julia clearly fitted the role like a glove. She was, indeed, in her element as a Captain.

"So, what were you doing during the battle?" Tom Barnes asked.

"Huh? Oh." Robert turned to face him. "I was in the security office with Commander Richmond and Major Anders."

"Why'd you pick them?" Angel asked.

Robert shrugged. "I figured I had to be somewhere to contribute. Helping with boarding actions seemed the best bet."

"That must've been new for you," Barnes said. "I mean, not being on the bridge while we were in the thick of it."

Robert nodded in admission. "Yeah, it was. It'll take some getting used to, I think."

"Now you know how I always feel," Leo remarked jovially.

"Just what will you be doing now that you're back?" Barnes considered his glass while asking. A bit of amber fluid - beer, Robert figured - swirled inside. "I mean, you obviously won't be doing Paladin stuff all of the time. It's going to be weird being around and not having anything to do…"

Before Robert could answer, there was a tone over the comms. This time the voice was Meridina. " _Captain, we're picking up a distress call on all Alliance bands on the IU radio._ "

The look on Julia's face was concerned. She looked to the other command officers and Robert, who all approached her as she asked, "Where is it coming from?"

" _Universe M4P2_. _The Dorei colony on Adrana._ "

"The Batarians?" Jarod suggested.

" _No_." Meridina had evidently heard them. " _According to the distress call, they are being attacked by the Geth._ "

The assembled officers exchanged puzzled looks at the response. The Geth were barely known in the Alliance; a species of intelligent AI programs created by the Quarians and still occupying that species' homeworld of Rannoch, beyond the Perseus Veil at the far corner of the M4P2 galaxy. They were supposed to be a reclusive race that never interacted with the rest of their copy of the Milky Way. The idea of the Geth launching such a bold attack was shocking. "Meridina, are there any ships that can respond before us, given where we are?"

" _Unfortunately not, Captain. Alliance and Systems Alliance patrols in M4P2 are out of position, and much of the fleet is assigned to the follow-up operations against the Reich. Ops has confirmed we could make it in two interuniversal jumps to Adrana, if we hurry_."

"Meridina, commence the jumps immediately. Put us on combat alert, Code Red." With that, she left the Lookout with the senior officers.

Most of the crew followed as the electronic klaxons began to blare.

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"A Distant Thunder"_**

The spatial aspect of their last jump kept the _Aurora_ from arriving in the Adrana System, but she was close enough that it wasn't more then ten minutes before the ship, her warp drives pushed to their immense capability, dropped from warp speed near the planet. Adrana was a garden planet settled in the first wave of Alliance colonies in M4P2, most of which were settled by Dorei colonists as part of the fair division of new extrauniversal colonies among Alliance member states.

As the planet loomed on the holo-viewscreen, Julia found herself considering the sad coincidence of their visits; the last time they'd come coincided with the beginning of Batarian attacks on Alliance colonies with the slaver raid on Yamalia. Now Adrana herself had been hit by an attack.

"I'm picking up three vessels in orbit," Caterina said. "Drive signatures are eezo-based, but the output… I've never seen an eezo power system with this capacity before." After a moment Caterina added, "I'm also detecting smaller craft coming from the surface. Landing craft, I think."

"Time to weapons range?" Julia asked.

"I'm already getting locks on them," Angel said. "But our approach vector puts Adrana behind them. Any misses could hit the planet."

"Right. Mister Locarno?"

"Adjusting course now, giving tactical a clear field of fire," Locarno said.

"While you do that, Jarod, put me on." She waited for Jarod to nod. "Attention Geth vessels, this is Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_. You have committed an act of aggression against the Alliance. I insist you surrender immediately or we will open fire."

Seconds passed with no reply. "It does not appear they are concerned," said Meridina.

"Lieutenant Delgado, you are clear to fire when ready. Commander, signal the _Koenig_ , commence combat launch."

It took another ten seconds for Locarno's course change to clear Adrana from the field of fire. During this time, the dock built into the rear of the primary hull section opened up. The _Koenig_ backed out of her berth and triggered her own drives, twisting relative to the _Aurora_ so she could make her own course toward the Geth ships.

As the _Aurora_ was still pointed "upward" compared to the perspective of the Geth and the planet, the initial fire was with the ventral-facing plasma banks. Repeated beams of sapphire energy crossed space and sliced into the Geth ships. Their particle barriers were not meant for reflecting energy weapons of this type so the power of the shots primarily acted against the bare hull. The wounds carved into the Geth ships did not spew atmosphere like another ship might, although there was still debris and flame from the impacts.

The _Koenig_ accelerated to combat thrust and opened fire as well, her pulse phasers adding to the damage inflicted on the Geth ships.

The Geth ships seemed more interested in evading than attacking, although for the latter it was soon clear they were pursuing a different approach. "They're launching fighters," said Cat.

"Alpha and Delta Squadrons are launching," Meridina said. "Echo and Fox are on standby to join them."

With their fighters moving to intercept their Geth counterparts Julia was free to observe the effect of their fire on the Geth ships. The first ship was taking the brunt of Angel's focus while the _Koenig_ focused on the second ship. Locarno maneuvered the _Aurora_ to bring the bow weapons to bear. The forward pulse plasma cannons fired. These had more effect on the lead Geth ship. Already slightly damaged, the thick sapphire pulses of the bow cannons blew entire sections out of the lean, bug-headed Geth vessel, which reminded Julia somewhat of a dragonfly if it had no wings or legs. The silver ship's acceleration died down.

"Picking up energy spike," said Cat. "It looks like they're activating their FTL drives."

By that time the first spread of solar torpedoes was already in flight. The spread crashed into the lead Geth ship. This time the shot was undeniably fatal. The explosions broke the Geth ship into pieces.

A few more shots began to hit the second Geth ship, but it was the _Koenig_ that finished them off with her own spread of solar torpedoes.

The third Geth ship, untouched, seemed to blink out of existence with the activation of their FTL drive.

"I'm tracking them in subspace," Cat said. "It looks like they're on course for the mass relay in the G1SV system."

"Pursuit course laid in," Locarno said.

Julia didn't need to glance toward Meridina to know what her XO was thinking. And she already agreed with the sentiment. "No. Have the _Koenig_ pursue. Atreiad is to engage only if he can do so without risking his ship, otherwise just observe until they depart through the G1SV relay. Helping the colony is our priority."

"Aye sir," Locarno replied. "Making standard orbit."

"I am alerting medbay to our situation," Meridina added.

"Securing from battlestations," said Jarod.

Julia nodded and sat back, letting the others implement her orders. Aid had to come first. Then the investigation could begin. 

* * *

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 12 May 2643 AST. Captain Julia Andreys recording. We are still investigating the Geth attack on the Dorei colony of Adrana. More importantly, we are rendering all of the aid we can to the planet below._

 _Commander Atreiad on the_ Koenig _has confirmed the last Geth ship has departed the area through the G1SV Mass Relay. I've ordered_ Koenig _to remain cloaked in G1SV for the time being to monitor any traffic coming through the Relay, just in case the Geth come back with reinforcements._

Julia found herself staring at her report to Defense Command on the attack. Every fact was present, everything told exactly as she knew it, but it still felt off. The lack of knowing just what the Geth were after with the attack was frustrating. Hearing her door chime was welcome just for the distraction. "Come in," she called out.

Meridina was the one who entered, carrying a digital pad. She handed it to Julia. "The governor of Adrana has compiled preliminary statistics on the attack. Currently the death toll is at two hundred and six people, three quarters of them civilians. There are over a thousand wounded as well. The planet's medical infrastructure is overwhelmed."

"Is Leo bringing any of them up here?" Julia started looking over the data pad.

"The critical cases and some of the overflow. I have ensured the _St. Johns_ and the _Warri_ are available for his use." The two names were familiar: the _St. Johns_ had long been the runabout fitted with a medical module, the _Warri_ was a new _Ebro_ -class runabout assigned to the ship that had a multi-mission capability and could thus be fitted for medical work.

"Alright. Command is trying to get response ships out, but for the moment we're the only ones here to tend to this." Julia tapped the pad. "As for the raid investigation itself, doesn't it strike you as odd?"

"Captain?"

"The Geth attack. It looks like they only had a raid in mind, but they left entire sections of the colony untouched." Julia put the pad down. "And the things they took were minor pieces of technology and machinery. Nothing like what they might need. If I didn't know better, I'd say the raid was staged." She noticed the look in Meridina's face and knew she wasn't the only one to feel that way.

"Indeed," Meridina confirmed. "And I do have a suspicion as to their target."

"Oh?"

"You will note that a number of the casualties were personnel at the excavation site examining what is left of the ancient Adranians," Meridina said.

Julia glanced and noted that. "This would be the dig site with the computers that Zack's mind was linked to when we were last here?"

"And where Caterina, Jarod, and myself nearly perished," Meridina reminded her. "Going by the casualty data, it looks like the Geth directed quite a lot of attention to this place. The casualties were extremely high, indicating that the excavation was swiftly overrun."

"In other words, you think it was the target." Julia frowned. "Why?"

"I am unsure," Meridina admitted. "The computer systems' directing intelligence was only a fragment of an old personality and there was little in the way of advanced technology stored within. Nevertheless, I would like to take a team to investigate what the Geth did there."

Julia nodded. "You've got my approval. See what you can find out."

"I will assemble a team immediately, Captain. May I be dismissed?"

"You are dismissed." Julia watched her go and considered what Meridina had found. Could the answer be that this was all to get at that ancient ruins? And if so… why?

* * *

The changes to the dig site in the two years since they'd last visited drew the attention of Meridina, Jarod, and Cat. More tunnels were present and more equipment as well, although some was now badly damaged, including the lift that had to be repaired before they could go down into the main complex. Blue blood spots could be seen from the victims of the Geth attack, although no bodies were evident.

A grim-faced Dorei man of dark blue complexion with purple spots and hair drove the large cart ferrying the team through the underground site. Joining the three who had visited previously were Lieutenant Lucy Lucero, in her ops officer uniform with her tool belt visible and her lightsaber hooked to it, and the newest ops officer on the _Aurora_ , Lieutenant Tra'dur, the Stellar Navy's first Dilgar officer. Red-haired and dun-furred in coloration, her feline eyes took in the entire site. "So you have been here before, Caterina'Delgado?"

"Yeah. Two years ago," Cat said. "It wasn't a fun visit."

"The computer system we are here to examine forcefully linked to Commander Carrey's mind," Meridina explained. "We came to find a way to free him. Unfortunately, there were complications."

"An ancient booby trap that sealed us in, then the guiding intelligence of the computer system deciding to kill us rather than let us free Zack," Cat clarified, frowning. "It tried to gas us. We barely got out."

"Then this is potentially dangerous," Tra'dur noted.

"Maybe, maybe not," Lucy said. "Zack apparently had the computer system upload his mind into the system as well. Basically, a digital copy of himself to keep the intelligence inside company."

"Yes," said Meridina. "In the end, the intelligence's actions were warped by her incomplete upload when her people were wiped out. Most of her personal memories were lost, and all she had were the memories of her people's destruction. Commander Carrey showed great compassion in how he chose to deal with her."

"I would not count on them being intact," the Dorei driver warned. "The attackers inflicted much damage. As you will now see."

The cart came to the end of the tunnel. An open door led the five into a chamber, the same they had seen two years prior. But now the computer hardware showed visible damage. Scars from weapons fire covered nearly every surface of the main cylinder. Meridina and Lucy both suppressed an impulse to shudder; they could feel a lingering sense of hopeless despair and rage and grief that permeated the chamber.

Everyone began scanning, with Jarod and Cat focusing on the table on which someone could lay and interface with the system. "It looks like this part was undamaged," Jarod said. He checked the interface piece, now fully restored by the Dorei archeologists from the rusted state it had been in two years before.

"They were focusing their attack on the computer banks, or what they thought were computer banks," Lucy said, standing over one set of them. "And they definitely took out some of the physical memory bank."

"Tra'dur, can you help me examine the intact code?" Cat asked. "If we can verify the interface is safe, someone can go in and see if the personalities inside survived."

"Of course, Lieutenant." Tra'dur activated her omnitool and joined Cat.

"Curious that the Geth were most concerned with this device," Meridina said. "And they were not here to take it but to destroy it."

"Given the nature of the attack, this was clearly their real objective." Jarod checked another part of the interface. "Are you sure you want to go in? The last time the intelligence inside attacked you."

"I do not think she will do so again," said Meridina. "She has no reason to."

"Unless something happened to the copy of Zack," Cat pointed out. "If she's alone again…"

"Then the rest of you can do what you must to free me," Meridina said. "But I still believe it best if I go."

"Let's make sure it works first," said Lucy, who gave Meridina a concerned look. "If it does, then… I suppose it makes the most sense if you do."

"It does." This was from Tra'dur. "The four of us have the training and knowledge to deal with problems. No insult meant, Commander, but your skills are not the same."

"Indeed they are not, and I do not see your statement as insulting," Meridina assured her. "I await your findings on the matter." 

* * *

An hour later Meridina was laying on the table, steeling herself for the pain that would accompany the uplink. She felt concern from the others, particularly for Lucy, but allowed no apprehension to form on her expression. "I am ready," she informed them.

"Alright." Jarod nodded to Lucy and Tra'dur. "Initiating the interface."

Meridina watched the device above her come alive with light. A sharp pain filled her head to the point that she could not help but cry out.

The pain ended abruptly. When Meridina could see again, she found herself standing on a field of dirt and grass. Beneath her feet was a square white bag of sorts with chalked lines leading out in two directions from it. A glance around led her to recognize just what she was standing on: a baseball field.

She turned her head and saw two figures standing at the mound. Zack, or rather the uploaded copy of himself in the computer, was wearing a white baseball jersey. Beside him was a woman of pink skin with red hair and bright, purple eyes, clad in what Lucy once called a "sun dress". She nodded at Meridina. "Mindwalker."

Meridina permitted herself some relief. "You are intact? We feared the damage might have harmed you."

"We sensed attackers coming," Zack said. "And we had time to move ourselves into the innermost data drives." He frowned. "It was still a close thing. And we've lost a lot of data capacity to the damage. I'm actually surprised you could come in here."

"Jarod and the others have repaired the interface to permit my entry," Meridina explained.

"Who attacked us?" asked the alien woman, whom Meridina recalled was named Gylao. "Why?"

"We are uncertain. They are called Geth, a machine race…"

An anguished look came over Gylao. "Is it them? Was it our destroyers?"

"I cannot say for certain," Meridina stated. "Yet… perhaps there is a link."

Zack nodded. "I doubt they mind _my_ memories, and they were trying to eliminate our memory banks." He turned to Gylao. "It must be you they wanted."

"But why?" Gylao asked. "All I have are fragments of memories."

"Maybe that's what they're after, then. Those few memories you do have."

Meridina nodded. "You remember your destroyers, correct? Zachary - the Zachary who woke up I should clarify - mentioned that you thought of them as Reapers?"

Gylao shuddered and nodded. "I remember them. Great towering machines. And those of my people they turned into their servants. They showed no mercy. We were wheat before their blades."

"You think they wanted to eliminate Gylao's memories of these 'Reapers'?" Zack asked.

"It is the most likely explanation." Meridina frowned. "Why they would seek this, however, I cannot guess. Although the most obvious reason would be to deprive us of any knowledge about these ancient destroyers. That leads us to disturbing implications." She looked to Gylao. "May I see these memories? I know it asks much of you…"

"I would rather you not," Gylao admitted. "Zachary's memories have been my shelter from that horror..." Zack held her hand more tightly.

Meridina nodded. "Of course. I understand."

"But it may be necessary," Gylao continued. She didn't hide her sadness. "Whatever was in them, it may be important. Through Zachary I have learned much of your Multiverse. If something like this could happen to you, I…"

She said no more. Instead Gylao held a hand up. The baseball field disappeared. Meridina witnessed a cityscape of beautiful, turquoise structures, piles of blackened rubble among them. Flames filled the air.

As horrible as it was, and despite the pain she sensed from Gylao at the images, Meridina forced herself to watch the slaughter of a species.

Seconds passed, or perhaps hours. When it was over Meridina felt warm tears flowing from her eyes. She would see those terrible machines forever in her memories, like great giant beasts that came to devour and annihilate. It was so easy to picture them doing the same thing to Jantarihal, to see the giant things stomping about and leveling the gleaming towers of her homeworld's capital… to see them destroying the Great Temple and Swenya's legacy to her people.

It reinforced her appreciation for, and pity for, Gylao. It was no wonder this last remnant of the ancient Adranians had been so broken when they first encountered her. With nothing but these memories, no intelligence could remain sane.

"Thank you for your help," she said. "I appreciate the sacrifice you've made."

Gylao nodded. Beside her, Zack rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. "How long do you think it will take the Dorei to repair the device?" he asked. "It's a little crowded in here now."

"I will inquire," Meridina promised.

"Thanks." He smiled at her. "Is everything alright for the rest of you? How are Rob and the others?"

"They are well, for the most part. Although there have been difficulties for us. The Multiverse is, as ever, a dangerous place."

"Please let them know I said hello. Including, well, me."

"I will do so." Meridina smiled softly at them. "Take care, Zachary, Gylao."

* * *

The image of Meridina and Jarod filled the screen on Julia's desk in her ready office. " _We're about done here_ ," Jarod confirmed. " _Lucero and Tra'dur are almost finished attaching that data drive to the systems. It won't completely restore the prior capacity, but it should give Zack's data duplicate and the Adranian intelligence inside some more room to stretch, so to speak._ "

"I've already cleared it with the local authorities," Julia said. "As soon as you're back, we'll have a meeting to go over everything."

" _Understood. Jarod out._ " A moment later the image ended.

Julia went back to her paperwork, at least until the door chime sounded. "Come in," she said. She looked up and watched Robert enter. He was wearing a uniform again, but his rank insignia was missing, and the branch color was silver instead of red with a silver aiguillette, as if he were just an intelligence staff officer now. "That's what you're going for?" she asked. "You're pretending to be staff?"

He chuckled and shrugged. "Well, I figured it fit better than wearing command trim. And rank insignia might give the wrong impression."

"True." Julia set her datapad down while Robert looked over the ready office. The furnishings were the same as when he had used it, but she'd added her own touches with a few mementoes. One of her basketball trophies and several photos were on one stand. A model of the long-lost _Kelley_ was on another. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping to discuss an idea I've been considering," he said. "It's about…"

Before he could finish a tone came over the ship intercom. " _Bridge to_ Andreys," said the voice of Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi, Jarod's number two as operations officer.

"Go ahead," Julia answered.

" _We're picking up another distress signal on Alliance bands_."

Julia frowned. "From where? Is it the Geth?"

" _I'm not sure yet. The distress call is from a Systems Alliance colony. It's Eden Prime._ "

"Damn. Even using mass relays, we're hours away. We'll never get there in time." Julia shook her head. "Make sure Command knows about it and see if they can vector a ship in to help. Keep me posted."

" _Aye sir._ "

"Andreys out." Julia tapped a key on her desk to close the intercom channel. She noticed the concerned look on Robert's face. "The timing makes me say it's Geth," she said. "Not to mention the location."

"Yeah. And there's another common factor too. I was on Eden Prime several weeks ago," Robert said. "The Systems Alliance found intact Prothean ruins near their colony site. The excavation is still ongoing."

"The Protheans. They were from about fifty thousand years ago," Julia noted. "They disappeared about two hundred millennia after the Adranians were wiped out."

"Right. So in the span of a day, two worlds with ruins from long-dead cultures are both attacked." Robert shook his head. "I don't buy that's a coincidence."

"Nor do I," Julia agreed. "We'll bring it up with the others when they return." 

* * *

The command officers of the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ met in the conference lounge adjacent to the bridge, as they often did. As always Barnes attended alongside Commander Scott. Jarod was joined by Lucy and Tra'dur, given their part in the work in the ruin.

And down at the opposite end of the table was Robert, still in the rankless uniform with silver trim.

There was a peculiar feel to his presence in the room now. He was sitting at the exact opposite end of the table from Julia, taking up the last seat currently available, but it could be easy to imagine he was at the head of the table instead. And for most of those present, he had been in charge for nearly two years, the one directing the conversation as Julia was now doing (at least theoretically given the difference in their command styles).

"The Geth were definitely out to destroy the Adranian computer system," Jarod said. He kept his eyes on Julia. "It's the only case where the damage caused can't be consider collateral damage to the attack."

"So they wanted to eliminate whatever the Adranians left behind," Julia mused. "Why?"

"It may have been to eliminate any records of the unknown enemy who annihilated the Adranians," Meridina said.

"But why would they want to do that?"

Robert's question was a reasonable one, certainly, and just as certainly it was one everyone was already asking themselves. But it didn't change the subtle thrum of tension that now seemed to permeate the room.

"A good question." Julia leveled a quieting look at Robert, who nodded sheepishly and settled back into his seat. "Any ideas?"

Cat spoke up. "Maybe the Geth found something in their region of the galaxy? I mean, like an old ruin or something, and it's of these attackers, and the Geth don't want anyone else to know anything about them?"

Julia nodded once to acknowledge Cat's proposal. "The attack on Eden Prime may have a similar motive, then? Maybe they think the Protheans also left evidence of this same group?"

"It's a possibility, but really, we don't know enough to know for sure," Cat said.

"Could they just be out to destroy evidence of past civilizations?" asked Tra'dur. "Do we have any samples of Geth coding that can give us an idea of their thought processes?"

"No." Julia shook her head. A thought made her frown. "The only thing we have relating to the Geth was that sabotage device that was attached to the _Aurora_ during our failed conference with the Batarians."

"Right." Robert matched her frown. "Could the Batarians be behind this then? Using the Geth as proxies, or maybe manipulating them into attacking us so they have plausible deniability? A way to escalate their attacks without risking their own forces?"

"Maybe they even found a way to control the Geth." This suggestion was from Apley.

Will Atreiad crossed his arms. "These Geth, they're like the Cylons, right?"

"According to our data from the Quarians, there are only partial similarities," Jarod said. "We know the Cylons can network themselves together, but the individual Cylon units are still autonomous. The Geth, however, are operating programs that form a neural net when connected. The more Geth you have operating together, the more intelligent the whole becomes."

"An' th' Quarians dinnae mean for th' Geth t' get that sophisticated," added Scott. "But it was t' late t' shut th' blasted things down."

"So they revolted. Just like the Cylons?"

Barnes nodded. "Right. And the frakkers ended up driving the Quarians off of their homeworld Rannoch, and clear out of their own Goddamned space. The Quarians have been living in space since." A dark, angry look appeared on his features. "And the other races have been treating them like crap too."

A thoughtful expression came to Atreiad's face. Whatever thoughts he had, they went unspoken.

It was nearly Robert who spoke next. But as his mouth opened he sensed Julia with the same thought, the same imminent remark, and he stopped himself. "So far it looks like we have nothing but speculation on the motives of the Geth attack, aside from their target. Am I right?"

She was answered with nods.

"I'll report what we have to Maran. Doctor Gillam, Doctor Epstein, what about the wounded?"

"We've taken over the most critical cases," Leo said. "Right now we're at two hundred and twenty-eight dead and eleven hundred and six wounded, with a hundred critical and major cases being tended to in our medbay. The colony's medical establishment is at full capacity."

"Alright. I'll let the Admiral know. Until I get orders to leave, we'll maintain our current relief efforts. Mister Jarod, Mister Scott, I'll leave technical relief up to you."

"Aye, sir. I have teams standin' by t' help with damage."

"And I have security teams ready to assist with law enforcement officials," offered Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond, the ship's Chief of Security. "Should they need the assistance with maintaining law and order."

"I will coordinate all aid with the Governor's staff," Meridina offered. "I will inform you of any such needs."

"Good. Then, unless there's anything else, we're done here." When nobody offered any further matters of discussion, Julia stood. "Alright, everyone, you're all dismissed.

The assembled officers stood and filed out. Julia remained standing where she did until they were gone, at which point she walked along the table until she met Robert. "That was kind of awkward, wasn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah." He met her eyes and sighed. "Old habits, I guess. I'm sorry, I'm not looking to undermine you or assume your responsibilities, even if it looks otherwise."

"I know." Julia crossed her arms. "I guess we're all going to have to get used to this.."

Robert nodded in agreement. "It's an adjustment thing."

"But we'll make it work." A smile crossed Julia's face. She set a hand on Robert's shoulder. "You know I've missed you, Rob. You and Zack."

"I missed you too," he confessed easily. "We've been together… although not in _that way_ …" Robert stopped briefly when Julia chuckled at the clarification. "...for so long that it was hard to not have you to talk to."

"I don't know if I could have gotten used to it," Julia admitted. Her smile didn't fade. "But you're back now, and that's the important part. So, what did you want to ask earlier? When we were in my office?"

"Huh? Oh." Robert quickly recalled it. "Well, I've been back long enough to know that there's an issue with Lucy."

"I wouldn't call it an issue." Julia shrugged. She briefly considered the best way to word what she wanted to say. "It's more of a question. Lucy's role on this ship has become complicated. Honestly, it's been getting that way since you were captain."

Robert nodded in agreement. "I agree. She's an operations officer we frequently use for field combat missions thanks to her abilities."

"Commander Richmond recently asked me to consider re-assigning Lucy to security," Julia revealed. "And I think the idea has merit."

"Maybe a little," Robert conceded. "But I don't think that fits her well."

"And she personally doesn't want it. I asked. But at the same time, she's clearly not a standard operations officer either, and I would rather free up her position in Jarod's department for someone who is more dedicated to the needs of operations." Julia shook her head. "But I don't feel comfortable pushing Lucy into a role she doesn't fit either, and I can't help but think that's what it would be for her to be in security."

"It would also be putting one of our original people under the command of someone who wasn't in the Facility back in the day," Robert pointed out.

Julia frowned. "That's not an important distinction. Honestly, Rob, I'm trying to diminish the feel that we've got a clique on this ship."

"I understand, and maybe I should have done more to do the same," he admitted. "But consider the position it would put you and Richmond in. Lucy has personal connections to both you and Meridina, especially Meridina. How long before those connections make Richmond feel like she's being undermined?"

"A good question."

"I have a solution," Robert said. "Assign her to me."

"Oh?" Her tone indicated Julia's interest, but perhaps a bit of uncertainty as well.

"As a Paladin, I'm authorized to recruit a small number of personnel to directly assist my operations," Robert explained. "Obviously I don't get an entire ship, and my staff has to be small…"

"Right."

"...but I could use Lucy," he continued. "Soon I'm going to get a personal craft for use in my missions, when they take me away from the _Aurora_. Lucy can pilot it better than I can. Not to mention how much help she'll be on those missions."

For a moment Julia said nothing. Her expression was intent, showing she was considering it. Robert didn't let himself sense her feelings and waited patiently for her to react. "As things stand, Jarod and I have been wondering where Tra'dur would fit on the crew," she admitted. "If Lucy's permanently assigned to you, it solves that problem. And if we need her for something…"

"Lucy will have standing orders from me to help you and the crew," Robert assured her. "Just as I intend to help if you ever need it."

"Right." Julia smiled softly at that. "I'd expect that from you. Anyway… the idea works for me. You have my blessing."

Robert smiled back. "I'll ask Lucy later and see if she likes the idea. I'll let you know what she says."

"I'm sure she'll say yes," Julia said. "Either way… it was good working this out with you." Her aquamarine eyes twinkled with delight. "I missed this."

"So did I."

"And now I have a question for you," she asked.

"Oh? What?"

Her smile curled on along the left side of her lip. "Are you _ever_ going to get a haircut? Or at least a _shave_?"

Robert couldn't help himself. He laughed, and Julia laughed too.

It felt good to be home. 

* * *

Robert's quarters on the _Aurora_ were smaller than the ones he'd enjoyed as Captain, not that he minded as he had plenty of room for personal effects he'd picked up from storage on New Liberty. The quarters were, in fact, second tier VIP quartering on Deck 6, about the same size as those of the command staff and meant for the senior staff of visiting admirals or state officials. If he had any complaint, it was that visiting Julia or anyone else now necessitated a ride in the lift.

For the moment that wasn't his concern. He was seated on the floor beside his bed for pre-sleep meditation. His breathing was controlled and quiet while he focused on the warm energy he felt within himself, the energy around him. The Flow of Life resonated on the ship. He could feel the bright warmth of Meridina's life energies, the intensity of Lucy's, and the quieter energies of the others. Some bright points indicated a few among the two thousand crew who had their own deeper connection to the Flow of Life that could one day be widened. The planet below had even more life on it. Over fifty thousand souls, all but a few Dorei, psionically sensitive and feeling different than Humans of equal number would.

But it wasn't as warm a feeling, and for good reason. He sensed fear, grief, shock, anger, _rage_. They had been attacked. Their neighbors harmed, even killed. Their sense of security smashed.

And there was something else. An even older sense from the planet. The same emotions, but intensified by despair and hopelessness. And a cold feeling. So cold that Robert actually gulped in realization; this was the feeling of an extinction. The extermination of the Adranians left an imprint in the Flow of Life. Death on a massive scale.

Without thinking about it, Robert felt his connection spread out further through the Flow of Life, a reach impossible to him before his exposure to the Time Vortex in the Doctor's TARDIS. On Gersal and while on the _Keyeri_ he had tested his reach similarly, usually with little difficulty.

But not this time. This time he felt a… wrongness in the Flow of Life. An imprinted coldness that ran within it, detectable only by reaching as far and wide as he could, otherwise that cold would be overwhelmed by the warmth of life.

Robert's heart skipped a beat. This… this was the same remnant cold as he felt on Adrana. A lingering remnant of death, of the destruction of life, that seemed to be permanently woven into the Flow of Life in the M4P2 universe.

What could cause this? That was Robert's thought.

And then they came. The visions. Not in his dreams, as sometimes happened, but in his meditative state. He could see the burning cities. Piles of corpses. Giant, metallic _things_ leveling a city. Crimson beams carving through majestic skylines, through vehicles, through living beings, destroying all. Alien forms covered in ghastly blue circuitry rushing through a crowd, biting and ripping and maiming, beings screaming as metal spikes impaled them…

And that sound. That horrible _sound_ , like the Devil himself blowing a trumpet through an electronic synthesizer. It vibrated within his very soul.

He was standing in the Citadel Tower again, in the chambers of the Citadel Council. Flames and wreckage surrounded him. Robotic figures stood before him, weapons raised…

Not just robotic figures anymore. He knew them now. He'd seen them in the records from the attack on Adrana. " _Geth_ ," Robert murmured aloud.

And then there was the figure, standing at the end of the audience platform facing the Council. The cyborg Turian, with those glowing, ghastly blue eyes, the circuitry embedded into his skin. "This is our only hope to survive," he insisted. "We must prove we can serve. Or we will suffer the same fate as all the other species this galaxy has ever known."

"We can fight them!"

Robert thought the sentiment came from him. But he glanced to his side. He was joined by others. But only one he could see. She was in unpowered combat armor, Systems Alliance issue. An N7 was above the right breast of the suit. Her green eyes blazed with defiant will underneath the visor of her combat helmet.

And immediately Robert knew who she was.

His eyes opened. And the name escaped his lips.

" _Shepard_." 

* * *

The end of her work day saw Julia enjoy a warm, comforting shower. Muscles still tense from an end-of-the-day workout relaxed under the spray of the warm water. She sighed with deep content at the feeling, as if the water wasn't just washing away sweat and a day's worth of dead skin, but the worries that the day's events had brought her. _From a victory celebration to a mysterious attack by even more mysterious robots_ , she thought darkly. _Why do I feel like God is amusing Himself at my expense now that I'm the Captain?_

A familiar tone sounded, even here in her bathroom. " _Bridge to Captain Andreys_ ," stated Lieutenant Takawira, the Gamma shift watch officer on the bridge. His accent still bore the thick tones of the Zimbabwean colony of Nkomo.

 _I think God just answered me_ , Julia thought, sighing deeply. She called out "What?" with some ferocity, and lied to herself that it was just to ensure she was heard over the shower.

" _Admiral Maran is waiting for you over IU comms, Captain. He says it's urgent._ "

"I'll be right there. Relay the call to my quarters." Hoping she had rinsed off sufficiently, she left the shower. She wiped off the excess water with a couple of swipes from her towel and immediately pulled on a terry-cloth bathrobe, white in color, that she tied closed. She took a towel for her hair and began wrapping her wet blond locks inside of the white towel while walking to her desk. She sat, double-checked her robe, and satisfied that she met the bare minimum of modesty for speaking to her superior, she tapped a key on the desk control to accept the call.

Admiral Maran appeared on the screen. He was still on the Gersallian flagship, the _Kentan_ , instead of his office in Defense Command, given the lack of a window behind him, much less the skyline of 27th Century Portland that Julia was familiar with. His dark hair had gray at the temples and along the fringes of his trimmed beard. " _Captain, good work with your relief of the Adrana Colony_ ," he said. " _Governor Tamas has been forthcoming with praise at the aid you've provided_."

"Thank you, Admiral."

" _I've read the reports from you and your officers on the Geth attack. I admit that it's deeply concerning, especially given the Geth link to the Batarian plot to sabotage and seize the_ Aurora _last year. If the Geth are allied with or controlled by the Batarians, it could trigger a wide-scale interstellar war in M4P2 we cannot afford._ "

"That's what we're wondering too."

Maran nodded. His expression darkened. " _There are other, worse possibilities, however._ "

That comment surprised Julia. "Oh?" she asked.

" _You've heard of the attack on Eden Prime?_ "

"Yes sir."

" _The Geth caused a lot of damage, including the loss of a Prothean beacon discovered there, at least according to a friendly source on Arcturus Station. If this same source is correct, and if the evidence that the Systems Alliance intends to present is true… we may be dealing with something even worse than a Batarian-Geth alliance._ "

Only one possibility seemed worse. "The Nazis," Julia hissed. "Is it them? Did they…"

" _No. We still have no indication that the Reich is fielding interuniversal jump drives at this time. What we do know is that Captain Anderson of the_ Normandy _is being ordered to the Citadel to present evidence of Spectre involvement in the attack_."

Julia's jaw dropped in surprise. "A _Spectre_ did this?"

" _That is what Anderson claims._ " Maran shook his head. " _I find it hard to believe the Citadel would sanction a strike against us or against the Systems Alliance, not like this. And definitely not using the Geth. But if they have a rogue on their hands, given the resources a rogue might have access to, and the damage he or she could do even if the Council cuts them off… we need to know one way or the other, Captain. That's why I'm giving you new orders. I want you to depart Adrana immediately and head to the Citadel. Report to Ambassador Atama and be ready to observe what Anderson's evidence is, as well as providing whatever evidence is requested on the Geth attack on Adrana. If we have a rogue Spectre on our hands… we need to be ready._ "

"Right away, Admiral. We'll depart immediately."

" _Just what I wanted to hear. Maran out._ " His image disappeared.

Julia hit a second key on her table. "Andreys to Bridge. Recall all personnel from Adrana immediately and set a course for System G1SV. Prepare the ship for mass relay travel. We're headed to the Citadel."


	43. Episode 3-08-2 A Distant Thunder

The Citadel. The name implied a fortress, a stronghold, and in many ways it fit the colossal space station in the Serpent Nebula. Obscured in a haze of particles and gases, the Citadel often thus had the impression of appearing from parting clouds in majestic triumph. It was altogether fitting imagery for a space station that served as the cornerstone of interstellar law, trade, and diplomacy in the M4P2 Milky Way galaxy.

Such was the site through the windows of the Lookout as the _Starship Aurora_ approached the Citadel for the second time in her career. Crew members who had not been aboard for that visit, who indeed had never seen the place, clustered in the _Aurora_ 's crew lounge for a look at the station and its massive arms. Those arms were lit up with pinpricks of light, signifying the presence of the seven million beings that called the colossal space station home. Each made even the _Aurora_ look small, being over forty times longer than the starship.

At one of the tables, Will Atreiad was gawking at the site. The Citadel made even the largest of the Colonies' fleetbases before the Fall seem small. The only structure of greater scope he'd seen was the Ring of Gersal, which wrapped itself around the planet's singular moon. And that had taken the Gersallians centuries of construction and reconstruction to manage.

Beside him Lieutenant Magda Navaez, the _Koenig_ Operations Officer, said, "It is everything I hoped it would be." The other command officers of the _Koenig_ agreed with her remark by nodding.

At a nearby table Dr. Roliri Opani, a Dorei woman of dark teal complexion and purple-colored spotline - the Dorei had spots similar to, but not the same as, the Trill of S5T3 - nodded in agreement with the hushed "It's beautiful" of Tra'dur. Seated with them was Cat and Violeta. Cat nodded as well and said, "Told you it was great."

"Will we be allowed to visit?" Tra'dur asked. "Not that I dare hope to see even a modest percentage of the Citadel in the time we will be alloted…"

"I'll clear it with Jarod," Cat said. "I want to show Vee around the Presidium."

"Might I join you, at least for a time?" Tra'dur asked.

Cat and Violeta exchanged brief looks before they nodded together. "Sure," Violeta said. "We'll be glad to have you along."

"It's too bad it's not purely a port-call," Cat lamented. "I don't think some of the others will get to enjoy the sights as much." 

* * *

Due to his prior visit to the Citadel, Robert knew precisely where Atama's office was, just across the way from that of Ambassador Donnell Udina of the Systems Alliance. They found the older male Dorei at his desk watching footage from the attack on Adrana. His skin was a pale blue, his spots pale teal, and whitening teal hair was pulled back into a formal ponytail. His face was marked with violet tattoos. He looked to them and nodded. "I am Atama Y'raa Teme, Allied Systems Ambassador to the Citadel," he said formally. His accent was stiff, not from formality but as if he needed to fully elucidate every syllable. "Captain Dale, Captain Andreys, welcome."

They stepped further into the office. "Thank you, Mister Ambassador," Julia said. The two noted the photographs on a table beside his desk. Some showed a man of the same pale blue skin, but with darker purple spots, others women of pale blue skin but with dark teal and pale teal spots as well. All had purple hair that was turning white. "Your family?"

"Yes. We are the _Raa hekli_." Atama smiled pleasantly. "My fellow _heko_ and _heku_ you see."

"A group marriage?" Robert asked.

"I believe that is your Human English term for it, yes," Atama said. The smile did not change. "It is the way of the people of Omatei."

Neither recognized the name of his nation, but given there were over two hundred identifiable nations among the Dorei, not counting the various nations recognized in their oldest colonies, this was not too surprising.

"I hope your _hekli_ got to come with you," remarked Julia.

"They have. But we have other matters." Atama now frowned and looked back to the frozen image on his holo-viewer, a Geth firing a weapon toward the recorder. "A terrible day for my people. It is not enough that the Batarians seek to make slaves of us. Now these… these _machines_ dare to strike at us."

"We gave what help we could," Julia said apologetically.

"Yes. May the _Jani_ bless you for it." Atama stood. "Ambassador Udina has scheduled a meeting with the Council. Given the Geth attack against Adrana, I have secured our place in the audience to observe the Systems Alliance's evidence on the attacks. You will accompany me."

"Of course, Mister Ambassador," Robert replied.

"Await me in the lobby below, and we will travel together."

The two walked out of the office. As they emerged, they watched the door further down the way open. Both recognized Captain David Anderson as well as his First Officer, Commander Jennifer Shepard. The former was a deep-voiced man with a mocha-toned complexion and dark, military-cut hair. Shepard had the paled bronze complexion she'd had the last time they'd met, during her month aboard the _Aurora_ during the lead-up to the Battle of New Austria and the Gamma Piratus operation. Her hair had the same vibrant, almost fiery color, with the same short-cut style she'd had before.

The real impression was that she was wearing her combat armor, not a uniform, and had her firearms with her. Robert felt a flash of vision in his mind for it was the same armor he had seen her wearing while confronting the cyborg Turian. He sensed Julia's surprise at Shepard being armed for battle here in the Presidium of the Citadel.

"Captain Dale, Captain Andreys." Anderson's deep voice boomed with warmth at speaking to them. He walked up and offered a hand. "It's good to see you. I heard about Adrana. I assume that's why you're here?"

"The Alliance wants to see your evidence about the Geth attack on Eden Prime," Robert said. "Given the timing, it probably involves the attack on Adrana as well."

"We have an eyewitness who identified the killer," Anderson said. "Udina's on his way to the Council now, we're going to join him."

"You go on ahead, Captain," said Shepard. "I'll come with them. I'd like to ask them something."

Anderson nodded. "Just remember, we need you there, Shepard. Your testimony is going to be crucial." He walked on, leaving the three where they were.

"How can we help you, Commander?" Julia asked.

"I'd like to talk to Meridina," said Shepard. "When we're done here. I need her help."

"In what way?" asked Robert.

"The Prothean beacon on New Eden, it did something to my head." Shepard grimaced. "It gave me visions. Machines slaughtering people. But I'm not sure what I was seeing, I was hoping she could help me."

"I'll speak to her on it," Julia said.

"Thank you." Shepard looked at Robert with bemusement. "So… what's with the staff officer uniform now? And the hair?"

Julia flashed Robert a grin. Robert chuckled. "I've had a change of occupation," he said. "And I decided I wanted to try something different for a while. Growing a beard and letting my hair grow out makes me a little harder to recognize."

"Not that much harder!" Julia laughed.

Shepard grinned. "You wouldn't happen to be one of the Alliance's new Paladins, would you?"

Robert nodded. "Guilty as charged."

"You should be careful. No rank insignia means you're not considered in proper military uniform. There are governments that would shoot you over that, the Turians included."

"Given how many Spectres the Turians have fielded? That's rich." Robert shook his head. "Anyway, we'd better get going. Atama will be coming along shortly so we can see what evidence you're showing us."

"I'll see you in the Council Chamber."

Shepard departed at that point, leaving Julia and Robert alone. She flashed a bemused grin his way. "I didn't say it," she reminded him.

"No, you didn't. An amazing show of self-control indeed for the captain of a starship," Robert guffawed.

"Well, Sir Robert, if that's how you're going to be…" Julia winked at him and walked on toward the Embassy lobby area.

Robert couldn't help but chuckle as he followed her. "Good to know being a captain hasn't entirely removed your sense of humor," he called out while following. 

* * *

For the first time in nearly twenty months, Robert stepped off of the lift of the Citadel Tower and walked onto the level containing the Citadel Council's audience chamber and adjoining facilities, this time with Julia beside him. Ambassador Atama stepped ahead of both to take the lead as they walked their way through the chamber. They passed a male Turian in C-Sec garb at one point, a Systems Alliance admiral at another. A Keeper moved ahead and then around them just before they reached the stairs leading up to the audience platform. Anderson was already motioning to Shepard to follow him.

Atama beckoned the others to join him and followed as well. Udina was already speaking with the three members of the Citadel Council: Valern of the Salarians, Sparatus of the Turians, and Tevos of the Asari. Additionally a hologram was depicting another Turian, toned amber by the projectors.

As the Alliance group approached Udina, the Turian Councillor, Sparatus, directed his attention to them. "And what is the purpose of the Allied Systems in this matter?"

"Adrana has been attacked by Geth, the same as Eden Prime," Atama replied. "The Alliance Government requests to observe whatever evidence has been given by the Systems Alliance on the matter."

" _Then your time has been wasted, Ambassador_ ," said the holographic figure. Robert and Julia recognized him: Saren Arterius, the Spectre that escorted Matriarch Benezia to the failed talks with the Batarians. " _Just as our time has been wasted by this baseless accusation by Captain Anderson._ "

"We have an eyewitness, Saren!" Anderson retorted.

" _What you have is a single dockworker terrified out of his mind._ " Saren raised a hand. " _But it gives you an excuse to deflect responsibility for the destruction of the beacon and the death of Nihlus Kryik, a personal friend and colleague of mine. It must sting, Anderson, to know that yet again you Humans have proven incapable of assuming the power you hunger for. I'm not surprised you're blaming your failures on me again._ "

"You arrogant…" Anderson clearly fought for control. Robert sensed old anger and shame, something that had clearly eaten away at the man for years now, decades. His frustration with Saren was palpable.

Saren turned to face the Council. " _This is clearly an attempt by the Systems Alliance to excuse Shepard's failure. She has proven incapable as a Spectre candidate, just as I warned._ "

"I object!" raged Udina. "Saren does not have the authority to…"

At that point Robert lost track of the argument. His eyes were entirely on Saren now. He'd met the Turian once before and found him unsettling. But seeing him again, seeing him in this place that his visions kept bringing him back to… Saren's face.

The visions flashed again. The CItadel Council chamber on fire. Wrecked Geth, dead bodies… and the cyborged Turian. "This is the only way for us to survive," the Turian insisted. "We have to serve."

Robert's mouth went dry. The face… even with the unnatural glow of the blue eyes, the cybernetics grafted onto the skin… it was the same face.

Saren was the Turian from his dreams, his visions.

Robert's attention was jolted back to the meeting once Saren disappeared. "As the matter stands, there is insufficient evidence to your charge again Saren," Tevos was saying.

"Particularly when you consider his long career of protecting Council space from threats," Sparatus added. "I find the accusation being made to be contemptible. A poor attempt to salvage Shepard's status as a candidate for the Spectres."

Valern spoke next. "We will begin our own investigation into this sudden emergence of the Geth, and to their attacks on your colonies. Given the potential threat, we hope the Allied Systems will provide us with data on the attack on Adrana, it may give us more insight into Geth intentions."

"The Alliance is ready to cooperate on the matter," Atama informed them. "After all, our purpose in this galaxy is to assist the Council in maintaining law and order."

"And we are thankful for that," Tevos assured him. "Ambassadors, have a pleasant day."

* * *

The moment they were clear of the audience platform, Udina turned to Anderson. "It was a mistake having you present, Captain. Your history with Saren undermines your credibility and taints the evidence."

"That much was clear," said Atama. "Although their outright dismissal of your witness seems immature."

"Saren's one of their best," Udina said. "Of course the Council won't turn on them. Sparatus even agrees with most of his anti-Human attitudes."

"Either way, Saren is a threat to the entire Human race," Anderson insisted. "There's no telling how much damage he'll do with the Geth."

"Maybe there are sources here on the Citadel we can use," Shepard said. "I overheard a C-Sec officer complaining about Saren on the way in."

"If you can find evidence against him, Commander, I will present it to the Council." Udina frowned at Anderson. "But Anderson can't be anywhere near it."

"In the meantime, Ambassador, I would like to discuss a mutual response to the Geth threat," said Atama.

"Of course. This way, Ambassador…"

The two diplomats walked away, leaving the four officers behind. They were quickly joined by two more Systems Alliance personnel, wearing combat armor like Shepard's. "Captains, these are the other members of the team that fought the Geth on New Eden," said Anderson. "Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko and Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Williams."

"Lieutenant. Sergeant, a pleasure." Julia took the lead in greeting them, shaking hands with them in order of rank. Kaidan had a light complexion, partly from space life, with close-cut dark hair and brown eyes. In contrast Ashley's Caucasian complexion had the slight tanning of someone frequently in sunlight, and her eyes were even darker than Kaidan's.

"Captain Andreys. Captain Dale." Alenko's hello was warm and friendly. He spoke English with an accent Robert thought of as Canadian.

"Ma'am, sir." Ashley accepted the handshake. "I take it the Council is letting Saren get away with it?"

"They require more proof, and that's exactly what you're going to get," Anderson said. "But it's best if I'm not around for the investigation."

Shepard noted the frown on her superior's face. "Just what happened between you and Saren?"

"Over twenty years ago, I was Humanity's first candidate for admission to the Spectres," Anderson admitted. "I was assigned to Saren to be evaluated. We ended up on an operation where Saren deliberately went off-mission and caused the deaths of innocent civilians. But he blamed me, insisting that I caused the mission to go bad. The Council believed him." A hard look came to Anderson's face. "That's why I know how much a threat the man is. Saren will do anything to complete his goals. _Anything_. No matter the bloodshed. Even among the Spectres he's the most ruthless."

Hearing Anderson describe Saren reminded Robert of what President Morgan had said about the Paladins. How they had to not simply protect the Alliance, but to do so without violating what it believed in. Saren seemed the prime candidate for showing why Morgan thought the distinction had to be hammered home.

But more importantly, his visions convinced him Anderson was right.

"I'm going to begin my own investigation," he said.

"Did you get orders?" asked Julia.

"No. But I don't need them. As a Paladin I'm authorized to act independently if the Alliance's security and safety is at stake. And… with Saren, I'm convinced it is."

"What makes you say that?" Alenko asked.

"I have my reasons."

"Those powers you started to use on Gamma Piratus?' Shepard inquired.

"Yes." Robert nodded. "Since my coma, my abilities have intensified." Seeing the confusion in Shepard's comrades, he added, "I've been trained by someone who served in the Gersallian Order of Swenya."

"I've heard weird stuff about them," Ashley said. "Wasn't sure it was true though."

"It is," said Shepard. "I've fought beside one of their Knights before. They're the real deal. But that's for later. I want to go track that C-Sec officer down."

"I'll see if there are any other avenues to take," Robert remarked. "If I can't find anything, I'll be in contact."

"Same here." Shepard extended a hand to him. "Good luck, Captain Dale."

"Good luck, Commander Shepard," he answered back.

The four personnel from the _Normandy_ went on to the lift, leaving Robert and Julia. "Just how are you going to investigate a black ops legend like Saren?" Julia asked. Memories of the time they'd had Saren aboard the _Aurora_ entered her mind. "Thinking back, we were so busy watching the Batarians that Saren could have been the one to plant that Geth device without being noticed. I would have brought it up if I thought it would do any good."

"Right. The Citadel Council's not going to turn on their best operative unless we have concrete proof against him. Something really incriminating." Robert lowered his head in thought.

"Maybe Intelligence has something on Saren?" Julia asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. If Jarod's not busy, ask him if he can find anything in the database." Robert's thoughts gave way to his feelings, specifically the Flow of Life and the energy linking them. He knew there was more to it, that it was itself alive in some ways… and now he knew that in this galaxy, it was somehow tainted, or wounded, by mass death. He could sense it here, just a little whisper…

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" asked Julia.

Robert didn't answer right away. He felt the energy around him and the pull within it. Realization came to him; he knew where he had to go. "I'm going to meet someone who might know who I should talk to," he said. "Ask Lucy if she can be ready to meet me when I call."

"You haven't talked to her yet, have you? About a reassignment?"

"No. I will, but for now this is an ad hoc assignment. Just in case Shepard's C-Sec contact doesn't pan out, I'd like options." Robert checked his omnitool. "I'll stay in touch."

"You'd better," Julia said. "You just got back."

"I know." He accepted a brief hug from her. "I'll be careful."

"Good." Julia ended the hug and tapped her omnitool. "Andreys to _Aurora_ , one to beam up." After a few seconds she flashed away.

Once she was gone, Robert walked on toward the destination he had in mind. 

* * *

Cat couldn't help herself. Seeing Tra'dur's wide-eyed, boggled expression at the Presidium made her giggle. "Incredible, isn't it?" she asked.

"Beyond words," Tra'dur insisted. "This is a true marvel of the Multiverse. We have missed so much in our forced exile…"

They walked along a footbridge linking the two sides of the Presidium, taking them over the waterway that spanned the section. With just point three Gs of gravity moving along was easy, but they were too busy enjoying the sights to hurry through them.

"Seven million beings live on the station," Caterina continued. "Mostly in the wards. I only visited the Presidium last time though."

"You lacked the time to do otherwise?" Tra'dur asked.

"Yeah. And I was shyer back then. I mean, I'm still a little shy, but not as bad…"

"You've come a long way, my sweet Cat," said Violeta with a smile tinged with sadness. She reached out and took Cat's hand, pulling her close enough to cuddle a little. Caterina accepted it without protest, simply a little sigh knowing she wouldn't be enjoying this for long.

They might have walked together in this fashion if not for a growl of "Can't you Humans show any public decency?!" A Turian approached. "I should report you to C-Sec!"

"For what?!" demanded Violeta.

"Like you have to ask," he retorted. "You Humans always behave like everything in the galaxy belongs to you. No respect for others." Without offering more remarks, he continued on, nodding politely to Tra'dur.

"What a jerk," Cat muttered.

Continuing on, they found that most people were looking toward them if just to look at Tra'dur. Finally the Dilgar woman asked, "It is odd, but I get the feeling they value my presence more than yours."

"Humans aren't always liked in this universe," Violeta explained. "Humanity fought a war with the Turians at the establishment of contact."

"More like the Turians attacked a Human colony because Humanity re-activated a mass relay that Council law said shouldn't have been turned on. Or something." Cat shrugged. "I mean, I think the local Humans are being a bit pushy too or something, so it makes the other species jealous of Humans getting so much prominence so quickly."

"Having the Alliance around doesn't help. Since we have a Human plurality in population, I mean."

"Yeah. But I can understand that." Cat shrugged. "I mean, Humanity being the most common species in the Multiverse is weird and a little unsettling for most species. The Citadel species are probably worried that we're going to take over or something… and ooh, here's the Krogan Memorial." She looked up at the statue of a Krogan. "They built it to thank the Krogan for destroying the Rachni."

"This was the conflict that the Krogan were uplifted to fight, correct?" Tra'dur inquired.

"From what I read, yes."

After answering Tra'dur, Cat turned her head and saw Violeta walking over to the railing overlooking the lake. Once glance toward Tra'dur was enough to signal to the Dilgar that they wanted a moment. While Tra'dur stayed back, Cat walked over to join Violeta. "So, this is probably our last shore leave together," Cat said.

"It's been almost a year," Violeta murmured quietly. "I mean, for me anyway."

Cat nodded. Her time with the Doctor had thrown her calendar out of sync with the others, so to speak, and things like anniversaries were something she had to re-adjust to keep them straight. She put the numbers together in her head. "Two days," she said. "Two days until our first anniversary. Well, if you consider Paris as the start…"

Violeta smiled sadly at that. "The first time we made love. I think that works as an anniversary."

Cat blushed slightly. She set her hands on the rail in front of them. "It was a magical night."

"Yes." Violeta took Cat's hand with her own. Tears were forming in her purple eyes. "Cat… oh Cat, I'm sorry."

Caterina turned her head slightly. The tears in Violeta's eyes were a surprise. "You don't have anything to be sorry for," she insisted. "I mean… I think we both knew this wasn't going to last forever?" Despite her intent, Cat could not put conviction in her words. "It hurts. I just… I guess this is life?" She put her other hand on Violeta's shoulder. "I mean, I'm not the first girlfriend you'll have to leave, right?"

"The others made it easy," Violeta said. "We weren't compatible in the end. And… and maybe you and I wouldn't have lasted either, but this isn't the same thing."

"You'd have to give up the career you want if you stayed on the _Aurora_."

"Yeah." Violeta sniffled and smiled bitterly. "I… I want to rise in the ranks. I want to prove I can do this, the same as you do. Oh God, I can say that even now. When it would be so _easy_ to just…" She drew in a sigh. "In the end I'd probably be moved on anyway, you know. Even if I say no now, they'll eventually want to bring in someone who shows promise while finding another ship that could use me, even if I don't have promotions. Or if I'm not needed."

"I know some Human militaries act like that, but the Alliance isn't just Humans. I'm sure you could…" Cat stopped herself and shook her head. The little flicker of hope she'd felt went away. "I'm sorry. You're not going to."

"No." Violeta shook her head. "I've… this is my chance, really. And I thought long and hard about it…"

"Yeah." Cat sighed. "If we could make it work anyway…"

"Maybe we will? I don't know." Violeta shook her head. "But either way…" She let the sentence hang unanswered. Cat, for her part, did the same. They kept looking out at the water together.

Nearby, just out of easy earshot, Tra'dur turned away from them. She knew what they would be discussing and felt somewhat awkward to even be nearby.

Her eyes focused on one of the insectoid Keepers that maintained the Citadel. She watched the creature shuffle by wordlessly. A Salarian coming from the opposite direction distinctly ran his active omnitool over the Keeper, which seemed to ignore the movement. Tra'dur was somewhat new to the devices herself, but she was pretty sure the Salarian had just done something and stepped to the side to intercept him. "Excuse me," she said. "What were you just doing?"

"What? Oh, nothing," the Salarian insisted. "Just moving on, doing my business."

"It looked like you were trying to scan one of those things," said Tra'dur. "Isn't that illegal?"

"As long as we don't interfere with them, it isn't," the Salarian replied. "I'm just getting some harmless scans. Say, you're one of the species in the Alliance, right? The Multiversal Allied Systems?"

"I am a Dilgar, and we are potential members, yes," said Tra'dur. "Why do you ask?"

"My name's Chorban. And I could use your help on my research project."

"I am Lieutenant Tra'dur of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ ," she answered. "And… I am listening." 

* * *

Robert walked with purpose across the bridge spanning the width of the Presidium. Whatever route Shepard was taking for her investigation, he could sense the best place to start his own.

Twenty months before, during the _Aurora_ 's first visit to the Citadel, Caterina had passed on to him a crucial message from one of the most respected figures on the station: an Asari named Sha'ira, known as "the Consort". Looking back at his encounter with her, he now understood just where she got her ability to win the confidence of so many people; she, too, had a connection to the Flow of Life, to the force within it, that guided her. Before it led her to give him an object that turned out to be a Darglan command disc, one that allowed him to ensure the destruction of the Facility on Gamma Piratus before Nazi forces could claim it. He hoped that she might be able to help again.

He arrived at the entrance to the Consort's offices. An Asari maiden was at the entrance, wearing the almost-risque banded suits that showed skin while providing sufficient cover for all of those bits that society expected to keep covered. "Nelyna, right?" he asked.

"Yes." She looked him over. "I'm afraid I… oh, wait, I do remember you. You are Captain Robert Dale of the _Aurora_."

"I was," he answered. "And I still have that rank, though I have no ship now."

"Well, if you wish to talk to the Consort about it, I might be able to squeeze you into her schedule in a week or so…" Nelyna looked over the listing. "You look like you have had quite the change to your life, sir."

"You could say that," he said. Given the grown out facial hair and the neck-length hair he continued to sport, Robert wasn't surprised at the observation. "But I have other matters I think the Consort can help me with, and I really need to see her without delay."

"I understand that, Captain, I really do," said Nelyna, who was rather obviously reading from a script in her head for such insistence. "But many have need for the Consort's time, and she must be fair…"

From within the structure Robert could feel a shift of energy. He knew it was Sha'ira, and he was just as certain Sha'ira felt him. It was no surprise when her voice called out from within. "Let Captain Dale in, Nelyna. His cause is urgent."

"Right away ma'am." Nelyna nodded to him. "The Consort awaits you, Captain."

"Thank you," he answered politely. "I'm sorry if my request causes you any trouble."

Nelyna smiled gently at him. "It is no trouble, but I thank you for the consideration."

Robert walked on. Inside the Consort's subordinates, young Human and Asari in similar suits to Nelyna's, were comforting various clientele of all species. One Human woman, with a rich mocha complexion, was quietly reassuring a Hanar who was suffering a crisis of faith. A lavender-colored Asari was tending to another Asari of blue coloring who was grieving for a Human wife who just died. Robert couldn't help but know their problems, for here there were no barriers to prevent his senses from picking up on the raw emotions.

Past these sights was the room where Sha'ira received her guests. She was standing, waiting for him to enter, and beckoned him to a seat. "It has been quite a while, Captain," she observed. "I see you have changed in the last twenty of your months."

"A lot has changed," Robert answered. "Including me, yes."

"Before, the power I sensed within you slumbered still. Now it is beyond anything it might have been before." Sha'ira put her hands together. "But I sense there is pain in the story of how it came to be for you. There is a loss in your heart." Once he was seated Sha'ira touched his arm gently. "I am sorry about your child."

Robert forced a breath down. For months he had adjusted to the non-existence of the son he'd had in the Flow of Life's dreamworld. "You're very astute," he observed.

"And you grow moreso as well," Sha'ira answered. "But I sense your purpose is not to seek my help with your loss. You are here because of the attacks."

"A Turian named Saren Arterius is behind them," Robert insisted. "I've seen it. Through my abilities, the visions of possibilities I get from them. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

The Consort nodded. "Yes. As I once told you, Captain, I too am a dreamer, and I sometimes dream of terrible things."

"I can understand why." He frowned. "I feel… an old sense of death here. Not just here on the Citadel, but in this entire galaxy. And you feel it as well?"

"I do."

"I think Saren is connected to something bigger," Robert said. "Udina and Anderson see this as an anti-Human campaign. But the attack on Adrana… it didn't accomplish anything that would help with something like that. There's another agenda here."

"I am familiar with Saren Arterius," the Consort said. "He is a ruthless man. Be cautious with him."

"I intend to be. But I need evidence against him."

Sha'ira nodded. "I may be of some help there." She quietly tapped at an omnitool. "While I wait for a reply, I would like to discuss your plight."

"My plight?"

"Yes. I can sense the unease in you. The power you wield… it is almost too much for you."

Robert didn't react at first. Finally he nodded. "I struggle with it. Especially with fine control. Too much is riding on me to do otherwise."

"That is true. But you are still disappointed in yourself, even though you should not be. Have you not aided your friend?"

"A little, I guess."

"More than a little, I think. And now you have come back to your vessel, though you no longer command it."

"It's Julia's ship now," Robert said. "And… I don't want to make her feel like I'm trying to take it back."

"I see." Sha'ira reached over and took his hand. "You love her very much."

To that Robert nodded. "I always have."

"And you do not want to hurt her. But you also want to be home." Sha'ira shook her head. "These things are not in conflict, though you feel they are."

"I commanded the ship before, and I'm still officially a Captain," Robert said. "Two Captains on a ship, it's… it can be confusing. I don't want people to start looking to me when they should still be looking to her."

"Yes."

"I didn't think about that when I made the choice," he continued. "I just wanted to be back where I belonged. With the others. For years, we've had each others' backs. We've been looking out for each other. I wanted to go back to that."

"And you wished to be with those you love," Sha'ira pointed out. "Even now, Captain Dale, I can feel the loss inside of you. Those whom you have loved who no longer live. That pain could overwhelm if you did not have the others."

There was no denying the truth in that. "Yep," he admitted.

"I do not say this to cause you pain. Merely to show you that you have reason for the choice you made. And I believe you were right to return to your ship, whatever issues that return may have caused." Sha'ira checked something on her omnitool. "Indeed, I believe remaining with your loved ones may be the most important choice you may ever make."

"Does your sense of what is to come tell you that?" Robert asked. "I mean, the visions you have with your gift?"

"Somewhat, yes. But I would believe so anyway." Sha'ira smiled gently at him. "I have learned many lessons in my time, Captain. And one of them is that we are always made stronger by remaining true to those whom we love and cherish." She seemed to check her omnitool again. "As for your other concern, I have contacted an associate who has confirmed a possible avenue for your investigation into these attackers."

Pleased to have the business at hand brought back into the conversation, Robert nodded once. "Thank you for your help. What can you tell me?"

"I can tell you very little," Sha'ira replied. "But Barla Von will be of much greater assistance. You will find him in his office in the Financial District further down the Presidium. I will relay the exact coordinates."

"Barla Von?"

"He is a volus trader working for the Shadow Broker. He is thus quite dangerous, but also quite reasonable." Sha'ira stood, prompting Robert to do the same. "He should be able to help you, Captain. And he is expecting you."

"I see." Robert considered that. He felt a vague sense of imminent danger already and resolved to make a stop first. "I'll go see him after changing into something a little more appropriate for the situation, then."

"Please do," Sha'ira said. "I look forward to your next visit."

"I do too," he answered, with some genuine belief behind the politeness of returning such a pleasant sentiment. "Take care, ma'am." Robert activated his omnitool. "Dale to _Aurora,_ one to beam up."

The transporter whisked him away a moment later.


	44. Episode 3-08-3 A Distant Thunder

Lucy was already preparing to go to the Citadel when she got the call to armor up and meet Robert in Transporter Station 2. A Human man was on duty when she arrived, in blue robe and purple armor with her lightsaber affixed to the belt.

Robert entered several moments later. He was clad in a similar set of armor, but colored blue, and the brown robes were not a usual color among the Gersallians. A pulse pistol was holstered on his hip. Lucy imagined he might have a backup holstered at the small of his back as well. "It's a set of traveling robes _Mastrash_ Ledosh gave to me before I left Gersal," he said to her. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything."

"I was going to check up on a Quarian sanctuary Meridina and I visited the last time we were here," Lucy admitted.

"I wouldn't have called you if I didn't need the backup. But there's no telling the danger we could run into, even on the Citadel," Robert remarked. "Saren's been an active Spectre for decades. If he realizes we're hunting for dirt on him, he might have agents that could attack us."

"Right." Lucy sighed. "Well, at least it's not security duty. I'm still waiting to see if Richmond convinces Julia to transfer me." Immediately she sensed Robert's thoughts shift. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I will, when we have time. For now, let's go meet this Barla Von." 

* * *

They beamed as close to the Financial District as possible, given the Citadel's new transporter-inhibitor fields. Barla Von wasn't hard to locate. Officially he worked as a data manager for a Volus-chartered bank on the Citadel, providing the necessary information on galactic conditions for the bankers and managers to make decisions on bank business.

Unofficially, according to both Sha'ira and a report from Alliance Intelligence, Barla Von worked for the Shadow Broker.

Nobody knew who or what the Shadow Broker was, or if they did, they said nothing about it. Generally speaking the Broker was referred to in the masculine, reportedly because the Broker addressed others with what most species considered a male voice, electronically altered to be unrecognizable. From wherever the Broker lived, the Broker managed an intelligence network that spanned the entire M4P2 galaxy and, perhaps, beyond it now. Alliance Intelligence warned against dealings with the Broker without authorization from the Defense Staff.

Of course, as a Paladin, such authorization came pre-approved for Robert.

Barla Von looked up from his desk the moment Robert and Lucy entered. "Ah. Captain Dale, Lieutenant Lucero." Von sucked in air after each sentence, an audible sound. "I have been expecting you."

Lucy gave him a look. "I'm assuming Sha'ira called ahead?" Robert asked.

"She did, as a courtesy," confirmed the Volus. "But it merely confirmed what I already expected. You are here to investigate Saren Arterius' connection to the Geth, and the attacks upon Adrana and Eden Prime."

"Did she share that with you too?"

"No. I am already aware of the accusation. The Broker has been keeping an eye on Saren for some time." Barla Von put his hands together. "He is aware that Saren is no longer working for the Citadel Council."

"I'm guessing he doesn't care to inform the Citadel, then?"

"The Broker is not loyal to the Citadel Council, obviously, and they would not heed him anyway. All he would accomplish was jeopardizing his contacts within Saren's organization." Barla Von gestured toward Robert. "But that is for another time. You may be running short of such time if you want to prove Saren's guilt." Yet again Barla Von stopped to suck in air.

"What do you know?" asked Robert. "And how much will this cost me?"

"I know something you need, and it will cost you nothing," said Von. "Saren's actions are against the interests of the Broker. I have been instructed to assist in discrediting Saren in the eyes of the Council. Sending one of the Alliance's new Paladin agents to deal with this problem will meet the Broker's desires quite nicely."

Robert crossed his arms. "Given his reputation, I'm surprised he wouldn't want to insist on a _quid pro quo_ , especially given the amount of information a Paladin can access."

Barla Von waved his hand dismissively. "The Shadow Broker has enough agents in the Alliance, there is no information you would give us that we don't know already."

Robert felt Lucy's incredulity at the claim, a mirror of his own. But there was nothing but certainty in Barla Von on the matter. "I'm in no hurry to sell Alliance secrets, even in exchange for information I need on this, so I'll take your word for it."

"Understandable. You would not want to give Admiral Davies and Minister Hawthorne further cause to push for your removal. They have already insisted President Morgan revoke your membership in the Paladins as it is."

Again there was that damnable certainty. Robert felt a prick of cold nervousness on his spine. While there was to be transparency and oversight of the Paladins at the high levels of government, much about their organization remained classified. How would the Broker know for certain about such debates?

 _Because if he knows anything about how those men feel about me, about people with mental powers and metaphysical abilities, it would be obvious_ , argued a part of his mind. _Stop being paranoid_. And yet… yet…

"Either way, the Broker does not seek compensation from you, Captain," Barla Von continued.

"Oh?" Lucy spoke up. "He's going to help out of the kindness of his heart? Or hearts?"

"Hardly. Rather, he has an interest in this matter. Treachery that must be punished. Saren has bought away one of our people. A man named Fist, currently the owner of a club in the Wards. Chora's Den."

"I think it was listed on the 'enter on your own risk' list of the businesses," Robert observed.

"Yes. Fist's clientele can be dangerous, as he can be as well. Especially now that he has betrayed the Broker. And he knows the Broker is aware of his treachery. Be careful, he will be heavily guarded."

"And we'll find evidence linking him to Saren and Saren to the Geth?"

"No. Fist won't have that," said Barla Von. "But he knows someone who can connect Saren to the attacks. A Quarian approached him with the evidence, believing him to still be in the Broker's employ. Undoubtedly he will betray this Quarian to Saren's agents without your intervention. Regardless of your gifts, getting to Fist won't be easy. However, I know of a way for you to get assistance."

"Oh?" Robert asked.

"The Broker has already hired a bounty hunter to deal with Fist for his treachery. C-Sec is holding him currently, but I have already ensured he will not be arrested. If you go now, you should arrive at the C-Sec station closest to Chora's Den as the bounty hunter is being released. I recommend you work together to get Fist."

"I'm not going to assassinate someone," Robert answered. "And I'm not going to willingly enable it either."

"I leave that for you to settle with our man," Barla Von replied. "I, for one, care little whether Fist actually dies or is simply ruined. Either outcome will serve as the object lesson desired by my employer. Now, Captain, I suggest you hurry. Whatever else you may feel about the Broker, Saren is our common enemy, and he must be stopped."

"I'll agree with you on that," Robert replied. He nodded. "Thank you for your help."

"Of course." Barla Von placed his hands together again, as if in thought. He spoke again as Robert turned away."And should you ever need information, keep the Broker in mind. He will certainly be easier to repay than a man like Sidney Hank."

Lucy gave Robert a curious look. Robert frowned at the remark. "I'll keep that in mind, Mister Von," Robert answered coldly, after which he went straight for the door. 

* * *

The message came while Julia was filing her report on the evidence Captain Anderson presented to the Council on Saren. Meridina arrived a few minutes later, stepping out of the bridge and into Julia's bridge office. "Captain, you wanted to see me?"

"I've received an invitation for both of us that I'm inclined to accept," Julia explained. "But I figured I would get your input before I signaled our acceptance."

"I see." Meridina nodded. "This invitation is?" she then asked in her usual lilting accent.

"It's from Matriarch Lidanya, the commanding officer of the _Destiny Ascension_ ," Julia explained. "We're being invited for a tour later today."

"Ah? Quite the honor, I imagine."

"Given we're talking about the Asari flagship, one of the Multiverse's most advanced and powerful dreadnoughts?" Julia grinned. "That's what I figured too."

"I will be pleased to join you," Meridina said. "I look forward to comparing the _Destiny Ascension_ to the _Kentan_."

Julia nodded. She'd been aboard the _Kentan_ a couple of times herself; the dreadnought-carrier was the largest ship in the Alliance, the flagship of the Gersallian Interdependency and Admiral Maran's usual choice for his personal flagship. Even before its refit with Darglan technology, it was one of the most advanced starships in the entire Multiverse and a direct competitor with the _Destiny Ascension_.

Julia mentally brushed those musings aside and typed a quick response to Lidanya's invitation, signaling her grateful acceptance. Moments later she received a confirmation, including an authorization code for the shuttle flight and a recommended time. Julia quickly signaled an affirmative. "Jarod or Neyzi can watch the bridge while we're done. Not that I expect any problems here. Between us, the _Ascension_ , and the Turian squadrons covering the Citadel, even the Geth would have to think twice about attacking."

"And that discounts the ability of the various Citadel species to rapidly shift reinforcements through the mass relay network." Meridina frowned slightly. "Although given their fleet commitments to S4W8 and to other security needs in this galaxy, the ability of the Council species to react immediately to attack has been reduced."

"Good point." Julia crossed her arms in her seat. "My big worry isn't an attack on the Citadel. Or even the war. It's what's coming after we beat the Nazis."

"You are concerned about our post-war standing with the Citadel?"

"I'm sure I'm not the only one," Julia said. "It was clear early on that they don't quite know what to do with us. We're as much a threat as we are an ally, and we're way too large and powerful to simply be folded into the Council. Given how long they've effectively ruled the Milky Way, they can't like that."

"I suspect not," Meridina agreed. "And there will be the question of territorial disagreements in the former Reich worlds. The Turian wish to annex worlds they take is one that will be opposed by other parts of the Coalition."

"It's a shame to think that we could end up with tensions," Julia said. "We've worked together well since they got into the war. Maybe it was an alliance of convenience, but even then, we have too much to loose by falling into conflict."

"Hopefully our superiors and the Council will agree with you." Meridina slipped into a seat. "If I may bring up a delicate topic…?"

"Go ahead."

"When Robert returned to us at New Liberty, everyone seemed quite pleased, you included. But it is clear that there is some… discomfort on his presence."

A small, sad sigh was Julia's initial response. "I suppose you could say that, yes." Julia glanced over to one of her photos, showing her and Robert at the county fair when they were preteens. "It's awkward for him. I mean, for two years he was the captain of the ship, and I was his second-in-command. Now I'm in charge and he's… well, two years of habit can be hard to break. I think he's torn between contributing and feeling like he's undermining me if he takes the lead."

"I can understand the concern," Meridina said. She smiled slightly. "You have also evinced a certain… _inclination_ to behaving as you did while you were First Officer, even though those responsibilities are mine."

"That's just Tom being frustrated that I'm still 'mother hen'ing him and the others," Julia said in a droll tone. "I can't help that part, I suppose."

"Just as Robert cannot help his inclination to want to lead," Meridina noted.

"Even though he's not as comfortable as a leader," Julia said.

"Not in the same fashion you are, yes," Meridina agreed. "But there is more than one type of leadership. You are more comfortable with the kind expected of a starship captain. Robert is better suited for a less formal organization."

"You mean these Paladins."

"Yes. They are more… flexible, it seems. They fit his approach the best."

"I probably teased him a little too much about the job title." Julia smiled thinly. "It does fit his 'White Knight' complex pretty well, doesn't it?"

"I admit, I am still somewhat uncertain about Human terms. I understand the term 'Knight' serves as the preferred translation for a _swevyra'se_ , for instance, but at the same time your own history files show that medieval knights were little more than armed feudal nobility who sustained their readiness for war through legal control of land and attached work forces. No _swevyra'se_ would ever conceive of such a thing."

"Historical reality and mythology, fairy tales, don't always add up," Julia noted. "Ask most people what they think a Knight is, and they'll think up King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, or a character from a fairy tale. Fairy tale knights, the good ones or 'white knights', are supposed to be brave champions of justice who fight to protect the innocent."

"Much as Swenya's Code requires," Meridina noted. "And an apt description for your purpose in the years before the Alliance."

"Yeah. And Paladins are… well, I think there were historical ones too, but it's also another term for what a white knight is." Julia chuckled. "I wonder if that's why President Morgan picked the name. I can't see him wanting to just emulate the Spectres, they've got too much freedom to do horrible things. But making people into 'Paladins' to encourage them to do good things and not just the necessary…"

"Such names and titles can have power, yes. Although when you speak of Robert having a 'complex'..."

"Rob has the most irritating compulsion to be the good guy that it makes me want to swat him on the head," Julia said. "When it doesn't make me love him to death."

"It is an admirable quality."

"Not when he's starving himself and not getting enough sleep because he wants to rescue more people," Julia said. "You weren't there for our early days operating the Facility. We had to scrub down his office because he started to personally _reek_."

Meridina gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"He wasn't being hygienic," Julia clarified. "As in he wasn't bathing or showering. He wasn't eating. He wasn't sleeping. He was in full 'good guy complex' mode and all he cared about was finding more people to help. I had to force him to take time off in the end. And that was only after the _Kelley_ had to be put into the dock for three days of necessary maintenance work." She chuckled. "He got better over time, at least."

"I see." Meridina recognized what Julia meant, and how it could have been frustrating to her. She recalled the training in her Order including insistence on self-care and the realization that no _swevyra'se_ could "save everything".

"Either way, I'd better verify my report got filed." Julia put her hands back on her desk and activated her control. "I'll see you in the main shuttle bay in forty-five minutes?"

"Agreed. I shall reserve our shuttle now. Permission to be dismissed, Captain?"

"Permission granted," replied Julia. 

* * *

A trip back to the Embassy led Robert and Lucy to the lift to the C-Sec offices. They stepped into the lift and Robert activated it with a press of his hand to the plate. As the lift began moving through the tube, an automated system began playing a newscaster reporting on the Geth attacks.

"You have something on your mind other than this case," Lucy said to him. "And it involves me. You might as well talk to me, Rob."

"Alright. I suppose this lift ride will be long enough." Robert looked to her. "I hear you're being considered for transfer to security."

"Richmond wants it. I don't." Lucy shook her head. "I don't mind working with her, but the job doesn't interest me. I think it's too limiting."

"But you're not satisfied with operations anymore, either?"

"I can't say I ever was, but it fit my skills the best so I just went with it. But now…" Lucy shrugged. "Well, I suppose it still fits the best. But what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that I want to offer you a place under my command," Robert replied.

Lucy gave him a look. "What?"

"The Paladins are allowed to bring in a few people to be in their command," Robert explained. "And as potential recruits for being Paladins in their own right."

"And you want me?"

"It would probably fit you better than what you've got now," Robert pointed out. "I mean, your piloting and engineering expertise will come in handy when they finish building our new personal craft. And your personal combat skills are better than mine, especially if we run into enemies with life force powers and the weapons to compliment them."

"I don't want to become a secret agent, Robert," Lucy said, and in a harsh tone. "That's not what we're supposed to be. We're supposed to be open with what we are, we're supposed to inspire people to be better. What you're talking about is the kind of crap that Saren and his ilk do."

"I know, and I agree," Robert replied. "But we're not… we're not supposed to be Spectres, Lucy. President Morgan was clear on that. We need to stick to a moral code. And I think you'll help me do that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." He shook his head. "I'm not blind to the risks of this kind of work. It's easy to make terrible choices, do terrible things, and justify it as 'necessary'. Maybe some of the other Paladins will fall into that trap. I don't want to be one of them, though. Why else do you think I came back to the _Aurora_ when I had to pick my base of operations?" He focused his eyes, and his thoughts, on her, allowing her to easily sense what he was feeling.

Lucy responded by crossing her arms and looking thoughtful. "I'll have to think about it," she said. "Later."

"Fair enough."

By this time the lift's transparent window was displaying the sight of the center of a C-Sec facility. Another lift linked to the various docks for visiting starships. Figures in C-Sec blue were everywhere, moving to and fro while they were on business.

Near the entrance to the officers area, three C-Sec guards were facing a Krogan in red armor. "I don't want to hear about you coming near Fist again," the lead C-Sec man stated to the Krogan. "Or you go right back into a cell, and I don't care how many friends you have calling, you won't be coming out for a good long while."

"Here's our guy," Robert murmured while the Krogan exchanged barbs with the departing officers. "I'm not sure I like the thought of working with him. Not if he's going to assassinate Fist." Robert approached and waited for the C-Sec members to move on. The moment the Krogan turned, his red eyes swept over them.

Robert expected many possible reactions, good and bad. He didn't expect the feeling of recollection from the Krogan, however. Nor did he from Lucy, who smiled wryly and said, "Hey there, Wrex. Getting into trouble again?"

A low cackle came from the Krogan. "Lucero. I didn't expect to see you again so soon." He looked at Robert. "Here with your boyfriend?"

Lucy laughed out loud at that. "He's not my type," she said, extending her hand. "Robert, this is Urdnot Wrex. Wrex, Captain Robert Dale, formerly Captain of the _Aurora_ , and now…"

"A special agent working for the Alliance," Robert finished for her. He offered a hand and half-expected to have it crushed, but Wrex kept his grip just shy of such pressure.

"Wrex was on Tira," Lucy explained. "He helped us stop the Brakiri and the others from committing genocide against the Dilgar."

"Thank you for helping my friends, Mister Urdnot," Robert said.

Wrex snorted. "None of that 'Mister Urdnot' crap. 'Battlemaster' if you have to be formal."

"Your choice, Battlemaster."

"Once you get to know him, Robert drops the formality," Lucy said. "So, you're after Fist too?"

"I am. What do you want with him?" asked Wrex.

"He can lead us to evidence about the real culprit behind the recent Geth attacks," Robert said. "But we need to know more about what's protecting him."

"More than a dozen armed mercenaries and thugs," said Wrex. "I could blast through them, but it takes time. He'll run before I get to him."

"Well, you'll have us to cut through to him," said Lucy. "He won't have time."

"But don't kill him," Robert said. "We need him to find the Quarian with the evidence we need."

"I'll let him live long enough to answer," said Wrex. "But I've got a job to do."

"I'm not in this to assassinate someone," Robert insisted. "This is something bigger than one crook betraying another."

Wrex rumbled with what sounded like a chuckle. "Be careful what you say about the Broker. He destroys people when they annoy him."

Robert crossed his arms.

"Let's just get to Fist first," Lucy said. "Alright?" Sensing Robert was still unhappy, she looked to Wrex and asked, "A moment?"

"Sure. But we'd better hurry, Fist may already be planning to run."

"Just a moment." Lucy took Robert by the arm and led him away. "You're being a hardass about this," she grumbled at him once they were out of earshot.

Robert gave her a bemused look. "This, from the woman who was griping at me about becoming no better than Saren? He's talking about killing Fist in cold blood, Lucy. And he's going to. I can sense it."

"Yeah, me too. But…"

"But what?" Robert frowned at her. "You can't tell me you're on board for something like that. Even if Fist is scum, just killing him…"

"I don't want to just kill him, Robert. But given our situation, working with Wrex may be our only way to make sure we get him," Lucy insisted. "And I'm willing to give Wrex a pass on this."

"Because of Tira?"

"Yeah." The bronze complexion of her face paled at the memory. "Tira. He… they were butchering _babies_ , Rob. You didn't see it. I… I _did_ , and so did he, and we both reacted the same way. He turned on the Brakiri to stop their mercs from killing more of those babies. He risked his life to help us save Tira. And maybe I'm not comfortable with him just killing Fist, but I guess I'm willing to give him a pass on it because of that. And we could use his help."

Robert hadn't seen Tira, true. But he could see the image in his head now, courtesy of Lucy's memories of that reconnaissance-turned-raid, and his face paled as well. "I'm sorry," he said to her. "We've all seen a lot of horrible things, but that…" He drew in a sigh. "Alright. Let him know he can go with us. I'm going to call Shepard and see what she's found."

Lucy nodded and walked back into C-Sec. Robert watched her round the corner and hoped he wouldn't regret it. There was something to say for Wrex's honesty, at least; he wasn't pretending he wouldn't kill Fist if given the chance.

 _Still… I am not going to become an assassin, or help it along. That's not what we're supposed to be doing. If I open that door even a little…_

Robert let the thought go and activated his omnitool. After several moments Shepard's face appeared on it. The image behind her included something like a biobed. " _Shepard here. Go ahead._ "

"Dale here. I've found that there's a Quarian on the Citadel somewhere with evidence against Saren. But they trusted the wrong person and are getting sold out to Saren."

" _I've heard the same. Some guy named Fist who runs Chora's Den. Officer Vakarian and I are going to go have a discussion with him. Interested?_ "

"Definitely, but from what I've found out, you'd better be ready for a fight. The Shadow Broker sent a bounty hunter after Fist for turning on him. So he's got at least a dozen guns protecting him."

" _Oh?_ "

"Yeah, and we've got the hunter on our side. A Krogan Battlemaster named Urdnot Wrex."

A small smile crossed Shepard's face. " _And he's going to be joining us too? It almost makes me feel sorry for Fist and his people. We'll meet you near the Den._ "

"We'll be there as quickly as we can," Robert said. "Dale out." He lowered his arm and turned his head, allowing him to see Lucy round the corner with Wrex. "Shepard and some friends will be waiting for us near the Den," he said. "Let's get going."

* * *

There was a guilty look on Cat's face when they stepped off of the lift that brought the three down to Tayseri Ward. A fun tour of the Citadel was now a work project, and one that could get them in trouble. But the chance to learn more about the Keepers was too much to pass up for Cat. As always, Violeta seemed to be taking it in stride, and they were still holding hands when they walked out into the concourse. The lifts from the Presidium came together here, with a C-Sec security station and some shops before one got to the streets and pathways of the Ward proper. Beyond the window ahead they could see the massive _Destiny Ascension_ loitering near the Citadel. Nearby the _Aurora_ was in her station-keeping position, angled so they saw her belly angled to port.

Swiftly their attention was elsewhere. A Keeper walked by quietly and Cat swiftly scanned it. The initial results were interesting. The Keepers had a low-level data stream connecting them to systems on the Citadel, and additionally seemed to be more like biological drones than independent creatures, complete with heavy cyberization. There was still more to analyze, however…

"Hey!"

Cat turned her head to face the voice calling out to her. An older Human man with graying, buzz-cut hair and blue eyes walked up. He was in the blue uniform of C-Sec. "Just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Cat almost asked what he meant, but she stopped. She followed his eyes and noted he was directing his gaze on Tra'dur, who's hand and omnitool were hovering over another Keeper walking by.

"Pardon, sir?" Tra'dur asked.

"That's against Citadel laws," he said. "You don't mess with the Keepers."

"Oh?" Tra'dur blinked. "I apologize, then. I was only scanning, I had no idea…"

The man sighed. "Didn't you read the visitors' booklet? It's listed near the top of the list of 'things you shouldn't do'."

"Wait." Tra'dur briefly glimpsed toward Cat and Violeta before returning her gaze to the C-Sec officer. "Those were _laws_?"

"What made you think they were anything but?"

"Well, the wording… perhaps it was a translation error, but I thought it was merely a list of things it was suggested not to do? I had no idea it was an item of law. I do apologize, Officer…"

"Bailey," the man replied. "Now, run that by me again."

"Well…"

Tra'dur had the C-Sec man's full attention, allowing Cat to slip beside him and approach the Keeper Tra'dur tried to scan. She glanced back toward Officer Bailey just to have her eyes run over Violeta. She nodded and put a finger over her (to Cat, very kissable) lips, signaling Cat to remain quiet and keep going. Cat followed the Keeper until it rounded a corner and approached a control console of some sort, which it used all four limbs to operate. Cat activated her omnitool and began scanning.

After several seconds Violeta got her attention by stroking Cat's neck and hair with her hand. Cat enjoyed the touch of Violeta's skin on her own, even something light like this, and glanced to see her shaking her head now. Cat immediately pulled her arm away from the Keeper. Her omnitool disappeared from sight.

Tra'dur stepped around the corner, joined by Bailey. "Do me and yourselves a favor," he said to them. "Help your friend go over the visitor booklet and make sure she recognizes what she's not supposed to do, alright?"

"Uh, yessir," Cat pledged. "We'll do that."

"Good. Don't want you ladies to get into trouble over these damn bugs. Some of the others will actually haul you in over this, just to make the point." And with his point made, Bailey stepped away.

Once he was out of earshot, Tra'dur asked, "Did you get the scan?"

"I did," Cat replied.

"We might want to stop," Violeta remarked. She gave Cat a concerned look. "I believe him when he says some of the others might arrest us."

"I shall do the scans, then," said Tra'dur. "It was I who made the deal with Chorban. I never realized how serious they took the matter… but there are only a few scans left and it would seem like a waste of time…"

"It would be," Cat agreed. She took Violeta's hand again and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you, Vee, for the help, and don't worry. Just a couple more scans and we're done, then… then we can go to lunch or something. Enjoy some of the local cooking. Maybe rent a skycar and fly it to a good view…"

"Very good ideas." Violeta grinned at her. "But you're paying. It's the least you can do given this."

"Oh, of course."

With the arrangement made, they continued on into Tayseri Ward.

* * *

The Citadel, being a metropolis in space, had more restaurants, bars, and eateries than a visitor could ever see. Tom Barnes, Leo, Locarno, and Angel opted for an open-air bistro in the Presidium, about a quarter of the ring down from the Embassy. Their meals, in various stages of completion, were arrayed around the table, as were the steins or glasses of drink they had. Angel took a small drink of what the bartender called Serrice Ice Brandy and decided she liked the taste. "I guess the Asari make good booze too," she said. "Not as good as the wine I had last time I was here."

"You mean when you and Rob tried to have a date here on the Citadel?" asked Barnes. "The one J-man interrupted?"

"I'd think that was a punching offense," Leo joked.

Angel shot him a playful glare. "He didn't seem to know, and I believed that. And it was important." She sighed. "Besides, we got to finish the meal at least."

"That's good to hear," said Locarno. He looked around. "I didn't get to see much of the Citadel last time."

"Oh?"

"Too much paperwork to do," said Locarno. "And I've been Earth Spacedock before, and a few other Starbases in the Federation. I didn't think the Citadel would be that special."

"But it is, right?" asked Barnes.

"It's certainly unique," Locarno agreed.

Leo watched Angel as she looked away from them. Her eyes gazed into the distance as she quietly took another drink. "Now that Robert's not the Captain, maybe the two of you…"

"No," she said.

The others looked at her. "Oh?" asked Barnes. "Because usually…"

"I know what I usually do. And I'm stopping it." Angel considered her glass. "Robert and I… we don't work."

"Given how often the two of you get back together…"

"That's why I know it won't work." Angel turned back to them and set the glass on the table. "Trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result… that's a definition for insanity."

"Agreed," said Leo.

"So I'm done. I mean, I'll still be friends with Rob. He's a good man, as annoying as his hero complex makes him at times." The others smiled and Barnes outright laughed. Angel grinned as well. "And I'll remember that it was fun at times. But I'm tired of replaying the past. So I'm going to do something new."

"I understand. And good luck with that. Finding a boyfriend willing to accept that you can beat him up can be hard," Leo joked.

Angel shot him another playful glare. "Keep it up, Leo. I can still punch you."

"But then who would treat your wounds the next time you lose to the Captain in the ring?" Leo asked drolly.

"You have subordinates," Angel retorted. "Besides, I win three out of five of those."

"Not by my count.."

"Either way…"

"Whatever your choice about romance, that's not what I'm worried about." Leo folded his hands on the table. "You've been restless lately, Angel."

"I know," she admitted. "It's just… with my decision on Robert made, and with Cat spreading her wings, a part of me wonders why I'm here…"

"I always thought it was because you enjoyed blowing crap up," Barnes remarked.

"A perk," Angel admitted. "Especially when it's Nazis. But…" She looked to her glass again. "I wonder if it's enough. When I was on my own a few months ago, while the _Aurora_ was in drydock, it was… it was interesting. I saw more of the Multiverse. And it needs people like us back out there, doing good. Not just staying on our fancy-pants starship surveying planets and playing nice with corrupt jerks and their lackeys."

"I'm not sure that works as well as this," Leo said. "Even if you had a ship like the scouts to use…"

"It's just a thought," Angel said dismissively. "And I already know you're going to bring up Hawk and his merry band of brain-damaged assholes."

"I didn't think it necessary."

"And it's off anyway," Barnes protested. "We were _never_ that bad."

"You could have ended up that way." Locarno shook his head. "They didn't have anyone to tell them not to overuse the brain infusers."

"It's not just the infusers, though," Barnes insisted. "Hawk and his people were already fraking assholes. Their Facility just makes them worse."

"You don't know that," said Angel. "It's possible they meant well."

"I'm sure they meant _real damn well_ when they bombed the crap out of Earth C1P2," Barnes guffawed. "Did you know there's still a crapload of wars going on there? Anna was telling us about it when she got back from her leave."

"Not a surprise." Leo looked at the miserable expression on Angel's face. "We're here for you, though. No matter what you decide."

"Yeah," Angel murmured. "I know."

* * *

Shepard and Kaidan were waiting when Robert approached with Lucy and Wrex. In their company was a Turian in a blue C-Sec field uniform. "Glad you made it," Shepard said. "We're going to need the help."

Robert nodded. He sensed the ready tension ahead. The door to Chora's Den wasn't far, up a walkway over one of the empty spaces in the Ward, and there were armed men there waiting. "A direct assault could get dicey."

"I'll get you to the door," Wrex said.

Robert nodded before noticing Shepard's team was short one. "Where's Sergeant Williams?"

"Back at a clinic watching a friend of Vakarian's." Shepard nodded at the Turian. "This is Garrus Vakarian of C-Sec. He's been investigating Saren."

"With little luck, I'm afraid," said Garrus. "I'm hoping to find a breakthrough in the case through Fist."

"We all are," said Robert. He reached into his robe and pulled out his pulse pistol. "Commander, Battlemaster, if you want to do the honors?"

"I'll go with them," Lucy said. "You three watch our backs."

The six went for the door, the first three with shotguns out - or lightsaber, in Lucy's case - while the latter three had pistols ready. Shepard held up a hand with all five digits extended out. She pulled in her thumb first as she counted down, clenching her hand into a fist as she did. Robert drew in a breath and focused on the energies around him. The familiar sense of imminent danger sharpened his senses. Adrenaline began to work its way into his body.

Once Shepard's hand formed a fist, she hit the door switch. The door to Chora's Den opened, a dim crimson light spilling out from the inside.

The gunfire began a moment later.


	45. Episode 3-08-4 A Distant Thunder

The roar of gunfire filled the dark spaces and hot pink neon highlighting of Chora's Den. Armed figures at the bar and elsewhere poured fire into the space of the opened door.

Robert imagined Shepard would step back and let Lucy do the honors of getting in. Instead he watched, and felt, the energy gather around Shepard. In a flash of biotic power Shepard rocketed forward to slam into the bartender. The Human male's gun fell loose from the impact. Shepard brought the butt of her shotgun and slapped it into his face. The bartender screamed in tandem with the cracking sound of his nose being broken.

Lucy and Wrex went in next. Wrex's shotgun came out and barked. A merc went down. Lucy's blade of shining sapphire light came alive with an electronic snap and hiss. The lightsaber became a blur from the speed at which she was moving it, intercepting shots. Robert came up behind her and opened fire. Pulse shots struck a Turian merc several times in the chest, sending her down. Robert's next shot hit another Human male while Lucy, ready to use any opening she found, threw a bolt of invisible force that sent an enemy gunner flying into a wall.

A gunman came up from their left. A blast of blood and brain matter put an end to him. Robert felt a bit of appreciation at Garrus for his aim, even if he regretted the death. Kaidan fired a series of shots as well, sending another of the mercs back to cover.

Shepard was finished with the bartender. Next was a gunman standing on the platform above the bar area, on what looked to be a dancer stage. Shepard's arm flung out and biotic energy flew out. It struck the gunman directly. Instead of causing him to fall back, however, the force pulled him off the stage. He hit the ground in front of Shepard, who kicked him in the face and knocked him unconscious.

Again Wrex's shotgun roared, and again a merc fell. Kaidan and Garrus fired repeated pistol shots from the cover of one of the tables. Their suppressive fire forced another pair of the mercs into cover. Robert's shot, with his aim aided directly by his abilities and training, struck one of them, putting him down.

There was another burst of biotic power and light. Shepard was charging again, this time clearing the bar and slamming into one of the mercs moving out of cover. The impact threw her foe into the wall with enough force to knock him out. She pivoted on one foot and fired a shotgun blast point-blank into a second opponent, killing him instantly.

This bold attack might have exposed Shepard to too much danger, so far ahead of allies, but Lucy was quick to come to her aid. Her lightsaber cut right through the rifle of her first foe, then lopped the arms off a second to disarm them. Robert fired a shot that hit a remaining merc in the forehead. Lucy, freed from attack in that corner, turned and sent a wave of invisible force at the mercs still behind cover and exchanging shots with Garrus and Kaidan. They cried out in the second before they slammed into the wall. Robert tracked their movement and fired a couple of stun bolts that took them out of the fight as well.

For a moment it seemed the last merc was down. But now the door behind them opened again, and more armed men appeared. Everyone took cover from the resulting gunfire. "Fist must have called in every favor he has," Garrus called out. "He's going to run!"

Robert and Shepard shared a look. "Lucy, can you stay and help Alenko and Vakarian?" he asked her.

Lucy nodded. "Yeah. We'll keep them off your back."

"Good," said Shepard. She nodded to Wrex. "Let's go introduce ourselves to Fist."

* * *

The _Destiny Ascension_ was a beautiful ship, Julia thought. The coloring reminded her a little of the _Orsala_ , the religious caste-crewed Minbari War Cruiser she had visited briefly during the Tira crisis. But there was a utilitarian element to the _Destiny Ascension_ 's internal design that the religious Minbari lacked, a case of form with function instead of just one or the other that the Asari had worked to perfect in their designs.

Matriarch Lidanya's tour was not over-long. Her ship was much larger than the _Aurora_ , and Julia knew from experience that a day-long tour wouldn't be enough to see everything of potential interest on her ship. The same applied here. Yet the lavender-complexioned Asari, with her face markings of brilliant pinkish-red, clearly had pride in her command. Given her ship was one of the largest and most advanced starships in the Multiverse, this pride was understandable. Indeed, the tour ran long enough that Julia and Meridina would be having another pilot fly their shuttle back while they beamed directly to the Presidium for necessary meetings involving Ambassador Atama.

"I hope you have enjoyed your tour, Captain, Commander," said Lidanya.

"It has been quite the experience, Matriarch," Meridina assured her. "We are grateful for the chance."

"If you have the opportunity, Matriarch, I would love to reciprocate," Julia added.

"I will get back to you on that." There was a warmth in the Asari's voice that made her sound closer to Julia's age, surprising since she was, from Julia's perspective and that of Julia's Earth, old enough that she could have traveled with Christopher Columbus or even Marco Polo. "In these past two years, my people have been blessed by the opportunities your Alliance has given us. Our maidens who once had only a galaxy to explore now range the Multiverse, and alien species we might not have imagined are now visiting Thessia."

"I would like to visit one day myself," said Julia. "Your homeworld has a reputation in the Alliance for beauty."

"We have worked hard to keep Thessia a garden for the benefit of the galaxy." Lidanya led them onto the control bridge, where other Asari officers in uniform were conducting standard operations. "Personally, I would love to visit Gersal and Doreia and Alakis. Or one of your Earths that has not been turned into a planet of mega-cities."

"Ah." Julia nodded. She'd seen images of M4P2 Earth, and how so much of the planet's surface was now marred by megacities to support a massive population not yet dispersing to the colonies. "A diplomatic tour of the _Ascension_ would work wonders for relations, I would think."

"It is an idea," Lidanya agreed. She looked at them carefully. "My people have many varied opinions on matters, Captain, Commander. But for the most part, we always value diplomacy and good relations with other species. It is my personal fear that once the war with the Reich ends, the Allied Systems' relations with the Citadel will start to decline."

"I've worried about the same," Julia admitted.

"It is natural, I suppose," Lidanya lamented. "Your Alliance is too powerful to be admitted as an equal to the Council or to be held strictly to its decisions. Even more than the Terminus Systems or the Batarians, you are a potential threat to the Citadel's system of interstellar law and order. And that might make some people treat you as an actual threat when they shouldn't."

"The Alliance has enough space to expand to in other universes, so there is little prospect of tensions over regions of influence," opined Meridina. "But it would be foolish to overlook the simple fear that can arise from old certainties being swept away. This I can say from harsh experience."

Lidanya nodded. "The attack on your Senate last year. Yes."

"Matriarch, whatever the Council feels about the Alliance, what do your people feel about us?" Julia asked. "The Council was founded in part by the Asari, after all, and it embodies Asari principles of negotiation and collective security. I can see your people being afraid that the Alliance will undermine your creation."

"There are those who agree with the anti-Alliance faction among the Turians," Lidanya said. "But from the debates on the extranet, and the votes, I think it's clear most Asari are willing to give the Allied Systems the benefit of the doubt for right now. You've signed the Treaty of Farixen, after all, and worked with the Council on many issues."

"Hopefully that view will prevail among the Salarians and Turians as well."

After Meridina's remark Julia checked the time on her omnitool. "We'd better get over to the Presidium," she said. "Ambassador Atama is expecting us."

"The transporter room is this way," said Lidanya. "We adapted it from a secondary meeting room on this deck…" 

* * *

The pair of mercs guarding the entrance to the rear storage areas were ready when Robert, Shepard, and Wrex came. It just didn't do them any good.

The three of them moved like a single mind even without the aid of Robert's ability to connect their minds. Wrex drew their fire and Shepard knocked them down with a biotic shockwave. Robert got both with shots from his pulse pistol before they could get back up.

They approached the door. Robert already sensed what was on the other side. "Don't shoot," he urged as soon as the door opened.

Wrex and Shepard still had their shotguns up, although they heeded his request.

There were armed beings on the other side. But they weren't fighters, not with the terror and fear Robert felt within them. They were the dancers, the waitresses, the workers. All had mass effect sidearms of some kind or another and, he suspected, most had little idea how to point them right. Only a few actually tried.

"Stop! Stop or we'll shoot!"

Robert felt hesitation in Wrex, but just hesitation. He'd pull the trigger soon if the guns didn't go down. It was Shepard who actually lowered her gun slightly. "We're not here to hurt you," she said. "We're here for Fist."

"Mister Fist is our boss, he gave us jobs we needed," a Human man answered. "We're not going to just let you hurt him."

"We're here to get questions answered, not hurt him," Shepard insisted. Robert sensed the skepticism in the others and was certain Shepard knew about it too. "Fist is just using you. He's willing to let you die if he can get away."

For a moment it seemed like one would protest, but he didn't. Robert could sense they were turning it over in their minds. Sure, he'd given some of them jobs, even let them earn extra on the side. But he wasn't out here, was he? He was in his office, putting stuff together to run.

That same consideration was on Robert's mind. They had to act now to catch him. He wondered about pressing his will against their will, mental manipulation as Meridina often did. He'd tried it a few times, even if he disliked the idea of violating minds…

"Listen, there's a firefight going on behind us," Shepard said. "So just stay here and stay down, I don't want any of you getting hurt."

"Wh-why should we trust you?" another asked.

"Because if we wanted to hurt you, you'd be dead already," Wrex remarked.

All eyes turned to the Krogan. Given the flicker of fear Robert felt, there was no doubt about how right he was. A moment later the weapons were all lowered.

"Thank you." With that simple response, Shepard moved through the parting workers. None dared to stop her. They didn't try Wrex either. Robert went through them with no issues, not even a hint of hostility. Relief seemed to be their primary emotion. Relief… and realization that Fist had intended for them to be his human shields.

They found the far door labeled "Office". A quick scan verified the life form within. He nodded to the others, who did a countdown before opening the door. They walked in without problems. Across the way from them was another door, still unopen, leading to rear access ways. To the left was the main office, with a section of wall hiding them for the moment from sight.

Normal sight, anyway.

Within moments all three were ready to turn the corner. Wrex started and immediately pulled back.

The gun turrets opened up a few moments later. 

* * *

Julia entered Ambassador Atama's office, where Udina and Anderson were already seated at a table near Atama's desk. "Ambassadors. Captain."

"Come in, Captain," said the Dorei man. He gestured to another seat. "I am pleased you have made it. This way the report on our discussion will be more readily provided to the President."

"Oh?" Julia accepted the seat. "What is it?"

"The Geth attack and the prospect of a rogue Spectre directing them has ramifications for our security," Udina replied. "For starters, it is unlikely the Systems Alliance can provide the agreed upon units for your military's push on Earth in the S4W8 universe."

Julia didn't allow a frown to form on her face, but she knew her look was at least pensive. "That's going to require a lot of changes to our plans, I'm sure. While I'm not familiar with the particulars, Admiral Maran's made it clear we'll need every unit we can get if we want to take Earth before the Reich can recover."

"That's understandable, Captain, and we're not making this decision lightly, I assure you," said Udina. "But we have to care for our colonies too."

"There's no telling where Saren will attack next," Anderson said. "Or how. Millions of lives could be lost if the Geth hit a big colony like Elysium. Or even Earth itself…"

"Would the Geth have a fleet large enough to manage such an attack?" Even as Julia asked that question she realized the answer; nobody knew. The Geth were, to everyone else, one big unknown. Even the Quarians only had slight inklings of their capabilities. Given the centuries since the Morning War, the Geth could have built up quite the fleet with the resources of the solar systems beyond the Perseus Veil.

 _And since they don't require food or atmosphere or any kind of amenity that our ships have, even our most spartan ones… any ships they do have will be enormously capable._

That somber calculation was still in Julia's mind when the tones came over the omnitools of the two Ambassadors. Each excused themselves and walked away.

"I wish I could have been there," Anderson said.

"Hrm?"

"At Epsilon Indi. Or any of the other battles that supported Maran's main effort," said Anderson. "I heard Sixth Fleet was involved…"

"Yes. At Epsilon Eridani, fighting alongside our Eighth Fleet and the League of Democratic Worlds' Second Fleet. It was one of the larger flank battles, from what Arik - Captain Shaham on the _Enterprise_ \- said. Your ships helped them hold the system."

"And now we'll have to pull them out to deal with Saren." Anderson smacked his fist on the table. "Damn. And when we're so close to taking Earth."

Julia had no reply to that, given how right he was. Saren's timing was horrendous, not that he cared she was sure. "He struck me as reflexively anti-Human during his brief visit to the _Aurora_ last year," she noted.

"He despises us," Anderson said. "He's always been upset that the Council stepped in and restrained the Turian military after Shanxi. He thinks we should have been reduced to a protectorate of the Hierarchy."

Julia considered asking about Shanxi, the site of the First Contact War between Humanity and the Turian Hierarchy, but she was prevented by the return of the Ambassadors. "I suppose we each got the same message?" Udina asked Atama.

Atama frowned and nodded. "Yes. This will be quite difficult for our efforts."

"What?"

Udina looked to her and Anderson. "Captain Dale and Commander Shepard have been identified as part of a firefight currently happening in the Wards, at a bar called Chora's Den. Now we have to run interference with C-Sec until we find out what's going on."

"I'm certain the Commander has good reason for whatever she's doing."

"If she and Robert are both involved, this may be linked to the Saren investigation," Julia pointed out.

"And for their sakes, I hope it is," Udina said. "And I hope they get us the smoking gun we need. Otherwise they may be the ones who end up in a cell instead of Saren."

* * *

The turret fire was quickly joined by a barking gun. Robert was able to glance just long enough to see the man huddled at the desk behind cover. He pulled back before one of the turrets opened up again. Sparks flew from where the sand grain-sized rounds, propelled by mass effect fields to deadly velocities, were striking and slowly decaying the material.

"Do you think your abilities can handle the turrets for us?" asked Shepard.

"I can try," he offered. "Give me a moment." When he saw Shepard nod, Robert lowered himself to one knee and concentrated. He reached within himself and felt out for the turrets. He could sense them, bits of metal and ceramics, and worked on getting them to turn.

Using these powers was, as always, reliant on a tricky frame of mind. He had to think of it happening, imagine it, but not force it in his mind. His will, connected to the universe, was causing it, but not so much from active thought and willpower as it was a general sense that this is what is happening. The turrets were twisting. There was no doubt that this is what they should be doing, there could be no doubt, for doubting it was happening meant it would not. The connection required certainty.

The weapons fire changed direction as the turrets turned away from the entranceway to the office. A cry of frustration and surprise came from the desk. Fist was frantically trying to take control of his guns back.

Shepard and Wrex sprung into action. Wrex went for the turrets. His shotgun boomed repeatedly from his shots, each a direct hit on the guns until they broke down from the damage. Shepard, meanwhile, threw a bolt of biotic force that blew Fist into the air and toward them. He let out a curse as he hit the ground. Shepard and Wrex covered him with their firearms immediately. Shepard kicked his gun away from his hand. "Alright, Fist," she said, "start talking."

"I got nothin' to say to you," he insisted.

Robert followed them into the office. It was furnished, certainly, but dark and very impersonal. "Where's the Quarian?" he asked. "The one you're betraying to Saren?"

"I pay good protection," the man protested. "When C-Sec gets here…"

"When C-Sec gets here, they'll find a fellow officer pinned down and under fire," Sheppard finished for him. "So I wouldn't count on whoever you've been bribing to help. Especially when everyone's finding out you turned on the Shadow Broker."

"Let me kill him," said Wrex. "He's not going to cooperate anyway."

Fist's face went white. Robert sensed his terror and said, "Cooperate and you live."

For a moment Fist was weighing his options. Robert sensed the calculation of whether or not he could evade any reprisal by Saren, the need to run, losing everything he'd built in his years on the Citadel, versus the certainty of the very big shotgun in Wrex's hands. Finally he sighed. "She wanted a personal meeting with the Shadow Broker."

"That doesn't happen," Wrex said. "The Broker doesn't do personal meetings."

"She doesn't know that. I told her I'd set it up. But Saren's men will be the ones she runs into." Fist activated his omnitool and tapped several keys. "Here. These are the coordinates. The meet's going down in a few minutes."

Robert and Shepard received the coordinates from Fist through their omnitools. "That's not far from here," Shepard said. "It's the back alley connecting to the lift to the Presidium. If we hurry we can make it."

"Is he telling the truth?" asked Wrex.

Robert nodded. "He is. I can sense it."

"Good."

The moment Wrex said that word Robert sensed his intent and cursed himself for not paying more attention to the Krogan. He raised a hand toward Wrex to intervene, but before he could act Wrex's shotgun thundered. Fist's head exploded in a mess of blood and gray matter that splattered the back wall.

Robert's other hand shot up. His pulse pistol now pointed at Wrex's head. Wrex, in turn, swiveled toward him with his shotgun ready. "I told you I'd kill him," said the Krogan.

"That was unnecessary!" Robert shouted. "You didn't have to!"

"The galaxy's a better place without him." Wrex's red eyes met Robert's without flinching. "I fulfill my contracts, Human."

"You didn't on Tira," Robert retorted.

"The Shadow Broker didn't ask me to stand back and watch infants being murdered. He's not that stupid."

"Both of you, stand down!" Shepard shouted, standing between them. It was her eyes, blazing emeralds that seemed to come straight from Robert's visions, that now locked on his own. "Captain, we don't have time for this. That Quarian's going to get killed if we don't move."

There was no arguing the point. Robert knew she was right. He lowered his weapon, but the frown didn't leave his face. "Right," he agreed. "I'm following your lead, Commander."

"Still with you, Commander," Wrex said. "I'm seeing this through to the end."

Shepard led them out of the office and back to the bar. The sound of gunfire had them ready for a fight. This proved premature when it ended just as they emerged. Lucy's lightsaber buzzed in the air from where she was holding it on a merc clutching the stump of his lost arm with his surviving hand. Nearby Garrus and Kaidan were standing from cover. "How did it go?" Kaidan asked.

"The Quarian's in danger," said Shepard. "We've got to keep going."

"Go on ahead, all of you," said Garrus. "C-Sec should be here soon. I'll handle them."

He was answered with a nod. The five ran on into the Ward.

* * *

The sight of the Citadel's great wards dominated the dock terminal window. The officers of the _Koenig_ command crew stared out at the sight, the glistening jewels of lights from the high rise structures of the Wards and the large ships. The _Aurora_ was plainly visible, as was the _Destiny Ascension_ , both representing differing, but elegant, starship aesthetics. Will marveled at the difference from the more utilitarian designs of the Colonies of Kobol.

"I'm glad we got to visit this time," said Apley. "It's quite a sight."

"Yeah." Magda leaned against the railing. Beyond was open space between the deck and the window, with more docking terminals below. The edge of a Turian transport docked to the Citadel was visible just outside and below them. "A good way to make up for the leave time we lost. I can't believe we missed the parade this year."

"I wish I could have seen it," said Will. The _Koenig_ had been detached from the _Aurora_ the night before the New Liberty Colony's 5th Anniversary Parade, her presence needed with the allied fleet in the attack on the Reich colony Gottschee-of-the-Stars, a preliminary to Maran's main attack at Epsilon Indi and the various supporting actions.

"They were using a _Koenig_ float this year," remarked Lt. Karen Derbely, the Chief Engineer. "And we didn't even get to sit on it. So unfair."

"Well, there's always next year," Apley pointed out.

Will nodded. He wondered if he would even be on the _Koenig_ the following year. If Commander Carrey ever returned to active duty, Admiral Maran would probably be predisposed to returning him to his command. And Will, honestly, could not fault him for wanting to be back, as much as he enjoyed the honor of sitting in Carrey's chair.

"Gottschee was quite a fight," Apley said. He looked to Will. "And for your first in command, pretty epic."

"Yes it was," Will agreed. "I thank the Lords we came through it okay. What would they have said about me if the _Koenig_ was lost in my first combat mission as her CO?" He smiled thinly. "'Over-his-head Colonial officer gets original Facility ship destroyed in first battle'."

"There wasn't a chance of that, Will," Magda insisted. "I know Zack left big shoes to fill, but he was a rookie starting out too."

"Actually, as blasphemous as it is to say it, you're better than he was starting out," Apley remarked.

"True," Sherlily added.

"Blasphemy!" Magda shrieked playfully. "I can't believe you're saying that!" Even as she spoke, Will's cheeks turned red.

"Sad but true," Derbely agreed. "Of course, you Facility types don't want to hear it, but you were pretty rough starting out. Why else do you think Command assigned us to the _Koenig_?"

Magda glowered toward her, still playful in her look… but perhaps not quite as much as before. "Hopefully I'll improve just as Commander Carrey did," Will said, recognizing that some old delicate feelings were being prodded. "Whatever his skills starting out, he's become a legend in the attacker community for a reason."

"Well, unless you're one of the really hardass types," Sherlily noted. "Some of them still see him as an amateur. You hear instead about Imra on the _Heerman_ , Tasker on the _Upholder_ …"

"To hell with those elitist jerks," grumbled Derbely. "We can outfly them all!"

"That we can," Will agreed, smiling, and thankful yet again for the opportunity this command provided him. He thought briefly on what might come in his future, if there would be other commands, bigger ones. If he might one day command a Battlestar or an equivalent in the Alliance fleet.

One day, perhaps. But for now, he was commanding the _Koenig_ , and that was more than enough for him.

* * *

The five ran as quickly as they could through the dim halls of the internal sections of the Ward. The light around them turned red as they approached the back alley Fist had identified. Robert sensed the life forms ahead. Fist hadn't betrayed them. It made Urdnot Wrex's execution of the man all the more galling.

But that was for later concerns. Right now, they had to save the Quarian. Robert recognized the style of environmental suit as he and Shepard finished ascending a walkway, giving them a direct view of several figures in combat suits watching the Quarian. One approached her.

"Where's the Shadow Broker?" the Quarian asked, her voice possessing an electronic timbre from her suit. Despite said timbre, or perhaps because of it, Robert found he recognized the voice.

"Where's the data?" asked the assassin.

Before the Quarian could reply, Robert called out to her by the name he remembered. "Tali'Zorah, look out! It's a trap!" It was an instinctive reaction, a need to warn her before Saren's men could get closer to her.

Of course, this led to guns being pulled. Lucy and Shepard leveled looks of some irritation at Robert.

It was the only reaction they had time to give before the blast filled the alley.


	46. Episode 3-08-5 A Distant Thunder

The origin of the blast was, surprisingly enough, from Tali herself. Her arm came up and an object left it, after which she ran for cover behind crates left in the alleyway. The explosive that went off didn't actually harm any of her would-be killers, but it contribute to the general chaos of the moment.

With the force within him guiding his aim, Robert's pistol came up and tracked the Turian closest to Tali. He fired off a shot, a bright blue spark of light that hit the Turian in the shoulder. Return fire from the others forced him to duck behind cover.

There was a surge of energy around them. A warped sense in the air… Robert felt it and knew it was biotic power being unleashed. Shepard's, to be precise. Wreathed in the purplish blue light of dark matter, Shepard shot forward and slammed into another of the mercs. Her shotgun swept over and blasted through the large helmet of a Salarian shooter. She slipped back into cover under the protective fire of Wrex and Kaidan, firing from cover themselves. Robert contributed with an aimed shot that grazed the leg of a Human assailant. This stopped said attacker long enough for Tali, wielding a Predator pistol, to squeeze off her own shot that brought him down.

At this point, only ten or so seconds of firefight had been waged, and the two sides were mismatched; despite their losses so far the mercs were pressing ahead with numbers. Grenades would be used, Robert sensed; they were devoted to fulfilling Saren's orders of killing Tali.

Unfortunately for them, those ten seconds had been more than enough time for Lucy to get into position.

She'd jumped over head to a catwalk along the upper reaches of the alley, allowing her to move further in while the gun battle kept the mercs' attention. Now she landed among them with a wave of power that knocked several of them over. Her lightsaber flashed to life, snap-hiss, a sapphire blur in the air. A limb flew and a scream from another Salarian filled the alley. Lucy turned, deflected a shot from another merc, and sent a wave of force into that shooter that sent him and a second one flying into the alley wall.

Lucy's arrival in their midst completely disrupted the mercs' attention. Alone, she had a chance of beating them before being overwhelmed. But she wasn't alone, and more than that, she had Shepard's help. Even without the same gifts Robert and Lucy shared, Shepard understood Lucy's tactic completely. She threw out a blast wave of biotic power that sent another pair of mercs flying, exploiting the distraction Lucy's maneuver created. Her shotgun barked once, twice, and both mercs were down.

Wrex charged in, shotgun blasting away, as if any return fire mattered nothing to him. Which, given the robust nature of Krogan physiology and Wrex's defenses, was inherently justifiable.

Given the nature of the battle Robert felt free to disengage. He went to Tali and knelt beside her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am alright," she said in accented English. The twin points of light in her face mask seemed to focus on Robert. "Wait, I know you. You are the Captain of the _Aurora_."

"Former Captain," Robert corrected. "So… you're the Quarian we're looking for? You've got the evidence about Saren and the Geth?"

"I do," she confirmed. "Saren's agents have been trying to kill me for days over it."

"Well, we can protect you," he promised. The growing silence around them seemed sufficient proof off that. Shepard approached. "They're all down?"

"Every one of them." Shepard nodded at Tali. "I thought I recognized you. It's good to see you're alright. Do you still have the evidence?"

"I do. It's a recording I retrieved from a Geth scout."

"We'd better get this to Udina and Atama." Robert stood up. The fight was over; most of the mercs were dead or incapacitated. Lucy and Wrex were disarming the survivors while Kaidan approached them. "Are you okay with joining us at the Embassies?"

"They don't allow Quarians there, normally," Tali said. "I tried to approach, but they kept me out and threatened to call C-Sec."

Robert and Shepard exchanged frowns. All of this effort might have been avoided if not for the casual anti-Quarian bigotry of the Citadel. "They'll make an exception this time," Shepard promised. "You're with us now." 

* * *

Meridina, Julia, and Captain Anderson were waiting with the ambassadors at Udina's office when Robert and the others arrived. "This had better be good," Udina growled. "Three shootouts in the Wards, all attributable to you two. The Council will have our balls in a sling if you don't have something to show for it."

Shepard nodded to Tali, who activated her omnitool. "I recovered this audio-file from a Geth memory core I found on the Galactic Rim." She hit a key and allowed audio to play.

" _Finding the beacon on Eden Prime was a major victory,_ " the recording began.

"That's Saren's voice!" Anderson proclaimed, prompting Tali to briefly pause the playback.

"There's more," Tali said. When she had silence, she resumed playing the file.

" _The Systems Alliance defenders will never expect something like the Geth. And the loss of the beacon will be humiliating to them. It will buy us time to put together the other pieces we need to find the Conduit._ "

" _And the ruins on Adrana?_ " The speaker sounded female. Robert thought he'd heard the voice before, and he sensed the same sentiment from Julia and Meridina. " _We went to great lengths to discover the extent of the Dorei defenses._ "

" _I am aware of your efforts, and I applaud them. The ruins on Adrana must be dealt with, yes. Any fragment of data left by the ancient Adranians might help our enemies. By attacking both worlds at once, we can ensure their reaction is divided and uncertain. And the attack on the Reich Fleet in S4W8 will provide the perfect opportunity._ " Saren went silent for a moment. " _Finally, after all of these years, everything is falling into place. With the information in the beacon we will be able to find the Conduit._ "

" _And with it, ensure the return of the Reapers._ "

Meridina visibly started at the term, and it did not go unnoticed. Udina barely seemed to notice, however, as he was more interested in the recording. "It is authentic? Saren will not be able to claim it a forgery?"

"The data is unmistakably Geth," Tali insisted. "Any analysis will show the data couldn't be faked."

"I'm quite sure the Council will put that to the test," Udina remarked. "But we'll make use of it regardless."

"What do they mean by Reapers?" asked Kaidan.

"Nothing," said Udina. "Perhaps a ruse of some sort for Saren to keep his control over them. Commander, Captain, thank you for retrieving this information. The Council will have to disavow Saren now, no matter what his original orders were. I'm going to present this evidence to the Council immediately. Ambassador Atama, as the evidence proves Saren plotted the attack on Adrana, would you like to join me?"

"I would," answered the Dorei. "This matter must be dealt with." He looked to Robert. "I will call when you are needed."

"I'll be waiting," he answered.

After the two diplomats left, Shepard looked at Meridina. "Meridina, that recording, what made you react to it?"

With all attention on her, Meridina answered. "I made contact with the intelligence inside the Adranian computers. The last surviving echo off that long-dead species has little in the way of memories, and almost all are of the extinction of her people. I saw the images of that terrible slaughter and the enemies that committed them."

"Going by the recording, Saren doesn't want us to learn anything about what happened," Robert noted.

"You say you saw visions of the Adranians being attacked." Shepard directed her attention at Meridina. "The beacon on Eden Prime showed me something like that. And Saren tried to destroy it by blowing up the colony after he left."

"You were given visions as well?"

"Images. But I can't make sense of them."

Meridina nodded. "I can link our minds together, Commander, if you are willing. There may be a deeper connection."

Shepard drew in a breath and nodded. "Alright. Whenever you're ready."

"Bring the visions to the surface of your thoughts. This will only take a moment…" Meridina stepped up to Shepard and focused her mind. She felt Shepard's thoughts. A resistance that was instinctive, but which gave way much as skin before a probing needle. Shepard's thoughts were ordered, disciplined. The thoughts of a tried soldier.

And then the images began. The Prothean beacon's imagery was not complete, perhaps due to Shepard's brain not having the means to understand their alien thoughts or languages. But nevertheless the images came, one by one, showing the killing, the slaughter. The machines showed no mercy, ripping and tearing the flesh of their enemies. Leaving butchered victims that numbered in the thousands… _millions_.

Meridina ended the connection. Shepard blinked and rubbed at her head. "Well?" she asked.

"There are similarities, yes," said Meridina. "I cannot be completely sure, but if I am correct, the Adranians and the Protheans encountered the same force of destruction. The aliens that the Adranians knew as Reapers."

"So the same force wiped out two species two hundred thousand years apart?" Robert asked.

"I believe so."

"That doesn't sound good," said Alenko. "What could this force be?"

"I don't know," Meridina admitted.

"But it's clear Saren is interested in them." Shepard shook her head. "For whatever reason. And whatever he's up to, it's a danger to all of us."

"Yes it is," Robert agreed. He felt a deep sense of foreboding at the subject. Not just foreboding… warning. Focusing on his powers didn't alleviate it either. If anything… it made those feelings worse.

He thought back to that sense he'd gotten, that feel of a constant stain of death in the Flow of Life.

"We should get to the Citadel Tower," said Julia, noticing Robert's look. "Udina and Atama may need us."

* * *

After their trip to Tayneri Ward, Cat, Vee, and Tra'dur returned to the Presidium. Cat took Violeta off to see if they could say hello to someone called the Consort, leaving Tra'dur to meet with Chorban. The Salarian slipped up beside her while Tra'dur was looking at the Krogan Memorial. "You've finished?" he asked.

"We have." Tra'dur tapped at her new, Stellar Navy-issued omnitool. This transferred the scans to Chorban. It was a complete transfer, leaving nothing on her system. She couldn't risk C-Sec finding the data and causing her, and her new crew, trouble. "What do you hope to accomplish?"

"By understanding the Keepers, we might be able to understand more about the Protheans. About what kind of society they had. Why they left the Keepers as they are. It may even tell us more about the Keepers themselves." The Salarian's eyes blinked in a way that seemed to reinforce his species' amphibian origins. "This kind of study work is centuries overdue. But there is always concern because the Keepers destroy themselves if analyzed too closely, so if we learned too much, all the Keepers might shut down. And without the Keepers, the Citadel might not function anywhere as well as it does. Another mystery about them that needs to be solved, and one I intend to solve. Your contribution will be noted, in name if you want."

Tra'dur leveled a look at him. "Why would I not want credit due to me?"

"It may make further trips to the Citadel difficult if our work with the Keepers is considered dangerous."

It was a reasonable point. That it conflicted with Tra'dur's burning desire to be published in the Multiverse, to be seen as a scientist, was beside the point. "I desire my due share of credit," she insisted.

"I'll note your contribution then, Lieutenant Tra'dur." Chorban noted something on his omnitool. "I took a few minutes to research your species."

"Oh?" Tra'dur wondered where he was going with this.

"I won't hold it against you, being a Dilgar. You clearly have evolved socially away from the behaviors you evinced in the wars against other species. And honestly, the Multiverse can use more non-Humans. Not that I am as suspicious of Humans as others of my species are. I simply want to avoid their numbers swamping us in the end."

"It is a reasonable worry," Tra'dur granted him. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Cat and Violeta approaching. "My friends are returning, so if you have nothing else to ask?"

"No. Good luck with your work, Lieutenant. Goodbye."

Tra'dur watched him walk away quietly. "So, was that…?" Cat's voice prompted her to turn and face the young science officer.

"Yes," she answered simply. She looked back up at the Krogan Memorial. "It is… strange to be here. To learn so much."

"In what way?" asked Violeta.

"I remember meeting those two Krogan on Tira, Wrex and Drack. I wasn't sure we could trust them at first, not until they proved themselves in the fight for the gate controls. If only I had known about their species' history, I might have known better." A dark look came to her face. When Cat and Violeta had no response to it, said look dissipated. A small smile settled. "I really must thank you for bringing me with you. This is an amazing place, truly."

To that Caterina nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you enjoyed it," she said.

"And there is still so much to learn about it. These Keepers, for instance. They run all of the critical systems, it seems, and with little regard for the rest of us. But why are they so secretive? Why do they not communicate? Are they truly mindless?" Tra'dur sighed a little. "Now I wish I had insisted Chorban let me keep the scan data. The chance to figure out what we're looking at with them…"

She let the sentence trail off at the look of bemusement on Cat's face. Cat quietly activated her omnitool and displayed a list of files. Scan results, to be precise. "I won't tell if you won't," she said, much to Violeta's amusement.

Tra'dur nodded. "You have my complete confidence, Caterina'Delgado," she answered.

* * *

Robert and the others stood toward the rear of the audience platform with Ambassador Atama, allowing Udina and Shepard to be the ones directly addressing the Council. There was clear aggravation on Sparatus' face as the evidence was shared and, more importantly, as their own experts verified the authenticity of the recording. "There you have it," said Udina, his voice betraying none of the feeling of smug satisfaction Robert sensed in him. "The proof you need."

"The evidence is clear," Tevos agreed. "Saren has betrayed us. He is responsible for the attacks and is conspiring against the Council."

"We are revoking his Spectre status and issuing an order for his arrest or destruction," Sparatus confirmed.

"And not just Saren." Robert stepped up to join Udina and Shepard. "The other voice on the recording, I recognize it."

"So do I." Robert could sense Tevos' bewilderment. "Matriarch Benezia. A powerful, respected leader among my people, with many followers. I don't know why she would throw in with Saren, but she's a formidable ally for him."

"I wonder about their mention of the Reapers, and the Conduit Saren speaks of," said Valern. "What is Saren's plan here? He is not one to embark on an operation without a clear idea of what he can accomplish."

"The recording speaks for itself," Shepard said. "He's looking to bring them back."

"Why, though?" Tevos asked.

"The Reapers are a race of machines that destroyed the Protheans fifty thousand years ago. And the Adranians two hundred thousand years before that," Shepard answered. "There's no telling how much power Saren might wield if he finds a way to activate them, or use their technology."

"Preposterous," Sparatus declared. "You seriously expect me to believe Saren is going to willingly bring back a race that has wiped out galactic civilization at least twice? What's in it for him? How could he expect to survive?"  
Robert felt a voice in his head, in his memories. " _We must serve if we are to survive._ " "Maybe he thinks he's saving the galaxy by helping them," he said. "If he thinks they're coming back anyway, by helping them he hopes to gain their favor."

"I wouldn't put too much stock in Saren's claims," Valern said. "The Reapers are a myth, a discredited theory on the fate of the Protheans. For Saren they're a means to control the Geth for whatever his true purpose is."

"No. They're real," Shepard insisted. "The beacon the Protheans left behind showed them, what they did."

"The Adranian computer intelligence we found also remembered the extermination of their species by machines," Robert added.

"An intelligence that your own reports indicate was incomplete and half-mad because of it," Sparatus retorted. "And we have no way of knowing what the Prothean beacon was made to show us. It might have been an entertainment fiction the Protheans left behind for all we know, much like your species' own apocalypse fantasies."

"Are you willing to risk being wrong?" Shepard asked. "We're talking about a threat to civilization, not just a single rogue Spectre. If Saren actually finds a way to bring the Reapers back, our entire galaxy, even the Multiverse itself, could be destroyed."

"Or he may be planning to use their technology for his own benefit," Meridina offered, sensing that Shepard's argument was not swaying them.

"Whatever Saren's purpose, his threat will be easily neutralized," Sparatus said. "He's been stripped of his Spectre status. He's a wanted man in Citadel space, deprived of all of his legitimate channels of supply, and on the run."

"That's not good enough!" Udina insisted. "You know he's hiding in the Traverse. Send in your fleet!"

"A fleet isn't the right tool to find one man," Tevos said.

"No, but it will keep the Geth from attacking any more of our colonies!"

"Sending a fleet into the Traverse could spark full-scale interstellar war with the Terminus Systems," Valern retorted. "With the war against the Reich drawing away portions of our fleets, we cannot afford to provoke the Terminus states into launching another one."

Udina looked ready to protest. Atama stepped up and shook his head. "They have a point, Ambassador," he remarked. "And while the Allied Systems would also welcome increased Citadel fleet presence to assist against the Geth, we recognize it as a political impossibility in the current environment."

"And are you willing to let Saren's Geth kill more of your people, Ambassador Atama?" Udina asked harshly. "Because that is what is going to happen, Reapers or no Reapers."

"Send me in."

All eyes turned to Shepard.

"I can take down Saren," Shepard explained. "I'm an N7 of the Systems Alliance Marines, Saren is the kind of threat I've been training my entire career to face. Give me the support and resources of the Council and I can hunt him down in the Traverse without causing a war."

"I know what you're aiming for, Shepard, and it's too early!" There was an urgency in Sparatus' voice. "Your species isn't ready!"

"It is an elegant solution," Tevos pointed out.

"Exactly. It gets the Ambassador his Human Spectre and lets the Council show it's taking charge in dealing with Saren without causing a war," Shepard said.

"Indeed." Valern nodded. "I call for a vote."

Sparatus glared at his colleagues, but there was no dissuading Valern and Telos. Wordlessly she tapped at her control board, after which the others did as well. "Commander Shepard, please step forward."

For a moment Shepard turned to Anderson, her commander, her mentor. A very slight smile formed on the older man's face as he nodded at her. Shepard stepped forward, Udina moving away to give her space. And as she did so, Robert sensed the energy in the chamber. More and more people were coming over to observe the proceedings, called over by the initial observers as it was realized what the Council was debating doing… what it was about to do.

"Commander Jennifer Shepard, it is the decision of the Council that you be invested with the powers and responsibilities of the Spectres," Councillor Tevos declared.

The crowd was now watching with rapt attention.

"Spectres are not trained, they are chosen…"

As Valern and the other Councillors expounded upon what being a Spectre meant, and what they represented to the galaxy, Robert and the others watched quietly. This was history in the making, every bit as important as the history they had already made themselves. Commander Shepard would be the first of M4P2 Humanity to stand as a defender of the Citadel and the interstellar peace it embodied. Given how brief her branch of Humanity's time in space was, it was a meteoric rise. There was danger in it, the danger of other races concerned with what it meant for Humanity's increase in influence, coupled as it was with the knowledge that Humanity was indeed the most common species of the Multiverse. Shepard would face scrutiny beyond what any Spectre had ever known before. Her decisions would be argued, debated, and used against her, and many would be eagerly awaiting the first inkling of unworthiness for her position.

As far as Robert was concerned, they would wait in vain. He'd had the opportunity to work with Shepard and to fight at her side. He knew full well that her training of his crew, and her leadership and skill in the Facility at Gamma Piratus, had been crucial to defeating the SS there. As far as he was concerned, this was long overdue.

When the Council was finished and adjourned, everyone gathered to congratulate the newest Spectre. "I'm proud of you," Anderson assured her.

"Thank you sir."

"Anderson." Udina gestured away from the platform. "We have matters to discuss. The Commander's mission, in particular."

"Of course. Captain, everyone…"

After they stepped away, with Atama as well, Julia beat Robert in extending her hand, which Shepard took. "You'll do great," Julia said.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence."

"I wonder what they'll do for assigning you a ship," Robert wondered aloud. "I chose the _Aurora_ as my base of operations, but I'm still waiting for the personal ship when I'm on missions away from her."

"We'll need something to chase Saren." The remark was from Sergeant Williams. She and Kaidan saluted to Shepard. "And congratulations, ma'am. Please tell me you're bringing me along. I want to make sure my comrades in the 2-1-2 are heard from when we take that son of a bitch down."

"You'll be there, Williams. And you, Alenko. I'm just not sure where yet."

"Udina's arranging something, I'm sure," Robert said. "In the meantime, I have a report to file with Maran. Let me know what you find out?"

"Of course," Shepard answered. 

* * *

Robert and Julia sat quietly in her ready office until the signal came from the bridge. With a press of a key Admiral Maran appeared on the display of her office comp. " _Captains, I've gone over your report on the situation_." Maran's expression was somber. " _My congratulations on your success in proving Saren's duplicity. Even without Council support he is a severe threat. If he still had that support as a Spectre, moving against him would have precipitated a political crisis between the Alliance and the Citadel Council._ "

"Will you be sending me to go after him?" Robert asked.

" _That was our thought. Actually, given the situation, President Morgan wants the_ Aurora _herself participating in the hunt for Saren._ "

"We're high profile," Julia noted. "It'll be hard to go unnoticed."

" _Agreed. Which is why you will be cooperating with Commander Shepard. I've already spoken to Admiral Hackett on the matter._ "

"So she's getting a ship?" Robert asked.

" _That's being arranged right now. I leave it to you to decide on the best way to cooperate on the matter of finding Saren and stopping whatever he's planning._ "

"We'll need leads," Julia said. "Even counting for everything being on the relay network, the Traverse is an enormous section of space. There are literally hundreds of planets, moons, or stations that he could be hiding on."

" _You don't know the half of it, Captain_ ," Maran said. " _General Hatcher's report on Saren Arterius has been eye-opening. With his Spectre status to back him, Saren has amassed a literal fortune to finance his operations. He owns, in way or another, several corporations, including Binary Helix, a research corporation chartered on Noveria._ "

"Noveria? I've heard of that world." Robert frowned. "There are a lot of reports of unethical experimentation by the corporations there."

" _Yes. It is going to take some time to see into Binary Helix's operations there. Among other reports of holdings belonging to Saren, safehouses and redoubts… Intelligence is devoting as many resources as it can manage to the effort, but it may take time to get you information you can use. And we know that Matriarch Benezia has a daughter, named Liara T'Soni, who is a xenoarchaeologist who specializes in the Protheans. There may be a link there as well._ "

"We'll look into it," Robert said. "Anything else, sir?"

" _Not at the moment. Good hunting, Captains. I'm leaving this investigation with you two._ " Maran reached forward and tapped a control, disappearing from their screen.

"Well, it looks like you're getting thrown in the deep end for your first official mission as a Paladin," Julia remarked. She grinned slightly. "It's only fair, given what my first mission was like."

"At least diplomacy was a possibility for you," Robert retorted. He was grinning regardless. "We should have Jarod get Conference Room 1 ready, I guess. I'll invite Shepard and her team over." He was answered with a nod.

* * *

The command crews of the _Koenig_ and _Aurora_ took up some of the seats in the Conference room. Several more were taken up by Commander Shepard and her current team. Sergeant Williams and Lieutenant Alenko had been expected; that they were joined by Wrex, Garrus, and Tali was less-expected. Three more officers joined Shepard: Lieutenant Pressley, Navigator on the _Normandy_ , the _Normandy_ 's medical officer Doctor Chakwas, and Engineer Adams.

"I've been given command of the _Normandy_ for this mission," Shepard explained. "Udina intervened with Admiral Hackett directly, and he agreed."

"Congratulations," Julia said. "Welcome to the club."

Shepard smiled slightly at that, but the look on her face wasn't amused. "It feels wrong," she confessed. "This was supposed to be Captain Anderson's ship. Now they're assigning him to Udina until another command is opened up."

"You will do him proud, I think," Meridina offered, feeling Shepard's mixed feelings, specifically her pain and the sense she had helped betray her mentor. "Do not doubt that."

Shepard nodded once in gratitude.

"So… where do we begin?" Tali asked. "We're supposed to find Saren, but it's such a big galaxy."

"We've been given some intel on Saren's movements and Geth sightings," Pressley offered. He gave an uncomfortable look toward Tali. Robert sensed he was not happy with her presence, nor those of the other aliens in Shepard's team. "I'll have courses ready for us as soon as we figure out which targets we're going for."

"There's also Matriarch Benezia's daughter, Doctor T'Soni," Shepard pointed out. "I hear she's an expert on the Protheans. If Saren's after more beacons, she may be helping him, intentionally or otherwise."

"Or she may be a target," Garrus pointed out. "Either way, I think finding Doctor T'Soni should be our priority."

"We're still waiting to hear from her academic contacts on possible sites she's working on," Jarod reported. With a tap of a key he brought up known dig sites. Many were on the fringe of the galaxy. And some were dangerously close to either Terminus space, or the Batarian-controlled clusters. "It's a lot of space to cover."

"Since so much of it is close to Batarian space, we might need power more than stealth," Julia said. "We can direct our efforts into finding Doctor T'Soni. And the _Aurora_ has the scientific equipment to examine any Prothean finds she may have uncovered."

"Then we'll focus on the Geth sightings," Shepard said. "And I already have a list of Saren's known supply dumps in the Traverse, we'll hit those while we're out there."

"And what if we run into more Geth ships than we can handle?" Ashley asked.

Robert turned his head toward Julia. "Why don't we have the _Koenig_ on patrol with us?" he asked. "Have Za-" He caught himself. "...have _Atreiad_ move back and forth between the _Aurora_ and _Normandy_ to support whichever ship needs it."

"A good idea," Julia agreed. "Consider it done."

"We'll be ready to launch whenever you give the order," said Will.

"Are there any other matters to consider?"

For a moment nobody replied to Shepard, since the matter seemed to be decided. Meridina was the first to notice Robert was deep in thought. "Captain Dale?" she asked.

"Just having a thought," he said. Seeing attention his way, he directed his eyes toward Shepard. "I was thinking that to make sure we keep in communication on the investigation, having someone on the _Normandy_ who can access Alliance communications and intelligence is going to be vital. So if it's okay with you, Shepard, I'd like to join you on the _Normandy_."

Those on the _Aurora_ crew looked toward him with surprise.

Shepard, for her part, nodded. "We'll be glad to have you. Report to Dock 33 and I'll have you assigned a bunk and work space."

"I'll get my things as soon as we finish." Robert glanced toward Julia. "Is there anything else?"

"No," she answered, her tone reserved, very reserved. With a look that was both thoughtful and, he thought, more than a little hurt, she nodded. "We're done here. Everyone, you're dismissed. I want all crew recalled from liberty and the ship ready for departure within the hour."

The orders given, everyone departed the conference room.

* * *

 **Tag**

Robert felt Julia's approach nearly a minute before she was pressing the door chime on his quarters. He looked up from the duffel bag full of belongings he was bringing with him and said, "Come in."

She walked into the door and faced him. "You never said you were planning this," she remarked, almost accusingly. "That you intended to go with Shepard."

"I wasn't sure I was going to do it, not until the meeting," Robert confided. "I…" He looked at her stony expression and sighed. "I guess I didn't want to leave."

"Did you? Or is this because you're having trouble fitting back in with the _Aurora_?"

There was a subtle accusation in the voice, and some pain. Robert closed his eyes and lowered his head for a minute. "You know, the whole time I was in Umintamil, I kept trying to think of ways I could come back to the _Aurora_. The only reason I didn't try when I finally left was because I hadn't figured out how I could justify living on the ship. Now… now I realized how short-sighted and selfish I was."

"It wasn't selfish," Julia chided him. "You missed us. It's why I can't understand why you want to leave again…"

"It was short-sighted to not think about how it might affect you, Julie," Robert pointed out. "To have me around, trying to get involved in things… I mean, that was always going to cause problems unless I did it right. And I haven't been. I should be following your lead, not trying to take it."

"As much as you hate to admit it, Rob, you find it pretty easy to take charge sometimes," Julia reminded him. "So it was no surprise you did it here."

"But I shouldn't have. And that's where I made my mistake."

"And this is what… apology for it? You messed up your big return so you're just going to leave again?" There was a raw hurt in Julia's voice that surprised her, a pain in her heart that she hadn't expected. "Did you ever think that whatever the problems we've had getting you fitted in here, this is where you belong? With us? With the people you love?" She took his hand and looked deeply into his green eyes. "With me, Robby?"

He responded with a smile and the shake of his head. "I don't doubt I belong here. I… maybe I'm just overthinking it. And this isn't a goodbye, Julie. This is just me doing what we have to in order to stop Saren. I… I can sense that I need to be working with Shepard on this one. Just for this mission. I'm not trying to avoid the problems of moving in. As soon as we've dealt with Saren, I'm coming back to the _Aurora_. This ship is my home, and I don't want to be gone long."

The passion and heat in his voice did its magic. Julia didn't doubt his intention. "Promise me you're coming back?"

He grinned and nodded. "I'm coming back."

And with that, they hugged. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ beamed him back to the Citadel. Lifts brought him to the dock in question, not far from the C-Sec office where he and Lucy met Wrex. The _Normandy_ was waiting in her berth, held to it by circular magnetic clamps attached to what looked like wings or nacelles.

The _Normandy_ was small, in the same size category as the _Koenig_ , shaped almost like a 20th Century passenger jet aircraft with her long body and stabilizer fins. She looked like she was atmospheric, in fact. White was the primary hull color, with black along the side of the body and wings and thinners strip of red. The designation _SR-1_ on the wing was joined with the name written in white on the main black strip: _NORMANDY_ in block letters.

Anderson and Shepard were waiting for him, Anderson in his formal uniform and Shepard in the blue duty uniform of the Systems Alliance. Robert had opted to stay out of uniform this time; he was in his blue-colored Gersallian armor and a set of brown Gersallian field robes. "Captain, Commander." He walked up to them. "Seeing us off?"

"Yes." Anderson nodded. "She's got a good crew, Shepard. They'll treat you well."

"I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"Don't be. This is your mission, your time, not mine," Anderson insisted. "I don't have any regrets."

"They'll find you another ship, right?" Robert asked.

"In time, perhaps. But the truth is…" Anderson shook his head. "The damn truth is, I've been doing this for too long. _Normandy_ was probably going to be my final command as it was, and I'd either make admiral or find myself ashore. Well, the former isn't so likely now. But don't mind that." He faced Shepard again. "This is the mission you were born for, Commander. Go out there and make us proud."

"Yes sir," Shepard said. Her voice wavered slightly from emotion. Anderson was passing her the torch, and she recognized how much that meant.

He stepped away at that point, leaving Shepard with Robert. "Ready?" he asked.

Despite her feelings, there was no hesitation in her voice. "Yes."

"Permission to come aboard, Commander?"

"Granted." Shepard smiled and nodded. "Follow me."

They stepped into the _Normandy_ through the dock. They had to wait for a decontamination system to run its course before the airlock green-lit their entry. The ship's operating VI acknowledged their arrival. " _Commander Shepard is aboard. XO Pressly is relieved._ "

"You've never had to put up with that," Shepard remarked. "This way." She turned to her left, leading Robert into what was more of a cockpit than a control bridge. Alenko was seated in a side station beside the central one, where another figure was. Said occupant turned, revealing a Caucasian Human with a beard, in Systems Alliance duty blue with a baseball cap reading "SR-1". "Captain Robert Dale, this is Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, one of the best pilots in the Systems Alliance. We all call him Joker."

"Joker, then?" Robert nodded and offered a hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"I'll pass on the handshake," Joker said. "I've got Vrolik's Syndrome, brittle bone disease. I'd rather not have the broken hand. Had that happen from a handshake once and let me tell you, it's no fun at all."

Robert answered with a single nod and a reply. "I'd say not."

With the introduction finished, Shepard got down to business. "Joker, it's time to go. Get our final launch clearance."

"Aye Commander." Joker turned in his seat and began the procedure.

"All stations reporting in," said Alenko. "Everything is good to go."

"And the team?"

"Aboard and assigned to bunks." Alenko eyed Robert. "They don't use the same sleeping bunks in your Alliance, do they?"

"Not on the ships I've worked on," Robert admitted. "But I know what you're talking about. I'll be fine. Not much different from the sleeping bags when my Grandpa Robert and Uncle Jim would take us camping in the White Mountains."

"I thought you were from Kansas?" asked Shepard.

"Yeah, but my Mom's family is from Massachusetts," Robert replied. "We visited in the summer while I was growing up."

"We have final launch clearance," Joker said. "Ready to go."

"Take us out," Shepard ordered. "We're heading to the Traverse. We'll start our search in the Hades Gamma Cluster."

"Right. Docking clamps releasing…"

On the screen the Citadel dock receded. Robert felt a thrum through the deck as the _Normandy_ pulled out of the berth and turned to face the open space between the Citadel arms. They flew past the _Destiny Ascension_ and toward the _Aurora_ , already on her way to the Relay as well. He watched the ship, his home, grow large and then fall to the side.

It wasn't goodbye, not for good. He'd be back to her. Just as he promised.

* * *

The _Aurora_ command crew were at their bridge stations watching the holo-viewer as the _Normandy_ approached the Relay. The massive structure was lit up blue, a circle around its eezo core spinning about from the energies contained in the device. As the _Normandy_ came up beside the core energy in the form of lightning crackled, connecting the core to the _Normandy_. A corridor of massless space opened up and the _Normandy_ shot through it.

"I'm not sure I'll ever get tired of seeing that," Caterina confessed from the science station.

"It's certainly an interesting sight," Locarno agreed. He looked back at the others. "Do we have a final destination in mind?"

"There are a number of potential Prothean sites along the outer arm and the border space of the Traverse," Jarod noted. "I'm still waiting to hear from Asari authorities on where Dr. T'Soni reported she would be digging, but going by her prior reports and works, the Maroon Sea and Artemis Tau are our best choices."

"Then we'll start with the first cluster we can reach by relay and work out from there," Julia replied. "Mister Locarno, chart us a course through the relay system."

"Aye Captain."

"This will be quite the difficult mission," Meridina noted. "Saren Arterius is a skilled agent, and the Geth are a foe unlike any we have faced before."

"True." Julia nodded. Her expression hardened into a determined look. "But he's a threat to this galaxy, probably to the entire Multiverse. We have to stop him, and we're going to." She nodded at Locarno. "Helm, take us out, best speed."

"Aye aye, ma'am," Locarno answered, directing to the _Aurora_ toward the Widow Mass Relay.

* * *

The video played again at the touch of a key. In the darkness of his command room, Saren Arterius watched the Council declare him a renegade. He watched as they yet again yielded to the impertinence of the Humans. As they elevated a Human to the same status they had just stripped from him.

Fools. They had no idea what was coming.

For all he had done for them, all he was yet doing to save the galaxy, that he was to be repaid like this, to be condemned to be hunted down like a varren by the Humans of this universe and the others… it was too much. Saren let out a shout of rage and slammed his hand on the controls hard enough to smash them. The image blinked out.

"Our agents on the Citadel have confirmed that Shepard has departed," said Matriarch Benezia, in a calm, level tone. As if she had not just been denounced herself. "It will be difficult to track the _Normandy_ due to its stealth systems. However, the _Aurora_ will be far easier to locate. Shall we order the Geth to pursue and destroy her?"

Saren was ready to say yes. He remembered the last failed attempt to eliminate the Alliance vessel. If they were assigned to the hunt, so much the better. Get rid of the _Aurora_ and he could focus on Shepard…

" _No_."

The voice sounded in Saren's brain more than anything, a droning replete with ancient power. The voice of Sovereign, his ship, the vanguard of the Reapers and their invasion of the galaxy.

" _While the removal of the Darglan vessel at an early stage would have been a benefit, now it is of little consequence_ ," Sovereign stated. " _The Geth are better employed to finishing the work necessary to locate the Conduit. Nothing must interfere with that task, not even an attack upon our enemies._ "

"If we do not stop them first, they will interfere," Saren pointed out. "We should attack first. Draw Shepard out and destroy her and all of her allies, keep them from-..."

Before he could finish, Sovereign's voice thundered once more. " _You will do as I instruct, Saren, if you wish your species to survive the coming cycle!_ "

Saren silenced himself. That was, indeed, the entire point of his actions. The Turians, the Citadel Council they upheld… he had to save them. He had to prove they could serve!

" _Let Shepard and the inheritors of the Darglan do as they please, it matters nothing_ ," Sovereign continued. " _They are too late to stop you from locating the Conduit, Saren. Concentrate upon that task and that task alone. Once the cycle begins, you will not regret proving your worth._ "

"Yes, Sovereign," Saren answered quietly. "It will be as you have said. The Conduit will be ours. The door will be opened. The cycle…" For a moment, just a moment, Saren stopped himself, as if he couldn't quite finish what he was thinking. But the thought finally, inevitably came. "...the cycle will be fulfilled."

" _And your species spared, as no others shall be, so long as you serve_ ," Sovereign finished for him, even as it continued its quiet course through the stars.


	47. Episode 3-09-1 A Race Through Ruin

**Teaser**

 _Personal Log: Robert Dale; 8 June 2643 AST. We're in our fourth week in the search for the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius. So far, our leads have all turned up empty. As things stand, we may have to wait until he makes a move, as much as I hate giving him any initiative. Maybe we or the others will get lucky and find something relevant before he strikes again._

Robert looked up from his digital pad and considered his surroundings. The lighting on the _Normandy_ seemed dull compared to the _Aurora_. The low lighting made the walls navy blue in color. The surface of the floor was metallic hull plate, no carpeting or padding, so the blue meditation pad that _Mastrash_ Kilaba had gifted him when he left Umintamil was kept rolled up along the wall. He would meditate later, but right now he wanted to continue his log.

 _Adjusting to life on the_ Normandy _is a continuing process for me. It's a small ship, with a lot of space reserved for the ship's operating machinery. Doctor Chakwas continues to let me have access to her lab storage unit for personal space and meditation. I find the privacy necessary for the process._

 _Over the last month I've spent whatever available time I've found between missions to get to know some of the others on the team and crew. Due to my use of her lab, I have often conversed with Doctor Chakwas, for whom the_ Normandy _is just the latest in a long series of postings in the Systems Alliance Navy. Her only time in a planetside posting these past few years was at New Brittany in S4W8 after its first liberation. Her stories of her experiences there match up with those Leo shared._

Robert stopped for a moment. New Brittany, and the Retzoff concentration camp the Nazi SS had run near the planetary capital, was a particularly dark memory from his time as _Aurora_ 's captain. After several moments of considering that, he continued.

 _The ship's main helmsman, Joker, is a wit for certain, and he reminds me of Tom at times. I have to admit I did get tired of his mockery over my need to meditation. Not that I have to put up with it anymore. I seem to have convinced him that I am something of a living reactor and will explode if I don't meditate regularly, and since then I have not heard one mocking 'Ommmmm' from him._

 _The rest of the team are an interesting set of individuals. Garrus Vakarian, the C-Sec officer, talks at length about his father's distrust of the Spectres. Garrus himself seems more frustrated with his father's attitude and the bureaucratic nature of C-Sec. Looking back, Garrus would have been quite a good fit into the Facility crews back in the day. His complaints sound little different than the ones I've heard from Angel and Tom about how things have changed since we founded the Alliance._

 _I have to say I'm still a little surprised Shepard let Urdnot Wrex join the crew. His execution of Fist was uncalled for, contracts be damned. He's obviously a good fighter and a strong biotic, so he's certainly got a role on the team, but the way he shot Fist… and yet Lucy still seemed to be understanding of him last time I spoke to her. I know his switching sides at Tira was instrumental to preventing the genocide of the Dilgar, and maybe I'm being too harsh to him… I may have to meditate on this. As strange as it feels to replace "think" with "meditate", which demonstrates how my life has changed over the last couple of years._

At that moment Robert decided he didn't want to dwell on Wrex any longer. When it came down to it, this was Shepard's ship. Shepard's team. He was here by her invitation and that meant he was obligated to show trust in her decisions. Given his prior experiences with Commander Shepard, training with her, fighting side-by-side on Gamma Piratus… she deserved that faith. He continued on.

 _Tali'Zorah nar_ Rayya _is another familiar face. So to speak. Tom sang her praises after that affair with the Batarian attack on the_ Aurora _and I can see why. Engineer Adams seems ready to induct her into the engineering staff officially. His reaction is a bit of an outlier, unfortunately. Some of the_ Normandy _crew seem to be unhappy with her presence, or her constant presence in the engine room. I overheard Pressly complaining to Shepard that she was a 'security risk'. The Normandy is a state-of-the-art stealth frigate for the Systems Alliance Navy and he felt letting Tali, or any of the aliens, have easy access to her workings was inappropriate_. _Shepard didn't dress him down like I thought she might, but I have to say she's very good at dealing with her crew's disagreements with her decisions without caving in to them. If I must be honest, Shepard, like Julia, is better suited for starship command than I was._

Robert stopped at the moment and thought about what he'd just recorded. Almost two years ago, Jean-Luc Picard - himself an experienced starship captain - told Robert he considered Robert a promising captain. Was Picard wrong to think that way? Was he mistaken? Or was it a case that Robert had the capability to be one, if he actually devoted himself to it? He remembered when Maran asked him to command a ship in the new Alliance fleet with much the same argument; that he was a promising commander, and the Alliance could use him. _Maybe it just comes down to my choice taking me away from that path_ , Robert thought to himself. As that thought crossed his mind, his memory recalled another voice, that of the Doctor's TARDIS. _If you do this, your life will end_.

Before Robert could continue those thoughts, or his log, a tone came over the ship P.A. " _This is Commander Shepard. All team members, report to the conference room immediately._ "

Robert locked his digital reader and set it aside. It was time to see if they'd found any more traces of Saren.

* * *

The uppermost deck of the _Normandy_ was taken up by various control stations, with the cockpit far to the front at the ship's bow and the Captain's station at the rear, just in front of a division wall bearing the ship's name. To either side were the doorways leading to the stairs down to the second deck, where the living spaces and infirmary were located, while behind the division wall was the door to the conference room.

Said conference room was now occupied by Commander Shepard and the team she assembled. The aliens Robert had been mentioning in his log were already on hand, as were those team members he'd yet to comment on: technical specialist and biotic Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko and Marine infantrywoman Gunnery Sergeant Ashley Williams, sole survivor of the Geth massacre of her unit on Eden Prime.

"We've still got nothing on Saren sightings for the last six days," Shepard said upon their assembly. "And nothing from the Geth cores we've recovered in our last operations."

"It looks like the Geth may have figured out how I recovered the recording of Saren from the last core," Tali elaborated. "I can't get recoverable data from them anymore."

"We could transmit it back to the _Aurora_ ," Robert offered. "Jarod and Cat might be able to find something."

Shepard nodded. "I'll have Tali send all recovered data to you. Now, we do have one item of possible interest to consider. There's been increased activity at the Binary Helix labs on Noveria. The Citadel Council's had forensic accountants going over the company's books. Saren and Benezia have been funneling a lot of credits into the labs, enough to show they've got a major project of some sort that we know nothing of. Given the timing of the payments, though, we can be sure it involves their hunt for the Conduit."

"Getting Noveria's authorities to let us into that lab won't be easy," Garrus pointed out. "They're big on privacy there."

"Still, they're not completely independent," Robert said. "If they thought they were facing a direct Alliance and Citadel investigation into their businesses they might decide cooperation is safer for their other clients. Especially with Saren tied to Binary Helix, and through Helix to them."

"If we have nothing else to consider, Noveria sounds like our best bet," Shepard said. "Anyone have anything to add?" When there was no answer she stood from her chair. "Then I'll go let Joker know about our new destination. We'll meet again when we arrive at Noveria. You're all dismissed." 

**Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"A Race Through Ruin"_**

After the meeting Robert went down to the armory. While the gear was almost entirely M4P2-made mass effect weapons and gear, he'd set aside a section for his personal armor, a set of Gersallian combat robes in brown color, and a rack of standard model pulse pistols.

He sat on the bench and began checking his weapons. Since they were directed energy firearms, there was no need to be concerned with the kind of problems a chemical-propellant firearm, or even a mass effect one, might have. But these weapons had their own maintenance needs. Capacitors had to be checked to ensure they could hold the necessary charges, the firing chamber had to be calibrated, the charge clip loading area checked for any buildups of dust or material that could impede transferring the charges to the gun proper.

Robert was halfway through the check procedure on the second gun when he noticed he wasn't alone. The next bench over was occupied by Ashley. She was in the middle of disassembling the M7 Lancer assault rifle in her personal kit. The weapon had its own unique look with the slope formed in the gun's body above the barrel, giving it a curved, circular look.

For a moment it looked like Ashley hadn't even noticed Robert. It was only after he returned to work that she asked, "Why the robes?"

Robert looked up. She was looking his way now. "They were a gift," he said. "From _Mastrash_ Kilaba, the abbess of the Umintamil monastery on Gersal. It was her way of congratulating me for finally gaining enough mastery over my augmented _swevyra_ powers that I could go back out into the Multiverse safely."

" _Swev_ -what?"

"My pronunciation of it sucks, even now," Robert mumbled. He cleared his throat. "The word has no proper translation into English, or German, or any other Human language I'm familiar with. It roughly translates as 'life force energy connected to all things'."

"Sounds like a bunch of alien mysticism."

There was something dismissive in her tone. Robert, for the moment, ignored it. "It can. But I've felt the truth in it. Some truth, anyway. There is an… energy, a force if you will, connecting all living things. Binding us together in a great flow of Life. It's what the Gersallians call it, actually. The Flow of Life. They just don't understand everything about it. I spent my time debating with them if the Flow itself had a guiding thought to it, an intelligence or being you might say."

"God," Ashley said. "That's what it sounds like you're talking about."

Robert nodded once. "It could be the Almighty, I guess. He, or it, or whatever… it spoke to me. In the form and voice of my grandfather. The force shielded my mind from the effects of the Time Vortex, it saved my life."

"That's…" For a moment Ashley seemed at a loss for words. Robert sensed her incredulity. "I've heard a lot about these aliens wielding powers. I'm a little frightened by it, actually. They have enough advantages over Humanity. But if you… are you sure what it was?"

"I'm not sure of the specifics, no," Robert replied. "It was a presence in the Flow of Life, a guiding Force, but it never gave me a name. Just a sense of its existence, and that there was far more to this than I or even the oldest Gersallian masters understand."

"That sounds like what God should be." A distant look came to her eye. "Greater than anything we can think of."

Robert nodded in agreement. He didn't feel it necessary to say anything. But he did have a question. "You said you were worried about aliens having these abilities. I get the feeling you're not happy with having non-Humans aboard."

"Well, Tali's not a concern. The Quarians aren't a threat to Humanity. I'd almost say they're a warning of what can happen to us if we rely on the Council too much." Ashley glanced over to where Garrus was leaning against the ship's ATV, an M-35 Mako vehicle. "But the Turians? And that Krogan? I don't like the idea that they get to move freely around the most advanced ship in the Systems Alliance. They can learn things that might hurt us."

Robert considered Ashley for a moment. He'd been around bigots before. He could remember the toxic nature of blind hate and fear. He remembered the taint of it on Admiral Davies and his aide. But he didn't sense that here, at least nowhere near to that level that disgusted him still. There was perhaps a level of fear, of worry anyway, and firm pride, but no hate.

And yet… and yet he still got a whiff of it, of the mistrust and paranoia he'd felt in Davies. This was a woman who, with the wrong stimulus, could become just as bad.

"I know I can't speak for the experiences of Mankind in this universe," he said, "but I've seen other universes that confirm for me that relations between Humans and other species doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. The Alliance has four species as full members right now."

"But aren't the aliens a minority?"

"There's no majority in the Alliance, actually," Robert said. "In individual states, yes, because the Gersallians, Dorei, and Alakins each have a unified government. But population-wise, Humanity only has a plurality of the Alliance population. So the Alliance is a truly multi-species…"

Robert was interrupted by the sudden sound of the ship's klaxon. Someone, likely Shepard, had the _Normandy_ going on combat alert. Without a pause Ashley began putting her rifle back together. Robert set the pistol he'd been working on back on the work table, to finish later, before activating his omnitool. He tapped the blue light controls of the holographic light over his left forearm and brought up communications. "Dale to Shepard. Is everything okay?"

" _We just picked up a distress signal from the colony on Feros,_ " said Shepard. " _They're being attacked by Geth. We're on our way to give whatever help we can._ "

"Right. Dale out." Without wasting a moment, Robert worked to get the pistol back in working order. The _Normandy_ might be needing it soon enough.

* * *

The _Normandy_ 's arrival in the Theseus system went unnoticed on any sensors there. "Heat sinks are still showing green," said Joker. "Looks like they're clueless that we've shown up."

"What do we have, Kaidan?" Shepard asked.

"There aren't any Geth ships in orbit that I can see. The colony's automated distress signal is still transmitting."

"Take us in," Shepard instructed. She turned to Robert and nodded once.

He returned it. Together they left the cockpit area, headed for the armory. 

* * *

The _Normandy_ descended through the atmosphere, Theseus illuminating the sight of the many old Prothean skyscrapers that dotted the planet. The ship approached one of these in particular, where berths for ships had been built - or re-purposed? - to support the Feros colony.

An automated signal controlled by the ship triggered the docking system to grip the _Normandy_. An airlock swiveled into place to connect to _Normandy_ 's primary upper airlock on the command deck. When the door opened Shepard stepped out, in full combat gear. Ashley Williams and Garrus followed her, Robert and Tali behind them, and Wrex and Kaidan in the rear.

The attack began the moment they stepped from the walkway to the airlock onto the area around the dock. Robert was familiar with the humanoid-form Geth platforms that acted as their main troops. Their weapons fired specialized rounds that converted to plasma. The weapons fire sent everyone to cover.

But just for a moment. While Ashley and Garrus provided cover fire with their assault rifles, Shepard stood up and advanced in a blast of biotic energy. The impact disabled one of the Geth platforms. Her shotgun blasted through another, sending fluid and debris flying from the impact point.

Robert noticed another Geth, further down, taking aim. He reached out through the Flow of Life, willing the weapon of the Geth platform to rise. The Geth's shots missed Shepard completely. Her return fire, in turn, shattered the Geth's head, shattering the flashlight-like viewing aperture.

"Wrex, Kaidan, you're on guard duty," Shepard ordered. "Nothing enters the _Normandy_ without my say-so."

"Roger that," Kaidan answered. Wrex affirmed the order with a grunt.

"Alright everyone, let's clear a path." With that order, Shepard continued on, shotgun raised and ready. The others followed with weapons similarly readied.

The resulting firefights with the Geth were short, violent affairs, each laden with danger. One shot nearly went through Tali's personal shield in a way to ensure a likely-fatal suit puncture. Another brought Garrus' kinetic barrier to collapse. Robert himself endured several close calls, even with the foresight provided by his abilities.

One by one, the units of Geth fell to their gunfire, aided by Shepard and Robert using their respective talents.

They approached the entrance to the colony… and promptly took cover from the fire of the residents. Once the shooting stopped Shepard shouted, "This is Commander Shepard, Systems Alliance Navy! Hold your fire! We're here to help!"

A woman's voice cried, " _Come out where we can see you!_ "

Shepard immediately rose from cover, her weapon lowered, and stepped out into the sunlight. "Well?" Shepard asked expectantly.

From his place in cover, Robert sensed relief in the armed woman. Relief and… fear? There was a nebulous feeling of fear around him, fear and despair.

"I'm Greta Reynolds," the woman said. She lowered her assault rifle. "I'm sorry for shooting at you, but the Geth have been attacking us ever since they overran ExoGeni's HQ. We're all a little fast on the trigger."

"No harm done," Shepard said.

By this point the others emerged from cover. "We're here to investigate the Geth attack," Shepard explained. "Is there a way to get to ExoGeni's headquarters?"

"The skyway should still be intact, but it's filled with Geth," Reynolds replied. "But before you go… would you mind helping us? Our power systems are almost drained, we're low on food, and our water supply's been shut down. We can't hold out much longer."

Shepard looked back to the others. "The longer we stay here, the more time the Geth have to finish whatever they're doing and leave," Garrus pointed out.

"Still, we can't just leave them without helping," Tali countered.

"I agree." Ashley nodded. "It's not going to do us any good to get to the HQ if the Geth overrun our fallback position here."

Shepard looked to Robert next. He remained quiet, considering the choice. As he did so, he continued to feel something odd. The fear and despair, an edge off resignation… was it just the Geth attack and the colony's plight? He wasn't sure. Given the needs of the moment, he finally nodded. "We should help them."

Even as he said those words, Robert could sense Shepard had already made her decision and was awaiting the recommendations of her team to implement it. She turned her head to Greta Reynolds and nodded. "Alright, you've got some help. What do you need done?"

"I'll have someone show you to the access way for the aqueducts," Greta said. "You may be able to find power supplies in our backup stocks as well."

"And food?"

"There are wild varren packs…"

"Garrus and I will handle those." Shepard turned next to Tali. "Tali, I want you to get the water supply running, and check those stockpiles for any batteries or other supplies the colonists can use. Ashley, Robert, go with her and watch her back."

"Yes ma'am," Ashley answered. Robert let her reply stand for him too.

Another colonist, a Mary O'Donnell, was summoned to take them to the aqueduct system. Robert sensed the same thing in Mary as in Greta, indeed as it was in everyone here. There was a nebulous sense around him, that something was not quite right…

"It must be different for you," he heard Tali saying. He realized she was speaking to him. "Not being captain of a ship anymore."

"It is," he agreed.

"I wonder how they're doing?" Tali asked. "I never got to speak with Tom when we were on the Citadel. Everything was happening so fast…"

"I'm sure he's doing fine. They're all doing fine." Robert allowed himself a wistful smile. "If we're lucky, maybe they already know where Saren is and they're on the way to blow him to atoms."

"Ha!" laughed Ashley, not hiding her amusement at the completely unlikely scenario.

Robert allowed himself a chuckle in reply, but his thoughts couldn't help but wander to the issue of how the others were doing...

* * *

Among the stars of the Artemis Tau cluster, the _Starship Aurora_ continued her voyage at relative ease. A kilometer long and over three hundred meters wide, the advanced starship represented the pinnacle of starship design for much of the Multiverse. Her four warp nacelles, arranged in a flat X centered around the drive hull, thrummed with energy. With ease they maintained the warp field that kept the ship and its two thousand crew and residents moving along at Warp 9.2.

The _Aurora_ 's captain, Julia Andreys, was not watching the sight of colored streaks that was the usual visual effect of being inside a warp field. Her focus was on the display monitor for her ready office computer. Said monitor was displaying a caller, an Asari. Doctor Umari Lasana had a dark blue complexion and a fine, thin-cheeked face. Her shoulders were covered with a lavender material. " _Captain, I thank you for your patience_ ," she said in translated English. " _The University of Serrice is hosting a Multiversal conference on xenoarchaeology currently. I'm afraid we're quite busy here in Serrice._ "

"I understand you have a lot to do, Doctor," Julia replied diplomatically. "Has there been any follow up on my requested information?" She kept any hint of frustration out of her voice for the weeks of effort she'd spent dealing with Asari academics and bureaucrats being troublesome over her attempts to find Doctor T'Soni. Most of those she'd dealt with seemed more worried about being associated with Benezia's daughter than her location. It took a lot of inquiry to finally track down Lasana.

The Asari professor checked something off-screen. She let out a little sigh. " _Ah. Doctor T'Soni_." Her expression betrayed what Julia thought to be sadness. " _She was one of my best students. Utterly determined to become an archaeologist, in defiance to her mother Matriarch Benezia too I'll add. Her doctoral thesis on the differing natures of Prothean ruins across the galaxy was one of the best I ever read._ "

"But…?"

" _She became sidetracked by… well, Captain, this is delving into academic politics here on Thessia… how familiar are you with the Protheans?_ "

"I know they existed fifty thousand years ago," said Julia. "And they are supposed to have built the Citadel and the Mass Relays." It took some will to keep her impatience from her voice.

" _That is the generally-held belief, yes. The greatest question in the galaxy has always been 'What happened to the Protheans?' We have never found their homeworld and there have been no traces of their remains. We only know of their existence from their ruins, in fact. So there are many theories on their disappearance, ranging from a mass exodus to another galaxy to a plague that destroyed their biological remains in some fashion. One of the… less credible theories is the Reaper theory, which argues the Protheans were exterminated by an unknown force at the height of their empire._ "

 _Which is what the Eden Prime beacon seems to indicate._ "Much like how the Adranians were wiped out a quarter of a million years ago," Julia noted.

" _I have read some of the papers from that investigation and find the theory insufficiently proven… but yes._ " Doctor Lasana nodded. " _And Doctor T'Soni has become a devoted adherent to the Reaper theory. She has argued in many of her papers for the theory's acceptance, citing evidence and observations from her dig sites._ "

"But you don't agree," Julia said.

" _I have to admit some of her arguments make sense, logically speaking, but the theory's greatest weakness remains. We have no sign of such an eradicating force. No ruins. No debris from battles between the Protheans and their destroyers. There is absolutely no proof that you would expect to find from a galaxy-spanning war. The theory expects us to just accept as an article of faith that these ancient destroyers cleaned up all indications of their presence and the Protheans' remains, but left their ruins intact for us to find. It's… unfathomable._ "

 _And yet probably true_. Julia didn't say so out loud. Instead she asked, "I've heard about Reapers being responsible. Given what happened to the Adranians…"

" _They are just a legend, Captain, nothing more. And Doctor T'Soni has damaged her reputation trying to prove otherwise. That's what she's up to out there, trying to find the proof for the existence of the Reapers._ "

"Do you know where she is?" Julia asked. "It's imperative I meet and speak too her."

" _Hrm… I suppose she could be on Therum. The Prothean ruins there are still being explored, the ones that the miners haven't ruined anyway._ " Lasana glowered. " _It's been difficult to get approval to dig at sites from all of the hunting for heavy metals._ "

"Where is Therum?"

" _The Knossos System on your charts. In the Artemis Tau cluster near the Galactic rim. It is the second planet. The Systems Alliance annexed the world years ago to build mining and industrial facilities to process the heavy metals that are plentiful on the planet. It's a very important world for Human mining efforts, I'm told the planet's resources are directly supporting the expansion of industry in the Human core worlds._ " Lasana frowned again. " _Unfortunately it's made exploring the Prothean ruins on the world difficult. The mining corporations are dragging academic organizations through the Citadel courts in our efforts to protect Prothean ruin sites. They're more interested in the mineral wealth than the prospect of new discoveries. For someone looking for evidence of the Reapers like Doctor T'Soni is, the untouched ruins there can't be overlooked._ "

Julia nodded in reply. "We'll investigate it immediately. Thank you."

" _You are welcome. I am always pleased to ensure our friendship with other species…_ " A look came to her face. " _She's not in any trouble, is she?_ "

"Maybe, maybe not. She may need our protection."

" _I hope it all goes well, Captain._ " Doctor Lasana said. " _Whatever her errors of academic judgement, Doctor T'Soni is a good archaeologist, and once she gets over this flight of maiden fancy she'll be a credit to the field of Prothean researchers. I'd hate to see anything happen to her._ "

"That's what I'm here to prevent," Julia said. "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor Lasana."

" _You are quite welcome, Captain Andreys. Good day._ " The Asari disappeared a moment before Julia could close the line herself.

Julia tapped a key. "Andreys to Bridge."

" _Go ahead_ ," replied Locarno, currently sitting a bridge watch.

"Change our course, we're heading for the Knossos System, Warp 9.6. We may find our subject of interest on the second planet, Therum."

" _Aye Captain. We'll change course immediately._ "

"I'll be out shortly. Andreys out." Julia returned her attention to the daily reports that were part of running her ship. She amused herself with the thought of how much Robert hated this part of the job. _I wonder how he's doing with the_ Normandy _crew_ , she thought even as another report came across her screen. _At least he won't be able to complain about the paperwork._

* * *

Between fighting Geth and restoring the water lines, it was hours before the entirety of Shepard's team was assembled again. If anything the time proved that the worry about the Geth leaving before they got to the HQ was erroneous - the Geth seemed more interested in attacking Zhu's Hope. "We are very grateful for your assistance, Commander," said Fai Dan, the head of the colony. He looked completely relieved, although Robert felt lingering discomfort in him. "Thanks to you we can hold out for days should the Geth return."

"It would be nice to know why the Geth are so insistent on overrunning your colony," Garrus said. "If they have ExoGeni's headquarters, what can they get from you? What does Saren want with Zhu's Hope?"

"I… I'm not sure," Fai Dan said. Even as he spoke, Robert thought he felt something wrong with the man. He couldn't get a feel for what was making Fai Dan fear so much.

"Maybe we'll find out when we get to the HQ," Shepard answered. "Do you have any vehicles to travel the skyway?"

"Yes. One of the Mako vehicles that ExoGeni bought for security… it should be in the garage above us," Fai Dan confirmed.

"Well, at least we'll be armed," Ashley observed.

"Right." Shepard turned to Garrus. "Garrus, head back to the _Normandy_. If the Geth hit Zhu's Hope again, it'll be up to you, Kaiden, and Wrex to help out."

"Understood."

As he walked away, Shepard turned to the exit Fai Dan indicated. "Let's go." She brought her shotgun to a ready position and entered the doorway leading to the elevators. The others followed, Ashley's assault rifle up. Tali was busy monitoring things with her omnitool.

As they walked away, Robert considered the feeling around him. The more he thought about it, the more he felt there was a presence of sorts in the colony. Near it, maybe. He couldn't be sure, though. Indeed he wondered if it was just the result of the foreboding feeling he got from the colonists.

"Are you okay?" he heard Ashley ask. She was looking to him, her eyes visible through the visor off her combat helmet.

"I'm… I think. I just feel like there's something else here. But I can't be sure."

"Well, that's reassuring," Tali muttered.

"Eyes sharp, people." Shepard glanced back once. "We've got other things to worry about right now."

Robert nodded and kept further thoughts to himself for the moment. The Geth were the main worry right now.

* * *

Again Julia's computer screen displayed an incoming comm call. This time, however, the image showed the familiar visage of Admiral Maran, in his office in Defense Command on the north bank of the Columbia River. Through the window behind him the skyline off 27th Century Portland was visible. " _We've finished redeployment of the Seventh Fleet to Adrana to protect Alliance space from any further Geth incursions. The Seventh's dreadnoughts have been reassigned, of course._ "

Julia nodded. Not only would they still be needed at the front, but under the Treaty of Farixen with the Citadel Council races the Allied Systems were only allowed to deploy six dreadnoughts in the M4P2 Universe during local peacetime conditions. The Geth threat was unlikely to lead to the Citadel accepting a finding of wartime exemption.

" _Every colony in our Alliance and the Systems Alliance is still under alert for the Geth,_ " Maran continued. " _Alliance Intelligence has been searching for Saren's base of operations in coordination with Citadel elements, particularly the Salarians' Special Tasks Group. Two of their Regiments are currently prowling the region for signs of Saren. But our leads are few. Saren was ready for this outcome._ "

"Given his reputation, I'm not surprised," Julia noted. "But taking the Seventh Fleet off of the front, isn't that setting back our operations?"

" _Yes. But it can't be avoided. And in the long run it is not a severe setback to our plans. The Fifteenth Fleet's activation is nearly complete and we have the ships gathered for it. While it may cause some trouble in the rear areas from our need to re-assign ships, we'll have all of the vessels we need to hit Earth in about six weeks' time._ "

"I hope we have Saren by then so we can join the fleet," Julia said.

" _If at all possible, I want you there, Captain. The_ Aurora _has fought the Reich often enough, and we know the SS have a particular interest in your ship. Having you join the attack on Earth will send a nice message._ " Maran looked off screen for a moment. " _Warmaster Shai'jhur is calling, and I have some issues to discuss with her. Keep me informed of your operations, Captain. Maran out._ "

He disappeared from the screen. Julia checked her final bits of paperwork and prepared to finish them… just for the comm system to chime. " _Bridge to Captain Andreys_." This time Meridina was speaking. " _We are preparing to drop out of warp at Therum. Sensors are detecting a Geth ship in orbit._ "

Julia stood immediately. "I'm on my way. Go to Code Red status."

" _Yes Captain._ "

By the time Julia reached the door to the bridge, the ship's alert klaxons were blaring.


	48. Episode 3-09-2 A Race Through Ruin

On the _Aurora_ bridge the command crew were all at their stations. Jarod was at Ops, Locarno beside him at the helm. The Delgado sisters Caterina and Angela were at their respective stations, science and tactical, with Tom Barnes seated in front of Caterina at Engineering and Meridina moving over to the First Officer's chair when Julia stepped onto the bridge. The klaxons had ceased, but the ship's running lights were shifted entirely to red. Across her kilometer-long hull the two thousand crew of the ship were moving to their battle stations due to those red lights.

Julia lowered herself into the central chair and secured her safety harness. "What's our status?"

"Coming out of warp in ten seconds," Locarno answered.

There was no need for a countdown. Julia waited the ten seconds until the ship's warp drive disengaged. The holo-viewscreen came online at Jarod's command, presenting the image of a planet with red streams of lava covering part of the otherwise reddish-brown surface. A single Geth warship was still in orbit, shaped like a wingless dragonfly. The insect like ship turned away from the planet.

"I'm picking up a power surge. Their FTL drive system is activating."

On the screen the Geth ship suddenly disappeared, shooting away in the blink of an eye.

"Bring us into orbit," Julia ordered. "Stand down from Code Red, make our status Yellow."

"Yes Captain," Meridina answered. Across the bridge everyone removed their harnesses, allowing them freer movement.

"Scan the planet. We're looking for a Prothean dig site where an Asari is present. There may be more than one."

Caterina immediately reacted to Julia's command. "I'm running the scan now." Cat looked over her readings. "I'm getting something in the northern hemisphere, the other side of the planet from the Human colony. An active power source is showing in what looks like an underground dig site… I can't get life sign readings though, there's an energy field interfering with the sensor returns." After double-checking something Cat turned to Julia and nodded. "And there are Geth there. A whole bunch of 'em, including a very big one."

"Lieutenant, can you relay those to me?" asked Jarod.

Caterina nodded at Jarod and did so. He looked over her readings and shook his head. "That energy field is going to make transporting down to the site difficult. We may need to beam down about two kilometers or so from the site."

"What about landing with runabouts?"

"Even with shields, the Geth have heavy weapons that might damage them, I wouldn't recommend sending any down until we've neutralized the Geth," Jarod answered.

"That means fighting through all of those Geth," Julia noted. "Could we have Laurent's fighters move in first and hit them with airstrikes? Or use our light weapons for orbital bombardment?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Jarod replied. "Even with precision weaponry, they might cause damage to the entrance tunnel."

"So it's the Marines after all." Julia turned to Meridina. "Tell Major Anders I want a full Marine strike team deployed, heavy units included. And let Lucy know she's joining them. Make sure they know about the atmospheric conditions and temperature."

Meridina nodded. "I am relaying the order now."

"And inform Commander Atreiad I want the _Koenig_ ready for launch within the hour." After Meridina nodded in acknowledgement, Julia turned her attention to Caterina. "Lieutenant, I want regular long range sensor sweeps," she said. "The Geth may be back with reinforcements, and I'm not letting them catch us by surprise."

"Yes ma'am," Cat answered. "And may I join the mission to the site once it's secure? There's a lot we might learn about the Protheans down there, maybe even something relevant to whatever Saren's trying to do."

Julia considered the idea, noting the concerned look on Angel's face. Still, Cat was the right person for the job, especially given the importance of the site. So she nodded. "Alright. Go put your team together, Lieutenant, and pick a runabout."

"Yes ma'am," Cat replied, slipping out of her chair in favor of one of the standby officers.

Julia returned to her seat and to her primary job at this point, possibly the hardest job on all the ship.

Waiting. 

* * *

Only a single Geth scout patrol interrupted Shepard's team on the way to the lift, one easily dispatched. Once it was defeated the four took the lift up to the garage for Zhu's Hope. The Geth clearly had little concern for the vehicles present, most of which were unarmed civilian craft that would be death traps on the way to ExoGeni HQ. Alone among them was a M-35 Mako, a literal copy of the one still in _Normandy_ 's cargo bay.

Shepard triggered the vehicle to open with her military ID code. The engine came to life within it, as did all of the control screens and surfaces inside. Right inside the door was a driver's seat flanked by a gunner's seat with controls for the turreted guns of the ATV. Robert, more by habit than desire, slipped into said seat while Shepard took the driver's seat. Ashley and Tali took seats in the rear. "Ma'am, with all due respect, maybe I should drive," Ashley said. "I got top marks on the range."

"Commander's prerogative, Sergeant," Shepard answered.

"Oh dear," Tali said. "It's a good thing I updated my suit's motion sickness mods since Klensal."

Shepard frowned toward the Quarian as she slipped into one of the seats. Tali ignored the frown and pulled the protective harness down to hold her in the seat. Ashley took up the one across the way, giving each plenty of room given the vacant seats to each side.

Robert, who hadn't gone down on the scouting mission to Klensal, glanced briefly toward Shepard. Shepard's green eyes met his and narrowed. "Not you too," she grumbled. "Perhaps you'd like to drive?"

"Well, now that you mention…"

Before he could finish Shepard's foot slammed on the throttle pedal. The Mako leapt forward and Robert was thrown back into his seat. The shock of the sudden movement took his breath away for a moment and kept him from finishing the sentence.

Ahead the door of the garage automatically opened. The Mako was going so fast that it zipped through only a second after the garage opened high enough for the vehicle to have sufficient clearance to exit. The bright sunlight of Feros shined down on the skyway, a literal mid-air highway linking the tower where Zhu's Hope was located to another in the distance.

Robert glanced over to Shepard. "You did that on purpose," he accused.

"Yep," she confirmed.

"And you wonder why people are worried about your driving." He eyed the edge of the skyway. Even though it was curved upward to a lip along the edge, it wouldn't take much for the Mako to go over said lip and off the edge to a long, very long, very _fatal_ plummet to the rubble-laden ground below. "Especially since we're what, a kilometer above the ground?"

"Kilometer and a half, easy," she replied, her eyes still focused forward. "And you've got bigger things to worry about."

Robert felt the danger even as his head turned to face it. A massive four-legged Geth platform was standing behind a line of bipedal Geth platforms. Each brought up a rocket launcher.

"You're in the gunner's seat, Robert," Shepard reminded him. "Taking them out is your job."

Robert looked down at the controls. "Right," he said, while gripping at the joystick that controlled the turret. He reached up and pulled the gunnery camera down to eye level, showing him a view of the enemy troops from the gun-camera mounted on the turret. With his right hand operating the control joystick, his left hand was free to control the camera, letting him zoom in and out and bring up the distance, displayed in meters counting down on the screen.

"Thumb trigger is for the machine gun," Ashley said behind him. "The index trigger controls the 155 millimeter main gun."

"Both mass effect?"

"Yeah. Composition is good for both armor penetration or area effect."

"Right."

By this point the first rocket was already in the air, flying toward them so quickly Robert was sure it'd hit. But Shepard's driving was precise, swinging them just out of line of the rocket and leaving it to fly past. Robert brought the crosshairs over the center point of the four rocket-armed Geth and pulled the index trigger. The main cannon thundered. A plume of flame erupted from the midst of the Geth, blasting the two closest to it into clouds of flaming debris and sending the other two flying like rag dolls.

"Main gun has a safety lock to keep it cool," Ashley added, as if just remembering the point. "You can only fire it every four or five seconds."

With that in mind Robert put the crosshairs on the big four-legged Geth. His thumb pressed down. The machine gun attached to the main turret sent a spray of hyper-accelerated alloy metal, no piece larger than a grain of rice, into the big armored Geth. A kinetic barrier absorbed the shots with decreasing effectiveness.

Then the Geth fired a bolt of plasma that shot down the skyway at them. Shepard turned slightly to evade, preventing a direct hit, but the plasma impacted against the rear edge of the Mako's side. There was a slight tremor in the vehicle. "Looks like the barrier held," Tali noted, watching the action from her seat.

"I don't exactly have a lot of room to maneuver," Shepard warned. "Take that thing down."

Robert was already releasing the thumb trigger, given the heat warning for the machine gun was near the maximum level. The main gun was ready to fire again, though, and he put the crosshairs right on the Geth's torso and squeezed the trigger. The round from the 155 gun slammed into the kinetic barrier and through it, smashing into the silver surface of the four-legged machine. Again Robert triggered the machine gun and this time watched the Geth's body spark, wounds and tears forming in its skin. He let off again when the machine gun was about to overheat.

The Geth was shooting again. Shepard turned hard and braked by necessity, ensuring they didn't go over the edge. The shot flew right in front of them by less than a meter.

To Robert's benefit, the turret control systems ensured the turret turned as well, sparing Robert the need to turn the turret ninety degrees to face the Geth. It was already charging up another shot at the temporarily-immobile Mako.

Before it could fire, the Mako's main gun finished cooling down. Robert targeted the machine's chest and fired again. With no kinetic barrier to even slow it down, the round shot right into the heart of the Geth platform and wrecked its interior systems. The plasma charge dissipated and the flashlight eye of the Geth died out. After a couple of moments the entire Geth exploded, victim of an overload in its critically-damaged systems.

"Great shooting," Ashley said. "You're a natural at this."

"I have a little assistance," Robert said.

"There'll be more where those came from," Shepard warned, already gently pushing the throttle and turning the Mako back into line with the tower ahead. "Keep an eye out."

"Yes ma'am," Robert answered. As the Mako shot down the skyway again, he thought, _And maybe Shepard's not really that bad a driver after all. Just… very precise._

He decided that it was best not to speak the thought aloud, though. Just in case.

* * *

Lucy had been to hot planets before. Abdis, or Abydos as it was called in R4A1, had been a broiler during the day.

But Therum took the cake. And, Lucy imagined bitterly, baked it too.

The temperature meter on Lucy's visor HUD showed a deadly 59.8 degrees Celsius as she and the Marines around her approached the dig site. Moving on foot with light and regular power armor - or _swevyra_ power in Lucy's case - allowed the team to avoid a prepared defensive outpost the Geth had taken control of. Lucy felt hot in her armor. She hadn't bothered with the robes, which would only weigh her down and do little to help with the heat. The Gersallian armor was at least built to have cooling systems for extreme environments, combined with the standard issue helmet she used, and together it kept the internal temperature at a little over half the outside temp.

Which, granted, meant it was nearly ninety degrees Fahrenheit inside her armor, and that was distinctly uncomfortable.

But there were ways it could get worse, which is what happened when they arrived at the dig.

The Geth were waiting for them with a defensive perimeter supported with cover. Lucy felt a sense of danger and brought her lightsaber out. It flashed to life just in time to intercept the sniper round aimed at Anders. "Snipers!"

Another shot rang out. Another of the Marines, an Alakin, took a hit before he could get to cover. "My personal deflector is down to twenty percent," the Alakin said.

Even as the warning came Lucy sprang into action. There was no use feeling for her foes. The Geth were not connected to the Flow of Life themselves. She couldn't sense them. But nor were they invisible to her senses. She could sense the danger they represented to her and the others. An instinctive knowledge, revealed to her through her connection to the Flow of Life, that let her know where to attack.

One moment she was running over the volcanic soil. The next a shot came for her, deflected by her lightsaber, then another. She batted away the round, triggering its plasma discharge that instead went right into the flashlight head of the Geth platform that had fired the shot. While it fell its companions continued to fire.

But now they fired at nothing. Lucy made a leap into mid-air just as they fired. She jumped further and faster than a normal human being could have managed and landed behind the barricade the Geth were using for cover. The nearest Geth she sliced in half with a single swing. The same motion of her lightsaber became a deflection of another Geth's fire, sending the bolt of plasma intended for her into the hip joint of the third. Lucy reached out with her hand and through the Flow of Life to grip the damaged Geth. She threw it into its compatriot and sent both into a nearby rock formation.

That was when she felt another sniper shot being prepared. She brought her weapon up and caught the shot sent her way, sending it off into the rock wall across the pathway. She swung again to stop another shot. Looking up she could see the towers from which the snipers were shooting, towers beyond easy attack range for her. Especially with the other Geth in close range and still threats.

Then there were streaks of flame in the air; missiles, fired from the Marines in their armor suits, now crashing into those towers and engulfing the shooters' nests with flame and pressure. A flaming Geth platform flew from one due to a slightly off-angle hit. The other Geth were not seen, presumably blown apart from the closer direct hits.

Even the two Geth platforms she'd been fighting were eliminated before she could finish them herself. She tracked the fire to Anders and a squad of Marines advancing quickly on her position. The other Marines were behind them, either moving ahead or in cover returning fire from those Geth platforms not yet taken out. "Excellent work, Lieutenant," Anders said, a hint of sardonic amusement in his voice. "Charging ahead without orders and being able to survive is a hell of perk, isn't it?"

"It looks like you've made good use of it," Lucy countered, attempting an equal tone and not quite avoiding irritation. With no imminent danger the heat inside her suit was reminding her of how damned unpleasant this planet was. _Why couldn't the Protheans have built their ruins on a cooler world?... and now we'll end up going to an arctic world at some point since I'm asking_.

"Well, you disrupted their entire defensive formation, I'll give you that. And got the attention of their snipers." Anders chuckled to himself. "I'd bring up what I was actually about to do, but we should move on ahead." He gestured to where the other squads had already moved on to the rise beyond them. "The ruin entrance is just ahead of us."

"Lead the way," Lucy answered.

With Anders' squad trailing, they advanced on to link up with the advancing Marines. The Geth platforms clearly weren't experienced in dealing with retreats. Lucy sensed the elation of Anders' Marines at their successful advance.

Then there was apprehension. Shortly thereafter Lucy saw the bright burst of white-blue light ahead and a cry of pain and knew there was trouble.

The trouble wasn't from the agile Geth platforms slinking along the sides of the structures at the dig sites. The Marines were putting them down. It was the other Geth threat, the biggest one. A colossal four-legged Geth platform that looked like a cross between a metal turtle and a giraffe with its longer neck connecting the body to the big flashlight head. A plasma projector was already nearly done charging when it came into view, aimed at a squad of Marines, one of which was badly wounded. They were behind some cover, but the cover was flimsy and wouldn't absorb the entire plasma blast.

"Go go go!" Anders shouted at her, knowing his own teams weren't in position to properly engage before the Geth could land a fatal hit on his people.

His permission hadn't been necessary, but it was appreciated. Cursing the heat of the whole damned planet, Lucy reached for the warm power inside of her and felt it fill her body. Her muscles started moving faster, without strain, aided by the energy of life pulsing within her courtesy of the Flow of Life. Again her lightsaber flashed into existence. Not to deflect a shot, though. Even without the instinctive clairvoyance of the Flow of Life she knew, immediately, that the plasma discharge from the big Geth was simply too big for even a lightsaber to adequately deflect. If she could get to them before the shot, maybe her raw powerful could deflect it...

In the time it was taking her to close the range she looked about her surroundings, trying to figure out if she had an alternative. Her eyes settled on a sheet of metal. Given its shaping and structure, she figured it was heat shielding, and with the time left she had to hope it was. She raised her arm and extended her free hand, using it as a focus for the power flowing through her. Invisible force gripped the sheet and tossed it into the air.

The Geth fired. The orb of deadly plasma raced toward the stricken Marine and his compatriots.

The sheet got there first.

The orb splattered over its surface, crackling like lightning. But it could not get around the sheet.

Lucy turned her attention to the Geth war machine itself. With its main weapon she didn't want it blasting everything, given it could damage the tube leading to the underground dig site. She'd have to give it a target.

Namely, her.

So she ran toward it over the open. Her lightsaber swung to deflect incoming shots from the other Geth platforms. A couple shots were angled to go right back toward the Geth, one even hitting a Geth right in the flashlight head, while the rest sprayed everywhere. Behind her more Marines were moving into a firing position. This was good; it let her focus on the main target.

The big Geth's head tracked her. It's four feet shuffled, shifting it around to meet her as she came in. Energy surged near its head until another orb of lethal plasma was coming toward her. With a mere second to react Lucy dove and rolled under the shot. The blue blade of her weapon flashed in the air again, catching more of the fire from the smaller platforms, while her legs kept going.

It was going to be close. The Geth heavy platform was charging another shot, and she wasn't sure she'd get to it in time. Indeed, as it became brighter, a brief thought came to her head, that she'd miscalculated, that it was going to fire just before she got too close for it to hit her…

That was when a missile slammed into the flashlight head. The Geth's neck flailed wildly after the impact, the light broken, the machine blind.

Behind her, and in her helmet, Ander's voice cried out, "You're clear, Lieutenant!"

And so she was. As Lucy moved toward the Geth machine she brought her lightsaber up. It was well-constructed and gave resistance to the weapon, so the leg was unsevered by Lucy's cut, merely damaged. She twirled about and cut through it again, aimed at a weaker point in the armor around the joint. This time the blade cut cleanly through. The leg fell to the side. A confused, angry electronic warble came to the air, as if the Geth was crying out in pain.

As the Geth machine teetered, trying and failing to keep balance with just three legs, Lucy cut its other fore leg out from under it. Now it pitched forward and fell to the ground, Lucy getting out from under it before it could crush her. Her lightsaber lashed out again, carving an angry red wound into its side. Fluid from severed hydraulic lines spilled and steamed where it struck the melting point-hot metal skin around the wound.

And yet the Geth creature wasn't dead, simply wounded. Its head flailed. Plasma was still building up in its firing chamber, now targeting Anders and some of his Marines. They took cover in the moments before it fired, utilizing the misshapen stack of sheet metal Lucy had previously employed, which allowed them to survive the orb of plasma that came for them.

"Lieutenant, get clear!" Anders called out. "Marines, switch to anti-armor munitions!"

Moments later another pair of missiles from the power armored-Marines hit the front of the Geth machine. They penetrated toward the heart of it, blowing out large chunks of debris and fluid through two gaping wounds caused by the jets of super-heated plasma created by the anti-armor warheads. Lucy was already running for one of the last group of singular Geth platforms when the second salvo hit. More of the torso was blown out.

By the time Lucy was cleaving through the last Geth platform, another salvo had hit. This time, the Geth war machine was blown to pieces.

"Good job Marines. And Lady Knight." There was some bemusement in Anders' voice at referencing Lucy like that. "Sanders, Sanger, secure the perimeter. Khraa, Kutalaran, set up sniper nests and heavy weapon firing stations. If the Geth come back, I want them to find us ready for war. Step to it Marines!"

" _Sir yes sir!_ " was the collective reply.

Anders wasn't finished, however. " _Aurora_ , this is Major Anders," he continued, now on open comms to the ship. "Site is secure. I repeat, site is secure. Send in the science team, and we'll need medbay ready for one casualty."

" _Good job Major_ ," Julia said. " _The_ St. Johns _and_ Warri _are en route. Tell your Marines that Hargert will have a meal waiting for them when they get back._ "

"Let him know it's appreciated, ma'am."

* * *

The _St. Johns_ was lifting off with Doctor Walker already tending to the injured Marine inside. On the _Warri_ , the rear module was full of specialized gear being packed up by the mixed team of science, operations, and engineering officers, some taking up the available seats.

Caterina took in a breath and observed her team - as chief science officer she was in command of these officers - while Tra'dur checked her helmet's seals for her. The field action uniform was the same she'd worn on Tira during the fight, with the attached helmet, gloves, and boots that made it an environmentally-sealed suit for her to survive the hellish volcanic temperature of Therum. "Seal checks are good," said the Dilgar woman. Her helmet was already in place on her own action uniform.

"Thanks." Cat turned to the other members of the team. Barnes was finishing suiting up with the helm of Ensign Tulari, a purple-complexioned, teal-spotted Dorei woman and one of the junior engineering officers. The last pair of officers were Lieutenant (J.G.) Theek, a male Alakin science officer with geologist specialty, and Ensign Talara, the Falaen/Altean helm officer who had some training for field operation support.

"So, sixty fraking degrees Celsius out there," Barnes grumbled. "And people actually live on this place. Why not just use mining drones?"

"Well, the kind of VI automation you're thinking of isn't common in this universe, at least not pre-Multiversal Contact," Cat reminded him. "Plus they might not have been able to afford it."

"Bah." Barnes sighed and reached down for his pack, carrying a collection of sensor gear and emergency survival gear. "Aren't we just here for some Asari babe? Why are we hauling this stuff?"

Cat gave him a sour look. "Because it's a _Prothean_ ruin, Tom, er, Lieutenant. And our secondary mission is to see if there's anything of interest here about what destroyed the Protheans. Given what Commander Shepard saw from the beacon, and what Meridina was shown by that intelligence on Adrana… well, we need proof of the Reapers to get people to take it seriously."

Barnes grumbled something inarticulate before heading for the door.

Cat turned slightly and noticed the frown on Tra'dur's face. Her English had a faint Anglo-Indian accent when she asked, "How can someone that undisciplined be an officer?"

"It's his way of coping with discomfort," Caterina explained. "Once an engineering problem presents itself, that's when he shines."

"I see. Your people… they give allowances in exchange for merit."

"Some do." Caterina could remember, darkly, how nasty Admiral Davies and others like him could be around her and her friends. "Others, not so much."

Tra'dur put on her own pack. It had other science gear, as well as its own survival gear. "This is why Captain Andreys puts so much effort into maintaining formality, then."

"Yeah." Cat lifted her own, with some effort. There was a visible grimace on her face.

"The fate of the Protheans _is_ an interesting question." This was from Ensign Talara, who stepped up to join them. "I've read some papers in my spare time since we began the mission. Although most of them dismiss the idea of an outside force destroying them."

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence," Caterina said. "I mean, yes, without evidence you can't logically prove something, but it just means something is unproven. Disproving it would require confirmation that the Protheans' fate didn't involve the Reapers or whatever they are…"

They departed the _Warri_ by the side airlock. Cat took in the sight of the battle, including the ruined carapace of what had been a big Geth combat platform. Anders approached with Lucy. "There aren't any more Geth on the surface," he confirmed. "My squads just took out the last stragglers, and Commander Laurent's pilots removed the Geth at the nearby checkpoint. But there's no guarantee that there aren't more inside. Combat sensors are showing too much interference."

"So we'll need you to cover us," Cat said. She tapped her sidearm holster, where a pulse pistol was secured. "We're armed too."

"Good, but if things go right you won't be using those. I'm leaving Lieutenant Sanger up here with a rear guard, but I'm taking a couple of squads with me to be your vanguard."

"And me, of course." Lucy smiled inside of her helmet. "To help both of you as necessary."

"Right. We'll follow you, Major," Caterina said.

Anders nodded and started gathering his squad. The other officers huddled around Cat, with Lucy joining them. "It'd be nice if Doctor T'Soni and whoever else is running the dig site has a climate-controlled atmosphere down there," Lucy said. "I'm sweating enough out here."

"I know. My fur already feels damp," Tra'dur complained.

"There are worse," Cat remarked idly. "The Doctor took me to this volcanic planet where the atmosphere could set you on fire if you stepped outside the atmospheric forcefields."

"A terrible way to die," Talara, observed.

"Yeah, it was," Cat answered, her voice a little hollow, more than enough to let the others know she'd observed it firsthand. Ahead of them, Anders and his Marines were already approaching the entrance to the dig site. "Well, let's go find Doctor T'Soni and see if there's any cool Prothean stuff here."

"Right behind you," Lucy assured her.

* * *

The flaming ruins of another four-legged Geth war machine burned as the Mako roared by. Robert returned the turret to its default forward-facing position. A quick check of ammunition levels showed that they still had another two hours worth of combat ammunition in the block, minimum. This was the great advantage of mass effect field-based firearms; whatever they lost in punch or versatility compared to directed energy weapons like phasers or Darglan-tech pulse guns, they made up for it with sheer firing capacity.

"No more Geth on sensors," Robert said. "No indications of jamming either."

"Right." Shepard kept her eyes on the skyway road. Ahead the entrance to another tower loomed. "Tali, what's our status? Any damage?"

"Nothing severe," Tali said, hunched over the access hatch to the Mako's engine and critical systems. "The kinetic barrier is at half strength and improving. Although it looks like you took some splash damage to the middle axle. Give me a few minutes and I can repair it."

"That might not…"

Shepard stopped speaking when a voice crackled over the open radio lines. "... _that engine noise? They're getting closer…_ " She glanced to Robert as they pulled up to a ramp leading further up the tower, beside another ramp that was partially blocked and leading downward.

Instead of checking sensors, Robert felt out through the Flow of Life. With so much of the planet dead, the Flow was weak here, anemic. That made the handful of living beings near them all the easier to sense. "A half dozen or more," he said. "Very close." He eyed the downward ramp. "That way."

"Tali, looks like you're getting the time to fix that axle," Shepard said. "Ashley, Robert, with me." She pulled the Mako up beside the downward ramp and secured it.

"It'll be done when you get back, Shepard," Tali promised as the three stepped out of the Mako.

Shepard took the lead, as always, leading the two around the Mako and down the ramp. As they approached one of the barriers a gunshot rang out. Robert reached a hand toward his holster, the other up and ready to help him focus power if he needed it for defense.

"Not Geth," Ashley observed. "Sounds like a Predator pistol."

Shepard nodded. "Whoever's there, this is Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance, we're here to help!"

"Oh thank God," a voice cried out from below, that of an older woman. "Would you idiots put those guns away?!"

When there was no gunfire for several more seconds, Shepard finished leading them down the ramp. At the bottom was a makeshift camp where several people, all Human, were spread about. Two were in combat armor, flanking a man of mostly East Asian ancestry. "Are you in charge?" Shepard asked him.

"Ethan Jeong of ExoGeni Corporation," he replied. "I'm the administrator here." He frowned at another figure, an older woman.

"You're the one who cried out to stop firing?" Robert asked her.

She nodded. "My name is Juliana Baynham. And thank God you've come. Maybe you can save my…"

"Your daughter's probably dead, Juliana," Jeong said, his voice loud and irritated. "Right now the important thing is we may have a ride out of here."

"Aren't you the optimistic type?" Ashley gave him a disapproving look.

"I'm here investigating the Geth attack," Shepard said to them. "In fact, we're on our way to your HQ tower to see what the Geth are doing there. Is there anything you can share with me?"

"I'm afraid nothing of value," Jeong answered. "ExoGeni's purpose here is to research any remaining Prothean technology recovered. But we've had very little success with substantial new finds. Frankly the colony is costing my company money. I'm not sure what the invaders want."

Robert felt a prickle at the back of his head. An instinctive sense within him of deception. He kept any look of surprise off his face, saying nothing as Shepard continued to ask Jeong more about what ExoGeni was up to.

The gray-haired woman approached him. "Please, if you're going to the HQ, find my little girl. Find Liz." Robert sensed the very real worry and terror in the woman, suffering from one of the most primal fears many sapient beings could ever know: being a parent with a missing child. "Even if she's dead, I…"

"You have to know," he said. Robert nodded and tried a comforting smile. "I know what you mean, Miss… Baynham, right?"

"Yes. Juliana Baynham. My daughter is…"

"Elisabeth?"

"Yes. An excellent guess."

He nodded. In truth, it hadn't been just a guess, of course. "When we get there, I'll do what I can."

"We all will, ma'am," Ashley assured her. "Family is important."

To that, Robert nodded in heartfelt agreement.

* * *

When the three returned to the Mako, Tali met them at the door. "Everything is fine," she said. "I even realigned the axles. Whoever does the mechanic work here is horrible."

"Excellent work, Tali." Shepard returned to the driver's seat. Robert, again, took up the seat beside her, leaving Ashley and Tali to their prior seats. Shepard glanced over at Robert. "So, how much was Jeong telling the truth about?"

"Not hard to guess he was covering something up, huh?" Ashley asked.

"He was certainly lying when he said he didn't know why the Geth were here, and that there's nothing here of value worth an attack," Robert replied. "He's a decent liar, but I still felt the deception."

"He's a corporate type, who knows what kind of skeevy work he's trying to cover up?"

"I don't know." Robert shook his head. "I sensed something back in Zhu's Hope. Something… off. There's more to this colony than we're seeing."

"But what would Saren be interested in here?" Tali asked. "Could there be another Prothean beacon, like on Eden Prime?"

"It's possible, but I doubt it," replied Shepard. "Covering that up couldn't be done forever, and ExoGeni would get hit by so many sanctions and charges by the Citadel Council and Systems Alliance that it would ruin their business. No, this has got to be something else." She put the Mako into drive. "Now let's go find out what it is."

Robert braced himself this time, saying nothing as Shepard sent the Mako rocketing up the the next ramp.


	49. Episode 3-09-3 A Race Through Ruin

A literal tube sticking out of the ground was the entry to the Therum dig site. The Marines went in first, led by Major Anders, and the science team followed. Lucy led them down to the end of the tube, where a door was closed with a green light beside it. She waved her left hand over the light and her omnitool automatically triggered the door to open. It led to a lift, a large one made for carrying machinery and supplies as well. All seven of them easily fit into the lift. Once the door closed Lucy ran her hand over a control on the far side. The entire lift shuddered slightly before it began to descend.

The descent was quiet. Lucy looked over everyone. Cat, Tra'dur, Barnes, and Theek were going through gear. Tulari was by herself running her sensors. And Talara…

...the Falaen woman was standing to one corner alone, but not going over gear or her omnitool. Lucy felt her anxiety and concern, so she approached her. "Are you okay?"

Talara turned and faced her. Her blue eyes, over blue half-moon marks, also had lavender-colored irises, a marked difference from the eyes of many other intelligent species. "I am.. I am fine," she said.

"I sense otherwise."

"Right." Talara sighed and shook her head. "It's just… I feel this sense of imminent danger. Like our lives are about to be threatened."

To that Lucy nodded. "I see." She allowed herself a confident smile. "I feel the same."

"You don't seem worried about it."

"I've nearly died several times today, Ensign. I'm used to the feeling of danger."

"Ensign Talara." The new voice prompted them to turn and face Tra'dur. "I haven't had the chance yet to speak with you."

"You're Beta Shift, Lieutenant. I am Gamma."

"Yes. And I've often been busy with my orientation studies of the _Aurora_ , so let me take this chance to say hello. I am very interested in the history of your people, as the Falaens' past is relevant to my species' current situation."

"As in, being the survivors of a near-extinction," said Talara.

"Indeed. And your species recovered from an even smaller surviving population than my own. Only fifty thousand, correct?"

"Yes. Just enough population to sustain sufficient genetic diversity."

"Then we Dilgar should feel fortunate." Tra'dur shook her head. "Although it is hard to say that for either of us given what had to be endured. But allow me to say that I consider the Falaen people to be an inspiration, a model that we Dilgar can aspire to…"

The lift shuddered again, coming to a stop and interrupting Tra'dur. The door slid open. Immediately the sounds of weapons fire came to them. " _Stay back_ ," Anders warned over the radio. " _We've got a Geth squad holding the pathway. Give us a few minutes to clear them out._ "

"Please be careful," Cat urged. "I mean, if you throw around grenades or explosives, you could damage the cavern, or the walkway, or the site itself. We…"

" _We're being careful, Lieutenant. Don't worry. Lieutenant Lucero, please remain with them for the moment, we've…_ " Anders stopped. A loud shot could be heard. "... _we've got this under control. We'll let you know when we can move ahead._ "

"Let me know if you need anything. In the meantime…" Lucy, recognizing the readings on her helmet, released the faceplate and allowed it to slide open. Cool, climate-controlled air rushed in and struck her sweat-coated face. "...I'm just enjoying being out of that volcanic sauna above us."

Caterina let out an amused giggle in reply.

* * *

After another gauntlet of Geth rocket troopers and quadruped war machines, the Mako rumbled to a stop inside the tower serving as ExoGeni's HQ. The four piled out and Shepard secured the Mako.

Robert felt the life nearby immediately. It didn't come toward them, not like he expected it to do. "There's someone here, but they're acting shy. Afraid."

"Liz Baynham?" Ashley asked.

"Probably," Robert answered.

Shepard drew her shotgun from its holster at the base of her back. "We'll get to her if we can. Let's move out."

With weapons readied the four approached the entrance to ExoGeni. Upon sight of the blue energy barrier over the opening Tali ran a scan. "A Geth particle barrier. Given the power I wouldn't be surprised if it's being powered by a dropship, probably attached to the building."

"So we're not going through this way," Ashley said.

"I'm sure Jarod and Cat and Scotty could come up with something, but they're not here," Robert mused. He sensed out and felt a slight pull to their right. "This way. I think we can find a way under the barrier."

The team went in the direction he indicated. They came out into a large chamber full of dead varren. Robert immediately recognized the wounds; gunshots. He noticed Shepard steeling herself. She didn't need his senses to know an ambush could come at any moment.

He knew there was no 'could' about it. He felt the terrified intent. The gun come up, shaking in a pair of hands. The tension between fear, the need to survive, and the ingrained discomfort of a thinking being preparing to kill another.

Robert turned and reached out through the Flow of Life. A gunshot went off, going over their heads, accompanied with a shout of surprise and terror as the weapon in those shaking hands was wrenched upward by invisible force. A moment later he felt the weapon pull free. The stunned cry was joined by the thump of a falling body, then another…

...and a woman came rolling down from above them, following the inclined side of the Prothean-built chamber. Dust billowed from where she finally made an impact, graying her white jumpsuit, an ExoGeni patch on one arm. Nearby a pistol, one of the curved Phalanx models, clattered to the ground.

Ashley, ever ready to fight, brought her assault rifle up toward the woman. Her blue eyes widened in terror. " _Please don't kill me!_ " the woman shrieked. " _Oh God! Please don't!_ "

"She's not a threat," Robert said, holding his pulse pistol to the ground. "She's just terrified."

Shepard nodded to Ashley, who lowered her rifle. Turning her attention to the young woman, Shepard said, "Elisabeth Baynham, right?"

There was no reduction to her fear. "I… I can help you. Please don't kill me. I'll keep my mouth shut, I won't talk about…"

She stopped herself at that point, sensing their confusion, but Robert felt the word she was about to speak. "What's the 'Thorian'?" he asked.

"Oh God, you're one of them," Baynham gasped. "You're one of those telepaths from the other universes. Jeong actually hired…"

"We're not working for Jeong," Shepard insisted. "I'm Commander Shepard, Systems Alliance Navy and Council Spectre. We're here investigating the Geth attack on Feros."

Disbelief and hope warred inside of Liz Baynham. Robert knelt down beside her and offered a hand. "Here," he said, bringing a friendly grin to his face. "Let me help you up."

Wordlessly Liz did so. She stared in bewilderment at him and then at Shepard. "I… I didn't know the Systems Alliance had telepaths now."

"We don't," Shepard replied. "Captain Dale here is a Paladin agent from the United Systems. We're working together against the Geth."

"I'm a metaphysical life energy wielder, like Gersallian Life Force Knights," Robert explained. "I don't read minds directly so much as I can sense the essence of your thoughts and feelings through my abilities. You don't need to be afraid. Whatever the Thorian is, it's not why we're here."

"It should be," Liz replied. "I… I was trying to get through to Colonial Affairs back at Arcturus. It's why I was left behind. But the Geth cut the power before I could establish a connection."

"What is it the Geth want?" asked Shepard.

"The same thing I'm talking about," Liz said. "They're here for the Thorian. To kill it. I don't know why."

"Okay, I'm confused," Tali admitted. "Why would Saren want to kill… whatever it is?"

"I don't know. I don't know who this 'Saren' is." Liz shook her head. "But I know the Geth will have to kill everyone in Zhu's Hope to get at the Thorian. They won't be able to flee, it won't let them."

"Maybe you should start at the beginning," said Shepard. "What is this Thorian?"

"It's some kind of ancient life form we found, a living plant of sorts. From the samples we've seen, it's been here for tens of thousands of years, at least. It may have predated the Protheans."

Robert immediately mused to himself that it would explain why Saren's Geth were here. This creature could have witnessed the Reapers exterminating the Protheans. But he didn't say so out loud to avoid distracting Liz Baynham.

Liz was continuing to explain. "I was assigned as a researcher for ExoGeni's examination of the Thorian. But it's all gone wrong… it's why I was trying to reach Colonial Affairs. Jeong's been keeping me away from offworld communication. He's basically kept me a prisoner, put me on probationary status..."

"Why?" Shepard asked.

"Because I opposed the project," Liz answered. "The Thorian gives off spores that let it take control of other life forms. It's how it protects itself. Jeong and ExoGeni… they wanted to test the spores, see how they interacted with other beings. So they used them on the colonists. ExoGeni turned the population of Zhu's Hope into _test subjects_."

Guilt was radiating from Liz Baynham. Robert felt horror and anger in the others. It matched his own. So much of the sense of fear and despair he'd felt in the colonists now made horrifying sense. "That's why things felt so off back at the Colony," Robert said to them. "I was sensing the Thorian and its control over the colonists. Their despair at having no control over themselves."

"Those bastards," Ashley swore. "We should go back and put a bullet in that lying son of a…"

"First things first, Sergeant," Shepard said, firmly. "I want proof of this."

"And we have to finish fighting off the Geth first," Tali pointed out. "We can't fight this thing and the Geth at the same time."

"I'm more interested in why the Geth want the Thorian dead. We need to see what they're doing in the HQ and neutralize them."

"There's a way under the barrier," Liz said. "I'll show you to it." She reached for her pocket and pulled out a piece of plastic that Robert quickly recognized as an ID card. "The system will think you're me. You can get all of the information I have access to from one of the VI terminals."

Shepard accepted the card. "Thank you. Alright everyone." Shepard gestured forward. "Let's go shoot some more Geth." 

* * *

With the last Geth cleared out, the science team moved ahead to join with the Marines. With two Marines left behind the group took a couple of lift rides to head down to the next level. The science team was coming second and were together when the tower appeared.

"It's definitely Prothean make," Caterina observed. "And the source of the power signature."

"Including a particle barrier." Tra'dur checked her omnitool. "Someone must have activated the Prothean technology. Why?"

"I can think of a few reasons," Barnes said.

The lift came to a stop. Lucy and Anders were waiting at the bottom. "We're holding here for the moment," Anders explained. "Lucero and I will move ahead with you in case there are more Geth."

"Good. The less we disturb the site, the better," Caterina said.

They approached the tower via the catwalk. The particle barrier forbade entry at this level, but there was another lift to their left. Anders called for some of his Marines to come up and join them, leaving behind a rear-guard of four to watch the first lift. He briefly frowned as Cat and the others piled in. "You should let us go first."

"There's no Geth on sensors," Cat replied. "We'll be fine for the few minutes before we get down there. Besides, Lucy can jump down and join us."

Lucy gave Cat an accusing look. "You've been dying to see me do 'super-jumps', haven't you?"

"Yep." Flashing a grin at Lucy, Cat hit the control. The lift gate closed and the lift descended downward.

Lucy sighed and readied herself to make the jump.

Once the lift reached the bottom Cat frowned. "This says there's another level.

"It's blocked below here," said Tra'dur. She'd stepped out and turned to check below the lift. "Someone placed a container below the left." The Dilgar glanced to her right, toward the tower. "Wait, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I think someone's calling out," said Talara. "This way!"

As they emerged from the lift, there was a loud thud and an expanding cloud of light dust. Lucy looked up from where she'd jumped and asked, "Happy?" Seeing the others ignoring her, she felt out with her senses and realized why.

Near the tower, the catwalk had been broken as well, leaning down to the lower level. Tra'dur jumped down first, in a very fitting, feline way for the Dilgar woman, and Talara and Cat were next. Lucy got there just as Barnes finally worked up the nerve to join them, already knowing what they would find.

"Thank the Goddess," a female voice said. "I was afraid I was losing my mind."

On the other end of the particle barrier on this level was an Asari in a green and white working jumpsuit. Her complexion was sky blue, with sapphire-blue eyes that looked at them pleadingly. She was hovering in mid-air, trapped in a bubble of energy.

"Uh… Doctor T'Soni, I presume?" Cat asked.

Barnes chuckled lightly at that.

"Yes," the Asari said, her tone betraying a surge of relief. "I am Doctor Liara T'Soni." She looked them over. "You're with the United Systems, aren't you?"

"Lieutenant Caterina Delgado, Science Officer of the _Starship Aurora_ ," Cat replied. "These are my friends and subordinates. You're safe with us. You can lower the particle barrier now."

"I would like to, but I'm afraid I can't access it from here," Liara said. "I can't get out of the bubble. I'm not even sure how it came on, I was just trying to activate the barrier."

"Perhaps it was a security measure," Tra'dur suggested. "The technology was looking for Prothean biosigns or an approved biometric signature, and Doctor T'Soni is seen as an unauthorized user."

"Well, we need to find a way to disrupt the particle barrier," Cat said.

"Or see if the system didn't bother covering sections buried under the rock," Lucy added. "If the programming is sophisticated enough it may adopt power-saving methods like that."

"Well, how can we dig down quickly enough?" asked Talara.

"Given the rock type…" Lieutenant Theek checked his omnitool. "We're going to need heavier equipment."

"Yeah. I'm thinking a laser drill," Barnes agreed.

"Exactly, sir. Of course, it will take some effort to assemble…" Theek glanced toward Barnes in time to notice his grin.

"Not as much as you think, Lieutenant Theek," Barnes said, grinning widely.

The others saw the grin and followed Barnes' eyes… to the laser drill left by the vacant excavation team. He immediately ran up to it and began examining the machine.

"Lucero to Anders," Lucy said into her omnitool. "Standby up there. We're going to be firing a laser drill shortly."

" _Understood. Be advised that the_ Aurora _just sent us an update. We're expecting unwelcome company_."

"That does not sound like a good thing," Liara observed.

"It usually isn't," Cat sighed. "More Geth?"

" _That's the way it sounds. I'll take my team up and cover the door. Keep me informed._ "

After the call to Anders finished, Barnes called out, "Yo, Lucy, science geeks, this thing isn't going to fix itself!"

"Uh, stay right…" Cat stopped that thought before she said something silly. "...hold tight, Doctor, we'll be right back."

"I have nothing better to do," she answered, in a way Cat thought was more a desperate stab at humor in her situation than something meant nastily.

* * *

The moment the Geth ships dropped out of FTL, the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ opened fire. It was a first strike made necessary by the numbers of Geth ships, with several of their wingless dragonfly-like cruisers backed by waves of smaller craft.

Meridina looked up from her console as the ship shuddered. "All fighter squadrons launching."

"Laurent can task the squadrons as he sees necessary," Julia replied. "What's our status?"

"Five of the Geth cruisers and ten smaller ships," Jarod replied. The ship shook again. "They're firing mass effect-propelled mass drivers and more of the plasma weapons. Shields still holding at eighty-nine percent."

"Return fire. Tactical, focus fire on their cruisers. Helm, keep us in orbit, don't let them past us."

Both Angel and Locarno affirmed their orders. The _Aurora_ 's main weapons began firing in retort of the Geth. A Geth cruiser to their bow endured, with little success, the hammer blows of the _Aurora_ 's powerful pulse plasma cannons. The Darglan-designed weapons, based as they were on the technology of R4A1's powerful Asgard species, blasted great melting chunks out of the Geth ship. Beams, from the plasma cannons and emitters of similar origin to the pulse cannons, lashed at the particle barrier fields of the Geth ships. The heaviest of these weapons also managed localized penetration of the particle fields, allowing them to carve deep wounds into the Geth cruisers.

While the _Aurora_ engaged the larger ships, the _Koenig_ went after the lighter. Under Will Atreiad's leadership, with Apley at the helm, the _Koenig_ dodged and weaved around the Geth fire, drawing their attention so that Laurent's fighters got clear attack runs on these lighter vessels while other fighters engaged their Geth counterparts.

On the _Koenig_ bridge everything shuddered. "Geth attackers to stern," Magda said. "Shields down to eighty-four percent."

"Helm, Attack Plan Charlie Sierra… execute!"

At Atreiad's command Apley pulled the _Koenig_ into a tight maneuver, moving "upward" and flipping the ship in what, within atmosphere, would resemble a "Cobra maneuver". The Geth ships maneuvered away while _Koenig_ continued the flip until her forward weapons were brought to bear. Pulses of amber energy shot through the orbital space of Therum and found their target, ripping the guts from one of the Geth vessels.

"The other ship is breaking off… wait." Magda checked her sensor board. "I've got another ship trying to slip past us. I think it's trying to get into low orbit, probably to launch dropships."

"Bring us about. Fire when ready, April."

At the tactical station, Lt. April Sherlily was already working her controls. The moment her systems showed a target lock thanks to Apley's maneuver, she opened fire with the phasers and a solar torpedo. The phasers did their job, blasting away the Geth ship's protective particle barrier so that the solar torpedo could hit bare hull. The naqia warhead within initiated and blew the Geth vessel apart.

With nothing but remnant radiation showing on her sensors, Magda turned her attention to other targets. The _Koenig_ moved away from her wrecked foe.

Given the amount of energy being tossed around in orbit, those monitoring sensors or the same electronic instruments could not be blamed for missing the slight signature of the Geth dropship that emerged from the broken hull, damaged but intact, to descend upon the dig site below.

* * *

The ExoGeni headquarters, like much of Feros, was repurposed from whatever the Protheans had built it for. Crumbling rubble still marred the interior, either from the ancient age of the structure or the Geth takeover. Shepard moved ahead with care, Robert and Tali behind, and Ashley in the rear.

They found a set of stairs leading upward. From above a voice could be heard. " _Access denied._ "

"Lousy machine", grumbled a deep voice. Hearing it, Shepard motioned to the others to be ready for a fight. "Give me the damn files!"

" _Please contact your supervisor for a security exception._ "

By this point they arrived at the top of the stairs. Down the corridor a Krogan was standing in front of a holographic avatar. "If you don't give me the damn files, I'll blow your holographic ass into actual dust!

" _Access denied. Please speak to your supervisor for a security exception, and remember company policy regarding the use of profanity while on duty._ "

They drew closer, as quietly as they could with weapons readied, attempting to get a clean shot without risking damage to the computer terminal.

The VI continued speaking. " _At this time, I must ask you to move on. There is a queue forming behind you._ "

The Krogan, bewildered, turned toward them.

"Stupid VI," Tali grumbled.

By this time the Krogan was already lifting his weapon. He snarled and pulled the trigger.

There was no hope of getting to cover. So Robert jumped ahead of Shepard and felt through the Flow of Life, gathering its power and forming a wall of invisible force with it. It wasn't as easy as moving an object, and there was no time for him to even hope to grasp the individual metal slivers being fired from the rifle. He had to imagine force itself, a constant push away from him and toward the Krogan, with enough fine power to force the ME-field-accelerated slivers to stop.

He succeeded. Mostly.

Tali was the next to move. She lifted her omnitool and used its internal systems to project a thermal field, a use of the tool so delicate only an engineer or machinist of great skill could manage it. The weapon in the Krogan's hands stopped firing, emitting hot steam from its cooling vents, the sign of an overheat for a weapon using mass effect fields.

Shepard shot forward, wreathed in biotic energy, and slammed into the Krogan with enough force to drive him into the wall beside the VI avatar. The VI, aware of the fighting, stated, " _It is against company policy for firearms to be discharged on company property. It is also against policy for any sort of physical altercation to take place. Roughhousing, throwdowns, and other such activities are…_ "

As the machine issued its complaint, Ashley fired on the Krogan. Her assault rifle's firepower was met by a biotic field that protected their foe for the critical moment he needed to stand. He reached to his back and retrieved a shotgun.

Shepard fired first, a shotgun blast into the Krogan's torso that went through the weakened biotic field and armor into flesh. The Krogan roared, just to be cut off by another shot from Shepard straight to his jaw. The result was a bloody mess and a gargle from the mutilated Krogan. Not to be outdone, Tali's shotgun fired as well, sending a spray of metal slivers into the Krogan's neck and torso. Ashley poured another few shots into it.

Robert did nothing. It seemed unnecessary at this point. And he had other concerns.

"That's pretty useful," Ashley said, turning toward Robert. "Being able to… oh God."

Robert grinned weakly while the blood oozed through his fingers, where his left hand was holding a point in his armor between his left hip and side. Multiple impact points showed where the armor had successfully stopped further projectiles. "Stopped most of them," he said. "But I didn't have the control to stop them all. A few slipped past." He moved to lean against the wall.

Shepard approached him and looked down at the wound. "It looks like a lucky hit," she said. "Slipped between thicker plates and hit just above the hip joint. Will you be able to walk?"

"Probably," Robert said. "Just have to stop the bleeding."

"Let's get some medigel on that." Shepard pulled open a pouch of gear on her suit and brought out a medigel dispenser. Moving it over the bloody area on his armor, Shepard found the gap caused by the lucky shot and dispensed a full dose of the gene-engineered healing substance into the wound. The pain immediately subsided, as did the flow of blood.

"Now I see why the Citadel Council turns a blind eye to this stuff," Robert murmured.

"Too damned useful, especially without dermal regenerators," Shepard agreed. Content that Robert was alright, Shepard turned her attention to the VI.

" _Apologies. Due to technical difficulties, I am unable to summon medical assistance_ ," the VI apologized.

"That's alright, it's handled," Shepard replied.

" _Very well. I shall make a notation on your file, Researcher Elisabeth Baynham, that you are proficient in the provision of first aid. ExoGeni values employees with a variety of skills and talents. May I assist you further?_ "

"Yes, you can," Shepard replied. "To start with, just what was the Krogan before me asking? What did you tell him?"

" _I was unable to provide access due to lack of proper company identification. The unknown individual was inquiring about Species 37_."

Shepard immediately understood what that meant. "What did they want to know about the Thorian?"

" _The inquiries were into the behavior off the test subjects enthralled to its control and alternate routes to its location._ "

"The Thorian is under Zhu's Hope, correct?"

" _As of last recorded readings, yes. The Thorian is in the substructure of the tower beneath the colony. However, sensors observing the Thorian have been offline for several cycles. Current location cannot be verified._ "

Everyone exchanged looks. Indeed, everyone had the same thought. "What are its vulnerabilities?" asked Shepard.

" _I am afraid that data is classified beyond your current access level, Researcher Baynham._ "

"Under whose authority?"

" _Feros Administrative Operations Officer Ethan Jeong_. _It is recommended that you consult with Mister Jeong to learn more about your probation and limited access, Researcher Baynham._ "

"Oh, I think I'll be having a long talk with him." There was an edge to Shepard's voice Robert didn't often hear. "We're done."

" _Shutting down. Remember, I am always here to assist you in improving your performance. ExoGeni would not be the firm it was without its dedicated employees._ " With that final remark, the VI shut down.

"I can see what the Wal-Mart back home might do with those things," Robert mumbled. "And it makes me nauseous."

"I've never understood why corporations speak to their employees like that. Like they're little children," Tali said.

"We can speculate about economics later," Shepard said. "Let's move out." 

* * *

Anders was in the middle of that standard Marine duty - "hurry up and wait" - when he got the call from topside. " _Major, Geth dropship on approach. They're bypassing the perimeters_ ," said Sanger.

 _Damn_. "I guess one got through the fight in orbit," Anders responded. "Get all teams back to the opening. My teams will cover from the inside." He motioned to the others. "Back to the lift, go, go!"

The other Marines responded. Anders followed them while calling up the geeks. "Better hurry up down there," he warned. "We've got company."

" _We're almost done, dammit!_ " Barnes replied. " _Just give us a few more minutes!_ "

"I'll do what I can," Anders pledged.

* * *

Geth fire streaked over Robert's head from where he and Tali were ducking behind cover. Below them, in what had once been a machinery space, the Geth were holding an open port through which their dropship was clinging to the tower. Computer interfaces nearby were joined by controls for the port in question. "If we can close that door, we'll shear off the arm," Tali noted.

Nearby Shepard and Ashley were opening up with assault rifles. Given the larger Geth platforms and the number of guns, Shepard was refraining from her usual biotics-fueled charges. Instead, whenever Robert felt the ripple of energy from biotics being employed, it was to see Shepard throwing bolts and shockwaves of biotic force.

Ashley threw a grenade down. A shower of rubble flew up, joined with parts from a broken Geth platform. "There's an awful lot of them." She glanced to Robert. "Why not rip the claw with your powers?"

Tali gave an answer before he could. "No, it's tied too tightly into the structure now. He could damage the entire tower ripping the claw loose."

"Right now I wish I had one of Lucy's lightsabers," Robert admitted. "I could have cut it loose easily."

"Can you try and force the door closed?" Shepard asked him.

He considered it. He had the power. Control… that would be the hard part. "I can try," he said. "But I need to be able to concentrate. And it'll help if I can see it."

"Get down toward the bottom of the stairs until you can see it from the wall. We'll cover you."

Robert nodded. Keeping his knees and back bent, he moved over to the stairs leading down to the area of the platform where the Geth were. Shepard moved up behind him and gave cover fire. He didn't see the effect her fire had until he could finally see the door from cover and noticed, to his left, the broken Geth platform that had tried to cut him off. Shepard knelt beside him and held her weapon up to cover the stairs. "Good enough?"

"Yeah," Robert said. He looked at the door and felt out through the Flow of Life, directing the warm power within him to grip the port from both sides and slide it inward.

Around him weapons fire continued, the ongoing firefight a distraction that was dangerous to him. Again he felt control slip. The immense power threatened to expand beyond his reach, to lash out wildly, and there was no telling the damage he'd cause if that happened. _No. No, I am in control. Breathe in, breathe out, feel the Flow of Life and the connection within…_

With the lessons he learned from Kilaba and Ledosh he held his control, forcing himself to breathe carefully, using that breath to direct his struggling grip.

There was a shriek of metal grinding followed by a loud crash. He'd closed the door partially, up to the claw itself… but he hadn't shut it hard enough. He kept the control he needed, refusing to let it slip, and directed the doors to open up completely and slam together again. This time the force almost did it, but again it wasn't enough.

So he tried again. One more time.

The doors sheared right through the trunk of the Geth ship's claw.

The loss of the connection was too much for the Geth ship. The tower shuddered as the other claw came loose, unable to keep a grip by itself. The shuddering stopped. The Geth ship was free of the tower and beginning its long, terminal fall to the rubble below.

" _...hear us? Commander, this is an emergency!_ " The voice cut in from nowhere, immediately recognized by all as Joker.

"I'm here," Shepard said. "We just cleared the jamming source."

" _That's a relief. The_ Normandy _is under attack, Commander_."

"More Geth?"

" _No, that's the strange part. It's the colonists. They've all gone mad, they're trying to break in. I don't think they can, but Lieutenant Alenko and the others have a fireteam ready to open up if they come through the airlock._ "

"It's got to be the Thorian," Robert said, now moving over to join Shepard. He squeezed off a series of shots that took out a Geth approaching the front of the stairs. "It wants to take over your crew too. Or it thinks we're a threat to it."

"Well, it's right about that," Shepard remarked. Over her omnitool, she said, "They've been exposed to something, Joker. Just make sure it doesn't get into the ship. Switch to life support only if it looks like the filters are compromised. We'll see what we can do but right now we're still busy with Geth!"

As if to punctuate her point, Shepard rose above cover and fired her shotgun. The shot blew open the torso of a Geth platform. Robert was certain Joker overheard it. " _Yes ma'am_ ," he said. " _We'll keep you informed._ "

Once the call ended Shepard gestured to the others. "Ashley, Robert, cover fire! Tali, you're with me, we're sweeping this place clear!"

Everyone responded in the affirmative and followed Shepard's lead. 

* * *

In the Therum dig site, Anders' voice echoed over the science team's comm units. " _We're holding them at the entrance right now. But they've got some Krogan mercs with them too, and they're not going down easy._ "

"We're almost done here," Lucy replied.

The sound of weapons fire and explosions echoed in the background of their linked comm units. Anders seemed unflappable when he replied, " _Good. We'll hold the door open for you_."

"So, it looks like the focusing lens is good. And the power source is ready." Barnes stood up. "I say we fire this fraker up!"

"Everyone over here," Lucy called out to the others. "Just in case."

The assembled team all came together behind the drill. Barnes finished a final check and then crowed, "Fire in the hole!"

A bright beam of concentrated light surged from the end of the drill. The chamber rumbled violently and debris flew upward, blown away by the violence of the energy being driven down toward the tower. Wisps of mostly-atomized rock formed clouds around the forming tunnel through the earth.

"Keep going," Cat said. "Keep going… _stop_!"

Barnes shut down the laser drill. Wisps of steam and debris rose from the new tunnel carved into the ground. As the cloud of debris settled the gray of the tower became visible, as did the bluish tint of the interior.

An interior uncovered by a particle barrier.

"Alright! You did it!" Cat hugged Barnes. "Good job!"

"Well, it's one of the reasons I became an engineer," he answered. "Blowing crap up is _cool_."

The team hurried down through the rock and into the interior, lit up and entirely different in atmosphere from the cavern they'd just exited. They arrived at the middle section of the tower, where a console was present. "This whole section is a lift," Tra'dur noted. "Most likely controlled from there…"

Cat looked over the control in question. Remembering what happened to Liara, she accessed it with her omnitool instead of pressing it with her hand. "Hrm, looks like some general security precautions. I think we can bypass it…"

"I believe so, Cat'Delgado," Tra'dur agreed, working her own omnitool. "Is everyone ready?"

"Well, yeah," Lucy said.

A few moments later, the floor under them shuddered and began to rise.

"This will get us to the next level," Tra'dur said. "Then all we need to do is free Doctor T'Soni."

"And get past a bunch of angry Krogan and Geth," added Lucy.

"Yeah." Cat looked over her scans. "The Protheans built this thing from some pretty exotic minerals. I doubt a transporter can safely lock onto us in here."

"We'll have to be ready to fight, won't we?" asked Talara.

"Most likely," said Tra'dur, as the lift finished its trip to the next level. Liara T'Soni was still trapped in her bubble and unable to look behind her back. "Give us but a bit of time, Doctor T'Soni, and you shall be free," Tra'dur assured her.

Cat went to the controls and interacted with them through her omnitool. Liara turned her head toward her. "Do you know why the Geth are attacking the dig site? There's nothing valuable here. Or is this some sort of trick by the mining companies?"

"Oh, they're Geth," said Cat. "And they may be here for you."

"Me?" Liara's surprise was obvious. "Why would they be interested in me? I'm just an archaeologist."

"An archaeologist specializing in the Protheans," said Lucy. "And one who's in favor of the Reaper theory, which may be far more true than anyone imagined." She gave the others a look to silence them. They'd bring up Benezia later.

"Wait, you mean you have evidence of the Reapers annihilating the Protheans?" Liara asked. Her voice rose in volume and excitement, hinting of almost desperate eagerness.

"Not enough to convince the Council, or even our own government," Lucy replied. "But we know they were behind the destruction of the Adranian civilization a quarter million years ago."

"The Adranians... Yes, I remember reading the papers that were published in our archaeology journals. When I was done here I planned to request permission to join the team exploring their ruins."

"One moment… Tra'dur, do you see…"

"Yes, the security programming. Very sophisticated. Tom'Barnes, if we link our omnitools with Cat'Delgado, I believe we can bypass the program that imprisoned Doctor T'Soni."

"Sure thing." Barnes brought his forearm up. Once his omni-tool came alive he operated it with his hands, creating the link Tra'dur proposed and running infiltration software. "Some pretty sophisticated stuff. The Darglan could have given them a few pointers on computer software though."

The bubble around Liara faded from existence, letting her drop to the floor. The particle barrier around the tower also died out. Lucy went to help her, but Cat beat her to it, helping Liara to stand. "Goddess, I was afraid I would die in there," Liara confessed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Caterina tapped at her omnitool. "Delgado to _Aurora_ , we've got Doctor T'Soni and the particle field is down. Can we beam out?"

" _Negative, Lieutenant_ ," Jarod answered. " _We're still engaged with a Geth squadron. The shields are up._ "

"Then we'd better get back to the Marines," Lucy said. "Just in case."

Cat motioned behind them. "That lift can take us back to the top level of the site. Can you walk?"

"I think." Liara took a ginger step. She looked stiff from her prolonged time in the bubble.

"How long were you in that fraking thing?" Barnes asked.

"Um… a day or so, I think. I feel very weak."

"Here." Cat offered her canteen. "Have a drink."

"And rations." Tra'dur offered these, in the form of a bar of food matter. "Asari are levo-compatible, yes?"

"We are." Liara took the water first. Tra'dur continued to help her to the lift, then Cat took over, with some visible effort, when she switched to eating at the ration bar.

Barnes activated the lift. This time the shuddering beneath them was stronger. "That… wasn't the lift, was it?" Talara asked.

"No, I fear not," Theek said. The Alakin geologist had his omnitool active and was going over scan results. "Whether it was the particle barrier being raised and dropped or that laser drill, someone has destabilized a magma pocket under the tower. The internal pressure is building and will likely lead to a surface eruption within half an hour."

That drew a sigh from Lucy. "Nothing is ever simple in this job."

* * *

Shepard led the way out of ExoGeni HQ. Liz Baynham was waiting for them at the Mako, as Shepard had instructed her to do. Everyone piled back into the Mako, with Ashley taking the gunner's seat this time so Liz and Tali could look over Robert's wound. "It looks like the medigel seal is holding," Tali said. "You'll be fine."

Robert nodded. "A relief to know." There was still a sting of pain at the impact site, but nothing serious now.

He felt slightly more than a sting a moment later as the entire craft kicked into gear. Shepard's rapid turn pulled him into his seat, followed by an acceleration that drove them out of the garage. "No sign of any Geth, ma'am," Ashley said from her seat. "It looks like we got 'em all."

"Best news I've heard all day," Shepard muttered. "Now we just have to deal with this Thorian thing. Baynham, any suggestions? I'd rather not have to shoot my way through people who can't control themselves."

"My mother may know something that could work, she's done far more work on the Thorian than I ever did," Liz replied. "But don't ask her on the radio, if Jeong overhears…"

"You seem quite afraid of him," Tali observed.

"All he cares about is the corporation's bottom line. I… I thought he sent you to kill me," Liz confessed. "It's why I shot at you. He knows I'm trying to alert the government about the Thorian, and what he and ExoGeni have done. He might even kill my mother, anything to save the company."

"We'll deal with him when we get there, don't worry. But for now, hold on." With that Shepard accelerated the Mako down the Skyway, past the still-burning remnants of the Geth they'd fought before. 

* * *

The trip up the lifts was nerve-wracking given the increasing rumbling. Once the lift stopped Cat shouted "Go! Go!" Lucy was impressed by the fact Cat waited until everyone was off the lift before continuing, letting Tra'dur and Tulari carry Liara. The entire shaft shuddered around them with enough violence that loose chunks of rock were flying free. They were met at the lift by two Marines. "The Major's above, holding the line," one of them said in a Gersallian lilt.

Cat nodded and followed everyone onto the lift. Lucy activated it the moment everyone was aboard. More shuddering threatened to knock over Liara and Tra'dur, the latter helping the former keep her footing. The lift began to ascend.

As for Cat, her heart was pounding and her legs felt rubbery from all of the running. She mused to herself that the Doctor would be teasing her, given how much they'd had to run during her journey with him. Her finger tapped at her omnitool. "Delgado to _Aurora_. We're less than half an hour from a major eruption in the magma pocket under this site. We need beamout ASAP."

This time it was Meridina who replied to them. " _We are still heavily engaged, Lieutenant, and the enemy's positioning will not let us lower shields. You will have to fly out by runabout_."

"Alright. We'll do what we can." Cat looked at Liara and cringed. "We left your suit behind, didn't we?"

"I am afraid the Geth took it," she said. "Probably to keep me from escaping on my own."

"We bring emergency spares, although they're only soft suits." Caterina reached into her pack and brought one out, a folded up square of insulated material with a plastic faceplate. She unfolded it and handed it to Liara. "It's got a small compressed breathing pack, but it won't last more than an hour. And with the top-side heat you're probably going to feel temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, so hydrate again before the lift gets to the top."

"Thank you," Liara said, already fitting the legs of the one-piece insulated suit over her jumpsuit. "Although I doubt I will die of heat exposure before we all die from the lava eruption."

Talara heard that and drew in a breath. She felt trapped here, surrounded by danger. It wasn't the first time she'd felt this way in a life-threatening situation, certainly, but today it seemed even greater in intensity. She noticed Lucy looking toward her. "I'm just anxious, Lieutenant. It won't affect my performance, I promise."

"I know," Lucy said. She pulled her inactive lightsaber from her belt. "Get ready, everyone. The moment the lift gets to the surface, we're going to be in a firefight."

"Right." Cat felt toward her hip, where her pulse pistol was. She was a terrible shot, admittedly, and the Doctor would have shaken his head at her for carrying a gun.

 _Still, I don't have much choice_ , she considered before willing the lift to go faster.

* * *

The Mako raced into the next tower and turned onto the ramp leading down to the next Skyway level. As they moved in a voice cut over the radio. " _Commander Shepard, this is Juliana Baynham_. _Please, I need to…_ "

" _What are you doing?!_ " a voice demanded in the background.

" _Get her away from that radio!_ " Jeong screamed.

"Mother!" Liz darted for the door. "Let me out!"

"Hold on." Shepard brought them to the bottom of the ramp. As soon as she brought the Mako to a stop Liz opened the door and jumped out. "Dammit Baynham, wait!"

"I'm with her!" Ashley responded. She finished removing her harness and leapt from her seat, pulling her rifle over her shoulder. Tali followed behind her, shotgun ready. Shepard and Robert took the rear.

Liz rushed down the ramp. "Mom! Mom, are you okay?! Mom, I'm…"

A gunshot rang out. There was a burst of blood and Liz Baynham collapsed to the floor in a scream.

" _Liz! NO!_ " cried Juliana's voice.

"Shepard?!" Now it was Jeong. "Shepard, I want you and your squad front and center, no guns! Do it now or I'll be forced to take extreme measures! You've got thirty seconds or I start shooting!"


	50. Episode 3-09-4 A Race Through Ruin

"Twenty seconds left, Shepard!" Jeong's voice nearly vibrated with the tense emotions Robert felt in him. Fear bordering on terror, frustration, anger.

"This guy's going off the deep end," Ashley remarked. "If we go in unarmed he could shoot us all."

"And if we go in with guns blazing, who knows how many people get hurt?" Robert asked. "I can stop him if he acts, but I say let's play along."

Shepard looked back at them, her green eyes moving from Ashley to Robert. After Jeong shouted five seconds she nodded. "Alright." Louder, she shouted, "We're coming out, weapons down!" Shepard holstered her shotgun and held her hands out.

Ashley gave a frustrated look and put her rifle up. Robert holstered his pistol and joined her in following Shepard into the open.

Behind them, Tali grumbled in Quarian, not bothering to let her vocoder translate it.

Stepping into the open gave them a view of what was happening. Liz Baynham was on the ground, a growing pool of blood below her and her mother kneeling over her. Juliana's hands were stained with her daughter's blood, trying to stop the bleeding from Liz's hip. Standing over them, gun extended, was Ethan Jeong. His security personnel had their guns drawn as well, if at rest. "I've read up on you, Shepard. And your team." Robert sensed the desperation, the near panic, within Jeong. Something had gone wrong. "I was still hoping you wouldn't find out about Species 37. That you'd get rid of the Geth and clear out. That this treacherous _little bitch_ would be _dead_."

"Well, we know," Shepard said. Her voice was firm, but without the edge of active threat. "You used the Zhu's Hope colonists as test subjects. Little more than lab rats. You broke the law and made yourself a monster."

"Who cares about a few stupid colonists?" he shot back. "Analysis of the Thorian could lead us to whole new ways of understanding how to manipulate a brain. ExoGeni had the chance of a lifetime here on Feros, we couldn't let the colonists screw it up! Imagine being able to control violent prisoners without guns? Or being able to break up riots? We could do this with the Thorian's spores if we can figure out how to reproduce them and use them ourselves."

"You're talking about slavery," Robert said. "That's what this is."

"No it's not!" Jeong retorted. "But I'd expect to hear that kind of thing from you. I've read up on you too. You're worse than Shepard! You made a career out of sticking your nose in and demanding everybody obey you or get blown away by a starship gun."

"Put the gun down, Jeong," Shepard said. Again her voice was firm, and now it took a commanding edge. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I don't care what you want! Because of you, because of Saren, I'm ruined!"

Robert felt it then. Jeong's uncertainty, his fear, all of it held him in check. But it was starting to shift. Within seconds he would build up the nerve and give the order to open fire.

He reached up with his hand. With the movement his power reached out and gripped Jeong's firearm. Jeong cried out in surprise when the gun was wrenched from his hand and sent flying into Robert's own hand.

Biotic energy surged from Shepard's arm and struck one of the guards. He went flying backward.

The other guard brought his weapon up. But before he could fire Robert reached out with his energy again. This time, however, his control slipped. Instead of grabbing the weapon like he'd done to Jeong, Robert felt his energy become raw, unchannelled force. It struck the man directly and sent him flying as if struck by a car. He slammed into the opposite wall and fell, utterly still. Nearby researchers rushed to check on him. With a sense of panic himself Robert desperately sought out the man's life energy, to make sure he survived, and was relieved to feel said life was intact and not fading. He hadn't killed the man on accident.

Jeong stared at his open hand with wide eyes, followed by glancing back at the guard Robert had just tossed. Accident or not, it had a clear sobering effect upon the ExoGeni officer. "God, you… you're… you're not going to kill me, are you?"

"That wasn't in the plan, no." Shepard glanced toward Robert with evident concern. He returned the look sheepishly. "A bit much, wasn't it?"

"Not intended. I let my control slip."

"I'll say," Ashley said. "He looked like he was hit by an aircar. If he wasn't in tactical armor I think it might have actually killed him."

"Be more careful next time, please," Shepard instructed Robert. He responded with a nod. "And can you help Miss Baynham? It doesn't look serious, but I want to make sure she's alright."

"Sure." Robert went over and kneeled beside the mother and daughter. He could sense the wound was indeed not too serious, so long as the bleeding was stopped. "I'll hold it in while you get a medical kit," he told Juliana, who responded by pulling her blood-coated hands away. Robert, rattled as he was at his failure in control, didn't want to risk it again by using his life energies, instead pushing his hands to the wound and applying pressure. "You'll be okay," he assured Liz.

The wounded young woman responded with a nod.

Shepard turned her attention to the rapidly-paling Jeong. "Alright, why did you want to kill us? What's going on here, and what's it got to do with Saren?" Her eyes narrowed. "Start from the beginning."

"Saren Arterius found out about our experiment," Jeong said. "I don't know how, but since he's a Spectre I guess he had ways to do it. He came to me about a week ago and threatened to expose ExoGeni if we didn't give him access to the Thorian. He wouldn't let me call Corporate so I had to make the decision."

"And instead of helping us set a trap for the most-wanted man in the galaxy, you knuckled under," Ashley said accusingly.

"If these experiments were exposed, the company would be ruined!" Jeong insisted. "The fines alone, and plus the lawsuits…"

"Don't forget the jail time," Robert added from where he was aiding the Baynhams. Juliana was now returning with a medkit, including a medigel dispenser. "Especially for you. Your bosses certainly would've negotiated a plea deal."

"I couldn't let news get out!" Jeong insisted. "So I let Saren have access and thought it was over. Then yesterday the Geth attacked!"

"Whatever Saren got from the Thorian, he must be afraid we can get it," Tali said.

"I'm not sure… listen, the Thorian made him give someone up. One of the Asari he went with didn't come back." Jeong shook his head. "The Thorian, I don't think it sees us as living beings. We're… we're tools to it. Potential thralls, that's it."

"And you were feeding people to it." Ashley glowered at him. "How would you like it if the damn thing enslaved you?!"

"It was for a higher cause. The company… we would've compensated the subjects!"

"If any survived, you mean," Shepard said. "So why are you freaking out now? What's this about being ruined?"

"Since you got rid of the Geth, I was able to reach Corporate," said Jeong. "They've ordered a purge. They want the colony shut down."

"And the colonists?"

"As I said, purge." Jeong shuddered. "And my career is in shambles. I'm going to be blamed for this."

"Maybe. But you had bosses, right? People who approved this? Ordered it? You turn states' evidence on them and I'll put in a good word for you. If your bosses' bosses are smart, ExoGeni may even get out of this intact."

Jeong actually had to think about it. Robert sensed the calculation. He knew his career was over either way, but a reflexive part of him still didn't want to betray his company, still had a faint hope that maybe, just maybe, the company might make it out of this, and he'd keep his job intact. In the end, resignation won out, and Robert knew Shepard had won even before Jeong's reply of "Alright. I'll testify."

"Good. I'll hold you to that, don't doubt it," Shepard said. "Now, is there a way to disrupt the Thorians' control over the colonists? This thing is already attacking the _Normandy_ with them. I don't want to kill them trying to get to the Thorian."

Juliana looked up from where she was finishing the medigel application to Liz's hip. "In testing we found there was a way to briefly disrupt the Thorian's control, using a weak, non-lethal concentration of a specific nerve gas mixture. It doesn't eliminate the spores, but it disrupts their control over the nervous system and knocks the subject out."

"We're going to need that gas, then," Shepard said. "And a plan on how to distribute it."

With Liz stabilized, Juliana and Robert stood. "This way," Juliana said. "We have the compound already loaded into gas grenades. We use them to secure colonists for taking blood and tissue samples after infection."

"You're okay with this?" Robert asked her.

"No, and most of us weren't," Juliana replied, guilt radiating from her. "But we didn't have the courage to stand up to Jeong and the bastards at Corporate. They made sure we couldn't leave until the tests were done and forbade anything but e-mails, which they read before sending." She shook her head. "It was just too easy for us to give up. I don't know if I'll ever sleep again." They arrived at a pile of crates. "Here, we should have a few dozen of them ready for use…" 

* * *

In the orbital space over Feros, the _Starship Aurora_ was still locked in combat against Geth vessels. Railgun and mass effect-propelled projectiles joined the plasma bolts of the Geth weapons striking her shields, while her own energy armament returned fire. Torpedoes from the bow launchers raced out and impacted against a Geth cruiser. Denuded of particle shields, the cruiser couldn't resist the naqia-enhanced warheads of the torpedoes. It was broken in half by the resulting detonations.

"Enemy target destroyed," Angel reported triumphantly. Her hands moved effortlessly over her tactical board, directing the _Aurora_ 's advanced Darglan-based plasma weaponry to continue the onslaught against the Geth ships. On her tactical sensors she observed the _Koenig_ contributing. Under Will Atreiad, the ship was weaving in and out of Geth fire and returning said fire with its own. Torpedoes from the _Koenig_ flew from the rear launcher and collided with a light Geth craft, nearly vaporizing it.

In her seat Julia could see they were winning the engagement, but not fast enough. Three Geth cruisers were still intact, weaving around each other to keep Angel's gunnery from tearing them apart one at a time. There were six more of the light ships and still many dozens of fighters engaging the _Koenig_ and the flight group. "Can we beam anyone out yet?"

"I wouldn't recommend it," Jarod said. "Those Geth ships pack a punch against unshielded targets. If we drop shields and they get a direct hit, we could lose vital systems."

"How long do they have?"

At the sensor station, Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad checked her sensor readings of the planet. "Going by the readings, no more than twenty minutes."

Julia tapped a key on her chair. "Andreys to Anders, Andreys to Delgado. You need to get out of there, now."

" _We're trying_ , _Captain, but they're not making it easy_ ," Anders answered. " _They've brought a lot of firepower_."

"Well, we won't be able to beam you out. So do what you can."

" _Aye ma'am_."

* * *

From their safe place at the entrance to the dig site, Anders and his Marines could fire back at the Krogan and Geth that were assembled. Above them a Geth dropship was still hovering, providing support fire and having driven off the relatively unarmed runabouts.

"I'm open to suggestions," Anders said. "Before we all get terminal cases of hotfoot."

From her point in the hiding place, Cat was looking out at the firefight through the helmet plate of her suit. They were back out in the hellish temperature, which didn't make the situation any more comfortable for any of them. "Well, Lucy can always do her badass Life Force Knight stuff to get the dropship."

Nearby Lucy shook her head. "I've never made a jump that high. If we can get it lower to the ground…"

"I doubt they're going to comply," Anders remarked.

"Do your heavy suits not have anti-air rockets?" asked Tra'dur.

"They do, yes, and I'd love to use them, but we're also under fire from multiple angles, and my perimeter teams are already hard-pressed trying to get through to us," noted Anders.

" _We want the Asari!_ " a voice shouted. " _Send her out and we let you live!_ "

"He's lying," Lucy said.

"Your powers aside, Lieutenant, I was already pretty sure of that," Anders observed sarcastically. "So, any options before we try a likely-suicidal charge? Or do we just hope and pray Captain Andreys can retrieve us without risking the ship?"

"Your landing craft, I thought some of them had transporter technology as well?" Liara asked.

"They do, Doctor, but that would require them to drop shields, and they can't with that Dropship here," Talara said.

"Why not order the pilots to fly a distance away, outside of the Dropship's effective firing range?" Liara asked.

"Ordinarily a good plan," Anders agreed. "I'd already be having them try it if it didn't likely mean they get shot at by the Geth ships in orbit."

"Although it might be an effective way to lure that Dropship away," Lucy pointed out. "The Geth may not want to divert attention from the fight in orbit."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure…"

As their tactical debate continued, Caterina checked her omnitool. She was thinking of their briefings on what the Geth were. "The Geth maintain an active uplink, right?"

"Yeah, according to the Quarians," Lucy said.

"Then maybe we can disrupt it," Cat suggested. "Enough to get that Dropship out of the way, at least. Or force it to come closer to maintain the network with the other platforms."

Anders smiled. "Okay, I like that one. Some good old-fashioned e-warfare. What do you need?"

"I need to isolate the frequency they maintain their network on. Then we can tie our omnitools and armor suits together and disrupt it." Caterina was busy operating her omnitool. "Wait… Lucy, Tra'dur, do you see…?"

"I do," Lucy said.

"As do I," Tra'dur added. "Operational at the one hundred and twenty-four point six kilohertz range in the second Groenitz-Hallen band. The omnitools, together, could create a short-wave disruption effect."

"Everyone, link your omnitools to Lieutenant Delgado's," Lucy ordered.

The science team did so. At the instruction of "You heard the lady, Marines!", Anders and his team did likewise. "Here," he said, checking over their findings. "For best effect, send out the disruption pulse at this…"

"Got it," Cat confirmed. "Ready… now."

Slinking near the entrance, and barely out of the incoming fire, Caterina brought her left arm up to point it in the general direction of the Geth dropship. After a couple of keystrokes she activated the pulse, powered by not just her omnitool but those of the others as well.

For several moments nothing happened. Then she noticed it on her scanners. The Geth ship was starting to descend. "It's working," she said. "They're trying to reacquire their network signal with the other Geth."

Lucy nodded and stood up. Everyone could see she was bracing herself. Talara even thought she could feel the energy settling in Lucy.

"What are you doing?!" demanded the Krogan outside. "Pull back up! Pull…"

It was too late. Lucy shot forward. She raced to the opening of the dig site entry tube and, just before the first step down, jumped. The energy in her leg muscles was amplified considerably by the life energies she was calling upon, sending her higher and further than even the best Human athlete could have managed in this gravity. At the apex of her jump Lucy's lightsaber flashed to life. The moment she landed on the Geth dropship she brought it down, slicing a gash through the vessel's armor-plated hull in defiance of its flickering particle barrier.

This spectacle, and the failed attempts of the Geth and Krogan to fire on Lucy, gave the others the moment they needed. " _Semper Fi!_ " Anders called out, and at his order the Marines charged out of the tube firing. The heaviest armor went first, drawing fire they could better withstand and dealing out even more. Grenades and missiles flew through the air. The missiles exploded on impact, blasting through particle barriers to destroy Geth or kill Krogan. Some that missed still created explosive shockwaves that sent foes flying. The grenades did much the same.

"Behind us!" Anders shouted, and the science team, with Liara, fell in. Liara was in the worst shape. The water and rations had given her some energy, but she was still weak, and the emergency suit she was in was proving as incapable as feared in fully protecting her from the deadly heat of Therum's inhospitable surface. It took everything she had just to keep herself in the rear, where Cat was following. Occasionally plasma fire started to come toward them, but the Marines' own fire would quickly eliminate the Geth platforms making those attacks.

Anders himself spotted one of the biggest Krogan he'd ever seen emerging from cover, a massive shotgun in his arms. "Down him, now!" Anders cried. He opened up on the Krogan, as did the squad around him. The Krogan roared in retort and opened up with the shotgun. Anders didn't turn, but he heard the sickening sound of the powerful slug in the Krogan's shotgun shattering the helmet plate of the Marine beside him. Like that he knew he'd lost one of his Marines. That their mission was almost successful, indeed, that the runabouts were ahead and his perimeter teams already in place to cover their retreat into the waiting craft… that was soured by the knowledge he'd lost one of his people.

He was darkly satisfied to see the Krogan didn't last long enough for a second shot. He went down in a hail of energy pulses.

To remind him he had other problems, the ground quaked. The magma pocket below was about to erupt. "Double time it people, get to the runabouts!" Anders guided his Marines in, continuing to direct fire at the Geth force even now moving on his flank. "Just a bit longer, Marines! We hold until our science people are safe!"

"We're almost there," Talara urged the others. Ahead of her Tulari, who was holding a wounded arm, stumbled into the protection of a power-armored Alakin corpswoman who pulled her toward the _Warri_. Other Marines were already boarding the _Gonzales_. Talara looked back to where Liara was collapsing to her knees from exhaustion. She stopped, as did Tra'dur. "Doctor T'Soni, just a little further."

Cat came up and helped Liara up. "We're almost there," Cat said to her. "You can make it."

"How… do you… do this?" Liara asked between gasps.

"Practice. And not my first volcanic planet." Cat smiled from a memory. "But my first when I wasn't being chased by a lava monster. The Doctor and I got a little lucky with that one, we… watch out!"

Cat noticed the threat just before the enraged roar echoed in everyone's helmets. The bleeding, battered Krogan battlemaster was back on his feet and already charging toward them. A mad gleam filled his ruby-colored eyes, eyes that looked so close to Wrex's, but now full of nothing but mindless rage. " _Look out!_ " she shrieked. With a heave of her arms, Cat threw Liara forward to get her to safety.

Then there was raw pain when the Krogan slammed into her. His arms gripped Cat by the ribs and carried her along until, a couple seconds later, he rammed her at full force into the pillar of the dig site's half-completed structure. Cat screamed from the pain of the impact, a savage pain that filled her chest and drowned out everything else.

That pain increased as the Krogan slammed her into the pillar again. And again.

With the Marines fully engaged fighting the remaining Geth, Tra'dur was the first to react. She raised her sidearm, the same heavy slugthrower with which she had shot down the raging Weyrloc Tral on Tira, and opened up. The first shot hit the Krogan's hip, shattering armor and sending blood erupting from the wound.

Cat, rendered nearly mindless herself from pain, feebly reached for her pulse pistol. But then the Krogan slammed her into the pillar again, this time with enough force that her head snapped back and slammed into it as well. There was a brief surge of pain in Cat's head and then a nice, merciful blackness that put an end to the agony.

Again Tra'dur's slugthrower rang out. This time the shot was nearly fatal, but the armored carapace of the Krogan's head and the angle kept it from penetrating fully. In agony and still raging, the Krogan roared and tossed Caterina at Tra'dur. Tra'dur didn't have time to evade before Cat slammed into her, flailing like a thrown rag-doll. The impact knocked Tra'dur to the ground.

The Krogan was already moving forward. Without even thinking about it, one of its powerful legs slammed down on Tra'dur's left leg. Pain exploded up the limb accompanied with the audible snapping of the bone. Tra'dur brought her arm up with the gun and fired again. This shot was the best yet, going through the Krogan's chin and pulping his right eye. But in the throes of a blood rage this pain was insufficient to register. If anything, it won the instinctive attention of the creature, who slapped Tra'dur's hand with enough force to send her gun flying from it. His other foot came down on her arm with enforce force to fracture bone. Tra'dur yowled in response, and thought frantically. She could already see the Krogan's next act. Likely to either be a boot on her head, or a punch. Unless the Marines acted, of course, and turned their weapons on the raging Krogan.

But the shots that hit Krogan were not from their rifles. It was the slightly weaker shots from a pulse pistol. Talara took up a firing stance, both hands on her weapon, and put shot after shot into the wounded Krogan. The setting was high enough to wound, to kill if she hit the right point, but the redundancies of Krogan physiology were making that difficult.

The benefit was that she'd drawn the Krogan's attention. He turned away from Tra'dur.

The downside was that he was charging her now.

It was a moment that, in retrospect, could have gone many other ways. Talara could have tried to dodge to the side. She may have even made it. Or she wouldn't have and, like Cat and Tra'dur, would have endured a hammering at the hands of a blood-raged Krogan. Or she might have opened fire, with similar chances of succeeding or failing and taking a hit.

But she did neither.

There was, for Talara, a moment of absolute clarity like few she'd ever realized. It was perhaps like the one she'd felt when she heard that the Alliance had gone to war with the Nazi Reich, and that it was a war she had an ethical obligation to fight in, a war where she and her fellow Falaens would be called upon to uphold the spirits of the mythic heroes of their Altean past, the memories of King Alfor and Queen Fala and Princess Allura that should be honored.

That moment of clarity kept her from leaping out of the way. It kept her from just trying to shoot. Instead, as if by instinct, Talara raised her hand and screamed, " _No!_ "

Within her body, within her soul, Talara felt something resonate with that cry. A feeling similar to when she was trying to interface with the _Castle of Lions_ , endeavoring to save the lives of Princess Allura and Lucy Lucero, came to her, but stronger. Greater. The feeling surged with power, and surged from her hand and from her, from everything that was Talara, leaping toward the Krogan.

Raw force, unseen, unheard, slammed into the blood-raged alien, sending the Krogan flying back into the pillar it had just been slamming Caterina into.

Tra'dur, despite the pain she was in, forced herself to sit up. Her eyes widened briefly at seeing what Talara had wrought.

Talara herself stared at her hand in surprise. Inside she felt strange. Like something within her was stirring. A part of her just now waking from a slumber that had lasted her whole life.

The Krogan roared and charged at her again. Talara focused on that feeling within her and drew from it, imagining the Krogan falling back, insisting it must.

Another wave of force answered. Yet again the Krogan slammed into the pillar.

And this time, he didn't move. He didn't have time. Anders and one of his Marines poured more fire into the blood-raged Krogan until even his robust physiology couldn't function any longer. He collapsed beside the pillar. Talara sensed something like a light going out. A flicker of flame dying, replaced only by nothingness.

"Move move move!" Anders' voice broke her from her thoughts. "Tend the wounded!"

"Right away!" Talara rushed forward and picked up Caterina. She was unconscious but alive. That Talara knew for certain.

There was an explosion from above them. Everyone briefly looked to see the Geth dropship blow apart. A moment later Lucy landed fifteen feet away, slamming the ground and creating a ripple of fine dust from the impact. Her lightsaber, still active, was held out and ready for more fighting.

But it wasn't a fight they had to worry about. The ground shuddered beneath them, more violent than before.

"Lava eruption imminent!" Theek shouted. "We must get to safety!"

Lucy shut down her lightsaber and returned it to her belt. She went straight for Tra'dur and helped her up while Anders picked up the exhausted Liara. "Let's go! We're out of time!" she shouted, running toward the _Warri_ as she did. The rear hatch of the runabout opened, revealing the modular area in the back for storing their gear.

The shuddering under them ceased for a moment. Lucy and Talara both felt what came next in the seconds before it did. A loud roar filled the air and, behind them and the dig site, a jet of lava flew upward by at least twenty meters. As Lucy made it to the _Warri_ with the hobbling, injured Tra'dur, lava spewed violently from the dig site tube. She helped Tra'dur into a seat and dashed to the cockpit. The _Warri_ moved under her as she passed through the small living space between the cargo module and the cockpit. By the time she reached the cockpit the ship was already in mid-air. She took a seat at operations and tapped a key. " _Warri_ to _Aurora_ , we're clear. I repeat, we're clear, and we have wounded. How do you want to..." 

* * *

"... _handle this?_ " Lucy's voice said over the speaker.

The _Aurora_ shuddered again, taking another hit to her degrading shields while, on the screen, another Geth cruiser was burning from Angel's efforts. "Shields are down to fifteen percent," Jarod said.

"The _Koenig_ 's shields are also down to twenty percent," Meridina confirmed.

"Status on pilots?"

"Four fighters lost. One escape pod."

Julia frowned at that. Six dead flight crew. "Tractor it or have _Koenig_ pick it up. Helm, put us in position to receive our runabouts without exposing them to enemy fire. All ships, I want those runabouts back safe and sound."

"Aye ma'am," said Locarno.

"Orders relayed," Meridina confirmed. "Received."

"Aurora _, we've received your course_ ," Lucy's voice said. " _We'll be out of atmosphere in ten seconds. Nine… eight…_ "

The Geth attackers finally seemed to notice the two runabouts climbing through the atmosphere. They broke away from where they were keeping _Koenig_ boxed in. The attack ship maneuvered to open up on the aft of one of the ships, blowing it to pieces with pulse phaser cannon fire. Angel's plasma beams lashed out at the ships as well, slicing one apart and damaging the others. Nevertheless they fired.

"They're shooting at our runabouts. But no hits yet," al-Rashad said.

"... _two… one…_ "

The two runabouts entered orbit. The _Aurora_ was already moving to meet them. Of the remaining three Geth attackers, one went up to the _Koenig_ 's continued attack. The two remaining ones continued to move for the runabouts.

"Miss Delgado, I want those attackers out of the way!" Julia insisted.

"Aiming now, Captain," Angela assured her.

This time the _Aurora_ 's main bow cannons opened up. The thick sapphire pulses utterly obliterated one of the attackers. Sapphire beams carved into the remaining attacker, joined by the amber bursts from the _Koenig_ 's pulse phasers. It dodged and weaved, trying to get a clear shot on the _Warri_ or _Gonzales_.

The _Koenig_ 's solar torpedoes raced out and struck the Geth attacker in the mid-section. It blew apart in a burst of white light.

More heavy shots from the lone surviving Geth cruiser struck their rear shields. "Shields down to ten percent," Jarod said.

"Come about and reinforce bow shields," she ordered.

The order was followed. It provided two benefits; bringing their biggest weapons to bear on the target and bringing the shuttle bays out of the line of fire.

"The runabouts are landing in the Main Bay," Jarod said.

"Good. Tactical, give them everything we've got left."

"Aye ma'am." Angel grinned at the order before finishing her new firing solution.

The resulting exchange of fire filled the orbital space over Therum. More sapphire pulses and beams were joined by over a dozen blue-white sparks, the drive fields of the solar torpedoes that followed the target lock Angel had achieved. The shields of the _Aurora_ flashed blue as they struggled to repel the incoming railgun and plasma fire.

The exchange, when finished, clearly went against the Geth. The _Aurora_ 's bow shields were still intact, if degraded, while the Geth cruiser was reduced to a burning wreck. "I won't have the Geth attacking Nova Yekaterinburg in retaliation," Julia said. "Finish them off."

"With pleasure."

Again the _Aurora_ 's weapons fired, this time on tandem with _Koenig_. All energy fire, no torpedoes, which were unneeded. This barrage blew the Geth cruiser apart, leaving only debris field of inert, blackened shards.

"Status on Geth fighters?" Julia asked Meridina.

"They are under control," Meridina replied. "Commander Laurent assures us they will be eliminated within the minute."

"Task the secondary batteries to help finish them off."

Meridina did so. The particle interceptors on the _Aurora_ continued firing where they could safely engage the Geth without hurting their own fighters. Julia watched with satisfaction as every glowing red dot on the holotank disappeared. She tapped the panel on her chair. "Bridge to Main Shuttle Bay. How did it go?"

" _Anders here. Mission successful, but not without casualties_."

Julia nodded and forbade herself even the slightest celebratory grin. "How bad?"

" _Private Yamashita is KIA, headshot. Lieutenants Delgado and Tra'dur are wounded, Delgado badly wounded._ "

Julia glanced back to see the quiet look cross Angel's face. "How badly?"

" _She got tackled and slammed around by a Krogan in a blood rage, Captain. She's alive, but the corpsman confirm head trauma, suspected concussion, and broken ribs at the least. Internal bleeding is confirmed. Doctor Gillam's just now arriving to get her to medbay._ "

"And Tra'dur?"

" _Broken leg and arm. She's otherwise fine._ " There was an edge in Anders' voice. " _I assume full responsibility for the injuries to the science team, Captain. I'll have a report to you by 2230 hours._ "

"I understand." Julia nodded. "Bridge out." She tapped the key on her chair again. Again she was looking toward Tactical, where Angel was quietly stewing in anger and worry, while one of her subordinates, Syrandi Luneri, remained quiet at her battle station, Secondary Tactical, along the starboard side of the bridge beside Auxiliary Communications. "Lieutenant Luneri, please relieve Lieutenant Delgado."

The Dorei, her dark purple skin joined by the teal-colored spots of her spotline and purple hair, looked up and nodded. "Aye Captain," she said in her accented English, the sound vaguely Pacific Islander to Julia's ears.

With gratitude showing in her hazel-colored eyes, Angel rose from her station and went straight for the nearest lift.

"Stand down from Code Red," Julia ordered. She released her harness and stood. "Maintain Yellow status. Commander Meridina, please join me. Commander Jarod, you have the bridge."

"Yes Captain," Meridina said. She released her harness and stood. Jarod did the same, leaving Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi to take Ops while he went to the command chair. Meridina followed Julia off of the bridge.

* * *

Once the Mako pulled back into the vehicle garage for Zhu's Hope, the trouble began.

The Baynhams, and a much-subdued Jeong, cooperated extensively with Shepard and her squad. Thanks to them the squad knew precisely where to go to get to the Thorian and what to expect. They found that the moment they pulled into the garage and encountered the husk-like humanoid figures, all that remained of age-old servitors of the Thorian. They resembled walking shoots of green plant more than anything, but Robert sensed the malevolent intent within them and pulled the trigger on his pistol. A _WHUP_ sound filled the air with each shot, the resulting blue bolts of energy blasting away part of the creature. A shotgun roared, then another; Tali and Shepard were joining him.

There was more weapons fire from ahead. Robert sensed that veneer of despair and fear, made stronger now that he knew what it was. The colonists had a defense line here and the Thorian was forcing them to fight. Its control was absolute; any rebellion, even a thought, brought with it intense and unstoppable pain.

Ashley responded by firing from the cover of the Mako. "The grenades, now," Shepard ordered, pulling one off. Robert and Tali each added one. With a little nudging from Robert the three grenades landed in a perfect pattern to spread the gas to all of the shooters. One by one they collapsed.

This was only the start. At the lift, in the halls leading to the colony, at the colony itself, the colonists were all armed and fighting to hold them back. The Thorian had them shooting to kill while Shepard refused to give the same order, insisting on suppressive fire to support the throwing of the grenades. The Thorian undoubtedly realized what was going on. The colonists were becoming more aggressive as they continued, more heedless of their own lives. But regardless of the danger, Shepard continued to insist on the grenades.

By the time they got to the colony proper, the incoming fire was inescapable. " _Commander, whatever you're doing, it's working. They're no longer attacking the ship_ ," Joker said over their comms.

"Good. Get everyone you can spare into hazmat-compatible protection and send them out on my order," Shepard replied. "I'll need them to secure the colonists."

"Shepard, there's too much fire," Tali said. "We'll never get a grenade thrown without getting shot."

"Ma'am, maybe we should cut loose," Ashley said. "The way this thing sounds, they're better off dead than enslaved to it."

"I understand the sentiment, Sergeant, believe me," Shepard answered. "But I'm not killing these people unless we have no choice, and we still do. Get your grenades ready. Robert, we'll go in and draw their fire as best as we can."

"You want me to project a shield again." It wasn't a question. And Robert knew he didn't need to bring up what happened last time. There was still a sting in his side from it.

"Exactly. I'm counting on it. Ready?"

He drew in a breath to ready himself. "Yes. Let's go."

The two went out into the fire. Shepard's biotic barrier absorbed the initial shots to strike it. Before it could falter Robert focused his power forward, creating the same area of reversed force he'd tried in the ExoGeni HQ. His control strained to its limits.

Shepard spread her arms forward. Energies gathered before her, the purplish-blue of dark matter, joining Robert's shield of force and reflecting the attacks. "Now!"

Ashley and Tali came up and tossed their grenades, one after the other. Two, then four, then six were flying into the various areas of cover, all while shooting continued to wear at their defenses. Robert felt a sharp pain in the middle of his head from the strain he was taking on. Sweat dripped down Shepard's face at her own efforts.

Sickly green gas formed in clouds ahead, each grenade adding to it. The colonist shooters began choking. There was no cry of "Fall back!" as normal enemies might give. For the moment, their foes were not people; they were tools, mere things, reduced to such by the Thorian.

The grenades kept getting thrown so long as the shooting continued. When it finally stopped, and several seconds passed, Robert and Shepard dropped their defenses. Robert's legs felt little better than rubber and he went to his knees. Unable to wipe the sweat from her face on account of her helmet visor, Shepard satisfied herself with a gulp of water and several bites from an energy bar. Combat biotic rations, Robert knew.

"We're clear, that's all of them," said Ashley.

"No." Robert got back to his feet, with effort, and took a drink from his own canteen. "There's one more."

They advanced to the center of the colony. As they turned a corner around one of the prefab buildings, they found the last of the colonists still awake. Fai Dan stood with his hand on a pistol and trembling violently. "I… I was supposed to lead these people," the leader of Zhu's Hope gasped. "I… I failed them."

"This wasn't your fault," Shepard said to him. "ExoGeni did this to you. It allowed this."

Slowly Fai Dan's hand gripped the pistol. It came up with jerky motions, as if he were in the middle of a seizure. Robert felt his despair, his pain… and defiance. "It wants me to stop you," Fai Dan said. "To protect it. But… I won't. I won't be a… puppet!" He let out a wordless cry afterward as the pain within spiked. The spores in his brain were flooding his pain centers with sensation. "I won't!"

"No!" Shepard cried, realizing his intent.

Robert also sensed it. As Fai Dan brought the gun barrel to his temple, finger already tensing on the trigger, he acted. He reached out and grabbed the weapon with his abilities. The barrel rose before it fired, letting off a shot that tore skin and hair from Fai Dan's scalp, but did not hit his skull. Blood started to flow immediately from the wound.

"No!" Fai Dan cried, even as Tali's arm shot forward. The gas grenade landed at his feet and went off, creating another cloud of green-tinted gas. He inhaled it and began to shudder before collapsing, unconscious.

"Good job," Shepard said to them.

"I could sense the intent, and the defiance behind it. The Thorian's spores are literal torture, Shepard. Mental and physical." Robert scowled. "Even the most innocent independent thought is punished. Killing himself was the only way Fai Dan saw to get out of this."

"We should be careful going down," said Ashley. "If this thing's spores get into us..."

"We'll keep helmets on and run on internal air," Shepard said. Her left forearm came up and her omnitool appeared. "Shepard to _Normandy_ , is my hazmat team ready?"

" _We're on our way, Commander_ ," Alenko answered.

"Good. Now…" She looked around until she found what the Baynhams had described. "They said the ship is blocking the path down. Let's get that crane moving to get it out of the way."

"On it," said Tali.

Shepard looked at Robert again. "Can you sense this thing?"

Robert attempted to do just that for a moment. There was life here, below, vast and ancient, and oh so very frustrated… and afraid. "I think. It's not happy we shut down all of its puppets. And it's frightened out of its wits, I think. I would expect trouble as we go down."

"Well, I can see it's smart." Shepard's expression was grim. "ExoGeni's crimes aside, this thing enslaves people. I don't take kindly to slavery."

"Nor do I," Robert admitted. "And you know what I used to do for a living."

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "So, ready to face another slaver?"

"Always," was the answer, with a smile added to the reply.


	51. Episode 3-09-5 A Race Through Ruin

In the primary hull of the _Starship Aurora_ , on Deck 12, the ship's large medbay took up several internal sections. Designed from the getgo to handle humanitarian crisis events with enough bed capacity to deal with much of its crew, the wards of the medbay were the territory of Doctor Leonard Gillam, "Leo" to his friends. Standing at about six feet in height, Leo still consciously thought of himself as African-American from over a quarter-century of life on the home Earth he shared with many of the _Aurora_ command crew, even though said designation didn't apply in many of the more advanced universes that they had encountered upon the opening of the Multiverse.

For the present moment he was finishing his final scans and examination of one of those friends. The injuries endured by Caterina were prominent on the biobed scanners and further data showed on his monitool. "She'll be okay," Leo assured Angel, Julia, and Meridina. "The helmet absorbed most of the blunt force, so she only endured a concussion. We've already taken steps to ensure there is no permanent brain injury. As for her busted ribs, they'll heal with time. And all internal bleeding has been dealt with."

"When is she going to wake up?" Julia asked.

"Probably by tomorrow," Leo promised.

Angel nodded. She remained beside her sister while Julia and Meridina followed Leo to his other patients. One, Tra'dur, was still conscious. One of Leo's nurses, the Darfuri woman Nasri, was busy tending to the Dilgar woman's broken limbs. "Captain," said Tra'dur. "Commander."

"Lieutenant." Julia stood at the foot of her bed. "Good job down there."

"Thank you. I was afraid the Krogan would kill her. I only wish my fire had been more accurate."

"Killing Krogan is pretty hard, from what I've heard. Don't be worried about it."

"When may I return to duty?"

"Well, I want you on light duty for a week," said Leo. "While we treat your injured limbs and make sure the bone fractures have regenerated properly. We'll see where you are then, okay?"

"Yes, Doctor." Tra'dur laid her head back and glanced toward Cat.

Their last stop was the one the entire mission had been intended to ensure. Liara T'Soni remained on her back on the biobed, relaxing after her ordeal. "She's suffering from mild heat exhaustion exacerbated by lack of sufficient food and water over the last twenty-four hours." Leo shut down his omnitool as they approached Liara. "Doctor T'Soni, you'll be fine, but I'm keeping you for the next sixteen hours minimum to oversee your condition. As a precaution."

"I understand, Doctor Gillam," the Asari answered. Her blue eyes shifted slightly to face Julia. "I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with your Alliance's military. You're a commanding officer?"

"The commanding officer, actually," Julia clarified. "Captain Julia Andreys of the _Starship Aurora_ , at your service. This is my First Officer, Commander Meridina."

"So you're in command of this ship? You seem younger than most human ship commanders I've met."

"I am one of the younger ones, yes," Julia confirmed. "How are you feeling, Doctor?"

"Bewildered. And tired." Liara shifted her arms and closed her eyes for a moment, as if to rest them. "I never imagined I would ever face a Geth. What are they doing beyond the Veil? And who were those Krogans they were working with?"

"They are working for a rogue Spectre, Saren Arterius," Julia replied. She eyed Liara carefully for signs of recognition, but there were no noticeable tells to her. Meridina gave no indication of falsehood being sensed. "With them he launched an attack on the Dorei colony on Adrana and on the Systems Alliance colony of New Eden."

"And then he comes after me. First worlds with old ruins, then an archaeologist." Liara frowned. "But why would he want me? I'm not the best archaeologist in the galaxy. Many consider me to be foolish for advancing the Reaper theory. I can't be his best choice."

Julia and Meridina exchanged looks. Liara's reaction to this next part would be telling. "Doctor, we have uncovered evidence that Saren is not working alone," Meridina stated. "He has a conspirator on his side, one with immense resources to add to his own. That is the reason why he came after you."

"But, I don't have any enemies…" She still seemed to not understand.

"No. But…" Meridina stopped. She glanced toward Julia.

"Doctor, I'm sorry," Julia said. "But our evidence indicates Matriarch Benezia is the one working with Saren."

There was clear surprise on Liara's face. "Mother… no, why would she… why would she work with any Spectre, let alone a rogue one? She has always been an advocate of peace!"

"We are uncertain as to her motives," Meridina stated. "But Saren was in her company last year when we met her for a diplomatic meeting, and we have audio evidence that she is in collusion with him concerning the attacks. They seem to be working toward the return of the Reapers."

Liara's eyes widened. "What? The return of… but that's… that's insane! The Reapers annihilated the Protheans at their height! Why would they want to bring them back?! What possible... " Horror dawned on her. "Could this be some form of conspiracy against the Multiverse?"

"I'm not sure that's their motive," Julia said. "Nobody's sure of it. But we're tasked with stopping them, and finding and debriefing you is part of that mission."

Seeing how agitated Liara was, Leo stepped between her and his commanders. "For the benefit of my patient, this should continue later."

"We have to stop them," Liara insisted. "Any way I can help…"

"I understand, Doctor," Julia said. "And we'll discuss that later. For now, let's follow Doctor Gillam's advice. We'll leave you be for now and talk later."

Liara's head descended back to her pillow. Disbelief and horror still showed on her expression.

Julia and Meridina left Leo to tend to work, or as the occasion required, meet Violeta as she entered the ward to speak to her about Cat's condition. They walked until they had the privacy of a corner. "I sense no deception," Meridina said. "She is having trouble grasping her mother's complicity, but she recognizes we are not lying."

"I don't blame her for not wanting to believe something so terrible about her mother," Julia answered. "So she's not working with them?"

"That I am sure of."

"Then the question is, why did Saren send troops to capture her? Was she intended to be a hostage? Or did he need her for something?"

"Either is possible, I believe…"

Their omnitools chimed. Blue light appeared above the back of their left hands. Julia pressed the light and said, "Andreys here."

" _Captain, we have received a report. Saren's forces have been spotted on the colony of Feros_ ," Jarod said. " _The_ Normandy _is already there, but they haven't sent any updates._ "

"Set a course for the Mass Relay and get us the necessary Relay path to Feros, Warp 9.2."

" _Yes ma'am. We're putting in coordinates now._ "

By the time the two women left the medbay, the _Aurora_ warped away from Therum in a flash of light.

* * *

After a short descent from the Zhu's Hope colony, Shepard led the squad into what looked like the central chamber of the tower. An open center reminded Robert of the interior of some older towers he'd seen, where the floors were along the walls while there was nothing in the middle, nothing but a long drop to the bottom of what might be the tower itself.

In the middle of that center, suspended by long cables of organic plant matter attached to the walls, was the Thorian.

A sickly, pale green was the primary color on the alien creature's body, marked by what looked almost like eyes in pale color facing toward them. A mass of tendrils hung from the bottom, and three larger, longer ones were formed at at the front, as if to mark the spot of a mouth.

A heart. That was what the Thorian made Robert think of. A big, ghastly heart with its aorta as the thick cables holding it in place.

"It knows we're here," he said to the others.

"Ugly son of a…"

Before Ashley could finish that statement, the Thorian's "mouth" opened. An orifice around the three tendrils distended enough to allow a form to begin emerging, coated in mucus. Disgust was the primary feeling among the others Robert felt at the sight of the humanoid figure emerging. The figure stood, revealed as an Asari in a dark suit. An Asari with green skin. She spoke blandly, and clearly with another's voice. "I have watched you closely, Shepard."

"Then you know I'm not very happy with you," Shepard said.

"I know why you have come. Saren." There was a moment of silence, in which nobody spoke. "Yes. I would treat with you. I would bargain as Saren did. I alone can tell you what Saren wished from me."

"But you're not just going to tell us, are you?" Shepard asked.

"As I said, I would treat with you. I will give you what I gave Saren. In exchange, I ask you to leave me and my thralls be."

Robert narrowed his eyes. The Thorian was… not being entirely deceptive. He could sense the creature was thinking of betraying them as Saren had betrayed it, but it was also scared. Scared that Shepard would actually succeed in killing it. When Shepard glanced toward him he nodded. "It's being genuine. Mostly. It's too scared of you to stab you in the back. It's afraid it'll lose."

"You are a strange one," the Thorian said through the Asari. "It has been aeons since I experienced a being with your power. Are you the true leader here?"

"No," Robert said. "I'm just a member of the Commander's unit, by invitation."

"But your power... " The thing seemed uncertain before returning its attention to Shepard. "Very well. What say you, Shepard? Will you make the agreement?"

"I have a counter proposal," said Shepard. "You tell us what Saren wanted and release the colonists you've taken over, and we'll leave you alone. We'll seal your chamber back up and you can live down here in complete safety."

"Unacceptable," the Thorian protested through its Asari puppet. "They are my thralls. My tools. Your people gave them to me willingly."

"Those people were criminals. They had no right to give you anyone," Shepard retorted. "If you want a deal, release them."

There was no reaction for several moments. Robert could feel the anger, frustration, the terror of the Thorian. It considered submission. It was afraid of them. It knew they could kill it.

But it was also afraid it would be killed anyway. Stripped of thralls, it had no defense, only the word of other beings, of aliens, whom had already proven untrustworthy.

In that moment, Robert sensed more of the history of this proud being. Through millennia the Thorian had never negotiated with anything. It always took, from the Protheans, and from species before that.

"Would you sacrifice your future for a mere handful of your people?" the Thorian asked. "I have seen the things Saren would call down upon you. They destroyed those who came before you. They will destroy you. I can be more useful than they."

"What you're doing is wrong," Shepard replied. "Thinking beings have a right to their own will and thoughts. You've taken that from your thralls."

"You torture them," Robert added. "I've sensed it. You inflict terrible pain on them for even the slightest independent thought. You make their existence a literal living death."

Right then and there Robert knew they wouldn't convince it. He sensed the disbelief the Thorian had at their argument. It simply couldn't comprehend the principles he and Shepard were speaking of. It had no concept of engaging with them as fellow sapients, it couldn't even conceive of that kind of equality. All other creatures, thinking or otherwise, only existed to be its thralls.

When the attack came, it was sudden. The Asari puppet lunged forward with hate in her previously lifeless eyes. Shepard's shotgun snapped up and thundered. A solid slug blew a massive hole through the Asari's neck and it collapsed.

Ashley unloaded her assault rifle on the Thorian. The slivers of material, accelerated to supersonic velocity, ripped into dense, thick flesh, but to little effect. "It's got some sort of organic armor within its upper layer," Tali said, observing her omnitool.

In the distance, they heard shrieks.

"It's sending those plant-husks toward us," Robert said. "And I think it's got more of those Asari to fight us with. I can feel the emptiness of everything that's not us or the Thorian." He touched a hand to his forehead. "It's like a cold spot in the Flow of Life. No sensations, no thoughts, just an empty shell for the Thorian…"

"Well, let's just shoot it until we blow through the armor," Ashley said. "Or set it on fire."

"It'll take forever," Tali said. "We can't kill it that way."

"The trunks," said Shepard. Her eyes were already tracking the thick, aorta-like cords emerging from the top of the Thorian. "We sever those." She raised her shotgun and fired a slug into one of the trunks. A loud, animal sound filled the chamber, but the cable remained intact.

"It may be weaker at the other end," Tali suggested.

"Now I wish I'd accepted Lucy's offer," Robert muttered. However strong the Thorian's organic hide was, he suspected a lightsaber would cut through it given enough time.

"You can regret your ego later, Robert," Shepard said. "We've got incoming."

He turned and saw what she meant. A whole host of the Thorian's husks were coming their way. He raised his pistol and started firing. At the setting he was using, the pulses were literally setting fire to the husks, although they didn't seem to pay attention to this.

Ashley switched to a shotgun, one of the Katana models, while Shepard continued to use her N7 Crusader prototype and Tali her Scimitar. The solid slugs of Shepard's weapon smashed the torsos and heads of the creatures; the sprays of flechette shot from the other two shredded them. Robert's shots set them on fire. "Go!" Shepard urged.

"This way!" Tali and Shepard took the lead. Tali's scans led them up a path where even more of the husks were coming. Enough that they would have stopped them cold if Robert hadn't thrown them out of the way with a wild, barely-controlled burst of force.

Partway up the level, they found one of the trunks holding the Thorian in place. The shotguns of the others thundered while Robert used more projected force to throw the Thorian's husks back. He felt the creature's panic spike, and for good reason. Tali proved correct; at this connection point the cable wasn't as dense, and repeated blasts from the firearms of his allies completely severed it in about ten seconds. A horrible wail filled the air, accompanied by sharp pain and rage. "We pissed it off," Robert observed with a hint of snark.

"Oh well, I knew I'd be pissing people off when I took the job," Shepard remarked, answering snark with snark. "Just a sign I'm doing something right. Now move!"

More Thorian husks came at them at the top of the ascent. Robert didn't need to use his powers; the shotguns of the others cleared them out in a few shots. They moved ahead to the portal leading to the next trunk…

Robert felt the familiar ripple of biotics and shouted, "Look out!"

A singularity pulse flew ahead and went off over the squad. The dark matter gripped the others and pulled them from the ground. Tali went flying into one wall, Ashley into another. Shepard flailed in mid-air, trying to get her bearings.

Ahead of them, beside the second trunk, was another Asari, literal clone of the first. Whatever process the Thorian used to recreate her, it kept at least some of the biotics intact. More dark energy gathered.

Robert threw his hand up. Solid force slammed into the Asari and sent her flying back. Using the moment this bought him, he used the same to grip Shepard and pull her clear of the singularity. This got her out of range just before it exploded in a burst of dark matter, enough force that there was lethal danger in the prospect. Shepard rolled when she hit the ground and brought her shotgun up just in time to shoot the Asari as she recovered. The clone shrieked and collapsed, her right thigh a mess of ripped flesh and muscle. Shepard stood and put another slug into the clone's head to put her down for good.

"Ugh. I hate those." Tali got up while Shepard went to work on the trunk, shooting her shotgun into the end repeatedly. "One moment. I need to make sure… ah, good, my suit is still intact. No punctures."

"Fighting biotics is always a pain in the ass." Ashley got back to her feet. "No offense meant, ma'am."

"None taken." Shepard fired again, Tali joined her, and after a couple of shots the trunk was ripped away.

The Thorian screeched again. Robert felt its sheer terror and the rage it was fueling. It realized it was likely going to die and was desperately trying to gather its remaining husks to overwhelm them. "We'd better keep going," he said. "It's calling in everything."

"Double time it!" Shepard led the way yet again.

They moved around the outer circle of the chamber, blowing away husks as they encountered them. With a wave of his hand Robert sent an entire group of them flying through the air and into the Thorian, pulsing with only one of its large aortic trunks still linking it to the wall of the chamber. Its fury and fear only grew with each moment.

"Another Asari, up ahead," he warned, feeling this one also preparing a biotic attack. Ahead were husks gathered into a barricade of bodies, trying to hold them from the opening ahead and the last node.

Shepard's arm lit up with biotic power. Her arm came up and a shockwave of dark matter moved ahead and slammed through the husks. Tali and Ashley opened up with their guns, firing until the weapons overheated, adding to the carnage. With the way still blocked by those left, Robert let loose with the force inside him again. His control was bad, but it was the husks that suffered for it, as he hit them hard enough that some were literally blown apart by the power he released. This final attack opened the way for them all.

The Asari was waiting on the other end. She released her biotic power at Shepard in a bright, large pulse of biotic power.

But she was too late.

Biotic energy wreathed Shepard's body and shot her forward like a cannon projectile. The biotic pulse thrown by the Asari fell apart at the impact when Shepard struck it with her charge. She slammed into the Asari and sent it flying back into the partition wall at the opposite end of the section. Ashley, Tali, and Robert opened up on the Asari before it could get up, their shots ripping through flesh until the Asari toppled.

Immediately Tali went to the opposite portal while Ashley turned and faced the way they'd come. The final trunk holding the Thorian was here and vulnerable.

Now despair gripped the Thorian. Robert felt an instinctive plea rise within it. _Mercy! Mercy mercy mercy pleasedonotdestroymemercymercymercy!_ "Wait," he said.

Shepard had her weapon up. She looked at him pensively. "What is it?"

"It's… it's begging," he said. "It wants mercy."

 _Do not want to die nodienodieMERCYHUMANSMERCYPLEASE…_

"It can hear us, right?"

At that Robert sensed an acknowledgement. _Understand yes understand please mercy do not want to end!_ He nodded.

"Alright." She turned and looked down toward the Thorian's core below. "I'll let you live under these terms. Cooperate with us against Saren, release your thralls, and swear never to make more. Do we have a deal?"

The creature understood. _Yes, a deal. Mercy. Do not want to die. Mercy and I will obey_. _Will give the Cipher Saren wished._

"It says yes."

Shepard lowered her weapon. "Then we're almost done here."

Robert nodded in agreement.

A feeling came over him then. It was a small one. For the most part the Thorian was relieved. It would live. It would not end. It would release the colonists.

But there was another sense, deep within it. A sense of defiant rage. Robert focused upon it. He wanted to see what it meant. He felt through the Flow of Life and tried to sense the future from this point on.

He saw the Thorian cooperate. An Asari released from a pod, with the Cipher, and the colonists' spores going inactive. It was sealed away. Left to its own devices.

And then… it would brood. It would _plan_.

It was a flash for Robert, a brief image, but he saw it and knew what it meant.

In that moment, he knew the only thing he could do with that knowledge, and he acted with more instinct than thought. He reached up with his hands, and the power within him, and gripped the last trunk. He ignored the sudden surge of terror from the Thorian, that realization of what was about to happen.

He ignored the _MERCY_ that it again pleaded, and with one solid yank, ripped the trunk free from the wall.

The Thorian fell. It fell screaming, cursing them, hating them, so much hate…

...and then there was nothing.

"It's dead," Robert muttered. "Gone." He pulled off his helmet and wiped at his forehead with the other hand.

The others were looking at him. "Why?" Shepard asked. It was a simple question, but he felt the incredulity and anger behind it. "It agreed to work with us. To let everyone go."

"It did. But I sensed what it felt. What it planned, what it would do. Right now it just wanted to live." Robert moved his hand through his shoulder-length dark hair, disheveled as it was, and coated with sweat. "But it would never have forgiven. Next time it would have been quieter and more subtle. It would have taken the colonists over again, if they were still here, and exposed even more to the spores. Bit by bit. More suffering. More torture. I… I couldn't let it do that to those people. I had to stop it. And that was the only way."

"That works for me," Ashley said. She secured her gun at the small of her back. "So why are you so pale?"

"I killed it with my powers," Robert said. "I… I've never killed a living being like that before. Not with my _swevyra_ , my life powers. And not even in the heat of battle, just… just killing it… while it was begging for mercy." He shook his head. "I'm supposed to uphold Life, and I just killed the only being of its kind in all of creation."

"It sounds like it didn't give you a choice." Shepard put a hand on his shoulder. "So…"

Something made a disgusting liquid sound nearby, in the next section. They went on to find a pod made of the same material as the Thorian starting to fall open. Once again an Asari figure fell out, but this time she was lavender in complexion. Cords dangling from the inside of the pod gave the impression of having been plugged into the Asari. She went down to a knee when she hit the ground before standing up. She shook her head as the others approached. "I'm… I'm free." She looked to Shepard. "I… thank you. Thank you for releasing me."

"Are you alright? Who are you?" Shepard asked.

"I will be fine." Green eyes looked them over. "I just need some time…" After shaking her head again, she seemed to remember the other question. "And my name is Shiala. I serve…" She stopped. A painful, betrayed look crossed her face. "I _served_ Matriarch Benezia. When she joined with Saren, so did I. He gave me to the Thorian."

"Why did you let him?" Tali asked. "Why would Benezia let him do that to you?"

"He… he has a way of assuring the loyalty of his followers. To make us completely loyal. I was a willing slave until he gave me to the Thorian in exchange for knowledge he needed. Somehow… I don't feel his influence anymore. I don't…" She started to topple.

Robert stepped up and helped Shiala steady herself. He could sense the hurt within her, not to mention the weakness. The Thorian had only given her enough nutrients to keep her alive while dormant. Now that she was active again, her body was starving for energy. "We can continue this in the Colony," he said. "Right now you need food and rest."

Shepard nodded. "He's right." She activated her omnitool. "Shepard to _Normandy_ hazmat team, we're bringing up a survivor. I need levo-compatible rations and water waiting."

" _Acknowledged_ ," was the reply.

"Let's get back to the colony and get you situated, Shiala." Shepard stepped up and helped Robert steady her. "We've got a lot of questions for you."

* * *

By the time Shiala was ready to continue speaking, normalcy was starting to return to Zhu's Hope. Some of the colonists were waking up. The spores were still in their bodies, but without the Thorian to control those spores, they were completely free of any pain or control. The Baynhams and other researchers from ExoGeni arrived - although with no sign of Jeong and his immediate followers - to help the wounded and to examine the dormant spores.

For their part, members of the _Normandy_ crew were helping with the post-battle repairs to the colony. The exceptions were Shepard and her squad. They were in one of the residential pods in the prefab housing, quietly waiting for Shiala to finish her meal.

"I am ready," she finally said. She gently moved the mostly-finished meal to a waiting tray beside her seat.

"Start at the beginning," Shepard said. "Why is Benezia working for Saren?"

"A few years ago, Saren came to Benezia's attention. She recognized he was a formidable man and an asset to the Council, but feared his hatred of Humans would lead him astray. So she approached him and offered to guide and assist him. Saren agreed, and soon, the Matriarch and all of her followers, myself included, found ourselves in the Traverse, working with Saren. It seemed to be normal work for a Citadel Spectre at the time. Intercepting arms shipments, dealing with criminal elements, supporting research programs. Matriarch Benezia even founded a corporation with Saren for research on Noveria."

"So we've heard," Shepard said. "But what I want to know is what you meant by Saren being able to ensure the complete loyalty of his followers."

"Well… it's not Saren himself. It's his ship."

"A ship?" asked Kaidan. "How could a ship cause you to blindly follow him?"

"I'm… I'm not sure," Shiala admitted. "He has a dreadnought he calls _Sovereign_. It's not like any ship I've ever seen. And being aboard _Sovereign_ , it gets to you. Over days, maybe weeks, your thoughts change. I can see that now, but at the time none of us realized it. It just… everything Saren said made sense. Saying no to him didn't. Even Benezia couldn't resist forever."

"So what did Saren want from the Thorian?" Tali asked.

"Something called the Cipher," Robert said. "That's what I felt it think."

"The Prothean beacons were made from a Prothean mindset," Shiala explained. "Language, and the way it was used, that was unique to the Protheans. Without it, you can't make sense of what the beacons are showing you."

"Yeah, I know what you're talking about," Shepard said. "I still can't figure out what the beacon visions actually mean."

"Good luck finding a Prothean to interpret all of this," Garrus said.

"Normally, you would be right," Shiala said. "But the Thorian has been around for many millennia. It was here when the Protheans settle Feros long ago. Even they fell victim to it. Because of its Prothean thralls, the Thorian learned their language and way of thinking."

"And that's what Saren was after," Shepard finished for her.

"Yes." Shiala nodded. "By offering me to the Thorian, Saren was able to get the Cipher himself."

"And now that the Thorian's dead, no more Cipher." Robert sighed at that. He thought back to that moment, when the clarity of the future he saw led him to that choice...

"I was the conduit for that exchange," Shiala informed them. "So I still have the Cipher." She looked to Robert. "Your mental skills should help you form a strong link with my mind. I can give it to you."

"I'm not the best candidate for it," Robert said. "Shepard had the contact with the beacon. The information's in her head."

"I see." Shiala turned her attention to Shepard. "I have enough strength to make the transfer to your mind, Commander. Are you willing?"

"I am."

"Are you sure about this, Commander?" Ashley asked. "What if she's still under Saren's control?"

"I'm pretty sure she's not," Robert interjected.

"But you can't be certain, can you?"

"It'll be fine, Sergeant," Shepard assured her. Shepard faced Shiala. "How does this work?"

"I will bond with you mentally. Please, relax, and stay still." The Asari reached forward and placed her hands on Shepard's head, a hand for each side of her face. "Embrace eternity," Shiala murmured.

While not a telepath in his own right, Robert sensed their connection through the Flow of Life. It was not a deep one. Shiala lacked the strength to form one, and the purpose didn't require it. For several moments they remained in that pose until Shiala fell back into her chair. She was patently exhausted.

Shepard put a hand to her head before running her fingers through the red locks of her hair. "The vision's… it's more intact now. I can understand it. It was a warning. But it's still not entirely together."

"Since the beacon was destroyed, maybe you didn't get the entire message," Robert suggested.

"Then we need to find another beacon," said Kaidan. "Maybe that will tell you what you need to know."

"Either way, we still have some cleanup to do."

At Garrus' remark, Shiala nodded quietly. "I won't stop you if you decide to kill me. Honestly, I'd rather die than risk being Saren's puppet again."

"No," Shepard said, her tone forceful. "You're a victim as well, of Saren and of the Thorian." She glanced at the others on the team. But none challenged her assertion.

"Then I am yours to command, Commander Shepard," Shiala said. "I am no longer one of Benezia's followers, and I doubt another matriarch will take me into their entourage."

"Why not stay here?" Shepard suggested. "Zhu's Hope will need to be rebuilt. You have talents the colonists could use, and with what you've been through, the colonists will know what it was like."

Shiala seemed to consider it for a moment. "I see the wisdom in the suggestion. If they will have me, I will stay here."

"We'll let Fai Dan know." Shepard stood. "In the meantime, get some more rest. There'll be plenty of work waiting for you tomorrow." 

* * *

Fai Dan proved more than accepting when the offer was relayed by Shepard, with Robert accompanying her. "This Asari is as much a victim as we are," the colony's leader said. "She'll be welcome."

Shepard nodded. "And how are you?"

"I am…" Fai Dan shook his head. "I failed my people, Commander. I should have realized what ExoGeni was doing. I should have protected them."

"They misled you," Shepard said to him. "You can't blame yourself."

Fai Dan didn't seem too convinced. He glanced toward Robert next. "Thank you for saving my life," he said. He put a hand to his bandaged head. "I just wanted the pain to be over with."

"I know. But I couldn't let you die, not when you could be saved," Robert answered.

"Again, thank you both." Fai Dan's eyes narrowed. "If you'll please excuse me."

Robert sensed the resentment and righteous anger flare up inside the man. He and Shepard turned and noticed what Fai Dan had already seen. Ethan Jeong walked into the colony. Despite everything, he still gave off the air of a man who owned everything and everyone present. The ExoGeni bureaucrat noticed Fai Dan approaching and raised his hand to welcome him.

Fai Dan responded by punching him. " _You bastard!_ " Fai Dan cried even as Jeong fell on his rear end.

Shepard chuckle. "Nice punch," she said.

"Yeah." Robert smiled softly. "Reminds me of Angel."

"It should." Shepard rubbed at her jaw. "Your ex-girlfriend has a wicked right hook."

"I'm probably lucky I haven't learned that the hard way."

That drew a laugh from Shepard. "Very lucky," she agreed. When she saw Robert's eyes grow distant, she asked, "Are you still thinking about the Thorian?"

"Visions of the future… they don't have to be set in stone," Robert said. "I've seen things turn out differently. I… I shouldn't have killed the Thorian, Shepard. It was a unique being. Given time and direction, if it could have been persuaded to recognize other sapient beings, the Thorian was a unique being that could have contributed something to the diversity of life in the Multiverse. Now it's dead. And its kind are gone forever." He shook his head. "Because of me. I killed it without a moment's hesitation because of what it might have become."

"That thing was never going to co-exist," Shepard answered. "It saw us as potential tools. Things to take over and control for its own whims and needs."

"But what if I was wrong?" Robert asked. "What if I killed a being that could have been redeemed?"

"Some can't," Shepard answered. "I wish it were otherwise. But sometimes, you just have to shoot the bastard."

"Including Saren?"

They exchanged a glance. Both knew the answer to that.

Then Shepard set a hand on Robert's shoulder. "You're a kind person, and a good man. And if I find the fact you want to save everyone to be occasionally annoying, well, we can't all be perfect. Except me, of course."

At that, Robert laughed. His laughter only ended when Shepard's omnitool activated. Shepard answered the call. "Go ahead."

" _Commander, I just thought I'd let you know that the_ Aurora _signaled. They're on their way. And they have Benezia's daughter._ "

"Looks like we're 2 for 2 against Saren now," Robert mused. He didn't bother keeping the happiness out of his voice at getting to see his loved ones on the _Aurora_ soon.

"Let them know we'll be waiting for them, and relief supplies will be useful."

" _Yes ma'am_."

* * *

The _Aurora_ was through the Mass Relay and nearly to Feros when the call went out for an upcoming meeting. Lucy, just finishing lunch, stood from her table and picked up her uniform jacket before going to the door. It chimed just before she reached it so she stopped and said, "Open."

The door did so. Ensign Talara was standing outside.

"I sensed it was you," Lucy said. "Anything wrong?"

"I… do not think so. But I feel different now," Talara said. "Ever since Therum…"

"You will." Lucy attempted a comforting smile. "The same thing happened to me two years ago, Talara. I called on my connection to the Flow of Life and since then, it's been here. That's how it feels, right?"

"Like a part of me that's been asleep my whole life," Talara agreed. "But it won't quiet. I don't know how to handle this."

"You'll need training." Lucy checked the time. She had to get going to be at the meeting, so she continued walking. Talara followed. "I'll talk with Meridina and see about when she can…"

"Why can't it be you?"

Talara's question caused Lucy to stop and turn. "What?"

"Why can't you train me, Lieutenant?" Talara asked. "Commander Meridina is the First Officer, and she has so many responsibilities as it is. You're the one who goes into the field now. I… I feel like you should be my trainer."

Many feelings went through Lucy at that prospect. She was surprised, frightened, humbled, and flattered all at once. Worst off all, though, was the small bit of uncertainty she felt. _Can I train someone?_

The prospect that she would one day have to was always there. Half the reason the Order of Swenya tolerated her continued training outside of their authority was the assumption she and Robert would found their own order for Humans with _swevyra_. But it never seemed she actually would start training anyone. _And Talara's not even a Human_ …

"Is… is my species a problem?" Talara asked. Lucy frowned with surprise. "I know you have no issues with aliens, Lieutenant, please don't assume the worst of what I'm saying. But it seems like…"

"...like you're already really good at picking up sentiments," Lucy finished for her. "No, that was… just an idle thought. The Order of Swenya always assumed I'd start teaching other Humans."

"Oh. So… you're saying Meridina has to teach me?"

"No. I'm… ugh." Lucy rubbed at her forehead. "I'm just… I've not given a lot of thought about teaching before, Talara. I have to…" She sighed and forced a smile to her face. "I'll think about it. About what we should do, what's best for us. Maybe I am meant to be your teacher, but this… it's important that we get it right. Important for both of us."

"Okay." Talara nodded.

"That said, you will need to learn control, so as soon as we're done with this meeting, I want you to meet me back at my quarters so I can give you a few meditation and control exercises. We'll see about the rest once you've got some control down…"

"Of course, Lieutenant," said Talara. "I will be waiting."

"Good." Lucy continued on, worried she might end up late now. As she continued on, she called back, "And while we're off duty, it's Lucy, not Lieutenant!"

"Yes Lieu… Lucy, ma'am!" Talara shouted back, smiling as she did. This felt.. right to her. She moved on herself, waiting eagerly for whatever Lucy could teach her. 

* * *

Shepard, Robert, and the rest of Shepard's team and command crew arrived in the Main Conference Room to join the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ command crews. Caterina was not present, causing a pang of worry in Robert. An Asari, presumably Doctor T'Soni, was seated with Julia and Meridina.

"Saren left Feros before we even showed up," Shepard said to the assembled. "The Geth attack was supposed to kill the Thorian so it couldn't share the Cipher with me."

"So we're back to square one on that," Julia noted. "What about the Cipher? What did it do?"

"The visions are a little clearer now," Shepard said. "But I still can't understand what they're meant to tell us."

A hand went up. "Um, may I?" Everyone looked toward a very sheepish Liara. She blushed slightly.

"Go ahead Doctor," Julia said.

"Thank you, Captain." Liara faced Shepard again. "A Prothean beacon downloaded images and memories into your mind? That is quite extraordinary."

"So I'm told," Shepard said. "All it gave me was a headache."

"But it does prove the Reaper Theory is true, doesn't it?" Liara asked.

"I believe it does. Especially after Commander Meridina and I shared the visions from the beacon and from the uploaded Adranian mind she encountered."

"I have studied the Protheans for decades," Liara said. "Maybe I could tell you more, if I saw the visions?"

"Are you sure you are strong enough?" Meridina asked her. "You are still recovering from your time on Therum."

"Yes, I know, but Doctor Gillam's treatments have helped. I believe I can manage it."

"I've got no objections," said Shepard. "You wouldn't be the first Asari in my brain."

Julia glanced to Leo and Doctor Allen-Epstein, the CMO of the _Koenig_. "She appears healthy enough," said the latter in a German accent. "Doctor, she is your patient."

"No harm, as long as we observe it," Leo replied.

"Then let us do so." Liara stood and stepped around the table where the _Aurora_ officers were seated. Shepard left her seat and the two met near the holotank in the middle of the conference room. "Are you ready, Commander?" When Shepard nodded Liara put her hands to Shepard's head. As Shiala did, she seemed to focus her thoughts, and Shepard's, with the phrase "Embrace eternity."

Robert, Meridina, and Lucy all felt something of the meeting of minds. Liara's face twisted into a pained grimace as the images of slaughter and massacre filled her mind. Finally she broke away. She and Shepard both seemed to wobble. Meridina, Jarod, Robert, and Kaidan all got to their feet, as did the three doctors present, all ready to assist.

But it was soon evident it wasn't necessary. "Oh Goddess, that was horrible," Liara said. "I should be happy I'm right, but I can't."

"Will you be alright?" Shepard asked her.

"I will… I simply need to sit." She didn't resist Epstein and Leo bringing her back to the table. "I'm afraid I didn't see anything familiar," she admitted.

"So as th' Captain said, we're back t' square one," Scotty murmured. "Ye didnae recover anythin' hintin' where Saren's base is?"

"We didn't." Robert shook his head.

"I did find some data in the HQ tower," Tali said. She activated her omnitool and used it to relay information to the holotank in the room. It came alive and displayed the galaxy, zooming in one particular cluster around one of the major Mass Relays. "The Geth are gathering forces in the Armstrong Nebula. Saren may be planning to launch a major invasion somewhere."

"If we hit them, maybe we can set him back," Angel suggested.

"It could work," Julia agreed. "Our ships could split up and sweep the Cluster. If we hit any ground facilities they've set up, maybe we'll find enough information to justify sending the fleets in."

"Or at least disrupt Saren's plans," Shepard agreed. "The _Normandy_ will go in first and scout out possible attack locations."

"Agreed."

"What about Noveria?" asked Garrus. "Shiala confirmed that they're up to something there."

Liara looked up toward him. "Shiala? My mother's follower? You've spoken to her?"

"Saren used her as a pawn to trick the Thorian," Shepard explained. "Somehow the Thorian's spores seem to have cleared whatever control Saren had over her, so we were able to debrief her."

"Did she talk about my mother? Did she say why Benezia would be working with Saren?"

"She says Saren has a way of securing the loyalty of anyone who follows him," Robert answered. "A ship called _Sovereign_."

"Apparently the ship does something to you. It alters your mind until you're completely loyal to Saren," Shepard said, elaborating.

"I find that really confusing," Tali said. "How can a ship do that to someone? I understand falling for ships…"

"Dinnae be t' surprised if it be true, lass," Scotty said to her. "In my time, I've seen stranger."

"We have encountered a vessel fueled by a crystal bonded to the Flow of Life," Meridina added. "If another such vessel exists, it could potentially have a similar power, but bent toward mental manipulation and other abilities."

"Or it could be some form of physiological attack," Epstein proposed. "Technology exists to affect brainwaves and other neural mechanisms, perhaps the ship can cause a person's willingness to resist to decline? Or some other form of mental programming?"

"Like a Darglan brainwave infuser, or the Earth Alliance's mindwipe technology," Jarod agreed. "But engineered to alter personality instead of simply uploading data as brainwave patterns or erasing someone's memories."

"Either way, it's a potential threat," Julia noted. "Jarod, I'd like you to help our medical teams consider possible countermeasures. As for Noveria, I'm told there are political issues with just showing up, even for Spectres. That said, Admiral Maran and President Morgan are already working on that end. At the very least, we might be able to prepare the way for you, Commander Shepard, to best use your Spectre status without blowback."

"A good idea. In the meantime, let's prepare for the Armstrong Nebula sweep? And I'd like to give my crew the rest of the day to enjoy some R&R on your ship and its facilities, if you don't mind?"

Julia smiled. "We're ready to have them. Commander Meridina can help you secure holodeck privileges if they're desired, and I'll let Hargert know to break out the tubs of sausage stew. Anything else?" Julia waited to see if anyone spoke on something. When none did, she stood. "Then we're all dismissed."

* * *

When the meeting was over Robert approached Lucy. She sensed him coming without looking, allowing her to turn as he reached earshot. "What is it?" she asked. "I can sense you want to ask something, but you're not sure about it."

"More like I hadn't wanted to do it this way," Robert admitted. "But on Feros, there were points where I could have ended a fight before someone got hurt, or nearly so." His mind flashed back to the fight with the Thorian, and how Shepard and Tali had both risked injury because he didn't have the tool that would have defeated the Thorian right away.

Lucy sensed those mental images. And she knew right away what he was going to ask. "Did you bring the parts?" she asked.

"I left them at Transporter Station 2," he answered.

"And you're sure?" Lucy's expression betrayed her concern. "You wanted to do this by yourself. To improve your control."

"I still do," Robert admitted. He shook his head. "But it's selfish to put that ahead of the people I'm working with. I can't let Shepard or one of her team get hurt because I'm too prideful to ask for help."

"That's as good a reason as any," Lucy said. She smiled at him. "Let's go get your weapon made. And in exchange, you can give me some advice."

"Oh?" asked Robert.

"It's not difficult. I just want to know how good a teacher you think I'll be."

* * *

When Caterina woke up, she felt like a Looney Tunes character who'd just had an anvil dropped on her head. The lights of the medbay were painful at first, and she blinked several times before she could keep her eyes open and not feel like she was staring into a sunlamp.

She became conscious of her hand being held. Cat turned her neck and saw it was Violeta at her bedside, holding her right hand. Violeta's purple eyes opened fully at seeing Cat was awake. A smile crossed her lovely face. "You're awake."

"My head is killing me," Cat moaned. "And I feel like an elephant tried to sit on my chest."

"It should. That Krogan hit you hard." Violeta brought Cat's hand up to her lips, letting her kiss Cat's finger. It was a pleasant sensation that distracted from the pain. "They're treating you for a concussion. Your head slammed into something. If you hadn't been in a helmet…"

The image of her skull breaking like an egg being smashed against the counter briefly flashed into Cat's mind. It was unpleasant. "Yeah," she said. "I guess it was a good thing Therum was so damn hot."

"Yeah."

"Did anyone else get hurt? Did we get Doctor T'Soni out?"

"We did," Violeta assured her. "You did it. You saved her from that Krogan too."

Silence passed between the two. Violeta was clearly agonizing over something. "Maybe I should say no," she finally said.

"To the promotion, the transfer?"

"Yeah. Maybe… I don't know. It's everything I've been building up to. Everything I dreamed. But then you came along and..."

"Don't give up your dreams," Cat said to her. "Not for me."

"Even if it takes me away from you?"

"I love you too much to let you sacrifice everything for me," Cat answered. "It's sort of funny, I mean. In a sad way. For me to keep you, I'd have to want to see you hurt. And then I wouldn't actually love you."

"Love can be selfish," Violeta reminded her.

"I'm not sure that's real love," Cat answered. "Real love is selfless."

"Oh God, you are the sweetest girlfriend I've ever had," Violeta declared, giggling. "I can't think of any of them saying something like that. It'd sound too…"

"...corny?" Cat offered.

"Corny, cheesy, something like that." Violeta leaned forward. "If it doesn't work, I mean, if we don't work out because of this… you'll have someone else. I'm sure of it, and please don't think otherwise."

Caterina responded with a nod. If anything this confirmed that Violeta, while still clearly torn up over it, had never really considered turning down her new posting. And to Cat, that was fine. That Violeta cared enough to not want to hurt Cat's feelings, to make Cat feel like Violeta couldn't wait to get away, as if Cat was the worst girlfriend ever… that was good enough.

"Thank you for considering it anyway," Cat said. She leaned up and allowed Violeta to gently kiss her.

Seconds after the kiss ended Cat noticed a shadow moving over Violeta. She looked past her girlfriend and ot the new arrival. Julia was looking as she always did in her uniform, combining authority and confidence, and even if Cat found some of it annoying at times - Julia's insistence on calling her "Lieutenant" or "Miss Delgado" on the bridge always felt off - she couldn't help but think it made Julia look completely cool most of the time. "How are you feeling, Cat?" Julia asked.

"My head hurts. I feel like something big was set on top of my ribs. But I guess I'm okay."

"That's good to hear." Julia smiled at her. "And I can sympathize with the ribs. I made the mistake of sparring with your sister this morning. I think she was trying to make a point."

Caterina giggled at that. "Why would you do that? Angel always gets wound up when I'm hurt."

"She does. And she needs to unwind." Julia placed a hand near belly. "Although I wish she wouldn't hit nearly so _hard_."

Again Caterina giggled, and Violeta did as well. "So Doctor T'Soni is okay?" Cat asked. "Violeta said we got her off Therum."

"We did. Your mission was a complete success," Julia assured her.

"And I have the injuries to show it, I guess."

Julia chuckled at that. "Among other things."

"Oh?"

"For one thing, Cat, being wounded in the field means you get a commendation for being wounded in action. But more importantly, between this and Tira and your work in the sciences, well, Admiral Maran and I talked about that."

"About what?" Cat asked.

"About you. And what you've contributed. So now Admiral Maran's gotten the final nod from the board and, well…" Julia's smile widened. "Congratulations, Lieutenant _Commander_ Delgado."

The only thing greater than Cat's shock was the smile that came to Violeta at the news. 

* * *

Main Engineering was active as always when Barnes stepped in. Beside him, Tali looked around and said, "This is… quite impressive."

Barnes responded by leading her to the central control table of Engineering. "It damned sure is," he agreed amiably.

At the table Scott looked up. "Ah, lad, good t' see ye. I've been meanin' t' talk t' ye about…" He noticed Tali and gave them an intent look. "An' who might this be?"

Barnes nodded to Tali, who stepped forward. "I am Tali'Zorah nar _Rayya_ , Commander Scott. I'm currently serving with Commander Shepard's team on the _Normandy_."

"So ye are. Ye're th' Quarian lass th' _Koenig_ picked up durin' that whole mess with th' Batarians, aren't ye?"

"I am, sir. Tom let me join his engineering team when we attacked that Batarian pirate station."

"So Tom did, did he?" Scotty gave Barnes a bemused look. "An' from th' sound o' things, it was a bloody good idea. Ye did a fine job on th' _Koenig_ 's engines that time."

"Thank you, sir. And thank you both for letting me see your engine room. There's nothing like it in the Fleet."

"I knew you'd like it," Barnes said.

Nearby a younger officer with an East Asian appearance looked up. "Isn't this cute?" he asked in an English accent. "Barnes is getting approval for his new girlfriend."

"Uh, what?" Tali asked, clearly bewildered.

Barnes shot a glare toward the officer. "Can it, Li."

That prompted laughter from every engineer in earshot.


	52. Episode 3-10-1 A Matter of Survival

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 8 July 2643. Captain Julia Andreys recording. At the request of Admiral Hackett, the_ Aurora _is tracking the civilian space vessel_ Ontario _, now present in the Farinata System in the Hades Gamma cluster. According to Admiral Hackett a member of the Systems Alliance Parliament has been abducted by biotic terrorists and the_ Ontario _is the ship they're fleeing aboard. Lieutenant Lucero is leading a team of Marines to investigate while we remain at a safe distance._

With the _Ontario_ having an anti-beaming field up, the approach was made via stealth runabout. The team entered the ship through the port side lock. Lucy, as custom, took the lead. She had her lightsaber in hand but not active. Behind her, Talara was armed with a pulse pistol set to stun. The squad of light-armored Marines, under Sergeant Coleman, had their weapons set to a similar setting.

"I sense them," Talara whispered, her voice clear over the tactical comm link. Her eyes, blue with lavender-colored irises, were focused ahead. She was more intent on what she was feeling than the digital readouts of her helmet HUD. "They're frightened and angry. And in a lot of pain."

"They would be. Jarod did some research. The man they took sits on a committee for biotics and voted down reparations for bad implants." Even though she could send mental messages, she knew the Marines would prefer hand gestures, and she'd worked with them enough that she knew several of them. She signaled them to follow behind her, fire to stun.

They made it into the cargo hold and the fight began. Only a few of the biotics were armed, with mass effect field pistols, and Lucy found their shots easy enough to deal with. It was their biotic abilities that was the real threat, but Lucy had her own special abilities. She used the life-based force inside of her - _swevyra_ as the Gersallians called it - to deal with the bolts of dark matter the biotics used on them. While she worked on defense, Talara and the Marines opened fire. The Marines' shots were made with what would have been lethal precision in a military conflict. One by one the biotics in the cargo hold went down to stun fire.

"We're secure," Lucy said to them. "Sergeant, detail two to secure prisoners. There's a few more up ahead."

"Roger, ma'am," answered Coleman. "Whitfield, Umitam, you're on! Secure prisoners and standby!"

With Coleman and the remaining Marine behind her and Talara, Lucy advanced to the forward section. Ahead was the control cockpit and to each side, living space. She sensed the fear in one room and entered.

"Don't come any closer!" a male voice cried. Two men and a woman, all armed, were standing opposite from them. On his knees was another man, in a nice set of clothes that had seen better days. He was on his knees, hands on his neck, and had a shotgun jammed to the back of his head. "I'll kill him!"

Talara watched with anticipation at how Lucy would handle this. They'd been training for a few weeks now, with control exercises giving way to actual training in these powers. While some of the exercises were uncomfortable - Talara disliked having to stand on her hand and hold things - she'd still learned many valuable lessons at Lucy's direction, with Commander Meridina occasionally observing. Now she wondered which of those skills Lucy would use to stop these people. Would she yank the guns from their hands? Use mental trickery to get them to stand down? Slice the gunhands off their arms to disable them?

To her surprise, Lucy did none of those things. Instead, she simply turned off her lightsaber and knelt on the floor. "Sergeant, fall back with your team. Await further orders."

"Ma'am?"

"That is a direct order, Sergeant," Lucy said, insistent. "Fall back."

With confirmation of the order, Coleman did so. Talara sensed a tinge of relief in him. He didn't like hostage situations.

"Ensign, holster your weapon and join me," Lucy said next, ignoring the pistols raised toward them.

Talara, who was not quite so flippant about ignoring the weapons, hesitated a second before doing so. With her field action uniform and helmet, she might survive…

Lucy promptly reached to her neck and detached the helmet from her combat armor. She set the helmet to the side, allowing her curly dark hair to descend to her shoulders. She had visible Latin American heritage, with a lighter brown complexion and the shape of her face indicating the _mestizo_ background she inherited from her mother. Bright blue eyes focused on both hostage and hostage-taker.

Without waiting, and yet with a great deal of worry, Talara removed her helmet as well. She felt the surprise as the Human biotics took in her alien features, such as her pointed ears, the blue half-moon marks on her cheeks under her eyes, and the lavender color of her eyes' irises. Silver-blue hair held into a small bun at the back of her neck gave her a further exotic appearance. By complexion she looked the most Human, having a bronze coloration just a shade or so darker than Lucy's.

"I'm Lieutenant Lucy Lucero of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ ," said Lucy. "And I'm trained in the arts of the Gersallian Order of Swenya. This is Ensign Talara, a Falaen officer from my ship and my current apprentice in those arts. Who are you?"

"Our names aren't important!" snarled the leader, his gun still held to Burns' head. The bald man, with a formerly-trimmed beard of dark hair that now reflected a lack of care, was full of frustration and rage. "What's important is how the Alliance, our Alliance, has ignored us! This son of a bitch doesn't care how much we suffer, he just cares about pleasing the people who pay for his political career!"

"Please, you don't have to do this!" the hostage wailed. "I've changed my mind!"

"Now that I've got a gun to your head. Isn't that how it always works?! Letters don't do crap, you have to use force!" Next he glared at Lucy and Talara. "And you… you people! Do you even know what's going on here?! Who this bastard is?!"

"Martin Burns," Lucy said. "Chairman of the Systems Alliance Parliamentary Committee on Transhuman Studies."

"We're L2 biotics," the woman said. "The implants they gave us to control our biotics were faulty."

"More than faulty," the leader spat. "Some L2s are nearly crippled from what these implants have done to us! Those reparations were the only hope of many of us to have the damage treated! And Chairman Burns here denied them!"

"It… I'm sorry, all of the reports made it seem like the problem was overstated!" protested Burns. "But it's clear to me now that they were wrong, I was wrong! I never realized how desperate you were becoming! I'll change my vote, I'll see about getting reparations for the L2 biotics!"

"It's too late for that!" the leader insisted. "Like we can trust you anyway."

"You can," Lucy remarked. "I can feel the sincerity in him." Her eyes locked on the leader's. "Just as I feel the pain in you. Even now… you're in constant pain. Maybe… maybe we can do something about that."

"No, it's too late for that," the leader insisted. "A message has to be sent."

"And do you think murdering Chairman Burns will send the right message?" Lucy asked. "Death rarely solves problems so easily. His replacement will be just as likely to stand against what you need simply to avoid being accused of submitting to terrorism. If you want to get any victory out of this, Burns needs to live."

"And you expect us to believe you'll just give us what we want and let us walk free? Do we look that stupid?"

"No. You look like a man in constant pain who needs compassion," Lucy replied. "I know what it's like to be hurt."

"Don't you dare try to compare yourself to us! You don't know what it's like, what this does to us!" the leader shouted. "This is the kind of thing we're reduced to! We're struggling to survive…"

"Yes." Lucy didn't raise her voice. "You are. And it's so easy to convince yourself to do something terrible if it's in the name of surviving. But I'm telling you it's not necessary. You and all of the other biotics can get the treatment you need. You might be in jail, but you won't be in pain anymore. You'll have justice. But only if Burns lives. Without his voice to help you, you won't accomplish anything. You and those you're trying to save will keep suffering."

Talara observed quietly. She sensed the uncertainty in the biotics. The fear. The same was in Burns, joined with a genuine realization of error. He sympathized with these people, felt as if he had let them down. And like them, he did not want to die.

In Lucy, Talara felt… certainty. Resolve. Even with guns pointed at her and no weapon in her hand, she acted as if she was in complete control of the situation and knew it would turn out alright.

Slowly, the leader lowered his shotgun from Burns' head. "Alright," he said. "I… I don't want to die. I just want justice. I want the pain to end."

Lucy nodded. "Chairman?" She stood to her feet and Talara did likewise. "Please step over here. Ensign, secure their weapons."

They did as requested. "I assure you, Lieutenant, that I will follow through on this," Burns said to her.

"It's not me you owe that assurance to, Chairman," Lucy pointed out. "That said, I sense your sincerity, and I wish you the best in putting this right." Lucy brought her left arm up. An omnitool formed around her forearm. She tapped a key on it. "Lucero to _Aurora_. Everything is secure. We're ready for pickup."

A moment later Jarod answered, " _Confirmed. ETA is twenty seconds._ "

Upon the _Aurora_ 's arrival, the biotics and Burns were beamed away first, for treatment and, in the case of the former, for confinement until a Systems Alliance vessel could arrive to secure them. This left Lucy and Talara alone. Talara looked to her. "Lucy, you said to ask questions."

"I did. What's on your mind?"

"This situation," Talara said. "It would have been over in seconds if you'd acted. You could have disarmed them and I would have easily stunned them. Without any threat to Chairman Burns. But you didn't."

Lucy smiled and nodded. "You're right. There were several ways I could have stopped them, even without using my lightsaber. If I'd needed to, I would have. But fighting isn't our purpose. Saving lives and bettering them is. That's why I had to let the biotics' leader surrender peacefully."

"So that they may be shown leniency?"

"Among other things. Had I simply overwhelmed them, it would have left them bitter and angry at being denied again. Even if it was justified. But they made the choice themselves, without being under immediate duress. They chose to spare Burns and accept his promise. He'll deliver on that and the lives of these biotics will be improved. That strengthens the Flow of Life."

"And that is our goal," Talara said. "I see." She nodded. "Yes. And not looking for a fight… I think that is wise. That has been the way of my people for millennia."

"Fighting is only a last resort. It's sad we have to fall back on it as often as we do." Lucy reached for her omnitool. "And it's about time we got out of here. Lucero to _Aurora_ , two to beam up."

* * *

Hours later, the Systems Alliance cruiser _Seoul_ jumped to FTL velocity and departed the Farinata system. Julia watched them go on the holo-viewscreen. Meridina and Leo were sitting beside her, the latter waiting to discuss the matter with her. She left Jarod in charge of the bridge when she led the two into her office. "Now that this situation is handled," she said, "we can get back to our primary mission."

"Handled is not the best way to put it." Leo crossed his arms and a scowl appeared on his face. "I looked at the scans on those biotics. Whoever approved those implants for use should be in jail, if you ask me."

"I understand the sentiment," Julia replied. While she and Meridina had command burgundy as the secondary color of their black-toned uniforms, Leo's had medical blue, with an open white lab coat bearing his name. "But it's out of our hands. We have a more important matter to worry about."

Meridina nodded. "Saren."

"Still no new news on him?"

"None," she replied. "Despite the efforts of many specialists in the Citadel races and the Alliance, Saren's location remains unconfirmed."

"It's been a month since he was on Feros," Leo said. "He's got to be somewhere."

"Unfortunately, there are dozens of clusters he could be in within the Traverse," Julia noted. "Hundreds, thousands, of star systems within reach of a Mass Relay. Even more if he's acquired ships with warp or hyperspace capability. And we still don't know what his personal ship is capable of. Meridina, do we have any more information on this ' _Sovereign_ ' vessel?"

"Regrettably little. Although by accessing Commander Shepard's reports and body armor footage from Eden Prime, as well as other recordings, we do have a likely suspect for the vessel." Meridina used her omnitool to display an image under a blood-red sky. It was a tall ship landed to New Eden's surface, looking very much like a sea creature from some sailor's fable, but made of metal with red highlight coloring. "Survivor reports claim that the vessel made a 'scream' sound into their minds."

"Which would confirm Shiala's claim that the ship is using some sort of mental effect for keeping the loyalty of Saren's followers," Julia noted. "Leo, any luck on that?"

"Little. Jarod and I have been going over all sorts of records on machines that can alter neurological states. Nothing like what Shiala describes has been encountered. We've been analyzing possible countermeasures, and we think that emissions-shielding could contain anything dangerous. But we won't know for certain without material to test."

"So nothing definitive until we find _Sovereign_ itself." Julia nodded. "Well, continue what you're…"

A chime filled the room. " _Jarod to Andreys. Admiral Maran is on IU radio for you._ "

"Alright." Julia went to her desk and activated her personal system there. She sat in time for Admiral Maran to appear on her screen. The bearded Gersallian man had short-cut dark hair that was just starting to gray at the temples. A decorated war hero of the Gersallian Interdependency several times over, he now served as Chairman of President Morgan's Defense Staff, and was the primary conduit through which President Morgan could personally direct the _Aurora_ 's missions. His position also made Maran the senior military strategist for the Alliance's war with the Nazi German Reich of Universe S4W8, a war nearly two years old now, and victory just within grasp of the Alliance and their ever-growing circle of allies. "Admiral."

" _Captain, your rescue of Chairman Burns has provided us an unexpected boon_ ," said Maran.

"Oh?"

" _Due to his position, he has influence with a number of companies that manufacture biotic amps. Most of them have facilities on Noveria and influence with the Noveria Development Corporation, the company that oversees the planet. Admiral Hackett informed him of our interest in Saren and Benezia's activities on Noveria through Binary Helix, and the Chairman followed through. I just received a call from one of the board members for the Noveria corporation. The board has approved our request for the_ Aurora _to investigate Binary Helix._ "

"That is excellent news. We'll get underway immediately," said Julia.

" _Expect a hostile response when you arrive. The Noverian board only barely approved your permission. Normally they only allow limited involvement by the Citadel Council by acknowledging authority from Spectres. Before you ask, we originally intended to let Commander Shepard handle Noveria, but the Citadel Council has something else in mind for the Commander that I'm not at liberty to discuss. So you'll be the one handling the Noveria situation. Expect that the local security forces may further impede your efforts. I'm told they don't like government and military officials meddling on their world. Further diplomatic efforts may end up being necessary. Do as you deem fit to acquire access to the Binary Helix facility on Noveria. We need to know what Saren and Matriarch Benezia are up to._ "

"We'll get it done, Admiral, that I assure you. Has the fleet moved into Armstrong Nebula?" she asked. Given the two weeks the _Aurora_ , _Normandy_ , and _Koenig_ had spent clearing Geth outposts and detecting more in that cluster, she wanted to know how the fleet was responding.

" _Seventh Fleet sent a task force three days ago. So far they haven't seen any further sign of the Geth. It looks like you scared them out._ "

"That is good news at least."

" _It is. Whatever Saren was planning, you may have pre-empted him._ " Maran reached toward something off-screen. " _I'll keep you up to date on any further developments. I look forward to your success at Noveria, Captain. Maran out._ "

The moment he disappeared from her screen, replaced by the seal of the Alliance's Presidency with its prominent torch insignia and the Alliance flag of blue, green, and white, with the torch insignia set over the middle. Julia was familiar with it and paid it no further thought, triggering the ship's comm system instead. "Andreys to Bridge. Take us to the Relay, our destination is Noveria."

" _Aye sir_ ," was Jarod's reply.

Moments later, the _Aurora_ was hurtling away from Farinata faster than the speed of light, due for the next stage in the hunt for Saren Arterius.

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"A Matter of Survival"_**

The _Aurora_ was on its way to the last relay that would take them to the Pax system, where Noveria was located. Aboard the ship, the two thousand plus crew and their civilian specialists and support staff went about their day as if it were any other.

With two thousand people aboard, the _Aurora_ was a small town in its own right, and like any such community it needed the facilities and means to support them. Not just with sustenance or medical care, but with activities. The ship's middle decks, where the primary and drive hulls started to meet, often had such facilities interspersed with mission-specific ones or living quarters for enlisted and lower ranked officers. A large gymnasium, holodecks, the medbay that dominated Deck 12's aft-facing section, and multi-purpose rooms used for anything from staff lunches to movie showings to the occasional poetry slam (or _greep thep_ , as the Alakin crew referred to such, given Alakin cultural mores).

One of these rooms was currently occupied by only two people, one sitting in the audience area and the other on a raised stage. With an intent look, Lieutenant Tra'dur continued to blow away at the bagpipes she held in her arms. She manipulated the complicated instrument with care, changing the tone wailing from the set of bagpipes into a tune known in many universes as " _Flower of Scotland_ ".

When she finished, Tra'dur allowed the blowpipe to fall away from her lips. The Dilgar woman let out a free breath. Her feline face formed into a grin at the applause.

"Aye lass, well done!" proclaimed her teacher. Commander Montgomery Scott was an old man surrounded by youth, but none denied that the old Starfleet engineer had his place as Chief Engineer on the _Aurora_. Youth, no matter how talented or skilled, could always use experience, and Commander Scott was free with the experience of his decades in Starfleet.

Tra'dur once spent several days reading up on Scott's home universe of S5T3 and the many successful missions and first contacts of the _Starship Enterprise_ , the _Enterprise_ of James T. Kirk and Spock and Leonard McCoy. It gave her a deeper appreciation that a man of such accomplishment would give his time to help her complete her mastery of the bagpipes. Just as importantly, he expanded her knowledge of the history behind them and the various songs that best suited the instrument.

"It brings a tear t' my eye t' hear th' auld tune played so well," Scott said to her.

"Thank you, sir," she said. "I had thought my use of the instrument was already excellent, but you've shown me how to master the pipes in ways I'd never considered. And these new bagpipes work so well for me."

"That they should." He stood up and picked up his own set. "Now, ye're doin' well with _Flower_ and the _Black Bear_ , but I'd like t' see how ye do workin' with another piper. Ye've been practicin' with th' _Blue Bonnets_ , have ye?"

"Yes, Mister Scott," Tra'dur assured him.

"Aye, good. Then we'll start there, then work with _Amazing Grace_. That's always a good one, an it's expected for th' services when we lose comrades."

"I will show all due respect."

"I dinnae doubt that, lass, not at all." Scott smiled widely. "Ye're quite th' piper, an' ye're only gettin' better. Now, let's start this right..."

She followed his motions and the two, without further word, began to play their instruments, filling the room with the wail of the bagpipes. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ contained three science labs - one for computer and data sciences, one devoted to physics, and one for biological science - and the official master of all three was Lieutenant Commander Caterina Delgado, the ship's science officer, and newly promoted. Given her specialties, the second lab was her usual haunt, where she ran all sorts of simulations and analysis programs for astronomical phenomena.

But for the moment she was in Science Lab 1 with her friend, Lieutenant Commander Jarod, the _Aurora_ 's Operations Officer. Both were done with their bridge watch for the day, so they were taking the time to analyze data on the Geth, including cores taken by the _Normandy_ and its crew in their operations. Digits of Geth code filled the holo-viewscreens at their workstations.

Jarod looked up from his workstation. "It's getting late," he said. "Won't Violeta being waiting for you?"

Caterina shook her head. "No. She's on watch right now with Nick. It's part of her training now that she's going to be a command staff officer."

"Right. Does she know her posting yet?"

"One of the new _Enterprise_ -class ships."

"Right." Jarod nodded. "So you two, I mean, will you be trying to keep the relationship going or…?"

Cat knew Jarod was just trying to be friendly, but it didn't change the fact that it hurt. Violeta - Vee - was going to be out of her life. Possibly for good. It was strange, as she never thought of the relationship as being permanent, but yet now that it was going to likely end…

When Jarod turned to face her Cat sighed and shrugged. "We're still talking about it," Cat said. "I think we're going to go for something open."

"As in?"

"As in, if one of us finds someone new, we tell the other and there's no hard feelings." Cat couldn't quite keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Jarod looked her over for a moment. "You shouldn't blame yourself," he said.

She turned her head to face him. "I could have been a better girlfriend."

"That wouldn't have changed things. Violeta has ambitions. Things she wants to do in her life."

"Things more important than me."

Jarod sat back in his chair. "And that hurts."

"Yeah." Cat's expression shifted, her frown growing. "But maybe I deserve it. I'd… I'd love to travel with the Doctor again. And I dragged her to Vulcan when I could have taken that trip to Sirius she wanted. I can't blame her, can I? When I do it myself?"

"No, but it won't stop it from hurting." When he was answered by silence Jarod returned his focus to his work. "The Geth encryption is unlike anything I've ever seen."

"That makes sense. They're living programs with a unique neural link architecture."

"One you jammed back on Therum," Jarod said. "I keep looking at this and wondering if there's a way to do more than just jam lone remote connections in their network. What if we could do more?"

"Then, given the data, they'd lose the intelligence that makes them capable of being a threat." Cat shook her head. "I doubt we can effectively break the links of programs in an individual platform. But maybe the links between platforms could be jammed over a wide area."

"If we can make that work, it could protect whole colonies," Jarod observed. "But I doubt we'll finish that this evening."

"Probably not," Cat conceded.

"Since Violeta's on duty, you could always see if your sister is around. I get the feeling you want someone to talk to."

"Tonight she's focusing on training with Julia."

"Well, in that case… want to see what Hargert is spoiling us with this evening?"

Caterina considered telling him no. That she just wanted to be alone. But the truth was she didn't, and she knew it. And saying no to Jarod was hard: while he looked to be in his late thirties, he sounded and acted much younger. Right now he looked more like a younger cousin than the older relative he often managed to seem like.

"Sure," she said. With a few key taps she secured her workstation. She stood up. "Maybe he's made some new chocolate fudge squares that will make me feel better."

Jarod grinned in reply. "Lead the way." Cat did so, and he followed, quietly tapping away at his omnitool as he did to ensure Hargert had such a dessert ready for Cat when they arrived.

* * *

In the _Aurora_ gymnasium, a familiar sight was again taking place. Julia and Lieutenant Angel Delgado, the ship's tactical officer, were having a sparring match in the ring. A handful of officers and crew watched the two exchange punches and kicks. Their choice of exercise wear - the service-issued sports bra and shorts in their respective branch colors - revealed the contrast in their builds, with Julia's lean athletic muscle giving her an apparent disadvantage to the thicker, developed fighting muscle Angel trained hard to keep. To many she looked like she was a Marine instead of a starship officer.

The fight itself was going as most did between the two. Angel was on offense, Julia on defense, both employing mixed styles. Julia's fusion of _t'ai chi_ and Klingon _mok'bara_ were vital to her ability to stay in the fight, evading the more powerful strikes from her stronger adversary until she could get in her own attacks. In some fights this even gave her the win, letting her seize advantage of Angel going off-balance to bring her down and get the leverage she needed.

But not today. Today Angel was a little quicker, or Julia a little slower, and she took a punch to the faceguard that stunned Julia long enough for Angel to land a follow-up kick that sent Julia onto her back. Angel dropped down to pin Julia's arms with her knees and hold her in place. After a couple of attempts to escape this, Julia tapped the mat. Angel let her go and helped her stand up. The winner pulled one of her gloves off and removed her teethguard from her mouth. "That's two out of three," she said, and her competitive side ensured there was a feral grin on her face.

Julia removed her own guard and then gently touched the point where Angel's foot had connected with her midsection. "You enjoy beating up on me too much."

"Hey, it's not like you don't get licks in," Angel reminded her. "You won one today, and you won the set yesterday."

"I'm starting to wonder if you let me win." The two slipped through the ropes and picked up water bottles nearby. A couple crew were already moving to take the ring themselves. "I don't have as much time to train anymore as it is."

"You still hold your own. And I don't hold back. Well, save a punch or two. But it looks bad if I send the Captain to medbay." Angel took a swig from the bottle.

Julia chuckled. "Leo tells me I should start wearing a full combat suit when we spar."

"Those take all the fun out of it."

"I'm starting to wonder if this is your way of getting back at me for Cat getting promoted first," Julia added, her jovial look making the intended humor clear.

"Cat getting promoted, no. Cat getting her brain smacked against her skull by a bloodraging Krogan? Maybe." Angel's grin turned sly. "Yeah, you could consider it incentive to keep my sister out of the field."

Julia knew that was as much a joke as her remark, but given Angel's protectiveness of her younger geeky sister, she couldn't help but think there was an element of seriousness in it. "I'll keep that in mind."

The two walked into the female-side locker room. After setting their things to the side they entered adjoining shower stalls. Replicated water from a common reservoir for the gym showers poured onto sweat-slicked skin, a comfort aided by the effect the warm, borderline hot water had on muscles burning from exertion. "Did they ever find out which side that Andorian was supposed to be on?" Angel asked, raising her voice appropriately to be heard over the showers.

"Male. Ensign Thavarash is a _thaan_. Actually, he's supposed to be called _th'_ Thavarash, according to Jarod."

"Right. Four genders. At least the Gl'mulli have none and the Asari just one." After a moment's quiet, Angel added, "What about that Asari doctor? Has she given us any more useful info on her mom?"

"The investigators say yes. And Leo says she's fully recovered. I'm going to send her with the team we take down to Noveria."

"Somehow I doubt it'll be that easy. Corporate types get antsy when uniforms come round."

"Tell me about it. And I'll have to be the diplomat again."

"I bet you miss having Robert around to do that crap."

To that Julia laughed. "Even when he was Captain, I was still doing diplomatic stuff. Not that I don't miss him."

"Don't we all? But given what the _Normandy_ is supposed to be like on the inside, I'm sure he misses us too."

"Yeah, he probably does." As she said that, Julia allowed her mind to wonder, an easy feat while enjoying the warm water of the shower. She wondered if Robert was missing the _Aurora_ 's amenities yet and sighed wistfully at wondering what he was up to. 

* * *

The _SSV Normandy_ was a small ship by most standards of the Multiverse. In the Systems Alliance she was labeled as a frigate, first of her class, with a crew near that of an attack ship in the Allied Systems. Due to her operational needs and the equipment required, the _Normandy_ had little in the way of living space for her crew, and even less space for recreational activity.

Not that Robert Dale was doing anything he would think of as recreational.

For one thing, recreational activities rarely involved being repeatedly stung by an energy pulse.

Another one struck him an instant before he could move the emerald blade of the lightsaber Lucy constructed for him into place to block it. He let out a little "Ow" and cursed under his breath. His senses warned him another shot was coming. This one he stopped, sending the bolt off to harmlessly dissipate against the wall of the _Normandy_ 's lab, set behind the ship's infirmary.

The shots were coming from a training device Lucy assembled for him to go with the weapon. The semi-orb was kept aloft by the anti-grav generator Lucy built into it, along with a dumb-VI program that randomly fired low-energy pulse bolts at him. The sparks of blue light weren't capable of doing more than briefly setting off pain receptors at an impact point, a "sting", but getting stung over and over was starting to irritate.

It wasn't like he was weak in these powers anymore. Like Lucy, Robert had trained with Meridina, but for nearly a year it had been evident he wouldn't be as powerful as either of them, and would likely never powerful enough to wield a blade.

Then Robert briefly wielded the Time Vortex, courtesy of the TARDIS ship belonging to the Time Lord being known as the Doctor, to save his ship and friends. That it hadn't killed him in the process was a small miracle. What it had done was cost him two months of his life, give him memories of a beloved son he never had, and leave him with an unprecedented growth in his connection to the Flow of Life. The energy within him became so powerful he was knocking things, and people, over with no conscious effort. Only after weeks of training did he get such simple control back, control that sometimes slipped whenever he wielded the life energy and connected to the Flow of Life.

Unfortunately, it seemed his experience hadn't expanded his ability to wield a blade.

Another pulse went off, blocked, another, also blocked… and then another that sent a jolt of surprise and brief pain up his hip. "You damn bucket of bolts," Robert growled. When it fired at him again he deflected the shot right back into it.

" _Deflection hit successful_ ," said a computerized version of Lucy's voice. " _Session over. Increase in successful deflections: one. Success rate: sixty-five percent Conclusion: You're getting better at this, Robert. Just remember anything less than one hundred percent means you got shot._ " The last part had the voice's monotone replaced by the all-too-familiar bemusement that Lucy could summon. With its report given, the orb lowered itself to the ground and shut off.

Robert took the device and stowed it beside his meditation pad. He felt agitated enough to think that might be in order, but the door slid open before he reached for it. Chakwas entered. "I'm sorry, Captain Dale, but I have need of my equipment."

"Of course, Doctor," he answered. "Anything serious?"

"Not too serious."

"Of course. I'm done as it is, so I'll leave this to you," Robert replied. "Thank you again for letting me use this space."

"You're welcome."

Robert left Chakwas and entered the medical area. Tali was waiting on one of the beds. "Oh, hello," she said, her voice distorted slightly from the electronic vocoder built into her suit's face, just below the faceplate. It lit up in time with her speech. "I hope we didn't interrupt anything."

"Not at all, I was just finishing." Robert looked down. He was wearing a workout vest and sweatpants, the latter borrowed from the ship's stores and marked with the Systems Alliance logo. "You're feeling alright?"

"I'm fine. Honestly, I'm only worried about that Geth data. I'm really hoping Shepard will let me bring it to the Fleet. We have so little information on how the Geth have evolved since the Morning War. It could be of great help to us."

"It's Shepard's call, but if you think it'll help, I'll ask her about it."

"I don't know. I'm afraid she might take it badly."

"Alright. I'll leave it be." Robert slipped up onto one of the other beds, just beside where Tali was waiting. He rested his arms on an upraised knee. "Speaking of the Fleet, how is your father doing? And Admiral Raan?"

"Well, they were fine when I last called," Tali said. "Not that I talk often with them. I'm supposed to be out here proving myself, after all."

"I see your point." Robert recalled Admiral Rael'Zorah vas _Rayya_ and could see Tali being discouraged from calling too often. "The Fleet seems to be doing well for itself from the last reports I've seen."

"It's rare that we find anyone willing to give us anything, usually we have to trade." There was a genuine warmth in her voice. "I still feel surprise that your people gave us sanctuary in your space. I'm sure the Citadel Council didn't make it easy."

"I think there were some frank exchanges of views," Robert said, not hiding his amusement at the sarcasm in the statement. From what he heard, the Council hadn't been pleased at all, but not so displeased that it impacted relations. "Are your people still debating the offer of a new homeworld?"

"Very carefully," Tali said. "We have to find a suitable world first. And worlds with Rannoch's characteristics are very rare."

Robert nodded. The issue of the Quarians' non-existent immune systems was always going to make that difficult. "Hopefully we can find something…"

Before he could finish, a tone filled the ship speaker. " _This is your helmsman speaking_ ," began Lt. Jeff "Joker" Moreau. " _We are about to make our retrieval maneuver to pick up the Commander's Mako from the surface. Please be ready should my badass flying strain the inertial compensators and give us some turbulence. I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt. Thank you for flying Joker Spacelines._ "

"Shepard must be done with whatever happened on your moon," Tali said. "I mean, this universe's version of your moon."

"That's what it sounds like." Robert laid out on the bed and got ready for any jolts should Joker's flying produce them. He still had some curiosity as to what brought the _Normandy_ to Earth's solar system. Shepard's superiors were very hush-hush on the issue, and indeed Shepard was enjoined from bringing anyone other than Kaidan or Ashley on the mission. It unnerved him a little that the Systems Alliance was keeping that kind of secret, even if he knew it was perfectly understandable.

It turned out there was little to complain about the retrieval. Joker's flying was precise, art as much as science, and the inertial compensators were barely strained by his maneuver. The next word they received was Shepard herself. " _All crew and squad members, report for meeting._ "

"I wonder what happened?" Tali asked.

"We may be about to find out."

* * *

As it turned out, they didn't find out. Instead, shortly after arriving, everyone turned to face the holographic images of the Citadel Council. As usual, the Asari Councillor, Tevos, took the lead. " _Commander, we've had a breakthrough in the hunt for Saren. An STG regiment has located his primary base._ "

The mood in the room shifted, the tension of a meeting with the Council turning to the anticipation for a showdown. "We'll set course immediately," said Shepard. "Where is he?"

" _The Hoc system, on a planet called Virmire_ ," said Valern, the Salarian Councillor. " _The 3rd STG Regiment is already on planet. They are requesting immediate reinforcement._ "

"We'll get underway now. When will the fleet arrive?"

The moment the Councillors started giving each other looks, Robert knew it they'd be on their own. Sparatus confirmed this. " _Hoc is on the border with the Terminus Systems, Shepard. If anyone deploys fleet assets, it could result in a war. There will be no reinforcement. The removal of Saren's base will be up to you and your assets, with the assistance of the Salarian unit already on site._ "

"I see." Shepard showed no aggravation at this news. "As I said, we'll be on our way immediately."

" _If you can find any data on what Saren's goal is, it must be recovered_ ," said Valern. " _The disposal of his base is left to your discretion._ "

" _We wish you the best, Commander._ "

With that, the Council cut the line.

"So, Saren's main base, and no backup." Garrus leaned forward a little. "Outside of a stranded STG force."

"What about the United Systems?" Ashley looked at Robert. "Maybe they can spare some ships?"

"Not likely." Robert shook his head. "I doubt the Terminus governments will view our ships on their border any better than they'd view Citadel ships. And that's if we had ships to spare. We're just weeks away from the final push for Earth in S4W8, and every available ship and asset is being called in." Seeing the disappointed looks, not to mention sensing it, Robert added, "But we could get a little backup by calling in the _Koenig_."

"A good idea."

"Then I'll call the _Aurora_ as soon as we're out of here."

Shepard nodded in acknowledgement of the offer. "Anything else, everyone?" When no answer was given, she stood from her chair. "Then we're done here." She tapped a key on the chair. "Joker, we're heading to the Hoc system."

" _I hear you, Commander_ ," the pilot replied. " _We're already on course for the Charon Relay._ "

Everyone started filing out of the room. Robert went the opposite way, stepping up to the communications controls and activating the system. After putting in his communication code and accessing the special channel he had for the _Aurora_ , Robert had only seconds to wait before the conference room's holo-viewer activated. Julia was on the other end seated in her office. Seeing his closest friend again brought a smile to his face. Julia smiled as well. " _Rob. How have you been?_ "

"Alright. And you? Everyone else?"

" _Doing well. Cat's healed from Therum now, and her promotion is official._ "

"She's earned it." Robert sighed. "I wish I was there to celebrate with everyone else. This hunt for Saren, it's… it's a burden."

" _It is_ ," she agreed. " _But we're heading to Noveria now to see if we can finally get answers there._ "

"Oh? You got permission? That's good news. As good as our own. That's actually what I was calling about."

" _What is it? Maran mentioned Shepard would be receiving a different assignment._ "

"A Salarian STG unit has located Saren's main base and we're already on our way. It's a world on the frontier called Virmire, one relay jump away from the Terminus Systems in the Hoc system. Because of that the Council won't send ships, and I know Maran won't be able to either. But the _Koenig_ can get in without being detected."

" _Which explains why they're sending us to Noveria instead of Shepard,_ " Julia said, as if a question on her mind had just been answered. " _And you could use any backup that can be spared._ " Julia nodded. " _Alright. I'll let Atreiad know and get the_ Koenig _en route._ "

"Thank you."

" _Good luck_ ," she added. Something drew her attention. Robert could hear Jarod's voice come over the comm system - " _We're preparing to drop out of warp_ " - and she nodded. " _We just made it to Noveria. I've got to go. Again, good luck._ "

"The same to you." Robert closed the channel. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ dropped from warp and entered orbit of Noveria. On the bridge Caterina was already scanning. "They've surrounded the planet with an anti-beaming shield."

"Well, we knew we'd find something like this."

"Yeah, but there's more than that. I'm showing a handful of space stations at various points in high orbit. They look like they're armed battle stations."

Julia considered that fact. "Are they aiming anything our way?"

"No."

"Given Noveria's reputation, they might be for dealing with whatever is being worked on down there," Jarod noted. "Looking over the schematics, they're meant for bombardment more than orbital defense. Maybe against light raiding ships, but no match for a star cruiser."

"Keep an eye on them anyway." Julia started mentally weighing her options.

"The most obvious course is to take down an assault lander and a Marine team," Meridina said. "It would not be the diplomatic choice however."

"Correct. Hail the planet, I want to speak to whomever is in charge."

Jarod went to work on his control board. Julia leaned back in her seat for a moment before glancing toward Meridina. "This is not going to be easy."

"It rarely is with such," Meridina agreed. "This is a world of secrets, and we wish to shed light upon it."

"That is something to keep in mind…"

It took several more minutes before Jarod looked back. "I've got an Administrator Anoleis on for you."

Julia stood. "Onscreen."

The holo-viewscreen shifted to show an office. In the center of the screen was a Salarian in a suit of different shades of blue, a darker as the primary color. The Salarian had a light pinkish complexion with a blue tint. " _This is Administrator Anoleis. With whom am I speaking?_ "

Julia kept her hands at the her sides. "I'm Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_. I'm here to investigate links between the Binary Helix corporation and the rogue Spectre agent Saren Arterius."

" _Hrm… request denied._ "

Julia crossed her arms. "We received permission from the board."

" _Which is left to my discretion. I can't have you and your uniformed troops marching around down here. This planet is independent of Citadel and United Systems laws and the investors have paid us handsomely to protect the privacy of their research facilities._ "

"One of those investors is a company owned and operated by a rogue Asari matriarch and a rogue Spectre who is using Geth troops in attacks on the galaxy."

" _Be that as it may, I must insist. You can appeal my decision to the board if you wish._ " Anoleis calmly pressed his hands together. " _And just to inform you, we have quite an impressive array of anti-air weaponry at our disposal. Any unauthorized landing vessels will be fired upon and destroyed. Good day._ "

Without further word, he hit a key beside him and disappeared.

The _Aurora_ crew remained silent. "Well," Locarno finally said, "it looks like diplomacy's not going to be so easy."

"It never is," Julia sighed.


	53. Episode 3-10-2 A Matter of Survival

The _Aurora_ command officers met a short time later in their conference lounge off of the bridge. "There willnae be any beamin' through those shields," Scotty informed everyone. "I'll hand it t' them, they picked a good way t' stop beaming."

"Alright. That leaves the landing option."

"I can take a Marine team whenever you give the order, ma'am," Anders said. "The _Gonzalez_ can slip through."

"Maybe, maybe not." Jarod shook his head. "Their sensors could be fine-tuned to look for disturbances in air flow from a cloaked ship."

"What about a tachyon detection grid?"

"No sign of one of those," Cat said.

Angel pitched in. "So what if we flew down the runabout at a slower speed?"

"I'd need to know what detection systems they have before I knew for sure." Jarod was clearly thinking. "Although… there is another possibility."

"Oh?"

"Simply put, we send a runabout to Port Hanshan," Jarod said. "And we have the _Gonzalez_ follow in the first runabout's wake until the final approach. Once you're that low, you should be below the effective engagement range of any heavy anti-air defenses. You may even be low enough to terrain mask against aerial sensors."

"That's going to require some pretty good piloting," Locarno mused. "And the two runabouts will have to be in a tight formation with complete coordination to avoid a mid-air collision."

"So I fly the _Gonzalez_ and Meridina flies the other runabout," Lucy proposed. "The two of us can remain linked through our life energy, and Meridina's telepathy, to maintain coordination."

"It will work." Meridina nodded at Lucy before turning to face Julia. "And having me with you when you meet Anoleis may be helpful."

Julia pondered that. Aside from the obvious issue that Anoleis hadn't given any landing permission, the plan was workable. She had little objection to it beyond the principle that this would have both her and Meridina off the ship at the same time. And if it worked, she considered letting Meridina handle the negotiations, and might have done so if she wasn't concerned Anoleis might take that as an insult.

Although, in her heart of hearts, Julia admitted to herself that this was probably just a justification to cover her desire to do this personally.

Aloud, she said, "That begs the question of whether Anoleis will open fire on us for approaching Port Hanshan."

"I checked the charter for Noveria, Port Hanshan is not a restricted port, but it is under tight regulation," Jarod said. "Elanus Risk Control Services provides security for the port and consider themselves justified in impounding vessels that land, if they're deemed a risk to the security of the world."

"Do you really think these corporate types would get that hardcore?" Angel asked. "It's not like they have a defense fleet. Their battle stations are good for bombing the planet or fighting off light attacks, but the _Aurora_ can wipe the floor with them and their defenses."

"There are a number of incredibly powerful and influential corporations on Noveria," Jarod answered. "As in companies that have major pull in the economies of Citadel member species, so they have a lot of political influence to go with it. That's what allows them to get away with this, and what they'll use against the Alliance if we employ any kind of force."

"But we're here helping the Citadel investigate the threat or a rogue Spectre," Cat said. "Doesn't that count for anything?"

"Not as much as you might think."

"I don't think Anoleis will go that far," Julia said. "And if he does, we'll break off our approach and see if they track _Gonzalez_. If absolutely necessary, the _Aurora_ can return limited fire to suppress their defenses."

"If we want to make an impression, an escort of senior officers may be in order," suggested the ship's chief of security, Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond. Her Australian accent had an English, upper class air to it.

Julia considered that. "Then you and Lieutenant Delgado will join us," she said. Angel would provide muscle and Richmond another source of insight, given she had background in investigative work.

"Who's going down to the Binary Helix site?" Barnes asked. "Hell, what is it anyway?"

"It's a facility called Peak 15," Jarod revealed. A couple taps at his controls brought up a holographic image over the conference table, depicting a two-part installation, one at the side of a glacial mountain and the other part buried inside of it, connected by a personnel tram line. "Binary Helix hasn't been forthcoming with what's inside, just that they use it for biological research. From our sensor readings, the surface facility includes a fusion reactor that acts as their primary power source. But given the sensor-resistant material used in constructing it, we can't determine anything like life signs within."

"So we'll be going in blind," said Major Gabriel Anders, the _Aurora_ 's Marine Commander of Troops. "Do we at least have a floor plan?"

"I'm afraid not," Jarod said.

"Well, it didn't hurt to ask." Anders nodded at him before facing Julia. "Captain, I'd like to take a platoon. We don't know what the situation is and I don't want an undermanned team."

"You can take them. You'll also be taking along Lieutenant Lucero, Ensign Talara, and Doctor T'Soni," Julia said.

"Are you sure you shouldn't have Doctor T'Soni with you in Port Hanshan?" Leo asked. "If she has any legal rights as Benezia's daughter…"

"She wouldn't," Jarod said. "She's not listed as a shareholder, nor someone with corporate authority. Anoleis wouldn't listen to her."

"She's with you, Major," Julia affirmed. "Is there anything else?" When there was no response Julia stood. "Then you're all dismissed." 

* * *

The _Aurora_ 's secondary shuttle bay existed to compliment the first, providing extra capacity and as convenience for the ship's Marines, who maintained their main armory and bunking in the bottom decks of the ship. If they were called upon to quickly deploy on assault landers, they could do so through this specific shuttle bay, where the stealth lander runabout _Gonzalez_ and several other landing craft were kept.

The _Gonzalez_ emerged and swung "upward", moving around the _Aurora_ 's stern to approach the main shuttle bay. It opened as well and another runabout emerged. This one, the _Irrawaddy_ , was a normal-configuration runabout, meant more for transfer of low volume supplies or relatively-small numbers of crew over short interstellar distances. It was, all things considered, larger than necessary for this job, but a shuttle would not suffice.

Lucy felt out with her senses until she felt Meridina's mind. The two linked together. There was a comforting calm in Meridina's mind, a calm that helped Lucy maintain the bond. Each saw what the other was doing, what the other was thinking, to a degree that made it easy for them to fly the runabouts in close formation. The _Gonzalez_ cloaked while the _Aurora_ shielded them from sight. By Port Hanshan's sensors, only one craft was descending from the Alliance starship in orbit.

The mental link remained through the re-entry process. With one common movement the two put their respective ships into atmospheric flight, cutting impulse drives and activating the thrusters. They slipped around a snowstorm and moved on to toward a series of structures built into the mountain plateau below. The approach was a tense one with the possibility of being fired upon requiring constant, wearying vigilance.

But no fire came.

 _It's time_. Meridina's message was acknowledged. Gently Lucy leveled out the _Gonzalez_ until the runabout was no longer losing altitude. Within seconds they were no longer masked by the wake of the _Irrawaddy_. Lucy kept her senses open for any incoming attack. But there was no threat, by land or air.

"So far so good," Anders said. "How much longer until we reach our destination?"

"We have to maintain a low air-speed to avoid creating a detectable wake from displaced air," Lucy explained. "It's going to be another hour or so. I'll let you know when we land."

"Understood, Lieutenant."

* * *

The _Irrawaddy_ came to a landing on one of the landing pads for shuttles and other smaller aerospace craft. The dock's managing VI extended the dock arm to cover the starboard-side airlock. Julia took the lead in heading through the airlock. A decontamination chamber was quickly passed through - it would be used on their return trip - and they walked through the gate path ahead, much like those Julia saw on the couple of occasions her family took flights as a child.

At the other end they emerged through a scanning system and were met by a Human woman of mostly East Asian heritage. "I am Captain Maeko Matsuo of Elanus Risk Control Service. Welcome to Noveria, Captain Andreys."

"Thank you, Captain Matsuo," Julia answered. "These are my officers."

"Yes, and I am aware of their identities as well." Matsuo continued to be formal, if a little stiff. "I'm afraid I must ask you for your weapons. Under NDC regulations only ERCS personnel are permitted to be armed on Noveria." She glanced to Meridina. "That would include your energy blade weapon, Commander."

For a moment Julia considered refusing. She didn't like the thought of being unarmed. _There is no ill will from Captain Matsuo_ , Meridina reported to her mentally. _She can be trusted._

 _But can everyone else?_ Regardless, Julia reached for her holster and unlatched it from the side of her uniform pants. The others did the same, and all of their weapons - three pulse pistols and Meridina's lightsaber - were soon placed in a nearby bin. Matsuo tapped at her omnitool. Their own flashed to life with a display. "Your receipts, Captain. For when you leave and your weapons can be returned."

"Thank you."

Behind Matsuo and her soldiers, a Human woman walked up. She was in a fashionable gown, business attire for M4P2, with close-cut dark hair and brown eyes. "Captain Andreys? I'm Gianna Parasini, secretary for Administrator Anoleis. He asked me to escort you here."

"Nice hospitality," Angel said as they fell in to follow Parasini. "At least you didn't try and shoot us down on the way in."

"Administrator Anoleis is very cautious with allowing outsiders onto the planet. And your purpose is at odds with his job. He's here to protect our investors' privacy and interests, even from each other. It's the same reason why nobody is allowed weapons," Parasini said. "Noveria's corporations are competitors in many fields. Mutual disarmament is for everyone's safety."

"It's understood," Julia said. "I've had to disarm before for diplomatic meetings."

"Thank you for your understanding."

As they cleared customs, Julia allowed herself a small grin. Not having firearms hurt, but at the same time, they were hardly helpless if trouble broke out. Meridina didn't need weapons to throw people across the room, after all, and the rest of the team were practiced hand-to-hand fighters. _Although if we end up in a fight with security, we'll need a lot of luck_.

A journey through glass-paned doors and a large area of open offices and M4P2's version of cubicles led them to an inside plaza that sloped downward. Pathways led around decorative water pools to give the plaza a soothing background sound of quietly-rushing water.

At one corner of this internal plaza was the spacious office of the administrator. Parasini saw them to the inner office, where Anoleis waited, and retreated to her desk at the outer office.

"...won't buy us out, the board won't allow it," Anoleis was saying to someone over a comm line. "I don't care how much money… just stop worrying and take care of it. I've got guests now… yes, I'm sure, now goodbye." Anoleis' finger tapped something on his desk. He looked at them with irritated. "Captain Andreys. I was hoping you would take the hint and leave. If you insist on these strong-arm tactics, the Noveria Development Corporation will issue a protest against you to your superiors and the media."

"Strong-arm tactics?" Julia crossed her arms. "Administrator, I will remind you that _you_ were the one who flaunted having weapons and threatened to use them. I came because of a good faith arrangement between my government and your superiors."

"You call it a good faith agreement, but be honest. You and your government, with the connivance of certain other figures, arm-twisted some of the board members into giving authorization to something that blatantly violates the charter of the Corporation. The fact that I let you land is a concession on my part, and don't expect any more."

"We're here on behalf of the Citadel and the Allied Systems to investigate a rogue Spectre's links to one of the corporations on this planet," Julia said. "This is a matter of life or death."

"I have heard such hyperbole before, and it will not sway me. You may interview anyone here as part of this investigation, but no more. Good day."

Julia didn't need mental powers to sense that Angel was ready to punch the smug Salarian in the face. She felt a similar brief impulse. She glanced to Meridina who shook her head. "Very well. I'll be contacting your board about your lack of cooperation, Administrator."

"You may do so. The board knows I'm acting in their best interest. Now please leave."

With nothing more to say anyway, Julia led the others out. The door to the inner office slid to a close behind them. Parasini looked up from her desk. "You don't look happy, Captain. He's obstructing your investigation?"

"He is."

Parasini nodded. "Good luck, Captain. Maybe you can find someone here with the pull to force Anoleis to cooperate. We have a lounge up at the mezzanine. You can't rent one of the attached hotel rooms - you're not a corporate account holder - but you can purchase anything you want at the lounge."

The obvious hint was recognized. "Thank you, Miss Parasini. Have a good day." With that, Julia led them out of the office.

"So, why do I get the feeling that slimy jerk is up to no good?" Angel asked, frowning.

"I would be careful referring to Salarians as 'slimy', it could be seen as a slur," Richmond noted. "And yes, I know the type well. I have little doubt Administrator Anoleis has his own agenda, not simply the defense of the good investors in the planet."

"I am not used to Salarian minds," Meridina admitted upon seeing the looks she was getting from the others. "I did feel as if he were not only displeased by our presence, but worried about it."

"He didn't say anything about the ship," Angel remarked. Her hazel eyes scanned their surroundings, and it was clear to the others she wasn't talking about the _Aurora_ or the _Irrawaddy_. "So maybe this is moot?"

Julia glanced toward Meridina, who nodded. _Even if it is, I don't want to leave too early and raise Anoleis' suspicions_ , she thought, trusting in Meridina to relay the thought to the others. Given the nods, they received the message. "Well, let's see how the local cuisine stacks up to Hargert's cooking."

"Most likely inferior," Richmond said.

"Hopefully it's at least 75 centi-Hargerts." When that remark drew the attention of the others, Angel chuckled. "Cat's been using that scale for judging food made by other cooks. I thought it sounded funny."

Julia allowed herself a chuckle of agreement before heading on. As they walked, she noticed Meridina frown. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," she said. "No danger I can sense, just an uneasy feeling. A distant threat."

"Well, that is certainly helpful," remarked Richmond as they continued on.

From a distance away, a figure observed them walk toward the lift for the mezzanine level. A small smile crossed the lips of a face that was only noteworthy for the sunglasses worn upon the face. Quietly the figure continued on its business. 

* * *

When the _Normandy_ entered orbit of Virmire, Robert found himself admiring Saren in one respect.

The planet he chose for his base was _gorgeous_.

Virmire was a garden planet, tending toward "tropical". Deep blue seas girded the planet, the continents dominated by lush green forests and snow-capped mountain ridges. It reminded him of images of other tropical planets known as resort worlds.

While he was looking at the image showing on the cockpit sensor, Shepard was viewing a map of the area the Salarian infiltrators scouted out. "Saren's got anti-air artillery defenses covering the entire area. Joker, think you can land at the speed you'll need to evade those guns?"

Joker shook his head. "I'm the best in the Fleet, Commander, but even I can't beat the laws of physics. The velocity I'll need to evade the guns will make the landing impossible given the terrain."

"It's a shame the Systems Alliance didn't fit the _Normandy_ with a transporter," Robert said.

"I wouldn't recommend that either," said one of the technical officers, a young woman seated at the sensor station near Joker. "There's an anti-beaming field over the area. And there are several Geth ships in the area. Including… it looks like a dreadnought of some kind. But it doesn't even have the same power signature as the Geth ships."

"Show me," Shepard ordered, turning toward that station.

The operator obeyed. A holo-screen came into existence over her station, depicting what looked to Robert like a sea creature, a cephalopoid he couldn't remember the name of, with red lighting along its dull reddish exterior. "It looks like the ship that was at Eden Prime."

"It is," said Shepard, her voice grim. " _Sovereign_. Where is it?"

"Toward the outer edge of the solar system. It's on a perimeter patrol from the look of things. Still several hours out at STL speeds."

"Good for us, then," Robert noted. "Any idea where Saren could get a ship like that? I've studied more recognition profiles than I can count and I've seen nothing like it."

"Given what Shiala said, I can't help but wonder if Saren found an old Reaper ship," Shepard replied. "Just as long as it stays out there. Keep an eye on it."

"Yes ma'am."

"As for our landing, it sounds like our best bet is a landing with the Mako," Shepard said. She tapped a key on her omnitool. "Deployment squad, report to the cargo bay. We're making a combat drop."

"I'll get you as close as I can, Commander," Joker promised as Shepard left the cockpit, Robert following.

* * *

Less than fifteen minutes later, everyone was strapped into the Mako's seats, with Shepard at the driving controls and Kaidan at the gunnery seat beside her. Robert sat with Ashley and Garrus while Tali and Wrex were across from them. "Everyone strapped in?" Shepard asked loudly.

One by one, the riders confirmed their deployment harnesses were in place.

Those harnesses were tested half a minute later when the Mako jerked suddenly, the result of the massive deceleration after dropping from the speeding _Normandy_ 's cargo bay. The stealth frigate's approach had been lower than normal to evade the fire of Saren's defenses, causing the landing to be even bumpier than the usual deployment from a higher altitude. The experience was jarring and nearly convinced Robert he'd cracked a rib.

"Hold tight everyone." Shepard, with her usual terrifying exactness, wheeled the Mako into line with the coastal streambed and sent it roaring down the coastline of Virmire. 

* * *

The _Gonzalez_ came to a soft landing in the snow outside of the Peak 15 vehicle garage. The rear hatch door opened and armor-clad Marines stepped out, seeming to come from nothing should anyone have been viewing the cloaked ship's location. Anders' Marines spread out to secure the entrance to the towering facility. Eight of the Marines were clad in heavy power armor, the others in lighter armor suits. Anders himself was in a specialized command armor suit with customized elements.

At Anders' insistence, Liara was wearing another of the light armor suits, while Talara was, like Lucy, in a set of purple Gersallian-style armor made for the Order of Swenya. Both were in combat robes and wearing helmets as well, given the growing chill in the environment. Talara had no lightsaber or Gersallian _lakesh_ \- the memory metal swords the Order still employed - given her lack of training in those weapons, so she had a pulse pistol.

"Nothing so far," Anders noted.

Lucy nodded at him. "But there is something here…"

Anders nodded and went off to give his Marines orders. Liara glanced to Lucy. "What's here?"

"I'm not sure. I sense something… it's not normal, and it's not Geth. Life. But mindless." Lucy frowned. "Let's get going."

Peak 15's garage was empty of any signs of life. The team moved through it and to an entranceway, the only one, which led to an airlock overseen by a control room on the other side.. Everyone noticed the automated turrets present, and how they were pointing _inward_. "That's not a good sign," Liara said.

"They're more afraid of something getting out than someone getting in," Lucy agreed. She felt through the Flow of Life and frowned.

"Something bad has happened here," Talara said. "I feel wrong. Something is wrong."

"There's been death here," Lucy said. "That's what you feel. The terror of the dying before their lives ended." She glanced toward Liara. "The report indicated your mother arrived not too long ago. Maybe this is related."

"Goddess I hope not," Liara replied.

They cleared the turret defenses. "Should we leave anyone to secure our exit?" Lucy asked Anders.

Anders considered the proposal. "Hutchins, your squad stays here. Hold the entrance."

The Marine in question, a man of dark tanned skin with a mostly Australian accent, replied, "Yes Major." He began directing the Marines in his squad. One of them activated their omnitool and began uplinking to take over the turrets.

The rest continued on. An elevator took them several stories up, into the main body of the facility. The halls and offices and rooms were likewise empty. "This place looks like it employs dozens of people, probably hundreds," Anders observed. "And you say you feel death."

"I do."

"So where are the bodies?"

It was a good question, and it haunted Lucy while they entered what looked like the cafeteria. Arranged along the exterior wall were areas with tables; the interior had closed rooms with computer terminals upon the tables, presumably a rec area.

But now the entire chamber was coated in snow, presumably blown through the ventilation systems.

"I think I'm picking up life signs somewhere," one of the Marines said.

Anders checked his instruments. "Same here. But nothing localized. The damn place is made to baffle sensor readings." He glanced toward Lucy and Talara. "Save yours, it seems."

Lucy, for her part, stopped. She sensed it now. There was something here. Something… mindless. Instinctive.

 _Hungry_.

She sensed the intent and pulled her lightsaber. "Incoming!" Anders shouted immediately. As he did so, and as the electronic snap-hiss of the lightsaber activating filled the chamber, the snow around them exploded.

What appeared were large insectoid creatures. Their hides were a dull brown, with two clawed hands on short arms and two tentacles with gripping appendages - or tearing ones, given their look - raised above the circular head and the long, vicious mouth. From around them issued several smaller insects, four-legged little critters about twenty-five centimeters in length.

The lead creature spat out a glob of material. Lucy reflected it with her powers and sent said material flying into the wall, where it bubbled and started etching a mark. _Acid_ was her thought at that, while her body was already moving almost on its own. Her weapon came up and then around, slicing horizontally through the monster's body. It let out a death screech.

Weapons fire filled the room. The Marines were thorough in their reaction. Liara and Talara contributed with their sidearms, creating a barrage of fire that poured into the largest of them. Even as it was clear the biggest of the alien bugs were being shot up, one of the Marines shouted in pain. "Status?!" Anders demanded when fire stopped.

Lucy was already drawn toward one Marine, down on his rear. Acid bubbled over his light armor torso. "Nasty stuff," she murmured.

"Damn thing blew up on me," the Marine in question said, pain written on his expression. "Just blew apart into a glob of this stuff."

"Acid burns," confirmed the unit corpsman a moment later. "He'll be fine in a minute."

"Alright." Anders looked at the ruined remains of one of the creatures before turning to Liara. "Any idea what the hell these things are?"

"None. Though… they do look familiar."

Talara was already operating her omnitool. "I'll see if there are any records in Alliance databanks."

"You can reach the ship from inside here?" Lucy asked.

"No, but the _Gonzalez_ can. I'm routing through… okay, it looks like we have a result. From historical archives. Something called 'Rachni'."

"What?" Liara glanced toward Talara. "Rachni? You're sure?"

"That's the result."

"Goddess, Mother, what have you done?" Liara asked aloud.

"So you know what these things are?" Lucy asked her.

"Yes. An insectoid species that went to war with the Citadel races over a thousand years ago. This was before the Turians were widely known in the galaxy, and my people and the Salarians weren't able to contain them. It was why the Salarians uplifted the Krogan. To fight for us."

"Huh." Anders shook his head. "Crap. So Saren's making more of these things?"

"It would appear so. Although I do not understand why."

"It's fine, Liara." Lucy sensed her unease and disbelief in her mother's activities. She placed a hand on the Asari's shoulder to reassure her. "Just one more question for your mother. Speaking of, we should probably get moving. Whatever she's here to do, we probably need to stop her."

"Agreed," said Liara. "We do."

* * *

In the skies over Virmire, the _ASV Normandy_ banked hard. A slug of mass effect-accelerated metal whizzed just above one of the adjustable nacelle wings of the ship. The _Normandy_ spiraled through the atmosphere and evaded another shot.

Aboard her, the crew were at battle stations, everyone doing their duty… particularly the helmsman of the ship.

Joker brought the _Normandy_ out of the dive his spiral put her in and buzzed meters away from a rock outcropping, bringing her back out over the deep blue seas. " _Normandy_ to Shepard. Commander, please tell me you're almost done."

" _Standby._ " 

* * *

The Mako's main gun thundered the moment Shepard pulled up to the AA emplacement site. The shot slammed into the wall of the gate structure adjoining the emplacement, creating a blast that took out three Geth platforms.

"Go!"

At Shepard's command, Kaidan was the first to jump from the vehicle. His assault rifle swung up and sprayed suppressing fire at the structure while he rushed for cover. Wrex did the same as he emerged.

Robert was the next out. Rather than go for his pistol, he reached out with his abilities. One of the Geth platforms flew to the side, slamming into the other and reducing the incoming fire. Another platform collapsed from the machine gun rounds firing from the coaxial weapon on the Mako's turret, now under Ashley's control.

Tali emerged with Garrus. The latter found cover and sighted with his sniper rifle. A moment later a Geth platform's head was nearly blown off by a shot. Tali moved ahead and joined Robert in approaching the stairs.

The Mako swung into motion again. Not quickly enough to avoid taking a few rockets to its kinetic barriers, but moving when it did allowed the vehicle to evade more fire. Shepard kept the Mako's motions as precise as she could manage, allowing Ashley to use the turret gun to deadly effect.

With Kaidan, Garrus, and the Mako providing cover fire, Robert dashed up the stairs with Wrex and Tali. At the top of the stairs they had to stop to avoid incoming fire. The Geth platform firing at them kept up said fire until Garrus shot it in the side of the head from his position.

Robert sensed the coming danger and sprang forward first. He felt a surge of excitement within him at the occasion and, for the first time, he ignited the weapon Lucy had given him in anger. The green lightsaber blade met the incoming rocket and sliced it in half, rendering the explosive charge within inert.

This move involved exposing him to fire, so Robert kept moving, and Wrex and Tali followed. He used a burst of force to knock down a squad of incoming Geth trooper platforms, leaving them helpless for Wrex and Tali to shoot. Far ahead of them, more enemies went down to the Mako's main gun. The blast was just far enough away that Robert easily deflected it by concentrating energy into a wall of force ahead of them.

The three continued on to the side of the structure. Above an AA emplacement continued to track and occasionally fire. "The _Normandy_ doesn't have much time," Robert said, huffing as he ran. "We've got to…"

As they neared the end of the corridor to the controls, three of the largest Krogan he'd ever seen stepped into sight. Each was armed with an assault rifle.

To stop them, Robert gathered enough energy to block their fire. Immediately after he acted Tali raised the arm with her omnitool. It activated and a pulse of heat generated by the tool struck the middle and left Krogans from Robert's perspective. It didn't do anything to them but when their weapons tried to fire nothing happened.

Tali's weapon worked just fine, however, as was proven a moment later when she fired. Blood and flesh erupted from the Krogan's neck. The Krogan screamed. Its eyes focused on Tali and Robert could feel the rage coming from the thing.

It started to charge even as Tali's weapon thundered again. The next shot struck it in the head. The Krogan went down.

Wrex opened fire on the Krogan who still had an effective weapon. The shot pulped the Krogan's arm, causing him to drop the gun. Freed from incoming fire, Robert drew on the life energy in and around him and channeled it into a burst that sent the middle Krogan flying back toward the AA controls.

Wrex's shotgun roared again as well. Robert tried not to think of what came flying out of the back of the last Krogan's head.

That left one Krogan, who was still picking himself up from the ground. "You're beaten," Robert said to him. "Stop."

The Krogan growled wordlessly. Robert stared at him and tried to get a feel for the mind within, to see if he could influence it as Meridina and others had taught him.

A feeling of horror gripped Robert at the realization that there was nothing there. The Krogan was… mindless. It had only impulses, directed by an authority it felt compelled to obey. Presumably Saren's authority.

The remaining Krogan charged. But he didn't get far. Shotguns rang out, blast by blast, until the Krogan collapsed in a bloody pile of rent flesh and flowing blood.

Robert put his weapon away. "Tali?"

"Give me a moment." She approached the controls and began operating them. "Clever. They're trying to cut this console off and shift the gun entirely to remote control. But I won't let that happen."

Robert looked up at the gun, even now swiveling to track the _Normandy_. He contemplated trying to destroy it himself. With the increased abilities he had…

...but would that be all he did? If his control slipped, he might do more than just pull the gun apart. He could blow it apart in a way that might hurt them. Or create a wave of force around him that harmed Wrex and Tali… maybe even bring this entire structure down too.

"Alright…. ha! That will show those _bosh'tet_ monsters." One of Tali's fingers hit a key. The gun above immediately lowered. She triggered her communications. "Shepard, the gun is offline."

" _Great work. Get back here so we can move on to the Salarian field base_."

As they stepped away, Robert noticed Wrex giving a glance toward the dead Krogan. He sensed the Krogan mercenary's lingering dissatisfaction with the choices his people were making. A sense of helplessness at the fate of his people pervaded Wrex.

Robert said nothing. There was nothing he could say that would bring comfort. 

* * *

The mezzanine of the Noveria Development Corporation's hotel in Port Hanshan was just as posh to the _Aurora_ crew's eyes as the rest of the facility. They sat at a table near the railing. " _Still nothing_ ," Jarod was saying. " _But we expected that._ "

"The same here," Julia said. "Enough that I'm starting to get suspicious. Would you mind…"

" _I'll do some research through Alliance networks and see if there's anything to this Anoleis or his company._ "

"Did you get through to Admiral Maran?"

" _No. He's out of Portland now._ "

"I see. Well, let me know if you find anything out. Andreys out."

Angel crossed her arms. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who doesn't like this," she said. "That guy's up to something."

"That goes without saying, Lieutenant," Richmond remarked. She looked the most settled in their environment. "This is a planet of secrets. We're outsiders."

"Why would Administrator Anoleis risk his job by defying the company board?" Meridina asked. "That is the question that puzzles me. He is a mercenary man. This is not a matter of principle to him."

"Undoubtedly he has something to hide as well," Richmond commented. "Perhaps that is what we should find out…" She narrowed her eyes while looking away from them.

Julia followed the direction of Richmond's eyes to see what caught her attention. She was looking at a distant table.

Seated there was a Human man, or at least Human-looking, although his wear definitely struck Julia as Human. In fact, it was the one business suit here she was most familiar with, a dress jacket of black worn over an ice-blue buttoned down shirt with a formal collar. A black tie was fitted perfectly to the shirt, likely tied to one of the buttons to keep it straight. BIack dress shoes and pants matching the jacket filled out the man's clothing.

And black gloves as well. Black gloves and, covering his eyes, a set of ray-ban aviator-style glasses.

 _Sunglasses? Inside? On Noveria?_ Julia thought.

The man himself was not stout or even large, although he had broad shoulders. If he had any strength at all it would be the wiry kind of strength that those with smaller figures could have. His skin was pale and sallow, indicating that if there was more color to it he would have a brown complexion like Angel's.

By now Meridina and Angel were also looking toward the man. "What is it? Why are we looking at this guy?" Angel asked.

"He's been following us," Richmond said. "Watching us. I'm certain of it."

"Do you think Anoleis sent him?" Julia asked.

"Possible…"

Julia glanced to Meridina. Meridina was focused on the man. But the look on her face was one of bewilderment. "I cannot look into his mind, not even in a surface fashion," Meridina said. "There is something familiar…"

The man stood up and approached them. "I see I need no longer keep my distance." He spoke English with an accent that wasn't quite American nor English itself. Julia thought she knew the accent, but couldn't place it. "Captain Julia Andreys of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ , I presume?"

He offered a gloved hand. Julia met his eyes - or she imagined she did, given the sunglasses - before finally standing and accepting the hand. "With officers," she said. "I'm afraid I've never met you before, Mister…"

"You haven't," he said, still not using his name. "I apologize for the inequity of this situation. I suspect you are here because of the Binary Helix situation?"

"It's owned by a rogue Spectre and his Asari lieutenant," Julia said. "So yes. We're still being denied access, though."

"And you will continue to be denied. Anoleis has been very quick to block any further inquiry into Peak 15. I suspect that Benezia bribed him when she arrived. You will never be given permission to enter Peak 15, and should it be discovered you have done so anyway… Anoleis will undoubtedly react swiftly and without discrimination. Your lives will be endangered, and possibly those of your allies as well."

The stranger's free granting of information - true or false - made his purpose obvious. "What is it you want from us, Mister…"

"I want nothing from you," he said. "Mister Lorik Qui'in, however, has common cause with you against Anoleis." The man indicated a Turian sitting by himself a couple tables down, drinking from a container. "He is mostly sober even now. Mostly. I suggest you speak to him before he is not so." Smiling, the man nodded once to her. "Good day, Captain. I look forward to seeing how you handle this situation. You have quite a reputation to live up to."

With that, the man walked away.

"Well, that wasn't suspicious at all, was it?" Angel grumbled.

"I sensed no deception," Meridina said. But her face betrayed her uncertainty. "I sensed nothing telepathically. But my _swevyra_ sensed honesty. I believe he was trying to help."

"Although not out of the kindness of his heart," Richmond said.

"Probably not," Julia agreed. She'd not sit down yet. "Well, let's see what Lorik Qui'in has to say to us."

* * *

The need to check for Rachni made the trip to Peak 15's engineering center take longer than had been anticipated. Upon arrival Lucy and Anders immediately went to work checking the power core. Talara, her pistol still in hand, looked toward Liara. "How are you, Doctor?" she asked respectfully.

"I am… I do not know. I feel…" Liara shook her head. "It's been weeks since I first learned about it, but I still can't understand why my mother is working with Saren. And on things like this. Reviving the Rachni? Why would she do this? This… this isn't like her, Ensign. Not at all. My mother believed in peaceful solutions and negotiation. She was devoted to our belief in diplomacy."

"Given what we have learned, your mother has had her independence stripped from her."

"Is it odd that I hope you're right? That this… it isn't her fault, but Saren's?"

"No, Doctor. Not odd at all."

Lucy's voice called out, "Anders, what's the status on that VI interface?"

"Re-aligning now," the Marine commander replied.

A female voice began to speak. " _Mira VI is online. Peak 15 command interface compromised. Heavy damage reported._ "

"System, we need access to the second station, inside the glacier," Anders said.

" _Access to Rift Station is not possible. Trams are sealed due to failure of power landlines. Insufficient power due to reactor shut down._ "

"Well, there's our answer," Lucy sighed. "Let's go get the reactor back up and those landlines restored."

* * *

Some backtracking through the engineering section was necessary to get to a lift that brought them up to the reactor core. Anders detached a squad to hold the lift.

The reactor control area was a maze of catwalks and piping around the central reactor core. They entered the control room and Lucy went to work checking the panels. "Okay, let's see what's wrong with..."

Before she could finish the sentence, gunfire broke out. "I've got hostiles!" one of the Marines shouted. A plasma round slammed into his torso and threw him back.

"Hostiles on this end too!" shouted another Marine. She and her fireteam returned fire.

To either side of the control room, Geth platforms were jumping down from upper levels.

"Looks like Benezia brought more than just commandos," Anders said. "There's at least two dozen of them out there. Sergeant Devakul, bring your squad up."

At that command, the Thai man and the other heavy power armor Marines moved forward. Splitting into two fire teams of four, the Marines moved among their comrades and opened up with the heavy weapons built into the arms of their armor suits. Their fire eliminated several Geth platforms, though not all. Shields helped them get into cover as needed from the return fire.

Lucy finished looking over the displays. "I've got to get to the fuel lines. The shutdown procedure cut them off."

"Well, there's a bunch of Geth in the way, Lieutenant."

"I know." Lucy pulled her weapon from her belt. "Keep them busy."

Anders opened his mouth to protest, but it was too late. Lucy was already running through the left door of the control room. He watched her weapon come up and start deflecting the incoming shots. "Dammit… Marines, suppressing fire! Give our girl the opening to get us the hell out of here!"

Moving out on the catwalk presented Lucy as a target for crossfire from other angles. But no shot could seem to land on her, not with her lightsaber buzzing in mid-air, striking every incoming plasma bolt and sending it back toward the shooter. A Geth that got too close learned what the lightsaber was capable of, losing vital limbs or parts to a flash of blue light.

Lucy had better things to do than fight, though. She jumped to another catwalk, then to a third, and moved on to the fuel line controls.

A sudden warning went through her being. Desperately Lucy threw the metaphorical brakes on her forward movement.

This brought her to a stop just before the Geth Prime landed on the walkway with a loud clang. An electronic, trilling kind of noise came from the big, three meter tall Geth before its weapon came up and opened fire. 

* * *

The _Normandy_ was already landing at the Salarian field base when the Mako pulled up. A Salarian with green coloring and a white STG combat uniform was waiting for Shepard and her team as they piled out of the Mako. "Commander Shepard?" the Salarian asked.

"Shepard here." Shepard stepped forward from the others and offered her hand. "We got here as soon as we could."

"Captain Kirrahe, 3rd Infiltration Regiment STG. My First Officer, Commander Rentola."

The second Salarian nodded at them.

"My team here." Shepard introduced them, including Robert.

"Captain Dale? Formerly of the _Starship Aurora_?"

"That's me," Robert replied.

"I am familiar with your record," Kirrahe noted. "Your ship covered the 3rd's extraction from the Reich planet of Clirison over a year ago. I admit I am surprised to see you have transferred."

"I was out of commission for a while," Robert said. "My first officer is in command of the _Aurora_ now, so I decided to move on."

"Understood. It's a pleasure to meet one of the United Systems' new Paladin agents. Not to mention the first Human Spectre." He returned his attention to Shepard.

"What's the situation, Captain?" she asked him.

"We've located Saren's base, approximately two kilometers on the other side of this outer wall." Kirrahe indicated a wall cutting across the coastline nearby. "I have conducted some reconnaissance, but not without cost. Our losses have been heavy. I've lost half of my men in skirmishes with the Geth and Saren's Krogan while investigating this facility. That's why I asked for reinforcements. When is the fleet arriving?"

Shepard seemed surprised at that. "It's not. We're it."

Robert sensed a flare of frustration. "I told the Council we needed a fleet. Saren's defenses are too well-established. AA guns out to ten kilometers have already locked onto your ship."

"We took out a couple of guns on the way in," Shepard said. "But I'm getting the feeling we won't be flying the _Normandy_ to the base."

"Most definitely not. And even with their loss of local coverage, the AA defenses are heavy enough that Saren's forces have a good chance of shooting your ship down."

"But he didn't shoot the _Normandy_ down," Tali said. "Why not if he could have?"

"Maybe he wants us here," Garrus suggested. "After Feros and the Armstrong Nebula, Saren has to want us dead."

"This is why I asked for a fleet," Kirrahe said. "Anything less and Saren's defenses are too strong."

"The Council doesn't want to send a fleet this close to the Terminus Systems," Shepard explained. "They're concerned it could spark a war."

"My government feels the same way," Robert confirmed. "At best, we have a backup ship on the way, but the _Koenig_ 's just a light attack ship."

Kirrahe's expression betrayed his frustration. Before he could speak, another voice called out, "Captain." Another Salarian, of amber and white coloring, rushed up and saluted. "I have those scan results you wanted." He activated his omnitool and relayed the data to Kirrahe's. Kirrahe activated his own and started looking over the amber-hued images. Robert sensed his shock. Shepard and the others noticed as well.

Shepard asked, "What's wrong?"

"We took samples from the Krogan fighting for Saren, due to their irregular behavior in and out of combat."

"Yeah, they do act a little weird," Wrex said. "I figured it had to do with what that Asari on Feros told us."

"That may be involved, but…" Kirrahe stopped himself. "There are other factors. This confirms our suspicions. This facility's primary purpose appears to be for producing Krogan for Saren's forces."

"What?" Wrex's attention fixed on the Salarian like a laser. "How?"

Kirrahe seemed to consider his answer for a moment. There was resignation in his voice when he admitted, "It appears Saren has managed to cure the genophage."

Robert felt the incredulity in the others. It was understandable. The genophage, the genetic disorder that the Salarians developed nearly a millennia before to stop the Krogan Rebellion against the Citadel Council by causing the entire species' fertility rate to plummet. Now only one out of a thousand Krogan young were viable, and many female Krogan were entirely infertile due to the genetic alteration.

There was no mistaking the surge of hope he felt in Wrex. "We need this," he said. "We could use this to save my people." He turned his red eyes to Shepard. "We have to find out how they did it."

"I'm not sure we'll have time, Wrex," Shepard replied. "We have to stop Saren. Stopping to ransack his labs could put everything at jeopardy."

Wrex reacted by pulling out his shotgun. "No!" He pointed an angry, clawed finger at her. "You're talking about destroying what may be the last hope of my people for a cure. I can't let that happen!"

"Wrex, the safety of the galaxy is at stake," Shepard insisted.

"I won't let you do it."

And with that, Wrex leveled his shotgun at Shepard. "I won't let you destroy the cure," he vowed.


	54. Episode 3-10-3 A Matter of Survival

All eyes were on Shepard and Wrex, the latter holding his shotgun against the former. Robert reached to his belt for the new lightsaber Lucy made for him, intent on disarming Wrex if he had to. He noticed Ashley quietly reaching for her gun and frowned. He sensed her intent. If Shepard was endangered, she would kill Wrex to stop him.

He sensed the emotions in the other two as well. Wrex was a complicated knot of hope, fear, and anger. The idea of a cure kindled the first of those, the idea of losing it the latter two. Robert couldn't help but feel sympathy for the Krogan's goal.

Shepard… was calm. Like she usually was in a deadly situation. Her green eyes locked onto Wrex's. "I know you want to save your people, Wrex," she said. "I don't blame you for that."

"But you're still going to blow the place up," Wrex said. His gun didn't waver.

"I don't think we have a choice." Shepard shook her head. "Saren's making this army of Krogan to fulfill whatever plan he has, maybe even bringing back the Reapers, the same machines that wiped out the Protheans. He _has_ to be stopped to save the galaxy."

"Haven't we given up enough for this damn galaxy?" Wrex countered. "My people bled and died to stop the Rachni."

"And then you turned on the rest of the galaxy," Kirrahe pointed out. "The genophage was only necessary because of the Krogan Rebellion."

Wrex growled at him. "Without that cure, my people go extinct."

"If Saren wins, we _all_ go extinct, your people too," Shepard retorted. "It's not like he did this for your benefit. You've seen the Krogan in his army, Wrex. You've seen what they're like. They're mindless. Nothing but puppets, they might as well be combat drones. That can't be what you want for your people."

Robert felt the conflicting emotions in Wrex. Even now he couldn't be sure what the Krogan would do. Everyone was waiting to see what Wrex would do, how he would react.

Robert's eyes went over to Ashley, who was stepping closer and closer. He watched as she started to pull her weapon free…

Wrex lowered the gun. "Alright," he said. "You've made your point."

Shepard nodded at him. Her relief was evident. "You're a good man, Wrex," she said. "I don't blame you for wanting to save your people. They still have time."

"If we find the cure, I'm taking it," Wrex informed her, bluntly. "Any problems with that?"

Robert sensed that yes, Garrus and Kirrahe and the other Salarians _did_ have a problem with it.

Shepard, on the other hand, shook her head. "None. As long as you keep your focus on the mission."

"Fine." Wrex stowed his shotgun away at the base of his back.

Ashley put her weapon away as well. There was some relief on her face.

"Alright." Shepard returned her attention to Kirrahe. "We have an operation to plan."

* * *

The Geth Prime's weapon was a second away from firing, and Lucy wouldn't be able to stop it.

Even worse, her options were limited. Deflecting the shot could send the plasma into a vital component, damaging the reactor further. Jumping to avoid it might even cause the same - there was machinery behind her - and it would expose her to further fire.

In the instant she had left, Lucy sensed the only way she could make this work. She winced in anticipation as the Geth fired.

Her left hand shot up and caught the shot. The energy within her grabbed the shot, absorbing some of the energy, sloughing it off, weakening it… but not removing it. Enough power remained that it hit her in the palm. Her armor absorbed yet more, but there was still a pain in her hand from what remained of the shot.

Lucy gave a cry of effort and sliced upward and to the side with the lightsaber in her right hand. The blue blade cut through the Geth platform's arms with little effort, disarming the machine. She twirled her hand around, creating a trail of blue light with the blade as she brought it back to bear… and plunged it into the Geth Prime's chest. The machine spat sparks from the damage. It was in no shape to stop her from slicing its head off. With a final spurt of electronic warbling, the Prime collapsed before her.

Lucy glanced toward her left hand. The armor had a partial scorch mark over the palm, showing where the shot had gone through. The Prime's weapon was heavier than other Geth they'd faced. If it had shot her in the head or over the heart…

Lucy forced that possibility from her mind and focused on her work. She extinguished her lightsaber and returned it to her belt, allowing her to use her remaining good hand to operate the fuel line controls. The readout confirmed for her that a broken He-3 line was responsible for the reactor being offline. She bypassed that line with a secondary one and re-initialized the system. He-3 once again flowed into the reactor. It powered up around them.

With her job finished, Lucy pulled her lightsaber back out and rushed to rejoin the others. Running along the right-hand path toward the main control room, she moved over the blackened remnants of several Geth platforms. But she took no fire. In the control center the others were waiting. Liara and Talara were looking over the controls, although Talara was the only one who clearly understood them. "He-3 flow is showing nominal, sir," she said. "The reactor is operating at eighty-percent capacity."

"That's more than enough for the tram system," Lucy noted. "We just need to relink the landlines to the glacier base and we're good to go." She turned her head to face Anders. "Did you get all of the Geth?"

"They retreated when the reactor activated." Inside his face plate, Anders' frown was visible. "We got a lot of them, at least. But now I think we're going to end up leaving another squad behind to cover our rear. I've already got Hutchins moving up to join us."

"Makes sense. With the Geth and Rachni around, we don't want too many groups on their own."

"I'll leave Topa'riy's squad behind to join Hutchins, they'll watch the reactor. The rest of us are moving on." Anders gestured to the others. "Alright Marines, move out!"

"How long will it take you to re-establish the landline?" Liara asked.

"Probably not long. It depends on the damage." Lucy sensed Liara's discomfort and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you ready?"

"I… I am not sure," Liara admitted. "I haven't seen my mother in so long. We… we did not have a proper farewell last time. We fought. It was very… oh Goddess, what if those are the last words we end up sharing?"

"They won't be, I'm sure of it," Lucy insisted.

Liara nodded, her blue eyes full of tears. Lucy's assurance hadn't done much for her worry, really, but Lucy hoped it was enough.

"Lieutenant, your hand…"

Talara brought Lucy's attention back to her wounded left hand. Now that she paid attention to it, she recalled that yes, it hurt, and it hurt quite a bit. She winced. "I'll be fine." It was clear that Talara didn't quite believe her, but Lucy still forced the wounded look from her face. "I'll get the corpsman to look at it," she said. "For now, we've got more work to do."

Talara nodded and said nothing more as they walked out.

* * *

Lorik Qui'in looked up from his liquor as the shadows of Julia and the others appeared over his table. His dark eyes, coal-black, met Julia's. He was of gray complexion, the color of ash, with white facial markings, and dressed in respectable corporate wear for Turians. "I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the United Systems' rank system," he said. "You're a… Colonel?"

"Captain, actually, but you're close enough," Julia replied. "Captain Julia Andreys, commanding officer of the Alliance _Starship Aurora_."

"Right. The naval equivalent of a Colonel." Qui'in took a drink. "What can I do for you, Captain?"

"I'm not sure. We're having problems with Anoleis and we've heard you have them too." Julia was surprised a Turian could snort that derisively. "I'm still trying to understand everything that's going on here."

Suspicion laced the next question. "And what is your interest in Noveria?"

"Binary Helix," Richmond said. "And Matriarch Benezia."

"My security chief, Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond," Julia explained as an introduction. "Commander Meridina is my first officer and Lieutenant Angel Delgado is my tactical officer."

"I see. The Matriarch arrived a few days ago with a full escort of Asari commandos and several crates that passed customs."

"Were they disarmed?" Angel asked.

"Yes. But that doesn't do much to reduce the threat of Asari commandos, Lieutenant," Qui'in remarked. "They're all very capable biotics. Anyway, the Matriarch and her entourage left for Peak 15 almost right away. Since then, I've heard the entire research station shut down. A few stragglers arrived but were quickly rushed into isolation by Anoleis."

"We've heard he was bribed by Benezia," Richmond said.

To that Qui'in laughed bitterly. "I wonder how much he took her for. She wouldn't be the only one."

"Oh?" Again Richmond. Julia said nothing, allowing her security chief to direct the interview.

"Ever since he was given control of the office rents, Anoleis has been raising the rates. Unofficially." Qui'in took a drink. "I have the evidence of what he's up to. And here I am, accused of corruption while he has members of security on his payroll ransacking Synthetic Insights looking for where I hid it."

"I see." Richmond glanced toward Julia. "How very naughty."

Julia said nothing. She was thinking of how to turn this to their advantage. If Anoleis was dirty and they found proof… She looked around the table to see if the man that directed them to Qui'in was anywhere, but there was no sign of him. _What is that guy up to? This is what he wants._

"So why are you looking into Binary Helix?" asked Qui'in. "I was surprised myself to see an Asari Matriarch going out there. Usually they don't leave Asari space."

"Matriarch Benezia has been linked a rogue Spectre," Julia replied. "Binary Helix is suspected of being involved in their plans."

"And the Council is letting the United Systems participate in this kind of investigation? Into one of their Spectres? That's odd."

"He's attacked us as well as Council space," Julia replied. "It's a joint investigation."

"I see. And sending you here lets the Council avoid angering all of these corporations. Clever." Qui'in folded his hands on the table. "Allow me to make a guess. Your people have quite a few technological tricks that were not around when Noveria's systems were established years ago. I'm betting you have a team in Peak 15 by now."

"And your point is…?"

"My point is that if Anoleis finds out, your people are in big trouble," said Qui'in. "He'll scramble all of his people in ERCS and go after them. And if the situation in Peak 15 allows, he may just have a battlestation put an antimatter missile into the entire glacier."

"We're trying to get ahold of the Board to overrule him."

Qui'in laughed bitterly. "The Board? Even if they approved you, it doesn't matter. They're not here. Anoleis is. And he's got allies with the Board, and in the other corporations. He'll do as he pleases and justify it later." Qui'in's mandibles twitched. "He's a greedy bastard, but he's not so stupid as to operate like this without support in all of the right places. No, if you want your Alliance to walk away from this cleanly, Anoleis has to go."

"And you believe your evidence is the key?" asked Meridina.

"It is," Qui'in answered. "If you can get into the office and retrieve it."

"Unarmed?"

"As I said, you have technological tricks up your sleeve," said Qui'in. "I'm sure you can manage something."

Julia considered it. The risks were high, if something went wrong, but if it didn't… well, their problems here would be solved. And it was better than risking that Qui'in was right about Anoleis. That he would act on his own and possibly kill their entire team in Peak 15. _The_ Aurora _might not have time to intercept missiles bound for the surface. And the last thing I want is to have to be that blatant…_

"Alright," she said. "We'll see what we can do.

"I'll be here drinking my time away." Qui'in gestured to a waitress to bring another bottle. "It's not like I have anything better to do."

They stepped away from the table. When they were in a corner alone Richmond spoke up. "May I remind you, Captain, that we are unarmed, and Anoleis' security people most definitely are not."

"True. However, we do have an advantage." Julia turned to Meridina.

"I may be able to influence them," she said. "It depends upon their will." Sensing Julia's thought, Meridina frowned. "I am reluctant to attack their minds as you are thinking, however."

"I understand. The _Farisa Geenewt_ , was it? They wouldn't like it."

" _Farisa Genut_ ," corrected Meridina. "And no, they would not. But if it is to save lives… then I will act."

"Then that'll work for me." Julia drew in a breath to steel herself. _This was not what I had in mind when I beamed down_ she thought. "Let's go get some evidence."

* * *

It took more time for Lucy and the Marines to kill the Rachni that opposed them than it did for Lucy to restore the landlines to what the systems were calling Rift Station, the underground labs built deep into the glacier. Once they were done the gathered troops made their way to the trams.

After they boarded the trams, Lucy checked the tram recorders' logs. She nodded and approached Anders and Liara. A tap of a key on her omnitool accessed a recording depicting a blue-skinned Asari in a black suit, attended by several Asari in M4P2-standard body armor, aboard the tram. "Benezia is here," she said. "And she hasn't left yet."

"And with Asari commandos." Anders nodded. "I've heard a lot about them."

"They're very good," noted Lucy. "I've fought with a squad before, on New Brittany. We wiped the floor with an SS _Panzergrenadier_ strike team. It's not going to be an easy fight." She noticed the roiling emotion Liara was struggling to contain, hidden behind the distant look in the Asari's eyes. "Are you alright, Doctor?"

"It's been so long since I saw my mother," she said. "And to see her again like… this." Liara reached and gripped, for a moment, her sidearm. "It...I never thought something like this would happen. That she'd accept my career choice and welcome me home."

"You're pretty distant then?"

"Very. Mother never approved of my choice to pursue archaeology." Liara went over and leaned against the side of the tram as it moved through the sub-glacial tunnel. "I was the daughter of a Matriarch. I was supposed to be something more, she thought."

Lucy nodded quietly. She recalled her mother had similar ambitions for her future, if put more gently. "Parents often want the best for their kids."

"I'm not sure that was it. My mother has her pride. She didn't want me 'slumming' across the galaxy from dig to dig. She wants me on Thessia learning how to guide our people."

"In other words, she wants you to be a leader."

"Yes. But that's not what I am, and she couldn't accept it." Tears were forming in Liara's eyes. "I received my doctorate and it still wasn't enough. I don't understand why… why she couldn't accept my choices."

"I'm not sure. You'll have to ask."

Bitterness was the reaction from Liara. "Oh, I have a lot to ask. All of the horrible things Saren's done, how could she be involved in it?"

"We'll find out soon enough," Lucy assured her gently. "I just hope the answers are good."

"So do I."

* * *

Shepard, her team, and the Salarian regiment's senior officers gathered around the holo-table and the display of the mapped areas of Saren's base. "There are two approaches we can make. This is the most direct, and the one that will gain the most attention." Kirrahe indicated one area. "The 3rd Regiment can strike here and draw attention. This would allow a small operations team to infiltrate from the base's weak side." He indicated an approach to a small set of buildings, the larger ones beyond it.

"That's where we come in," Shepard said. "I'll take a squad from my team and come in that way."

"We'll need to maintain some kind of coordination to ensure peak operational efficiency," Kirrahe said. "We have no room for errors. Commander, could one of your people join us?"

Shepard was clearly considering it. Instead of her answering, it was Ashley who said, "I can stay with the Salarians and maintain communications, Commander. Plus an extra gun in the firefight won't hurt."

"Agreed, Sergeant."

"What about the base?" Tali asked. "What do we do once we're there?"

"We find out as much about Saren's operations as we can," Shepard replied. "And then we blow the place up."

"To get the entire facility, we'll need a nuke," Kaidan said.

"Assemble one on the _Normandy_ ," Shepard said. "Tali, you'll assist." Shepard put a finger to one location in the base, an aqueduct. "This is a good central location for the explosive. The _Normandy_ can fly you in with it once we shut down the AA guns and secure the area. Then we'll extract both teams and detonate the bomb."

"An excellent operational plan," Kirrahe said. "Allow me to get my men ready."

Shepard nodded. "Let me know when you're ready. The longer we wait, the harder this will be."

"Agreed."

Kaidan and Tali returned to the _Normandy_ \- driving the Mako back into it in the process - leaving the others to follow Shepard outside. "Garrus, Wrex, Robert." She nodded to them in turn. "This isn't going to be an easy fight. We're facing bad odds here."

"Been there, done that," was Wrex's reply. "But remember our deal."

"I do, Wrex," said Shepard. "If we can get any access to the cure, we'll do everything we reasonably can to acquire it."

"But we don't jeopardize the mission," Garrus said.

"You don't have to remind me, Turian," Wrex growled. Robert felt his displeasure at Garrus' remark and Garrus' unease. "I'm going to prep my gear."

"I suggest we all do that," said Shepard. "Meet me back here within half an hour."

Wrex and Shepard started their way back toward the _Normandy_. Robert took a few steps that way before stopping and looking to Garrus. "What's your concern?" he asked. "I can sense you're unhappy."

"The genophage." Garrus turned to face him. "It was either that or exterminating the Krogan. My people chose mercy."

"Or just a prolonged extermination," Robert noted. "The Krogan are dying out."

"That's their fault," Garrus replied. "We didn't sterilize them. We reintroduced a controlling factor into their population, a factor they lost when they left Tuchanka. Without that control, the Krogan were breeding out of control. It's what started the Krogan Rebellion in the first place. A cure for the genophage puts us right back to square one on that."

"Does it?" Robert glanced back toward the _Normandy_ for a moment. "Saving his people doesn't need to become an 'us or them' situation."

"If it's not done right, it will," Garrus warned. "And I don't want that. I just can't help but wonder if we'll all be better off if there's no cure data to recover."

"Maybe, maybe not." Robert shook his head. He had no sense of how this would go. Only the feeling he had that the Krogan shouldn't be allowed to die out. But if curing them actually did lead to violence…

A voice from his past spoke in his head. _No matter how noble or well-intentioned an action can be... the consequence it yields could be disastrous._ About four years had passed since Robert's first meeting with Jean-Luc Picard, since Picard had warned him that "all actions have consequences", and here again that warning echoed inside of him. _Could curing the genophage hurt everyone, even the Krogan, in the long run?_

It was clear to Garrus he was in deep thought on the issue. "You may be right," he said. "Maybe if someone like Wrex leads the Krogan, they can cure the genophage without being a threat. But I'm not sure we should risk the safety of the entire galaxy on one old Krogan mercenary with ideas." Garrus stepped past him. "Anyway, I'd better go check my gear. We've got one hell of a fight ahead."

Robert turned and followed him, still pondering the question. "Yeah," he agreed. "We do." 

* * *

When the tram stopped the remaining Marines filed out. "Are we leaving anyone behind to watch the tram, sir?" asked Sergeant Coleman.

"No." Anders shook his head. "Between Asari commandos and these damned bugs, I'm not splitting our teams up any further. We'll retake the tram if we need to."

Talara walked up beside Lucy. "I feel… something," she said. "Emptiness. Blind terror and hunger."

"I feel it too," Lucy said. "It might be those bugs." She glanced toward Talara. "How are you feeling, Talara?"

"I am fine. Uncomfortable, perhaps. But I will make it."

"Good. Stick with me, let's go."

They continued on into the station. Signs led them toward the labs and a lift. " _Access denied,_ " the station VI said upon Lucy pressing the plate.

"Can you hack it?"

"Probably." Lucy focused. She felt a pull away from here. "But I think we're supposed to go another way."

"Operational intel or life force stuff?"

"Life force stuff, Major."

Anders nodded. She could sense his instinctive dislike of relying on metaphysics, but their track record was enough to get him to overlook that dislike. At his prompting she moved on to another door. This one opened, revealing a lift. Above the door, a holo-sign depicted a set of bunk beds. "Living quarters," said Anders. "We'll go up first. Coleman, you follow."

"Yes sir."

He joined Lucy, Talara, and Liara on the lift. A couple of the light-armored Marines stepped in last. Lucy held her hand up to the internal panel to her left and the lift activated. They rose to the next level. "Life signs ahead," he noted. "Be ready for an ambush."

With that in mind Lucy stepped up between the Marines and pulled her lightsaber back out. As the door opened she ignited it and walked toward.

There were indeed armed guards on the other end, hiding behind cover. Multiple weapons focused on her. She kept her lightsaber ready but made no hostile move. "We're Human!" she called out. "You're safe!"

A tense moment came while the Marines behind her stepped out. Lucy sensed the uncertainty of the guards. How were they supposed to deal with this? They had unauthorized visitors, but at the same time they were already fighting for their lives and shooting their best chance of escape was clearly inadvisable. She was relieved to sense the white-armored man in the middle ease up. "Hold fire!" he shouted. Looking directly at Lucy he said, "Sorry. It's been nothing but bugs for days. Who are you?"

"Lieutenant Lucy Lucero, United Systems. The _Starship Aurora_." Lucy stepped to the side and allowed Anders to be the one to approach. "And Major Gabriel Anders, _Aurora_ 's Marine Commander."

"Captain Ventralis, Elanus Risk Control Services, Binary Helix detachment," he answered. "Normally I'd not be happy to see people like you down here, but with those damn bugs running around, I've got other things to worry about."

"How long has this been going on?" Anders asked. "You look like you've got a stable position."

"The bugs broke out about a week ago," answered Ventralis. "Before we knew what hit us, they killed a bunch of the scientists and some of my men. We were able to fall back to this area of the living spaces and hold a perimeter. We still have some supplies to last us."

"Anyone to tend to wounded?"

"There's a doctor downstairs for that."

Anders nodded. "Where are these things coming from, anyway?"

"The Hot Labs below us." Ventralis frowned. "Damned eggheads are responsible for this whole mess. Whatever they've got down there got loose. And they keep…"

Lucy felt the sense of danger in time. She turned as the clattering in the floor reached a crescendo and brought her weapon up. A number of the bugs started to emerge. She sensed mindless fear in them, an emptiness that spawned their terror and violence.

"Open fire!" Anders and Ventralis cried in unison. Weapons snapped into place and the bugs came under withering pulse and mass effect fire. One lunged through the killzone at them. Lucy raised a hand and sent the creature flying back toward the others, where the continuing fire ripped into it until it too lay still.

Once the shooting was over, Anders turned back to Ventralis. "I have a couple of squads of Marines on hand. Is there anything we can do to stop these things at the source?"

"Supposedly there's the neutron purge," said Ventralis. "Like a neutron bomb. It'll wipe out every living thing down in the labs. Tartakovsky, one of our project directors, has the codes to initiate it. But I'm not sending my people down there, Major, and you shouldn't either."

"A risk I'm willing to take," Anders said. He glanced toward Lucy, who was examining Ventralis carefully. "We should go down there and see if we can set off the purge."

Ventralis noticed Lucy's interest. It clearly disquieted him. "What is it?" he asked.

Lucy said nothing at first. When she spoke, it was with another question. "Where is Benezia?"

"Further in the lab. She's been in there for a while."

"We need to see her."

"You can wait if you want."

Something about the answer made Lucy feel something was off. A tinge off deception behind straight truth. She glanced toward Anders. Anders responded with a small frown. "Excuse me," he said to Ventralis before following Lucy well out of earshot. "What is it?"

"There's more to this," Lucy said. "I feel like he wants us to go to the Hot Labs. A reason he's not telling us."

"Even so, we can't focus on Benezia if these bugs are always behind us. They're our priority right now. If we wipe them out we get a free hand to face Benezia's forces with our full strength."

Lucy understood his reason. But she sensed something bad about this approach. Something would go wrong.

"Give me a minute," she said.

Anders responded with an impatient look, but said nothing.

Taking that as permission, Lucy walked back up to Ventralis. "Captain, a moment of your time."

"Lieutenant?" He looked at her. Lucy felt a tinge of uncertainty and hid a smile from it. Over the two years since the first contact between M4P2 and the Multiverse, the existence of the Order of Swenya and similar organizations certainly spread enough so corporate security officers might at least be familiar with their reputations and the idea of their existence. She felt skepticism and concern inside of that uncertainty.

"I have a question for you," she said calmly, hiding a grin. "Has Matriarch Benezia given you any orders about anyone following her down here?"

He gave her a blank look. "I operate under standing orders about anyone coming down here."

It was an evasion. Lucy responded by continuing, "So she hasn't, say, encouraged you to send us to the Hot Labs in the hope we get killed?" Sensing Ventralis' likely reaction, and the emotion behind it, she continued, "Or has she given any orders about the other survivors?"

"None ma'am."

It was a lie. Lucy sensed that deception immediately. It confirmed her suspicions. She looked back to Anders and matched eyes with him. Through his faceplate she could see his face was neutral. Irritated a little, but he was hiding it well.

She sensed the intent just in time. She brought her hand up as her finger hit the button on her lightsaber. It flashed alive with a snap-hiss. Her feet were pivoting as she whirled about, her robes whirling with her.

Ventralis screamed in shock as his hands fell away from his wrists, reduced to cauterized stumps. The weapon he was raising to shoot her in the back fell as well.

The armed ERCS guards raised their weapons to defend their commander. Lucy lifted a hand and pulled her arm back toward herself. One guard went flying, yelling in shock as he did, and moments later slammed into his ally. The Turian and Human fell in a pile together.

Ventralis looked up at her. He held up his stump-tipped arms as if he would try to grip her robe if he still had hands. "Witch!" he shouted, although Lucy could sense he'd intended a different first letter.

"Knight," she corrected. "I'm a Life Force Knight. And you're under orders to kill the scientists and get anyone from the Alliance or the Citadel killed if they show up. And don't bother lying because I'll know." She didn't glance back toward Anders. She didn't need to in order to know he was not very happy with her at the moment.

"Shepard," Ventralis finally hissed. "Or anyone from the _Aurora_. Benezia's orders. Please, it's… we're under contract."

"And that justifies killing innocent people?"

"Innocent? Like hell!" Ventralis spat. "Those damned scientists killed some of my people with their Goddamned bugs!"

"And so you're going to slaughter them." Lucy narrowed her eyes and frowned. "Yeah. An order from you? Don't lie, I can sense it."

Ventralis snarled in frustration and pain. "No. Other way. It's a dead man switch scenario. If I or my second-in-command don't send the order every half hour, the culling begins."

"How long until you send it again?"

"Ten… ten minutes."

"Your second in command?"

"Off-duty. Getting some sleep."

Lucy nodded. Beside her Anders' Marines were securing the other two guards. "Well, you're going to send the order to stand down the kill order permanently."

"You cut off my hands!" Ventralis wailed. "How am I supposed to use the comms?!"

"Oh please." Lucy rolled her eyes. "Your omnitool has voice activation, doesn't it? Maybe even neural activation. Use that to activate your comms."

Ventralis glared hate at her. He looked over to Anders, as if to plead for him to come to his aid. He was a fellow Marine, so to speak, could he take command over his subordinate navy puke with her witch powers and her energy blade and get her to back off?

"Do as the Lieutenant instructs, Captain, and I'll have my corpsman put your hands in bio-stasis fields," Anders said. "A surgeon can reattach them."

Ventralis sighed. "Open command comm," he said aloud. His omnitool activated. "Everyone, this is Captain Ventralis, stand down reserve order, authorization Bravo Zulu Zulu Kilo Echo. We have friendly reinforcements on site. I say again, stand down reserve order and maintain normal patrol."

One by one, there were check-ins from the others, confirming the stand down.

"We've still got to do something about the damn bugs," Ventralis insisted to them once the line closed.

"We are." Anders looked at Coleman. "Coleman, secure these people, and detach a squad to hold this position and keep watch. Where's our corpsman?"

"Here sir," chirped a young Alakin female.

"Get this man's hands into a bio-stasis field right away. Tend to him and his troops."

"Yes sir." The Alakin, her violet plumage and mottled blue skin visible through the faceplate of her helmet, moved forward to follow her orders.

"Now we're down to just one squad to face Benezia and whatever troops she's got with her," Anders pointed out to Lucy. "Not to mention those bugs in the Hot Labs. We have to deal with them first. If they hit with a big push…"

"I don't think so. They're too mindless for a swarm attack like that. Benezia should be our focus."

"She's been here a day, and we have people on the other end of the tram to keep her here, Lieutenant," Anders said. "She's not getting away."

"She's a powerful biotic with a team of them, and I've seen Asari commandos rip through SS _Panzergrenadiers_ like they were nothing," Lucy countered.

"Alliance Marines are _better_ than SS troops."

"Not that much better."

There was silence in the room. Anders and Lucy wouldn't look away from each other. Each was convinced they were right. That the other had the wrong priorities.

"What if Lieutenant Lucero, Ensign Talara, and I went to confront my mother?" Liara asked. "While you deal with the rachni in the Hot Labs?"

"With all due respect, Doctor, that's a foolhardy idea," Anders said. "Splitting our forces up allows for us to get defeated in detail. As it is I've only one squad left for the Hot Labs because Lieutenant Lucero acted to provoke Ventralis."

"If we'd come out of the Hot Labs alive, he'd have started the culling," Lucy replied. "I was saving lives."

"And acting without orders. I'll remind you, Lieutenant, _I'm_ in charge of this mission."

"That's the problem, then? I didn't give it away by consulting you first?" Lucy frowned. "Major, I'm not out to undermine you…"

"Funny thing to say, since you ignore my orders whenever we're on an op." Anders shook his head. "Whatever this life force stuff is, Lieutenant, it doesn't mean you do whatever you want when you want. I need to know what you're doing so I can act myself and keep my Marines alive."

"You must think pretty lowly of me, Major, to think I'll get your people killed," Lucy countered. "Your predecessor gave me more trust."

"Commander Kane's a good Marine, but I'm not him," Anders replied. "You want my trust? You've got to trust me too, including trusting my orders. Now, before we waste more time and let more of those bug things show up… we're off to the Hot Labs. _All_ of us. And that, Lieutenant, is a direct order. Will you or will you not follow it?"

Lucy took in a breath and focused on the Flow of Life. The quiet question _What will happen?_ passed through her and into the Flow. She felt herself briefly wander, searching for the answer to her question. If she defied Anders, would things be better? Worse? Was he right?

Much to her aggravation, this was one of those cases where the future was too nebulous to sense even an inkling of the better path. She had to rely solely on herself for the choice.

"Lieutenant?"

Lucy sighed. "Yes, sir," she said. "I'm ready when you are."

Lucy gave Anders credit. He didn't glory in it and he didn't rub it in. A slight sense of satisfaction was the only feeling he gave on his success in winning the argument by right of rank. "Fall out, Marines," he said, with everyone not remaining behind immediately heading for the lift.

* * *

Armed with nothing but their courage, wit, and the telepathic and life force powers of one of their number, the four ladies from the _Aurora_ waited patiently for the glass pane-covered lift to deposit them in the private offices leased to Synthetic Insights. "So, Meridina mind-whammies them, and if it doesn't work…"

"...we start punching and praying," Julia sighed, answering Angel's inquiry.

"You pray, I punch," was her reaction.

"I sense their minds above," Meridina said.

"Anyone have a good lie to make up?" asked Angel.

"We'll have to think of something on the fly." Julia's reply proved immediately true, as the lift came to a stop and the doors opened, admitting them to their destination. They walked ahead until a pair of armed guards moved to intercept them. "Halt," one said. "This office is off-limits by order of Administrator Anoleis."

Meridina stepped forward and waved a hand over them, a focusing gesture to help her goal. Using only her _swevyra_ \- not her telepathic powers - she pressed her will against theirs. "You have been relieved from duty. It is time to rest."

The guards looked at each other blanky. "We've been relieved," said the same guard. "Time for a break."

"Yeah."

And with that, the two guards walked past them to the lift.

"Scanners show nobody else here," Richmond said after consulting her omnitool. "We're clear for the moment."

"Let us continue," said Meridina. "We have little time."

* * *

One of the things Robert learned early into his "post-Facility" life was that plans never went quite according to plan.

Gunfire echoed from the walkways of the approaches to Saren's base. Ahead of them, and behind, Geth and Krogan were attempting to box Shepard's team in. Garrus was busy covering the rear, rising from cover and firing quick, lethal shots from his sniper rifle. Wrex was on the flank facing a shallow streambed, using his rifle for much the same purpose.

If they weren't so hard pressed Robert imagined Shepard would have already rocketed ahead on a trail of biotic light. Instead she was likewise engaging with an assault rifle, a semi-automatic Valkyrie model made specifically for N7 special forces Marines like Shepard. Unlike the Avenger rifle in Garrus' hands, this one sacrificed automatic rate of fire for accuracy.

Robert had a pulse pistol, as usual, and he was firing shots from it here and there. But right now he was relying on life force attacks. He felt the connection to the wider universe through the Flow of Life and used it to full effect, sending Krogan and Geth alike flying whenever one threatened Shepard with gunfire.

" _Commander, we've got aerial drones conducting airstrikes on our positions_ ," Ashley said over their tac-comms. " _They look like short-range models, not a lot of fuel. I'm thinking there's a fuel depot near you, if you can take it out…_ "

"I agree," Shepard said. Slivers of metal pinged off the cover over their heads. She glanced toward Robert. "I know you're trying to be careful, but they won't last long under air strikes."

"Yeah." He knew what Shepard meant. "Cover me."

Shepard nodded and leaned out of cover. Her gun thundered, two rapid pops in a row with each pull of the trigger. He heard a yell of pain from a Krogan. She'd scored a hit.

Now it was his turn.

Robert took in a breath and reached within himself. As he always did in these moments, he thought back to his training in the remote Gersallian monastery of Umintamil. _Mastrash_ Kilaba's face filled his mind, her quiet, bemused look whenever they had training exercises, her words about controlling the power of his being, of what the Gersallians called _swevyra_.

When he rolled out of cover, Robert let loose with the power in question. There was so much of it now, far beyond what he'd known when training with Meridina. It threatened to come loose from his grip. But he held on tightly and directed it forward, against the enemies ahead. He saw them in the Flow of Life, the artificial life of the Geth and the mindless programmed life of the Krogan, and he felt a revulsion in the Flow, pulsing from that sliver of cold death he'd felt within it after the attack on Adrana. As if the two were linked…

Not that it mattered right now. Right now he had to use this power to fight, and he did. He felt stone rip from the steep rock ridges carved by the ancient waters of Virmire over the eons, stone that at his will went flying into Geth to smash them. Solid force sent Krogan flying in defiance of their protective particle barriers. Without thinking his hand slipped to his belt and retrieved the cylindrical shape of Lucy's handiwork that hung there. His thumb found the activation trigger and an emerald blade surged from the weapon with an electronic snap and lingering hiss. His arm moved of its own volition and the blade struck incoming fire. A plasma burst from a Geth gun instead found a Krogan. The bullets of the Krogan weapons went flying off, chipping away sand and rock instead. And with every move of his left hand, energy surged from within him and another enemy was struck down.

Their fire relented. Now it was Shepard's turn. Her Valkyrie was exchanged for the Crusader shotgun, the same she'd used at Gamma Piratus. Dark blue light covered her and with a surge of dark matter she shot forward. She slammed into a large Geth platform, throwing it off-balance and disrupting its protective particle barrier, and fired her shotgun directly into what passed for its chin. The solid slug of the weapon ripped through metal flesh and wiring, nearly severing the flashlight head of the Geth. It fell over.

Shepard immediately pivoted. Dark matter gathered at her arm in the seconds before she threw the arm out. A shockwave of biotic power rippled along the ground and threw a pair of Geth from their cover. Robert reached up with his hand and pulled down, a gesture that focused his power and the straining control holding it to the task of ripping a large chunk of stone from the pale beige ridge above them. The stone crushed the two Geth platforms, which writhed under it like shattered insects until they grew still.

He felt the next shot coming a moment before it did and his new lightsaber intercepted it. The offending Krogan never had a chance to fire again. Shepard slammed into him with another biotic charge and blew his armored head open with her weapon.

Their attack served to break through the enemy line. With Wrex and Garrus holding the rear, they advanced to a circular platform near the edge of the base, nestled between the ridges. A series of tanks were present and drones were in the air around it, some latching on to refuel. A couple turned toward them. Weapons swiveled to lock on.

Shepard fired first, a miss due to the target drone making a quick evasion.

What it couldn't evade was Robert's abilities. He gripped the drone with invisible force and sent it flying into another drone and the attached tank. The impact severed the fuel line.

At that point Shepard fired again.

Even at the relative distance they were at, the resulting fireball baked their skin. Further explosions went off as the destruction rippled through the fueling area, rending drone and fuel tank alike, bursts of flame and smoke rising into the sky until the last blast faded into the flickering of the remaining flames.

"Aerial drone refueling site down," Shepard said into the tac-comm.

" _We can see the flames from here, Commander_." This time the reply was from Kirrahe. " _Thank you. We're still under heavy fire, but we've diverted many of their troops._ "

"Thanks. We're on our way to the target."

"Shepard, look at this."

At Garrus' request, she looked to the amber light of his omnitool displaying sensor data. "Life signs. Salarian?"

"Just ahead, in one of the buildings," Garrus said. "Probably some of Kirrahe's."

"If we can get them out, we will." Shepard raised her shotgun to a ready position. "Let's push on." She started moving at a brisk pace back toward Saren's main base. The others, without a word, fell in behind her.


	55. Episode 3-10-4 A Matter of Survival

The last of the Geth blocking the way to the cell blocks fell to the ground. Sparking came from the wounds in its silvery body, courtesy of Shepard's shotgun. "Clear!" she called out.

"Clear!" Garrus echoed, sweeping this rifle around.

Robert called the same next, followed by Wrex after he inspected one of Saren's Krogan with an angry eye. The dead Krogan had a burned hole through his head from Robert's weapon. Robert could sense this anger was not directed at him but at Saren.

They moved into the next room and headed down a ramp to a line of cells. There was movement in one. They stepped up and found five Salarians gathered in one, each in the field uniform of an STG member. One Salarian, with reddish coloring, stepped up to the particle barrier that held them in the cell. "Who are you?"

"Reinforcements." Shepard put a hand on the control panel beside the barrier. The barrier disappeared. "I'm Commander Shepard, a Spectre."

"Ah, yes, I have heard of you. Lieutenant Patak Wijas, STG 3rd Regiment."

"They took you alive?" Garrus asked. "What for?"

"Experimentation, I believe," Wijas replied. His eyes blinked. "At least six of our number have already been removed. None have returned."

"Right. We'll see if we can find them too."

"Thank you, Commander."

"You'd better get going," Robert said. "We're planning on setting off a nuke soon."

"I see."

"There are some dead Krogan and Geth in the storage chamber we left to get here, they still have intact firearms you can use to defend yourselves," Shepard explained. "Just in case you run into trouble on your way back to base."

"Understood, Commander. Good luck in finding my men, and again, thank you." Wijas looked back to the others. "Alright everyone, fall in!"

After the Salarians left, Shepard had an unmistakably pensive look on her face. "Experiments," she murmured. "What is Saren doing?"

"I bet we'll hate finding out" Garrus said.

"Either way, we press on." With that declaration from Shepard, they continued through the base.

* * *

The lift to the Hot Labs came to a stop. Lucy was the first out, the Marines behind her with Liara and Talara mixed in with them. "I sense them," Talara said. She looked pained. "Mindless with fear. Something's wrong, very wrong. There is no… _song_?"

"Probably a result of how they were created," Anders remarked. "Alright Marines, heads on a swivel. This is bug central."

"Sir yes sir!" was the echoed response.

The lift exit led them to what looked to be an observation room. Sealed exits led out of it to either side. Laying on the floor near a fallen chair was a Human male of fair complexion and, quite obviously, a missing left leg. He looked toward them when they came in and spoke with an accent. "You… you are not with ERCS."

"United Systems Marines," Anders answered. "Major Gabriel Anders, Commander of Marine Troops for the _Starship Aurora_."

"I am Yaroslev Tartakovsky, director of research for Binary Helix. I will not ask why it is you have come. The important thing is that we set off the neutron purge."

"Can we?"

"Yes. But I will need your help. My leg…" He gestured toward the stump.

Lucy looked it over. A tourniquet around the stump of thigh was preventing further bleeding. It was, regardless, not a pretty sight at at all. She winced at it, realizing the leg hadn't been sliced off so much as ripped off. And it certainly explained the pain she sensed in him.

"There is a VI terminal in the monitoring room behind me," he said. "We must access it and give the codes for the neutron purge. I will need help."

"Talara, Liara, can you help him up?"

The two stepped up and helped the man to his remaining foot. His face remained pale. "Hold on," Talara urged. "It won't be long."

As they walked into the next room, Lucy felt the attack coming. "Incoming Major!" she shouted.

"We're on it. Get that damn system going!" was the response.

Tartakovsky groaned as Liara and Talara guided him toward the control room. Lucy stood by the entrance and pulled her weapon from her belt.

When the Rachni came, it was through the floor grating. They spilled out and were immediately met with fire from the Marines. Insectoid screeches filled the air, cries of pain and fear and anger, and they kept coming.

One bug that got past the gunfire went for the door. Lucy intercepted it and slashed with her weapon. The blade passed cleanly through one of the long tentacles of the Rachni, slicing the clawed appendage free of the body. The Rachni screeched at its mutilation. The other claw came for her, aimed at her head. Lucy moved to the side to evade it and swung her weapon again, severing the other limb. She twirled the lightsaber and drove it into the Rachni's head, killing it instantly.

Most of the Rachni were not interested in the door, merely in the closest foe. They pressed the Marines on all sides. Their chance to overwhelm them was significantly reduced thanks to Anders' use of the heavy armor squad, and the flexible weapons built into their arms. Instead of a standard automatic rifle weapon, they swapped to a flamethrower. White-hot flames fanned out and burned Rachni until they retreated or, more often, collapsed in near-death.

With her back to the door, Lucy contributed to the fight with warnings and, increasingly, the use of her abilities. She sent Rachni threatening Marine flanks flying into each other and the walls, giving time for the Marines to mow them down.

She turned to see Liara and Talara return with Tartakovsky. He was sweating from how much pain he was in. And, she felt, from fear too. "The purge is set to go off in less than three minutes," he shouted. "We must go!"

"Time to go!" she shouted to the Marines in turn.

"Marines, fall back to the lift station!"

"I have unlocked the cargo lift," said Tartakovsky. "we have room for everyone."

Whether or not the Rachni knew what was about to happen, their attack didn't let up. To clear the way for the wounded, Lucy pushed her abilities to their limit. She reached through the Flow of Life, channeled it into herself, and as focus pushed her arms forward. Her energy resonated with that physical movement and flew outward. It took control to keep the energy from lashing out everywhere, focusing the burst entirely on the Rachni.

The force threw them into the walls of the control room and away from the Marines. They hit with enough force that most were injured simply from the impact.

Talara and Liara moved ahead, carrying Tartakovsky along as quickly as they could, heedless of his pained winces. Lucy followed behind them, arms spread, invisible force keeping the Rachni in place. The Marines poured fire into the new arrivals as they came up through the grate.

Once Talara and Liara were through the door with Tartakovsky, Lucy released the Rachni and ran ahead to join the Marines, forming a half circle around the entrance. One by one they withdrew, stepping backwards toward the door to keep their guns firing on Rachni. Lucy waited at the door and gathered her will for another wave. As soon as Anders came through she threw out another wave of force. Control for this one was unnecessary. The only thing it could hit was Rachni. Hit them it did, sending them flying into each other or the walls and windows, one even going through the far door. Once this breathing space was achieved Anders and Lucy retreated through the door. Lucy raised a hand and moved it to the side. Through her power she gripped the door and it moved in sympathy with her hand, closing shut.

"To the lifts, now!" Anders shouted.

"One hundred seconds until neutron purge!" Tartakovsky yelled.

At the lifts, everyone piled into the heavy cargo elevator. It shut behind Lucy and Anders. With Talara providing him support, Tartakovsky triggered the lift to rise. Nobody spoke until after they heard a muffled blast from below. Tartakovsky examined his omnitool readings. "The purge is complete," he said. "All Rachni life signs are gone."

"Excellent news." Anders looked him over. "We'll get you some medical attention in the barracks area."

"Can you explain what's going on here?" Lucy asked.

"Someone found a derelict Rachni vessel. Eggs aboard from Rachni Queen, one was in effective cryo-stasis," he explained. "We were going to clone it. Make specialized troops for environments hostile to Human life. But we found out the egg was for Rachni Queen. She hatched."

"Are you telling me there's a Rachni _Queen_ in this lab?!" Liara asked, horrified.

" _Da._ Yes. Rachni Queen on upper level. For Matriarch Benezia to examine."

"So what, you created eggs of normal drones from her DNA?"

"No. Rachni Queen is born pregnant. Like fuzzy creature from… what universe is it? S5T3? Little furball, goes 'coo'? Tribble. Rachni Queen like Tribble. She carries paternal DNA to make her first batches of eggs. Evolutionary adaptation."

"So just one Rachni Queen could conceivably restart the species," Talara said.

"Yes. We took her first generation of eggs, planned to program biologically into soldiers. Separated them from mother. This was a bad mistake. It is why they went berserk. They need mother early in life according to data."

"It explains the sense we get from them."

"This is all well and good, Lieutenant, but I'm more interested in Benezia," Anders said.

"Benezia is dangerous. Has war drones of some kind with her, and many trained Asari Commandos. They are guarding her now. If you fight her, you will be cornered and killed."

"How many ways are there into her lab? Where the Rachni Queen is?"

"Three," Tartakovsky replied. "Lower level maintenance entrance, main entrance off of barracks hall, and emergency exit near tram."

"The latter could be overridden with time," Lucy advised Anders. "But maybe too much time. Benezia has to know something's up now."

"Agreed," said Anders.

"And she may have more ERCS personnel with her commandos and Geth too."

"Also agreed."

Lucy nodded. "So what I was going to recommend is that you take the main entrance and pin down her troops. This will let Liara, Talara, and I go through the maintenance entrance. We can confront Benezia alone. Maybe even reason with her."

For a moment she thought Anders would refuse her, and they might have another fight. He was clearly calculating possibilities. As the lift began to slow and come to a stop, he finally nodded. "A good plan," he said. "That way she's pinned in too. Let me get my squads together and we'll get started."

Lucy nodded. "Be careful with the Commandos. Their biotics make them a major threat even to armored troops."

"We'll be careful," Anders assured her. They stepped out of the lift together. "Let's go get Mister Tartakovsky some medical attention and get this show on the road." 

* * *

The office of Lorik Qui'in was surprisingly well-kept for a place that had been searched for a hidden data disc. There was still something of a Spartan look to it, which - she supposed - fit Turian mentalities.

"Not much of a decorator," Richmond observed while examining a shelf.

Angel looked up from where she was scanning the wall. "I'm not finding any hidden safes or anything."

"That would be too obvious," Richmond said. "I would assume a more subtle method of hiding the evidence."

"That does seem to be the nature of this world." Meridina inspected the desk. "Everywhere we have been, I can sense the secrecy, the deception. This is a dangerous world."

Julia glanced back out the door. "It doesn't surprise me." She felt her mind wander back to her concerns about the Marines. How were things going in Peak 15? "Anything?"

Angel looked at what seemed to be a wall safe. "Too obvious?"

"Too obvious," Richmond agreed. She was already intent upon the holo-projector for the desk computer system. The others looked her way while she ran her hands over it. Her fingers seemed to find purchase on the base. With a determined look on her face Richmond pulled. The plate she was gripping came away, revealing the internal of the base. It was a small space. After Richmond put her hand in and pulled it out, her fingers were wrapped around a small circular object, barely two inches in circumference. She held her omnitool up to it. "Encryption. Very good encryption."

"That must be it," Julia said.

"I would say so." Richmond tapped at her omnitool. "I'm copying the data to our omnitools now. Each of us will have a piece. Just in case."

"A good idea Commander." Meridina looked relieved. "We need to go."

"Is something wrong?" Julia asked her.

"I sense something… nebulous in the Flow of Life," Meridina admitted. "It may simply be the nature of this world and the experiments conducted here. Or it may be something worse. Either way, I fear we may be in danger."

"Let's get this to Qui'in."

Richmond stuck the disc in her uniform trouser's pocket and the four walked out of the office. They followed the pathway to an area of communal tables and barely made it past the first before armed and armored figures rounded the stairs ahead. A blond Caucasian woman led them, a fierce look in her dark eyes. All were clad in the body armor of an ERCS guard. "I'm Sergeant Kaira Stirling, ERCS. And you are all under arrest."

"On what grounds?" Julia asked. "We have authorization to be here."

"Only Administrator Anoleis can authorize anyone to enter this office," Stirling responded. "And I know you don't have it. Now place your hands on your head…" She raised her pistol. "...and if you resist, I'll shoot every last one of you."

* * *

It wasn't hard for Shepard's team to follow the base's internal corridors to find the labs. They came around a corner and found the first chamber, a receiving chamber of sorts with a few pieces of examination hardware. Nearby a transparent door covered a cell with four Salarians inside. They were dressed the same as the last group.

But Robert felt something wrong that wasn't with the others.

"What do you want? I told you everything," one of them said, his voice strained. His dark eyes locked onto Shepard. "Wait. You're Alliance, aren't you? I knew someone would come. Someone would get us out. It told me nobody would come. It tried to break me. But I shut it out."

Robert glanced toward Shepard with undisguised worry. She noticed it but looked back to the Salarians. "You're with the 3rd Regiment?"

"Private Menos Avot of the 3rd Regiment STG, ma'am. Captured while on reconnaissance five days ago. Glad to help, ma'am." The Salarian's voice gained an angry tone. "Five days of nothing from these bastards. Just whispers and poking and cutting. I'd do anything to get out and give some payback."

"What did they do to you?" Garrus asked.

"Experiments. Testing. Seeing the effect of the whispering on my shortening temper!" The Salarian gripped his fists. "Whispering is loud, you know! And I can't take it anymore! I'd do anything to make it go away!"

"Something's not right about this," Wrex grumbled.

"Whatever Saren did to them, we can't just leave them," Garrus said. "Otherwise they're as good as dead."

Shepard nodded at their arguments. She looked to Robert next, to see if he had anything to add. For the moment, he didn't. He was too busy focusing on the Salarians' mental state. Most of them felt… empty. A chill came to him at the realization they were just as empty as the Krogan soldiers under Saren's authority. But Avot was different. There was something more in him, a subtle sense of wrongness. Something was twisting him. Breaking him.

The closer Robert examined them, the more he felt sick. There was a malicious influence on Avot and the others that Robert couldn't grasp, but he could see how it was corrupting Avot.

"This isn't just drugs or brainwashing," Robert said. "This is… this is more. It's a corruption of being. I can feel it twisting his mind. Corrupting what he is. Just as it destroyed the others."

"Are they a danger to us?"

Robert shrugged. "I...I don't think so. At least not now."

"Then I'm not leaving them to die." Shepard reached for the door control. "Not without giving them a shot." When the door opened she said, "Get out of here. This entire place will go up."

"Yes! Good! It will go boom, all boom, no more whispering! The whispers still aren't going away, they just want me to…" Avot shook his fists. "You! You can make the whispers go away! They whisper because you're here! If you're gone, they'll stop! The only way they'll stop is if you're dead!" Avto promptly charged at Shepard.

But he never got to her. Wrex blew a hole through the Salarian's chest with a single shot. Seeing the dead Salarian, the only thing Shepard could say was, "Damn."

"What about the rest?" Wrex asked.

"They're not going anywhere. The bomb will catch them." Shepard didn't seem happy. "Just what the hell is Saren doing here?!"

"Something that is inherently corrupting." Robert felt a chill in his very being. "Whatever it is, it's malevolent." He walked over to one of the work stations. A tap of a key brought up a screen. There was only one ongoing file he could read. "Indoctrination," he murmured. "It's some kind of effect that Saren's using on his followers. To keep them loyal."

"Like Shiala said." Shepard shook her head. "Let's keep going. I want to blow this place sky high." 

* * *

A cavern cut through the glacier acted as the maintenance access for the upper lab. Walking through it was an exercise in nerves for Lucy, Liara, and Talara. "Goddess, how many kilos of ice and stone are above our heads?" Liara wondered aloud.

"More than I am comfortable with," Talara admitted.

"I find your nervousness distracting," Lucy mumbled to them.

"Sorry, Lieutenant," replied Talara.

" _Group A to B, we have engaged, repeat, we have engaged_ ," Anders' voice said.

"Roger that, Major," Lucy replied. "At least this way we'll only be facing Benezia."

" _Good luck, Lieutenant._ " Before the channel cut, Lucy could make out the warping sound of a biotic field being generated. Anders was in for a tough fight.

For a moment she glanced back to Liara. She sensed the growing tension inside the Asari archaeologist and knew their fight would, in a way, be no less difficult. Especially for Liara. 

* * *

A firefight broke out as soon as Shepard's unit reached the labs. Geth and Krogan fought back hard. Wrex grunted from a bullet embedding itself in his arm while he moved to cover. Robert came to his assistance by projecting force into the offending Geth, sending it flying into the wall with enough energy to critically damage it. Wrex finished it off with a shotgun blast.

As usual, Shepard was in the thick of things. A biotic charge into range was followed by a shotgun blast to the throat that killed a Krogan. Her gun roared again, the slug coring the chest area of a Geth platform, and a biotic shockwave knocked the damaged platform over and threw one of the scientists against the wall. Another tried to shoot Shepard from behind only to get a bullet to his head for the trouble, courtesy of Garrus.

The firefight lasted ten seconds. When it was over, Robert quickly realized they weren't alone. He marched over, pulse pistol in hand, and directed it toward the cowering form of the last surviving scientist, an Asari. "Up," he said.

"Don't kill me. Look, I was a prisoner here too!" The Asari rose to her feet. "Saren hired me for a neurological analysis experiment and refused to let me leave!"

"Who are you?" Shepard asked.

"Doctor Rana Thanoptis," the woman replied. "I'm a neurospecialist. Saren tricked me into coming here and has me researching indoctrination."

"That was the file we found back with that Salarian," Garrus noted.

"Yes. The test subject. And not the first. Saren's been investigating it for months," Thanoptis said. "He's still exploring the limits and mechanisms of the effect."

"And yet he was able to use it on an Asari matriarch, among others," Shepard said.

"So you're saying Saren himself doesn't know the full extent of this capability?" Robert asked.

"No, not at all," Thanoptis answered. "Wherever he got it from, Saren still doesn't know the full extent of how it works. Honestly, I think he's more afraid of it than interested in its limits."

"So if he didn't develop it, where did he get it? That big superdreadnought he attacked Eden Prime with?"

In reply to Shepard, Thanoptis shrugged. "I'm not sure. My inquiries were always met with resistance. Saren kept things compartmentalized. I do know he's becoming more and more interested in the long-term effects of exposure. He's not been happy with our findings."

"It loses effect over time?" Shepard asked.

"No. Even worse. It settles. The brain is completely altered and the subject either turns mindless or goes mad. And it's not just research subjects. The researchers lose control over time. My own predecessor was my first test subject."

A very bad feeling started to fill Robert. But he said nothing for the moment, sensing Shepard's continued questions. Unfortunately, it proved Thanoptis knew nothing more of use.

More than that, Robert could feel that Thanoptis' feelings were entirely self-centered. She was worried about her mental health and whether she was indoctrinated. She didn't care for her victims, intentional or otherwise. Saren had hired the right person for this terrible job.

"Please let me go." Thanoptis' voice was full of terror. "I… I'll leave. I'll testify, whatever you want, but I don't want to die here. Here." She reached over and hit a key on the nearby desk, nearly getting shot by Wrex for her troubles. A sealed door on the other end opened and revealed a lift. "Up there is Saren's private lab. He keeps things down there none of us are allowed to see. Maybe you can find something? Saren's your enemy, not me!"

Robert examined Thanoptis more closely at that point. Was she just utterly amoral? Or was there a sliver of the indoctrination in her?

Shepard sighed and jerked her thumb. "Exit's that way, past the bodies. Run fast if you don't want to get hit by the nuke we're going to plant."

Relief flooded Thanoptis. "Thank you!" She ran in that direction. Robert felt her pleasure at living. Her desire to find a better job.

"Let's go," Shepard said. She stepped toward the lift opened by Thanoptis. Wrex moved next and Robert behind him.

He'd made it to the lift when he heard Garrus' rifle fire.

Shepard and Wrex looked to him and then to Garrus, who walked up with the rifle in his arms. "One of the Geth looked like it was moving," Garrus said. "So I made sure."

It was a lie. A thin one, one Garrus only said for form, and Robert could sense both his complete confidence in his choice and Shepard's resigned acceptance. "Good thing you spotted that, it might have caused us trouble," she said, accepting the lie that she clearly didn't believe.

Nobody said another word as the lift doors closed.

* * *

At the top of the lift was a two-level chamber. The top level held the entrance and a catwalk ending over the middle of the room, leaving open space. The lower level had stations of varying kind and an object wreathed in green light, including a hardlight control construct. Robert felt the surge of familiarity inside of Shepard and glanced in her direction. "What is it?"

"It's another beacon," she said. "Just like the one on Eden Prime."

Together the group walked down to the lower level. "It looks like Saren was investigating the beacon," Garrus said. "Like he was trying to understand more of it."

"Which still begs the question of what he wants with them," Robert noted. "And how they relate to the 'Conduit'."

Shepard stepped up to the beacon. "There's one way to find out." She set her hands on the controls. After several moments they faded.

The beacon lit up and Shepard froze in place. Robert felt her mind reel as the beacon fed information into it. He caught glimpses, just the barest ones, and sensed Shepard's mind putting the pieces into place. The Cipher, acquired from Shiala on Feros, gave her mind the foundation to comprehend what was in the beacon.

After several seconds the beacon's glow faded. Shepard slumped forward slightly and set a hand to her helmeted head. "What was that?" Wrex asked.

"The beacon. The entire message," she groaned. "It was a warning. About the Reapers. And more." Shepard shook her head. "I need time to process this." She stepped through them and toward the ramp leading back to the second level. They followed.

As they ascended the ramp Robert let out a gasp. There was something in the energy in this room, something wrong. A presence was forming that brimmed with raw malevolence.

As they neared the top, a form appeared at the end of the extended catwalk of the top level. A construct of red light with the shape of a sea creature, Shepard turned toward it and followed the path to approach the construct. "That can't be a good sign," said Wrex.

"I think we got someone's attention," Robert replied in a low tone.

From around them, a voice spoke with an electronic timbre. " _You are not Saren._ "

"It must be some kind of VI interface," Garrus said.

" _Rudimentary creatures of flesh and blood. You touch my mind, fumbling in ignorance, incapable of understanding._ " The voice made a shiver go up Robert's spine.

"Yeah, I don't think this is a VI," Wrex said.

The voice continued. " _There is a realm of existence so far beyond your own you cannot even imagine it. I am beyond your comprehension. I am Sovereign._ "

"Saren's ship," Shepard said. As she spoke Robert felt the same horrible realization in her that he felt. "It's not an old Reaper ship. It's an actual _Reaper_."

"Then all of Saren's tests on indoctrination, his experiments…"

"' _Reaper'? A label given by many races to give voice to their destruction._ " Sovereign's voice was laced with contempt. " _In the end, what any choose to call us is irrelevant. We simply are._ "

"You just expect us to believe you've existed for over fifty thousand years?" Wrex demanded.

" _Your expectations are beneath our concern. You are mere organic life, a mutation. An accident of nature. You live for mere years and decades, withering away until you die. We are eternal. The pinnacle of evolution and existence. Before us you are nothing. We are the end of everything._ " As the creature spoke Robert felt the chill in his spine travel up and down his body. This… this _thing_ was mechanical, a machine, and just the image of that machine projected through space for communications, but the Flow of Life seemed to be responding to its presence regardless. As if Sovereign by its very existence slowed the Flow of Life.

"And what is it you want?" Shepard asked. "Why did you destroy the Protheans? Or the Adranians?"

" _They were among the many who have fallen to the Cycle._ "

As Robert felt the cold spread dread through him, he heard Garrus ask, "What 'Cycle'?"

 _"The Cycle has repeated itself more times than you can fathom_ ," Sovereign replied. " _Organic civilizations rise, evolve, expand. And at the apex of their glory, they are extinguished. These civilizations you speak of did not create the Citadel. They did not forge the Mass Relays. These are the legacies of my kind, left for them to find._ "

"Why?" asked Shepard. "Why go to all of that trouble?"

" _To ensure your civilizations are based on the technology of the mass relays. Our technology. By using it, your civilization develops along the lines we require._ "

"You must not be too pleased with the Multiverse, then." Garrus eyed Robert, who remained silent. He noticed how deeply Robert's face was paling.

" _We have long been aware of the existence of the other universes. The deviations they present are irrelevant. Your kind has still advanced in the patterns we require._ "

"That still doesn't explain why," Robert said, swallowing as he did so. "Why you do this. What this cycle is for."

" _We impose order on the chaos of organic evolution. You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it._ "

As realization spread through the others, it hit Robert the hardest. He'd already felt that truth. The admission clicked into place, delivered with a tone of inhuman malevolence. "You're harvesting the sapient life of this galaxy," he said. "Your Cycle is about wiping out interstellar civilization whenever it advances to the level you want. The Adranians and Protheans realized this. That's why they called you Reapers."

As he spoke it all became clear. That cold streak within the Flow of Life in this galaxy… it was the equivalent of scar tissue around a wound. His dreams when near the Citadel, of constant slaughter, unending, that was from this scarring left on the Flow of Life, a wound that the Reapers were constantly re-opening whenever their cycles came to pass. It was no wonder he felt so sick just being in Sovereign's electronic presence. The Flow of Life sensed what Sovereign was. And it knew another slaughter was being prepared.

His thoughts began to wander to his discussions with Kilaba and Ledosh in Umintamil, about a guiding intelligence in the Flow of Life. His thoughts might have continued down that path if Sovereign hadn't resumed speaking. " _Your efforts to understand us are pitiable. My kind transcends your understanding. We are each a nation, independent, free of all weakness. You cannot even grasp the nature of our existence._ "

"Someone built you," Shepard said. "Who? Why would they make you do this?"

" _We have no beginning. We have no end. We are infinite. Millions of years from now, when your civilization has long been eradicated and forgotten, we will endure._ "

"Now you're just posturing," Shepard retorted. "If you think we're going to just let you destroy us, you're mistaken. We don't just have a galaxy behind us, but many more. A Multiverse of living beings who will fight you to the bitter end. Do you really think there's enough of you to fight all of us?"

" _We are legion_ ," answered Sovereign. " _The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom._ "

"You're not a god," Shepard countered. "You're a machine, as are the rest of your kind. And I don't care how powerful a machine you are, you can be broken. So we're going to stop you."

" _Your words are as empty as your future. I am the vanguard of your destruction. This exchange is over._ "

With that parting remark, Sovereign's image faded.

For Robert it was like closing a window open to arctic air. The chill in his being faded. He was still pale from the shock of feeling what Sovereign was, but at least it was gone. "Are you okay?" Shepard asked him.

"I will be," Robert answered. He momentarily detached his helmet and ran the comfortable material of the robe he was wearing over his forehead, sopping up sweat. "That thing… it's like the Flow of Life itself slows in its presence. Like it _knows_ what Sovereign is and is both angry and terrified of it. I… even now I can feel that sliver of cold in this galaxy's energy. The Reapers' cycles have left their mark on it."

"I've never understood this 'Flow of Life' thing you talk about," Garrus admitted, "but I can believe it. That thing sounded like it came out of a nightmare."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm with the Turian on that," Wrex added.

"Are you ready to go on?" Shepard asked Robert. "We need to…"

She was interrupted by a tone from their comms. "Normandy _to Shepard_ , _Commander, we've got a situation._ "

"Hit me, Joker."

" _That ship of Saren's? That thing just pulled a turn that would shear any of our ships in half. It's heading our way and fast. Whatever you're doing, you need to hurry._ "

"Roger that, Joker. We're on our way." Shepard pulled her hand from the side of her helmet. "On to the breeding facility. The reservoir should be just beyond it. Let's move, people!"

They rushed to the lift. 

* * *

Lucy felt the the life forms in the chamber ahead of them even before they came up on Talara's sensors. Overhead a bubbling beaker insignia signified this was a lab. She glanced briefly to Liara, who looked deceptively calm about the situation, before activating the door panel. A second panel existed beyond the first. Through the light gray doors they stepped into a room with an open center, a cylinder accessible on the second floor.

A voice was speaking, accented, stern and demanding. "You've never been a mother," the voice said. "Not truly. You have no idea of what…" The voice stopped.

Ahead of them, at the top of the stairs leading up to the second level, an Asari clad in black looked down. She wore an elaborate headpiece, also black; indeed, the only real color was the light blue of her face and the open chest area of the suit above her cleavage. It looked like she was dressed for death, either in mourning, or like a dealer in it.

"Mother." Liara stepped ahead of Lucy and Talara. "Mother, what are you doing?"

Benezia looked down at her daughter from the height of the second level. A brief register of shock was quickly pushed away. "Was this your plan, Human?" she asked, looking at Lucy. "Bring my daughter to manipulate me? It will not work."

"I asked to come," Liara insisted. She took a step toward her mother. "I had to see for myself. I… I _needed_ to. I needed to see what you'd become…!"

"I am what I need to be," Benezia insisted. "Saren has shown me the future if we do not act. His way is now mine. It is the only way we have to survive."

Lucy almost asked what she meant, but she stopped herself. This was not her conversation to have.

"But you're betraying everything you ever stood for!" Liara cried. "Everything you ever taught me!"

"You are one to speak of that given how often you refused to listen to me." Benezia's voice never lost its monotone sound, not a lifeless monotone, but one of incredible reserve. "Who do you think you are, Liara, to judge my choices? To judge _me_. I'm doing what's necessary for all of us to survive!"

"Survive what, Mother? The Reapers?"

"Their return is inevitable," Benezia said. "All we can do is ensure we survive it." She brought a hand up. Biotic power, a lot of it, gathered around her right arm. Lucy was stunned at the raw power she was sensing. She'd never felt such a powerful biotic before, not even Commander Shepard.

"Mother, don't!" Liara pleaded. Dark matter began to gather around her as well. "Please don't do this!"

"Your choice is simple, daughter," Benezia answered coldly. "Join me or fight me. _Choose_."

For all of the pain Lucy felt inside Liara at that point, she also sensed absolutely no hesitation. "Saren has to be stopped," Liara insisted. "Please, see reason!"

Benezia responded with an eruption of biotic energy that nearly sent them all flying. Liara and Lucy absorbed it with their powers, although not with ease.

And so the battle was on.

* * *

The last Krogan defending the breeding facility fell to Wrex's shotgun. He looked down at the fallen Krogan and then to the tubes around them. The look on his face was easily-read. This was what he was focused on, the possibilities of this place.

Robert glanced to Shepard. "If there are any recoverable biological samples in the tubes…"

Shepard nodded once in reply. "Wrex, if you can find anything with the cure, now's the time. The reservoir is straight ahead." That led to an uneasy look from Garrus that Shepard didn't react to.

"I won't be long," Wrex said. "Go ahead and get the nuke set up."

"Speaking of that." Shepard keyed her comm. "Shepard to Williams. We're almost to the rendezvous point. We've already taken care of one AA tower, what about your team?"

" _The Salarians are overriding the controls now. We'll get to the rendezvous point as soon as we're done._ "

"Good. We'll be waiting. Shepard out." Shepard turned to Robert. "The _Normandy_ is going to land on the other side of the door, but…"

"...nobody remains alone," Robert finished for her. "I'll stay with Wrex until he's done."

Shepard nodded and moved on to a large gate. Interfacing with the control caused it to open, revealing a water-covered area beyond where the _Normandy_ would be clear to land. Moments after they passed through the gate closed again.

By that point Wrex was already operating the controls for one of the breeding tubes. Machines moved the tube into place and opened it. His omnitool activated and, for a moment, he was intent on the scan results. "Nothing," he finally growled. The noise from another of the tubes drew his attention to Robert, who was repeating the process. "What are you doing?"

Robert gave him a bemused look. "Helping, obviously." He ran his omnitool over the interior. "The sooner we're done, the sooner we get back to Shepard."

Wrex closed the empty tube he was examining and moved over to the one Robert was scanning. He scanned it as well. Robert waited until he was done before remarking, "So you don't trust me."

"On something this important? I can't risk being wrong." Wrex recognized the negative result and lowered his arm. "Maybe if it was Shepard. _Maybe_."

"But not me."

"No." Wrex moved on to the next tube in line.

They heard an engine roar overhead. Robert glanced up long enough to see the _Normandy_ fly overhead, banking to come in for a landing. He immediately returned his attention to Wrex. "But you'll trust me to watch your back?" he asked.

"I'll trust that you won't let me get killed," Wrex said. Beside him the next tube moved into place. "That's different. That's just me. This is about the future of the Krogan."

"You're worried I'll lie and hide viable cure samples from you."

"Not as worried as I'd be with Williams or Vakarian," Wrex admitted. "You strike me as too honest. Which is odd given your new job. I've never known black ops operatives to be truthful."

"I'm not a black ops agent," Robert replied. "That's not what the Paladins are supposed to be about."

"If you think that, you've got a lot to learn." Wrex grunted at another blank result to a scan. He moved to the opposite tube in the other row. "I've been fighting wars for hundreds of years, Dale. A lot of them were nothing but secrets and lies, piled on top of each other until nobody knew what was true anymore. Your Alliance isn't going to change that."

"I'd like to see us try," Robert replied. "Especially since those same secrets and lies often cause wars in the first place."

"They also keep them from becoming bigger wars." Wrex had another negative result. He felt a pang of uncertainty, of fear. That all of his hopes would be for nothing…

Robert sensed that. He drew in a breath and quieted his mind, letting the instinctive feel of his life force guide his thoughts, his attention. "Fifth tube down to the right," he finally said.

Wrex looked at him for a moment before heading to the tube Robert specified. He operated it for several seconds before grunting in acknowledgement. He opened a section of machinery near the tube and pulled out a vial of fluid, mostly empty. "Krogan genetic material," he said. "According to my omnitool, anyway."

Robert walked up and scanned it with his own. "Mine says the same thing. Although you'll need to give it to an expert to confirm. Chakwas may be able to tell you."

"Chakwas… No." Wrex shook his head while securing the vial in his armor utility pouch. "I think I know someone I can trust."

"I could ask Leo…"

"They're not Alliance. Not entirely. And that's what I want," Wrex insisted. "I'll see to it myself."

Robert sighed. "I suppose… well, I can see why you're being cautious. But curing the genophage is just the first step for your people, Wrex, and trusting other species is going to have to be part of the process."

"You want me to trust the Turians and the Salarians with the future of my species?" Wrex's red eyes reflected old anger. "They know my people are dying out, and they've done nothing to help us."

"How would they? Anything they do will be treated with suspicion," Robert said. "You're clearly not trusting them, after all. You're not even trusting _me_ , and my friends helped you on Tira."

"Your Alliance is also allied with the Citadel. If the Council wants the genophage to stay, your people won't resist that."

"Maybe we'd try to talk them out of it," Robert said. "Encourage the Council to make new arrangements for Krogan. It wouldn't be easy, though. Someone among the Krogan would have to step up, give everyone an expectation that the Krogan wouldn't try to repeat the Rebellion if they were cured. Someone needs to be leading the Krogan toward something more than endless conflict and fighting." As he said those words Robert sensed a symmetry with Wrex. Thoughts in the old warrior's mind that matched what he was saying. With that in mind he continued, "The Krogan need a leader to show them a new way. Otherwise curing the genophage won't be enough to save them."

After several moments of silence Wrex grunted in acknowledgement. "A good point." He tromped past Robert. "We should get back to Shepard and the others."

No sooner did he speak that Shepard's voice came over the comms. " _Wrex, Robert, get back here on the double. The Salarians are pinned in and need backup, now._ "

"We're on our way," Robert replied, and the two ran to the door.

* * *

For a moment there was quiet in the Synthetic Insights office. The ERCS guards kept their weapons trained on Julia and her officers. With no weapons and no cover, their options were extremely limited.

Julia considered the possibility of accepting arrest. It would mean a diplomatic fiasco, but no blood was shed and the evidence against Anoleis would likely be exoneration in of itself.

That possibility died with the next thought. Anoleis had these people on his payroll. How many? Was Stirling one of them? If so, surrender likely meant getting shot anyway.

"Anoleis has been bribing your guards to help him shake down Qui'in," Julia said. "How do I know you're not one of them?"

"It doesn't matter if I am or not. It's none of your business. I'm here to take you into custody and whatever happens next is up to my bosses. Now hands on your heads, or we shoot. I'm not taking risks with you people."

 _Meridina, it's all up to you_ , thought Julia. She brought her hands up to put them on the back of her head. Angel and Richmond did likewise.

Meridina started to as well. As her hands came up to near the level of her shoulders she acted. " _Drop your weapons_ ," she said in a stern tone. The words were simply a verbalization of the mental command she sent to them with her telepathy, an order into their brains to loosen their grips on their weapons and drop them.

Stirling and her comrades did just that. They looked at their dropped weapons with stunned shock.

The other three all dashed forward, selecting a target. Richmond caught one guard with chop to the neck and a follow-up punch. Angel's opponent recovered enough to attempt a first blow. Angel blocked it with her left arm. Her right arm snapped forward in a punch that caught her opponent off-guard, flooring him. She moved to pin him.

This left Julia with Stirling. Julia struck first, throwing a punch that knocked Stirling backward. Stirling recovered enough to not fall. She was still unbalanced, though, and Julia took advantage of that with a snap kick that sent a tooth flying from her opponent's mouth while she toppled backward. Again she caught herself, so Julia moved in to try and put Stirling down.

This time her blow never connected. She barely had time to begin the movement of her next blow when dark blue energy gathered around Stirling's arm. Julia recognized it immediately, but had no time to react before the dark matter struck her. It was pure force, so much that it sent her flying back into the wall with bone-jarring power.

Stirling snarled and turned toward Angel and Richmond, who were now cooperating against the other remaining ERCS guard. She gathered biotic power into her hand.

She never got a chance to use it. Meridina's power, invisible by nature, slammed into Stirling. The dark matter wreathing her hand and forearm dissipated from the loss of focus. After she hit the ground she stood up, snarling in frustration and anger at Meridina. "You'll never leave here!" she shouted. "You've assaulted ERCS personnel, defied the Administrator…"

"You mean we've fought off an attempt to hide the Administrator's corruption," Julia replied hoarsely, picking herself up from the ground. "We know what he's been doing, Sergeant. You can't protect him."

"To hell with Anoleis. I'm not bending for you, for you and your alien freak with her mind powers," Stirling hissed. She gathered more biotic power and threw it in an instant.

Meridina held a hand up. A meter away from her the dark matter blew apart, as if striking a solid object. "Hatred clouds minds," she said in reply to Stirling. "I do not wish to hurt you. I…"

Julia watched as Meridina paled. She had no opportunity to ask what it was, as Stirling sensed the lapse and tossed another biotic bolt. Meridina didn't stop this one and it sent her flying upward into the air. A second bolt crashed into her and sent her flying against the wall beyond with even greater force. Meridina let out a cry of pain when she slammed into the wall and fell to the carpet. Julia felt a surge of panic at the way she flopped lifelessly, her eyes half-closed. As if she'd hit her head.

Stirling snarled with satisfaction before turning her attention to the others. There was a release of breath and the guard Angel and Richmond were tag-teaming went down, unconscious, to Richmond's chokehold. They turned in time to see Stirling's arm wreathed in dark matter. Both lunged.

Stirling threw out a biotic bolt that struck both. They hit the wall beside Julia and went down to the ground.

"Now, where were we?" Stirling asked. "Oh, right. You're all under arrest." She walked up to her discarded weapon and picked it up. "Although I'm of a mind to just finish this here." She lifted the rifle toward them. "Yeah, I think I'm going to just shoot the four of you for wasting my damn time."

"My crew will get to the bottom of this," Julia warned her.

"I doubt it. And it's not going to do you any good." Stirling raised the rifle at her. Julia glared defiantly, the only thing she could do in the moments she had left.

A pair of gloved hands grabbed the sides of Stirling's head. Surprise briefly flashed on her face before her head violently twisted to the right. An audible crack filled the air. The hands released her, allowing her body to fall lifelessly to the ground, her head turned at an unnatural angle.

Stirling's killer looked down at her briefly from behind his aviator's sunglasses. The accented man who send them to Qui'in looked up toward them, as if he'd just dealt with an annoying business matter, not a swift execution. "Captain," he said. "I see you ran into some trouble."

"You could say that." She stared at the killer, relieved at being alive, but wondering just what the hell she was dealing with. "Thank you. She was about to shoot us."

"I noticed." He shifted his head slightly. "Your Forceful officer dropped her guard. Puzzling. Sergeant Stirling was no match for her otherwise."

His words jolted Julia's attention to Meridina. She led the others over to her. Richmond knelt and did a scan with her omnitool. "I'm no medical expert, but I believe she's suffered a cranial injury. I can't tell you the severity."

"We need to get her back to the _Aurora_ ," Julia said. "Take her to the _Irrawaddy_ , I'll finish things up down here." She glanced toward their rescuer. He seemed to be deep in thought. "So what is going on? Who are you and what's your…"

"Shh." He raised a finger. "We're not alone."

"What do you…"

Before Julia could finish _something_ rushed in, too fast to be Human. To her amazement he moved just as quickly. There was the sound of flesh striking flesh, their new ally went flying off into Qui'in's office, and a new dark-clad figure was falling backward from them. It - he - rolled with it and wound up on his feet. He was a pale man, with skin more white in tone than even Richmond's porcelain complexion. Wiry in frame, but taller than any of those present. A snarl formed on his face. "What a prize," he rasped, in a voice that rasped so hoarsely it didn't sound like it could come from a Human.

"Holy crap," Julia heard Angel mutter. "It's like that…"

The attacker spoke again. "I thought only to follow the Black, but I have been gifted opportunity. Dawn-Bringers in my presence…"

Julia and Angel exchanged glances at that reference. "What do you want?" Julia asked the thing.

"Your deaths," rasped the being. And without another word, he sprang forward.


	56. Episode 3-10-5 A Matter of Survival

The pale humanoid went for Richmond first. Richmond's defensive stance saved her from the brunt of the first blow. She deflected the second with her forearms. A cry of pain accompanied her being thrown back by the blow until she slammed into the wall.

The being did not continue his attack on her. He seemed to sense Angel's incoming punch as she threw it. He grabbed her wrist and turned her arm painfully, eliciting a pained growl from Angel. His left arm came up and blocked a punch from Julia. When his leg snapped up and struck her, Julia felt like someone had smashed a sledgehammer against her ribs with enough force to crack them. She gave a short, strangled cry from the pain. This debilitated her long enough that the creature was able to block Angel's punch with her other arm. He used a knee block to stop her follow-up kick, all while maintaining his grip on Angel's right hand. There was a cracking sound and Angel's face paled slightly. Her hand limped a little from the broken wrist their attacker's grip inflicted.

 _He's so_ fast _,_ Julia thought. Her next move was a diving tackle. The grip of their attacker on Angel's wrist did not give way, so Angel was dragged with him as they all went to the floor. Julia felt a momentary surge of triumph at the tackle's success; wherever this thing's strength came from, it didn't come with mass. She could still potentially get leverage for a pin.

And then the creature's elbow smashed into her face, or more specifically, her cheek. She felt the bone fracture from the impact. Another inch over and her nose would have been completely smashed in. The strength of the blow dazed her enough that Julia lost the leverage she'd gained. Her opponent twisted out from under her and delivered a kick to Angel's shoulder that dislocated it. He regained his footing and twisted Angel's arm around, resisting her attempt to break free. With a look of triumph he completed the twist with an audible snap. Angel screamed.

Richmond was back on her feet and went for a tackle of her own, at his legs. She nearly knocked the man back down and forced him to let go of Angel for the moment. He responded by driving his elbows into Richmond's shoulders. She didn't let go with the first blow, but the second finally forced her to pull her arms back. Richmond had no chance to stop the next blow, a solid knee to her belly that hit with such force she crumbled to the floor.

Broken ribs and broken cheekbone aside, Julia jumped back in and swung at the pale man. With inhuman speed he caught her hand with his own and sneered. "You have spirit, Dawn-Bringer," the man rasped. "But you are not a Forceful nor a psion. You are mortal. You are _prey_." As he gloated Julia brought her other hand up, trying to land a punch, but he intercepted that fist too. The grip he had on her knuckles and fingers was _crushing_. She cried out as one of her knuckles finally broke under the strain. With desperation she tried to knee him between the legs, but he intercepted her knee with his own.

Suddenly he was pushing her away with enough force to launch her a foot into the air. She felt an impact behind her. When she landed, she realized Angel was underneath her.

Their attacker, pale face shining with smug triumph, raised his foot and prepared to bring it down on Richmond's skull.

There was a blur of movement. Suddenly their attacker was being slammed into the far wall. Standing over RIchmond now was their unnamed ally, the man with the sallow complexion, his eyes obscured under the aviator's Ray-Bans. He clenched a fist. "You shouldn't play with your food," he taunted.

The pale attacker hissed in anger. He charged the well-dressed man with hatred on his face. His blows were met with blocks and deflections. Julia and Angel watched with stunned silence at what seemed to be a martial arts duel in fast-forward mode. Within the space of a second it seemed two or three blows were exchanged between the two fighters, and the same in the next second, and the next. Punches and kicks in rapid motion, such that it wasn't clear which blows were landing and which weren't.

Given the stalemate, and their likely fate if their unnamed ally lost, Julia knew they had to act. She scrambled over to Sergeant Stirling's body and retrieved her sidearm. A quick check of her omnitool confirmed the weapon's ID software and her own internal software quickly linked with it and provided her access. Julia leveled the gun toward the two combatants and focused. They were moving so fast that she couldn't be sure she'd hit her target.

Then their ally stumbled backward from the fight. Whether or not he did it intentionally or not, Julia was not going to miss her opportunity. She pulled the trigger and heard the particular low thundercrack of a mass effect field instant-accelerating a sliver of metal to high velocity. She didn't bother waiting to see the effect of this on her foe. She pulled the trigger again. And again. And again. Dark blood erupted from the wounds she was inflicting. But with little visible effect.

But even little visible effect was something. Their foe seemed to relent just a bit, just a tiny bit, from his fight. Given the opening, their ally reached in and grabbed the creature's head. A loud snap filled the room and the attacker fell, his neck broken as Stirling's was.

Julia started to stand. "What was…?" Before she could finish, their ally pulled a glinting metal blade, almost a dagger instead of a knife, and plunged it into the pale figure's heart. "What… _why_ …?!"

"To make sure," said the finely-dressed man. "Eliminating blood flow is the only guaranteed way to kill a Pretender."

Julia's first thought was that he was referring to Jarod. It was Angel, now cradling her broken right arm with her left, who said, "It was like that damned thing on Corwin."

"Yes. I am aware of the attack on yourself and Commander Jarod several months ago. And that was a lesser assassin. This one was an older Pretender. Stronger, smarter. Mostly. They are arrogant as hell, though."

"I want an explanation," Julia said. "Who are you? What is your stake in this?"

"Business," said the man. "As for my name, you may call me Mister Black, if you must. I am the personal agent of one of the investors in Noveria sent to uphold my employer's business interests." He looked down and glowered at the corpse of the dead man. "And those interests include dealing with the corruption of Anoleis. That he has made you an enemy allowed for a mutually beneficial alliance between us."

Julia and Angel exchanged glances. There was more to this than they were being told. But the pain in her face and chest and left hand reminded Julia she had other concerns. "I need to get medical attention to my people," she said. "But we're going to make a scene if we take them to the _Irrawaddy_."

"Then do not." Black stepped over to the railing looking down on the first floor. Julia heard the lift doors open a moment later. She walked up in time to see Gianna Parasini enter. "Miss Parasini, we have people in need of medical attention and need for a clean-up unit. I am afraid there was an unexpected complication."

"I understand, Mister Black." Parasini looked to Julia. "It looks like you had quite the fight, Captain. I'm sorry it came to this. Give me a few minutes and I'll have a medical team here to treat your people. We have the finest medtech in the Multiverse available in our infirmary, so I assure you that you won't be needing a return to your ship to seek full treatment." With that she walked away.

Julia looked at him suspiciously. "Anoleis' secretary? You're working with her? Are you really trying to stop Anoleis?"

"Yes. Miss Parasini is also in an alliance of mutual benefit with myself and my employer. You have just helped her immensely. You _do_ have Qui'in's evidence, do you not?"

Julia knelt down by Richmond, whom Angel was scanning. "She's got internal bleeding and blunt force trauma to her internal organs," Angel said. "She needs help soon."

"It's on the way, apparently," Julia replied, still not very satisfied with what she was being told. She reached into Richmond's pocket and pulled out the M4P2verse OSD. "Here's the hard copy of the evidence," she said to Black. "We've already made partial copies on our omnitools."

"Good thinking, although not nearly as convincing as the hard copy. Give it to Qui'in when we leave here."

"He's working with you too? Another 'mutually beneficial' alliance?"

"Yes, quite." Black turned away from her and walked over to the fallen "Pretender". He picked it up and slung the corpse over his shoulder. "This thing's remains cannot be left for others to take in. I will go dispose of it. Miss Parasini and her medics should be here shortly. Cooperate and everything will be fine." With that said, he walked off toward the direction of the smaller offices.

"This entire thing is just… utterly screwed up." Angel grimaced. "And ugh. Fighting those things is ridiculous. They're not Human."

"Neither is Black." Julia watched him disappear around a corner. "Strange, isn't it?'

"What?"

"That he resembles it a little? I mean, not just the enhanced physical power, but wearing sunglasses in an interior location on an arctic planet? Didn't your rescuer on Corwin wear sunglasses?"

Angel considered the question for a moment, searching her memory. "Yeah," she answered. "She did."

"I want to find out more about Black," Julia said. "I get the feeling we're being used, and I'm not comfortable with that." Left unsaid was other questions. The way the Pretender had referred to them, for one, and how it made them think of that old Gersallian prophecy that caused so much trouble for them the prior year.

But those thoughts and questions had to wait, just as they did for the medical attention that would tend to them and their wounded comrades.

* * *

The exam room under the glacier of Peak 15 was alive with blue light. The blue light of Lucy's lightsaber. The darker blue, almost violet light of the biotics of Liara t'Soni and Matriarch Benezia. The light white-blue of the pulses from Talara's pistol.

Lucy's senses were alive with how powerful Benezia's biotics were. She could sense, through the Flow of Life, the twisting of space from the dark matter Benezia was generating. She brought her lightsaber down toward Benezia's dark matter-wreathed hands simply to be denied again by the dark matter field protecting Benezia. It took everything she had to absorb Benezia's retaliatory blast of biotic power, and even then she still skidded backward across the platform.

"Mother, stop it!" Liara's own biotics surged to life. A surge of raw kinetic force slammed into Benezia's defenses. But they still held. "Please! Saren's mad, you have to see that!"

"I have seen the light, his light. The light of our survival." Benezia's retort was followed by a fresh surge of dark matter. This expanded into a gravity singularity in mid-air. Lucy felt its pull down to the nerves in her body, the cells, and gritted her teeth to resist that pull.

Liara and Talara, as close as they were, could not. It drew them off their feet. Liara reached out and grabbed the handrail beside her, using that to hold herself away. Talara couldn't grab anything where she was, however, and was pulled toward the middle. The Falaen woman desperately tried to center herself as she spun helplessly in the middle of the air. She knew that she could use her new abilities to throw herself free. But the concentration that required was beyond her at the moment.

Lucy nearly went after Benezia again, but she knew just what the singularity was going to do in a few seconds. She could feel its power was building toward an explosion. So she held her lightsaber away and readied herself for what her senses told her was coming.

When the singularity finally ended with a burst of raw force, it sent Talara tumbling wildly in mid-air straight for a nasty collision with one of the chamber's support walls. Lucy reached for her with her power and grabbed Talara from mid-air. She pulled her back toward herself, and a much safer landing on the ground.

A sense of warning filled her. Even as she continued to direct Talara's return to the floor, Lucy focused her will, her power, before her. This caught the tremendous blast of power Benezia sent after her. Dark blue light crackled angrily against an invisible force shield powered by Lucy's life.

Generating both the protective field and the force drawing Talara told her was taxing on Lucy. It took a lot of power, a lot of her connection to the Flow of Life, to maintain. Benezia noted that strain and threw another biotic blast. It too failed to break Lucy's shield, but it increased the strain on her. Then there was another blast… and another…

...which Liara intercepted with her own biotic field. " _Please!_ " she pleaded. "Listen to yourself! You speak as if Saren were a prophet!"

"He is one, Liara. A prophet of what is coming." Benezia's voice was cold. "You should have joined us when you had the chance. That is why we came for you on Therum."

"You sent Geth after me, you mean!" Liara retorted. Beside her, Talara landed. Lucy stepped up, weapon again drawn. "You didn't come yourself! Why?!"

"Because I had other duties."

"More important than me?!"

"More important than _anything_ ," Benezia insisted. Dark matter accumulated around her. "If our galaxy is to survive, Saren must prevail. He _must, Liara!_ No other life is important compared to that!" Benezia was becoming wreathed in the dark matter, with power that Lucy and Talara sensed and knew to be a great danger. " _Not even yours!_ "

Lucy moved forward, lightsaber in hand, to strike. But it wasn't soon enough. A massive wave of dark matter poured over her, over Liara, over Talara. She gasped at the feeling it caused, as if something inside of her wanted to rip her in half bit by bit.

Then there was another wave, and all three went flying.

"I am sorry, Liara." Benezia's power continued to surge. "But you leave me no choice. If you will not serve Saren with me, you must die." 

* * *

For Ashley and the Salarians who survived, one sight among many would always come fresh to their minds when they thought of their desperate fight on Virmire. It was the sight of the _Normandy_ moving overhead, her engines a high pitched roar in the air. The cargo bay opened and from it Shepard and her team jumped onto the tower, firing as they descended. Robert moved ahead of them, the emerald blade of his lightsaber shining in his hand, deflecting plasma fire from the Geth while his free hand moved about, directing metaphysical force to slam Geth about the tower. Shepard shot forward in a streak of biotic fury and sent a heavy Geth biped flying backward toward the edge of the roof. Kaidan and Wrex directed their own biotic talents at it, and two bolts of dark matter struck the platform and sent it flying to a destructive crash in the jungle below.

Ashley, isolated with a wounded Salarian at one end of the tower, looked up from her cover and opened fire on her opponents. A Geth collapsed in a shower of sparks from all of the damage her gun inflicted. She brought her rifle over to bear on another Geth just as it opened fire on her. Her personal barrier absorbed the first shots that struck her. Her weapon fired in retort.

But it was the blast from behind the Geth that brought it down. Tali moved up to join her in cover, firing her shotgun at a third Geth coming at Ashley's blind side. Across the roof Garrus rushed ahead to shelter behind an air cooling unit. He peered out of his protective cover long enough to fire off a shot with his sniper rifle that shattered the light of a Geth's head.

"Get to the _Normandy_!" Shepard shouted. "Move! Move!"

"All units, fall in!" Kirrahe's order filled the comm line. Across the wide roof Salarian survivors started a cautious, then a not-so-cautious, advance on the _Normandy_ 's open cargo bay door. Kirrahe helped a wounded compatriot along toward the ship. "Commander, thank you, your timing was most impeccable. But what about the bomb?"

Shepard gestured to the bay. A couple of _Normandy_ crew in gray combat armor were already carrying the bomb out. "We're setting it here and now. It'll still destroy the base completely."

"I see. Excellent adaptation to the situation, Commander. I…"

"Get down!" Shepard saw the Geth unit direct its attention toward them a moment too late, regardless of her warning. She grabbed Kirrahe, knowing they'd never drop in time…

And then Wrex slammed into the Geth, throwing its aim off, and the plasma fire that resulted played against the _Normandy_ 's hull with little visible effect. Wrex's shotgun boomed. Sparks and metal flew from the wound the shot caused in the big Geth unit. Before it could turn its attention to Wrex Robert moved in. There was a flash of green light and the Geth's forearms and hands fell away, along with its weapon. Wrex fired again, a blast that smashed the Geth's head and brought it down.

"Get your people aboard _now!_ " Shepard shouted. Wordlessly Kirrahe obeyed.

Everyone fell back on the _Normandy_ cargo bay, the uninjured providing cover fire for the wounded. Robert and the biotics provided further cover with their abilities, projecting fields and, in Robert's case, reflecting fire with his weapon. Return fire attrited the Geth forces down. Behind them the last Salarians boarded, with Shepard's team following and helping to secure the wounded. Shepard and Robert backed toward the cargo bay door to be the last to board.

From above there was a bright flaring of light. " _We're under fire from the Geth ships in orbit!_ " Joker reported over the comm line. " _Barriers holding, but not for much longer! We'd better amscray_!"

"We're almost done." Shepard turned her head to Kaidan and nodded. "Set the bomb."

Kaidan's omnitool lit up. "One minute count, starting now."

"Good, now get back aboard. We're getting out of here."

Robert felt the surge of despair and hopelessness. He realized the source and dashed ahead, leaving Shepard behind. "We've left someone!" he shouted.

"Get back here, we don't have time…!" Shepard demanded.

Robert heard the order, but he felt he didn't have far to go. He found the source of the feeling behind cover at the edge of the roof. A wounded Salarian soldier, of white and rust-coloring, looked up at him with big, desperate black eyes. "Help me," he cried. Green blood was seeping from a wound in the Salarian's shoulder and more on each legs. "I can't move."

"I've got you." Robert knelt down and got his shoulder and neck under the Salarian's armpit. "Here we go!" The Salarian cried in pain as he lifted the soldier up. Robert felt that pain vaguely but ignored the sensation. Better pain than getting vaporized. He turned to carry the soldier to the _Normandy_.

Shepard tackled both a moment later, and in doing so, she saved their lives.

A mere half-second after she carried the two forward, a ripple of weapons fire ripped through the air in the space they had been occupying. Overhead a motor whine was barely perceptible over the continued high roar of the _Normandy_ 's station-keeping engines. A gray platform soared overhead and moved downward.

Robert and Shepard stood up in time to see the gray-clad figure on the platform.

Saren.

The platform soared over to the bomb. Robert sensed what Saren was about to do and lashed out with a blast of force, wild and powerful. Saren generated a field of dark matter that absorbed the hit, barely, while the same force wreathed around his arm. In a single sweep he threw it outward.

But not toward them.

In a burst of dark blue light, the nuclear device that Tali and Kaidan had assembled so carefully was torn apart, leaving it nothing but a pile of fissile material and debris; utterly harmless.

"The moment my forces faced the STG, I knew you'd come, Shepard." Saren moved his platform across the roof and faced them. Dark matter glowed around his arms. "My Geth were convinced the Salarians were the greater threat, but I knew better. I couldn't obviously say so in front of the Council, but I actually respect you for your performance on Elysium and Akuze. You've proven yourself a survivor, Shepard. So you, of all people, should appreciate my efforts."

"You've sold out the galaxy to a Reaper, Saren!" Shepard retorted from cover. She had her gun up and ready. Robert's hand gripped his lightsaber.

Above them there was another burst of weapons fire. " _Commander, our barriers are failing!_ " shouted Joker. " _We need to move_ now."

"Joker, get the _Normandy_ flying again, come back for us when we're done," Shepard ordered. "Take off _now_."

" _But we're still…_ "

Ashley's protest went unheeded. The _Normandy_ 's cargo bay door closed before she or any of the other team members could disembark, leaving Shepard, Robert, and the unfortunate wounded Salarian they'd nearly left behind The ship lifted in the air and flew away even as another shot played against its failing protective field.

"There is no stopping the Reapers, Shepard," Saren said. "You've seen the visions. You must understand that. The Protheans tried to fight back and were annihilated. I will not make the same mistake. I will serve. So I cannot let you continue to disrupt my plans."

"You really think the Reapers will let us live? We spoke to Sovereign, Saren! That thing doesn't care about you, it doesn't care about any of us! It's using you as a tool!"

"I know about the indoctrination. That is why this place is so important to me," Saren replied. "It will provide the means to protect me."

"Can any of us be protected?" Robert asked. "From something as insidious as that?" He peeked around the corner of their cover to see Saren keeping his distance, still standing on his platform. "We saw the subjects, Saren."

"You don't even understand it yourself, what makes you think you can protect yourself from it?" Shepard's voice was thick with disbelief. "Why would Sovereign even let you?"

"I've studied the effects for years," Saren replied. "The more control exerted by Sovereign, the less capable the subject. That is my saving grace. He needs me to be fully capable, not a puppet."

Shepard shook her head. "Why? What's so special about you that Sovereign won't indoctrinate you?"

"Sovereign needs me to find the Conduit. If I succeed, I will win reprieve from the inevitable. This is my, this is _our_ , only hope!"

"It's a fool's hope," Shepard spat. "You can't trust that thing! We're just tools to it! Nothing more!"

"Listen to us," Robert pleaded. "I can sense what Sovereign truly is, Saren. It's malicious, contemptful of life… it has no reason to give you any promises or to keep them, and it _won't_. Our only hope is to _fight these things_."

"And we can do it, together!" Shepard urged. "Come back with me to the Council. Admit to them what you've found out, what Sovereign is. We can defeat it together!"

"You _are not listening_ ," raged Saren. "This is why I didn't go to the Council! We organics, we don't approach things logically, we follow emotions! We'll fight even when there's no hope in it, no chance to succeed! Our only hope is to _serve!_ Otherwise the Reapers will destroy us!"

As he raved Robert quieted his mind and focused on his being. His energy and the Flow of Life met. It was growing cold and dark from the approach of Sovereign. He shook off that feeling of dread the Reaper was causing him and focused on what he felt from Saren. Certainty flooded that connection, a certainty born from being convinced his way was the only way, that he was right, everyone else wrong. Frustration tinged it. Even with the nuke destroyed, the attack on his base had caused major damage to his efforts and distracted him from his pursuit of his objective. The Conduit dominated that thought. It was the key to everything. He had to find it.

It was when Robert probed deeper that he felt it. Beneath Saren's certainty was… _fear_. Fear of losing himself. Fear that he was _wrong_. That Sovereign was controlling him, that Sovereign was lying to him, that he and the galaxy he'd sworn to defend were _doomed_. That he could do _nothing_ to save them from the inevitable destruction of the Reapers.

There was an instinctive resistance to this inside of Saren. He didn't like these thoughts. He didn't want them. They were unwelcome, they interfered with his purpose, they…

...they were _right_.

It was barely perceptible to Robert, such that he nearly missed it. The twisting of purpose. The sliver of corruption, smaller, more subtle, than that he'd felt in Avot and the other indoctrinated Salarians. But it was there.

"I sense it in you, Saren," Robert called out. "I can feel it inside of your being, your mind. Sovereign's twisting your thoughts to his needs. It's too late for you to stop it. It's got you."

"No!" insisted Saren. "You're wrong!"

"When you were on the _Aurora_ last year, I sensed there was something off about you, but I didn't have the ability then to understand what I was sensing. I couldn't have known." Robert rose from his place and stepped around it. Shepard eyed him warily while rising, her weapon at the ready. "But I know it now. It's buried inside of you, like a cancer on your spirit. Making you think Sovereign is right. That this is your only hope. Twisting all of your thoughts…"

"You don't know that."

"Deep down you know it already," Robert continued. "I can feel the fear inside of you, just as much as I feel that corruption in your being. You know Sovereign's using you. You just won't accept it."

"You are the ones who won't accept the truth! That we cannot fight the Reapers!" At that, the hovering platform rushed toward them again. Robert and Commander Shepard dove for cover just as Saren's bolts of dark matter flew for them. The attack barely missed them, dispersing against the solid cover they were employing.

"This resistance is pointless!" Saren declared. "If we do not serve, the Reapers will destroy us all!"

"This is insanity, Saren!" Shepard shouted.

"No," he answered coldly. "This is survival." 

* * *

Since the contact with M4P2 opened up, stories about Asari Matriarchs had begun a silent spread across the Multiverse. Their great age and wisdom, their practiced grace and poise, their sheer capacity for handling the tumult of the e-democracies that governed the Asari Republics, these were the primary focus of such stories.

But there were a few about their power. How the centuries of learning and exercise had turned them into biotic powerhouses capable of immense feats of biotic strength, up until the time their bodies' aging process finally overcame their strength.

Lucy now reflected those stories didn't do justice to the facts. Or at least the facts regarding Benezia.

Biotic energy glowed so brightly around her to nearly become white. With a wave of her hand Benezia sent dark matter bolts that it took much of Lucy's strength to disperse. Liara strugged equally to resist her mother's power. Openings came, at least for Lucy, but they did her little good. For every attempted blow, her lightsaber met dark matter so concentrated that it couldn't break through. With repeated strikes she might succeed, but Benezia inevitably sent her flying or falling backward with a biotic strike.

Talara was having the worst time of it. She squeezed off shots where she was able, but they met the biotic field around Benezia with no better result that Lucy's weapon.

Undaunted, Lucy went after Benezia again. This time she started off by willing Benezia herself fall backward. Her power bypassed Benezia's shield in that respect. But the impact - against the support frame beside the Rachni Queen - could not break the dark matter field protecting Benezia's body. When Lucy rushed in and brought her lightsaber down on Benezia's shoulder, the field caught the blow. Benezia's arm came up and dark matter shot out at Lucy. With concentration she stopped the dark matter from striking her, causing it to crackle and dissipate before her. Another bolt from Benezia had the same effect. She focused on Lucy while ignoring the shots from Talara's pulse pistol with contempt.

Liara was not so easily ignored. She recognized an opening and took it… by charging her mother with her own biotic field gathered around her. She didn't let go of it until she was in literal point blank range, after which she forced it forward in a single burst of biotic power.

For the first time, a direct attack caused Benezia to stumble. She fell backward again, this time genuinely affected by an attack. The older Asari hissed inarticulately when she slammed into the pod containing the Rachni Queen. The hiss turned into a howl, after which dark matter surged from her and struck Liara. The blow caught Liara before she could recover from the effort of her attack. The dark matter enveloped her, a warp field that felt like it was trying to tear her apart. She cried out in pain and fell back for the moment.

Lucy thought she had an opening. There was a weakness in the field, or so her senses told her, and she struck at it with her lightsaber. But the bright light of the gathered dark matter surged back into place the second before her blade hit home and again the weapon was thwarted. Benezia snarled and summoned more of her power, a near stream of dark matter that seemed to be almost alive in its eagerness to tear Lucy apart. Lucy's face froze in an expression of pure effort. Everything she had went into the energy she needed to hold Benezia back.

Talara, kneeling at the wall she'd been batted against earlier in the fight, continued to fire without effect. Her eyes widened as the sheer energy in the room hit her senses. She remembered the feeling of energy when the _Castle of Lions_ was drawing from both Princess Allura and Lucy, but this… this seemed even greater. Everything seemed to twist from the sheer power of Benezia's biotics and the dark matter it was generating. She never imagined biotics might be this powerful. And her pistol, now low on charges, was doing nothing.

With a deep breath Talara holstered the weapon and focused on her own power. Weeks of training with Lucy had taught her basic fundamentals of control and focus. She knew she couldn't hope to match what Lucy was managing, but if she could help _distract_ Benezia… then maybe Lucy could overpower her. Maybe… With a grunt of effort Talara reached with the life energy within her, willing the universe to throw Benezia back.

And Benezia did indeed fall partly backward, as if knocked off-balance. Her attack on Lucy slackened slightly. Lucy, with determination glistening in her blue eyes, advanced on the Asari Matriarch, dark matter crackling around the empty air a step ahead of her, drawing closer and closer with each step. Talara desperately maintained her own attack on Benezia to try and contain her.

A cry of rage came from Benezia. For the second time a powerful burst of biotic power lashed out in a wave. Talara was thrown back into the wall by the impact. Lucy's defenses nearly fell, forcing her onto her back foot and off-balance. She redoubled her efforts, groaning with effort as she did.

Liara picked herself up from the ground. The dissipation of the warp field didn't bring an end to the pain. She felt terrible and, from teaching and experience, could expect possible microhemorrhages in her body from the warp field's effects. She looked to Talara, dazed and trying to stand back up, and to a desperate Lucy fighting her mother's power, and knew she had to act. Biotic power surged around her and she prepared to…

Liara stopped when Benezia's head turned toward her. There was a glint in her mother's eye at complete odds with her circumstances. Liara noticed her mother's biotic field seem to weaken at the section facing her. Presumably fatigue…

But that look in her eye…

And then she heard Benezia's voice speak, without a hint of the cold tone she'd used before. "I am proud of you, Liara."

"Doctor, a little help?!" Lucy called out, her voice strained from effort.

Liara's face betrayed her frustration with the situation, and her knowledge that regardless of anything she wanted… she did indeed have to act. And so she did, gathering dark matter and throwing it out in the strongest bolt she could create. The dark blue blast took barely a half-second to reach her mother. When it struck Benezia's defenses, the pure force behind the attack broke through the field of dark matter and impacted Benezia directly. There was a cry of surprise and pain at the force of the impact. It threw Benezia off her feet and into the air. She flew until she hit the handrail of the elevated platform. She flipped over it and fell to the platform below.

"Mother!" Liara ran to the railing. She looked down to see her mother sprawled out. She was not moving. Liara ignored Lucy's call of "Liara, wait!" and jumped over the railing. She concentrated dark matter sufficient to slow her fall and let her land on her feet beside her mother. "Mother, I'm here!" She bent down next to her. WIth a movement her omnitool came to life, amber light that she used to scan her mother. "Goddess _no_ ," she breathed at seeing the extent of her mother's injuries. The holographic image showed the blood seeping through what looked like multiple burst blood vessels in Benezia's brain, not to mention other damage.

"So proud of you, Little Wing," Benezia's voice said softly. "So proud…"

And she did not speak again.

A last exhalation of air came from Benezia's open mouth. Liara's scans told her the bitter truth, but she defied it for the moment, instead grabbing a medi-gel dispenser and pressing it to her mother. "No!" she cried. "Mother, please, _no_."

Above them, Lucy was helping Talara stand up. Both felt the same thing. They walked over to the railing and looked down. "Doctor… Liara… I'm sorry," Lucy said, even though she knew from her own bitter experience that _nothing_ said could ease the pain of what just happened.

Liara's hands reached for Benezia and took her face. "I didn't mean it," Liara wept. Her tears fell from her face and onto her mother. "I didn't want this. _Why?_ " With the expected lack of a reply, Liara pulled her mother into her arms and wept bitterly.

With discomfort written over her face, Talara looked to her teacher. The lavender of her irises reflected the pain they both sensed from Liara. "What shall we do?"

"There's nothing we can do." In sympathy with Liara's new pain, an old wound in Lucy's heart flared up. She felt that familiar hollowness, first experienced the day Isabela Lucero breathed her last. "Your parents are still alive, right?"

"Yes," Talara said.

"Good. I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone." 

* * *

The air filled with biotic power and again Saren's bolts of force descended upon Robert and Shepard. They projected their own defenses to absorb the attack, requiring effort. Frustrated, Saren flew on to come in for another attack.

" _Commander, we're staying just a step ahead of these guys_ ," Joker said over their comms. " _I can't get an opening to swing in and pick you up. And that big ship is getting closer…_ "

"Do not engage Sovereign, Joker!" Shepard shouted. "Retreat from Virmire if you have to!"

" _But what about…_ "

"That is a _direct order_ , Lieutenant Moreau," Shepard insisted. "Keep the ship safe! Shepard out!"

"When Sovereign arrives, you will understand the futility of this," Saren declared. He flew in toward them. Shepard fired off a few shots that Saren absorbed with a charged biotic field. "You will see I am right!"

They ignored Saren. "It'd be a good time for you to use all of those powers you've got," Shepard said to Robert.

"He's got us running so much I'm not sure I can control them enough," he replied.

Another bolt of biotic energy lashed out at them. Robert projected force ahead of them to disperse it. Shepard fired off another few rounds that had no effect. "Well, we have to do something. What about that platform? If you can knock him off…"

It was a good idea, and it ignored Saren's biotic barrier. But it wouldn't be easy. "I need a moment," he said.

Saren came in for another attack run. Shepard met his dark matter bolts with a barrier of her own that dispersed it. As she did, Robert reached out with his power. Force gripped Saren's platform. Slightly more force than Robert had intended, but that helped do the job, sending the platform flying upward and twisting violently, throwing Saren off.

Whether Saren saw it coming or not, he acted quickly in adjusting. In the seconds he had before he'd fall below the level of the roof, Saren channeled biotic power until he, like Shepard often did, shot forward on a trail of biotic force. He landed closely enough to throw them both off balance with the resulting biotic shockwave.

Shepard regained her footing quickly and raised her shotgun. The solid slugs it fired failed to break through Saren's biotic field. With his attention directed to Shepard, Robert attempted a direct attack with his lightsaber, aiming to remove Saren's arm. He found, quickly, that his green blade could not break the dark matter gathered around Saren. Saren threw an arm out at him and hit Robert with a biotic shot. The blow hit him hard, hard enough that he felt the impact through his armor. He went flying back toward the end of the roof. Instinct took over. He dropped the lightsaber and let it roll away so he could grip the edge with both hands. It strained his shoulders, but it kept him from flying off completely.

Saren grabbed Shepard by the neck and lifted her above his head. She struggled to breathe while reaching for his arm to try and break loose, even as his grip tightened. Robert sensed desperation and instinctive panic build up in Shepard as she tried to break free.

Robert pulled himself back up onto the roof and, motivated by his fear for Shepard, threw out a bolt of force.

It was a mistake. He threw the power out so swiftly that he failed to control it. Instead of a directed blow that would have hit just Saren, a wave of wild kinetic force struck both Shepard and Saren. They went flying through the air…

...and toward the other edge of the roof.

Robert immediately recognized his error. Cursing himself for not thinking his action through, he was already in motion when Shepard and Saren went over the side. Energy from his being filled his body and moved him beyond normal Human speed. He reached the other end of the roof in time to see Shepard spinning down toward the rocks and water below. His arms shot out and his power with it, gripping Shepard in mid-air. She looked back up at him, bewilderment and fear giving way to realization and profound irritation, while Robert pulled her back toward him. "What the _hell_ was that?!" Shepard demanded as soon as her feet reached the ground.

"I'm sorry," was all Robert managed.

"You nearly _killed_ me, dammit. If you can't control these powers you shouldn't…" Shepard stopped herself. "Where is Saren?"

They looked about. Saren was gone. "I don't suppose it was that easy?" she asked.

Robert shook his head. He felt out with his senses. He didn't feel Saren nearby, but he was certain he didn't feel death either. Not a fresh one. "He's gone." With a moment of insight Robert checked his omnitool. "A transport signature. It looks like he's beamed away."

"Damn." Shepard shook her head. She triggered her comms. "Shepard to _Normandy_. Saren's gone. We need extraction."

* * *

Shepard's request for extraction filled the cockpit area of the _Normandy_ , where Joker was busy keeping the _Normandy_ moving in sub-orbit. The flashes of Geth weapon fire filled space around them. Above them, in orbit, several Geth cruisers and lighter ships were firing down at them. "I'm a bit busy, Commander," Joker replied.

Beside him, Kaidan was working on his station. "This thing's not built to shoot at anything not ahead of it, Joker. I can't get a torpedo lock unless you give me an attack run."

"Any attack run and whoever we shoot at, their buddies pick us off," Joker retorted.

Far behind him, at the command station, Pressly overheard their argument over the ship's internal comms and asked, "What about our barriers? Can they hold long enough for us to make a pick up?"

From engineering, Engineer Adams replied, " _I'm not sure. We took a few hits during the evac. I might be able to keep enough power going to them for five, maybe ten seconds of intense fire_."

"Joker, bring us in," said Pressly. "We're not leaving anyone behind." 

* * *

Robert picked his lightsaber up while Shepard helped the wounded Salarian over to his location. Joker's voice came over the line. " _This has to be quick, Commander. The Geth have a visual and hard lock on us, if we stop for more than ten seconds our barriers won't hold off their fire_."

"Understood." Shepard brought the Salarian toward the same edge of the roof where _Normandy_ had previously hovered. "Give me a mark."

" _Sixty seconds, starting now_."

"I just hope we have it," Robert muttered.

Shepard almost asked why, but stopped when the first Geth platform slammed into the roof, a heavy model. "Damn." She raised her shotgun. The solid slug met a particle barrier, degrading it but not breaking it. She fired again and again.

The Geth was already returning fire, but Robert intercepted the shots with his weapon. Whatever his relative lack of skill with the weapon compared to Meridina or Lucy, the energy within him took over his arms and used the weapon's defensive capability with the same speed and efficiency as they would, sending plasma fire back at the Geth and, now, the other Geth landing behind it.

Shepard's shotgun was steaming hot as a sixth shot rang out. This one smashed the chest of the big Geth, causing it to collapse. "Overheated," Shepard said, explaining the lack of repeating fire. Instead she gathered her failing energy and threw, one-handed, a bolt toward another of the attacking Geth. The bolt struck the Geth and projected a field that sent it, and a second, floating upward into the air.

" _Thirty seconds_ ," Joker told them.

With the incoming fire increasing Robert blanked out any thought of counting the seconds. He let the life energy within him guide his arms and the blade in his hands, sending the bolts of plasma fire from the Geth right back into their midst. After several seconds Shepard's shotgun started thundering again. Another Geth went down with a crushed chest. Three more shots and a second had its head explode. The relaxing of fire helped Robert keep up with the rest, protecting himself, Shepard, and the Salarian she was still holding up with her left shoulder.

" _Fifteen seconds_."

In the air there was a distant engine roar. Robert dared not glance to see if it was _Normandy_ flying in. He was too busy deflecting shots. As more Geth arrived the fire was becoming too much for him to deflect. He managed to deflect one shot into the flashlight head of a Geth platform, but another bolt struck him along the right side. Pain flared in his hip. Nothing serious, as his armor had absorbed most of the shot, but the next hit was more successful, striking his upper left arm almost directly. Pain filled the limb and without his focus, he would have been left with one hand on his lightsaber, a critical loss of control given the circumstance.

" _Ten… nine… eight_ …"

As Joker counted down, the _Normandy_ appeared overhead, flying toward Robert and Shepard from the direction they were facing. It began to turn overhead, spinning on a dime under the control of a pilot Robert was increasingly convinced was a contender for the title "Best in the Multiverse". Behind them the cargo bay door slid open.

Immediately gunfire covered the air above and around the, courtesy of the rest of the team and Kirrahe's remaining forces. "Come on, Commander!" shouted Ashley. Ahead of Robert and Shepard, another big Geth lost its head to a sniper shot from Garrus.

" _Geth locking on! We've got ten seconds!_ " Joker reported.

The bay door was barely touching the roof, but it did enough for Shepard to back her way into it, shotgun thundering. Tali helped her with the Salarian. "Robert!" she shouted.

Robert continued backing himself up toward the bay door. The fire coming toward them was so heavy he knew he couldn't stop blocking, as tired as he felt. " _Five seconds!_ " Joker shouted through the comm line.

 _No choice… now!_

Robert turned and jumped, instinctively calling on his life force to do so as he did. It propelled him into the cargo bay and up beside the secured Mako. "He's in!" Robert heard Shepard cry out. " _Punch it Joker!_ "

The _Normandy_ shot forward even before the cargo bay door started to close. Shepard dashed for the elevator at the back of the cargo bay. Robert watched her go and slumped himself against the Mako. He felt dead tired and his wounds hurt.

"Captain Dale, allow me." Kirrahe motioned to one of his men, currently helping to treat the wounded Salarian they pulled aboard. "You went back for Specialist Lajan. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Captain Kirrahe," Robert answered, allowing the Salarian medic Kirrahe summoned to give first aid to his wounds. He felt a bitter feeling in his stomach. For all they'd learned, all they'd fought, and all of the Salarians killed in the fight… they'd failed. Saren's base was intact.

Even worse, he felt a cold sense in the Flow of Life, and his stomach twisted. "Damn," he muttered.

"What?' asked Garrus.

"Sovereign," Robert replied. "He's here."

* * *

As the _Normandy_ rose into orbit, Geth weapons fire surrounding it, Shepard rushed into the cockpit area. Her eyes widened in recognition, and some fear, as Sovereign loomed ahead among the Geth. "Damn."

"I'm trying to break us from orbit. If we try to go FTL here…"

The _Normandy_ nearly came out from under Shepard's feet at the extreme maneuver Joker pushed the ship into in order to avoid the beam of ruby light that came from one of Sovereign's tentacles. "Some kind of particle weapon," Kaidan said. "But sensors can't make sense of it."

The ship shuddered around them as more weapons fire converged on them. "I'm trying to keep them off, but there's so many!" Despite his protest Joker kept his attention on his controls.

"Pick a Geth and make an attack run," Shepard ordered.

"Aye ma'am." Joker did so. A lighter Geth ship filled the screen.

"Disruptor torpedoes locking on," Kaidan added. "I'm about to…" Something appeared on Kaidan's screen. "Wait, I'm getting a…"

Ahead of them, bolts of amber energy crashed into the Geth ship. As flame and debris erupted from along the tail of the ship, twin sparks of blue-white light struck home and the entire Geth vessel disintegrated in a massive burst of light.

"New ship on sensors," Kaidan said. "It's the _Koenig_."

"Patch me through," Shepard said. An intent look crossed her face. They weren't done yet.

* * *

On the bridge of the _Koenig_ , Will Atreiad watched the Geth ship blow apart. Almost immediately the _Koenig_ twisted and turned. A thick beam of ruby light speared the space they would have otherwise occupied.

"Whatever that ship is, it's… I've seen nothing like it," Magda insisted from Ops. "It's power signature is through the roof! And the weapons fire… it's some kind of magnetohydrodynamic weapon."

"Maintain evasive maneuvers," Will said. He tapped a button on his chair. " _Koenig_ to _Normandy_. We'll buy you time to make a jump to FTL."

" _This is_ Normandy," replied Shepard. _"Before we go, Saren's base is still intact. One of your solar torpedoes should do the job._ "

"Right." As Apley kept the _Koenig_ maneuvering around the Geth fire, Will turned his attention to April at Tactical. "April, a torpedo spread on that site."

"Target identified. If we don't want our torpedoes intercepted…"

"I'm on it," Apley pledged.

The _Koenig_ twisted and turned away from the Geth ships and toward Virmire. The beautiful planet looked like a lush garden world, certainly not the world they should be firing torpedoes at. But Will knew enough from the reports that necessity trumped beauty in this mission. "Fire when ready!" he ordered.

The ship shuddered as a shot from one of the Geth cruisers hit hard enough to degrade their deflectors. But it didn't stop April from getting the shot off. On the holo-viewer Will watched the two torpedoes descend like bolts of wrath from one of the Lords of Kobol. They hit Saren's base dead-center. It disappeared under the resulting white light that scoured the entire area.

"Direct hit. No energy signatures, no life signs," Magda reported. "Reading complete destruction of the facility and much of the surrounding area."

"We've done our job. Apley, get us out of here!"

The _Koenig_ twisted away and toward the hard-maneuvering _Normandy_. The Geth pursued, as did Sovereign. The old machine's fury lashed out at the two light ships, one ruby beam after another, but Joker and Apley kept their vessels maneuvering too tightly, too quickly, for the Reaper to get a hit in the seconds he had left. With nothing ahead of them, both vessels zipped away at superluminal velocity. With their respective stealth systems, there would be no pursuit.

Apley breathed a sigh of relief when Magda confirmed no pursuit. "That thing looks more like a monster than a starship," he said. "Did you see it?"

"Saw it, scanned it," Magda confirmed.

"Commander Shepard, please tell me you found out more about that monstrosity," Will said into the comm link with _Normandy_.

" _You could say that_ ," she replied. " _And believe me, it's not good news._ "

"I'm not surprised. Lords preserve us." Will let out a sigh and laid back into his command chair, relaxing slightly. "Stand us down from Code Red. And get a signal to the _Aurora_. Mission accomplished."

* * *

The Marines entered the chamber a few minutes after Benezia fell. Anders walked up to join them. "How many did we lose?" asked Lucy.

"Two dead. Somers and Jhrik," Anders replied tightly. "One of those biotics, she just…" He stopped. "Even the heavy armor didn't stop her."

Lucy nodded grimly. "I know."

Anders looked over the railing and down to where Liara was still weeping over her mother's body. "I'm guessing she did the deed?"

"She did. Her mother let her, I think." Lucy shook her head. "Benezia was fighting the indoctrination, or whatever it is. I'm sure of that."

"We'll get the remains secured." Anders motioned to a couple of his Marines. "And get her back up here."

Lucy sighed. "I was hoping we could capture her. Maybe find out how Saren influences people."

"And what this was all for," Talara added. "Why would Benezia have come? Simply due to the Rachni outbreak? Was getting more soldiers so important?"

Lucy shook her head. She sensed it wasn't and was satisfied, as a teacher, that Talara sensed the same. "No. No, this was about more…"

She sensed a tug at her senses. A mental poke of sorts, not enough to break into her mind, but enough to get her attention. Lucy's head turned until she faced the clear cylinder suspended by the central raised platform. The Rachni Queen inside was facing her directly. Lucy approached it. She raised a hand and put it on the cylinder. Inside the Queen did the same, using one of its long tentacle appendages to press the cylinder on the same spot Lucy did.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing?" Anders asked.

A moment passed before Lucy felt the alien presence in her mind. It came as a mournful song, singing of loneliness and loss and pain. Through it she sensed memories from long ago. A harmony of singing between minds. Cities on a world otherwise hostile to life, teeming with the singing minds, all directed by the mothers underground.

Then shadows came. A sour discord came to the song. Peaceful singing died, replaced by rage and chaos. Other life forms came, without songs, and the singers attacked in madness. Cities fell. Planets burned. Blood flowed.

Then more aliens came. Lucy recognized them immediately for their humped backs and large bodies. _Krogan_ , she thought. The blood and death continued, but the singers died with their new foes, who kept coming. Planet by planet, the singers died.

At this point the memories grew faint. Only distant whispers… and silence.

Lucy felt a revulsion for this outcome that was not hers. A desire to sing in peace. For the children to come. A resignation that silence was more likely to come.

 _You think I'm going to kill you_ , thought Lucy.

Surprise. _You sing?_

 _No. Not like you._

 _I hear your song. So bright. So pure. I hear you sing mercy. I will understand if you bring silence instead._

Immediately Lucy knew what she meant. Her eyes went over to the controls and up to the tubes that would, with a button press, fill the cylinder with powerful acid. She gasped involuntarily at the thought of that kind of death.

Anders was looking over them too. He faced the Queen. "So this is the Queen Tartakovsky talked about? What did Benezia want with it?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Lucy replied hoarsely, trying to focus on the mental connection. "I'm speaking telepathically with the Queen."

 _So many died_ , the Queen sang. _We did not want this. We never… the shadows in the song. We know not where they came from. I know not. Our song was corrupted._

 _I know_ , Lucy thought. _I sense that._

 _You what?_

For a moment Lucy thought nothing. She felt. She felt within for the life-fueled force that made what she did possible. She felt for the Flow of Life and the gold warmth within, imagining how strong it could be among the greater concentrations of the living.

 _Such a song! I hear it. You sing of Life, of a golden warmth. It makes me ache with hope._

Lucy nodded. _It would. It is the Flow of Life. It permits me to speak to you, to 'sing', as if I were a telepath. I am sworn to keep it strong._ She took in a breath. _You mean no ill will toward the species of this galaxy?_

 _I wish only to sing in peace with my children._

Immediately Lucy felt the sincerity in the Queen. She was not being deceitful. Again, all she wanted was the peaceful singing in her deep memory.

Behind her, Anders was still watching intently. Talara undoubtedly sensed some of the conversation, but only some. The mental element of her abilities was still being honed.

 _What did Benezia want from you?_

 _The one called Benezia sang with madness. I felt a shadow in her song, much as my mother felt. She demanded I sing of stars. Of a great gateway…_ The image of a Mass Relay flashed in Lucy's mind. _It was lost long ago._ The image of an exploding star, a supernova, came to Lucy.

 _A Mass Relay flung into deep space by a supernova. Your people know where it is?_ The moment Lucy thought that, stars came into her mind. They moved around and through her into a void, a deep void where a Mass Relay continued a lone, solitary voyage through the lightless void of interstellar space.

 _Her shadow sang of a 'Conduit'. I know not of this._

Lucy nodded once more. It all made sense now. The Conduit, spoken of in the record Tali found. The key to awakening the Reapers. _Thank you_ , Lucy thought.

 _Will I know silence?_

 _No_. Lucy shook her head. _I am a Knight of Life. I will not destroy you. Go and sing again, Queen, have children and sing of Light and Hope._ With that Lucy's finger found a different control.

The cylinder containing the Queen lifted from its place. A mechanical arm pulled it up to a port. An internal airlock slid open, a route to freedom.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing?" Anders asked. It was just short of a demand.

 _Thank you_ , sang the Queen. _My children will sing of your forgiveness. We will sing of your Light, Lucy Lucero_.

The Rachni Queen went through the port and on to freedom.

Lucy watched her go. What she'd just done was sure to anger powerful people. Two thousand years had not diminished the memories of the galaxy when it came to the Rachni. In a moment of doubt she wondered if the Citadel Council might push charges of some kind, or if this would undermine the relationship between the Alliance and the Citadel.

Behind her Major Anders asked, "Lieutenant, why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Lucy asked. "Release her from imprisonment?"

"The Rachni once threatened this galaxy so badly they had to be hunted to extinction," Anders said. "Do you understand the ramifications of just letting that Queen go?"

"Yeah." Lucy nodded. "She doesn't want violence, Lieutenant. She wants peace. Any new Rachni she births will be taught to be peaceful toward other species." Sensing Anders' irritation with her, Lucy frowned. "Are you really saying I should have committed _genocide_?"

"No, I'm not," Anders said. "I'd never open that acid tank. But we could have brought the Queen with us to the _Aurora_ and let our superiors handle the situation this is going to create with the Citadel. And that decision should have been mine. I'm in charge of this operation and that means _I'm_ the responsible officer. I'm the one who's going to be held responsible for this, for everything that's happened."

Lucy let out a hoarse breath. "Major, I'm… I was trying to do the right thing."

"And you didn't trust me to?" he asked pointedly.

"I didn't say that. I just… acted. On my own."

"And that's not your place, Lieutenant. That's not your responsibility."

Given all of the fighting, not to mention the persistent pain in her hand, Lucy didn't feel like arguing the point. She could understand Anders' viewpoint. He _was_ the officer in charge, and he'd be the one facing repercussions if Command took issue with what happened here. Her acting on her own wasn't enough of a defense from that. It made it clear he couldn't control her.

Anders sighed and turned away, clearly spent as well and not interested in continuing the argument. After taking several steps he looked over his shoulder. "I know your heart is in the right place, Lieutenant. But the chain of command exists for a reason, and if you can't follow it, you've got no place on my strike teams. I don't care how powerful or skilled you are." With that parting comment he walked away.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Talara's hand resting on her shoulder. "I think you did the right thing, Lucy," said her student. "I can feel it."

"Yeah," agreed Lucy. Briefly a smile came to her face at the thought of what she felt. At the Rachni given a new lease on life, a chance to join the Multiverse in all of its glorious diversity of life and thought. Inside she knew that, politics aside, she'd done the right thing.


	57. Episode 3-10-6 A Matter of Survival

**Tag**

Port Hanshan's hospital was every bit as advanced as Parasini and Black promised it was. The doctors on staff - an Asari and a Human - patched Julia and her people up without a word of fuss. Meridina's head trauma was confirmed as a concussion and treated. She now sat on a biobed across from Julia. "It must be what I was sensing," she said upon the others explaining what happened. "There was a sudden darkness in the Flow of Life. A void I have never experienced before. This creature must have been the cause."

"We're lucky to be alive," said Angel. "I have to say I'm not happy we only survive these things because someone saves our asses."

"Had I not let my guard down, I might have been able to protect you. You have my apologies."

"None necessary, Meridina," Julia insisted.

"Indeed." Richmond shook her head. She was on the bed beside Meridina, across from Angel. Unlike the others she was still laying down due to the severity of her injuries and the process needed to heal them. "What I am more concerned with is this situation. You gave Qui'in his evidence?"

"He was happy to receive it," Julia said. Happier than she was to have carried it to him instead of getting the medical treatment she'd needed, but Julia didn't add that. "But I don't know what else is going on. I've heard nothing from the…"

Her omnitool activated at that moment. A bright blue light appeared over the back of her hand. " _Anders to Andreys. Do we have clearance to complete our mission or not?_ "

Julia breathed a small sigh of relief. Anders' wording indicated that the strike into Peak 15 had succeeded in some fashion. Now Anders was asking permission to launch the _Gonzalez_ and return to the _Aurora_. But until she knew for certain the defenses wouldn't open fire if they picked up the ship, Julia didn't dare give clearance. Instead she replied, "Standby on that, Major. Matters are still being determined here."

" _Acknowledged. I'm going to have Dr. Gillam double check inoculations._ "

At that Julia winced. They'd taken casualties. She hoped not losses. "What's the status on Doctor T'Soni?" The last thing she needed was a dead civilian specialist.

" _She'll live._ "

"Fine. I'll inform you when we get the all-clear. Andreys out."

"Good news, then," Richmond said, well aware of the true meaning. "Now all we have to do is find out what game we've been drawn into."

They didn't have to wait much longer. Confirmation of at least one of Julia's worries came with a new patient. The four watched in stunned bemusement as a wounded Anoleis was dragged in by Captain Matsuo and Gianna Parasini. Matsuo brought him to a private room while Parasini walked over to join them. "How are you?"

"Better," Julia replied. "Anoleis is under arrest?"

"I just made the collar. He tried to resist. But Captain Matsuo was quick to stop that." Parasini grinned with satisfaction. "The Captain was offended to hear that Anoleis was using her guards as private thugs."

"So what now? What about our investigation?"

"The Board's given me temporary authority here in Port Hanshan," Parasini explained. "I signed the approval as I left the office. With a slight backdating."

 _She knows_. Julia smiled diplomatically. "Thank you. I'll make a note of your cooperation in my own report."

"Glad to hear it."

"So, what about Mister Black?" asked Angel. She crossed her arms. "What's his part in this?"

"Would you like to find out?" Parasini asked Julia.

With just a moment to consider, Julia nodded. "Yes."

"I'll ask." Parasini sent off a text message with her omnitool. Moments later a response came up. "This way, please. If you're cleared to leave the ward, that is."

Richmond and Meridina were not, so it was Julia and Angel who followed Parasini out. After walking through several corridors and taking a lift ride, they found themselves on a level dominated by conference rooms. "This is for meetings between our various clients," Parasini explained as she brought them to the largest room at the end of the central hall. She remained standing outside of the door as they stepped in.

Inside was the kind of opulence Julia would expect of the wealthy. The fine table of brass-colored wood was in-set with hard-light control projectors and a holotank in the middle. Beautiful paintings and sculptures lined every wall save the one to her right, beyond the head of the table, where a large holo-projector could create a 2D or 3D holo-image.

Black was seated quietly at the far side of the table from the entrance. He looked at them through his Ray-Bans. "Ah, Captain. Lieutenant. You are recovered?" He looked none the worse for wear. As if he hadn't just been in a fight with a vicious being he'd stabbed through the heart.

"We are."

"And Commanders Richmond and Meridina?"

"Recovering still. As soon as the doctors approve, we'll fly them back to the _Aurora_ ," Julia said. "But I have questions."

"Of course you do. Thankfully, I was just alerting my employer as to our success. He should be returning my call any moment… ah. Here." Black pressed a blinking key before him and turned toward the wall holo-viewer.

Julia and Angel did the same. Recognition showed across her face at the sight of Black's employer.

" _Ah, Captain Andreys. So good to see you again_ ," said Sidney Hank, President and Founder of Pan-Empyrean Holdings. The Solarian tycoon had one hand holding a tumbler of what Julia guessed was the same Parthegon brandy he'd once plied her, Robert, and the others with in their visit to Solaris the prior year. His sky blue eyes glinted with amusement. There was no denying he had a handsome face, one that seemed crafted to be photogenic and memorable. Dark hair cut in a business style topped his head. He looked like the epitome of economic power… which, Julia knew for a fact, he was. " _Mister Black, I assume the Captain played a role in your dealings on Noveria?_ "

"A critical one, sir," Black replied. "She helped recover the evidence that allowed Miss Parasini to arrest Anoleis."

" _Ah. Thank you kindly, Captain. Administrator Anoleis was something of a pain._ "

"Wait." Angel shook her head. "What's all of this about?"

Julia thought back to what she'd heard while on Noveria. Specifically, a complaint from Anoleis she'd overheard when they entered the Salarian's office. The facts came together. "You… you're buying Noveria, aren't you Mister Hank?"

" _Just about_ ," he replied. " _More accurately, Pan-Empyrean Holdings just bought a majority share in the Noveria Development Corporation._ "

"And Anoleis was stopping you?"

" _He was making the sale… difficult. He was trying to shake me down and abusing his power to punish companies that voted in my favor when I didn't pay the bribe._ " Hank shook his head and twirled his tumbler full of expensive brandy. " _I can appreciate a little bit of corruption. It greases the wheels and gears in many economic machines. But he was greedy and he was sloppy, so I take great pleasure in destroying him. Thank you again for your role in this affair. This outcome was everything I could hope for._ "

"You couldn't have known I was coming," Julia said.

" _I expected Commander Shepard, true. But I've been aware of Binary Helix's connections to Saren Arterius for months. Someone was bound to show up, and Anoleis was bound to interfere._ "

"And that monster thing that attacked us? Did you anticipate _that_?" Angel asked directly.

Hank frowned and glanced toward Black. "A Pretender, sir. An old one," Black replied. "I put it down."

The frown deepened. " _Tracking them or you?_ "

"Me. My apologies, sir. I must have gotten sloppy." Black showed genuine remorse and shame at that.

" _See that it doesn't happen again_ ," Hank said coldly.

"Just what the hell _is_ a Pretender?" Angel demanded. "It's what Jarod's called himself before, but this…"

" _Mister Jarod is a far more benign kind of being than they are. Pretenders are… well, I'm afraid I haven't the time to spell it out too greatly, Lieutenant Delgado, but in brief: they're old, they're powerful, they're scary as hell, and they want to kill you._ Especially _you._ "

"Because of Swenya's prophecy?" asked Julia.

" _Got it in one, Captain. Go ahead and file that report with Admiral Maran, and you can tell him I said it. Some things have to be spoken of._ " Hank rested his glass down. " _Why Swenya wrote that blasted prophecy down I'll never know… she was always so stubborn._ "

Julia caught that and blinked. "You're trying to tell me you knew Swenya three thousand years ago, during the last interuniversal era? That you've been around that long?"

To that Hank grinned. " _In a manner of speaking, Captain. In a manner of speaking. But that's a matter for another time. I suspect you have your own business to tend to on Noveria, so please, don't let me keep you from it. Saren Arterius is a threat to the Multiverse and needs to be taken down. As the majority shareholder of Noveria Development Corporation, you have my full approval to investigate Peak 15._ Retroactive _approval_. _Now, if you'll excuse me, Mister Black and I have private corporate matters to discuss._ "

"Of course," Julia said. She rose from her chair. Angel did the same. She frowned as she followed Julia out of the room. Parasini was waiting. "We're in the clear, then."

"You are." Parasini smiled at her. "I'll escort you back to the hospital now. Make any calls you feel necessary."

Julia tapped her omnitool's comm key. "Andreys to Anders."

" _Anders here_."

"You are clear to complete your mission."

" _Understood. Anders out._ "

As they approached the lift, another call came to Julia. She tapped the blue light and answered, "Andreys here."

" _Captain, we just received a signal from the_ Koenig," Jarod replied. " _Virmire was a success. The_ Koenig _and_ Normandy _are en route. And they've got a lot to share with us._ "

"We'll meet them at the Relay then," Julia replied. "Prepare to break orbit once the _Irrawaddy_ returns. And have Leo prepare spaces in medbay, Commanders Meridina and Richmond will need some follow-up care."

" _I see_ ," Jarod replied. " _Consider it done._ "

Once the call was over, they stepped into the lift. Parasini activated it with her security clearance. "Do you need anything else, Captain?"

"Nothing here," Julia replied. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Miss Parasini, but I just want to get back to my ship now."

"Of course," she said cheerfully. "I'll make the arrangements to have your wounded officers transferred to your runabout immediately."

"Thank you." With that, Julia sighed. She'd have a lengthy and very delicate report to write when she got back, and all she really wanted was a hot shower and some me-time in her quarters with a warm cup of tea.

 _But at least we're done with this damn planet_ , she mused to herself. 

* * *

That evening Cat walked into the Lookout with her sister in tow. "A good meal will make you feel better," she insisted.

"Alright, but not a big one. I'm…"

Before Angel could finish her protest, the two spotted Liara sitting at a table in the far corner. Hargert was standing nearby. He noticed them and quietly gestured to Liara. As they drew nearer they could see the tears rolling down her face. Her blue eyes seemed distant and unfocused.

There was a part of Cat that didn't want to be near her. Not after her near death at the hands of Morinth. But she fought that down. The entire ship knew something of what happened on Noveria. She in particular knew that Matriarch Benezia was dead, and that Liara was the one who killed her. Fully aware of the raw pain Liara had to be in, Cat walked up to her, Angela beside her. "Doctor," she said softly. "I… I'm sorry. I know what you're going through…"

Tear-filled blue eyes briefly looked toward Cat. But nothing was said.

Indeed, Cat realized nothing _could_ be said. And maybe she couldn't speak of Liara's pain as much as she thought. She hadn't been forced to kill her mother.

 _No. Not directly. We just made her work herself to death to take care of us_ was the thought in Cat's mind. Normally she tried to ignore that guilt. But right now she grabbed it, held it, and while doing so set a hand on Liara's. Again their eyes met, and then Liara's and Angela's. The sisters said nothing this time, however.

They received no verbal reply either. Just a small nod of appreciation.

Ahead of them, through the viewing transtanium windows of the Lookout, the Mass Relay loomed large. They watched, in quiet mourning, as the _Aurora_ pulled up to the Relay. Blue light crackled and the _Aurora_ surged forward. When the effect ended, the distant forms of the _Normandy_ and _Koenig_ appeared.

Liara sighed and stood. "I need to get ready," she said. "The meeting will be soon."

"Yeah," Angel agreed. "It will." 

* * *

The _Normandy_ team beamed aboard over the course of several minutes. Wrex went first with Shepard's permission. Once aboard the _Aurora_ he made an inquiry with the ship's computer.

Said inquiry led him to the ship's science labs. At least one of them - he was somewhat familiar with the fact there were multiple labs. Inside were a couple of officers in uniforms with dark blue trim, science officers overseeing experimental data and simulations.

One of those present stood out due to being in operations beige. She was also the first to notice Wrex enter the science lab. Tra'dur approached him quietly. "Mister Urdnot, Wrex, I see you are well. What can I do for you?"

Wrex considered the Dilgar woman for a moment and then glanced around. The other present officers were more interested in whatever they were doing. Tra'dur noticed his caution and she narrowed her eyes. "I need a little help," he said. "Something I can't have done back on Tuchanka, and that I can't trust anyone else to do."

"Oh?" Tra'dur's curiosity was piqued. "What does it involve?"

"It's a science project, you might say. You wouldn't happen to know any Dilgar who can handle genetic testing, would you?"

At that, Tra'dur grinned. "As a matter of fact, my younger sister Nah'dur is not just a Surgeon-Commander, she is a skilled geneticist and well-versed in many biological matters. I can introduce you, if that's what you'd like."

Wrex smiled. "Well then, that's good to hear. I need to send something to her…" 

* * *

Shepard entered the Conference Room with Kaidan and Pressly. Not everyone was present yet and currently many of the various crew from their ships were off in groups, carrying on conversation.

All except Lucy, whom Shepard found seated already and by herself. She seemed thoughtful and, Shepard though, a little angry. Leaving Kaidan and Pressly to do as they wanted for the moment, Shepard went over and slipped into a seat. Her blue service uniform was a contrast to the black with beige trim worn by Lucy. "You look angry at the world," Shepard observed. "Everything alright?"

Lucy smiled and sighed. "Yeah. Just a… misunderstanding, I guess. Or maybe I'm just a pig-headed, stubborn girl who forgets how this whole 'military' thing works."

"Oh?"

"Anders and I haven't been seeing eye to eye," Lucy admitted. "He says I do too many things on my own without consulting him. That I don't obey orders like I should."

"Huh." Shepard considered that. "Does this have something to do with the Rachni Queen?"

"Among other things. He was there. And maybe I should have brought it up with him first, but..." Lucy sighed. "Biotics is one thing, but what I've got, this Flow of Life stuff… a lot of it is based on certainty and instinct. You can't just try to do a thing, or you can fail. You must be certain that yes, you will do it."

Shepard nodded. "Well, I can see things from Anders' perspective. He's the responsible officer for the op. Having one of his people make a decision without consulting him while he's standing right there… yeah, I think it'd irritate me too. If you ask me, you need to talk to him about it. One on one. Lay out how this works and see if he's comfortable with it. If he isn't… well, that's something you and Captain Andreys will have to deal with."

"I understand."

"Glad to hear it," Shepard said. She clapped a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "Between you and me, I think you did the same thing I would on Noveria. Letting the diplomats and the Citadel decide the Queen's fate would have been a nightmare. I wouldn't be surprised if Sparatus insisted we euthanize her."

"That would be genocide," Lucy said, frowning.

"Yeah. But the Rachni scared the crap out of the species of our galaxy, and people do stupid things when they're afraid." Shepard thought of what they'd learned on Virmire, and how much that statement applied to Saren. "I'm glad you made the call you did. It makes me proud to consider you a comrade."

Lucy smiled quietly at that. "Thank you, Shepard."

The door swished open again and Julia stepped in, followed by Richmond, Meridina, and Leo. She looked around and nodded. "So everyone's here. Let's get started." She walked over to her seat.

"What happened on Noveria?" Shepard asked. "Your preliminary report only mentioned Benezia was dead."

"Yes." Julia glanced briefly to Liara with sympathy. "Major?"

Anders nodded. "We've learned Benezia came to extract the location of a missing Mass Relay, the Mu Relay, from a Rachni Queen. Apparently the Relay leads to the Citadel."

"A _what_?" Wrex looked incredulous. "They're extinct."

"Apparently not," said Julia.

"Binary Helix found a Rachni ship with an intact egg in cryogenic suspension," Anders explained. "They hatched it and found it was a Queen."

"The Mu Relay is in what used to be Rachni space," Garrus observed. "And they were supposed to have genetic memory. It makes sense that a Queen would know."

"Did she get it? Did she send it to Saren?" Shepard asked.

"Apparently so, given the communication logs from Peak 15." This information was from Liara. "But we found an OSD on her… remains." At that, Jarod slid said object into a data reader. The central holotank in the room lit up with a galactic starmap. It zoomed in on one area of space. "So we know where it is as well."

"That's a primary Relay," Locarno said. "It must link to dozens of systems."

"And it's in the Terminus Systems, so getting there will be difficult," Robert added. "At least, getting there with enough ships to confront Sovereign."

"Sovereign? You mean Saren's ship?"

"No." Shepard shook her head. "That's what we learned on Virmire. Sovereign's not just a ship. It's a Reaper."

Surprised showed on the faces of the others. "You're fraking kidding me," Barnes said.

"Not all, Tom," Robert sighed. "We spoke to it. I've felt it. It's… dark. Malevolent."

"The Reapers destroyed the Protheans, and the Adranians before them, as part of what they call the Cycles," Shepard explained. "Sovereign wouldn't say why. It insists we wouldn't understand. The damn thing has a massive superiority complex."

"And the firepower to back it up." Magda activated her omnitool. Her fingers moved over the blue light until another display replaced the starchart in the central holotank, showing a beam of ruby energy being fired from the tentacle of the cephalopod-shaped monster ship. "Its weapons are based on an advanced magnetohydrodynamic system. It accelerates metal to cee-fractional speed. That's why it looks like an energy weapon."

Scotty shook his head. "Deflectors willnae hold off that kind o' weapon for long," he observed. "Dependin' on the material used an' th' mass, even our deflectors cannae take much."

"Can you think of a way to adapt our shields?" Julia asked.

"A few tricks, maybe, but it's a matter o' power, Captain. If it's usin' a heavier metal with a lot of mass, it'll simply overpower our shields, an' faster than th' usual weapons we deal with."

"Do what you can, and we'll relay this information to Command." Julia looked from Shepard to Robert. "What else did you learn?"

"Saren was experimenting with indoctrination," Robert replied. "He's scared of it. It's Sovereign's weapon, not his, and he's afraid he's becoming indoctrinated. Deep down, he _knows_ he is, but he won't let himself believe it."

"Or Sovereign won't let him."

"This indoctrination. Can we sense it?" Meridina asked Robert.

"Some, yes," Robert said. "The experiments had a bad case, and I could feel it. It's like a… cancer on their beings, in their minds. It distorts who and what they are." Quietly he projected those memories, allowing Meridina and Lucy to know what he meant.

"Swenya's Light," Meridina gasped. "Monstrous."

"Yeah," Shepard agreed. "But Saren's not running the show. Sovereign is. And the Conduit is the key to bringing back _all_ of the Reapers."

"If just one Reaper has that much firepower…" Julia swallowed. "We've got to stop this. We've got to find the Conduit first."

"But there's dozens of systems on the other end of the Relay. It'll take weeks to examine them all," Locarno said.

"Maybe, maybe not." Shepard looked at Liara. "Saren had another beacon. An intact one. I received more visions from it, complete ones, from some world."

Liara nodded and stood. "Then let me see." There was a cold resolution in her voice. She approached Shepard, who stood to meet her. "Quiet your thoughts… embrace eternity."

For several moments the two remained locked together where they stood. When it ended Liara slumped backward and nearly fell. "Those images are so intense," she said.

"Tell me about it," Shepard sighed.

Liara waved away Leo and Allen-Epstein. "I will be fine. I'm just considering what I saw. I know I've seen…" Her eyes widened. "Of course! Ilos! The images are of Ilos!"

"Ilos?" asked Julia.

"It's a world we've found trace records of," said Liara. "A research planet of the Protheans. But we've never found it. It must be one of the systems beyond the Mu Relay."

"That must be where the Conduit is," Kaidan said with some excitement.

"Then that's where we need to go."

At Robert's remark, Tali replied, "But it's in the Terminus Systems. If the governments there detect you, it could start a war."

"And if we don't go, and Saren and Sovereign use the Conduit, the Terminus Systems will be the least of our problems," Robert said. "And the Geth fleet will be heading there now that Saren has the coordinates."

Shepard nodded in agreement. "We'll need fleet backup for certain. Especially if Sovereign is there."

Julia breathed out a little sigh. She knew they were right. She also knew that the Council, and the Alliance government, were not likely to agree so easily. Before she could speak on this her omnitool spawned a blue light over the back of her left hand. " _Bridge to Andreys_ ," said Lieutenant Takawira.

She tapped the light. "I'm here, Lieutenant. Report."

" _We have received an urgent message from the Citadel. Ambassador Atama requires our immediate presence_."

"Did he say why?"

" _Only that you and Captain Dale are requested to join him for a meeting with the Citadel Council and Ambassador Udina_."

"Alright. Let him know we'll be underway shortly." Julia looked to the others. "It looks like our reports have been read."

Robert shook his head. "I have a bad feeling about this. Something's up."

As if on cue, Shepard's omnitool flashed to life. "Normandy _to Shepard_ ," said a female voice, one of her junior officers Robert thought. " _Ma'am, priority message from the Citadel Council waiting for you._ "

"What do you want to bet it's a recall order?" Shepard asked Robert.

"That is a sucker's bet," Robert replied. "And I still don't like it."

"Still, we'll need fleet support to reach Ilos. So let's go get it." Shepard stood up. "I'll head back to the _Normandy_ and get her underway."

"The same here, Commander," Julia said, standing as well. "Everyone is dismissed."

The assembled left the room. 

* * *

In the heart of a machine he had no choice but to trust, Saren looked over the star map, the last communication he received from Benezia before she went silent. "We've found it," he said.

" _You and your agents have performed well on this task_ ," Sovereign answered. " _Order the Geth fleet to make preparations for the assault._ "

Saren did so with his console. "I shall take a few ships to Ilos. More than enough for whatever paltry force the Council agrees to send into the Terminus Systems. By the time they realize what we're doing, it will be too late."

" _Before you go, Saren, you must be made stronger_ ," Sovereign said. " _I witnessed your battle with Shepard and Dale. They are each powerful in their own way, as are their allies. If you face them again, you_ must _prevail._ "

"I will," insisted Saren. "It was a fluke."

" _I will not take that chance. You will be given further augmentation. Your organic weakness will be reduced by machine strength_."

Fear built inside of Saren. "I do not think it is necessary, Sovereign."

Sovereign's reply was blunt. " _I_ do _. You will obey, or your use to me is at an end. I will find another to serve_."

The fear grew, and with it the horrible realization for Saren; he'd given Sovereign what he needed, with his contacts, his knowledge. All Sovereign needed now was for someone to go through the Conduit. If he felt Saren was no longer reliable, he'd simply find another being to do it. Maybe even the Geth by themselves. And all of his works, all that he'd done these past decades, would be for _nothing_.

"I still serve," Saren replied, his voice quiet with hopeless despair.


	58. Episode 3-11-1 Chasing the Cycle

**Teaser**

Only quiet conversation could be heard in the mess area of the _SSV Normandy_. The advanced frigate, a blend of design work from the Humans of the M4P2 universe and the Turians of the same, had only a few dozen crew, so the mess was a small area with an adjacent counter for the distribution of rations. Although the designers had never anticipated such a technology being available when they initially drew up the ship, the mess's capabilities were improved by the presence of a replicator unit, one of the fruits of Multiversal Contact.

In one corner of the mess, near equipment lockers outside of the infirmary's window, Robert Dale was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed under him and his hands resting on his knees. His eyes were closed. Given the bland cream-white vest, shirt, and baggy trousers he was wearing, plus the neck-length dark hair and the grown-out facial hair, he looked the part of some ascetic mystic deep in meditation.

The meditation part of that description was at least accurate, and arguably the mystic part as well. Over eighteen months had passed since Robert learned his potential with the power that the Gersallians referred to as _swevyra_. The word did not translate meaningfully into English; its closest approximation, "life force", did not quite capture the essence behind it. The idea of power drawn from one's life and the power of life around them, connected to every other living thing through the power of the Flow of Life. It permitted many incredible things to become possible, powers usually associated with comic book heroes or other speculative fiction about super-beings. Capabilities that even the dark matter-manipulating biotics of M4P2 could not match.

For Robert this power was not always welcome. Learning to use it had costs. His relationship with Angela Delgado, once promising enough that he'd let himself consider a future of a family together with her, ended because of the demands of his training. To save his ship and his friends, friends so close as to be family to him, Robert had nearly sacrificed his life by wielding the power of the Time Vortex. Though he survived, it still cost him two months in a coma and many weeks training to control the enhanced _swevyra_ power the Vortex left him with.

This last issue was the reason for his meditation. Through the meditation he improved his control over the life-based energies surging in his being. Said control was crucial for his work. That it helped him deal with the lingering pain of his wounds from the fighting on Virmire was a tangential benefit.

"How well is that working for you?"

The question prompted his attention. He opened his green eyes and looked up. Commander Jennifer Shepard, Systems Alliance Navy/Marines, and the one and only Human Spectre in the ranks of the Citadel Council's agents, looked down at him with her own green eyes. Brushed red hair down to her neck provided a colorful match to the bright green of her eyes and the dusky brown of her skin. "It helps," he said.

"You really pulled your own on Virmire with your abilities," she said.

"I nearly killed you," Robert reminded her sullenly. His mind flashed back to that moment. Saren holding Shepard over his head on the AA tower of his Virmire base. Saren's grip crushing her throat. Robert desperately lashing out with his life-based power, just to have his focus fail and send both Shepard and Saren flying off of the tower.

"Yeah. But you pulled me back up." She sat down beside him on the floor. "I know what it's like to struggle with powers you still can't quite understand." With her left knee pointed upward and her elbow resting on it, Shepard generated a small globe of dark matter in her left hand. "It took me a long time to come to grips with my biotic abilities, even after they put the implant in my head to help. If you keep working at it, you'll get it."

"That's what I'm trying." Robert straightened his legs, allowing the blood to more freely circulate. He folded his hands in his lap. "I wasn't looking to use these powers. But I had to…"

"Yeah. I remember Gamma Piratus." A wry grin appeared on Shepard's face. "The look on those SS troopers' faces when you started batting them around was worth the disruptor burn."

Robert chuckled at that. "You shooting Fassbinder through the window was my highlight that day. A shame he beamed out before splatting at the bottom of the dock." He sighed wistfully. "As I was saying, I never really wanted these powers. I accepted them because I needed them to protect the people I love and care for. If I hurt them because I can't control them? It defeats the whole purpose of my using them in the first place." He shook his head.

"I understand that. I just wanted to let you know I'm not angry that you threw me off the tower with that, but that I'd really prefer you learn how to _not_ do that kind of thing again." A bemused glint showed in her eyes.

"Message received, Commander."

Any further conversation would have to come later. " _Commander,, we're preparing for our last relay jump_ ," said Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau over the _Normandy_ intercom. The ship's pilot was one of the best Robert had ever known, in defiance of the brittle bone disease that afflicted him. " _We'll be docking at the Citadel within the next fifteen minutes_."

"Thanks, Joker. I'll be getting ready. Shepard out." She glanced at Robert. "Ready to see the politicians?"

"Oh, am I ever," Robert sighed.

"It sucks, I know." Shepard chuckled. "But we'll need the Council's backing to get the ships to hit Ilos. It's going to be a tough sell."

"But we have to make it, or Saren will get to the Conduit first and summon the Reapers." Robert frowned. "And we can't let that happen."

"We won't," Shepard vowed. "I promise you that." 

* * *

The _Normandy_ zipped into existence beside the mass relay inside the Serpent Nebula. With its engines flaring with bright light, it raced ahead toward the cloud of particles that hid the Citadel from immediate view.

One reason for the ship's quick maneuver became evident ten seconds later when another ship appeared in nearby space. The _Starship Aurora_ was a far larger vessel than the _Normandy_. The azure-colored kilometer long starship accelerated in the same direction, pushed by the red-lit impulsor drives built into the stern-facing sections of its drive and primary hull. The drive hull was surrounded by the four long warp nacelles that provided the ship with its faster-than-light travel capability, arranged in an X around the drive hull at just enough length from it to provide forward clearance around the shape of the primary hull forward of the nacelles. A great gold and blue circle - the great vessel's versatile deflector dish - was set into the front of the drive hull, almost directly below the main bridge at the top of the primary hull's middle point.

On said main bridge, Captain Julia Andreys watched the Citadel start to form from within the particle clouds around it. The lights of the towers built into the five arms of the great space station shined through the clouds as if she were viewing a great metropolitan city through fog.

Though the Citadel was an impressive sight on of itself, that wasn't what had Julia's attention. Arrayed around the station was a fleet of combat starships. The great majority of them were Turian, sleek winged warships of gray coloring, fitting the militaristic and utilitarian nature of their builders' primary culture. Rounded, more elegant ships with large interior sections were Asari vessels, including the massive _Destiny Ascension_ , the flagship of the Asari and Citadel fleets, one of the most powerful vessels in the Multiverse. Bulbous Salarian craft were scattered about the formations, primarily lighter attackers that fit the Salarians' preferred tactics in space combat.

It was as they drew closer that the most interesting sight came to Julia and the others. Among these ships of the Council species were a handful of Alliance starships. Three _Predator_ -class destroyers and a light Dorei starbird were in formation together with one larger ship, a vessel that was nearly a twin for the _Aurora_ save for how her more numerous weapons emplacements gave her a more war-like appearance. For a brief moment Julia thought of the _Avenger_ , built by the Darglan just as the _Aurora_ was and in the hands of James Hawk and his band of violent interuniversal vigilantes, but the name on the ship's hull banished thoughts of the desperate fight at Tira three months prior.

The name read _ASV Excalibur_.

"It looks like they're expecting an attack," observed Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Locarno, the ship's Navigation Officer. The exiled Starfleet cadet glanced over from his station at the helm to the ops station beside him, controlled by Lieutenant Commander Jarod. The biologically older super-savant responded with a nod. "Do they really think Saren's just going to come racing for the Citadel with the Geth fleet?"

"I don't know," Julia said. "The important part will be convincing them this fleet is needed at Ilos."

"I'd say the important part is if this is enough firepower to kill that Reaper," remarked Lieutenant Angela Delgado, seated at her station of Tactical. Her hazel eyes met Julia's green. "Magda's scans show that thing's got some serious damn firepower."

"Make sure the tactical data from the _Koenig_ and _Normandy_ 's encounter with Sovereign is relayed to the ships of the fleet. Just in case."

"Right away."

There was a tone from Ops. Jarod tapped a key blinking green. "We're getting a message from Ambassador Atama. He wants you and Commander Meridina to be present for the Council meeting about the fleet."

Julia nodded. "Signal back that we'll be there." 

* * *

Nothing had changed in the weeks since Robert last saw the Council Audience Chamber. As before, Councillors Tevos, Valern, and Sparatus were at their places, Tevos in the middle with her Salarian colleague to her left and the Turian to her right. The extended platform over the garden below the chamber ended with a circle that acted as a speaker's place for whomever was addressing the three Councillors. Ambassador Udina was there, taking the lead spot, and offering Shepard a place beside him. Shepard would have preferred bringing her entire team, but ultimately she could only bring Kaidan. Although Robert was considered by her and the others to also be a team member, the politics demanded he remain back with the Alliance Ambassador, a Dorei man named Atama, and Julia and Meridina.

"You wanted to see me in person?" Shepard asked the Council.

"Yes. Now that Saren's operations in the Traverse have been stopped and his support structures reduced to only the Geth, we believe he will be left no choice but to make a direct assault on the Citadel itself," Tevos explained. "And we want you here to eliminate him if the chance presents itself."

"Saren's not coming here," Shepard said. "He's on his way to Ilos to use the Conduit. And that's where we have to go. I came back to lead the fleet to Ilos."

"I'm afraid that's not happening, Commander," Tevos said. "You, and the fleet, will be staying right here."

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
" _Chasing the Cycle_ "**

The assembled visitors looked in surprise at the Council. Robert sensed the irritation in Shepard. In Udina as well, but not the same kind.

"Staying here is pointless," Shepard said vehemently. "Saren's going to Ilos to use the Conduit. That's what he's been after this whole time!"

"Saren can't afford to waste time and resources hunting for more Prothean relics," Sparatus insisted. "His only chance to succeed in his goals is to take the Citadel and eliminate the Council, then hope that he can rebuild his alliances in the resulting chaos."

Shepard's expression was grim, and it was shared by Robert and Kaidan. "You're still thinking of Saren as out for some kind of political goal," Shepard said. "He's not. He's not even in charge, he's working for the Reapers. He's trying to bring them into our galaxy. We need this fleet to get to Ilos before it's too late."

"He's tricking you, Shepard," Sparatus said in a dismissive tone. "It's all misdirection. He wants you to chase him into the Terminus Systems. Triggering a war between Terminus and Council Space will add to the chaos he needs to survive."

Valern nodded. "Indeed, sending any segment of our fleet to Ilos will immediately trigger a hostile response from the Terminus Systems. It would play into Saren's hands, whatever his motive."

"I know his motives! I heard them directly from him!" Shepard's fists clenched. "You didn't want to believe me when I told you he was behind Eden Prime. You let him talk you into thinking it was all some ploy by Captain Anderson. But I was right then, just as I am now. And you're letting Saren manipulate you again!"

"You're asking us to risk interstellar war over beacon visions only you've had," Tevos said.

"Pardon me, Councillor." Robert stepped forward. "May I speak?"

The Councillors looked at each other. Finally Tevos nodded. "You may."

He looked to Shepard, who nodded back. "I know it sounds farfetched, all of this talk about Reapers," Robert said. "But we heard it from the Reaper itself while on Virmire. Sovereign is a machine, a very old and very malevolent being. It's the real power here, not Saren. And it wants to destroy us."

"Whatever you saw was likely some pre-arranged bait by Saren," Sparatus retorted. "To divert you to Ilos."

"It wasn't a fake, Councillor. I _felt_ it," Robert insisted. "This thing is toxic. Our very existence disgusts Sovereign. I could feel that malice while he spoke, I could feel it in the Flow of Life itself. He wants to end our civilizations, our very existence, and Saren's the tool he's using. "

"I understand you're convinced, Captain, but whatever metaphysical beliefs you may have, it's not enough for us to commit to interstellar war," Tevos replied. "The fleet will not go to Ilos."

"Then I'll go," Shepard said. "The _Normandy_ can slip through the Mu Relay without being detected."

"Shepard, don't be a fool," Sparatus barked. "Whatever Saren's up to, the Citadel is his ultimate target. You're needed here, where we have the most strength."

"If Saren succeeds on Ilos, it won't matter where he goes next," Shepard replied. "Because he'll have brought back the Reapers. My report showed you what Sovereign could do. Can you imagine _hundreds_ of Sovereigns? Maybe _thousands_?"

"All your report showed was a warship of, yes, great capability, but just as likely a Geth creation," Valern insisted. "Or perhaps some ancient Prothean vessel the Geth refurbished for Saren."

Tevos sighed. "I get the feeling, Commander, that you're going to act regardless of what we ask of you."

"I'm going to do the job you gave me, Councillor," Shepard said. "Protect this galaxy."

"I've heard enough."

Udina's sudden entry into the conversation prompted attention from Shepard. "You've made great strides for Humanity, Shepard, but now you're becoming more trouble than you're worth. Having a Human Spectre rushing off on a wild goose chase into the Terminus Systems is a political nightmare for us, Shepard, and I won't allow it." Udina raised his left arm and activated his omnitool. He immediately began tapping his right hand's fingers on the display.

"What are you doing?" Shepard asked.

"I'm issuing a hold order on the _Normandy_ ," Udina announced. "She's being confined to dock until further notice."

"You can't do this!" Kaidan shouted. "Don't you realize what's at stake?"

"I know all too well what's at stake, Lieutenant. What's at stake is our credibility in the galaxy. Allowing Shepard to throw away all we've earned would be irresponsible, and I'm not going to do that."

Shepard's response was in a low voice. "You son of a bitch," she spat.

With contempt, Udina ignored her and looked back to the Council. "The Systems Alliance stands in full agreement with the Citadel Council's strategy in this matter. Our fleets are standing by at Arcturus to attack Saren's rear the moment the Citadel defense fleet engages. You have my word."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ambassador," Tevos said. "This meeting is adjourned."

Udina smiled with satisfaction and looked back at Shepard. "Stand down, Commander. You've done your part admirably, but you're no longer needed." With that parting shot, Udina walked away.

Shepard and Kaidan turned to Julia. Robert stepped up to her. "Then I guess it's up to us," he said.

"No."

Ambassador Atama shook his head. "We cannot afford to provoke the Terminus Systems at this critical juncture in the war with the Reich," Atama said. His voice was brusque and his accent stilted. "All missions to Ilos are banned."

"With all due respect, Mister Ambassador, I am a Paladin," Robert replied. "I'll do what I think necessary. And you don't have the authority to forbid me or Captain Andreys from acting."

The older Dorei man frowned. "I do not, true. But President Morgan does, Captain, and my direction comes straight from him. His orders are clear. No Alliance starship will go anywhere near Ilos." Atama's attention turned to Julia. "Captain Andreys, if your vessel or the _Koenig_ or even one of your light vessels even approach the Widow Mass Relay without orders from Command, you will be court-martialed. Is that clear?"

Julia kept a neutral expression on her face. "It is, Mister Ambassador."

"Good. This is a delicate time for the Alliance and rogue operations cannot be tolerated." Atama gave a pointed look to Robert before continuing to speak to Julia. "Given the situation at the front in S4W8, your presence is needed here, Captain. Report to Captain King immediately. She is in command of all Alliance starships cooperating with the Citadel defense fleet. That is all." With that the older Dorei man walked away.

Julia let out the breath she'd mostly been holding. Her neutral expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry," she said to Shepard. "It looks like Atama and Udina are together on this."

Shepard looked to Robert. "You've got a direct line to President Morgan, right?"

"I do. And I can try to make some calls and see if I can convince him otherwise, but if I can't, we'll need another option." Robert sighed. "I may know someone who can get us to Ilos, but I've got no idea where Druni and Lennier are, and it might take too long for them to get to the Citadel."

"Plus they only have that armed courier starship," Julia reminded him. "It may be well-armed for its size but I doubt it can take on even a light warship. The Geth will shoot you down long before you make orbit."

Robert shrugged. "I suppose the _Eagle_ is another possibility. Beth might have problems with Morgan afterward… but we're still dealing with time problems here, especially if Yoni Shaham is off on a mission." He looked to Meridina. "Anyone in the Order we can ask for help?"

"I can investigate, but as noted, time is our great enemy," she replied. "While we have many acquaintances and allies, even enemies, who might help on this matter, the matter of how much time it would take to meet with them is still an issue."

"Enemies?" Kaidan asked, confused.

Robert knew what she meant. "As bad as an idea as it'd probably be, I'm desperate enough that if Hawk and his band of brain-fried lunatics were here I'd still ask them for the ride."

"I may have some ideas."

Everyone turned to face Anderson. He was primarily looking at Shepard. She returned the look from her mentor. "Come meet me at Flux. It's a casino down in the Wards, right by C-Sec HQ. We need to have a drink." With that, he continued on past them.

"I have a feeling I shouldn't be anywhere _near_ a bar right now," Julia said innocently. "Commander?"

Meridina nodded. "Agreed. It would be most unwise given the preparations we must make."

"I'll let you know what you've missed, if I can," Robert promised as they walked away.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm actually feeling a little lucky," Shepard said. "Let's check this Flux place out." 

* * *

Instead of returning straight to the _Aurora_ , Julia beamed over to the _Excalibur_ first. Part of this was genuine curiosity; she'd never been aboard the battlecruiser or its sister ships, so she wanted to see what it was like. Getting the chance to speak to Captain King face-to-face was the other part.

An Alakin male with rust-colored feathers and greenish-gray mottled skin was at the transporter controls when she arrived. He stood at attention until Julia nodded and stepped out of the room. The corridor was mostly like that of the _Aurora_ , but it seemed slightly smaller and not as inviting. As if to reinforce the _Excalibur_ was a warship first and foremost, and wasn't here for the comfort of crew and visitors.

Regardless of differing size, Julia found the turbolift station in the same spot she would on the _Aurora_. It brought her up to the bridge of the big ship. She immediately noted that, like the Alakin, all of the officers were armed, wearing their side-arms on their hips in holsters. The bridge layout was nearly the same as that of the _Aurora_ , save that the helm was alone in the center of the front area. Operations was across from Tactical, to the rear port side of the bridge. A Human woman with East Asian coloring manned that station. Tactical was manned by a Dorei man of light purple complexion with dark blue spotting and hair. A dark-furred felinoid Rr'timm, female Julia thought, sat at the nearby sensors station, looking very alert.

From the central chair a tall man of African complexion stood. Besides height he seemed very much on the thin side. "Captain Andreys, I am Commander Jean-Bertrand Granville, First Officer," he said. His accent had a French feel to it, but Julia didn't think it sounded like Patrice Laurent's or any of the other people she'd met from Francophone Africa. She guessed he might be from the Caribbean, or a colony world settled by one of the French-speaking Caribbean islands.

"Commander Granville, a pleasure." Julia extended her hand.

Granville accepted it. "The Captain is in her office." He indicated the door Julia expected to lead to the ready office, since it was the same door on her bridge. "It is an honor to meet you, Captain. I read the report on your stand at Tira. If you do nothing else in your career, and I know this is unlikely, Tira will guarantee you a place among our Alliance's greatest starship captains. My only regret was that we weren't there."

"Thank you." Julia got the feeling Granville had deep feelings about Tira, but this wasn't the place to ask. "If we have time, I'm open to discussing what happened at Tira. For now, I'd better get to Captain King." With a nod of further thanks and a smile, she headed toward the door.

Inside King's office was surprisingly welcoming. Julia had expected something spartan from the coolly professional King, but she had a welcoming couch at the wall to Julia's left and two comfortable chairs across from a desk that looked like it was made of a fine tropical wood. A hardlight-projector for a control board was set into the top, as was a holo-viewer. It was active at the moment, showing a report. King was seated and looking it over, her brown eyes fixed for the moment on the report. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a regulation bun at the back of her head. After a moment she looked up. "Ah, Captain Andreys." King rose from her chair. A thin smile that was, for King, a gesture of warm camaraderie appeared on the Englishwoman's face. "It has been a while. We have both had eventful years, it seems. My congratulations to you for your successes at New Caprica, Phi Perseus, and Tira. And now Noveria, I have heard."

"Thank you, Captain. I hear congratulations are in order to you for the Arkanis issue as well, not to mention the _Excalibur_ 's role in the fighting in Argolis."

"It was quite the action. We spent three weeks in drydock." King nodded. "However did you manage to get Commander Granville to let go of your hand?"

"Easily, I guess. I got the feeling he was very impressed by what happened at Tira."

"He's from New Domingo in C5O2, Captain, from the Haitian settlements. If you're aware of the history, you'll understand why he would be impressed by Tira."

Julia tried to think of what she'd heard of C5O2. "I'm afraid I'm not very familiar with that world. I seem to recall it's a barely-habitable tropical planet?"

"It is. With low gravity. An unscrupulous colonization corporation misled the initial colonizers on the world's nature, leaving them trapped on a world that claimed over a quarter of the original colonists in the first year after they landed. They had to turn to artificial reproduction to keep the colony viable. And to make matters worse, when reserves of Cameronite were found in its mountains an Eastern Coalition megacorp tried to seize control of the planet. By the time the British Stellar Union intervened, over half of the population had been wiped out." A grim look formed on King's face. "That was half a century ago, mind you. But it's going to be a sore spot for them for a long time. I imagine Commander Granville is thinking about how your ship might have saved millions of his people had you only been there."

"You're from C5O2, aren't you?" Julia asked.

"I am. I transferred from the Royal Star Navy under the affiliation treaty signed when the Alliance was formed," King replied. "If you must know, my aunt and a distant cousin both served in the intervention fleet under Admiral Kenyatta. I may have allowed that history to influence my decision to ask Commander Granville to be my XO, although his performance on the _Churchill_ early in the war more than justifies it."

Julia remembered that ship, a Stellar Union dreadnought. It'd been nearly wrecked fighting the Nazis in the early weeks of the war. She nodded in agreement.

"Well, now that we have established a rapport, we should get down to business," King declared. "I have orders directly from Command to join our ships to the Citadel Defense Fleet in preparation for an attack by the rogue Spectre Saren Arterius and his Geth forces. Just an hour ago those orders were amended to include keeping you from sending any ships to Ilos. You are under my direct command for this operation."

There was no keeping the frustration off of Julia's face. For one, she admittedly found it very irritating that King was in overall command, not as a slight against King, but because it was a deliberate snubbing. _And not by Maran_. "Who sent these orders, if I may ask?"

"They come directly from Defense Minister Hawthorne himself," King replied. Her look was enough to tell that she suspected the same motives Julia did. "I admit they seem rather… unnecessary. As if the Minister believes you will, at the first opportunity, race off into the Terminus Systems."

"If he read my report from Noveria and the attached report from Rob… from Captain Dale about Virmire, he knows we want to go to Ilos."

"Ah, that was the world he mentioned in the order. Something about it being a wild goose chase, some mythical Prothean world." King settled into her chair and motioned for Julia to take one. "My greatest concern is over Sovereign's capabilities."

"Did you see the _Koenig_ 's logs on Sovereign, Captain?" Julia asked.

"I did. There is certainly something unique about the ship. It doesn't fit anything like Geth technology. Commander Stirling, my Chief Engineer, has already reviewed the logs and insists the ship doesn't match any known Geth profile." King's face settled into a concerned frown. "I have read the reports on the E5B1 First Ones, and on your encounter with an ancient vessel in the Fracture a few months ago. And I'm aware that Sovereign matches a profile in the Darglan Omega Threat listing. That it's a threat is not disputed." King shrugged. "That said, it's obvious forces in Portland see it as a waste of time."

"Or a chance to suck up to the Council, like Ambassador Udina is."

King chuckled mirthlessly. "He is quite the creature, yes. A political animal with a monomania when it comes to the Systems Alliance's role on the Citadel. The man won't be happy until he's a member of the Council himself."

"I'm more concerned with Atama," said Julia. "I don't mind giving respect to Ambassadors, but trying to issue orders…"

"Most inappropriate, yes. For the duration, Captain, you answer to me, not him." King sighed. "I'm sure you feel slighted given the seniority issue, but Command has made its decision. I know you well enough to know it rankles."

"It does," Julia admitted. "But I won't hold it against you. Whatever happens, whatever Saren pulls, we'll be ready for it here." _We just have to hope it's not a lost cause because nobody stops Saren from using the Conduit_.

"I appreciate the thought, Captain," King said. "I'd like to have a joint command staff meeting within twenty-four hours to go over the logs on the Geth ships and on Sovereign. If we're attacked, I want to be ready. Can I do anything else for you?"

"No, not at all," said Julia. "I'll get back to the ship and make sure everything's ready."

"I must insist on maximum readiness, liberties to the Citadel will be restricted until further notice."

"Agreed." With that, Julia stood. "I'll talk to you later, Captain."

"Of course. Until then." King purposely refused to state the usual "You are dismissed", knowing full well it would be rubbing salt on the wound. She watched Julia leave and returned to her report-reading.

* * *

The Flux Casino was a colorful, lively place. The lower floor had a dance floor being used by two very enthusiastic Asari and a nearly-as-enthusiastic Miqo'te couple. Robert noticed a Lurian from S5T3 chatting up the Human woman manning the bar. He looked familiar, but Robert couldn't place where he'd seen him before.

They found Anderson at a table off to the side. A small glass of what Robert was sure was something alcoholic was in his hand, half-finished. Anderson wasn't in uniform but wearing a blue and gray civilian suit, in contrast to Shepard still being in N7 combat armor and Robert in his Gersallian-style _swevyra'se_ armor. Kaidan was likewise still in combat wear. "Commander, I see you're still ready for anything."

"C-Sec's not happy about it either," Shepard noted. "But Saren may still have agents on the Citadel. And the last time I was here I ended up having to shoot my way through Chora's Den, so I probably pissed off quite a few of the local crooks too."

"Good. That's how I trained you to think," Anderson said. They all took seats with him. "We need to get you to Ilos. Staying here waiting for Saren to attack is going to get us all killed."

"I need a ship," Shepard said. "Something that can sneak through the Mu Relay."

"Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of clout," said Anderson. "Udina would see it coming and head it off at the pass. He won't allow anything to disturb his good standing with the Council."

"If we had more time, I could get independent ships to get us there," Robert said. "But I have a feeling we're running out of time. Benezia transmitted the coordinates to the Mu Relay to Saren. He has the Cipher from the Thorian and I'm damn sure that beacon he had on Virmire worked for him. He's probably already on his way to Ilos, if he hasn't already gotten there."

"Then we need a ship already here. A ship that can get to Ilos." Shepard looked to Robert. "Do you think we could slip the _Koenig_ out?"

"Maybe. If we're willing to destroy Julia's career, and Atreiad's," Robert said glumly. "The orders come straight from the top, and Paladins don't have the leeway Spectres do. I can't just countermand them."

"I'm not sure I could either," said Shepard.

"I know Julia. She'd do it if it's our only option," said Robert. "But I don't want to make her. Not if we have an alternative."

"We do," said Anderson. "When I leave here, I can go to Station Control in C-Sec HQ. I'll slip in and override the lock on the _Normandy_. You fly her out."

"Anderson, you could get killed," Shepard said. "C-Sec's not going to ask questions, they're just going to shoot."

"I'm willing to risk it."

"What if we could get Udina to override the lock?" Robert asked. "Or, more accurately, take over his console and do it?"

"That's certainly something that would work," Anderson agreed. "Although I'm likely to face a mutiny charge afterward. Udina's not going to let that slide."

Robert considered what Anderson was saying. He didn't like the thought that what he was effectively doing was putting Julia's welfare above Anderson's. It felt… vaguely selfish.

Anderson seemed to notice his dislike, as did Shepard. "It's fine, Captain," Anderson said. "My career is mostly over anyway. Captain Andreys still has years ahead of her to benefit everyone. I'd rather end my career doing something meaningful than retiring to fade away."

"If you had to pick, which would you do?" Robert asked. "C-Sec or Udina?"

Anderson chuckled. "As if you have to ask? Udina. And I hope he's in his office. I'd love an excuse to give that man a good punch to the face."

"Anderson, I'm sorry," Shepard said. Robert sensed her fear for him and her sadness at the sacrifice he was about to make. "Maybe there's another way…"

"There isn't. Nothing we can do in time," Anderson said. "Which we're rapidly running out of. Get going. It won't take me long to get to Udina's office. Signal me when you're ready. And once you're out, burn hard for the Relay and don't look back."

"We will." Shepard extended a hand to her commander and mentor. "And we'll have a beer and share a laugh about this when we get back."

To that Anderson laughed. "If we can before they haul us away for a court-martial, certainly." With that he put his now-empty glass down and walked away.

"We'd better get going," Kaidan said.

"Whatever happens on Ilos, it's going to be tight," Shepard said, looking to Robert. "Do you think we could get Lucero involved?"

Robert shook his head. "Not without tipping people off that we're up to something."

"Right. If your ships are in position to stop us…"

"I wouldn't want to test to see if Joker can break free from a tractor beam," Robert finished for her.

Shepard stood. "Then let's get going."

As she spoke, Robert brought up his left arm and activated his omnitool. "And while we do, I need to make an arrangement." He tapped the commlink. "Dale to _Aurora_. I need someone to put me through to Doctor T'Soni. I have something to show her and I need to meet her on the Citadel."

* * *

When Meridina became First Officer, one of the changes to her life was moving from the security chief office deeper in the ship to the First Officer's office on Deck 3. Her study of the Stellar Navy's statements on her duties and related recommendations led her to the practice of maintaining a two hour block every day in the office, after her main bridge shift was over, to allow the officers and crew of the _Aurora_ to meet with her on whatever matter they deemed necessary.

For the most part these meetings went swiftly. Crew members registered complaints, gave recommendations regarding the running of the ship or the behavior of their peers, or matters relating to their careers and advancement in the rates. Occasionally a department or shift supervisor would discuss planned promotions, or make arrangements for crew-bonding exercises. Hargert would make the occasional appearance for assistance with acquiring stores for his kitchen, often plying her with his increasingly-refined efforts at Gersallian cuisine.

Given the lingering headache Meridina felt - probably from the concussion she'd suffered on Noveria - she was looking forward to Hargert's culinary efforts and was nearly ready to leave her office when the door swished open. Major Anders walked in. His olive brown uniform, marked with rank insignia and his name, was noticeably different from Meridina's black-with-burgundy red-trim Stellar Navy uniform. She recalled that the uniform style of the Humans' American nation was the dominant influence on the Alliance Marine duty uniform, albeit with an Alakin-inspired collar, while the Stellar Navy uniform was modeled in the style of the United Federation of Planet's Starfleet in honor of a former Starfleet officer, Carlton Farmer, who died to stop the Daleks of Universe W8R4 from seizing a Darglan Facility. Meridina found an appreciating symmetry there, given Farmer was the primary builder of the _Aurora_ and contributed several ship design concepts to what became the Alliance.

Her meandering thoughts - her father and her teacher would be disappointed that she was letting them wander like that, brain injury or no - ended when Anders stood at attention and said, "Commander, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

"You are not, Major," Meridina assured him. She gestured to a seat. "I have not seen you take advantage of my open office hours before."

"I haven't really had cause to, ma'am. Captain Andreys and Commander Richmond usually handle any issues I may have," Anders answered. Meridina considered the dark-haired man. His complexion was close to Lucy's. She recalled he was a… what was the term? She remembered Lucy using "Native American", but Tom Barnes had used "Indian" before to describe Anders, but he looked nothing like the "Indians" Meridina had met before, like Queen Geeta III of the British Stellar Union or Kaveri Varma, the Human lover of the Dilgar leader Shai'jhur.

"What might I do for you, Major?" Meridina asked.

"I wanted to discuss Lieutenant Lucero with you," he said. "I know you trained her in this life force arts mysticism."

"I did," said Meridina. "This is about Noveria, then?"

"It is." Anders took the offered seat. "I'm going to be honest. If she were a Marine officer, I would have already had her shipped off to another posting. She made a command-level decision in my presence without consulting me. It was unacceptable."

"You mean her freeing of the Rachni Queen."

"I do. And I get why she did it. I might've made the same choice myself. But it made clear to me the way she views her position here, and it's not acceptable. Not to me. Otherwise you may as well promote her to Commander and put her in charge of my Marines."

Meridina sensed the aggravation in the Marine commander. She knew this was not a case of the kind of toxic distrust and bigotry that Admiral Davies and his supporters felt toward those with active _swevyra_. Anders had a legitimate complaint, just as a _Mastrash_ would if a field Knight usurped authority in the same fashion. "I see. I can speak with her about it. And I can explain, if you wish."

"I'm guessing this kind of behavior is to be expected in Knights, or whatever you call yourselves?" Anders asked.

"To a degree… one of the critical elements of how our _swevyra_ , I mean our abilities, works… it involves certainty, Major. In training we are told not to try anything. We simply _do_. When we act, we must do so without any doubt. It is how we influence the universe around us with the Flow of Life. And I admit it does lead to this kind of behavior. Lucy's ability to sense what will happen from her actions encourages her to act with such resolution. I have done the same."

Anders listened to the explanation quietly. When Meridina finished he nodded. "I see. But it doesn't excuse not consulting me. Or running into a fight without coordinating tactics, like she did on Therum."

"Yes. Over time, Knights learn to discern the certainty they need for their actions from the need to act in a unit, when they are in such circumstances. Lucy is learning this as well. Admittedly Commander Kane was always one for tolerating our, as he put it, 'Goddamned crazy stuff'."

Anders grinned slightly at that. "I've heard good things about Major Kane, but I'm not him. If I'm going to work with Lieutenant Lucero, I need her to cooperate with me. Not just assume I'll chase off after her."

"I will discuss the matter with her, Major, I assure you." Meridina said nothing on the thought that came to her, that Robert wanted Lucy for his team. "Is there anything else?"

"Nothing at the moment, Commander. Thank you for your time."

Meridina nodded. "You are welcome, Major."

* * *

Liara was not fooled by Robert's call. Whatever naivety others felt she possessed, she knew there was only one real reason he'd want her on the _Normandy_. And she was eager to follow through on it. The moment she got the call from him she went to work gathering things on the _Aurora_ and putting them in a carrying bag provided by the replicator.

She was about to leave when there was a chime at the door. Liara finished packing before turning and saying, "Come in!"

When the door opened, it was Caterina Delgado who entered. The short Human sometimes looked and sounded younger than she really was, and usually her enthusiasm could be infectious. But right now Liara thought she seemed reserved. And awkward, which she often was when she ran into Liara while alone. "Are you okay? I wanted to check…" Cat stopped when she noticed the open bag. Liara zipped the bag close. "Are you… going somewhere?"

Liara nodded. "I'm going to check something on the Citadel with your friend, Robert."

Cat nodded. "How long are you going to be over there. I was going to offer to share a meal with you. Beaming to the Citadel is restricted right now but Hargert's cooking dinner for everyone…"

"I'm not sure," Liara said. "Thank you for the offer, but I have other things I need to be doing right now."

"I… I suppose." It was clear that Cat wasn't fooled either. "I was just coming to see how you were feeling. I mean, about your loss."

 _I am so proud of you, Little Wing_. Her mother's last words echoed in Liara's mind. Her heart ached with the loss. All of her hopes of eventually winning her mother's respect in her field, of getting Benezia to recognize Liara by her own merits… they'd died along with Benezia in that chamber of Peak 15's sub-glacial level. With the pain of that knowledge came a surge of sheer anger. _This is all Saren's fault!_

"Thank you, Lieutenant… Caterina," Liara replied. "You've been understanding."

"I know what it's like. I still miss my Mama, and when I lost her…" Tears formed in Cat's hazel eyes. "...I almost stopped. Living, I mean. My Mama meant everything to me. If not for Angel…"

Liara nodded. "You're lucky. I didn't have a sister growing up." She picked up the bag. "I really should be going. Captain Dale is waiting."

Cat nodded and stepped out of the quarters. When Liara moved past her, she asked, "Whatever you're doing, please be careful. Both you and Rob."

"I…" Liara stopped and nodded. "I'll pass it on. Thank you for your concern. If things were normal right now, I would enjoy the chance to talk to someone." With those parting words Liara continued on to the nearest Transporter Station. 

* * *

In her ready office Julia went over the reports for the day and made sure to schedule the meeting with the _Excalibur_ command crew. It would come after the meeting that Asari Matriarch Lidanya, the commander of the _Destiny Ascension_ , was already calling for the ship captains.

Even with these thoughts, she was wondering what was going on with Robert. She knew he was trying to find a way to Ilos himself, but that he hadn't checked in… Ultimately, Julia sighed and decided to check into it herself. "Computer, locate Agent Dale," she asked aloud.

" _Paladin Agent Dale is not aboard_ ," the feminine computer voice replied.

Julia's face curled into a small smile. _'Paladin' Dale. It fits so well, doesn't it?_ "Has he returned to the ship at all in the last five hours?"

" _Search complete. No movement activity from Paladin Agent Dale has been logged. One communication logged_."

Julia suspected that with Paladin operating codes Robert could, if he really wanted, come and go without the computer logging his arrival. But she was certain that wasn't the case here. Hearing the latter item she asked, "Who did he contact?"

" _Civilian guest Doctor Liara T'Soni_."

That clinched it. She tapped the button on her desk to activate a commlink. "Andreys to Dale."

After several moments Robert's face appeared on the holo-viewer on her desk. Given the background behind him, Julia could see he was aboard the _Normandy_. " _Dale here_ ," he said.

"Is everything okay? I thought you'd be back aboard by now," she asked.

" _Oh, I'm just finishing up some things here on the_ Normandy. _Goodbyes to say, favors to return. I'll get my gear and be back on the_ Aurora _soon._ "

There was another incoming communication, audio-only. Julia accepted it. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, this is Chief Hajaman at Transporter Station Two_ ," a Gersallian-accented female voice answered. " _Doctor T'Soni is requesting permission to beam to the_ Normandy. _But she doesn't have any authorization to leave the ship, and while I know she's not a full crew member, the orders I was given were pretty clear about the restrictions on transporter use..._ "

Overhearing this, Robert smiled thinly. " _I asked her to come. You can use my authorization codes if you want._ " His meaning behind it was obvious. Robert was trying to protect her and the crew from any repercussions of whatever he was up to.

"If you want," Julia said, knowing full well Robert wouldn't rest easy if she rebuffed him. She made sure Robert's call was patched in completely with the Chief's commlink.

" _Chief Hajaman, Authorization Code Dale Papa Alpha Kilo 4324. Doctor T'Soni is responding to my request._ "

" _Understood sir. Code authenticated. I'm transporting Doctor T'Soni now. Hajaman out._ "

With that done Robert's attention returned to Julia. " _It's just some discussions I want to have while I wrap things up here. We'll both be back as soon as we can get away._ "

Julia smiled thinly. Robert was selling a good line, but she could see the knowing look in his green eyes. He, or Shepard, was up to something. "Good to hear. You've been missed. And I could use the extra pair of eyes should Tom get into trouble again. He's always up to mischief, isn't he?"

" _Always_ ," Robert agreed, smiling. " _I'll deal with it_."

"Good luck with that. And remember that promise you'd be back aboard when this was over. You'd better keep it."

Robert nodded at that. " _I intend to. Dale out._ "

After his image disappeared, Julia looked at the inactive holo-viewer frame for a moment. "God, keep him alive," she finally said quietly. "Please."

* * *

When the door to Udina's office opened, he glanced up in time to see it was Captain Anderson. "What is it, Anderson?" he demanded. "I've got business to attend to…" As he spoke, Anderson continued to approach him in a confident stride. "What are you…?"

By this point Anderson was in reach. His fist shot forward so swiftly Udina had no chance to react. He felt a surge of pain and then blackness.

Anderson, knowing he didn't have much time if anyone below heard Udina calling out to him, didn't bother pulling the ambassador from his seat. He knelt over the desk and ran his fingers along the hardlight keyboard. With Udina's systems unlocked he was able to swiftly interact with the dock systems. He found the order to secure the _Normandy_ from launch and rescinded it with a couple of key presses.

 _There you go, Shepard_ , he thought. _I've done what I can. It's all up to you._

Robert was standing behind Shepard in the cockpit area of the _Normandy_. Many of the others were present as well. Shepard and Joker were both watching the dock systems interlink like hawks. Robert felt their impatience for the red lights, showing the _Normandy_ was locked into place and forbidden to leave, to change.

Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. He felt impatient himself for something to happen, anything. Seeing the lights go green drew a sigh of relief he'd not intended to make.

"Take us out, now," Shepard ordered.

"With pleasure, ma'am," replied Joker. He interacted with the dock control and triggered the magnetic grapples to withdraw. With expert precision Joker pulled the _Normandy_ out of the dock and turned her toward the open end of the Citadel. Her engines lit up and she shot off at maximum burn for freedom. 

* * *

Julia stepped out onto the bridge and looked to Jarod. "Report."

"The _Normandy_ just flew out of the dock," he replied. Julia noticed a slight smile start to form on his face. "Ambassador Atama is screaming for us to intercept her before she can reach the Relay."

"Lieutenant, put the Ambassador on," Julia ordered, glancing toward Tra'dur, currently manning Ops.

"Yes Captain," Tra'dur answered. As always, her English was accented to make her sound Anglo-Indian.

The holo-viewer went from the view of _Normandy_ burning away to Atama in his office. The aged Dorei male had an irritated expression. " _Captain, I know for certain that the_ Normandy _'s launch was unauthorized. Commander Shepard's gone rogue. Intercept her and tractor her back to the Citadel._ "

Julia forced complete neutrality on her face, hiding the smile she wanted to form. "Ambassador, I'll remind you I'm under the most strict orders not to move the _Aurora_ from her position with the Citadel defense fleet. I'm afraid I cannot do anything."

To that Atama's face turned into a deep frown. " _Captain, I am ordering you to stop the_ Normandy _!_ "

"As you admitted earlier, you have no authority to order me to do anything, Ambassador," Julia replied. "In fact, the only thing you did was relay my orders from Command, including the provision that without their prior instructions the mere movement of my vessel toward the Relay would be punished by court-martial. Unless you have authorization from Command to the contrary, I have to assume that provision is still in place. I'm not going to throw my career away for Ambassador Udina's reputation."

Angrily Atama reached for his controls. A moment later Captain King's image appeared. She was still in her ready office. " _Captain King, I must insist you intercept the_ Normandy _and relieve Captain Andreys from her post! Shepard's gone rogue and Captain Andreys is clearly in collusion…_ "

" _Unfortunately, Mister Ambassador, we cannot move from our station at the Citadel,_ " King replied bluntly. " _My orders came straight from Minister Hawthorne. Captain Andreys is only obeying those instructions to the letter, as is appropriate. We cannot pursue_ Normandy _without instructions from the Defense Minister._ " Julia thought King was ready to smile herself. " _As for her purported 'collusion' with Shepard's act of barratry, I believe you personally informed her of the repercussions for disobeying Hawthorne's orders. It is hardly collusion, then, for the Captain to obey her instructions under such circumstances._ "

" _Do you realize the repercussions of your refusal to act?_ " Atama demanded.

" _That, I believe, is your department, Mister Ambassador, not ours. Good day._ Excalibur _out._ " King's image disappeared from the screen.

With a disgusted look, Atama closed the channel. Against the holo-viewer showed the _Normandy_ , now approaching the Mass Relay.

"At this point, I do not believe we could catch them even if we could try," Tra'dur noted. "They are already preparing transit."

"Anyone trying to stop them?"

"No. Not at all."

Julia nodded. "We'll see how this goes then." She went over and sat at her command chair for the moment. "Monitor them until they make the transit."

"Aye Captain," said Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad, the junior science/sensor specialist officer manning that station at the moment.

"Robert's with Shepard, isn't he?" Jarod asked.

"He is." Julia nodded. "God help them both."

With that, the bridge personnel resumed work, and Julia and Jarod watched quietly as the _Normandy_ approached the Mass Relay. Blue energy crackled like lightning from the core of the Relay, linking to the _Normandy_. Blue light surged around the frigate until she was zipped away by the ancient device to another section of the galaxy.


	59. Episode 3-11-2 Chasing the Cycle

The _Normandy_ 's route to the other side of the galaxy was going to take time, given the need to avoid the Arcturus Relay. They were two transits out when Shepard assembled every spare member of the crew in the mess hall. Only Joker, Adams, and a couple of command deck personnel were not physically present, but they would probably be listening in on the ship's intercom.

Six weeks ago, when he was newly-arrived to the _Normandy_ , Robert might have stood off to the side, out of respect to not being an official member of the crew. But now he stood with Kaidan and Garrus. Tali, Wrex, and Ashley were seated at the table, along with newcomer Liara. Doctor Chakwas was in her chair, rolled out from her nearby infirmary. Navigator Pressly stood near Shepard. "I almost can't believe it," he said. "I never imagined I'd ever be part of something like that."

"I'm going to reflect in my final report that I acted on my own authority and didn't give you time to leave the ship," Shepard said. "It may be enough to protect you."

"To hell with that, Commander!" Pressly declared. "I'm with you on this one. This has to be done, and we're the crew to do it!" As he declared this Robert noticed he glanced toward the aliens, especially Tali. And while before he'd always sensed at least a little uncertainty, even distaste, from the man toward the non-Humans, today there was nothing but pride and respect. Robert wanted to smile just for that.

Pressly's declaration resulted in Chakwas calling out "Hear hear!", and the Human crewmembers all cheered.

Shepard beamed with pride, prompting further applause from her crew. But Robert sensed the guilt inside of her. Shepard knew that they would be held just as responsible by the Systems Alliance. Her actions were going to harm them all.

 _Compared to the Reapers, it's nothing_ , Robert thought, using the Flow of Life to send the thought into Shepard's being. Shepard looked his way and nodded. Her guilty feelings cleared up.

"Do we have any idea what we'll find when we get there?" asked Ashley.

"We know there are ruins of some kind," Shepard replied.

"We know of Ilos through references in other recovered Prothean sites," Liara explained. "Images. It appears to have been both a city and a research colony of Prothean civilization. But I can't tell you what to expect."

"Then we have to be ready for anything," said Garrus.

"That's the Marine motto," Ashley said.

"Uh, you mean the Scouts, don't you Sergeant?" Kaidan asked.

To that she smiled in amusement. "They got it from us."

"I'm… not so sure of that," Robert replied. "But wherever it's from, it's what we're facing."

"What about your mystic life force thing?" Kaidan asked. "Is that giving you any insights?"

Robert responded by concentrating for a moment. Usually it only gave him a sense of what to expect. Instead he felt himself fall away from the assembled. He was back in the Council Chamber. Flames still burned from damage around him. The broken bodies of Geth surrounded him. And in front of him, Shepard and Saren were facing off, Saren standing at the audience platform of the Chamber. "This is the only way!" Saren insisted.

"You know it's not!" Shepard replied. "That's Sovereign talking! You have to fight it!"

"I… I'm not… I have to…"

The vision ended abruptly. Robert realized why from the pain rippling up from his backside. He'd literally fallen on his ass, much to his chagrin, while everyone on the crew watched in mystification. He blinked. "It's… it's a vision I've seen before," he said. "Never so strongly…"

"What was happening?"

"We… I saw you and Saren, arguing in the Citadel Council chamber," Robert replied. "As if we'd just fought our way through a bunch of Geth."

"Wait." Ashley frowned. "On the Citadel? But isn't Saren heading to Ilos?"

"You don't think we're wrong, do you?" Tali asked.

Robert could sense Shepard's little particle of doubt. That Saren was seeking the Conduit was indisputable, but was he going to hit the Citadel first for some reason? Had she misjudged him? He drew in a breath. "No, I don't think we're doing the wrong thing," he said. "That's still only a possible future. And it may be something that happens after we deal with the Conduit."

"Have you ever had these future flashes turn out wrong?" Wrex asked.

Robert shuddered. "Yes. Thank God." His mind flashed back to Canary Wharf in London, Earth W8R4. The visions of the result of the Darkness coming through the rift the Daleks created to counter the Doctor's plans had been both horrifying and so strong as to debilitate him. From remembering that occasion, a part of him now wondered if the intensity of these visions was tied to his use of the Time Vortex.

"It doesn't matter," Garrus insisted. "Wherever Saren's going, there's something on Ilos that he wants. If we find it first, maybe we can use it against him."

"Yeah."

"I'm not sure what this Conduit is," Liara said. "But it's clearly crucial to Saren's plan. Leaving the Citadel _was_ the right thing to do, Commander Shepard."

Shepard looked to Robert again. He could sense his expression as it appeared in her eyes. He was certain. This helped her own certainty push down that particle of fear that she'd chosen wrong. "Alright," she said. "According to Joker, we won't be at Ilos for a few hours. Everyone should get some rest. You're all dismissed."

* * *

It was getting late in the _Aurora_ work day when Julia finally got out of the meetings in the Citadel Tower. Matriarch Lidanya's defense planning was thorough, at least. In addition, should the Citadel's perimeter be breached, the _Destiny Ascension_ was bringing aboard the Council until further notice, ensuring a decapitation strike by Saren against the Citadel itself would not remove the Council from communication. The defense fleet therefore had two objectives: protecting the _Destiny Ascension_ as well as the Citadel.

Julia found that part, giving the Council equal priority, disconcerting. While she understood the importance of maintaining galactic government, she couldn't help but think that three lives versus seven million was an easy choice. Even if the Council were wiped out, the three governments of the Council species would have backups ready to take their seats. Wouldn't they? She found herself wondering, darkly, if the Citadel races were in fact so arrogant and certain that they didn't have continuity of government and succession protocols in play for their Council members.

While thinking Julia began to walk idly through the Presidium. She started on one of the crossbridges spanning the waterway running down the middle of the lush space. She glanced in the direction of a sight she remembered from her last visit to the Citadel, nearly two years before when she accompanied Lieutenant Commander Data of Starfleet on a visit. A scale replica of a Mass Relay was on a pedestal at the edge of the water. According to the history, the Asari found it when they first discovered the Citadel nearly three thousand years in the past. Possibly, Julia considered, within just a few centuries of the Darglan exploration of the M4P2 universe. _How would history in this universe be different if the Asari, like the Gersallians, were space-faring early enough to encounter the Darglan?_

"Well, someone looks thoughtful."

Julia's eyes widened at the familiar voice. She turned, a stunned if happy smile on her face, and immediately embraced the speaker.

"Woh." Zack Carrey laughed. "You act like you haven't seen me in ages."

"It's been months," she pointed out, still smiling. She enjoyed his acceptance of the hug for several moments before pulling back. To her surprise, and delight, Zack was in uniform. Black with burgundy red trim, the same as hers, three gold stripes on the neck to her four… the only difference was the silver aiguillette over his left shoulder that latched to the front of his uniform jacket, marking him as a staff officer. "They reactivated your commission?"

"As of a week ago," Zack replied, smiling. "Admiral Maran's assigned me to staff duty until the psychiatrists clear me."

"Then your problems…"

"Not a drop," Zack assured her. "I haven't had even a sip of the stuff since that night on the _Tri'kep_."

Julia recalled the name, that of the Gy'toran wind-sailer Zack and Robert journeyed on some months prior while visiting Gy'sara, the Gy'toran Homeworld. "That's good."

"It is." Zack sighed. "I'm hoping that maybe I can get my ship back. I hear Will Atreiad's been doing great in my place."

"He's a good one, and he tries to emulate your command style, even if it's not what he's used to from Adama."

"Glad to hear it."

"So what are you doing on the Citadel?" Julia asked.

"I arrived a few days ago," Zack said. "I've been assigned as the Alliance military liaison officer to C-Sec. That mostly means handling joint training and equipment deals or dealing with problems concerning Alliance personnel. It's boring work. And local time means this is actually my pre-duty stroll before I have to report to my office at C-Sec HQ."

"Huh. I'm at the end of my day." Julia sighed. "I guess this means no time for dinner?"

"I'm afraid I already had breakfast," Zack said. "Before I looked up the morning's reports and found out you'd made it back."

"You didn't know we'd been recalled?" Julia asked.

"I'm the liaison officer to C-Sec," he said. "Not to the fleet. I wouldn't be on the list to be told first. I get to find out with everyone else." Zack sighed and shrugged. "Although one report they did give me was that the _Normandy_ slipped out without authorization. Robert's with Shepard, isn't he?"

Julia nodded. "He is."

"He'll make it," Zack assured her. "As much as his need to be the hero can be a pain in the ass, he's been getting good at it."

"I know. But I'll still worry." At that, Julia couldn't fight back a yawn. "I'd better get back to the ship. I need to stay rested if the Geth attack."

"Yeah." Zack gave her a small hug, their second of the meeting. "I'll talk to you later, okay. Sleep well."

"Take care of yourself, Zack," Julia said. "And keep going at it. It's time we brought both you and Robert home, where you belong."

To that, Zack could only grin before continuing on to his work. 

* * *

With the day winding down and Talara's training session completed, Lucy headed for the Lookout for a late dinner and the view. Specifically, the view of the Citadel, which was still awe-inspiring to her. She wondered about it; how it was built, why the nebula was chosen for its location, what the builders had intended for it. Was it always meant to be the center of galactic governance, or did it have some deeper purpose?

"You seem preoccupied, Lucy."

Lucy turned her head and looked up. Meridina took a seat beside her, carrying a plate of _liyume_. Presumably cooked by Hargert, just as the half-finished hamburger on Lucy's plate was. "How are you today?"

"I'm alright. I spent the day doing boring operations duty. Helping the damage control teams check their gear lockers, mostly. Making sure the oxygen dischargers and emergency forcefield generators in their equipment were working."

"An important task."

"Yeah, well, at least I didn't have to do the general stores," Lucy said. "With two thousand people aboard, maintenance work on all of them is repetitive. Vital, yeah, but repetitive."

"And how is Talara's training progressing?"

"She's getting there. And is certainly getting used to standing on her head." Lucy leveled a look at her mentor. "But you've got something else on your mind." Lucy focused for a moment. "Let me guess. Anders?"

"He spoke to me today."

Lucy sighed. "Okay, right. Yeah, I didn't consult with him about freeing the Rachni Queen. It was just… so clear to me. That letting her go on her own was the best choice. I just acted. Just as you trained."

"Yes. But there is one thing none can train you to do, Lucy, and that is knowing when to ignore that impulse."

"Given it's vital to how this works…"

"It is difficult, yes," Meridina agreed. "But there are times when it is not politic to do so. Major Anders doesn't have the same experience with us that Commander Kane did. You must build trust with him. It will take much effort, and you may have to ignore your _swevyra_ at times."

"I guess." Lucy sighed. "This military stuff, it's… I get the chain of command issue, I do, but I don't think it really matters who makes the right decision when it's made."

"Others will feel otherwise." Meridina used a utensil, the Gersallian equivalent of a fork, to pick at the folded over _liyume_ on her plate. "While there are many reasons _swevyra'se_ do not serve with military forces, I suspect this is one of the more obscure reasons."

"Makes sense." Lucy shrugged. "Maybe I should just resign my commission then."

Meridina gave her a concerned look.

"Rob wants me on his Paladin team, right?" Lucy asked. Meridina nodded once to show she knew. "Well, I don't _have_ to be a serving officer. Not anymore than Garrus or Tali is with Shepard."

"Somehow, Lucy, I suspect that will not solve the problem. Not unless you never work with Major Anders again. And I think that would be a mistake."

"It's not like I'm out to undermine him, Meridina," Lucy protested. "But he's taking this way too seriously. I'm not one of his Marines and I never will be. It's not going to reflect anything on him if I act as I feel I need to instead of asking his permission for decisions. It's not just that either." Lucy put her hands together before her. "Julia's right, I'm not even an operations officer anymore, not a proper one. And whatever Richmond thinks or wants, I'm not going to be a security officer either. When it comes down to it, while I love being on the _Aurora_ , I'm not really a comfortable fit as a member of the official crew. So maybe I should embrace what Robert's offering. He and I will do the work that has to be done without having to worry to inform Anders."

"I do not believe the Major is seeking to… put you in your place, or so your thoughts seem to be considering. He has a legitimate cause. You would never have contradicted me, would you? Nor do you try with Jarod or Tom."

"Because I know what they're doing. All Anders has done since he joined this crew is second-guess me. On Noveria, on Therum, and even on Tira. He wants me to fit in a box and I can't. I won't force it."

"Then perhaps you should discuss the matter with him," Meridina recommended.

"Not sure it'll do any good, but I'll try." Lucy caught herself before Meridina could rebuke her. "Not try. Do. I'll convince him."

Meridina smiled thinly. "Good. Now, I ask for your patience. Hargert has informed me he feels this 'paprika' seasoning will enhance the flavor of the _liyume_ , and I am quite curious as to if he is right…"

* * *

A few tables over, Caterina and Angel were finishing a late dinner. Angel could see her sister was in a pensive mood. "How are you doing, Cat?" she asked.

"I'm… okay, I guess," Cat admitted. "I'm just a little worried about Doctor T'Soni."

"She went to the _Normandy_ , didn't she?" At Cat's nod Angel sighed. "Robert is going to be the death of me yet."

"She's going through so much." Cat said, ignoring the remark about Robert. "I wonder if she's thinking this through."

"Whatever she's doing, it's something she has to deal with. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Just look at how we handled it."

Cat nodded. "Do you think she'd be proud of us?" Seeing Angel's questioning look, Cat specified, "Mama. Do you think she'd be proud?"

"Don't you doubt it for a moment, Cat," Angel insisted. "The only thing she'd be upset about is you being in danger. She'd be completely proud of you."

"And you?"

To that Angel's expression shifted to a wry grin. "When she wasn't chewing me out for letting you go into danger, yeah."

Cat giggled at that. "I wish she was here, Angel."

"So do I."

"All of the things we could show her. And the technology… she'd finally be able to stop working all of the time. She could take it easy."

"Mama, take it easy? Ha!" Angel laughed heartily at the mental image of her mother "taking it easy". "Mama would be vacuuming the carpets all across the ship. Just to do it."

Cat shook her head, smiling, although she couldn't quite keep the tears from forming in her eyes. "Yeah, I guess she'd never stop doing things."

"So there you are." Violeta drew their attention before taking a seat. Her plate had a hamburger with lettuce and pickles. Angel recognized the folded over thing beside it as a Gersallian _liyume_. "I finally got off the bridge. It's a shame we're at Condition 1."

"Condition 1?" Angel blinked. "Wait, you mean Code Yellow?"

"Yeah. That." Violeta smiled. "Sorry. I've been reading over some material for my next posting. The Captain's alerted us to some of the operating plans."

"So you know which ship you'll be on?" Angel asked the question so Cat wouldn't have to. She could see the distant, sad look in her sister's eyes.

Violeta noticed the same. She reached over and took Cat's hand. It didn't pass her notice that her girlfriend had been tearing up over something. "Yeah," she said. "The newest of the _Enterprise_ -class ships."

"You mean the _Thunder Child_?" Cat asked.

"No. The one after that. The _Huáscar_."

"As in that Earthforce ship at Tira?"

"Yeah. They ultimately named her from that ship and because the name has a history with the Peruvians and Chileans," Violeta explained. "Captain Varma, or Zhen'var, is going to be in command, and she's already informed the future command officers of some of the operating procedures on the ship. And some of the staff differences from regular Alliance ships. Half of the crew is going to be Dilgar."

"I've heard some of their ships made it to the front after we were pulled out to start hunting Saren," Angel said. "But they're going to actually do that? Give them half the crew of one of the most advanced ships in the Alliance?"

"Yeah, and the captaincy too. I mean, Captain Varma is one of them now. Literally."

"That's… really weird. More than your cousin Louisa," Cat said.

"It is. But I'd be a horrible Sirian if I let it get to me." Violeta put a fork into the _liyume_. "Anyway, she's going to use different operating procedures than we do here on the _Aurora_ , and I've got to brush up on them over the next few weeks before…" Violeta stopped, noticing the pain in Cat's face.

"...before you go," Cat said softly.

"Yeah." Violeta's hand tightened around Cat's a little. "I'm… yeah."

"Well… at least you've got a big opportunity," Cat said. "The newest _Enterprise_ -class. That's… that's really special."

"It is," Violeta agreed, not quite able to hide the guilt in her voice. She knew in her heart she'd make the choice again, to put her career first, but it didn't make it any easier to see how much she was hurting Cat. Whatever distance had grown between them since Cat went traveling with the Doctor, it was still clear that Cat loved having Violeta as a girlfriend, and she wouldn't heal from the loss quickly.

"So how _is_ she running things? Going to run things, I mean?" Angel asked, hoping to distract Cat. "I get the feeling Varma would make Julia look like, well, like Robert when he was Captain."

"Oh, that's a fair judgement," Violeta said knowingly before taking a bite of her food.

* * *

Again Robert took to the medical lab at the back of the infirmary to be alone. Not just to meditate this time, but to practice with the lightsaber Lucy had built for him. The practice orb, running on an anti-grav Lucy built into the bottom, hovered around him, firing pulses of particles every several seconds. He sensed the shots coming and deflected them… or rather most of them. Occasionally he hissed or frowned upon taking a hit that truly stung.

It was ridiculous and frustrating. A year ago, his inferior capabilities with the weapon compared to Lucy were at least understandable. He lacked her capacity for wielding life energy. There were some things he simply wasn't capable of. And that limitation at least made sense to him. It was inherent, and something he couldn't be responsible for.

Now it was different. Instead of his power being insufficient, it was _too_ much. The limitation was now entirely his, from his issues with control. His lack of focus.

He let the frustration build until he was missing more shots than he was hitting. The repeated stings went from mere annoyance to active aggravation. With his frustration peaking, Robert finally reacted by throwing his free hand at the hovering orb, willing it to just go away and stop zapping him.

He knew his mistake the moment the power surged through him, uncontrolled. The wave didn't just gently knock the orb away, but struck it so hard that it was already sparking from damage when it struck the far wall and shattered like a thrown egg. Small machinery pieces rained down to the floor around the impact point.

Dejected and humiliated, Robert disengaged his lightsaber and stormed from the room. He emerged out into the mess area, determined to see if the ship's shower stall was available.

As he walked past the mess area, he heard Kaidan called out, "Is everything okay?" Upon Kaidan seeing the frown still on Robert's face, he chuckled and said, "I guess that answers that. Training problems?"

"You could say that," Robert replied. "I was just going to jump into the shower if I could. While we still had time." He stopped and walked over to Kaidan. "Freshen up."

"I'm not stopping you. Although Ash will probably break your nose if you walk in on her." Kaidan smiled thinly. "Or maybe not." When Robert gave him a bewildered look he chuckled. "Little joke. Someone started a rumor that Ash was _interested_ in you."

"Ha," Robert laughed lamely. "I'd know."

"Yeah. You're not really her type, I think. Maybe if you shaved, cut your hair."

Robert laughed again, but this time with clear amusement. "It seems nobody appreciates my look."

"Well, if you want to look like a warrior monk or something, I suppose that look works," Kaidan said. "So, how's training with that laser sword thing?"

"Not so well. Frustrating, when it shouldn't be." Robert sighed. "And I… _may_ have broken the sparring device my friend made for my training"

"Oh?"

"Okay, not 'may'. Did." Robert shook his head. "Lost my temper, lashed out at it, lost control and smashed it against the wall. It's now a bunch of little pieces in my bag." Robert patted said bag. "Lucy is probably going to yell at me for it. It took her a few hours to build the thing for me."

"Yeah, well, it could be worse," said Kaidan.

"Oh?"

Robert sensed the regret in Kaidan's voice as he spoke. "It could have been her neck you broke."

"Ah." Robert nodded and moved over to a chair. He dropped into it. "I sense a story here."

"From my time in BAaT out at Gagarin Station. Or 'Jump Zero', if you want. It's an old space station that served as the point for our first attempts at faster-than-light travel." Kaidan shook his head. "BAaT stands for 'Biotic Acclimation and Temperance Training'."

"To deal with the first generation of Human biotics," Robert guessed.

"Yeah. Spent months out there, no communications to anywhere else, being tormented by this absolute prick of a teacher that the operating corporation hired. A Turian biotic named Vyrnnus. He was ex-military but still demanded we address him as Commander. Used to brag that he piloted the dreadnought that killed our fathers in the First Contact War."

Robert nodded. He'd read some materials on said conflict, the disastrous first contact between Humanity and the Citadel species from the Turians attacking Humans re-activating a dormant Mass Relay. After the Turians scored an early victory in overrunning a Human colony on Shanxi, the Systems Alliance had gained its prominence among M4P2 Humanity by organizing the pan-Human counter-attack that drove the Turian invasion out. The Turians likely would have escalated the war from there, but the Council stepped in and brokered a peace.

Seeing he still had Robert's attention, Kaidan continued. "Well, one day Vyrnnus went too damn far. There was a biotic girl, Rahna… she was sweet and beautiful and... " Kaidan stopped and sighed. "Well, she made the mistake of reaching for water with her arm and not biotics. Vyrnnus lost his temper over that and broke her arm."

Robert grimaced. "Didn't anyone vet this guy?"

"The company was desperate to find an alien biotic for the training, I guess. Anyway, I lost my temper and hit him with a biotic strike. Vyrnnus took offense at that and started wailing into me. He drew a knife. So I gave him a hard kick with my biotics. Snapped his neck."

"And that's why I feel a lot of regret from you?" asked Robert. "You wish I hadn't?"

"I do. Not because I killed him. Vyrnnus… he'd already driven some of the others to suicide, or left them broken wrecks as people. He was a serious jerk and he was ready to kill me. But Rahna… she was scared of me after that. We stopped speaking."

"I see." Robert considered the look on Kaidan's face at having revealed this secret. And his story… well, Robert knew his expression was dark. "I guess that's my fear. That I'll lose control and seriously hurt someone. Maybe even kill someone."

"Give it time. I had to," Kaidan urged him. "I learned to control my biotics. Maybe a little too much. I'm not given to displays of biotic badassery like the Commander is."

"Which is a real pity, Kaidan," Ashley's voice cut in. "Because your marksmanship needs work." She walked up to them, hair glistening from the shower water. She smiled at Robert. "Have I ever thanked you for introducing this replicator technology to our galaxy? Engineer Adams told me that the original schematics didn't have a full shower unit, it's only possible because of replicators."

"You haven't, and you're welcome," Robert answered, smiling. "And now that you're out, I think I'd like to spend some time enjoying the benefit myself."

"Water may be a little cold, but it's better than nothing."

"Also better than sonic showers," Robert added, walking past her. "They install those on the attackers in our fleet. Normal showers are for COs only."

"Sounds rough."

Robert nodded once in agreement and continued on.

Over their heads, the ship's intercom activated. " _This is Commander Shepard. We're about to go through the Mu Relay and we'll be coming up on Ilos shortly. I want all team members on standby for deployment_."

"Sorry, Captain," Ashley said to Robert. "Looks like you're going to have to wait on that."

"Tell me about it," Robert groaned before joining them in heading for the lift. He'd been looking forward to that shower…

* * *

The Mu Relay loomed ahead of the _Normandy_ through a wisp of ancient particles left by the supernova that sent it flying into interstellar space. Joker transmitted his desired destination of Ilos to the Relay and flew the _Normandy_ right up to it. For all that the Mu Relay was legendary as a lost piece of the network, there was nothing special about the way it activated, catapulting the _Normandy_ across vast stretches of space in a single moment.

Robert arrived with Ashley at the cockpit area in time to overhear Joker saying, "Commander, we've got company." A glance to the sensors showed the squadron of Geth warships in orbit. Robert frowned a little at their number; entirely too few. Barely more ships than there'd been over Virmire, and Saren's fleet of Geth ships was larger than that. _So where are the rest of them?_

"Have their sensors picked us up yet?" Liara asked.

"Negative. Stealth systems are engaged. They won't know we're here until they can get a visual on us."

At the sensor station behind Joker, Pressly looked over returns from the planet. "I'm picking up some strange readings from the surface."

"And I'm sure Saren found them too," Shepard noted. "Take us down, Joker."

"Negative on that, Commander," Pressly said. "Nearest landing zone is two klicks away."

"It'll take too long to catch up on foot, we have to find something closer," Ashley insisted.

To that Pressly gave her an irritated look. "There _isn't_ anything closer! I've looked!"

"Then we'll drop in the Mako," Shepard said.

"Commander, it won't work, you need at least a hundred meters of open terrain for a drop like that," protested Pressly. "The best I can find near Saren is twenty."

Ashley shook her head. "Twenty meters? No way we can make a drop there."

That prompted Liara to insist, "We have to try!" Robert felt additional tension from her, a worry that this was for nothing, that she wouldn't be able to get justice for Benezia.

"It's suicide!" Ashley shot back. "We need another landing zone!"

"There is no other landing zone!" was Pressly's reaction.

The frustration in the cockpit grew among the assembled. Even as Tali remarked on the descent angle being too steep for the ship, Robert rubbed his forehead. He knew, deep down, it wouldn't alleviate the pressure in his head. But he needed something as relief from the feelings he was getting from the others. Liara's impatient worry, Ashley's concern for the landing, Pressly's frustration with the sensor findings… it all added up and combined with Robert's own frustration with the situation. To come all of this way and fail because the terrain worked against them...

"I can do it," Joker declared.

Everyone went quiet. Everyone, that is, except for Shepard. She leveled a knowing look at him. "Joker?"

"I can do it," he repeated. Robert felt his confidence cut through the feelings of the others.

Shepard simply nodded. "Alright." She turned to Robert and the others. "Everyone go gear up, _now_ , and head to the Mako. We're going to finish this!"

Ashley still had doubts, but Robert felt her push them aside. Her commander was confident they could make it work, so there was nothing more to say. Together they left the cockpit area at not quite a run.

"Good luck, Commander," said Pressly, saluting as he did. "Give Saren hell."

"That was the plan, Lieutenant," Shepard replied, returning the salute as she did. "Once we're on the surface, get back to the Relay. Head to Arcturus and link up with the Fleet."

"Will do, Commander."

Shepard felt satisfied at Pressly's response. She left to join the others.


	60. Episode 3-11-3 Chasing the Cycle

The Geth fleet didn't detect the _Normandy_ as it dove into the planet's atmosphere. With its nose pointed downward the ship flew in toward the ancient ruins that marked Ilos. Sensors quickly detected the presence of Geth power signatures and what looked like a very abnormal Turian life sign. Pressly confirmed the location and left the final approach to Joker. The veteran navigator of the _Normandy_ took in a breath. For all his faith in Joker's flying ability, he still expected the ship to go smashing into the ground. But if their deaths gave Shepard and her team the necessary opening to stop Saren, then… he could, for lack of better wording, live with such an end.

As the ship descended the cargo bay ramp opened. Behind the driver's seat, Shepard gave one last glance to her team of seven. Every seat was full, with Wrex, Tali, and Liara on one side and Garrus, Kaidan, and Robert on the other. Ashley was at the gunner's seat beside Shepard. Everyone was fastened in.

"Hold on!" she called out. An active feed to the ship showed the rapidly-approaching optimum launch point. "This is going to be close!"

When the point was reached Shepard jammed the throttle. The Mako shot from the _Normandy_ and plunged to the surface of Ilos. The thruster jets built into the Mako's belly fired to slow descent to non-lethal levels. Above them the _Normandy_ leveled out. Joker narrowly evaded a spire in the ruins while maneuvering the ship to return to orbit.

Below the Mako, the roar of the _Normandy_ 's engines brought Saren's attention. He looked up in time to see the Mako drop. With the new enhancements he issued orders to the Geth, summoning his rearguard to this spot to crush Shepard and her people, while he and the bulk of his forces continued on to a tunnel ahead.

While the Mako descended Ashley triggered the vehicle's weapon systems, using the scope to zoom in on Saren as he walked into the tunnel. A big four-legged Geth platform stepped between them. A plasma shot rose in the air toward the Mako and splashed against its protective fields. "Barrier holding," Ashley confirmed.

Shepard didn't react. She was busy guiding the Mako in. As the ground loomed she watched the door behind Saren begin to close.

Everyone shook violently against their safety restraints when the Mako slammed into the ground. It rolled forward from momentum, heading for the closing door. Shepard nearly hit the throttle to try and get through just to hold back. She knew it wouldn't work, and getting the Mako damaged and stuck was not acceptable. She slammed the break instead. Everyone watched in horror as the big Prothean blast doors closed ahead of them, barring the way, and seemingly ensuring a crash.

But there was no final impact with those doors, simply the lurch of the Mako coming to a stop, mere centimeters short.

Immediately Ashley turned the turret away from the doors. "Geth on all sides, ma'am," she said. "And there's not a lot of room for maneuver."

"Tali, check the shocks, I think one of them failed from the landing," Shepard ordered. She pulled the Mako away from the door and executed a half turn in reverse, presenting the broad side of the vehicle to the door and the opposite end of it. "Ashley, stay on that gun, use your discretion. Everyone else, we need to clear the Geth!"

By now everyone was unlatching themselves from their seats. None were surprised by the fact Shepard beat them to the door.

The incoming Geth fire was vicious. The Mako gave them all initial cover, but its particle barriers couldn't withstand the assault for long. To either side Geth platforms were lining up on higher ground to pour fire down. Others were coming from the opposite direction of the door.

Once outside Shepard immediately began tracking targets. Her biotics flared to life and went out in bolts of dark blue matter. Upon impact the spatial warping her attacks caused sent Geth flying into the air, flailing and utterly helpless. Kaidan, first behind Shepard, picked them off with his rifle.

Toward the other end, Wrex and Robert moved ahead. Wrex absorbed shots with a biotic field and retorted with an assault rifle. Robert called upon his recent training and brought to bear his lightsaber to deflect as much incoming fire as he could. Behind him Garrus raised his sniper rifle and began to pick off the targets showering fire on Robert and Wrex.

Liara moved to assist Shepard. Biotic energy wreathed her figure and she threw a bolt of the dark matter into the midst of several Geth platforms on one of the upper levels of the ruins. The dark matter expanded into a swirling, angry vortex, a singularity that lifted all of the Geth from their feet. They rotated around the singularity. Kaidan began gunning them down.

Before he could finish them off, Shepard threw another biotic pulse toward them. It struck Liara's singularity. The energies mixed and expanded. In a burst of power the singularity exploded, sending the Geth platforms caught in it flying in all directions. They flew with such force they were smashed and broken upon impact.

On the other flank, Garrus' sniper work picked off Geth platforms one by one behind Robert's protection. Wrex moved back into cover and continued to fire into the Geth.

All during this time, the Mako's guns roared. The coaxial machine gun mowed down Geth platforms charging toward them, stopping when necessary to let the weapon cool. Whenever Ashley did so, she made sure to trigger the main gun, which never failed to nearly obliterate the Geth in proximity to its shots.

And yet… the Geth kept coming.

"We've got to get through that door!" Shepard shouted.

"The control to it must be on a remote." Kaidan lowered his weapon and used the omnitool to scan the door. "We'll never blow it down with the Mako's main gun, that's for sure."

"And I don't like our odds for fighting through this attack," Garrus added. After speaking he pinpointed a Geth sniper targeting Shepard from behind and fired. The tell-tale red beam of the Geth sniper vanished.

Shepard stepped back into cover, Liara doing the same. She looked across to the others. "Robert, can you open it?!"

Robert let his arms continue to move almost on their own accord while thinking about it. He knew he was capable of some major feats now. But could he open that door? And could he do it without losing control of the power?

"Robert?!"

Shepard's voice worked to compel his focus on the matter. The truth was, he had little choice. He had to do it. Without doubt. Or they'd never get out of here, Saren would win… and he would fail Julia and the others. He'd promised to come home, so come home he would.

"I need a minute!" Robert deflected another few shots, sending one of them into the flashlight head of a Geth and wrecking it. Once he was in cover he shut off the lightsaber and returned it to his belt. He got onto his knees and looked up at the door. Inside of him a swell of power rose, ready for use, as if the Flow of Life itself was responding to his need. While gunfire continued around him Robert drew in a breath and focused that burgeoning power within.

He brought his hands up and let his power flow through them, using them as a physical focus. He pressed against the door, demanding it open, _willing_ it open.

Somewhere metal protested. Slowly the giant door slid open, screeching as it did.

Behind him Shepard jumped into the Mako. "Tali, are we good?"

Tali rose from the compartment below the cargo area. "I replaced a couple of bolts and re-calibrated the mass effect field generators. The Mako can move."

"Help the others give cover fire. We're going through the door now," Shepard ordered. She pulled the harness over her chest and reached for the driving controls.

Tali nodded and pulled her shotgun out from the small of her back. She jumped out of the Mako as the main gun roared again. The blast blew apart another group of Geth. One who managed to avoid more than superficial damage went down to a blast from Tali's gun. Nearby Liara generated a biotic field to protect Wrex and Kaidan as they returned fire.

Garrus returned his sniper rifle to its attachment point on his back. As the weapon shifted into its more compact non-use state, he reached down and gripped Robert's arms. "Come on," he said. "We've got to get you through the doors."

Robert let Garrus lift him. He replied only with a nod. Sweat filled his eyes and a strain made him feel like his body, even his inner self, wanted to come apart. The engines keeping the door closed were fighting him, trying to snap it closed. Given the Mako was only a quarter of the way through, he couldn't let his grip up.

At the halfway point a cry came from behind. Kaidan stumbled through the door clutching his leg, the victim of a direct hit that broke through his protective barrier. Tali rushed to his aid. Robert felt Kaidan's pain, his fear, and what felt like shame at being the one to get hit and thus slow his allies down. Those feelings, and those of the rest of the team, threatened to distract Robert's focus. The well of power he was channeling threatened the same.

The Mako cleared the door and Shepard stopped. She jumped from the Mako and advanced, shotgun in hand. Robert sensed why immediately; the Geth were gathering behind them, looking to push through. He felt Liara's strain, and Wrex's; they were trying to hold the fire back with biotic fields while Garrus got Robert through the door's threshold. "If you have to, leave me," he rasped. "Stop Saren."

A part of him recoiled at the statement. Not just the part that wanted to live, but the part that loved his friends, his family, that knew how Julia and Angel and Zack and Beth and all of the others would take it to find out he died here on this dead world…

"Not happening," Garrus insisted, helping Robert through. "There might be more doors further down we'll need you to open." There was a hint of humor in the Turian's voice that, even with everything he was focusing on, made Robert grin.

The others filed in behind them, Shepard coming last to cover Liara. "We're in!" she shouted.

Much to his relief, Robert relaxed. He felt the energy flow cease and his power released the doors. The machines driving them slammed them closed just as a Geth platform rushed to get through. It was flattened for its trouble.

"How are you?" Tali asked Robert. "You look pale."

After removing his helmet Robert wiped at his sweat-drenched forehead and nodded. "Yeah, I feel it too. The machinery here is pretty powerful, and I'm not used to throwing that much power around and controlling it." He drew in a breath. "Let's get going, I'll recover in the Mako."

"Just what I was thinking," said Shepard. "Let's go people!"

* * *

The Alliance military liaison office at C-Sec HQ was found in the administrative section of the structure, closer to the Presidium side than the side that led into the lift tubes toward the Wards. It was important enough that the Alliance budgeted a secretary/aide. Zack's predecessor, an Alakin army officer, had thus hired a Turian female, Kalera, with brownish coloring and gray eyes. "Commander?" she asked, standing at the opening to the inner office. "Officer Bailey is here to see you."

"Send him in." Zack looked up in time to see the older, middle-aged C-Sec officer step in. Zack had the feeling the Turian-dominated force assigned Bailey to Zack simply out of disrespect for Bailey… and perhaps for Zack. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm just confirming those shipment of pulse pistols arrived," Bailey said. His voice was rough and gravelly; that and his accent reminded Zack very much of Colonel Sam Tigh of the Colonials.

Zack quickly checked his records. "Yes, I've got the shipment here. We routed it here aboard the _Starship Barroso_. They've already delivered it to a holding warehouse in Zakera Ward leased by the Alliance. I've got the location here."

"Thanks." Bailey shook his head. "It's nuts. We're expecting Saren and his Geth to attack, and they're still bothering about the pulse pistols."

"It's because they're a non-lethal option, and C-Sec's eager to make use of them, I thought?" Zack asked.

"Yeah. It makes sense to me. Maybe people will stop trying Suicide by Cop." Zack noticed Bailey's pained look which quickly disappeared. "And fewer shooting fatalities is always useful. Although we'll still have to be careful about the Quarians."

Zack nodded. "I can imagine. Although are they really that much of a problem? I've met the Quarians before, I even had a Quarian kid help my ship deal with the Batarians."

"I'm sure they were a help, but the Quarians… they don't have the most respect for property, you know what I mean?" Bailey shook his head. "The damndest thing is that they're otherwise the easiest species to deal with. They stay in their shelters and work well if they're given jobs. But we still end up hauling in the new kids all the time on petty theft. They're always grabbing tools or materials when they shouldn't."

"How much of that comes from prejudice, though?" Zack asked. "I mean, people assuming a Quarian must be a thief?" He thought back to Vidinos, the Turian special forces officer who had proven so bigoted he'd even insisted Zack shouldn't answer distress signals from Quarian ships.

"You can usually tell the genuine thefts from the false alarms," Bailey said. "If you've got the brains God gave you, anyway. If someone comes up saying a Quarian stole their credit chit or some fancy jewelry, it's usually false. If it's a tool or some piece of technology, on the other hand…" Bailey shook his head. "With the pulse pistols, we'll have to do tests to ensure they don't disrupt a Quarian's suit."

"It'd help if you had a Quarian on the force," said Zack. "But from what I've seen, there's not a single Quarian in C-Sec."

"No Vorcha, Krogan, Drell, or Hanar either, Commander. And obviously no Batarians. C-Sec doesn't discriminate, we simply don't get some species volunteering." There was something in Bailey's voice that told Zack it wasn't so simple. "Anyway, I'd better get back to it."

"And I have to do the same," Zack said. He sighed. "I've got a mountain of paperwork on this job." He checked his first report. "And people demanding I have C-Sec do this or that. As if I can command you people to do anything."

"I don't envy your crank notes."

"Yeah. How about this?" Zack called up one. "'C-Sec is allowing a brothel to operate in full view of the Presidium. This is unacceptable and I urge you to do what you must to rectify this intolerable situation.' Signed by… someone I don't know."

"A what? A brothel?" Bailey chuckled. "Let me guess? Some idiot who thinks that's what the Consort is running?"

"The Consort?" Zack blinked.

"An Asari Matriarch named Sha'ira. She runs things out of a building on the Presidium, across from the Embassies. Some kind of self-help thing, I hear. Among other things." Bailey shrugged. "Even if she's running a brothel, Sha'ira has so many connections I'm not sure we could do anything about it."

"Well, not my problem anyway." Zack removed the messages from his screen. "So… have you heard anything about this supposed attack?"

"They treat us like mushrooms, especially Humans," Bailey groused. "You extraversals know that one, don't you?"

"Kept in the dark and fed on crap," Zack said as reply. "Yeah."

"I'd use a longer word than 'crap', but it'll do." Bailey moved for the door. "I'd better file this with my superiors. Thanks for your time, Commander."

"I'm not going anywhere," Zack answered. Once Bailey was gone he sighed. He glanced toward the small window that faced the Presidium. After several days on the Citadel he was starting to enjoy the view.

Depending on one's point of view, it was a good or bad thing that the one visible establishment through the window was an outdoor bar. From here Zack could watch members of many species drinking away their worries. A familiar urge came to him. And with practiced precision he forced it away, after which he glanced at his omnitool. It activated its interface and displayed the time in both Citadel and Alliance Interuniversal Standard. He glanced back toward the bar one last time. A part of him considered whether it would really hurt to have just one drink. Just one. One of the local types. He'd heard good things about Serrice Ice Brandy.

But he knew the truth. The same truth his mother had tried and failed to instill in his father, the truth he'd tried and failed to do the same with. And he knew that, especially with how he felt, one would definitely be too much. Instead he would stay and fulfill his appointment to his psychiatrist for a private session. Or as private as he could get half a galaxy and a universe away from New Liberty.

Zack walked out of the office. The outer area was very small, dominated by the desk behind which Kalera was sitting. "I'm going to be out for a few hours," he said. "Log anything coming in for when I get back."

"Understood, Commander," was the immediate reply.

Zack closed and locked his inner office door before departing. He took the lifts into Aroch Ward. The apartment that the Alliance Defense Command rented for him as liaison officer was one of the mid-range apartments, in the upper floors of a residential tower known as the Laranis Complex. From what he'd observed since arriving, the Asari were the most plentiful species in the tower, including almost all of the personnel. A lavender-complexioned Asari gave him a lovely smile as he walked past the reception desk toward the lifts. "A good day, Commander?" she asked pleasantly.

"So far… T'Mara, isn't it?"

His response was a smile that made his heart ache. "You remembered," the Asari said. "Thank you… are you alright?"

Zack forced the sad look from his face. "I'm sorry, you just… reminded me of someone."

"Oh?" After a moment the Asari maiden put it together. Her own pleasant look slipped away. "I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"It's alright." He moved on to the lift beside the desk and hit a key to summon the lift's car. As he waited he looked back to T'Mara and asked, "How is your day, by the way?"

"It is alright. I'm actually a little nervous. Today's the day for my appointment with the Consort. I've waited for eight months."

"Oh?" Zack considered what he knew about the Consort by reputation, including his earlier conversation with Bailey. "I guess that costs a lot?"

"Not as much as you think. The Consort sets payment by percentages of income so that anyone can visit. Actually, I'm not just going for comfort, but I'm hoping she might consider letting me be one of her assistants."

Zack considered that and, again, the reputation of the people in question. "You're certainly nice enough," he said. The lift door dinged and opened. "Good luck."

"Thank you, Commander Carrey," T'Mara replied.

The lift ride up didn't take too long. The entrance to the apartment was three doors down to the right once he was on the floor he needed. He entered to find a thousand square foot apartment. A grand vista of Aroch Ward was visible through the giant window that faced outward from his apartment. He calmly set his pulse pistol and its holster down on the table near the entrance door and stepped into the living area. A quick trip to the adjoining kitchen, with its dark gray surfacing glistening from the efforts of the VI-controlled cleaning drones, gave him the glass of cool filtered water he wanted. Once he was done he went to a panel and activated the apartment's communication system and a protocol he'd installed into it. It took mere seconds for the system to link up the galactic extranet with the Alliance interuniversal comm network. Once this was done, holoprojectors in the room came alive. A middle-aged man, Caucasian with snow-white hair brushed back, appeared in a chair. Zack walked over and sat in a chair, a comfortable one within a ring of prepared holographic recorders. This would transmit his image in the other direction, allowing virtual face-to-face conversation between doctor and patient. "Hey Sydney."

" _Zachary_." The New Liberty-based psychiatrist nodded. He had a warm expression on his face. Even with his workload as the head of New Liberty Colony's psychiatric services, Sydney had insisted on taking Zack's case personally. Although he didn't say so, Zack was certain it was from Sydney's sense of obligation for the old Facility crew, the people who had rescued Jarod and given him the family and place he'd always deeply wanted. " _How are you today?_ "

Zack closed his eyes. "Stressed. Worried. My best friend is off risking his life while I'm here pushing paper." He opened them again and looked Sydney eye-to-holographic-eye. "I want a drink."

Sydney nodded knowingly. " _I can only imagine._ "

"I know one is too much. I know." Zack laid back in the chair. "It still… it gnaws at me." He rubbed at his forehead, feeling that need, resisting it. "I hold it off. But there are times I almost give in. I'm worried that I'll always want a drink."

" _Your addiction is psychological as much as physical, Zachary. This is an illness you will be dealing with for a long time. That's why I'm here._ " Sydney seemed to make a note of something. " _How is the Citadel? Are you acclimating well?_ "

"I suppose." Zack shrugged. "Honestly, I don't expect this assignment to be permanent. I'll either get a ship again or…" Left unsaid was the worry he felt inside, and how it would lead to the end of his hopes.

Sydney clearly knew what went unsaid. " _It's always good to have a grasp of your situation and the consequences of your actions. But don't let it weigh on you, Zachary. This is something you have to take one day at a time._ "

"Yeah, you said that before." There was an edge to Zack's voice. "But right now, as we're talking, my best friend is risking his life to save this galaxy. Maybe even the whole Multiverse. We should be backing him up, but we're not because of politics. And it's so frustrating…"

* * *

The Mako rumbled on through the underground bunker. Using the vehicle's internal displays to show the surroundings, all could see the walls lining up to either side, cast gray, with black capsules extending out from both sides. "What are those?" Ashley wondered aloud.

"They must be cryogenic capsules," Liara said. "The Protheans may have used them in an attempt to survive."

Garrus shook his head. He had his sniper rifle in one arm so he could fiddle with the sight. "It obviously didn't work."

"You're correct." There was a wistfulness in Liara's voice. "Still, to be here, to be on Ilos… this is something archaeologists and Prothean experts have dreamed of for over a millennium."

In his seat, Robert remained quiet for the moment. The control and power needed to hold the blast doors open had demanded quite a lot from him. He enjoyed the chance to relax, such as he could given the circumstances. He listened to their conversation without a word while he felt his energy settle.

And yet, through the Flow of Life, Robert sensed something. A feeling that permeated this area of Ilos. For a moment he thought it was the cool quiet of the dead world, and those who died upon it, but after several moments he realized it was something else. "Hope," he murmured.

"Huh?" Kaidan looked to him with surprise. "What are you saying?"

"That's what I'm feeling," Robert said. "A sense of… hope. Hope in the future. Hope that it will turn out alright, an awakening…"

Liara looked at him intently. "You feel what they felt?" Liara asked. "What they felt when they went into the stasis pods?"

"I believe so," Robert confirmed. "There's a lot of death on this world. Some it is… very old. Maybe older than the Protheans. But it's like a small spark of warmth in the cold."

"I wonder why they didn't wake up?" Shepard wondered idly.

"Something must have gone wrong," Liara said. "The Reapers never came here. I think. Otherwise Sovereign would not have needed to hunt the Conduit like he did."

"Maybe the Protheans went to sleep in the hopes they would wake up when the Reapers were gone?" Tali asked.

"It is a possibility," Liara agreed.

"I don't care about that," Wrex said. "What I want to know is what they were doing here. What's this 'Conduit' thing for?"

"Whatever it was made for, we know it's useful for the Reapers." Robert felt a suspicion in that thought. They were missing something. An intent… but even now, with his abilities, it felt nebulous.

"I could spend decades of my life here," Liara confessed. "There is so much to learn about the Protheans on this world." Seeing the others glancing toward her, Liara shook her head. "But that is not my focus. Stopping Saren is."

"Good to hear." Shepard kept her eyes forward. "There will be plenty of…"

The sudden stop of her sentence was joined by the Mako coming to a sudden stop. Ahead of them, a somewhat translucent field of pale gray popped into existence. A similar field appeared behind. "We're trapped!" Tali cried out.

"Maybe not." Garrus indicated another display. There was a door in the wall. "Maybe it's some kind of security checkpoint. We should go check it out."

"We will." Shepard unlatched her harness. "Tali, Ashley, Wrex, you stay with the Mako for now, deal with any Geth that attack and stay in touch." She went to the side door and opened it. "Everyone else, fall in with me."

Robert got out of his seat, as did Garrus and Kaidan, but none could beat the speed of Liara in getting to Shepard's side. Robert sensed enthusiasm swelling within her other, darker emotions of grief and anger. Liara was in a dream come true. As such, she was the first to follow Shepard through the door, and the first on the lift ahead as well.

* * *

The final hours of the day were coming for the _Aurora_. The Gamma Shift watches were assuming their posts, Beta Shift were going into standby, and Alpha Shift was mostly heading to bed.

Mostly.

Two of the ship's senior officers were sitting in the Lookout at a table beside the transtanium windows. For Nick Locarno, the view of the Citadel was the kind of sight he'd once joined Starfleet to see, before his mistakes sent his life off-course. That he was here, now, was more due to his desire to make up those mistakes.

"It's quite a sight, isn't it?" asked Leo Gillam, the ship's chief medical officer.

"It is." Locarno shook his head and took a sip of synthehol schnapps provided by Hargert. It lacked the kick of the real stuff, but with a Code Yellow alert it was the best they could have. "What gets me is that someone wants to destroy it."

"Actually, I wonder about that." Leo leaned forward over the table. "The Citadel is supposed to date back to the Protheans, right?"

"Yeah."

"So if these Reapers wiped out the Protheans, why did they leave the Citadel _intact_? Why are the keepers still around? Or, hell, the Mass Relay network?"

"Damned if I know," Locarno murmured.

"Anyway, what galls me is that Shepard had to go out and deal with this on her own," Leo confided. "The _Normandy_ 's got stealth, but the Geth have a lot of ships. If Saren brought just a fraction of them to Ilos, she'll be outnumbered."

Locarno said nothing, although he was reading plenty from Leo's irritated expression.

"Maybe we should have dared the Ambassador to stop us," said Leo. "Maybe we should have gone to Ilos too…"

"In this situation, there's no good, right choice, just mixed ones," said Locarno. "In the end, given the circumstances, Julia's making the right call staying."

"Even with this political bullcrap going on?" Leo grumbled.

"Yeah, even with that. Now, don't get me wrong. It's a stupid decision. But going to Ilos really might have provoked the Terminus Systems. And they'd never miss the presence of a ship like the _Aurora_."

"They have to know what's going on with Saren, they'd know why."

"Maybe, maybe not. It might give them the excuse to launch attacks on our systems," Locarno pointed out.

Leo knew he was right. He grumbled an acknowledgement, as much as he wished Locarno was wrong. It irritated him that they had to listen to jumped up dictators and warlords like the Terminus leaders. And because of that, the galaxy might yet fall to a threat nobody was willing to consider, much yet ready to face.

"We should probably get some sleep," Locarno said. "We may need the rest."

"Right." Leo stood up. "I'll see you in the morning for that staff meeting."

"I'll be there." Locarno stood from the table as well. They walked out the port entrance, heading for the lift to take them to their quarters on Deck 3.

* * *

Upon going through the door in the tunnel, Shepard and her team were met by a lift. The ancient interface for it glowed with power. Upon pressing it, the door behind them sealed and the floor began moving downward at an angle, descending a ramp. On both sides viewing ports allowed them to look out at more capsules. Undergrowth from the vegetation was overtaking the area. "This technology still works, after all of this time." Liara's voice was breathless. "This is amazing…!"

"The Protheans built things to last," said Garrus. "I mean, think of those towers on Feros…"

"And the beacons," Kaidan added.

"Not to mention the various ruins that our species all used to reverse engineer mass effect technology," Garrus continued. Robert sensed a suspicious thought come to his mind. "Although now that we know about the Reapers..."

The lift came to a stop. The door ahead slid open, revealing a walkway looking out at another stretch of the tunnel. Far more black capsules covered the walls on both ends beyond the end of the walkway. The walkway itself terminated in a panel. A garbled holographic image of brown color was hovering in the air in front of the panel.

"What is it? Some kind of VI interface?" Kaidan's question went unanswered as they approached.

" _Greetings_ ," an electronic voice stated. " _I am Vigil. You are safe here for the moment, although soon there will nowhere safe left in the galaxy._ "

"I can understand it," Liara said, awed. "It's speaking to us in a language we can understand!"

" _I have monitored your communications since your arrival and learned the language to interact with you. As I do not detect the taint of indoctrination on you, unlike the organic I sensed before, I must conclude there is still hope._ " The holographic image remained garbled, but it seemed to shift and waver with the speech. " _I am an advanced analysis program formed from the personality imprints of Ksad Ishan, chief overseer of the Ilos facility._ "

"Why did you bring us here?" asked Shepard.

" _You must break a cycle that has continued for untold millions of years. To do so, you must understand the threat your galaxy faces or you will make the same mistakes we did._ "

"The Reapers, you mean?" asked Robert.

" _Yes_. _To stop them, you must know how they function. I must explain. The key is the Citadel. It is the heart of your civilization and the seat of galactic governance, just as it was in our time and in all civilizations that come before._ "

"So why do the Reapers leave it intact?" Garrus asked.

" _Because it is a trap_ ," Vigil answered. " _The Citadel is actually an enormous mass relay which links to dark space, the starless void beyond the galaxy's horizon. When the relay is activated the Reapers will pour through and everything you know will be destroyed._ "

"That's… incredible," said Liara. "But how? My people have lived on the Citadel for over two and a half millennia. How could we have missed this?"

" _The Reapers are careful to hide the Citadel's secret_. _They developed the keepers as seemingly-benign organic drones to operate the Citadel. With the keepers maintaining the station, species that discover the Citadel are dissuaded from examining the station themselves. They never learn of the technology operating the station, or of its true capability. Not until it is too late._ " Vigil's form continued to waver, rippling lines filling the garbled hologram. " _That was our fate. We never realized that the keepers were a threat. Once they received a command signal, they activated the Citadel mass relay. The Reapers came through the relay and wiped out our leaders. Once they had control of the Citadel, they used it to seize control of the mass relays. In a single strike, they crippled Prothean civilization and divided it into isolated systems and clusters. We were helpless against their fleets._ "

"Given how Sovereign spoke on Virmire, I'm guessing they didn't offer any surrenders," Robert muttered. He recalled that malevolent being's voice in his head, its electronic voice sinister and laden with imagined superiority, like a dark god addressing mortals. The ramifications of what Vigil was explaining chilled him. It explained, fully, why the Darglan flagged the mass relays with a warning; they may have realized something of the nature of the Reapers' trap for the species of M4P2's Milky Way.

It also meant that everyone he loved and cherished was at threat. The _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ were at the Citadel. If the Reapers came through…

" _No surrender was ever offered. The Reapers had everything they needed from recovering our civilization's data on the Citadel. Colony locations, census records, the locations of our remaining fleet. They moved system by system, annihilating all resistance. Sometimes they outright scoured worlds of all sentient life. On other occasions they seized control, enslaving the local populations with the indoctrination process. These indoctrinated slaves were turned against our people, some as mindless husks used as soldiers, others as sleeper agents accepted as refugees by Protheans on other worlds. They in turn betrayed every plan made to survive the Reapers. Secret colonization efforts, emissions-shielded bunkers… everything was betrayed to the Reapers in the end. For centuries the Protheans fought and died until the extermination was complete. All that was left were the indoctrinated, mindless husks that the Reapers left to die of starvation or exposure when they went back through the Citadel into dark space._ "

"So how was Ilos spared?" asked Liara.

" _Ilos was a secret research facility. All evidence of our existence in the Citadel records were destroyed during the initial Reaper attack. To ensure we were not detected, the Protheans on Ilos went into cryo-stasis, to be awakened when the Reapers were gone._ "

"But they weren't re-awakened," Shepard said. "They died."

" _Yes. The Reapers required centuries to finish the methodical extermination of the space-faring species of our time. The power requirements to sustain the cryogenic process were greater than my power reserves allowed. Under contingency protocols, I began to shut down the pods of non-essential personnel."_

"So you just killed them," Kaidan said accusingly. "Did you even tell them about this plan?"

" _It was a necessity programmed into my functions. However, over time I was forced to deactivate almost every pod. In the end, only twelve of the senior scientists were still alive when the Reapers returned to dark space. They realized they alone could not restore our species, so they resolved to protect the next cycle._ "

"How?" asked Shepard.

" _By using the Conduit_. _It was the original purpose of the research facility. My people were on the verge of unlocking the secrets of the mass relays. It was at this height that the Reapers struck us._ "

There was awe in Liara's voice when she asked, "Then the Conduit… it's a mass relay, isn't it?"

" _Yes. An experimental mass relay of smaller size that links directly to the Citadel. After years of study, the scientists realized they could alter the keepers' control program to ignore the activation signal. The scientists went through the Conduit to the Citadel and performed the change._ "

"Then why didn't the Asari find their remains?" Robert asked. "Even after forty-eight thousand years, something must have remained."

" _The keepers most likely processed their remains after they died of starvation or other causes._ "

Kaidan shook his head. "That's a gruesome end."

"But it's given us a shot," Shepard said. "That's why Sovereign is using Saren. He needs someone who can infiltrate the Citadel and manually grant control to him."

" _Yes. That is their most likely plan. You must stop them, or the cycle of extermination will continue._ " Vigil's garbled image seemed to fade a little. " _I have loaded a program left by my creators in this panel. It will temporarily lock out Citadel controls to all but you. Load it into the master control unit of the Citadel and you can prevent Sovereign from opening the Relay._ "

"Master control unit?"

"It's probably in the Citadel Tower," Liara said, in reply to Robert's question. "Saren undoubtedly knows. He would have to if he's going to give Sovereign control of the station."

"Then we'll have to follow Saren. And he's got enough of a head start." Shepard activated her omnitool. "Let's get the data file and get going!"

" _Saren has not yet reached the Conduit. You still have time._ "

"You're fading," Liara said. "And there's so much you can tell us about the Protheans…"

" _My data is limited to matters relating to stopping the Reapers. I am afraid I cannot provide further data_."

The well of frustration in Liara was evident. Robert could feel her desire to know more about this species, the species that shaped her galaxy and which even after millennia of study was still such an enigma to the Asari and the other species of M4P2. He set a hand on her shoulder. "It's possible there's other data on them out there," he said. "But we don't have the time for this right now. Saren and Sovereign have to be stopped."

"I know. Just…" Liara shook her head. "I feel so close to learning more about them…"

"I know."

Shepard lowered her arm. She gave Liara a sympathetic look, but there was steel in her green eyes as she glanced to the others. "I've got the file," she said. "Let's go."

" _I wish you well, Commander Shepard_ ," Vigil said. " _Fulfill the hope that drove the last of my creators to die alone on the Citadel. Stop the Reapers._ "

"That's the plan," Shepard called back to the fading apparition. The others fell in with her and returned to the lift.

* * *

There were many different talents that a being with access to the Flow of Life could attain. Meridina had many of them, but she would be the first to admit that what the Humans called precognition - the ability to sense the likely future - was not one she normally used. Not beyond the small scale timeframe useful in fights.

And yet… yet she felt it. Saw it. Saw the slaughter. The piles of dead in the Citadel Presidium. The burning worlds. The cries of the dying as, planet by planet, sapient life was exterminated. Just as the memories of the long-dead Gylao of the Adranians showed. Just as the beacons left by the Protheans.

When Meridina woke from the nightmarish imagery, she wiped the sweat from her forehead. And she felt it. A twisting cold in the Flow of Life. As if it were feeling darkness, reacting to it much as a living being would. A general sense of raw fear filled her. Fear that was not her own.

On the nightstand by her bed, the frame of her omnitool activated. A blue light shined over where her hand would go. Meridina tapped it. "Meridina here."

" _Meridina… do you feel it?_ " Lucy's voice was hoarse.

"Fear," Meridina said. "Raw fear rippling from the Flow of Life itself. A strand of cold…"

" _Just like what Robert said._ "

"I know." Robert's description of the persistent strand of cold he felt in the Flow of Life matched what she just felt. "If it is becoming more prominent…"

" _Something's wrong. Something's_ very _wrong._ "

"Agreed. See to your student, Lucy, for I fear she may not be taking this well. I will warn Julia." Meridina slid out of her bed. Still in her sleeping clothes, a sleeveless sleeping vest and shorts, Meridina triggered the comm link. "Meridina to Andreys. Captain, please respond."

Several seconds passed before a groggy reply came. " _Yes?_ "

"Captain, something is wrong. There is a threat. Lucy and I feel it."

" _Here?_ "

"It may be coming here, yes," Meridina said. "What I do know is that it is a significant threat to our lives. To the lives of many. The Flow of Life… it chills, as if in anticipation of mass slaughter."

" _Alright. Call Code Red. Assemble the senior officers and get them to their stations. I'll contact Captain King and Matriarch Lidanya_."

"Right away." Meridina waited for the connection to close and went to work.

Moments later, the _Aurora_ 's klaxons blared their angry electronic tones, calling the crew to battle stations.

* * *

Julia removed her nightgown and started putting her uniform on immediately. As she was pulling the burgundy red sleeved undershirt of her standard uniform over her head, the comm system activated and displayed the faces of King and Lidanya, aboard their respective ships. Julia noted King was also in her quarters and wearing her uniform jacket open at the moment. " _Captain Andreys, you said this was urgent?_ " King asked. " _I can't help but notice you've already put your ship on combat alert._ "

"Yes. I believe there is an imminent threat to the Citadel. We should put the fleet on combat standby."

" _Why do you feel this way?_ " Lidanya asked. " _Have you received some actionable intelligence from Captain Dale or Commander Shepard?_ "

"My First Officer, Meridina… she can sense threats as a former member of the Order of Swenya. She's convinced me the threat is genuine and we must act on it."

" _I see_." King sighed. " _Although I have my concerns about these things, I won't deny the efficacy of the Commander's metaphysical abilities._ " King tapped something off-screen. " _Put the ship on Condition 2, now. All hands to battlestations. Alert the rest of the squadron to prepare for combat._ "

Lidanya seemed less convinced. " _I have heard much of these abilities, it is true… but to put my ship, the entire fleet, on combat alert without solid intel…_ " She shook her head. " _You ask for much, Captain Andreys._ "

"If I'm wrong, I look like a doofus," Julia said. "But I'd rather be a doofus than get people killed because we're not ready. Please, Matriarch. I trust Meridina's instincts on this."

For several crucial seconds Lidanya seemed to waver, although Julia could not tell i which direction. Finally the Asari sighed. " _Very well. My pride and reputation be damned, I'll concur. We're going on combat alert. I will inform C-Sec to prepare for an attack immediately._ "

"I'll send them some help, in case the Geth get aboard. Andreys out." Julia tapped a key to end the call. And then another key. "Major Anders, Commander Richmond, I want all security and Marine teams armed up. We're sending a contingent to the Citadel under Major Anders."

" _I hear you, Captain_ ," responded Anders.

" _Understood_ ," Richmond added.

Next was the trump card for this force. "Andreys to Lucero, get geared up, we need you on the Citadel." As she spoke, Julia was already preparing her next call. 

* * *

The Mako's long trip through the tunnel ended with sunlight again above their heads. Shepard kept the Mako at speed for the long drop ahead, resulting in a bone-jarring landing in the aqueduct below. Robert felt Kaidan's pain as his face went white. "Sorry, Kaidan," he heard Shepard apologize. "But we're in a hurry."

"It's fine, Commander," Kaidan replied. "I can live with the pain."

"Commander, twelve o'clock," Ashley warned. "We've got company!"

Robert turned his head, as did the others, to see how the front display. A line of Geth platforms were formed with rocket launchers. A four-legged heavier platform, an Armature, was in the middle of the rocket troopers, preparing a plasma blast. Ashley fired the main gun of the Mako and landed a direct hit, disrupting the Geth's shot and sending it over the Mako instead of into it. Shepard swerved the Mako to evade an incoming rocket and swerved it in the other direction to evade a second. A third couldn't be evaded, exploding against the protective particle barrier and partially degrading them.

"Ash, take out what you can, but we're not stopping to fight," Shepard said. She opened up the throttle on the Mako and it roared ahead. With terrifying precision she turned the corner of the aqueduct as the Geth fired another volley of rockets. The Mako nearly seemed to tip over, but Shepard kept it from doing so, an expert feat of handling that saw them through the Geth ambush.

"I doubt that's the last of them," said Liara.

"Let them come, because we're not stopping," Shepard said as she raced the Mako on down the aqueduct. 

* * *

Zack was nodding off to a particularly boring baseball game - the E5B1 New York Yankees were up 12 runs to 4 against the C5O2 St. Louis Cardinals in an interuniversal exhibition game - when the blue light appeared over the back of his left hand, accompanied by a chime to alert him to its presence. His eyes snapped awake and he tapped it. "Carrey here."

Julia's voice came through immediately. " _Zack_. _I'm calling to warn you, there might be an attack soon._ "

"Oh?" he asked, concern in his voice. Concern for her, mostly. "What's going on?"

" _Meridina and Lucy are both sensing danger. Whatever it is, I can hear the fear in their voices. I think Sovereign actually is going to attack the Citadel. But I'm not sure Lidanya believes it enough to get C-Sec mobilized if Executor Pallis doesn't accept the reasoning. That's why I'm calling you._ " As she spoke, Zack didn't think of mentioning the fear he was hearing in _her_ voice. A fear he was feeling as well; if this attack was coming, did this mean Shepard had failed? That Saren had "the Conduit" or whatever it was?

Did it mean Robert was dead?

Either way, Zack stood up. "I'll go alert C-Sec," he said. "I've got my own connections, even if Executor Pallis isn't accepting Meridina's warning, I can get the word out to be ready."

" _I'm sending security and Marines over, under Major Anders. Lucy and her student will be with them._ "

"Student?" asked Zack.

" _Ensign Talara_ ," Julia clarified.

Zack remembered the Falaen junior officer. He knew who to be on the lookout for. "I'm heading to C-Sec now. I might not be able to get them fully mobilized if Pallis says no, but I'll do what I can."

" _Good luck. Andreys out._ "

Zack rushed to his bedroom. He had only one field uniform issued at the moment, so he pulled it on, hoping the protection from the built-in personal deflector and the protective material would be enough against Geth gunfire. He left the room and ran toward the lift. Thankfully it didn't cost him much time before the lift car arrived.

When he stepped out into the lobby, T'Mara was still at the receptionist desk. He turned toward her immediately. The welcoming smile on her face vanished as she recognized how serious he looked. "Commander?"

"T'Mara, get the word out. Something may be happening. Everyone should get to shelter as soon as they can."

"But… C-Sec hasn't issued any alerts…"

"Not yet, but… please. Take precautions, there are families here," Zack pleaded.

He could see her resistance fade as she took in how serious he looked and how convinced he was. "I… I'll call a shelter drill. We're supposed to be holding those anyway…"

"Good. Thank you. And _stay safe_." With that Zack turned away from T'Mara. He overheard her calling the drill as he went out the door. He was already activating his omnitool. "Bailey, you there?"

" _Yeah_."

"Is C-Sec mobilizing yet?"

" _No_." Confusion came over the line. " _Why would we be? Have you heard something?_ "

"Yeah, but the source might not be enough for Pallis," Zack replied. "But it's one I damn well trust, so I'm urging you, get whoever you can together. I'm on my way to HQ now. If something happens, we'll need all the help we can get."

" _I hear you. I know some good people. We'll arm up quietly until the Executor gives the order. Stay in touch_."

"I mean to," Zack promised, running for the main lift to carry him into C-Sec HQ. 

* * *

The Mako continued its race through the Prothean aqueduct on Ilos, water shooting up from around its tires as it roared along. Geth platforms appeared again along the side and poured rocket and gunfire down. Ashley tracked the turret to one side and fired a shot from the main cannon that blew three of them apart. The coaxial machine gun mowed down another.

Tali was busy checking the Mako's systems. "The barriers are still holding, but they won't take much more of this!"

They made another curve. A four-legged Geth platform fired a bolt of plasma at them that Shepard had no time to evade. The energy washed over the faltering barriers. Ashley returned fire with the main gun. The shot blew the leg off of the Geth machine, tilting it down and to the side. Behind them more rockets fired their way. Shepard zigged and zagged as much as she could to evade them without losing the forward speed to catch up to Saren.

"I've got a Turian life signature ahead on the scanners," Tali said.

"Saren." Shepard gunned the accelerator and stopped her maneuvering. The Geth rocket platforms behind raced after them. Ashley fired a shot into their midst that sent them flying.

Tali continued examining the sensor returns with her omnitool. "I'm picking up a power spike," she said. "It looks like… it looks like a mass relay."

"The Conduit," Shepard said, frowning. Ahead of them, at the bottom of a long decline in the aqueduct, a small mass relay was pointing toward the sky. A tap of a button on her steering wheel zoomed the image in, revealing the form of Saren and multiple Geth. The Geth were already walking into the relay. Blue light surged around them and they shot up into the sky. As they walked, Saren stopped and looked back. It was clear he saw the Mako.

He immediately turned back and stepped in, letting the Conduit's energies shoot him across the galaxy, while around the Conduit a half dozen of the four-legged Geth moved into position to block access.

* * *

Julia arrived on the _Aurora_ bridge to a command crew of bleary-eyed officers. For these situations the rules about drinks at work places were partially suspended; mugs of coffee were visible at a number of points. Meridina welcomed Julia with one. "I am aware you must be tired, Captain," said the Gersallian. "Please, we will need you alert for this."

Julia took a drink from it and enjoyed the warmth of the brew more than the taste. It was one of the stronger, bitter brews she was aware of, so bitter she fought to keep a sour look off her face. "It's _raktajino_ , isn't it?"

"Studies have shown it to be quite an effective means of waking up quickly."

"Mostly because of the taste," Locarno grumbled. " _Raktajino_ was for late-semester cramming back at Starfleet Academy."

"I dunno." Angel finished her cup. "I kind of like it."

"You would," was Locarno's response.

Julia took another drink and shook her head. _I'm going to have bitter-mouth for a week_ , she lamented to herself while walking to her command chair. "Status," she asked.

"We're at full combat alert. All squadrons save Charlie have launched or are in the process of launching," Meridina reported. "Charlie's pilots were off standby rotation and will take another five minutes."

"All systems ready for combat," Barnes confirmed from Engineering.

Beside him, Cat nodded. "I'm scanning now. So far I'm… energy surge! There's an energy surge in the Relay! Something's coming through! A lot of somethings…"

"On screen," Julia ordered. Jarod obliged by bringing up a view of the Widow Relay on the bridge holo-viewer. One by one the familiar, wingless insect form of Geth destroyers and cruisers zipped into appearance.

And each was dwarfed by the massive form that appeared in their midst, red lightning crackling around something that looked like a great sea monster.

"Sovereign," Julia said.

"Geth vessels are approaching at combat velocity," Jarod warned. "And I'm… Cat, what do you make of this?"

Caterina examined the readings. "They're… they're raising _deflector_ shields."

Julia nodded grimly. The Geth would be far more difficult opponents than they were before, then.

"The defense fleet is still going on alert," Meridina added. "Some ships were ready but others…"

Julia shook her head. Lidanya might have heeded her, but it was clear not every captain regarded the warning. Now it might cost them and their crews dearly.

"Tactical, lock weapons on target."

"I'm getting relayed tactical orders from the _Excalibur_ ," Angel said. "They want to coordinate fire on Sovereign."

Julia felt her mouth go dry as the sinister-looking machine ship loomed on the holo-viewer. "Do so," she said simply, while she worried about this meant. Sovereign and the Geth were launching a direct attack against the strongest point in the galaxy. Why would they do that unless they had a good reason to think they'd win?

What did this mean for Robert and Shepard and the others? Had they been too late?

 _Robby, I hope you're still out there, because I have a bad feeling about this…_

* * *

Shepard wasted no time. Even with the heavy Geth platforms closing in ahead, more than twice the number sufficient to overpower the Mako in a straight fight, she gunned the engine. The Mako shot forward and toward the Conduit.

"The Conduit's energy signature is shifting, I think it's about to deactivate!" Tali cried out.

"We've got one shot at this!" Shepard shouted. "Everyone _hold on!_ "


	61. Episode 3-11-4 Chasing the Cycle

The Geth opened fire immediately and the Mako responded. Blue bursts of light filled the air around the Mako, which zigged and zagged slightly, weaving its way around the incoming fire on its way to the Conduit, even now starting to lose its bright sapphire glow. Some shots missed, going on to kick up mounds of dirt and material from the ground, or gouts of water and steam from the flowing water.

And some shots hit. Blow by blow struck the Mako's particle field. Inside Tali cried out, "Particle barrier failing! We can't take another…!"

As the Mako raced past the first two of the Geth, Ashley shot one in the head with the vehicle's main gun. This was the second direct hit Ashley landed on the platform, so the shot overpowered the particle barrier of the Geth platform and smashed the head into pieces. The platform flopped onto its belly, lifeless.

On the other side, though, the second Geth fired. And at that range and at that angle, even the Mako's speed couldn't spare it from a direct hit. The blast broke through the particle barrier and scoured material from the Mako's exterior.

"Particle barriers gone!"

Shepard didn't react. She was too busy keeping control of the Mako as she weaved through more oncoming fire, her eyes firmly locked on the Conduit ahead.

A Conduit that was on the verge of shutting down. 

* * *

The Geth opened fire first, directing their first volley of shots at the Council ships that had yet to adjust formation and alert status. As Julia feared would happen, those captains and their crews paid the price for their refusal to believe Meridina's warning. She watched as Geth missiles and plasma fire broke apart a Turian cruiser with several direct hits. A second cruiser of the same class died a moment later from more. An Asari ship was left a burning wreck.

While the Turians took the brunt of the incoming fire, the Geth sent several volleys toward the _Destiny Ascension_. The massive Asari dreadnought could tank some fire, but the Geth weapons were more powerful than those the _Aurora_ had encountered over Adrana and Therum. After the first wave of the volley finished striking the Asari ship's deflectors, the ship reported shield degradation.

" _The Council has been beamed aboard the_ Destiny Ascension," King informed them over the comm. " _All vessels, defense of the_ Ascension _is our top priority after the Citadel_." WIth that order King was already implementing her instruction with her own ship. The _Excalibur_ moved to cover the _Destiny Ascension_. King's tactical officer opened fire. Bolts and beams of sapphire energy lashed out at the incoming Geth. The Geth ships' shields held, mostly. Follow-up torpedoes from the _Excalibur_ and the _Barroso_ , one of the _Predator_ -class starships, finished off one of the Geth cruisers.

More might have gone down, but Angel's opposite on the _Excalibur_ was joining her in focusing fire on the main threat. Sapphire bolts from pulse plasma cannons zipped between the gaps of the Geth ships to crash into Sovereign. A barrier field of some kind met those shots, with no resulting damage to the massive machine.

"Status on Sovereign's shields?" Julia asked.

"I've never seen a deflector pattern like this before," Cat said. "It's absorbing our fire with some effort, but it shrugs off most of the incoming fire from mass effect field weaponry. It's like Sovereign's defenses were made to nullify mass effect weapons."

"Given what Robert and Shepard heard on Virmire, I'm not surprised," Jarod noted. "I'm still examining the shields for weak points…" The bridge rocked slightly as the first Geth missiles struck their shields. "Shields holding at ninety-five percent…" They rocked again. "...ninety-three percent now."

"I've already got secondary shield generators to take up the slack," Barnes said. "Tertiaries will come online as needed."

Julia nodded. As their ship rocked again, and even more hits struck the _Excalibur_ , she figured they'd need those tertiaries sooner or later.

"What's the status of the Citadel?" she asked. "Is C-Sec ready for intruders?"

With Jarod busy running his share of their battle operations, Meridina was the one to open the commlink. Julia noticed her expression shift ever so slightly to show concern. "I am seeing reports of weapons fire on the Presidium. Geth have been identified. But there is no consistent response to my inquiries. It appears the Citadel's communications are down."

"Not just the Citadel," Jarod said. "I can't access the galactic communication network. We're being blocked."

Julia nodded. Even the Alliance's IU network had to utilize the galaxy's network this far from the core of Alliance space in this galaxy and others. "Then the fleet at Arcturus won't be joining us. We have to do this ourselves."

* * *

When the Geth came through the Conduit, they arrived in a Presidium that was still filled with civilians. They wasted no time in opening fire. As beings of all the species present started to fall, wounded or dead, the Geth fanned out. Some of them set up impaling spikes with their victims, the devices that would turn them into husks, while others secured the lifts to the Citadel Tower. Reinforcements from behind them moved in through the Conduit and spread down and across the Presidium. By the time Saren came through, there was nothing stopping him from entering the Tower. He stopped by the nearest Avina kiosk. Before the colorful Asari-modeled VI could speak to him, Saren used an omnitool to load code into the VI, and through it into the Citadel's systems. Lights across the Presidium started to go out.

"I need time," he said to the nearest Geth, knowing all could hear him. "Distract C-Sec with attacks on the Presidium." The Geth gave a warble of obedience as they spread out to do just that.

* * *

The unexpected arrival of Geth on the Presidium caught everyone in C-Sec by surprise. Communications started to go down a moment later.

The _Aurora_ 's Marine and security forces were on their way to meet with one of Executor Pallis' lieutenants when the alert came over internal communications. C-Sec comms swiftly broke down. Major Anders was surprised to see the security force reduced to near-chaos by the result. He'd fought alongside Turian troops against the Reich and knew them to be quite capable of rolling with a situation.

"This isn't the Turian military," Lucy said to him, sensing the thought. "C-Sec's different. I don't think they ever imagined something on this level happening."

"Maybe not." Anders hailed down a passing Turian C-Sec officer. "I'm Major Anders, Alliance Marines. Where's the fire?"

"Everywhere," said the C-Sec officer. "We're getting reports of explosions and Geth attacks in every Ward and the Presidium itself. And the extranet is down. Communications across the Citadel are also untrustworthy. Someone may have sabotaged our network."

"So what are your plans for this?" asked Lucy. "Contingencies?"

"That's the problem." Irritation showed in the Turian's eyes. "Executor Pallis is cut off, and we've lost contact with seventy percent of our precincts. At this point C-Sec can't launch a coordinated response."

"Which is probably what Saren wants," Anders said. "So we need to figure out where he doesn't want C-Sec."

Lucy considered the question. She felt a pull toward the direction of the Presidium. "Something on the Presidium, I'm sure of it." She prepared to run in that direction and just barely stopped herself. She glanced toward Anders. "I'm positive, but the call is yours."

Anders nodded and she sensed a small bit of appreciation from him. "Lead on, Lieutenant."

She did. 

* * *

The fire converging on the Mako was far more than its particle barrier systems could handle. Bolt after bolt of plasma struck the surface of the vehicle, blackening its white exterior as armor melted off and away under the onslaught. "We're taking too much fire!" Tali cried. "The barrier isn't regenerating. We've taken damage to the shocks on the rear right! The Mako won't take much more of this!"

"It won't need to. _Here we go!_ "

Shepard pushed the Mako throttle as much as she could. The vehicle rocked from the impacts that were wrecking it as it approached the fading Conduit.

"Estimate Conduit closure in ten seconds!" Tali cried. "Nine… eight… seven…"

A shot from one of the Geth struck the turret. It was not destroyed, but melted material stuck it into place, keeping Ashley from returning fire further.

"...five… four… three..!"

Robert held his breath as the Conduit loomed ever nearer. He tried to project his power into the Mako, willing it to move faster, to make it before the Conduit closed.

"...two… one! The Conduit's energy field, it's…"

As the Conduit began its shutdown sequence, the Mako made it to the energy field surrounding it. In a burst of blue light it shot up through the sky. Everyone aboard felt the familiar effect of a mass relay transit.

After a few seconds it ended. Through the viewscreen at the front of the Mako the Presidium was barely visible, the main lights now inactive.

But none of them had time to notice this fact, nor the presence of the Geth ahead. The Mako shot from the Conduit's relay to the Citadel at the same velocity it had when it entered. Shepard had a mere second to react and try to slow the vehicle down. It crashed through two Geth platforms, destroying both, as she slammed the brakes.

The damage to the Mako and it systems made it impossible for the brakes to slow them as normal. The Mako flipped and turned until it came to a rest nearly upside down. The flip and the impact were the most intense yet and Robert was certain everyone would have bruises over it. He ignored the lingering pain and discomfort and released his seat harness. As he was on the side that was pointing upward he fell a little, but mostly slid until he was crouching on the ceiling of the cargo area.

Nearby Shepard was already crawling out of the driver's side hatch. Garrus was the first to scramble up to the hatch on the other side. He opened it and jumped out. Tali and Robert joined him a moment later.

Robert felt the danger an instant before the Geth fired. The rocket erupted from its launcher bound for Garrus. He acted instinctively, throwing the rocket off-course enough to hit the wrecked Mako instead. The blast from the rocket proved sufficient to throw all three to the ground. In a daze Robert lifted his head. His ears rang from the blast. Ahead a Geth was raising its weapon and pointing it toward him. His arm flopped as he struggled to get to his weapon, but the blast of the rocket was severe enough to leave him seriously rattled and, worse, very disoriented. He blinked to try and get the blur out of his vision.

There was the sound of pulse fire and an electronic whine, followed by the clatter of a Geth hitting the ground. When Robert looked again, his imminent killer was sprawled out on the Presidium floor, and a figure dashed up to him. He looked up and blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Hey Rob," said Zack, smiling as he extended his hand to his friend. "It's been a while."

Despite the remnant pain in his head, Robert smiled back.

* * *

The _Aurora_ maneuvered around a damaged Turian cruiser, absorbing missiles from a Geth ship meant for the Turians. Blue beams of plasma lashed out in reply from the ship's starboard emitters. The deflectors of the Geth cruiser held under the initial strikes. But the four starboard-facing beam cannons came to bear under Angel's direction. One by one four thicker beams of sapphire energy lashed out at the cruiser. Its deflectors failed on the second shot, allowing the two that followed to slice the Geth ship open. With its hull opened up and its deflectors down, it had no protection from the follow up shots. In the seconds before its motion would have brought it out of the _Aurora_ 's starboard arc, more sapphire beams cut the ship's internals apart. A hit on the helium-3 fuel tanks left a trail from the wounded ship. Beside the _Aurora_ , the wounded Turians put a spread of disruptor torpedoes into the dying Geth cruiser to finish it off.

Julia didn't notice the success. She was busy observing the battle as a whole. The Geth were pressing hard on the _Destiny Ascension_ and thus on the _Excalibur_. The numbers and most of the ships being outfitted with deflector shields gave them the apparent edge.

"Why isn't Sovereign joining the fight?" Julia asked aloud. The ship shuddered as it took fire from two more of the Geth cruisers. Angel immediately retaliated with a barrage of pulse plasma fire from the bow cannons that battered down the Geth ship's deflectors, allowing the bow-mounted beam weapons to carve the Geth ship up. The second cruiser took fire from the _Excalibur_ while turning its guns on the _Destiny Ascension_ again.

"It apparently sees the Geth as nothing but cannon fodder," Meridina remarked. "Perhaps it is using them to weaken us."

"Given how it was talking on Virmire, that doesn't make sense. It thinks it's superior…" Julia felt a small smile come on as she let her thoughts come to a conclusion. "...unless it's afraid of something."

Meridina sensed the thought and nodded. "You believe Sovereign is afraid of us."

"I do."

A Geth missile slammed into the shields. "Shields down to seventy percent," Jarod said.

"Mister Jarod, Commander Delgado, have you found anything about those shields the Reaper is using?"

"They've got a lot of raw power behind them," Cat confirmed. "And they're really good at deflecting matter. This technology was clearly made to counter mass effect weaponry and any other form of weapons that use mass."

"But what about _our_ weapons?"

Cat thought that through. "It'll block torpedoes, yeah, and the nadion particles in phasers would have trouble with it, but the plasma from our main batteries shouldn't be affected. Our plasma fire and the _Excalibur_ 's were showing an effect earlier."

Julia tapped a key on her chair to open the tac-comm link to the _Excalibur_. "Captain King, my science officer believes Sovereign may be vulnerable to our plasma weaponry."

After a few moments King's voice responded, " _And mine concurs, Captain. Very well. I'll have our light ships continue to assist the_ Destiny Ascension _and the rest of the Citadel fleet. We will engage Sovereign directly. I'm relaying combat formation data to your helm now._ "

"Formation data received," Locarno confirmed. "I'm taking us in."

"I'm relaying targeting data to the _Excalibur_ ," Cat said. "If we concentrate our fire enough, I think we might be able to breach Sovereign's shields."

After another hit Jarod reported, "Shields at sixty-six percent."

"Engage the Geth as we go, but I want every weapon hitting Sovereign if it can."

"Targeting information loaded," Angel said, nodding to her younger sister. "I'm linking with the _Excalibur_ for synchronized firing."

"Then fire when ready."

The two Alliance starships moved in tandem together, bringing their best weapons to bear as they flew in defiance of the gathering Geth ships toward their target. 

* * *

Shepard's team managed to extricate themselves from the stricken Mako under the cover of Zack and a number of C-Sec officers of various species. Bailey was kneeling beside Zack behind some cover; Robert and Shepard were nearby behind one of the tree stands. "It was the damndest thing," Bailey was saying, glancing toward the Conduit's exit: the supposed mass relay monument left by the Protheans. "I always thought it was just a model, not a portable relay!"

"What's going on?" Shepard asked them.

"Saren's hacked into station communications, C-Sec is offline, divided, and distracted," Zack replied. "Julia warned me something was up. Meridina and Lucy sensed trouble. So I was on my way to meet with Bailey when everything went nuts."

"There's no way the Geth are already everywhere on the station," Ashley said. "Not this quickly."

Garrus shook his head. "Not at all, but they don't have to be. Saren was a Spectre. He probably knew our command protocols. He's triggering false alarms."

"Spectres aren't supposed to be briefed on those," Bailey said. "It's too vital for field operatives to know."

"There's no telling how long Saren's been planning this," Shepard said. "He could have met Sovereign decades ago."

"I wouldn't put it past him," Garrus grumbled.

"We'll figure it out later," Shepard insisted. "Where is Saren now? Did he enter the Tower?"

"Seems likely," Bailey said. Over his head gunfire from the Geth whizzed by.

"The master control unit must be up there." Shepard readied her weapon. "We need to get there before Sovereign can open the relay to dark space."

"Can open the what?"

"The Citadel's a big mass relay," Robert explained quickly. "And on the other side is the dark space beyond the galaxy where a bunch of genocidal machines are waiting to slaughter us all." Robert pulled his weapon out. "So let's get going." He nodded to Shepard.

Shepard nodded back once and jumped from cover. Biotic energy gathered around her and she shot forward. Her charge sent a pair of Geth platforms flying. Robert's power caught another and he threw it into the lake in the middle of the Presidium. The lightsaber in his hand came up and deflected an incoming shot, then another. Behind him Zack and Bailey were rising to open fire, shooting at some of the other Geth.

Behind them, the rest of Shepard's team began advancing. Liara tossed a singularity and, after it snagged two Geth, Kaidan threw his own biotic bolt into the singularity to cause it to explode, smashing the two Geth into the wall. Wrex charged forward, wreathed in a biotic field, and slammed his head into a Geth's neck with enough force to slice through most of the wires holding the flashlight head to the torso. He fired a point blank shot into it and blew the torso apart. Ashley backed him up by riddling a larger Geth platform approaching him with rounds from her assault rifle. When it tried to fire, Tali used her omnitool to hack into the neural net and temporarily paralyze the big Geth. Wrex and Ashley shot it to pieces with their weapons. A Geth sniper targeting Shepard as she shot up another Geth platform had its head blown to pieces by Garrus' sniper rifle. Robert caught another one with his lightsaber, slicing it in half before bringing the weapon back up to deflect more incoming fire.

They nearly made it to the tower when they came under fire from the direction of the Embassies. Multiple Geth platforms were approaching from that direction, including one of the smaller four-legged ones. It shot a bolt of plasma that impacted just short of the team, sending Garrus and Tali flying backward from the energies of the impact. Wrex and Liara moved to cover them while Ashley, Kaidan, and Shepard sought cover. Robert held his place and tried to draw fire, ensuring that Zack and Bailey could get their people back into cover as well.

This, of course, made him a target, and the Geth were focusing fire on him. His arms were starting to feel rubbery as they moved with speed that was beyond normal, catching the incoming fire with the help of his life force powers. But he didn't know how long he could keep this up…

...and then realized he wouldn't have to.

A sudden explosion ripped through the ranks of the Geth. The steady sound of pulse fire came from beyond their position. In the moments afterward, as the four-legged Geth charged up for another shot, a figure leapt out from the path further down the Presidium and descended on the back of the Geth. Robert watched a flash of blue light fill the air and swipe through the neck of the Geth. The plasma discharged wildly around it, wrecking the Geth, while its destroyer leapt free to land near Robert.

Lucy looked at him and smiled. "I thought I felt you were here," she said. "How?"

"The Conduit is a portable mass relay linking Ilos to the Citadel," he replied. Behind Lucy he noticed the armored figures of Marines joined with more C-Sec officers coming up. Zack and Bailey led the other C-Sec officers in joining the fight, and with Shepard's team helping the Geth were being taken under fire from three sides.

Lucy nodded. The smile faded. "Allowing Saren to slip into the Presidium with a bunch of Geth."

"Yeah."

"Sovereign's here," Lucy added. "You can feel it?"

"I can." Robert stopped himself from shuddering at the malevolent energy of the Reaper. "It's like the Flow of Life is shivering in terror."

"We felt it coming," Lucy said. "All of us." As she spoke Talara came up, in a field uniform carrying a pulse pistol. Robert sensed the queasiness in the Falaen woman and noticed her brown skin was now pale. "We have to stop this."

"That's the plan." Shepard stepped up to join them. "We've got to get up the Tower."

"There are more Geth in the Presidium, but I'm betting they'll come this way quickly if Saren calls." Anders was walking up to join them now. "We'll stay and hold the line."

"And we'll join you, Commander," said Zack. "You're probably going to need the firepower. There's no telling how many Geth are up there with Saren."

"I'm coming too," Lucy said. Talara nodded in agreement with her teacher.

"We'll take one lift, you take the other," Shepard said. "Let's move!"

With Shepard's team in the lead, they moved on to the lifts.

* * *

The cloudy space around the Citadel lit up with weapons fire, like a distant thunderstorm veiled behind clouds. In the cockpit of his Mongoose tactical fighter, Lieutenant Commander Patrice Laurent tracked a Geth cruiser moving in to strike at a beleaguered Asari cruiser. His targeting systems locked onto the enemy ship. "Squadron reports target lock," said his sensor officer, Ensign Derek Patel.

"Commence fire," Laurent ordered.

Around him, the _Aurora_ 's Alpha Squadron opened fire. Their phaser cannons, even collectively, did little against the Geth deflector shields..

Their solar torpedoes, however, were far more effective. The barrier of the Geth ship collapsed on the fourth impact, leaving several more torpedoes to blow the ship to pieces.

" _Bravo Squadron here, we're under heavy fire at grid epsilon-29, Geth fighters are in number. Turian wing already eliminated_."

Recognizing the Sirian accent of Lieutenant Gwen Skydancer, Bravo's commander these past few months after her time in Laurent's Command Flight, Laurent responded immediately. "Echo Squadron, reinforce Bravo. Delta, fall back to cover the _Aurora_."

" _Roger that_."

" _Acknowledged_."

"Alpha Squadron, stay on my flight," Laurent continued. "The Asari are still pressed hard and need the support."

"Roger," replied Lieutenant Huang, the commander of the squadron.

* * *

Geth fire filled the space around the _Aurora_ and _Excalibur_ as the two ships continued to go for the colossal Reaper directing the fleet of synthetics. Sapphire bolts repeatedly struck at Sovereign as the range closed and the Reaper could not evade the ships sufficiently.

On the _Aurora_ bridge Cat looked up from her station. "I think it's working," she said. "I'm reading disruptions in Sovereign's deflectors. They're starting to… wait, I'm getting a power surge…"

"We're being targeted," Jarod warned.

"Evasives!" Julia ordered.

At Locarno's control, the _Aurora_ twisted and pulled away from the Reaper. As the maneuver completed, red light came from one of the machine's many arms. It briefly played over the _Aurora_ before a surge of energy lashed out. The _Aurora_ 's shields flickered violently in reaction.

On the bridge the ship shook violently, almost as if they'd taken a direct hit.

"I managed to avoid the worst of it," said Locarno.

"Still, that hit took our shields down to thirty-eight percent," Jarod replied.

"And strained the generators," Barnes said. "I'm diverting auxiliary power to shore them up."

"Sensors confirm we were hit by a magnetohydrodynamic bolt, some kind of alloy," Cat said as the ship shuddered again. Some of the Geth were still engaged with them, trying to protect Sovereign. "Our deflectors absorbed it better than others would have. That shot would have broken through a particle barrier like it wasn't… we're being targeted again!"

Julia didn't have to repeat the prior order. This shot from Sovereign was a near-miss, the very outer edge of the bolt of cee-fractional-accelerated matter skimming the _Aurora_ 's shields. "Shields are back to forty-eight percent and rising," Jarod said. As he spoke more weapons fire struck Sovereign and its powerful deflectors.

"Do what you can, and maintain fire on that monster," Julia insisted. _And here's hoping we keep that thing from landing a direct hit._

* * *

With the Geth off to cover all potential entrance ways, Saren walked by himself toward the Council's meeting place. With his omnitool ready he sent the codes Sovereign had left him. An automated system extended the walkway to the Petitioners' Stage. Hardlight controls flashed into existence.

 _You are almost done,_ Sovereign's voice said to him. _When the others arrive, you will be recognized for your role in this harvest._

Saren heard the words and felt nothing but conviction for them. At least, mostly nothing. Even here, at the cusp of victory, he felt a small bit of doubt on the matter. Doubt that this was the right approach, that this would safeguard his survival and that of others. This small part screamed, "You are being betrayed! He is controlling you!"

To his surprise, this was being said in the voice of Shepard.

The doubt seeped away. Sovereign's conviction filled him. This was the way it had to be. The only way to survive.

Saren bought his hands up and began seizing control of the Citadel.

* * *

The first hint that something was going wrong was when the lifts stopped, almost side-by side. Robert glanced toward the other elevator, slightly lower than the one Shepard's team was on. Shepard was busy with the controls. "It's not accepting my codes. I'm being locked out. It must be Saren."

"Then we're almost out of time. Let me…"

"No, let me," said Tali. She went up to the controls. "I think I can use a manual override. Give me a minute."

As she started working, Robert glanced over to see Lucy doing almost the same thing. _Trying to override it?_

 _Yeah_ was the answer. _Hold tight._

 _It's just the fate of the galaxy and maybe the Multiverse, no pressure_ , he thought back.

The response was a surge of irritation and a feel of _I'm not talking anymore_. 

* * *

Geth fire that might have finished off one of the lighter Salarian ships splashed with little effect against the shields of the _Koenig_. On her bridge Will Atreiad kept his eyes on the tactical holo. Apley maneuvered the _Koenig_ to direct its firepower at one of the lighter Geth attackers. Sherlily's barrage with the main phaser cannons blasted away its deflectors and the rear half of the ship.

The ship shook with a solid impact. "Geth cruiser, bearing 102 mark 088," Magda reported. "They've got a lock." Again they were rattled in their seats. "Shields holding at seventy percent."

"Ap, Attack Plan Epsilon," Will ordered.

The _Koenig_ made a wide, twisting turn, taking another shot as they did. This put them directly on course for the Geth cruiser. It was already taking fire from the Salarian ships nearby. The enhanced shields of the Geth ships absorbed the shots with little difficulty. Sherlily added the _Koenig_ 's phaser cannons to the attack. "Enemy shields holding but degrading," she reported. "I have torpedo lock."

"Full spread, April."

Blue-white sparks - the sparks being the propulsion fields around the flat cylindrical torpedoes themselves - erupted in pairs from the _Koenig_ 's forward launchers. They exploded against the Geth cruiser's shields. "I'm detecting shield loss now."

"Bring us in for another attack run," Will insisted, knowing the _Koenig_ had to keep the heat off the Salarians until they could rally.

"Doing so now, sir," Apley confirmed.

The _Koenig_ began a tight maneuver, flipping and twisting as it turned relative to its prior position, all to throw off the aim of the Geth targeting systems. Some fire still struck the _Koenig_ enough to shake the bridge. "Shields down to sixty-six percent," Magda reported.

"Firing," Sherlily added.

The barrage of phaser fire and torpedo didn't destroy the Geth ship, but it did leave the shields degraded enough for the main guns on the two biggest Salarian cruisers to strike bare hull. Gouts of debris erupted from the impact points. "Enemy ship is badly damaged." Magda checked over her sensors. "The Salarians are moving to finish her off."

"Then find us another target, Ap," said Will.

"Yes sir," was the reply. 

* * *

Another shot from Sovereign slammed into the shields of the _Aurora_. "Shields down to twenty percent," Jarod warned. "Hull damage on several decks."

"We've got two primary generators offline, tertiaries are now fully engaged," Barnes added. "That thing packs a wallop."

Even as they spoke Julia watched Sovereign fire again, this time at the _Excalibur_. King's ship had a skilled pilot as well, but given its size it had the same issue as the _Aurora_ ; not being nearly nimble enough to completely evade fire. The shot caught the _Excalibur_ amidships. Its shields flared brilliantly. "The _Excalibur_ is reporting hull damage and near shield loss," Meridina noted.

"What's the status on that monster?"

"Sovereign's deflectors, whatever they are, it looks like they're degrading. I can't be sure how badly, I've never seen… power spike! Sovereign's engines are…!"

The monster seemed to shoot forward, as if all of its maneuvers up to now had been half-hearted. "It's putting all of its energy into engines and deflectors," Cat said. "And it's on course for the Citadel."

Meridina was already pale. "We must stop it. We must stop it _now_."

"Intercept course! Everything to engines, get us between Sovereign and the Citadel!"

At that command, Locarno sent the Aurora racing off after the monster. The _Excalibur_ joined the pursuit, both ships continuing to fire on Sovereign as they strained to catch up.

* * *

On the Citadel Tower, Tali continued to fuss with her omnitool. "I think I almost have it… there!"

With a final key press, the lift carrying Shepard's team went into motion. Several moments later Robert felt the surge of triumph from Lucy. The lift she was taking with Zack, Talara, and C-Sec resumed moving as well.

Even with the tension of the moment, Robert found he was looking at the sight of the Citadel. From this position he could see one of the wards. It was an amazing view. As he contemplated it he felt the life around him. The Flow of Life pulsed with the Citadel's many millions of beings. He could feel their fear, their worry, and most importantly, their _hope_. The hope that everything would be fine…

And then it was gone. Robert felt like he was falling, falling into the cold, into darkness. His mind filled with visions of death and destruction. Cities, planets, burned. Familiar worlds. The Earths of the Alliance, the crystal spires of Minbar, Bajor's temples, the elegant skyscrapers of the Davion capital of Avalon City… he watched Reapers wipe it all out. He watched the annihilation of beautiful Gy'toran wind-sailers and Gl'mulli sphere craft. Despairing people were being herded by their own kind like livestock to a slaughter.

A wail filled his being. The sense that it was happening… happening _again_. Death and despair and loss and…

...and he screamed. He cried. Tears and blubbering sobs as the sheer _weight_ came down on his soul. The weight of the Flow of Life, traumatized and brutalized by the Reapers, fearing the dread cycle of slaughter that it had endured for untold eons coming around again. As if all of the beings killed by the Reapers were here with him, the emotions of their final moments overwhelming…

" _ROBERT!_ "

The harsh tone had a warmth behind it that cut through the cold despair overwhelming him. Like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline, Robert seized on the warmth. The confidence and strength behind it invigorated him and helped pull him out of the loop of terror and despair that permeated the Flow of Life. He became aware of his surroundings again. The lift, the others of the team… _Shepard_.

She has his shoulders gripped with her hands. He could see himself through her. His skin was drawn and pale, his eyes wide, as if he'd seen a ghost (to borrow the age-old description). Tear-lines streaked his cheeks. "Don't fall apart on me," she urged. "We're in this together."

"I… I know." He took a ragged breath. "I just felt… I could feel what happened before. All of the past times the Reapers came through the relay, all of the _death_ …" He swallowed. "We're running out of time."

He felt sympathy from her. Shepard seemed to understand something of what he'd gone through just now, but he felt no change in her confidence or determination. Whatever the odds, Shepard was _certain_ they were going to prevail. A certainty that defied the galaxy, that defied the Reapers, the kind that Robert was supposed to feel but found difficult with the way the Flow of Life trembled in anticipation of the Reaper cycle.

"Whatever's going on with this metaphysical stuff, focus," Shepard instructed him. "We're almost there, and we'll need you."

"Right." Robert felt the despair in the Flow of Life pull at him again. He focused on Shepard, on the others, and pushed it away.

"We're here," said Tali.

The lift doors opened, leading to the reception area and the security checkpoints for the Council Chambers. Several dead bodies of associated species were gathered around and a number of armed Geth were waiting at the checkpoint. Robert moved ahead of the others and ignited his lightsaber, ready to use it in defense. He reached out with his power and tossed one of the Geth platforms violently into the wall.

Shepard, as always, went for the shock tactics. She shot forward wreathed in biotic energy. The impact sent a Geth flying backward to slam into another. Her shotgun barked. The solid shot smashed another Geth's torso in.

The rest of the team came out, firing and attacking as well. Liara and Kaidan employed a biotic combo again, Liara's singularity grabbing two of the Geth and Kaidan's follow-up pulse violently tossing them. From the other lift Lucy raced out, lightsaber at the ready, and immediately sliced a Geth in half before it could open fire on Ashley. Behind her Zack and Bailey led Bailey's friends in C-Sec out, guns blazing. Talara brought up her hand and two Geth platforms slammed into each other.

The Geth platforms reacted by falling back. "There are more beyond," Robert noted.

"Not just that." Tali checked her omnitool. "I'm picking up Geth dropships approaching the Presidium and the Tower."

"Saren's called for reinforcements, then," Garrus said.

"How could they get into the tower from outside?" Ashley asked.

"There's a maintenance hatch nearby," Garrus replied. "Saren probably unlocked it for them. He won't be able to disable the shielding to stop remote transporting, so they have to come in that way."

Robert and Lucy exchanged glances. Each had a feeling on the future of this situation. Lucy said, "Then I'll block it off, with some help."

Zack nodded. "We can do it."

"And we'll deal with Saren." Shepard hefted her shotgun. "Let's go!"

* * *

The _Aurora_ and _Excalibur_ chased Sovereign through the Geth and Citadel fleets. The Geth had the numbers, but the Citadel ships were fighting with desperate courage with the aid of the Darglan tech-equipped Alliance starships in _Excalibur_ 's squadron. One of the Salarian ships intercepted a Geth cruiser bearing down on the _Excalibur_. With their weapons crippled, the Salarians' only option was to slam into the Geth ship. Their vessel survived the impact, and more importantly they drove the Geth vessel away, allowing an Asari ship to finish it off. The resulting explosion crippled the Salarians.

Again and again plasma fire raked over Sovereign's powerful shields. Torpedoes detonated with no damage to the monstrous machine's reddish skin. While there was no visible demonstration of success, the sensors on both ships showed the field was weakening.

The problem was that it wouldn't finish weakening before Sovereign entered the Citadel. With Meridina's pale look being all the reason Julia needed to want that prevented, she kept the _Aurora_ on a course to cut the giant cephalopod off.

"Approximately one minute until Sovereign is within the arms," Jarod warned.

"Status on its shields?"

Cat answered Julia immediately. "Sovereign's deflectors are starting to fail, but I'm not sure we'll get them down in time. We need to hold it back!"

"Mister Jarod, tractor beam?"

"A good idea. We'll try that. Mister Barnes, I need every joule you can give me to the tractor emitters."

"Giving you what I can spare," Barnes replied.

On the holo-viewer the Citadel loomed ahead. A Turian heavy cruiser and a dreadnought were already moving to cut off Sovereign. Their weapons were virtually useless against the machine, but if the Reaper's shields could be taken down they could help finish it off.

"Thirty seconds!" Jarod called out. A moment later he added, "Activating tractor beam… now!"

As the _Aurora_ pulled alongside the giant Reaper, two ribbons of strong blue light reached out and gripped the machine. Another pair of tractor beams snatched the Reaper ship, these from the _Excalibur_.

" _Engineerin' t' Bridge_." Scotty's voice came over the _Aurora_ 's internal comms. " _Tractor systems are already in th' yellow. I cannae give ye but a few more minutes o' this_."

"Understood, Mister Scott. Hopefully we won't need more time."

"The _Teyama_ and the _Tagbanua_ are moving into position to assist," Meridina said. Julia felt she still looked incredibly pale. On the screen two of the _Predator_ -class starships moved in and triggered their own tractor beams."

"We've slowed Sovereign down by eighty percent," Cat noted. "Its trying to put more power into engines."

While the report was made, one of the big Turian ships activated a tractor beam as well - the technology had been widely shared with the Citadel Council species - followed by an Asari ship. The focused fire on Sovereign was converging. "Sovereign's shields are failing!" Cat called out. "We've almost done it!"

"Maintain fire!" she ordered. "Locarno, put us between that thing and the Citadel!"

"Maneuvering now."

It looked like they had the upper hand, but Julia didn't dare let herself feel relief. This thing was so powerful, so ancient… what else might it be capable of doing that they had no idea about? 

* * *

Flickering flame was already devouring the trees in the approach to the Council Chambers' foyer. Shepard and her team entered the foyer at a run, Shepard, Liara, and Robert in the lead. The bodies of Citadel personnel unable to flee were scattered. Their deaths were sudden and violent and Robert could sense the remnant terror they'd felt at the end. He forced it away so it wouldn't distract him again.

The Geth were behind prepared positions when they opened fire. The reason for the team's formation on approach became clear as Liara and Shepard generated a biotic field to either side of Robert. His lightsaber flashed to life and deflected the shots from the Geth coming at him. The response was instinctive, automatic, for Robert; his arms seemed to know where the blade needed to be at any specific moment. One deflected shot, done with a bit of a flair with his weapon, sent a plasma bolt straight into the flashlight head of a Geth platform.

Behind them the other members of the team opened up with rifles. Garrus' accuracy led him to a shot that repeated Robert's feat, after which he tracked his sniper rifle over to find another foe. Ashley and Kaidan were quite effective with their weapons, Wrex moreso. Tali, always one to prefer a shotgun, was not so accurate, but she was busy using her omnitool's advanced functions to interfere with the Geths' systems remotely.

Once the volume of fire declined a little, Robert mentally signaled the others. Shepard went into action with a biotic charge that carried her up to the Geths' chosen point of cover, a plant display. Her shotgun roared and the solid slug crushed the chest of a Geth platform. A bigger one brought its weapon over and took a biotic blast for its trouble, first from Liara and then from Shepard. The twin biotic attacks sent it flying into the far wall with another force to damage it.

Robert remained on defense for the moment, until his instincts told him the moment had come to strike. If he was Lucy he might have plunged ahead to start dismembering Geth with his weapon, but he wasn't anywhere near the duelist and fighter she was with a lightsaber. When he attacked it was with his life force. With a thought and will behind it the universe responded to his need. One of the big Geth suddenly fell over, as if slammed by a great force. Wrex and Ashley shot it to pieces as it tried to stand.

Shepard's shotgun boomed again. The big Geth against the wall sparked from the wound to its abdomen from the powerful, vicious slug fired by Shepard's firearm. It tried to bring its weapon to bear again, but Shepard shot it in the neck before it could. The flashlight head went out and the Geth platform, now blinded, fired blindly. Shepard easily evaded the shot. Biotic energy wreathed her right hand as it formed into a fist and slammed into the abdomen wound of the giant Geth. It sparked again and fell, defeated.

Wrex plowed into a Geth beside her, destroying it with a follow-up head butt that smashed the Geth's flashlight head. Tali's shotgun roared and the blast took out another of the attackers, freeing Robert from deflection duties again so he could take two more Geth and forcefully slam them together. He held the stunned platforms in place for the others to shoot.

Once they were disposed of, everyone moved on. Looking about, Robert felt tremendous _deja vu_. He'd seen this before. This place, marred by destruction. One of his dreams, his insights into the future from his powers, was coming true.

This perturbed him. The present problem aside, he'd had other visions, some not yet true… and which he never wanted to see happen.

"We don't stop!" Shepard shouted. "Saren's just ahead!"

To a person, Shepard's team reacted and charged forward. More Geth tried to intervene and were met by the skills of the _Normandy_ team. Shepard was relentless at this stage, plunging forward into the fighting, throwing biotic attacks. Robert felt she was tiring, but despite the very real physical fatigue she was suffering from Shepard would not stop.

This relentless charge carried them to the Petitioner's Stage itself. Robert could see it was further extended than usual, with a large hard-light control interface. Saren was operating it as they approached.

Just before Shepard or any of the others could fire, Saren turned and threw something. Robert sensed the danger, crying out "Grenade!" and lashed out with his power. It was an ill-controlled use, and he felt the energy within him threaten to surge out of control as it had on Virmire and other occasions. But with focus he kept it from doing so, throwing the explosive right back at Saren. Saren, in turn, formed a biotic barrier around himself that absorbed the blast when it came. He jumped down toward the glass floor beneath the stage. When he came back up, standing on his mobile platform, he was carrying what looked to be a portable Geth mini-gun. The team all jumped for cover as he opened fire. The ammunition created electrical arcs as it slammed into the matter around them, flash-converting the air into brief bursts of plasma.

"Shepard. I was afraid you wouldn't make it in time," Saren said.

"Yeah, well, there were a few hundred Geth in my way," Shepard responded.

"And all for nothing," said Saren. "In a few minutes Sovereign will have control of the Citadel. The relay will open and the Reapers will return. And there's not a single thing any of us can do to stop it." 

* * *

Everyone on the _Aurora_ bridge braced themselves for the next shot from Sovereign. A bolt of molten metal slammed into the Darglan deflectors protecting the ship. "Shields down to fifteen percent!" Jarod shouted. "We won't take another hit like that!"

"Tractors are heading to the red-line!" Barnes added.

"Anything?!" Julia demanded from Caterina.

"Sovereign's shields are destabilizing, we've almost got him!" Cat shouted back.

"Maintaining fire!" Angel declared with evident pleasure.

As the ship was keeping the Reaper to starboard, all the better to keep the maximum tractor power on the Reaper, Angel couldn't target with the pulse plasma cannons, her heaviest weapons. Nevertheless the less-powerful plasma cannons and the other beam-firing Darglan plasma weapons continued to lash out at the creature. Sapphire beams played over the dark hull of the Reaper, each strike weakening its defenses. Mass effect-fired slugs and weapons fire from the other ships joined their shots, including thick bolts of pulse plasma cannon fire from the _Excalibur_. Unlike the _Aurora_ , the battlecruiser did have the heavier mounts on the side arcs and was giving Sovereign even more punishment than the _Aurora_ was managing.

Sovereign's fire was infrequent - presumably most of its power was going to engines in trying to break free - but when it did fire, it fired for effect. After a glancing blow that degraded its weakening shields, the destroyer _Teyama_ now took a direct hit. The bolt smashed the light ship's remaining shields enough that it inflicted a heavy hit on the primary hull of the ship. The shot struck the tractor emitter of the destroyer directly, ending one of the blue ribbons keeping Sovereign from moving into the Citadel. " _Teyama_ reports heavy casualties and structural damage," Meridina informed Julia. "Their tractor systems are offline."

"Tractors are now at 110%!" Barnes shouted, reflecting the loss of the _Teyama_ 's assistance. "We've got maybe a minute before the emitters burn out!"

"Have the other emitters ready," Julia instructed.

Sovereign's next shot hit a Turian ship. This one didn't have Darglan-made deflector systems, only a more common system. Its shields couldn't take the direct hit and the Turian ship took the worst of the shot, blowing through armor and taking out the tractor system. Another of Sovereign's legs pointed toward the _Excalibur_ and opened fire.

The _Excalibur_ took the hit without losing shields. But its shields were still strained enough to leave it vulnerable to a quick follow-up attack. In this case, said follow-up was from a burning Geth cruiser. Defying the fire it was taking from the _Excalibur_ 's batteries and other Citadel ships, the insectoid form plunged straight for the _Excalibur_. Julia realized its intent right about the same time King and her helm officer did, as the _Excalibur_ shifted in position to avoid the ram.

The Geth were not so easily thrown off, however. They tracked _Excalibur_ and accelerated for the kamikaze run against the ship's drive hull. The _Excalibur_ twisted, trying to avoid taking such a direct hit…

One of the lighter Turian cruisers threw itself into the flight path first. The Geth cruiser collided with the Turian… and kept going, sending both ships into a now-unavoidable collision with the _Excalibur_. The best the battlecruiser's helm officer could do was ensure the strike was only a glancing one to the hull and wouldn't critically damage any systems. The operations officer of the ship attempted to assist, firing another tractor beam to deflect the incoming ram. Together they succeeded; the Turian and Geth ships ripped along the drive hull of the _Excalibur_ , but didn't strike the nacelles or take out any vital systems. The ship's armor held.

But the impact still inflicted great strain on the _Excalibur_ 's shields, strain that Sovereign quickly took advantage. It fired on the _Excalibur_ again, this time with two legs. The twin bolts slammed into the battlecruiser's deflectors.

This time, they failed.

One bolt struck the lower port nacelle of the _Excalibur_ and blasted right through it before impacting on the armored hull. The strike tore the nacelle in half. Ignited plasma from the nacelle created secondary explosions that engulfed both halves while the shot gouged through the ship's armored hull, creating a large section of damaged, even eliminated, structure. Atmospheric gas and debris - including bodies- erupted from the wound.

The second shot hit further toward the bow, right around the halfway point of the ship's length. There was no nacelle to absorb the shot this time. The blast cored the _Excalibur_ in a fashion that would have outright crippled a smaller ship. The _Excalibur_ was not crippled, but the wound was severe, just as it would have been on the _Aurora_.

The two blue ribbons connecting the _Excalibur_ to Sovereign died.

"Tractor emitters overloading!" Barnes reported. "We're losing them…!"

Even before the two ribbons from the _Aurora_ ceased, mostly freeing the big Reaper from its restraints, Sovereign was already moving again, on a course directly for the Citadel…

...and right toward the _Aurora._

"Sovereign's not evading!" Jarod shouted as the monster loomed ever larger on the viewscreen, red lightning crackling around its body. "It's on a collision course!"

Julia wasn't able to keep the desperation out of her voice when she cried, "Evasive maneuvers!" Her eyes widened at the sight of the metal monstrosity rushing toward them on the viewer. Her finger hit the key on her chair for a shipwide address, so she could get an order she only ever heard herself give in nightmares.

"All hands _, brace for impact!_ "


	62. Episode 3-11-5 Chasing the Cycle

As the battle with the Geth fleet raged around the Citadel, the massive form of Sovereign continued its unyielding course toward the Citadel. On the _Aurora_ bridge Nicholas Locarno went into motion. Years of training went into his actions, including keeping a three-dimensional model of the nearby space in his head as he judged the velocity of the approaching Reaper and the relative positions of everything else. He had only seconds to react before Sovereign plowed into the _Aurora_.

His hands flew with speed over his controls, sending commands through the ship's control systems for the engines. The engines and maneuvering thrusters fired under those commands, pushing the ship into a wild turn and twist in space that strained the inertial dampeners to the point that the entire crew were hit by G-forces beyond their usual experience.

The maneuver kept Sovereign from plowing through them. The big Reaper moved across the _Aurora_ 's belly. On the lower decks the crew could hear the squeal of the ship's structure caused by the two scraping against each other. At points the hull was split open by the force involved with emergency forcefields popping into place to minimize exposure to the vacuum.

The impact was felt throughout the ship. As soon as she was no longer being shaken in her safety harness, Julia called out, "Report!"

"Partial impact damage on decks 34 and 35. Multiple minor hull breaches, forcefields in place," Jarod answered.

"Good thinking, Mister Locarno." Having given Locarno the compliment for saving the ship, Julia was quick to add, "Pursuit course, _now_. Tactical, all weapons on Sovereign! We can't let him into the Citadel!"

"Bringing us about!"

"Can we tractor Sovereign again?"

"Starboard tractors are out," Barnes said. "We completely burnt out the emitter systems. A team's getting the graviton generator repaired, give me thirty seconds and we can tractor Sovereign again."

"Do so as quickly as you can." Julia gave the order while, on the holo-viewer, the sapphire bolts from the _Aurora_ 's ten bow-mount pulse plasma cannons battered away at what was left of Sovereign's shields.

"Sovereign's shields are in collapse!" Cat cried out.

Julia nodded. "We've almost got it! _Keep firing!_ "

* * *

The orange and red glow from multiple fires played over the scene in the Council Chamber. Saren stood tall on his hovering platform, his weapon raised and biotics swirling around him. Whenever he spied someone moving a burst of fire from the Geth weapon blasted chunks from whatever cover they were using.

"This is the end, Shepard," Saren said. "It's fitting that you're here. Sovereign has come to appreciate your skill. It understands you are a unique organic. If you agree to serve as I have, you will survive the coming cycle."

"None of us will, Saren. Sovereign's deceiving you! The Reapers don't care for you and never will! You're just a tool!"

"I made their victory possible!"

"So?" Shepard laughed bitterly. "Do you expect gratitude from something like Sovereign? Why would it give you any? Once the Reapers are here you're not necessary anymore. You're just another organic to be culled."

Saren sprayed Shepard's position with weapons fire. " _No!_ " he shouted in rage.

Robert glanced Shepard's way. _You're on to something sensitive here_ , he thought, using his powers to let Shepard sense what he was thinking. _Saren knows. He just won't accept it._

She nodded in reply to that and continued. "Sovereign's always been using you, Saren. You're an indoctrinated tool, nothing more."

"Without me Sovereign would never have come this close! Without me…"

"I'm going to stop Sovereign, Saren, with or without you," Shepard swore.

To that Saren chuckled. "You will find I am a stronger opponent than I was on Virmire, Shepard. I have been enhanced to better serve."

Shepard's horror matched Robert's own. "Are you saying you let that thing _implant_ you?!"

"As I explained before, Shepard, our only hope to survive is to serve. Through my service the Reapers will understand our use. Although some will die, our species will survive under their authority."

"This is insane, Saren!" Shepard shouted. "That thing is indoctrinating you! When it's over, you'll be nothing but a mindless husk withering away! That's all the Reapers think you're good for!"

"Shepard, cease this pointless resistance. Sovereign is almost here. When it arrives, the relay will open. The Reapers will come through. And nothing you do can stop it." 

* * *

The _Aurora_ shuddered under the fury of several Geth ships, the Geth's desperation to protect Sovereign just as evident as the desperation Julia felt that they stop the Reaper before it could enter the Citadel's arms. "Shields are at ten percent and losing cohesion," Jarod warned.

"The other vessels are trying to help, but the Geth are overwhelming them," Meridina said.

Julia nodded. Her eyes were intent on the holo-viewer, which displayed Angel's efforts to batter Sovereign to death with the _Aurora_ 's weapons. Where once the monster's shielding blocked even their heaviest shots, now the plasma beams and cannon bursts were blowing chunks out of the creature's hull. A thin phaser beam lashed out repeatedly, courtesy of the _Barroso_ , one of the _Predator_ -class starships still in the fight. The smaller ship darted ahead and peppered the colossal Sovereign with phaser and torpedo fire.

"Sovereign will be in the arms within thirty seconds!"

"I need tractor beams _now_ Mister Barnes!" Julia yelled.

"They're bringing the graviton generators back up now! Try it!"

"Twenty-five seconds…" Even as Jarod gave the warning he initialized the tractor emitters facing toward the bow. Again two ribbons of blue light connected the _Aurora_ to Sovereign. There was a shudder through the ship as the _Aurora_ attempted to hold Sovereign in place.

"The system's already at 100% capacity and going up!" warned Barnes. "We won't be able to sustain this!"

Julia watched another tractor beam lash out and seize the Reaper: the _Barroso_ was following their lead. The destroyer wouldn't accomplish much, of course, but every little bit of help counted. "Reverse engines, full power!"

The _Aurora_ 's impulsor drives changed operation. Their forward velocity stopped, as did Sovereign's.

"Tractor capacity at 110% again!" Barnes warned.

"Everything on Sovereign now!" Julia thumbed the tactical comm open. " _All ships fire on Sovereign!_ " 

* * *

The maintenance hatch for the Citadel tower opened and Geth platforms poured through.

"Open fire!" Bailey ordered, and Zack and Talara joined him in the first shot. The C-Sec officers with them opened up as well. Rifle and pistol fire struck the lead Geth, damaging it irrevocably. The Geth behind it returned fire on them, forcing them back into cover. A scream briefly drew Zack's attention to an Asari now clutching a wounded arm.

The Geth charged in, as if to overrun them with firepower and numbers, and soon found they had another worry. Lucy raced into melee range with the aid of her abilities. A flash of sapphire light bisected one of the Geth platforms, splitting it into two. As it fell Lucy moved on to the next Geth, slicing its legs and head off in successive strikes. A third was literally disarmed with an upward strike. She turned and directed a wave of force toward the maintenance hatch, a wave that toppled several Geth. The others took the chance to come out of cover and resume firing. Their shots finished off some of the Geth while Lucy busied herself with defensive deflections and counter-attacks with her powers. Talara aided as best as her training allowed her, combining shots from her pulse pistol with brief attacks with her abilities that threw the Geth off-balance.

"I bet there's more trying to get in," Zack observed.

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure of it. Question is, can we hold out long enough to stop 'em? These things have heavier weapons than we do."

"We hold out as long as we can," Zack insisted. "We buy Shepard and her team time to stop Saren."

"Yeah, somehow I thought you'd say that," Bailey muttered before resuming fire.

* * *

Another burst of fire from Saren's weapon forced Liara back into cover. Her attempt to throw a singularity at the cyberized Turian flew wildly off-course and accomplished nothing.

"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants!" Shepard shouted at him. "Can't you see that?"

"I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life, flesh and steel combined, the strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither," Saren asserted calmly. "This is our destiny. Join with us, Shepard. Experience the rebirth I have. Together we will serve the Reapers and bring about a new galaxy! It is inevitable!"

"No it isn't!" Shepard insisted. "I have a way to keep Sovereign from controlling the Citadel! Move out of the way and I can stop this invasion from happening!"

Saren shook his head wildly at that. He fired off a burst from the Geth weapon, keeping Kaidan and Ashley from getting a shot. Another burst forced Garrus back into cover. "We can't stop it! Not forever! You saw the visions You saw what happened to the Protheans! The Reapers are too powerful! Their victory is inevitable!"

Robert nearly missed the small spark of hope that filled Saren. It was buried deep in Saren's being, and his thinning connection to the Flow of Life made it unlikely most would have noticed. But Robert did. Despite everything he was saying, a piece of Saren felt hope that Shepard could stop the Reapers. He passed this realization on to Shepard.

She nodded at him before continuing to speak. "There has to be a part of you that knows this is wrong! We can win this, Saren, and stop the invasion! You have to listen to me!"

"No!" Saren cried. He fired the weapon at Shepard, forcing her further back into cover. "I… I cannot listen to this. It's all lies! The Reapers will prevail, they must!" 

* * *

It was unlikely the _Aurora_ bridge had ever felt the tension it had as Barnes informed them the tractor systems were at 120% capacity and failure was imminent. Julia mentally urged the weapons fire that was even now starting to cut up Sovereign to finish.

Such urging wasn't necessary for Angel. Julia knew she took pride in her handling of the ship's tactical systems in a crisis, but it was rare to see her so fixated. The intensity in her hazel eyes as she examined the data coming into her board, the sensor imaging and the analysis on Sovereign's damage and possible weak points, was intimidating and inspiring at the same time.

Every ship that could manage it was now focusing fire on the Reaper. Mass effect fire was finally having an effect, without Sovereign's shields to protect it, and the torpedoes and fire from the Alliance ships were mauling the Reaper. The lightning-like energies coursing around it crackled angrily. The monster continued in its struggle to break free.

"Just a little more…" Julia urged.

And then one of the blue ribbons connecting the _Aurora_ to Sovereign disappeared. "Burnout in emitter!" Jarod called out. "The other emitter is…"

"It's the whole system…!"

As Barnes gave his warning, the other tractor beam holding the Reaper back failed. There were a few smaller ships still trying to grapple the beast, but they didn't have nearly enough energy. Sovereign was already moving forward when the beams failed, one by one, and the Reaper was free to resume its flight to the Citadel. 

* * *

Robert glanced long enough to see Saren reach a hand back to the Citadel master control. Before he could act Saren glanced his way and opened fire. Instinct caused Robert to slip away instead of attempting to defy the rapid fire weapon. "Sovereign's almost here. This is almost over. Accept it, Shepard, you've lost."

Robert felt the others preparing to surge forward. Any moment and they would try, and some would clearly die from the effort. He glanced toward Shepard to see if she was going to go along with it. If he had a moment of distraction…

"It will be over if you just let me do this," Shepard insisted. "Sovereign will be locked out of the Citadel. Our allied fleet will have time to kill it! And you can do what you swore to do: protect the galaxy! Dammit, Saren, you're a Spectre, one of the best! Fight Sovereign's control! A stubborn bastard like you has the ability to do it!"

Hope, despair, resignation, resolution… Saren had it all roiling within him. Shepard's words were getting to him. Robert felt a sense of pride begin to build within him.

But it didn't stop him from finishing his work on the console.

* * *

With Sovereign only seconds away from the Citadel, Julia didn't things could get worse.

Then they did.

"Someone's activated the Citadel arms," Jarod said. "They're closing!"

Julia's heart sank with the fear that it had all been for nothing. The arms would keep them from finishing off Sovereign if they finished closing. "Follow it in!" she insisted.

"I don't think we'll make it through, but I'll try!" was Locarno's response.

"It might not be too late," Meridina said, desperate hope in her lilting voice. "Look."

The tactical display told Julia everything. The Turian flag cruiser was maneuvering between the Citadel and Sovereign. " _Fire everything we've got_ ," the Executor in command ordered over the comm line. " _We're not moving!_ "

As weapons fire continued to desperately assail Sovereign, the Turian cruiser lived up to the promise of its commander. It, indeed, did not move.

Sovereign did not stop either. The creature had mass and acceleration on its side. When it made impact, it smashed the Turian ship to pieces.

But in doing so, by nature it lost some of its velocity, for the moment, losing crucial seconds in its final approach.

"It's now or never!" Julia shouted into the fleet's tactical channel. " _Fire everything you've got!_ "

* * *

In the Citadel Council Chamber, Shepard shook her head at the others. "Saren, you said Nihlus was your friend."

"He was," Saren said. "Nihlus Kryik was my student. He was a great soldier and one of the best Spectres of this generation. He would go to great lengths to accomplish the mission."

"What would he say if he were here?"

"He would… he would understand…"

"Would he? I met Nihlus, and yeah, he'd do what was necessary for the mission. But he'd be damned to turn himself into the slave of Sovereign!" Shepard's voice boomed through the audience chamber. "If he were here he'd be fighting at my side, and you know it!"

Robert felt Saren desire to disagree, but he couldn't.

No, not just that. He didn't want to. Saren didn't want to deceive himself about how his friend would be reacting to this situation.

"Deep down, you know I'm right, Saren. Sovereign's driven you to this. But it's not too late! We can fight him! _You_ can fight him!"

Saren gripped at his head. "Yes… yes, I… unh. Maybe we can stop… argh!" Saren's cry of pain filled the air. "I can't… Sovereign's too strong! The implants…!"

Robert was preparing to jump from cover and take his chance, but Shepard acted first. She moved from cover and faced Saren directly, her weapon raised but not pointing at him. "It's not too late, Saren! You can still redeem yourself!"

"I…. I can still… it's…" After another cry of pain Saren doubled over, dropping the Geth weapon as he did. Robert left cover, as did the others, in time to see Saren yank a backup weapon, a Predator-model mass effect pistol, from a back holster. "I can stop it… I…" His voice softened. "Thank you, Shepard. I…"

Robert felt his intent. More than that, the immense pain, little different from that he'd felt in Fai Dan and the colonists on Feros enslaved by the Thorian. Sovereign was trying to enforce control through the implants and the mental programming and it was taking every bit of willpower Saren had to fight it off. To perform one final act in defiance of the being that had enslaved him and turned him against the galaxy he'd fought to defend.

Saren lifted his firearm and pressed it to his temple. With one last surge of effort, he pulled the trigger. 

* * *

As Sovereign drew nearer to the Citadel, the barrage against it was finally showing itself on the machine. Blow after blow showed on the dull reddish exterior. A plasma beam from one of the _Aurora_ 's forward weapons sliced off one of the arms, causing it to spin away.

And yet Sovereign wasn't stopping. The Citadel arms were closing and it was racing to get into them before they shut. Success would give the Reaper protection against the fleet outside, allowing it to do who knew what.

The fire against Sovereign slackened slightly. The _Barroso_ fell away, a hole gouged in the ship's drive hull by a Geth mass driver weapon. A Salarian ship broke up from weapon impacts. The Geth were burning in hard, desperate to protect Sovereign.

The _Aurora_ was among their targets. A round from a Geth cruiser struck the _Aurora_ 's unshielded hull. A second blew a partial hole through the lower port nacelle. "Armor self-repair systems are engaged to capacity," Barnes said.

Julia heard him, but she said nothing. She was focused on the holo-viewer. Sovereign's flaming, damaged body continued its path to the closing Citadel. They had only seconds left.

Blow by blow, more and more of Sovereign's body started to come off. Another arm was removed by a torpedo. Chunks of the creature's long body blew away from the _Aurora_ 's pulse plasma cannons' withering fire. Another series of sapphire bolts smashed into the creature's body; the _Excalibur_ , critically damaged as she was, was still in the fight. The _Koenig_ 's pulse phasers blazed with amber fury, gouging more wounds.

And yet… Sovereign still made it into the arms.

"Torpedoes!" Julia shouted. "Full spreads!"

The _Aurora_ 's bow launchers erupted at once, all six of them. The _Excalibur_ and _Koenig_ also opened up with torpedoes, as did the _Tagbanua_ and several of the _Aurora_ 's remaining fighters that still had torpedoes to spare. Over two-dozen projectiles, wreathed in white-blue drive fields, flew toward Sovereign.

The Citadel's arms were closing around Sovereign even now. Closer and closer they came to each other, forming a protective cone that would theoretically protect the millions of beings on the station… and now also the monster that wanted to exterminate them all. It was a race that had everyone on edge; would any of the torpedoes make it through before the arms closed?

The arms locked together, the tips folded inward to close the station…

...and the torpedoes slipped right through, one by one, spread by spread, until the tips closed and the last handful exploded against it.

Inside of the protective cone the rest of the torpedoes continued their flight. All of them found their mark. One by one they battered their way through Sovereign's wounds, blasting chunks of the machine away from its body. The final torpedoes penetrated deep into Sovereign's body before exploding. Deep within the ancient machine their naqia-enhanced warheads initiated. The resulting energy melted and blasted delicate machinery never meant to be subjected to such force.

Something within Sovereign went wrong. The energy core of the creature was wrecked. A regulating mechanism within was destroyed. Energy surged uncontrolled through the Reaper. The crackling red light around it died; bright white light suddenly showed through its many wounds and split hull.

And then the light expanded violently, and in a last surge of energy and an electronic wail heard across the Citadel, Sovereign blew apart.

Although the Citadel closing blocked some of this from the sensors of the ships outside, the energy release of Sovereign's destruction was detected. "I think we did it!" Cat shouted. "Sovereign's power core just failed! There's been a massive energy release!"

Julia didn't stop the whooping and cheering from the others. She let it go for a couple of seconds before asking for a report.

"I can confirm Sovereign's destruction," Jarod said, still grinning. "I'm trying to tap into the Citadel's internal systems to confirm."

Julia wanted to know for sure, but she also knew the fight wasn't over. Outside of the Citadel the Geth fleet was still large and might still overwhelm them, especially given how little attention it'd received from their weapons while everyone was firing on Sovereign. "Bring us back around," she ordered. "Engineering, I need shields back."

"We're trying," Barnes said. "But the generators took a pounding. If we can get away from enemy fire…"

"It's not going to happen any time soon," Julia pointed out. "Do what you can. Tactical, lock onto the nearest Geth ship and fire."

The _Aurora_ and the other ships came about to re-engage the enemy.

* * *

The gunshot from Saren prompted everyone to start emerging from cover. His body toppled and fell, dropping off the tactical platform and landing on the Petitioners' Stage in front of the control display for the Citadel. The body didn't so much as twist. Robert felt no semblance of life in the remains.

"So that's that, huh?" asked Wrex.

"Yeah."

Shepard stepped ahead, heading for the controls. Liara and Robert followed closely. Liara had a deep frown on her face. Robert sensed her frustration. "Are you okay?"

"I wanted justice," she said. "He led my mother astray.""

"He was led astray himself," Robert said quietly. He set a hand on Liara's shoulder. "I know your pain. I understand you wanted more closure. But sometimes…"

A wave of sheer, malevolent _rage_ rippled through Robert's being. He gasped in shock at it, drawing the attention of Liara and some of the the others. Shepard was busy activating the master control display.

After sensing what the immediate future held, Robert jumped forward. " _Shepard!_ " he cried. A moment later he tackled her and the two fell off the platform. They landed on the glass below, cracking it.

Red lightning crackled across the stage, forcing the others back. The bullet that would have hit Shepard in the back of the head hit the window behind the Council's podiums instead.

"What in the name of God?!" Williams cried out, stunned by the sight of Saren's body melting away in red light. "What's happening?!"

"Nothing good," Garrus called out. He lifted his rifle and fired at the body. The shots ripped flesh from Saren's body, but it was being burnt off anyway.

From below Robert knew immediately what was happening. He could feel it in the very marrow of his bones and the depth of his soul.

Saren's body stood. Except it wasn't anything recognizable as living. The flesh of Saren's body was gone, burnt away, leaving only cybernetic machinery and a metal skeleton. Red light crackled around the remains and the cybernetic eyes glowed the same color instead of Saren's blue.

" _Keelah_ ," Tali gasped. "Is that…?"

"It's Sovereign," Robert said.

The remains of Saren scooped up the Geth weapon Saren dropped. Wrex charged forward and fired his shotgun. The shot met a barrier field that stopped it. Sovereign lifted the weapon. But instead of firing the creature moved too fast for Wrex to react. As Wrex passed by Sovereign tripped him and sent him falling to the ground below.

This time, the glass shattered. Shepard, Robert, and Wrex plunged into the garden below.

The others opened fire on Sovereign and met the same barrier field. Sovereign ignored them for the moment. It brought the remains of Saren's hand up, now nothing but another piece of metal shaped like a Turian hand, and ran it along the controls. "I am assuming direct control," Sovereign said, in the same voice the others heard him use on Virmire.

Below Shepard and Robert picked themselves up. Wrex started to as well. "We've got to get back up there."

"I'm not sure how," Robert replied. "But I've got another option." He reached out with his life force. His will shaped it, unseen, and he pulled with it.

The violent yank of his energy pulled Sovereign off of the stage. The being fell down into the garden with them. "You are too late, Shepard," it said. "The process has begun."

* * *

Another shudder filled the _Aurora_ bridge. "Direct hit, Deck 28 Section L," Jarod said.

On the screen the offending Geth cruiser was being pounded by the _Aurora_ 's main battery in the bow. Repeated sapphire pulses tore through the wingless dragonfly hull. The Geth cruiser began breaking apart.

"Another one down," Angel crowed.

"Bring us in toward the _Excalibur_ ," Julia ordered. "I want to…"

"I'm picking up something from the Citadel," Cat suddenly said.

"What is it?" Julia asked.

"It's a new energy signature. It's… it's like the Citadel has hidden power cores that are just now coming online. They're charging up something…" Cat stared at her readings. She knew what they indicated, but the idea of it… "I… I don't believe it."

"What is it, Lieutenant?" Julia allowed a little impatience into her tone at repeating her inquiry.

"This energy signature, the subspace ripples… it's… it's like the Citadel is turning into a _mass relay_."

"Cat, are you sure?" Jarrod asked.

"Positive! Here, what do you think?"

With a few keystrokes Cat relayed the data to Jarod's board. Jarod examined it and felt his mouth go dry. "I'll be damned," he muttered. "It's exactly that. Something's turning the Citadel into a giant mass relay."

A sinking feeling came to Julia's stomach, threatening to make her sick. "How long until it's active?"

"At this rate of charge… within a few minutes,I suppose," Jarod said.

"Is there any way to prevent it?" asked Meridina.

"Not from here," Jarod said.

The ship shook again. Another Geth ship was challenging the _Aurora_. "Then it's all up to the others," Julia said grimly. "There's nothing more we can do."

* * *

For a terrible moment Robert thought he was going to be overwhelmed again. The Flow of Life chilled around him.

"You have been the most difficult cycle to begin," conceded Sovereign. "But for all of your exertions, you gain nothing. The relay will open. The cycle will commence. Everything you know will be…"

Shepard raised her shotgun and contemptuously fired. The blast drowned out Sovereign's boasting and knocked the body back. "I've heard enough from you," she said.

Sovereign's arm lashed out. A bolt of dark matter shot through the air and struck Shepard's personal barrier directly, disrupting it. Shepard responded with several more shots from her gun. This time the creature went into motion, evading the incoming shots with incredible agility.

Above them the others approached the console. "It's locked down!" Tali shouted. "I can't override."

"None can." Sovereign's voice was chilling, the electronic tone making evident his distaste and disgust. It launched a dark matter bolt at Shepard. Robert generated force ahead of him that caught the dark matter, which snapped hungrily at them. He reached out and gripped at Sovereign. The Flow of Life resisted his command, as if it felt tainted by the contact with the creature. The time it took for him to assert his will gave Sovereign time to jump away, causing his focus to diminish.

Shepard's shotgun roared again, a near-miss on the creature as it scurried across the wall. "Your resistance is hopeless," Sovereign insisted. "Nothing can stop the cycle. We will harvest everything."

"You can't expect to fight the entire Multiverse," Robert insisted.

"You understand so little about what we are. We will swarm the skies of your worlds, _all_ of your worlds. Your stolen technology will be removed."

Sovereign followed up his speaking by leaping from the wall and slamming into Wrex. The Krogan growled and fired up, trying to hit Sovereign, but missed. Sovereign might have retaliated with its own attack, but the converging of fire from above - courtesy of Garrus and Ashley - compelled it to jump off.

"That Prothean program, did you finish loading it?" asked Robert.

"I was starting to when you tackled me," Shepard answered.

"Then that's the key. Can you transmit it to Tali's omnitool?"

Sovereign jumped from his place on the wall to another, taking him out of line of sight for those still above. Wrex tracked him and fired, just for Sovereign to jump at the last moment. It threw out a dark matter bolt at Shepard and Robert. Robert stopped the bolt at the last moment. "Give me cover," Shepard instructed.

"Can do, Shepard." Robert nodded and turned his attention to Sovereign.

"You." The creature jumped to another wall, throwing a dark matter bolt in the process. It struck Wrex and sent the Krogan flying. Sovereign landed on the ground and generated more dark matter, which Robert stopped. "So you are the inheritor of the Darglan."

"One of many," Robert replied. "What do you know about them?"

"They came to this galaxy, long ago. They examined the mass relays and utilized them for a time. Until the war."

"The war?" Robert frowned.

"The war of their folly. The war of the dark things from beyond, the Starbreakers."

"The Darkness." Another dark matter bolt, and Robert stopped it. Sovereign quickly leapt to another side of the room, trying to get behind him, to hit Shepard as she concentrated on relaying the program Vigil gave her to Tali. Robert spun around and caught the bolt with his power. Sweat gathered in his eyes and he struggled, not so much with Sovereign's attacks but with his own power threatening to overwhelm him. "You know of them."

"They are as ancient as our kind." Sovereign jumped again and Robert caught it. "You should welcome the cycle. We will leave the stars intact. Life will flourish again for a time, and another civilization will come. The Starbreakers will destroy everything. There will be no new life, no new civilizations. There will be only darkness."

"We'll stop them just as we're going to stop you." Robert spun around again, catching Sovereign's next attack. He fought down the dizziness the Reaper was causing with its maneuvers around him.

"Your boast is an empty one. You understand nothing." Sovereign leapt again, jumping above Robert. He threw a bolt that Robert caught.

Even as Wrex tracked his weapon to fire, Sovereign suddenly dropped. The drop became a dive, straight for Robert and Shepard. In the second he had to react Robert concentrated force to catch his foe. But Sovereign was ready for that, generating a powerful dark matter field as it descended. Robert couldn't quite grip it in time.

The resulting impact of Sovereign to the ground threw both Robert and Shepard away from the impact point with force more like that of a bomb than a landing shockwave. Shepard grunted as she slammed against the base of the Petitioner's Stage above. Robert made a similar noise when he hit the further wall. For a key moment, he was distracted, and could do nothing as Sovereign turned its attention on Shepard. She was still recovering when a second bolt hit her, this one a warp bolt that generated a field of the same name, as biotics knew it. The dark matter of the field started tearing at Shepard at a molecular level. Sovereign moved in for the kill…

A biotic bolt slammed into Sovereign's side, throwing it away and threatening to grapple and hold the thing.

Having taken the pathway down to the garden, Liara rushed in with her pistol raised. She fired at Sovereign, managing a hit as it recovered from her attack. Sparks flared from damaged cybernetics.

Then Sovereign's counter-attack came, not with a dark matter strike, but by jumping right at Liara. It moved too fast and too unexpectedly for Liara to catch Sovereign with her biotics. Sovereign slammed into her and grabbed Liara. She screamed in pain as its iron grip broke her wrist.

A moment later, she was freed, as Wrex slammed into the cybernetic corpse at full speed. He grabbed the machine and forced it into the wall. "Shepard!" he yelled, ignoring Sovereign's bow to his back.

"Shepard, the program is incomplete!" Tali cried from above. "We don't have much time!"

In clear pain, Shepard got up on hands and knees. Without fully standing up she brought her omnitool display back up and resumed her work.

Sovereign noticed. Channeling every bit of dark matter it could through Saren's remains, Sovereign fired a pulse of the material that freed it from Wrex's grasp. The red energy crackling around it intensified. A single blow was used to knock Wrex over, at which point Sovereign turned its attention back to Shepard.

And then a sizable portion of its head disintegrated. Sovereign let out an electronic roar and turned to trace the source: Garrus, with his sniper rifle up. Garrus fired again, overheating his weapon. Although he didn't get another headshot, he pulverized part of the monster's right shoulder with the shot, despite Sovereign's evasive motion.

That same evasive motion carried Sovereign toward Garrus. Garrus was forced to lower his rifle and roll away to avoid being grabbed by Sovereign.

The same motion also cleared him from Ashley's line of fire.

Ashley's M7 Lancer opened up. Sparks flew as the rounds from the weapon starting chewing chunks from Sovereign's body. Sovereign fell back for a moment from Ashley's accurate rifle fire. Dark matter coalesced into a protective field to absorb the fire. This bought Sovereign a chance to escape, evading fire from Wrex as well.

"Shepard, we're almost out of time! The relay is about to open!"

"There!" Shepard hit a final key on her omnitool. "You've got the program!"

"Uploading it now," Tali called out from above.

Shepard got back to her feet and found her shotgun. She raised it toward Sovereign as it jumped at Garrus, avoiding fire from Wrex and Ashley as it did so. Garrus rolled away and brought up his sidearm in the same motion, firing rounds that hit Sovereign in the leg. Sovereign evaded the next shot from Garrus, leaping to do so.

Leaping right into Shepard's crosshairs.

Her solid slug round blasted through Sovereign's weakened barrier and through its torso, forcing it to abandon its attack. It turned its attention to Shepard with a bolt of dark matter that Robert dashed in and absorbed. Ashley shot it a second later, and then Liara.

Sovereign took the damage without flinching, if it was even capable of such. It also clearly changed its plans. With one great leap it went to the wall, and then another leap to another section of the wall. Robert immediately sensed its intent. "It's after Tali!"

Even without his cry, the others were already shooting at Sovereign. Sovereign ignored them, though not Robert. It stopped just long enough to fire a dark matter bolt at Robert, who had to adjust to deflect the attack, giving Sovereign time to make the final jump up to the Council's platform. It directed its attention to Tali and tossed another dark matter bolt toward her.

Sovereign hadn't accounted for Kaidan. Kaidan generated his own dark matter field, absorbing the attack, and giving time for Tali to finish working. He lifted his pistol and started firing, his shots degrading the barrier Sovereign threw up to stop his attacks. Sovereign made another leap, this one over their heads. It landed on the Petitioner's Stage behind them. Kaidan continued firing at it, managing some hits that further damaged the creature.

In a flash Sovereign shot forward. It forced its way through Kaidan's protective field using its own and grabbed Kaidan by the collar. Had it time, it might have simply snapped his neck, but instead Sovereign simply tossed Kaidan to the side. It turned its attention to Tali.

Tali's shotgun barked, spraying Sovereign with a close-range shot. She fired again, this shot breaking Sovereign's protective field and wrecking its left shoulder. A third shot was slightly off as Sovereign adjusted, evading it as much as it could. It bore down on her, a moment away from securing its success.

That was the moment Shepard shot up from the garden below, wreathed in biotic power. With the impact she knocked Sovereign off the Stage, bringing him along into the air above the garden. She grabbed Sovereign and forced the Reaper to fall with her back into the garden.

As they made impact, Tali called out from above. "Program loaded! I am taking control of the Citadel! Shutting down the mass relay activation!"

"No!" There was something… almost human in the rage and frustration Robert felt ripple from Sovereign. But even that was insufficient warning for what came next. Sovereign threw out a biotic shockwave in all directions, throwing everyone to the ground before they could fire on it. The impact was accompanied with a warp effect, creating a field that brought pain to everyone as the dark matter began to pull them apart at a molecular level.

WIth one arm mostly useless, Sovereign grabbed Shepard with the other. As Saren had on Virmire, Sovereign took her by the throat and lifted her, keeping Shepard from going for the shotgun. "You are mistaken if you believe this is a victory for your kind," Sovereign said. "This cycle will be processed regardless. My kind will return from dark space in one way or another, and you will not be…"

"Shepard!" Robert called out. He was in motion as the sound of his cry reached her. His hand shot forward toward her and Sovereign.

Shepard heard him. She knew what he was doing, and she brought her right arm up and had her hand ready to receive the object that had just flown from his hand. The moment she caught it, her thumb stroked the button on the weapon. Robert's lightsaber ignited in Shepard's hand. With a defiant cry she swung the blade at Sovereign's stolen body.

The emerald light met the dark matter gathered around Sovereign… and kept going, the field too weak to stop the strike. The blade cut the body from side to side. An instinctive upward cut to follow sliced through Sovereign's functioning arm, severing it along the bicep and freeing Shepard. She hit the ground in front of Sovereign as it flailed from the damage she'd inflicted, its damage mortal.

"I've heard enough out of you," Shepard said to the dying machine. In a pair of motions she plunged Robert's lightsaber into the chest of Sovereign's body and cut upward, slicing in half everything from the torso to the tip of the head.

Red light crackled violently around the partially-bisected construct. Shepard stepped back, but the violence of the energy was too great for her to avoid it.

Robert ran up and projected energy between them and Sovereign's dying form. To augment his power, Liara projected a biotic field from her hand - ignoring her shattered wrist - and prompted Wrex and Kaidan to do likewise.

There was a final wail… and then Sovereign, or rather Saren's remains, let out a storm of crackling red light that played over this defense while the cybernetic remains crumbled into dust.

Above them, Tali called out, "Its done! The Citadel relay is shut down again! I'm opening the mass relay network!"

At those words everyone in the garden breathed a sigh of relief. "So we did it," Ashley said. "We stopped them."

"For now, Sergeant." Shepard looked over what was left. Robert could feel her certainty that it wasn't over. "For now."

* * *

The Citadel's defense fleet was hard-pressed by the Geth. Holding Sovereign back had cost time and firepower that might have further attrited the Geth to something manageable. Now the _Aurora_ was struggling to protect both the _Destiny Ascension_ and the _Excalibur_ from the wounds inflicted on them, taking further damage to her systems in the process.

On the _Aurora_ bridge Julia watched the ferocity of the Geth and couldn't help but see them as an enraged hive. Their attacks were becoming more vicious and they seemed to lose all concern for their own situation. One of the damaged Geth ships put itself into Angel's bow arc just for a chance to slam the _Destiny Ascension_ with its powerful railgun armaments. It managed just one shot on the wounded Asari dreadnought before Angel blew the vessel away with the bow cannons.

Despite it all, Julia sighed with relief when Cat gave an urgent report. "The power buildup in the Citadel is dissipating. The mass relay element is shutting down!"

"They did it," Julia breathed. She glanced toward Meridina. Despite their situation, she could see color returning to the Gersallian woman's face.

Another hit sent a tremor through the deck. "Hull breach, Deck 15, Sections D and E," Jarod said.

"Mister Barnes, where are our shields?"

"We're not getting them back soon," Barnes protested. "Every time the generators start to reform a cohesive field the Geth blow right through it. We need to stop taking fire for a minute or so."

"We cannot," Meridina said. "If we abandon this position, the Geth will overwhelm the _Excalibur_ and _Destiny Ascension_."

"This way they have to overwhelm us first…" The ship shook again.

"I just lost two starboard plasma cannons," Angel said. "My tactical systems are taking a pounding. If we don't get out of this soon…"

"I'm getting a power spike from the mass relay!" cried Cat. "Something's coming through!"

Julia checked the tactical display. Multiple contacts began started popping up at the relay. The _Aurora_ 's computers identified them immediately: Systems Alliance ships.

With the _Normandy_ in the lead.

" _Hackett to Fleet. Assume combat formation and engage._ "

At the command of the Systems Alliance's Admiral Hackett, the fleet of human warships accelerated into the fight. Mass effect weapons, missiles, and some refitted energy weapons from the technological exchange started striking the Geth ships. The Geth turned to face their new, fresh adversaries, giving the battered defense fleet a moment's rest.

"Looks like the cavalry's arrived," Locarno noted.

"Maintain fire," Julia said. "It's not over yet."

The _Aurora_ targeted another Geth ship. When it was down she targeted another, and another, while Hackett's fleet did the work of finishing the Geth off. Only after the last Geth warship died did Julia breathe a much-needed sigh of relief.

* * *

The Geth push through the airlock wasn't letting up. Zack and Bailey put more fire into one of the big platforms as it swept its weapon over the counter where another group of Bailey's officers were in cover. Nearby an Asari C-Sec officer was clutching a wound on her belly, her lavender-complexioned face wrenched into an expression of pain. Talara was trying to treat her.

"My ammo block's running low," Bailey said.

Zack checked his weapon. "Two percent charge," he said. "Just a few shots left."

"How many of these things are there?!"

"A lot." That reply came from Lucy nearby. She wasn't in cover but rather busy drawing fire, deflecting it with her lightsaber. Zack didn't need powers to how determined she was. "If we can hold out a little longer…" She stopped and smiled. "They did it."

"Huh?"

"I can feel it," Lucy said. "They won. Sovereign's dead." She deflected a shot into one of the big Geth's flashlight heads, shattering the light. "Sovereign's dead, Geth! You might as well stop and leave!"

Indeed, the Geth did seem to suddenly lose momentum. As if they weren't sure what they were doing. With the fire slackening Lucy dashed forward, her lightsaber flashing through the air as she drove it through the leg of one of the Geth Prime models. Zack and Bailey fired at another until Zack's weapon ceased to work. He almost asked for another just to realize there was no point in it. With the Geth in such confusion, Bailey and his people were quickly gaining the upper hand.

" _Anders to Carrey_."

Zack tapped the glowing blue light over the back of his left hand. "Carrey here."

" _The Geth are falling apart. This is going into cleanup mode. Want me to send you some help?_ "

As another Geth died to Lucy's attacks, Zack gave his answer. "We've got the same thing here,, Major. Everything's handed for the moment, we'll keep in touch."

" _Alright. Anders out._ "

Another Geth platform, the last, fell over, multiple weapon impacts and a severed leg from Lucy's attack. Seconds passed and no more Geth arrived. Zack managed a scan for the Geth dropship that had been the source of their woes, but it was gone. "We did it," he breathed. "We stopped them."

"Damn right we did," said Bailey. He grinned at Zack. "You're not half-bad for a navy puke."

Zack returned the grin, happy he was, to put it bluntly, still alive. "Thanks for the compliment, I think."

The reaction to that was a roar of laughter. 

* * *

**Tag**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 12 July 2643 AST. Captain Julia Andreys commanding. We've received the final all-clear from the Citadel. The last of the Geth forces that attacked the station have been eliminated. With the damage to the systems from Saren's electronic attack on them it will be some time before an accurate count of casualties can be determined, but estimates are already going over ten thousand dead, not counting the thousands of dead from the Citadel fleet, including our own losses._

 _Still, it could have been worse. The_ Excalibur _is intact but severely damaged and in need of weeks of repair time. The_ Destiny Ascension _made it through, so the Council survived as well and have already returned to the Citadel._

 _Commander Scott estimates the_ Aurora _could use a week of repair time in the yard. I'm thankful we came through that fight as well as we did._

 _Cleanup on the Citadel is already commencing. The crew is pitching in as best as they can._

With control restored over the Citadel systems, one of the first things ordered was a temporary end to the day/night cycle of the Presidium. The work crews clearing battle debris would do so under full light conditions.

Liara watched repair crews from one of the upper levels of the Presidium at an open-air bar in the Commons. Her mind felt like it was going to revolt at the sight of the damage the Geth had inflicted.

She noticed someone standing beside her and turned her head to see that it was Lucy, still in her Gersallian-made purple combat armor and blue robes. "It's wrong," Lucy said.

Even if she lacked Lucy's metaphysical talents, and her own telepathic ones required touch, Liara knew right away what she meant. "I know," she said. "Seeing the Presidium, the Citadel itself, turned into a war zone, I never imagined something like this could ever happen. The Citadel, the Council, they are part of my people's vision for the galaxy. A galaxy of mutual respect, of negotiation and compromise instead of armed force…"

Lucy nodded. "It must seem blasphemous, almost, to see it reduced to this."

"Yes."

"But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?"

Liara couldn't hide her thoughts from Lucy. "Saren's dead," she said. "Shepard convinced him to resist Sovereign. The only way he could was to kill himself."

"So I heard." Lucy chuckled lightly and shook her head. "Shepard's a unique woman. Brave, smart, and makes you want to follow her into Hell itself." Lucy looked at Liara's eyes, no longer looking at anything in particular, just the thoughts in her head. "You got justice for your mother."

"I suppose." Liara shook her head. 'But it doesn't feel like I've accomplished anything. I mean, we stopped Sovereign, but my mother's still gone. She can't come back and restore her good name. She's going to be remembered as a traitor to our people, a madwoman who worked with a monster…"

"Possibly," Lucy conceded. "But the important part is that she loved you and she was proud of you."

"I know. But it still hurts."

"Yeah, it will. I know the feeling. I've dealt with the same. A lot of us on the _Aurora_ have." Lucy sighed at that. "Most of us, I mean the original Facility crew… we're all orphans. Sickness, accidents, we all lost parents we loved and cared for." An old hurt came to Lucy. "Sometimes I wonder how my mother would react to what I've become."

"You helped save the galaxy, you've saved entire worlds," Liara remarked gently. "What do you wonder?"

"I wonder if my mother would be afraid for me," Lucy admitted. "If she would have trouble understanding what I go through. That I have to fight, even kill sometimes. I know she'd be proud of the people I've helped…" Lucy stopped at that point and shook her head. "Either way, you're not alone, Doctor. And you've made friends on the _Aurora_. Given more time I could see everyone considering you a member of the crew."

Liara laughed softly at that. "It would be interesting, I suppose. Thank you, Lieutenant…"

"Lucy. I prefer Lucy," was the reply.

"Then I prefer Liara."

"Any time. It's sort of my job description now, when I'm not waving a lightsaber around." Lucy smiled and turned to step away.

"Lucy?"

She turned to face Liara. "Yes?"

The Asari's blue eyes met hers. "Just to ask… do you think the _Aurora_ could use a xenoarchaeologist?"

* * *

Zack found the bar he often saw from his office in C-Sec. It was now a mess. Geth had waged a battle throughout this section of the Presidium with the Systems Alliance Marines sent by Hackett to clear them out. Most of the furniture was wrecked by weapons fire, as was the bar itself. Much to his surprise, a Turian bartender was still on duty. He looked to Zack hopefully. With a small, exhausted smile, Zack answered, "Club soda."

The Turian gave him a curious look. "I've never heard of that. Some human mixed drink?"

"It could be. But in my case, I don't want alcohol." That got him a look and a long sigh. Strapped for customers and with most of his inventory wrecked anyway, the Turian pulled out a container of what looked like orange juice. "Is that…?"

"Orange juice, straight from Earth. I use it for… what do you Humans call it? A boltdriver?"

"Screwdriver." With only three seats intact at the bar, Zack took one. He triggered his omnitool to pay for the drink and watched the Turian open the gray cylinder and let the orange fluid within pour into a tall glass.

"I'm surprised to find you here." Zack turned at the voice. Robert approached. Like Zack he hadn't changed after the battle. He was holding something in his hand. "OJ?"

"Good old OJ," Zack confirmed. "Want one?"

"What the hell, sure." Robert took the seat nearest Zack. The Turian got him a glass as well and sighed with irritation as Robert set something on the bar. "I could use a drink of any kind."

Zack looked at what Robert had set down. "Isn't that one of those…?"

"Lightsabers," Robert finished for him. "It's what's left of the one Lucy made for me." He held up the charred, broken weapon. "Shepard killed Sovereign with it. The feedback from the cybernetics Sovereign implanted in Saren's body wrecked the body and some of the mechanisms, though. I'll need to repair it." He let out a sigh.

"How close are you to making one of those things yourself?"

"Getting there." Robert tapped the hilt with his left hand while his right gripped the glass and brought it to his mouth. He took a gulp and gave a more contented sigh. "Tastes good. I bet it costs quite a bit to get real oranges out this far."

"It could be replicated," Zack pointed out.

"If so, it's a damn good replicator." Robert took another drink. Zack could tell he was exhausted. "So, welcome back to the fun, Zack."

"Heh. I'm going to regret it later," he sighed. "I hurt all over and I'm sure I'll be doing a lot more paperwork while working with C-Sec to investigate everything."

"I know the feeling. I still owe Maran and Morgan a report." Robert considered the remaining juice in his glass. Zack downed most of his. He held the glass up afterward. "But better to be exhausted than dead, right?"

"I'll drink to that," Zack chuckled. After they both took drinks and finished their glasses, Zack added, "And now I'm ready to drink to not getting shot at for a while." He held the glass to the Turian bartender.

"Here's hoping," Robert sighed, already certain it wouldn't quite turn out that way. 

* * *

Julia looked out the window of her ready office at the sad sight. The _Excalibur_ was beside the _Aurora_ and looked pretty battered. The missing nacelle gave the ship an uneven look. The self-repair systems left entire sections of the hull looking as patched over as she knew them to be. It broke up some of the _Excalibur_ 's lethal grace.

When her door chime went off, Julia turned and said, "Come in." Meridina entered with a digital pad. "Another report?"

"The total casualty report as of this hour," Meridina said. "We suffered sixteen dead and eighty-seven wounded."

"I suppose it could have been much higher." Julia's comment didn't detract from her feeling: that was sixteen and eighty-seven too damn many. "The damage estimates?"

"Commander Scott gave preliminary estimates. Going by experience, I expect the actual time for repair to be about half the stated requirement."

Julia smiled softly at that. "That's why he's the miracle worker." She looked over the offered report and signed off on it. "Do you think we might have prevented this?" she asked.

Meridina gave her a curious look. "How?"

"By defying Atama and Udina. If we'd brought the _Aurora_ to Ilos, and kept Saren from using the Conduit…"

"Perhaps. But I am content that we were where we needed to be when the moment of decision came."

Julia nodded once in acceptance of Meridina's point. "You look… better."

"I feel better," Meridina said. A tired look came across the Gersallian woman's face, weakness she normally didn't show. "The Flow of Life no longer quails. Not as it did. Whatever errors we made along the way, we won a great victory for Light today, Julia. That is what matters."

"I can't argue with that." Julia failed to keep the pensive look off her face, matching the thought that came to her. "But I don't know if we won for good. Whatever Sovereign was… there are supposed to be more Reapers out there. Maybe a lot more."

"So it claimed to Shepard and Robert. But for now, they are not here, and given time we can be ready for them," Meridina said. "I would not worry about…"

A chime filled the room. Julia went over and tapped a key on her desk. "Andreys here."

The voice on the other end was that of Lieutenant Tra'dur, working an ops watch. " _Captain, we're receiving a hail from Admiral Maran. It's coded as urgent._ "

Julia wondered what could be this urgent. Undoubtedly he already had her initial report, but any information he needed was already there. To answer this curiosity she swiftly hit the key on her board to accept the communication. As she sat in her chair, Maran appeared on the screen, sitting in one Julia recognized to be his flag office on the _Kentan_. While always stoic, Julia thought there was a bit of impatience in him. Impatience… and worry? "Admiral," Julia said. "What can I do for you?"

" _I'm aware you've suffered some damage, Captain_ ," he said. " _Do you have warp capability yet?_ "

"Not at the moment, but we should soon," Julia answered.

"Commander Scott has affirmed warp capability will be regained within the next several hours," Meridina confirmed for her.

" _Good. Prepare for immediate departure and full combat deployment._ "

Julia exchanged a puzzled look with Meridina before looking at Maran again. "Sir? The crew was on alert for an extended period and many of them have been helping with the clean-up effort. And Commander Scott estimates up to a week in drydock to repair all of our systems…"

Maran nodded and sighed. " _I'm aware you have been through a difficult fight, Captain. If I had a choice, if the timing wasn't what it is, I would give you that repair time. But I'm afraid you're needed elsewhere._ "

"Where?" Julia asked.

" _I need the_ Aurora _to join the invasion fleet_ ," Maran said. " _We've already commenced the invasion of Earth in S4W8. This is our last chance to end the war with the Reich. If we don't win now, we might never beat them._ "


	63. Episode 3-12-1 All In

**(Author's Note: Origins spinoff co-writers Tomyris and VVoyager contributed to some of the combat scenes in this episode.)**

 **Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 12 July 2643. Captain Julia Andreys recording. I'm reminded of an old saying. "The reward for work done well is more work."_

Conference Room 1 was full of department heads, officers and senior NCOs, although most of the command staff wasn't present due to other tasks. Julia and Meridina were seated at the main table. "What about the tactical systems?" Julia asked. "Lieutenant Delgado reported a number of our plasma banks were disabled."

"I've got teams working on them already, sir," replied Senior Chief Petty Officer Isabela Talaverda, the NCO responsible for the damage control teams. She was a lean, muscled woman of dark bronze complexion and one of the remaining crew from the Facility days. "You can expect full weapon capability in the next twelve hours. But it is going to detract from surveying the damaged hull sections."

"Operations is shifting personnel to assist, Chief." That was from Lieutenant Tra'dur.

"It doesn't change the fact that some of our battle damage is best dealt with by yard work, ma'am," Talaverda insisted.

"Admiral Maran's aware of that, as am I, but our orders remain, so we have to make due," Julia replied. "I'd like a timetable on…"

* * *

 _We just saved the Citadel. Given what Robert and Commander Shepard found out on Ilos, we saved the whole galaxy. Maybe even the Multiverse itself. We should be getting a break._

While other engineering crew were already on tasks, Scotty and Barnes were assembled with Jarod and Lucy and Tra'dur, among other engineer and ops officers, over the master control table in Main Engineering. From this location every system on the _Starship Aurora_ could be remotely checked for trouble, and quite a few of them were showing such from battle damage.

"I dinnae like th' look o' th' secondary generators," Scotty was saying. "We need 'em t' be completely resynched if we're t' have th' shields ready on time."

"Normally that's a job of two or three days," Barnes said. "Getting them done on time… it's impossible."

"Nae, lad, it isnae impossible at all, just a matter o' manpower."

"I'll take a team and handle it," Lucy promised.

"Good lass." Scotty turned his attention to Tra'dur. "As for ye, we've got some power conduits needin' patchin'."

"Of course, Commander Scott," the Dilgar officer answered.

"That leaves th' damage tae th' warp drive." Scotty looked to another of the engineer officers. "Yrap, ye get a team an' go EVA tae inspect th' nacelle. Th' auto-repair patch looks t' be good so I dinnae think th' damage needs a yard, but I need tae be sure…"

* * *

 _But we're not getting that break. Admiral Maran's calling us to the fleet. We're going back into the war with the Reich. No matter how tired or battered we feel._

There was controlled chaos in the _Aurora_ medbay. Leo moved from one bed or stretcher to the next. He found Doctor Roliri Opani, a Dorei woman of dark teal complexion, looking over another Dorei. The light blue-skinned male, with prominent dark teal spots the same hue as Doctor Opani's skin, was unconscious and, more to the point, missing half of his right arm and most of his right leg. "I have completed stabilization," Opani informed Leo.

"Good. We'll ship him out on the _St. Johns_." Leo moved on. The next bed had an injured Alakin. He quickly found the injury wasn't severe and tagged the Alakin as fit for duty.

Doctor Lani Walker had beaten him to the next bed. The Tohono O'odham woman was finishing her examination of a Human female, a Petty Officer who, like Leo, was of African descent. The woman was conscious but somewhat out of it, unsurprising given the amount of bandaging visible on her. "I've almost finished processing her," Walker said. "Stable, non-severe injuries, but extensive. Probably two weeks before she can even consider light duty."

"Then she's off to the transporter."

Walker tagged the crew-woman appropriately while Leo moved on, continuing his job of sorting through wounded to determine who would stay and be back on duty and who would be evacuated to the Citadel. He felt irritated at this necessity. The Citadel's medical services were already strained dealing with the dead and wounded from the Geth attack. His patients couldn't be prioritized given the situation. He could only hope someone got hospital ships out to help. There was nothing more he could do.

* * *

 _Admiral Maran says this will decide the war. So I can understand why. And we'll do what we have to regardless. That's what we're out here for. And if it can end the war… then it's well worth it._

It was approaching Gamma Shift's watch period on the _Aurora_ , several hours after they received the call from Maran. Julia returned to the bridge from her ready office. Locarno was at the helm while Ops was being manned by Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi. Lieutenant Crane and Ensign Tagas manned the Tactical and Science stations. A warrant officer, a male Alakin named Thepk with blue skin and yellow and white feathering, manned the Engineering station.

Meridina moved from the command chair. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Julia gave her a sardonic look. "Try as I might, no. I ended up leaving a personal log entry just to get some things off my chest."

"I understand. Admiral Maran sent an update, he is awaiting us at New Prussia in S4W8. Lieutenant Neyzi is already preparing for the jump as soon as we take the relay through to Arcturus."

"Good. Is everything ready then?"

Meridina checked her screens for several moments. "Yes, the _St. Johns_ just returned from taking the last of the critically wounded to the Citadel."

"Where are we on personnel?"

"Quite well," said Meridina. "In keeping with instructions from Admiral Maran, we have taken aboard crew from the crippled vessels to replace the wounded and slain. Commander Jarod and Chief Perez are seeing to their assignments."

Before Julia could respond to that, the lift doors opened. She looked toward it, expecting Jarod or another officer to be coming aboard.

Instead, she watched Captain Elizabeth King of the _Excalibur_ approach. The Englishwoman was in normal duty uniform just as Julia was, dark brown hair pulled back into a bun at the back of her head and looking as reserved and controlled as she always did. "Captain, I apologize for the sudden arrival," she said. "Admiral Maran ordered me to report to the _Aurora_ before she departed for New Prussia."

"It's fine, Captain, things here are pretty hectic around here given the situation," Julia replied. "How are matters on your ship?"

"Not to my liking." King's voice betrayed a hint of aggravation. "We suffered significant losses from the battle damage, and Commander Stirling is adamant that a yardship be dispatched to bring the _Excalibur_ back to a fleet base. The structural damage can't be repaired without a dock."

Julia nodded, not surprised by the admission. The _Excalibur_ had taken two direct hits with failed shields from the ancient Reaper machine, Sovereign, during the battle, blowing one of her warp nacelles in half and damaging several sections and decks of the battlecruiser. She suspected the _Excalibur_ would be in drydock for months for repairs.

"Commander Granville will keep things in order until my return." King shook her head. "Honestly I would prefer to see to my vessel's repairs myself, but the Admiral is adamant that I attend. My presence is needed, apparently."

"Well, we're preparing to depart now," she said.

"Impulse power at your command, Captain," Locarno said. "The _Normandy_ is already moving to the relay."

"The _Normandy_?" asked King.

"Admiral Hackett and the Council are sending Shepard to help," Julia said. "It looks like the Commander won't get the benefit of any rest either."

"I see."

Julia offered the observation seat to her left to King, who took it. It was clear she was still irritated with being ordered off her ship, but she said nothing more. "Take us to the relay, Mister Locarno," Julia said. "Set the destination for Arcturus."

"Aye ma'am," was the reply.

The _Aurora_ turned away from the Citadel and the gathered ships of Admiral Hackett's 5th Fleet, plus the remnants of the Citadel's defense fleet. The grand space station, still recovering from the Geth attack upon it, started to fade from sight on the holo-viewer, obscured by the clouds of gas and particles of the Serpent Nebula.

Neyzi altered the viewer to show the sight to their bow. Ahead the long, slim form of the _SSV Normandy_ was already making her final approach. Energy crackled from the mass relay and touched the _Normandy_. Moments later the Human/Turian hybrid frigate zipped away, propelled across a quarter of the galaxy in the blink of an eye.

Under Locarno's control, the _Aurora_ made her own approach, and the process repeated. Soon the _Normandy_ was on the holo-viewer again. In the distance, a fleet of the Systems Alliance was maintaining a secure watch on the toroid-shaped Arcturus Station, the capital of the Systems Alliance.

But that was not their destination. Locarno relayed positional data to the _Normandy_. The smaller ship responded and moved to conform to it. As soon as they were ready, Locarno nodded at Neyzi, who activated the _Aurora_ 's interuniversal jump drive. Fixed to an anchor at the fleet base at occupied New Prussia, the drive activated, forming a vortex of swirling emerald energy that represented a breach between universes. Both vessels flew into the jump point.

On the other end was a garden planet, a copy of the planet that in Julia's home universe was the location of the New Liberty Colony. But here it wasn't just one settlement of three hundred thousand like it was for New Liberty: rather the planet was covered in cities. Julia recalled the data, that the planet was populated by seven billion people, almost all of them from Germany of the S4W8 universe.

Which meant that many, if not most, were likely ardent Nazis.

Coming out into the Multiverse had been a spectacular experience. For Julia and those she considered her friends, it was a path they'd never have expected, and it repeatedly provided them a chance to see the wonders of possibility among the Multiverse.

One thing that wasn't a wonder was the S4W8 universe.

While the various universes tended to have diversions in history at some point, usually by the 21st or 22nd Century, S4W8 diverted far earlier. Specifically, it diverted in the 20th Century, and in a way that could always be certain to horrify those who learned of it: this was the universe where the genocidal madman Adolf Hitler was not defeated but emerged triumphant. The "Third Reich" had not only prevailed in what other universes considered "World War II", it had survived the following decades as well, conquering more and more territory, expanding its power and influence until by the mid-21st Century it had completely conquered Earth.

And then it had gone to the stars, and Hitler's Thousand Year Reich had spread its evil from world to world, building a large interstellar empire on the sweat and blood of the oppressed nations of the Earth the Reich had not slaughtered in its victory while bringing death to every sapient species it encountered.

The idea of fighting Nazis was once something Julia thought would come off as a joke. Some pulp fiction thing. At most, a result of finding a 20th Century Earth and intervening in it back in the days of the Facility. But now it was no joke; it was a frightening reality. Julia and the others had experienced that reality first hand repeatedly, from the desperate fighting at the start of the war to New Austria, Gamma Piratus, the Durani Cluster, Clirison, New Brittany, the Epsilon Offensive…

Her thoughts were broken by Neyzi speaking again. "The _Kentan_ is signaling for us to join the fleet. Admiral Maran wishes to see you and Captain King immediately."

"Coordinates set," Locarno added. "I'm moving us toward the fleet."

Said fleet soon filled the holo-viewer. It wasn't the first fleet Julia had seen in this war, but it was still the kind of sight she'd never forget. Thousands of starships from across the Multiverse in formations by type. Winged Alakin warbirds, graceful Dorei starbirds, the arrow-like sharp shapes of FedStar cruisers and the blocky, utilitarian warships of the Colonial Confederation…

And there were more now. Julia recognized designs as varied as the Aururian warships, looking more like wet navy ships of the 20th Century modified for space flight, the elegant star-sailing vessels of the Gy'torans, and the spherical orbs of the Gl'mulli. There were a handful of _White Star_ ships of Universe E5B1, several warships from the Inner Sphere and the Clans of Universe F1S1, and…

Julia stared in utter surprise at another group of familiar starships. "... _Starfleet_ is here?"

"I can confirm," Ensign Tagas remarked. "I'm reading several Federation starships. _Nebula_ , _Excelsior_ , _Miranda_ , _New Orleans_ , and _Galaxy_ -classes all present, and a couple of newer ones on the recognition charts. _Akira_ -class and…"

Julia was already noticing a Starfleet design she'd never seen before. The large cruiser-sized vessel lacked the curved lines of the _Galaxy_ in favor of a rapier-sharp design, with the primary hull flowing into the drive hull and a great, golden deflector dish. From the underside of the hull, the ship's registry number was visible.

 _NCC-1701-E_.

"... _Sovereign_ -class," Tagas finished. " _USS Enterprise_."

"Indeed. I wonder who is in command?" Meridina pondered.

"I think we're about to find out," Julia remarked.

* * *

Robert noted the wan look on Shepard's face as she joined him at the airlock. Fourteen hours after the end of the fighting on the Citadel and here they were, preparing for another fight. He suspected he didn't look any better.

"Are you ready?" Shepard asked. Her green eyes met his. Despite her clear fatigue, Shepard's uniform looked completely fresh. Robert's own uniform, while presentable, still seemed to lack the crisp look of Shepard's. While she was in the blue of a Systems Alliance officer, Robert's predominately-black Stellar Navy uniform was marked with the silver branch trim of Intelligence branch and a staff officer's aiguillette. He'd returned the four golden slanted stripes of a Captain to the collar of the uniform for the purpose of the briefing, even if his true purpose there had more to do with being one of the dozen Paladin operatives serving the Alliance. Likewise Shepard's attendance was hardly due to her rank of Commander, but rather her status as a Spectre of the Citadel Council in Universe M4P2.

"As ready as you are," Robert sighed, and both knew full well how tired they were.

Shepard nodded and tapped her omnitool. "This is Commander Shepard to _Kentan_ Transporters. We're clear to transport over."

A moment later a verbal acknowledgement came, and the two were whisked by a subspace tunnel across a span of space into the heart of the Gersallian dreadnought-carrier starship _Kentan_ , one of the most powerful starships in any fleet in the Multiverse.

The two stepped off the pad quickly. A moment later the transporter engaged again. When the bursts of light faded, Julia and Captain King were on the pad. Robert smiled and nodded at Julia, who repeated the gesture.

"Commander Shepard." King stepped up and offered her hand to Shepard. "I owe you congratulations. And given what happened on the Citadel, gratitude. Thank you."

"It's fine, Captain. Congratulations on your new command."

"Did you get in any trouble for stealing off with the _Normandy_?" Julia asked Shepard.

"Given everything that happened, no." Shepard's expression turned bemused. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to find out the Council expected me to run off. My doing so against orders gets them off the hook with the Terminus governments."

"That's quite a possibility," King agreed.

"Alright everyone, Admiral Maran's waiting for us," Julia remarked.

The four left the transporter station and headed toward the Fleet Command Chamber at the heart off the ship. Inside of it junior officers were manning various stations, providing up-to-date intelligence and sensor scan data for the benefit of the Admiral. Other stations acted as fleet communications and performed duties to help sustain coordination of the force.

They approached the large central table, currently displaying a holographic projection of nearby space. Sol was marked with a red light and a ship icon. Other ship icons overlaid with swastikas were present beside it and in nearby space.

The table was round. Opposite of the side they approached, a large screen allowed further data display to complement the table's display. Standing between the table and the large screen was Admiral Maran, wearing a Stellar Navy uniform with his singular five gold star rank insignia. To one side of him stood the familiar figure of Delenn, the Vice President of the InterStellar Alliance and the leader of the _Anla'shok_ \- the Rangers - that flew the _White Star_ ships. As always she was dressed in colorful, flowing Minbari robes of blue and violet, with her black Human hair flowing down and around the crest of bone that partially circled her head. On the other side was a small woman in an ostentatious uniform of black and blueish gray, with dirty-blond hair and dun fur: Warmaster Shai'jhur of the Dilgar, accompanied by several more Dilgar and one Human woman of Indian ancestry wearing the Dilgar uniform. Another crisp dress white uniform belonged to a Human woman of dark complexion. Robert sensed Julia's immediate recognition: this was an officer of the Aururian Imperial Federation of Universe A2M6. Around the circle, General Hatcher of Military Intelligence was present, as was Admiral Relini, the Dorei commander of the 9th Fleet, and Admiral William Adama of the Colonies. A Human woman, Hispanic Robert thought, stood in the same uniform as Shepard's.

The last two figures at the table were in Starfleet uniforms, a new model that used gray on the shoulders with the collars showing branch color, both burgundy red in this case. One was a Vice Admiral, a Human male, and beside him stood Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Robert and Julia noted that the Starfleet commander, the first one they'd ever encountered, looked quite well. And it wasn't hard to guess what his new posting was.

"Captains, Commander, thank you for attending," Maran said. "It's good to see you're all well after the attack on the Citadel. While I'm sure you would like to report on that situation, I'm afraid we have more pressing matters at the moment."

The new arrivals took up places at the table. "I imagined there'd be more admirals," Robert said.

"There were," was Maran's reply. "But most of our allied contingents have returned to their ships to finish battle preparations. You're here to discuss the most critical element of this situation, the reason why we had to move quickly. For your benefit, allow me to introduce Admiral Waratah Eora of the Aururian Imperial Navy, Admiral William Ross of Starfleet, Warmaster Shai'jhur of the Union of Tira and Rohric, and several of the Warmaster's officers and advisors."

Julia recognized Fei'nur immediately, as well as Kaveri Varma. And she was pretty sure the other two were sisters of Tra'dur, but she didn't know which ones.

"So this is about hitting the Nazis' capital Earth," Robert said. "I thought the timetable for that attack was still at least a month away? The earliest D-Day I saw listed was August 18th."

"Yes. It was our intention to continue with clearing operations around Earth. But circumstances have changed. General Hatcher?"

Hatcher nodded. He was a Human man, roughly six feet tall, in a green uniform jacket marked with three stars. His skin was a very light mocha in coloration, with a thin face and equally thin figure. At Maran's instigation he tapped a key on the screen. "About two months ago, forces from the Free Worlds League and the Capellan Confederation attacked the Reich colony world of Rosenburg." Said world now showed on the holo, along with related data. Robert noted that it looked like quite a decent garden planet; its counterpart in his home universe had been one of the alternative sites for the New Liberty Colony had its current location proved hostile. "Rosenburg is an agricultural planet primarily, a breadbasket world that exports foodstuffs. The Reich's laws forbade any town greater in size than 50,000 residents to maintain the planet's nature." Hatcher tapped a key that brought up a flat map of the planet. For Robert and Julia it was like someone took the area of Kansas they grew up in and duplicated it across an entire planet.

After another key press Hatcher brought up combat footage. Reich troops, including power armored- _Panzergrenadiers_ , were in a desperate firefight with invasion forces from the two F1S1 states listed. The iconic weapon system of F1S1 - large armored walkers called BattleMechs - was prevalent on the screen. Several different models of 'Mechs, ranging from human-shaped machines to more blocky, bulky ones covered in weapons or with reverse-jointed "chicken legs", were giving and taking fire from the Reich forces.

"They're fighting awfully hard," Shepard noted. "Was this breadbasket world that important to their food supply?"

"Not this important," Hatcher noted. "The defense forces assigned to Rosenburg were far more than seemed reasonable."

"Assuming the planet was named for Alfred Rosenburg, could this have been an issue of prestige for the regime?" King asked. Robert could tell she knew the answer was going to be "no", but it was a good question regardless.

"We considered that possibility, and there have been cases of the Reich defending targets beyond their military value for reasons of prestige. But this seemed excessive even for that purpose." Hatcher shook his head. "The Marik and Liao forces suffered extremely high casualties in the initial attack. They were forced to request Alliance reserves to complete the pacification of the planet. As a result, our troops were able to locate and secure this site."

With another press of a key, the 2D map zoomed in on a mountain range on the northern continent of thee planet. The layout of an extensive facility built into the mountains was presented. "The facility was protected by SS forces and the Reich's regular military, and they fought for every centimeter," Hatcher said. "Half of the invading unit were casualties by the end. The enemy even collapsed half of the facility with charges, destroying much of the storage and machinery sections. Fortunately, our people were able to access the computers and forestall efforts to destroy the data within."

"It's taken us weeks to crack their encryption and examine the data," Maran said. His expression was clearly grim. "As of a week ago, we found this."

Now it was Maran pressing a key for the table. The prior displays went away in the place of a detailed technical schematic. German writing covered the schematics. Even without reading said writing, Robert and the others stared in realization and dawning horror.

At the top of the display read _Interuniversumtriebwerk_.

"Our worst fears have been realized," Maran said. "The Nazi Reich has developed the interuniversal jump drive."

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"All In"_**


	64. Episode 3-12-2 All In

The technical display left no doubt as to the contents. And the German name for the project left no illusions to what it meant. "We ran out of time," Robert said. Every moment built up both horror and guilt at what that word meant. The war he'd started through fear and misjudgement had already slain so many people… and now this.

"Indeed." King's face remained stolid. She knew what the data meant and the ramifications. "Every day the Reich goes on, the risk to the rest of the Multiverse increases. If they build enough drives and equip them to enough ships…"

"...it will change the war," Julia said. "They can attack our worlds directly. Hit shipyards, mining stations, population centers…"

"It could cripple our offensive capability," Maran confirmed. "We would have to deploy large segments of the fleet to stand watch over our most populated worlds, or leave them vulnerable to Nazi attack. And while the Reich's military resources have been strained to the breaking point, their fanaticism suggests they are quite capable of suicidal tactics. Even if they lose an entire attack force in the process of hitting one of our worlds, they may judge it worth the cost to terrorize our populations."

"Although you are partially incorrect, Captain," said Hatcher. "We're not quite out of time yet." Hatcher indicated the schematic. "Examination of these plans indicate that while the Reich has mostly completed the research phase of their project, they haven't yet made it work. There are technical flaws in these plans that will take time for them to fix before they can achieve an interuniversal jump point. They were still working on that when Coalition forces hit Rosenburg."

"That was almost two months ago," Robert said. "They've had a lot of time to work out the remaining bugs."

"Don't forget that they had to take time to get their project relocated," Hatcher said.

"Indeed. The General's correct in that the fall of Rosenburg did buy us a little more time. We've intercepted some communications indicating the project is still being completed," said Maran. "We still have a window of opportunity to defeat the Reich before they finish employment of the drive. That's why we're attacking S4W8 Earth now."

"The project's based on Earth?" asked Shepard.

"A great deal of it, yes. Going by captured files…" Hatcher brought up a map of what, in other universes, would be Berlin. But the Berlin of S4W8 had little in common with its counterparts in other universes-it was wrought on a massive scale, from the Seelowe Heights in the East to Gransee on the edge of the Uckermark, to the bank of the Elbe in the west and Delitzsch in the south, a vast city of incredible density stretched. "It's somewhere in this area." He highlighted a section of the city. "In the heart of what they call _Welthauptstadt Germania_."

"The World Capital." The words came out in a snarl for Robert as he translated the title. It was another harsh reminder of just how _twisted_ this universe was. "They're performing the research right in the heart of their own capital."

"It makes some sense, I suppose," said Shepard. "It's already going to be a secure area, heavily protected. And with something like this, their leaders are going to take a direct interest."

"That's why you're here?" Julia asked Ross and Picard.

"It is." Ross nodded. "The Federation Council spent two days deliberating the matter, but in the end President Zife and his advisors convinced them. Starfleet is joining the war openly and aiding the invasion. We cannot let a regime like this acquire the drive."

"It will not be an easy battle," Picard observed. His accent was a refined English, very much in contrast to his French name and background. "They have to know they have time on their side and will fight ferociously as a result."

"Then we will fight with the courage of the desperate," Shai'jhur said. "The results of the Reich having an interuniversal capability demand it." She nodded to Maran.

"We've already landed troops on Earth," Maran said. "Contingents from virtually every power in the Coalition are fighting to secure key points. Unfortunately, the Reich is quite resilient in bouncing back from defeat. The fleet units we shattered in the Epsilon Offensive have been reconstituted."

" _Kampfgruppe_ ," Robert said. Upon noticing the looks on some of the others, he said, "My grandfather told me about how German units recovered after the offensives of 1944. Scattered companies and battalions would form ad hoc formations, _kampfgruppe_ , to fight on."

"Tactically speaking, the Reich has always shown a penchant for such," Hatcher observed.

"Indeed. Their counterattack inflicted severe losses and heavy damage to the fleet that landed our troops. We were forced to pull them back." Maran's expression was severe. "Although their theater shields will protect the ground forces for the moment, we have a large number of our best troops trapped on the Reich's capital Earth. If we lose them, it could be weeks, even months, before we could gather enough forces to hit Earth again. And given that the invasion forces are being led in part by Prince Victor of the Federated Commonwealth, among other key military leaders from some of our allies, such an outcome would have serious political consequences for the Coalition."

"There are alternatives to planetary invasion, Admiral," King pointed out delicately. When her remark was rewarded with a number of bewildered and horrified expressions, King added, "Undesirable methods of last resort, certainly, but still the superior outcome to defeat."

"Such methods have been proposed already," Maran said. "And if absolutely necessary, we may have to employ them. But our objective is to break the Reich, not destroy its capital. Their political system is fixed to central authority. If we destroy that authority physically _and_ morally, the individual _Gauleiter_ s and Admirals and Generals will be left to decide things on their own. Organized resistance against our forces will collapse."

"They must suffer humiliation as well as defeat," Delenn said. "They must lose a great battle in the heart of their empire to those they consider unworthy."

"So we're going in to restore communications with the invasion army and provide reinforcements," Julia said.

Maran nodded. "There will be two elements. I am assuming personal command of the main assault fleet, consisting of the bulk of our available ships. After we make orbit, our fleet will stand off and move to intercept any incoming enemy attack. A second, smaller force will remain in orbit to support the invasion forces, led by Warmaster Shai'jhur." He nodded at the Dilgar leader, who nodded back. "Admiral Relini, Admiral Eora, and Admiral Ross will be her subordinate commanders. Captain Andreys, the _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ will be part of this fleet. But I have an additional task for you during the operation."

"Yes, Admiral?"

"Your crew is the most experienced with Darglan technology, including the interuniversal drive," said Maran. "The _Aurora_ 's science officers will be responsible for determining the exact location of the research facility in the heart of the city, enabling the ground forces to take it."

"Which I'll be responsible for?" Robert asked.

"With Commander Shepard, yes, and a team of your choice," Maran said. He looked to King. "Captain King, my apologies for taking you from your ship. But we have need of your services in another field. I'm afraid that the Nazi counterattack came as we were deploying a field intelligence team. The team was lost, and we need an intelligence officer to be part of this operation. There will be critical information in that facility that will need to be secured."

"I see." King nodded. "I anticipated it was something like this. I will serve in whatever capacity is required."

"Excellent. There are already allied troops in the vicinity." Maran brought up tactical data. A near ring of forces were in place around the enemy capital. "Each sector is being fought for tenaciously and the situation is changing hourly, so I can't give you any advice on your best starting point. That is a decision you will have to make when we arrive in orbit."

"Understood," said Robert. "Is there any other data we need to know?"

"Only this. Every minute we delay gives the Reich more time to recover. We're waiting on a few final reinforcements but when the time comes, all ships are making for Earth S4W8. I expect you to be ready by then. I'll have whatever engineers we can spare from the New Prussia base come aboard and take up the repair jobs so your people get some rest."

"Understood, sir," Julia said. "The _Aurora_ will be ready."

"With nothing further to discuss, you are all dismissed." 

* * *

Julia returned to the _Aurora_ and immediately set about the preparations for the arriving engineering teams. Maran proved true to his word, as over three dozen engineering officers led by an Alakin female, Commander Hrathep, arrived within the space of half an hour. Julia was quick to send Scotty, Barnes, and the other Operations and Engineering officers of the ship to their quarters for some much-needed rest.

The truth was she needed some as well, but for the moment she knew there would be no sleep. Not with the terrible stakes hovering over her head. They'd come so close to finishing the Reich off. Now they were out of time and forced into a desperate gamble.

After making some headway on department reports, Julia stepped over to the window of her ready office. The _Aurora_ was in formation with several other Alliance ships, adjacent to the Starfleet detachment led by Picard and Ross. Given the distances and angles none of their names were immediately visible, but she already recognized several ships with the same profile as the _Aurora_. Maran's fleet included all five of the _Enterprise_ -class ships in active service. The newest of them, the _Thunder Child_ , was directly to port of the _Aurora_. Many of the _Discovery_ -class ships were present as well, including _Discovery_ herself and the _Challenger_.

After taking in the sight and considering the stakes for a few minutes, Julia returned to her desk. Low priority messages from other captains were showing. So was a request from Commander Patrice Laurent, the _Aurora_ 's CAG. The pilot wanted to visit his sister, Captain Madeleine Laurent, on the _Challenger_. Julia immediately authorized the request. Another message was from Captain Arik Shaham on the _Enterprise_ , expressing his sentiments about the occasion. Captain Phillip Wallace of the _Thunder Child_ was inviting her to a victory celebration once they'd taken the Nazi capital. She was gratified to see a message from another of the old Facility hands now serving as First Officer of the _Nehru_ -class star cruiser _Sun Yat-sen_ …

Julia finally set everything aside. If she wasn't going to get some sleep, she at least needed food. She stepped out of her ready office and looked to Lieutenant Takawira in the command chair. "Lieutenant, I'm getting a bite to eat. You have the bridge."

"Aye Captain," Takawira answered, his English accented from his home colony of Nkomo, settled by Zimbabweans in Universe L2R1 centuries before.

The lift ride down was quiet. With what was to come, most of the crew not absolutely essential were off getting sleep or resting. There was a general fatigue in the ship, the kind you'd expect after a desperate battle. That they were off to another one…

In the Lookout, a number of crew not getting sleep were enjoying a meal. Hargert's kitchen staff were due to beam over to the fleet base minutes before they departed, but she knew from experience Hargert would not be joining them. He would stay on the _Aurora_ working himself to exhaustion to keep the crew well-fed. That their foes were the Nazis would only redouble the elderly German cook's resolve to serve the _Aurora_ crew in the crisis. At the moment she spotted him emerging from the kitchen carrying a great pot to the side bar. A number of officers and crew were waiting with bowls, all soon filled with steaming servings of his legendary sausage stew. Julia felt a rumble in her stomach and a familiar watering in her mouth. She took her place in line. A Petty Officer ahead of her tried to move away, to give her his place, but she shook her head and refused it.

Within a minute, she had a bowl in her hand and Hargert had a ladle full of stew coming up from the pot. "Good evening, Captain," he said. "You look famished."

"I am famished," Julia admitted wearily. "And I can't sleep."

"Certainly not if you're hungry! Eat your fill and let your satisfied stomach ease you to rest." He made sure the bowl was full before ceasing to fill it. Julia stepped away and found a table not yet claimed, a window seat. She slid into the open chair. Albert, a young German man serving under Hargert, provided her a fruit drink and a glass of milk on the side. She enjoyed a bit of both before plunging into her meal.

She'd made it through not quite half of the bowl when someone asked, "Is this table reserved?" The accent gave away the speaker before Julia could look up and confirm the speaker. Captain Picard stood with a small grin and a bowl of stew in one hand, a cup of steaming tea in the other. He took a seat once Julia shook her head and gestured toward the table. "I was surprised to learn from Mister Data that your Mister Hargert does not rely on replicators for his food preparation."

"Not unless absolutely necessary," Julia confirmed.

Picard nodded and took his first bite. It was clear he found the experience enjoyable. Once he finished swallowing he nodded, smiling. "Well, having experienced his efforts first hand, I'm hardly in a position to question his methods, am I?"

Julia chuckled lightly in response. After finishing another bite she asked, "So, I see you have a new _Enterprise_. She looks impressive."

"That she is," Picard agreed after swallowing. He gave Julia a knowing look. "I'd imagined you and I would share that singular distinction."

This time the chuckle from Julia was lacked the same amusement. "I suppose."

"Do you regret it?" Picard asked.

"In the end? No." Julia shook her head. "I mean, I suppose I will one day. Everyone wants to be the Captain of the _Enterprise_. But the _Aurora_ … she's my ship. She's been mine since we started assembling her. It's fitting that I command her now."

"Understandable." Picard sipped at his tea. "And you've certainly had an eventful career as captain so far. New Caprica, Phi Perseus, Tira, now the Citadel…"

"It's been busy," Julia answered. "But I don't think anything can compare to what tomorrow's going to bring."

"Likely not," Picard agreed. "I admit I was particularly impressed by the Phi Perseus situation. Your command decisions in that crisis should provide quite a case study for Starfleet cadets."

"Flattery, Captain?"

"Jean-Luc, please," he said.

"Julia, then."

"Julia. As I was saying, I was very impressed with the Oakland Colony situation. Your proposal over the dispute concerning Phi Perseus was inspired, and your handling of the matter justifies your growing reputation in diplomacy."

"Diplomacy is a headache. But there are worse things."

"Indeed." Picard sighed. "An awful lot of blood will have to be spilled in the next few days to prevent a greater calamity."

"Is there any resentment for us?" asked Julia. "If the Alliance had never come to this universe, the Nazis would never have even considered an interuniversal drive."

"Perhaps not. Or perhaps they would have stumbled upon the Darglan database and Facility in due time." Picard turned thoughtful. "I'm sure there are some who believe the war could have been forestalled, measures taken to eliminate the risk… but the truth is, what we do out here will always have an element of risk. All we can do is learn from our mistakes and try to make the best choices available at any given moment."

"I won't argue with that." Julia sighed wistfully. "If we live through this, I'm looking forward to peace. I've had enough fighting to fulfill any fantasies of being a hero." Her eyes wandered over to the Memorial Wall at the end of the Lookout, and the ever lengthening list of names upon it. "And I've had enough people die under my command."

"I know the feeling," Picard admitted.

Julia might have spoken more, but her eyes were pulled toward the starboard-side door to the Lookout. She was quite surprised to see the two new arrivals. Shai'jhur and Kaveri Varma approached Hargert, who spoke with them briefly before departing for the kitchen. Afterward they looked about and, upon seeing Julia and Picard, walked over to them. "Captains," the Dilgar woman said.

"Warmaster." Julia motioned to the two remaining seats. "Are you here for the stew?"

"Sort of," Kaveri answered for them. "Your man Hargert offered us a special preparation of _Wildschweingulasch_ he's been making for Tra'dur and some of the other officers on the _Aurora_ who follow Hindu traditions."

"She says it's very good," the Warmaster added after she sat. "And we're not fighting on the same ship."

"Shai'jhur gave me _Wrath_ when the reconstruction-calling it a repair would be absurd-was finished," Kaveri explained.

"The _Wrath_." Julia thought she remembered the name. "Is that the new _Sekhmet_ in the fleet?"

"New is an …" Kaveri hesitated, looking to Shai'jhur.

"She is reconstructed from the wreckage of the _Vendetta,_ which I salved from Third Balos," Shai'jhur explained after a moment. "I didn't tell that story over Tira, we hadn't the time, but during the retreat from Balos I did come across the Warmaster's flagship."

"But she wasn't aboard?"

"We found her flag captain, Battlemaster An'jash, dead on the bridge with a broken back. The crew slaughtered. The ship was a ruin-only some undamaged armour held her together in two places, her back had been shattered by neutron beams in two places, one entire beam wrecked by Novas as well. There was one survivor, the Emperor's Chef, who Jha'dur had dragooned into making her meals for her after the Emperor was killed. He'd locked himself in a galley cooler which hadn't lost atmosphere. I towed the wreck back to salvage the equipment, but in the end, she spent thirty years sitting, a derelict, over Rohric."

"For some reason," Kaveri added, a bit wryly, "when we began the emergency work to repair her with Alliance funding, Shai'jhur thought it would be a perfect idea to have me as her Captain. She flies straight only with five percent overdrive on the port engine block, but she's still one of the most powerful ships in known space."

Julia showed a small grin at that. "Do you enjoy being back in command?"

"It is a service to a righteous cause," Kaveri replied. "I can say I am thankful to be leading such an eager crew who hunger to prove themselves, but I am an old woman. The Union Navy will inevitably contract when this war is over, and, at this point, my desire is to lead her back safe and sound to the reserve depot she was revived from. If I do that, it is a good final command."

"Well-spoken, Captain Varma." Picard nodded to her. He turned his head to Shai'jhur. "If you don't mind me asking, Warmaster, I recall reading that Warmaster Jha'dur was verified as having survived as late as six years ago?"

"Yes," Shai'jhur answered rather tightly, a constriction of the muscles around her throat visible. "On _Babylon 5_."

"How did she survive the loss of her ship?" Julia asked.

"It wasn't Earthforce that finished her off," Kaveri interjected. "The Minbari attacked the _Wrath_ , and took Jha'dur - as a prize, a prisoner. It was Minbari neutron cannon that broke her back. The reason remains unclear. Jha'dur didn't talk to my daughter, or anyone else, about that when she was on Babylon 5. Perhaps Delenn knows."

"Somehow I suspect she might be reluctant to bring up the matter," Picard observed wryly. "I wouldn't care to speculate why any of the Minbari would have thought of capturing such a woman as Jha'dur."

"She's said to have been brilliant." Julia considered her drink for a moment. "She was one of the key reasons why the Dilgar were able to take on so many of the other species at once and come to the verge of victory."

"An intellect like Jha'dur comes along once in ten thousand years," Shai'jhur answered levelly. "She was a brilliant biologist, surgeon, starship tactician, duellist, cybernetics engineer - all at once, simultaneously, the best in every single one of those fields, and a decent strategist as well, though not the best. I am being cautious about opening our archives precisely for this reason. There is much work she did which the multiverse should know about only cautiously."

"Your people might have had a happier fate if Jha'dur's brilliance had been matched with ethics," said Picard. "It is always a regretful thing to see such talent directed toward such horrible ends."

"She was never given a chance to develop a sense of ethics," Kaveri replied. "I hope someday it is appreciated as one of the great tragedies of history, because it is. She should be with us now, saving billions with the likes of her universal vaccine. Instead, we make our best efforts in the ashes of her story."

"It makes me wonder how many of the Reich's minds might have done something better for their lives if they hadn't been brought up in a Nazi society," pondered Julia.

"We may never know," Picard mused. He took a final drink from his cup, his bowl already finished. "It has been a pleasure to see you again, Captain. Warmaster, Battlemaster, a pleasure as well." He stood. "Should everything turn out well, we will see each other again when this battle is over."

"It was good to have you," Julia noted. "Please say hello to Commander Data for me."

"I will do so," Picard assured her. 

* * *

After getting a few hours of much-needed sleep, Cat went straight to Science Lab 2. She found Meridina waiting for her at the entrance. "Commander."

"Commander." Meridina followed her in.

"Did you get any rest?" Cat took in the sight of the large science lab, with its multiple holographic and holo-viewer displays tied to control stations. The lab specialized in physics simulations and experiments. From here Cat could network sensors from the entire fleet to hunt for the particle traces related to active interuniversal drive signatures. If the Nazis were testing such technology, she would find it sooner or later… hopefully sooner.

Behind her, Meridina answered, "I have rested for a time, yes. The personnel Admiral Maran sent us have been able to assume responsibilities for our repairs. You have rested well?"

Cat nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I slept. Didn't even have a nightmare."

"You are afflicted with bad dreams?"

"Aren't we all?" Cat shrugged at that and approached a station. "Okay, the fun part of this is going to be networking with the Aururian and Federation ships. Well, maybe not the Federation ones, we've got their comm protocols to allow networking."

"WIll Commander Data be coming to assist?"

Cat shook her head. "As much as I'd love having him aboard again, Picard's going to need him on the _Enterprise_. But I'm sure he'll be helping me whenever he can. Now…"

The door to the science lab slid open. Two Dilgar entered. Tra'dur was in Stellar Navy uniform, the trim color of beige standing out in all of the dark blue of science, the other in Dilgar uniform. Cat and Meridina easily noted the family resemblance between them. "I hope I am not late?" Tra'dur asked.

"Just on time, actually," Cat said, already taking a chair. "Let me bring up the example traces."

"You will be assisting Commander Delgado's scans?" Meridina asked Tra'dur.

"Yes, from the ground," Tra'dur answered. Her English was accented with what Meridina was told was an Anglo-Indian accent, presumably a result of her mother Shai'jhur learning the language from Kaveri Varma. "I will be with the team, providing immediate scans and a connection to Commander Delgado."

"I see. Then I shall work to aid you as best as I can."

"Wait." Cat glanced back toward her. "You're going down?"

"Robert insisted it was necessary," Meridina replied. "And the Captain has reluctantly concurred."

"Then who's going to do your job?"

"Commander Locarno. Lieutenant Arterria will man the helm."

Cat nodded. Violeta was a great ship pilot herself, even if the exchange reminded her that her girlfriend would soon be leaving the ship. As she wanted to change the subject, Cat looked to Tra'dur's compatriot and said, "Oh, welcome to the _Aurora_. I'm Lieutenant Commander Caterina Delgado, Science Officer. This is one of our three science labs."

"Cat'Delgado." The other Dilgar nodded and smiled amiably. "My younger sister has told me about you, among others." She shot an askance look at Tra'dur. "Though she's terrible at introductions. I am Battlemaster Tia'jhur." Like her sister she spoke the tones of the subcontinent.

"The eldest, right. Nice to meet you. Is the other sister here?"

"Other sister?" asked Tra'dur.

"Jul-... Captain Andreys mentioned something about seeing two of your sisters here," Cat said. "At the briefing."

Realization showed on Tia'jhur. "I believe I understand. That was our adopted sister, Zhen'var."

"Oh!" Cat nodded. "Captain Varma. Vee mentioned she'd been surgically altered into a Dilgar."

Tia'jhur's face twisted into an odd expression for a moment. "You are one of the most accepting humans I have met, thank you. Zhen'var did not have peace. Especially not after the mutiny of her crew and betrayal of her government at Tira. She traveled with my little sister Surgeon-Commander Nah'dur to Solaris for the procedure."

"I hope they enjoyed it." Cat smiled at the memory of Solaris, even if that memory shared the same bittersweet taste as all of her other memories involving Violeta. "It's a really weird place, but pretty fun."

"Well, Nah'dur got to operate on her sister with equipment she'd never dreamed of before. I expect _she_ had an awesome time from start to finish," Tia'jhur laughed. "Though apparently Fei'nur had to pull her by the scruff of her neck into an elevator to keep her from getting herself into trouble in the lower levels."

"Why would Nah'dur go to the lower levels?" Meridina asked. "They are not meant for tourism."

Tra'dur groaned and finally spoke again. "My sister wanted a ratburger."

At that Caterina started giggling. "Really? I thought it was so gross when Julia told us about Zack getting one. He thought it was a hamburger!"

"Nah'dur is going through this phase where she wants to experience _authenticity_ from the universe. Or rather she always has," Tia'jhur sighed. "She also has a massive crush on Battlemaster Fei'nur, by the way, so you can't rule out her intentionally putting herself in a position where Fei'nur has to rescue her. My little sister is best described as incorrigible. She has been since she was a little kit. When Zhen'var… Asked to become Dilgar, Nah'dur came up with the plan, and forced everyone to accept it. She has an intense spirit, and when she's sure something is right, she can't be stopped. Though, I admit all of us girls supported her there. Sister-Zhen just wasn't happy unless she could finally fit in."

"I have never met an individual who wished to alter their species before," Meridina remarked.

"Well, it's not too different from some of the cosmetic stuff the Sirians do, or the Solarians," Cat noted. "I mean, when we were on Solaris I met people with animal body parts, it was kinda weird. But interesting!" She made a face. "Although some of them were kinda jerks…"

"Apparently there were many humans who tried to surgically alter themselves into Minbari after the Earth-Minbari War. Zhen'var… Is much smarter than that, and my sister's work, much more complete. She is not just a staff officer. Mother ended up giving her one of the war emergency cruisers, and she has already fought in command of her." Tia'jhur glanced to her sister, but had already elected to speak openly.

"I would remind you that the commander of the White Star flank on our fleet is also no longer of the same genes with which she was born, Commander," Tra'dur added gently. "I think it wrong to preference one experience over the other."

"So I have heard." Meridina nodded simply, acknowledging the point. "Ultimately that which improves life matters. And life is change, sometimes painful, even unexpected. I still find it difficult to understand the Humans of your universe and the way they were ready to strike at her for protecting the innocent." As she said those words Meridina contemplated just how deeply her crew's treachery had wounded the woman. _She thought it necessary to change her species. Such a thing usually indicates a malady in the mind. And yet she is functional enough to command._ "It is not our place to judge her either way. If her alteration has made her feel better about her life then that is what is important. If anything, the Multiverse has taught me that the impossible is not always so."

Cat laughed at that. "Sorry, it's just… if you'd gone to me about six years ago and told me I'd be flying in a spaceship that can hop universes, I'd have thought the idea insane."

"I never imagined we would get such a chance as your Alliance has given us," Tra'dur remarked. Her eyes shined bright with the prospects of the future. "The Alliance, the Multiverse, it's giving us so many opportunities I didn't dare dream of."

Cat smiled softly at Tra'dur, remembering easily how eager the young Dilgar was to make her mark in the sciences. Not to mention Tra'dur's astonished joy at seeing the Citadel.

"It is to secure those opportunities that we fight the coming battle," said Meridina. "The Reich is a source of darkness that will stifle us all if it is not expunged."

A steely look formed in Tia'jhur's eyes. "Rest assured, Commander, it will be." 

* * *

After moving most of his things back to the _Aurora_ , Robert settled into his quarters on the ship and nodded off. The rest was peaceful, more so than he expected. When the tone woke him up, he put on a cream-white vest and leggings and the nondescript brown traveling robes of Gersallian make. He had a stop to make.

When he arrived at Holodeck 1, it was already up and running. He stepped in to the simulation of a contemplative garden in the Great Temple of the Order of Swenya. The holodeck systems generated what felt like a refreshing breeze moving through the garden, nestled between the great circular buildings of the Temple. He'd never been to this exact locale in the actual complex during his one visit, but he could see why Meridina made a holographic recreation of it.

Lucy was waiting there, wearing the same kind of vest he was, but with no robe. The vest was sleeveless, baring her solid arms and their light brown tone. A table with pieces for a lightsaber was laid out beside her. "There you are," she said softly, with a hint of amusement. "I should probably be upset with you for being so hard on my handiwork."

Robert let out a quick chuckle followed by a small sigh. "I apologized for the training device," he said. "As for the lightsaber, blame Shepard."

"It's so much easier to blame you though," Lucy teased. "I'd make a 'Sir Robert' joke, but the fact is the Gersallians see me as a Knight too, so I should probably be careful about that kind of humor." She sat beside the table cross-legged.

Robert walked over to the other end of the table and did the same. He noticed that the lightsaber she'd built for him was laid out on the table, with new parts to replace the ones wrecked by Sovereign's death. "Did you get any rest?"

"I did. Don't worry that I spent my entire rest period manufacturing your parts. I keep a store of them for this reason." Lucy set her hands on her knees. "I'm okay with building it myself, Robert."

"I know. But… I think I need to do it," he replied. "I need to keep improving my focus. So I don't have any more problems."

"Suit yourself. I'll be here if you need me."

At that point they stopped speaking. Lucy closed her eyes. Robert felt her presence in the Flow of Life, the burning glow of her powerful life force. Everything about her, everything that was Lucy Lucero, was embodied in that glow. Her courage, her passion, her kindness, that kernel of immature playfulness at the center of her sense of humor… every part of it.

Robert turned his attention to the pieces of the weapon. He reached within for the golden warmth of his own power, blazing brightly with the energy of his life and its connection to the Flow of Life. Robert directed that power toward the table. He willed the pieces of his weapon, new and old pieces, to lift into the air and come together.

As he watched, both with his eyes and with his power, they did just that. Piece after piece gathered around the emerald green crystal that survived the destruction of his weapon. The pieces locked into a cradle around it, one by one. He felt elation at how well it was going.

Naturally this didn't last. He felt a strain in himself. The energy of the Flow of Life was filling him beyond his need for it. His focus was getting weaker. The piece he was moving to fit into the framework around the crystal rattled in his faltering grip.

The frustration welled up within him. Again with the control failure! Why couldn't he hold this power back?! Why couldn't it just damn _cooperate with him?_

 _Robert_. Lucy's voice cut through the frustration. _Don't let it get to you. You're doing fine. Better than before._

 _It won't be enough_ , he thought back. _I can feel it slipping…_ Every piece in the air, as well as the partially-completed weapon, seemed to shake a little.

 _You can do this_ , Lucy insisted. _You've come far enough._

 _My control…!_ The piece jostled against the others, out of place. Another piece dropped a centimeter before Robert regained control of it. For a brief moment it felt like it might shoot off, but he managed to hold it in place.

 _Stop being afraid of the power, Robert_ , Lucy admonished him. _I can feel that fear. It's holding you back. You're afraid of losing control. But it's not about control, it's about focus, about letting your_ swevyra/ _life force guide you_.

Robert nearly protested that he had good reason for such fear, that he'd nearly killed Shepard because of the increased power, but he stopped himself. He could feel the conviction in Lucy's words. The fear in himself. The little voice that insisted the power was too much, it wouldn't be controlled, he could hurt someone with it…

He could hurt the people he loved.

Robert drew in a deep breath. The fear clawed at him and he strove to ignore it. He centered himself on the serenity around him, holographic as it was. He was not going to fear himself. Not again. Fear led him astray too often. _Focus, not control._

The piece pulled away. Robert felt the instinct on where it needed to go, the fine attachment to make it work, and he followed it. He felt the piece lock into place. Other pieces moved in, one by one. He felt each lock into place as they were meant to, as the feeling inside of him insisted they should. With each piece the picture in his head of how it was supposed to fit together came more clearly.

As the frame came together Robert felt a surge of elation, one that nearly overcame his focus as well. He held it in check to ensure it didn't stop the final frame pieces from locking together. He felt the metal snap together until the weapon was whole. A smile crept across his face as he held a hand up to the weapon. He shifted his legs and used a free hand to get himself to one knee. By the time he was ready to stand completely, the weapon returned to his waiting hand.

After a moment of quiet breathing, Robert's thumb found the switch.

The lightsaber came on, snap-hiss, and the green blade generated by the weapon filled his vision.

"There you go," Lucy said aloud.

Robert nodded and went over to the practice plates Lucy had assembled. He brought the energy blade down on the metal. It sliced through without effort, leaving bright orange tracks to mark the ends of the sundered plates. After twirling his weapon for a moment Robert disengaged the blade and returned it to his belt. "Thank you for your help," he said to Lucy.

She nodded once in reply, her face still bright with a proud smile. "I just gave some guidance. You assembled the weapon this time. It's your achievement." She stood up. "How is your technique coming?"

"It's… improving?"

With a wry look, Lucy went over to the table and picked up another training orb, the same kind Robert had recently broken. "Show me."

Robert breathed a small sigh and nodded. He pulled the weapon from his belt again, ignited the blade, and assumed a defensive stance. "Alright, I'm ready. Hit me with your best shot."

Lucy did just that. 

* * *

A persistent electronic tone broke through the gentle bliss of sleep, rousing Commander Montgomery Scott from a too-short rest. His body, tried by decades of Starfleet service, temporarily resisted the impulse to get out of bed. As awareness cut through sleep, the will to overcome the slight aches in his joints came through and brought him to a sitting position on the bed. "Computer, raise lights," he ordered. The computer obeyed, bringing the lighting of his quarters to full. The bright light helped to keep his eyelids open despite the weights that seemed to be pulling the lids down.

It was more than just sleepiness that afflicted the veteran engineer. The tyranny of his age had its part to play. Long gone were the days when he could sleep four hours and be up, bright as rain, to stand a watch in Main Engineering or another duty station on a starship. Now such scant sleep weighed heavily on him. A small part of him wondered if it was time for that dreaded "R" word to be contemplated. As always, that small part was swamped by the feeling in his heart and soul, the feeling that rejected the tyrant Age. He had a place here, on this ship that could pierce universes as easily as it pierced the light-speed barrier. He was still an engineer, and his ship needed him. Especially now, as his young lass of a ship had wounds that needed tending if she was to return to the fighting.

To help wake up Scotty replicated a good pot of hot coffee and drank his fill from it. Reports from the engineering teams temporarily assigned to the _Aurora_ filled his queue. Systems repaired to effectiveness, albeit not to perfection in some cases, and those still being worked on came down in a list. Scotty immediately began considering how he would assign them to the others. While nobody knew when Maran would order the fleet out, it was going to be soon, and they would be off for what might be the fight of their lives.

And fatigue be damned, Montgomery Scott would have his ship ready for it. 

* * *

Jarod was finishing up a quick breakfast when the comm call came in. He took a last bite of replicated scrambled egg before reaching over to the controls for the computer systems built into the desk in his quarters. A holo-viewer popped on. After a brief waiting screen to show the _Aurora_ 's systems were establishing the link, the viewer changed to show his caller: his sister Emily. "Hey Sis," he said.

There was visible worry on Emily's face, framed by her dark hair. " _Jarod. I heard about the Citadel. Are you okay?_ "

"Tired. Busy," he replied. "How are you?"

" _Busy as well. I'm doing a piece on New Liberty's strained relations with the Earth of this universe._ " Emily shook her head at it. " _Given some of the things being said back on Earth, you'd think the Colony was full of violent revolutionaries out to topple every government on the planet._ "

"They've never been happy with us," Jarod noted. "But they know they can't do anything about it."

" _It'll make for some interesting copy, at least. And then we have that big summit coming up in a few months…_ "

Emily was interrupted by another tone, one she could hear through the line. Jarod sighed and tapped a key on the table. "Jarod here."

" _Time t' rise an' shine, Commander Jarod_ ," Scotty replied. " _I'll be needin' some help from ye tae get th' ship back up an' runnin' in time._ "

"I'll be down in Engineering in a few minutes. Jarod out."

Emily heard that too. She frowned. " _Jarod, what's going on?_ "

He shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't say. You'll find out soon enough."

" _You're going back into action? In the war, I guess? But you just got out of that battle at the Citadel!_ "

"I know. But this is… important. _Really_ important." Jarod leaned in toward the viewer. "Maybe when it's over I can tell you more about it."

" _It's not getting a story I'm worried about. It's you._ "

"I know," he said. "I'll call you when I can."

" _You'd better_ ," Emily said. Jarod didn't need advanced intelligence, or any of his experience with psychology, to know his sister was tremendously upset by the danger he was in. " _Our family has lost enough._ "

"We have," Jarod agreed. "Goodbye, Em. I'll talk to you later."

" _Good. Be careful, Jarod. I love you, brother._ "

There was nothing more to be said at that point beyond the obvious reply. "Love you too, Em." Jarod gave her a final, reassuring smile before ending the call. After taking a moment to collect himself, he stood up and went to his closet to get his uniform. It was time to get to work. 

* * *

Built into various strategic points of the _Aurora_ 's kilometer-long frame were the generators that provided her first line of defense against enemy fire: the deflector shields. While there were multiple types of energy field-style shielding in the Multiverse - mass effect field-generated particle barriers being one alternative, another being the gravitic shielding employed by the Abbai of E5B1 and the Aururian Imperial Federation of A2M6 - deflector shields were by far the most common. They didn't quite match a particle barrier's ability to reflect matter, and they lacked the grativitic field's ability to resist fire completely until its capacity was exceeded, but they were the most efficient and versatile means of energy shielding in the known Multiverse. The Darglan employed what many considered to be the pinnacle of that technology, being the most energy efficient and flexible version of the technology known. Due to their Darglan shielding the _Aurora_ had energy shielding that could resist dreadnought fire for a time, and had often done so.

But like any machine, subjecting the generators to repeated heavy stress caused them to break down and require fixing. And Sovereign and the Geth fleet certainly provided such stress.

Tom Barnes carefully shifted his tool belt over his waist before sliding further into the access panel for the guts of Primary Generator 4. This was one of the six generators that provided the initial effort when the _Aurora_ brought her deflector shields are online. Like all the other primary generators, it had been strained incredibly by the firepower the _Aurora_ faced at the Citadel, straining the structural moorings and, most importantly, the internal electronics that controlled the immense energies the generators channeled from the ship's reactors. Barnes started working on the internal power lines and quickly identified the source of the generator's woes; part of the power cabling had partly burnt out from the strain of the repeated hits from Sovereign's powerful weapons. "Cable line," he called out.

He'd expected Junior Petty Officer Freept to provide the item he needed. He was surprised to look down at the end of the accessway and see Lucy crawl in with a length of power cabling. "Aren't you working on the secondaries?"

"Secondary 2's resynching is complete," she answered. "Ana Poniatowska is working on 4."

"What's Ana doing working on our ship?"

"The _Koenig_ didn't require much in the way of repairs." Lucy held the cable just far enough for Barnes to reach it. He took the cable length and put it to the side so he could begin working the damaged cable out. "Derbely sent half of her people to help us get things finished."

"It still won't be enough," Barnes said. He grunted and removed the damaged cable from its port. The exposed electronics made him frown. "God-fraking-dammit, the port itself has damage. We're going to have to replace the whole thing."

"No time," Lucy reminded him. The job he was speaking off would require a disassembly of the generator, a task that would take an entire day to do. "How bad is the damage?"

Barnes checked the scan result. "Not too severe. The cabling took the worst of it. But this generator won't last under sustained fire."

"Put it in the log. It's not the only critical repair we don't have time for. The coolant lines to the primary heat exchanger are showing indications of micro-fractures."

Barnes kept his attention on the port, which his omni-tool was now up against. "What? Oh frak me."

"Language," Lucy giggled. "Scotty's already got a team working on it, but if those microfractures are signs of structural failure, the coolant lines need replacing."

"And we don't have time for that, yeah." He kept his eyes on his work.

Lucy blinked at that. "What are you doing?"

"Using the omnitool's fabricator to replace damaged material in the port," Barnes answered. "It's not the best repair, but it should keep the generator from failing the first time we take a heavy disruptor hit."

"Good thinking."

"Thanks." He kept his attention on the work for another minute before asking, "So I guess you're going down there?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Meridina and I are joining Robert and Commander Shepard."

"Huh. They're giving you more help than that, right? I mean, damn, it's their freaking capital, the Nazis are gonna fight like hell."

"We'll have support. Our mission's too important to leave us without it." She shrugged. "I'm not sure what support it'll be yet, aside from our Marines."

Satisfied with his repair work, Barnes picked up the new cable. "Well, either way, good luck."

"Thanks." She smiled at him. "And the same to you. I'm trusting you to keep our home safe."

"Don't you worry a damn bit," Barnes said, his hands working the replacement cable into place now. "I'll keep our baby flying proud and kicking ass no matter what it takes." 

* * *

Julia arrived in the main shuttle bay in time to see the last of the cargo shuttles take off. The bay was now almost entirely empty, with only the runabouts _Warri_ and _St. Johns_ visible. A team was working on the former, switching out its modular components to configure it for combat operations. The storage spaces were being converted to carry the runabout's combat loadout: a small-scale naqia reactor to power the plasma pulse cannon being mounted on the chin of the runabout and the extra shield generators to provide the ship some protection from enemy fire. The last of the space went toward a small magazine of solar torpedoes that would directly feed into the launcher mounted on top of the hull. The refit would turn the _Warri_ into a small torpedo boat with some anti-ship punch to her main weapons. She would, at least, pose a respectable threat to Nazi destroyers.

But the _Warri_ 's refit wasn't why Julia was present. The incoming craft were. Now that the main shuttle bay was mostly empty, other craft were visible on approach. Julia took the door and stairway up to shuttle bay's flight control center, built into the space above the entranceway. Here Chief Petty Officer Dragan Omapa, an older Dorei male with grizzled, whitening teal hair and dark purple skin with blue spotting and eyes, oversaw the shuttle bay's landing operations, working in tandem with the flight command center directing the starfighters. It was an unwelcome redundancy to be sure, a consequence of the later decision to add the starfighter capacity to the _Aurora_ after the Facility was destroyed. Omapa and his superior, Senior Chief Tahrana Farshaz, closely networked their respective flight control centers to compensate for this unexpected flaw.

Omapa noticed her and stood at attention. "Captain in the control center," he informed the assembled.

"At ease," she said immediately. She nodded to Omapa. "Excellent job clearing the bay."

"Thank you, Captain," the older Dorei replied.

As they watched, the first assault lander entered the bay. The ships were slightly bigger than standard runabouts. Each had a visible cannon on a turret on the top of the ship as well as smaller double-barrelled anti-personnel pulse cannons built into the side and at the top of the ship's rear section. The first ship to land began to disgorge Marines in light power armor.

After three more landed, each bearing a company's worth, another lander came in with a bulkier rear section. This was a vehicle-carrier variant, which likely had a pair of armored vehicles in the back.

"Jamak take their damned souls," cursed Omapa. "They were supposed to land on the landing deck." He turned away and went to his controls.

Only one more of the vehicle-carrying landers came in, with two more non-vehicle variants, these dismounting platoons of heavy armored Marines. The last wave of assault landers landed behind them, bearing another battalion of Marines.

Or so Julia thought until they opened up and she saw the sight of Stellar Navy field uniforms. Curious, Julia left the control center. As she got to the bottom of the stairs and approached the shuttle bay entrance, the doors parted. Robert walked in. He noticed the new arrivals as well.

Specifically, he noticed the figure that emerged from among them.

Zack approached, in field uniform like the other new arrivals. "Captains," he said amiably, a faint smile on his face.

"Aren't you supposed to be on the Citadel?" asked Julia. "Liaising with C-Sec?"

"I'll be back there in a week or so, once C-Sec has the Citadel in order," Zack answered. "Admiral Maran offered me a temporary assignment. I'm commanding your backup for the attack."

"Backup?" Robert nodded toward the others. "Them?"

"Yeah. They're the 5th Naval Infantry Company," Zack replied. "Maran called for volunteers from the survivors of lost ships or ships laid up in drydock. Anyone capable of carrying a pulse rifle and field ops kit can sign up. We're going to help make up for casualties. Well, the other companies mostly. We're assigned to be your primary combat support, Rob."

Robert nodded. He could sense Julia's worry over the situation and knew it matched his own. "Are you alright with this? Really?"

"I figure that if we're so desperate we're throwing half-fixed ships back into the fight, this is too important to be left behind," Zack replied. "It's clear something nasty's going down with the Nazis."

Knowing that Maran was keeping the reason for the attack secret, Robert nodded. "It is."

"I'm not dumb, Rob," Zack remarked. "I know Maran's probably sworn you to secrecy on why we're rushing this, but it's not hard to figure out. Most of the crewmen in my unit are already guessing they've developed the IU drive. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"A reasonable guess." Quietly, Robert nodded once and sent a small thought with his powers. _They've almost completed the work._

"I thought so." Zack's expression turned grim. "Then the war has to end, now, or they're going to kill billions of our people before the fighting is over." He looked back to the others. One of the other naval volunteers, a senior Lieutenant, approached, a woman of mostly East Asian appearance. "This is Lieutenant Ginchiyo Tachibana, one of my platoon commanders. She's security branch and has done field combat before while serving on the FedStar battlecruiser _Tiger_."

"Lieutenant," Julia said amiably.

"Captain." The newcomer looked to Zack. "Commander, the landers check out." Her accent sounded more English than Japanese.

"Good." Zack looked Julia's way next. "In case we can't beam down, we'll have assault landers for the job." He glanced toward the naval personnel gathering on the deck. "It might still be a few hours before the fleet's on its way, I'd like to give everyone some rest time while they've got it."

"Well, we're carrying a little extra crew from the _Excalibur_ , so we're already hard for space," Julia noted. "But I think Holodeck 3 should be available, and Hargert's cooking sausage stew by the tub in the Lookout."

"I'll send people to get some." He smiled at her. "And if we've got time…"

They were interrupted by a tone from Julia's omnitool. A blue light appeared over the back of her left hand, indicating an incoming comm. This was confirmed a moment later when Locarno's voice came over the omnitool's hardlight-formed speakers. " _Bridge to Andreys._ "

She tapped the light. "Andreys here."

" _We just got confirmation from the_ Kentan. _The fleet is due to go to warp within the hour._ "

"Right. Begin offloading the New Prussia engineers immediately and ready the ship for departure. I'm on my way to the bridge. Andreys out." She eyed Zack sadly. "You'd better get that stew soon. At fleet cruise speed we'll be at Earth in about six hours."

"Yeah. I'll see to it."

WIth nothing left to say, Julia departed the shuttle bay for the bridge. Zack watched her go before looking to Robert. "So, ready to end the war?"

"Been ready," Robert replied. "I just wish we didn't have to throw everything into a big gamble like this."

"Yeah, I hear you," was Zack's response. 

* * *

After checking up on the rest of the ship as best as she could, Julia made it to the bridge with five minutes to spare before departure. The secondary watch officers were mostly on duty - al-Rashad at Sensors, Luneri at Tactical, Neyzi at Operations - with one of Locarno's new officers, Ensign Rawlins, at the helm. Meridina and Locarno were both standing in the middle of the bridge. "Captain," Locarno said. "I think we're as ready as we'll ever be."

"Given we don't have a choice… well, I know our crew can do it." Julia took her seat. Locarno, for the moment, sat in the observer seat to Julia's left while Meridina took her usual seat. "And everyone else?"

"They are off-duty for the moment, but on standby," Meridina replied. "I believed that the best status to grant them a measure of rest before our arrival."

"The same goes for both of you," Julia noted. "Especially since you're going planetside with Robert, Meridina."

"I will depart for a rest as soon as we are underway," Meridina promised.

"I'll go catch a nap too, I suppose," said Locarno. "I'll get Takawira up here so you can catch some rest too."

"See about getting some cots in the conference lounge," Julia said. "This invasion could last for days, and we'll be under constant alert status until its over."

"I will make arrangements," Meridina promised.

At that moment there was a tone from the Ops station. "Captain, interuniversal jump point forming. We have a ship coming in."

"On screen," said Julia. Given the timing, she suspected this was what Maran was waiting for before they set off for Earth.

She could see why the moment she recognized the vessel that came through.

It was a new ship, known only to Julia for the fleet reports on its progression. It bore some slight resemblance to the _Aurora_ , but in size and power it was far greater, with design elements similar to the much smaller _Predator_ -class destroyer and the _Igasana_ -class heavy cruiser as well. Like those two ships, the primary hull and drive hull were together at the bow, with the navigational deflector a great golden eye with a blue iris built into the "chin" below the foremost bow. The front of the ship resembled a shovel with the way the bow widened and then gently tapered backward. Along the rear drive section, four warp nacelles were built directly into the frame, like on one of the attackers like the _Koenig_. The shape of the rear section of the drive gave them just enough clearance of obstacles to generate a proper warp field.

It was also about a mile long, over half a kilometer wide at its widest point, and had numerous plasma emitters like those now installed on the _Aurora_.

"Is that…" began Locarno, stunned.

"It is," Julia said, staring in surprise at the new arrival. "It's the _Unity_. The first Alliance-built dreadnought starship with integrated Darglan technology."

"She is quite a sight," Neyzi murmured.

"She's the only one of her kind too," Julia noted. "At least so far."

"The _Concord_ and the _Liberty_ are still being built," Locarno added. "Although aren't they planning an even larger design?"

"That's the rumor."

Several seconds after Julia's remark, Neyzi looked up from her station. "Captain, the _Unity_ 's identifier just changed. She's signalling flagship status now."

"Oh? Who's the commanding admiral?"

"Admiral Relini."

"So the _Unity_ 's going to be with us in orbit," Locarno said. "I'm sure the Nazis will find that a rude surprise if anyone gets past Maran's fleet."

"I'd rather that not happen," Julia remarked, even if she was already certain it would. The Reich's leadership would be well aware of the importance of the coming battle. They would likely throw everything at the invading force and be dedicated to removing the orbiting support fleet.

"The _Kentan_ is signalling the fleet," said Neyzi. "Admiral Maran wants to be put on general address to every ship in the fleet."

"Do so."

The holo-viewer changed to show Maran on his flag bridge on the _Kentan._ The image would be on every bridge and on many a holo-viewer or flatscreen display across the fleet, as well as on audio over the ship intercom systems. " _Brave soldiers and crews of the Coalition, this is Admiral Maran of the United Alliance of Systems. By now, you are aware of our purpose. You may not be sure why we are embarking on this mission._ " Maran allowed a moment for the comment to sink in before continuing. " _While I am aware that duty and honor are held highly by all and no explanation is necessary for your best service, I will not have you strive in ignorance of the stakes. And they are higher than ever. We are bound for the Earth of this universe, the heart of the Greater German Reich. The Nazi regime that has slaughtered countless billions over the last five hundred years must be put down to secure the peace of the Multiverse, and it must be put down now. To delay is to invite the Nazis to complete work on an interuniversal drive, work we know to be advanced to near-completion._ "

Again Maran paused, allowing that news to sink in for those who weren't aware of it. For every being in the fleet to understand the incredible stakes of the coming fight, and why their lives would be at risk. When a few seconds passed he resumed. " _For the good of our peoples, for the safety of our worlds, for the posterity of the Multiverse as we know it, this must not come to pass. I trust every one of you to fulfill your duties, and with your courage and sacrifice we will prevail. The Reich will fall._ "

Julia thought it over, but Maran ended with one last remark. " _May the Light of Life stand with us against the darkness of our enemies_."

At that, Maran ended the call.

" _Kentan_ is signaling course and speed data," Neyzi confirmed.

"I have it," replied Rawlins. The African-American woman spoke with what Julia thought was a Cajun accent, or at least influenced by Cajun. "Course laid in, speed readied. Ready to initiate warp upon command."

"Keep us in formation, Ensign, and engage," Julia said.

The _Aurora_ , in tandem with the other ships of the Alliance fleet and the other Coalition contingents, made the jump to warp.


	65. Episode 3-12-3 All In

**Author's Note** : The writers of the Origins spinoff (pilot s/12891283/1/Undiscovered-Frontier-Origins-Introduction) contributed to many of the combat scenes, as well as writing or re-writing dialogue for factions they are personally following.

* * *

With barely an hour left before the fleet would arrive, Zack stepped into the Lookout. He couldn't stay long, but he didn't need to. He immediately walked to the bar. Within a minute Hargert stepped up. "Zachary," he said, smiling softly. His German accent was pronounced, but not so thick as to make him difficult to understand. "It is good to see you again."

"Good to see you again too," Zack replied, matching the smile. "The people in my company enjoyed the stew. They wanted to say thank you."

"I accept humbly. The important thing is that you and your comrades got a good meal before the fighting begins." Hargert eased into a seat. Zack could tell that Hargert was weary. It was unsurprising given the flurry of activity he'd brought on himself. "You seem more settled, Zachary."

"I guess I am. Well, I am about to go risk my life, I suppose that keeps me from dwelling on things." Zack sighed. "I know I made a real mess of things before. I… I just couldn't bear bringing my problems to anyone…"

"We all have our pride, my young friend. It can lead us astray easily, but few can endure life without some." Hargert's expression changed to show worry. "So many of you are going to risk your lives destroying this evil. I wish I could do more than cook for you."

"You've done enough," Zack insisted. "Honestly you look like you'll fall over with a stiff breeze."

To that Hargert chuckled lowly. "I suppose I might," he admitted. He turned his head slightly. "Thomas."

Zack turned in time to see Barnes step up and sit beside him. "Hey Tom," he said, smiling at his friend. He clapped Barnes on the shoulder, pulling him close for a quick hug. "Good to see you."

"You too, man. You too." Barnes clapped Zack's back as well. While he looked somewhat rested, it was clear he was still a little tired. "Man, it's good to have you back. I mean, you're coming back, right?'

"I've got to finish my tour on the Citadel first," Zack replied. "But yeah, I think I'm coming back."

"Awesome, man. With you and Rob back, everything will be great."

"What can I get for you, Thomas?" Hargert asked.

"Nothin'. I mean, I'm due in Engineering in about twenty minutes, no time for anything."

"Not even for a celebratory drink with Zachary?" Hargert asked, his eyes glinting with humor.

"Given what I'm about to get into, coffee is all I'm interested in."

"Same here," said Tom. "What's that stuff Ana's always asking for?"

"Ana Poniatowska? She delights in my _Milchkaffee_."

"Alright then, let's go with that."

It didn't take Hargert long to mix three cups of the aforementioned substance. "To renewed friendships, my young friends," he said upon handing two of those cups to Zack and Barnes. Each took them with their right hands, as Hargert did his own. The three men raised their drinks and clacked the ceramic cups together.

"To renewed friendships," Zack agreed.

"Abso-fraking-lutely," Barnes added. 

* * *

Given the size of the incoming fleet, Julia felt little surprise at the lack of enemy resistance in orbit when the vanguard of the main fleet started dropping from warp. "No welcoming committee," she observed quietly. Around her the others were at their stations: Angel at tactical, Cat at science, Jarod at Ops. Violeta was at the helm and one of the junior ops officers, a male Avalonian ensign named Tristan Mallory, was manning the Engineering station. Locarno was taking up First Officer duties beside her, already verifying the fighter launches as the _Aurora_ , and the other ships in the fleet with fighter wings, began deploying their fighters in a defensive screen.

"They're bastards, but not stupid," Angel said from Tactical. "I'm betting they pulled out when they saw us coming. Probably to link up with whatever main fleet they've got coming in."

"Either way… what's the status of our beam-downs?"

"We're already deploying the first battalion of Marines," Jarod said. "They're going to a Dorei unit in the southeast front around the city that's taking heavy fire.

"Do we know where we're sending Robert and the others yet?" asked Locarno.

Caterina looked up from sensors. "I'm detecting trace elements of neutrinos that could be from test activations of a drive. I can tell you that whatever they've done, they're not consistent with the signature of a proper jump point."

"So we're not too late," Julia said.

"I'd say not." Cat frowned. "But I can't give you an exact area. Just somewhere in the center of the city. There's so much interference from the fighting that we'll have to wait until the ground team can help me triangulate a more exact location."

A tone came over the ship's speakers. " _Dale to Bridge. Do you have a location for us yet?_ "

"I'm figuring that now," Cat said. "There's heavy fighting all around the city. I'm trying to find what looks like the most likely location for their research facility. But the best I can do is tell you it's somewhere in the heart of the city."

" _Understood. We'll pick a beamdown point and relay it to you._ " 

* * *

Although the plan was to beam down, Robert nevertheless gathered everyone in one of the assault landers. While most of the vehicle was devoted to cargo space for moving troops, a section between the cargo area and the cockpit had a small data center. It was hardly an optimum command post, but it let Robert and the others - King, Meridina, Zack, and Anders at the moment - look over the situation on the ground. An open comm channel to the _Normandy_ allowed Shepard to participate as well. "This is the fiercest land battle of the war," King noted grimly. "Even as we speak, our side alone must be taking hundreds of casualties across the front."

"Likely. But right now I want a good landing zone."

"What about over here?" Zack indicated a point in the southeast corner of the city. Markers indicating the presence of Alliance troops were placed.

"There are avenues there to lead us into the heart of the city," King said. "But I wouldn't recommend it." She tapped the map. "There's a heavy enemy element in this sector, and these are residential blocks. We could end up being bogged down by militia forces as well as Reich troops."

" _King's right_ ," Shepard said. " _That place is a maze, and every building could be a fortress. We'll get stuck in there forever._ "

"Schildow," Anders suggested. "The 1st and 3rd Davion Guards and the Oriente Fusiliers' 4th Brigade are hitting the enemy hard there. We can use that to slip through."

At first glance Robert liked Anders suggestion. But as seconds passed he didn't feel right about it.

"Progress along the northern sector has been the slowest," Meridina noted, looking over the relevant reports. "The greatest concentration of enemy armored forces are in the northern and northeastern approaches."

"Because they're busy fighting the FedComs and Leaguers," Anders pointed out. "They'll be more concerned holding the line against the Inner Sphere's walking tanks than stopping a fast-moving column of powered infantry."

"And if they don't, you get us surrounded and trapped," Lucy observed. "Look, Prince Victor and the other ground commanders have left a gap in the lines along the western edge of the city. Why don't we land near Wustermark and slip our way in from there?"

"For the same reason the northern front is a bad choice. Little chance of backup," King noted.

"Potsdam," Robert said. When they all looked to him, he indicated the area in question, southwest of the heart of the city. "Here, near Potsdam and Wannsee. Clan Wolf and the Turians have secured a position at Potsdam, the Dilgar are right behind us, and the Aururians are coming up on the Teltow Canal." He tapped a key and highlighted a road in the area with a press of his finger to the holo-display. "They call this the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ , and it leads right up to the _Volkshalle_ at the edge of the city center. The area is mostly industrial and commercial, so no thick residential blocks to fight through, and the allied units in the area will be on hand to help if we absolutely need it."

"Given the enemy positions, even if we land in Wannsee the direct path isn't viable," King observed. "And the water route is inadvisable. We'll have to force the canal close to Teltow."

"The Aururians will probably be there soon after we land." Now Zack was focusing on the recommended spot.

" _I've never worked with them_ ," said Shepard. " _They're that all-female Amazon society you made contact with a few months ago, right?_ "

"I'm not sure 'Amazon' fits entirely, but yes," Lucy replied. "And they're fairly militaristic. And more than a little aristocratic."

" _If you think they can force the Canal on time, then I'll back that choice._ "

"Same here." Zack blinked at the data. "I'm surprised the Dilgar have enough troops that they're fielding an independent force. Where did they get this many troops?"

"My mother practiced the same total mobilisation for this war that we had in the old Imperium days," Tra'dur replied with some justified pride. "Twenty-five divisions on the ground, thirty-five ships in the stars, all from forty-five millions."

"Even in victory, that may cause them some pain in the post-war drawdown," King pointed out.

"We are quite aware of that, Captain," Tra'dur answered. A fierce look came to the Dilgar woman's face. "But we are willing to pay that price. We have a lot to prove to the Multiverse, you might say."

"I see." King nodded at Robert. "Captain, I know it's your final call, but I highly recommend the Potsdam point. Wannsee is too far ahead for our safety, and we'll need to backtrack to link up with the Aururians anyway."

Robert considered the request for a minute before nodding. "Potsdam it is."

Shepard nodded. " _The_ Normandy _doesn't have a transporter, so we'll coordinate with your transporter operators to bring my team down to your coordinates. I'll see you planetside, Robert._ Normandy _out._ "

Once Shepard's image disappeared Robert tapped his omnitool's comm key. "Dale to Bridge. We have a beam-down point for you. What's our deployment status?"

" _The last of the Marine replacements just went down_ ," Jarod answered. " _Give us your beam-down coordinate and we'll get you down there ASAP._ "

"We're relaying coordinates now," Robert replied. "Shepard will be contacting you for bringing her team down from the _Normandy_. Awaiting beamout." 

* * *

The beamdowns were commencing as planned and there was no sign of an enemy attack. On the _Aurora_ bridge Julia was left with the frustration of waiting for something to happen while dreading that it would.

When she couldn't bear the silence any longer, she glanced toward Locarno. "Status on the beaming?"

"We're beaming down the strike team from the _Normandy_ now," Locarno noted. "The Naval Infantry unit will go afterward and we'll be done." He glanced over more data. "The fleet as a whole reports sixty percent completion of the transport operations."

"All of this to capture one city," Angel murmured.

"It's a big city," Jarod noted. "And the Nazis are throwing every soldier they can find into holding it."

"Sixty-five percent completion," Locarno noted.

Julia turned to the port side stations and Cat's station there, where she was still examining sensor returns from the surface. "Anything on sensors?"

"I still can't determine the exact location of the particle traces," Cat said. "I've got my people using Lab 2 to help, but there's just too much…" She stopped and let out a harsh breath. "Captain, long range sensors are lighting up. I've got a _massive_ reading in subspace."

"What is it?"

Cat checked her readings carefully. "Disturbance consistent with warp drives. A lot of them. I've never seen so many… there must be four thousand ships out there."

"Let me see?" Jarod waited for Cat to relay the scan results to him. Julia couldn't see his face, but she could tell from the way he straightened in his chair that he was surprised at what he was seeing. "I'm running the readings through the computer now. I'd say at least thirty-five hundred ships." A light appeared on his console. "Message from the _Kentan_."

"On screen."

The holo-viewer activated to show Maran's face. " _Support fleet, maintain position_ ," he said. " _The main fleet will finish our beamdowns and intercept the incoming ships by the time they approach the outer planets of the system. Leave the fight to us_."

" _Understood, Admiral_ ," replied Shai'juhr from her flagship, the _Magaratha_. " _We will hold._ "

Squadron by squadron, Maran's fleet began to break from nearby space. Within a few minutes the last of them were pulling from orbit and moving away at high sublight. A check of the tactical holo-display beside her told Julia how small the invasion armada had become… if one could call a fleet of over three hundred combat starships "small".

"Beaming down the last unit now," Jarod confirmed. 

* * *

The team's beamdown point was at the edge of the Sansouci gardens, not far from the palace of the same name. The skyline bore no trace of the idyllic setting that had once made the area the preferred home of the Prussian royalty and their court. Towering edifices along the Havel River turned Potsdam into a small island of quaint palaces, parks, and summer homes amidst a sea of what the Nazis undoubtedly considered urban splendor.

In the distance, the immense spires of City-center Berlin shimmered under a haze of smoke. Thunder roared from every direction on the horizon. It was not natural, and neither was the smoke which obscured the skyline.

Robert thought it was a big damn eyesore, and the sight of _Hakenkreuzen_ everywhere was a visible reminder of just what this place was. It wasn't the only reminder. Robert could feel the cold darkness in the Flow of Life around him, as if the entire region was steeped in it.

"This is an evil place," Meridina murmured beside him. "So much hate and fear and… how can beings live like this?"

"This place makes me feel filthy." Ensign Talara, Lucy's student in the arts Meridina had taught them, seemed to shudder. Robert still didn't know much about the young Falaen woman. He'd heard that her people were once known as Alteans before nearly being exterminated by another species over ten thousand years ago, but he'd yet to look up further details on that.

"You look like I did on my last trip back to Mindoir," Shepard noted, looking at Robert. "Been here before?"

"C1P2," Robert said. "Just a week or so before the Dalek attack on the Facility. We were trying to smooth over relations with the Prussians and other Earth governments, and Leo was treating their king for a stroke." He remembered the brief period of lucidity from King Frederick William IV during that visit. He'd always sensed that the old romantic had something of a love-hate sentiment toward Robert and the other " _Sternvolk_ " who were causing such a fuss among the governments and societies of that 1850s-era Earth. "In the long run it didn't matter. The _Avenger_ left Berlin and Potsdam a burning ruin, and Frederick William died in the bombing."

There was an explosion near enough to shake the buildings, a reminder of how close to the fighting they were. A few soldiers took cover. Nearby Zack materialized with Lieutenant Tachibana and some of the other officers of his company of provisional naval infantry. More and more of his unit were appearing in bursts of white light every few seconds, creating a constant buzz in the air. "Didn't we come to this place on that 19th Century Earth?" Zack asked.

"I was just telling them that," Robert answered. He consulted his omnitool, using it to tap into the Coalition's tactical comms. The display showed the local forces. A moment later the face of an older woman wearing a Clan-made neurohelmet appeared. A few strands of red hair were visible through the helmet's faceplate. "Khan Kerensky?" Robert asked.

" _Hardhead_ ," replied the notorious Black Widow of the Wolves. She smirked. " _Maran said he'd be sending you. But I figured you'd land over with General Threek south of the Seelow Heights_."

"We don't want to get bogged down in the residential blocks," Robert answered. "My force is going to work its way over toward the Teltow Canal. It looks like the best route to the heart of the city."

" _A good choice. I'll make sure Alpha Galaxy keeps the Nazis busy. General Victus might be able to slip a regiment your way to watch your flank, but it'll depend on when the Turians manage to secure Wannsee._ "

"Acknowledged."

" _I'll let General Kylarjha know you're on your way. She's gathering to make a push over the Canal within a few hours, so you'd better hurry your asses up_. _Aururians don't wait around._ "

"We will. Thank you, Khan, and good luck."

" _I'm the Black Widow, Captain Dale_." Natasha Kerensky grinned wickedly. " _I don't need luck._ " With that the communication ended.

"The infamous Black Widow," Shepard noted. "Why did she call you 'Hardhead'?"

"Because I got punched by Lincoln Osis and managed to get back up," Robert remarked, trying to not remember how hard that particular punch had _hurt_. He looked to Zack, who was conversing with his officers. "Everyone down?"

"Just about," Zack answered. "We'll be ready to move out in a minute."

"Good." Robert looked toward the east-south-east. More explosions could be heard, along with distant retorts of weapons fire. "We've got work to do." 

* * *

While the battle raged below them, the _Aurora_ crew were in a state of "hurry up and wait" readiness. Everyone was at battlestations, the vessel's weapons were energized and ready, the defenses primed. But yet there was nothing to do. All they could do was sit, wait, and hear for any news about fire support being needed orr incoming enemy forces to deal with.

For all that combat could be terrifying, Julia still found it preferable to this state of tense uncertainty. She knew from training with Maran and her own experience that you couldn't keep people in a state of nervous readiness forever. Eventually attention would drift. It couldn't be helped.

Cat interrupted those thoughts. "Multiple contacts, enemy fighters," she called out. "They're coming up from locations all over the planet."

"They were waiting for our main fleet to withdraw."

Julia nodded in agreement with Locarno's assessment. "I don't want Laurent getting swamped. Tell him to stay in range of our weapons."

" _All vessels, assume close formation_ ," Shai'jhur ordered over the comms. " _Let our defensive batteries attend to them. Fighters, engage stragglers._ "

"All squadrons are launching," Locarno noted. "We'll have everyone out in a minute or so."

Julia nodded and said nothing, watching silently as the enemy fighters rose to face the fleet. 

* * *

The bridge of the _Magaratha_ resembled what she ought to have in times of old. Busy Dilgar officers moved about with folios and data and holograms projected and re-projected. Shai'jhur watched her eldest daughter keep the staff well under control. A final count of some 300 ships stood in orbit of Terra. Only an eighth of them were her's, but her rank counted as equal to a Nazi Grossadmiral and technically ranked anyone in the Alliance, so she was in command of the Earth operation, but as a courtesy and acknowledgment of the limited military power of the Union, Maran's subordinate. A niggling part of her brain reminded her that the last time she had actually commanded this many ships in one place at one time was the retreat from Third Balos.

Sparkling below her, the Warmaster thought the planet pretty. Murderous though they were, the Nazis seemed good stewards of the environment. The realisation that there were twenty-five divisions of Dilgar amongst the troops assaulting Welthauptstadt Germania below them felt almost weird after decades of weakness. Her officers were exultant.

"I'm shifting the fighters to start making runs by wing, so that they will draw the enemy fighters back into the atmosphere, Warmaster," Tia'jhur reported from the forward command position. _Magaratha_ had been modified to incorporate staffwork on her bridge, just one of many lessons for the Independent Fleet from the Dilgar War. And though she had not wanted to risk it before, if her daughter was to be a Warmaster someday and her successor, she had to be blooded in the greatest battle the Dilgar had fought in thirty years. Period.

"Understood. Are we using adaptive spacing in the anti-fighter box?"

"Yes, Warmaster, distance between ships is being determined based on weapons fit for the anti-fighter role. We're doing the calculations and forcing them out by tactical datalink with the _Enterprise, Aurora_ and the _Unity_ sending us back error correction.

"Right." Shai'jhur thumbed her open channel selector. "Battlemaster Zhen'var, take note that you're on forward point for the fleet if we're attacked from the inner system. I want your pentacon to concentrate those Alliance sensors and ripple scan inbound, but if you can keep the box intact while holding position, use passive optical as well."

"Yes, Warmaster!" That faintly too-eager voice came back.

Shai'jhur smiled. Her instincts about her adopted daughter had not been wrong so far. _But of course Kaveri would not ruin a kit. Not in the end._ She steepled her hands and leaned forward, hunched in her command chair, staring intently. The fleet was protecting them in the outer system, the battle was occurring around Neptune. It was inboard that mattered. Then the fighters began the first of their close-atmospheric runs by wing and she highlighted the atmosphere of that blue orb, hanging over Welthauptstadt Germania.

"Tia, have the last of the Army resupply transports withdrawn from the system?" She asked her daughter after a moment. The ship's interceptor grid had just automatically come up, filling space around them with lines of explosions as the Nazi fighters attacked their section of the defensive box.

"Yes, Warmaster!" Her daughter stared for a moment, unused to the informality in combat. But they were about to be sorely tried and Shai'jhur was her mother. "It is just the fleets, now. The armies have enough supplies for another week, come fang and blood."

"That will do… That will do. They are learning everything about us with this formation, daughter. The adaptive box makes up for our disparate technology, but also showcases them in harmony."

"But we will keep the scans up. They are testing us and a fleet will be coming soon to exploit that. From in-system, I believe."

"Yes, Young Mistress," Shai'jhur answered, using the epithet for a youth of brilliance. The significance, the true significance passed between them in a flash, and her daughter flared with pride. "That separates the true objective from the Neptune battle as much as possible. Have us ready."

"Yes, Warmaster." Tia'jhur turned back to the holotank.

Shai'jhur followed her gaze, but with the spot for Fei'nur at the side of her command chair empty, the risk her other daughter was taking flickered to her mind. She banished it. Shai'jhur had survived watching billions die, now was not the time to count her family above that. 

* * *

The Nazi fighters filling the orbital space were mostly those that Patrice Laurent had faced already in the war. He kept his grip on the controls of his Mongoose starfighter and kept his aim on a Nazi fighter that was attempting to acquire one of the Aururian fighters. At the press of his finger trigger the pulse phasers on the Mongoose came to life, spitting amber energy over the enemy fighter. Its shields held long enough for the Nazi pilot to break and evade. The maneuver brought the fighter free from Laurent's attack, a respite he was determined to cut short. He twisted and pulled over the front of the fighter to reacquire his target. As soon as his reticle turned red his finger tensed. This time the bursts of amber light played over the enemy fighter's shields until they collapsed. Flame and debris erupted from the main body of the dagger-shaped Nazi craft until the entire craft disintegrated, overwhelmed by the stress on its damaged structure.

In this environment there were no shortage of targets. But that wasn't Laurent's worry. He was worried that in the thick of this fight, his people would focus too much on combat and let themselves be outmaneuvered. "Alpha, Charlie, Fox, form up on me," he said. "Break away and prepare to re-engage."

" _Roger that, Commander_ ," and variations thereof were the replies to his order. Laurent moved his fighter's nose toward the North Pole and put his engines to full. The Mongoose, always a nimble fighter, shot away from the fight. Almost half of the _Aurora_ 's fighters followed.

Laurent's intention had been to come about and re-engage in formation. That plan changed when his radio came alive. " _This is the_ SSV Normandy, _we could use some fighter cover. I repeat…_ "

His reply was immediate. " _Normandy_ , we are moving to engage." Using his systems he tracked where the Systems Alliance frigate was currently evading the two dozen Nazi fighters chasing it. Their disruptors blasted at the _Normandy_ and struck its protective fields. It took the hits well, but Laurent wondered how many hits they could take if the Nazis went fire free with torpedoes.

Not that he was going to find out.

"All fighters, engage, keep them off of the _Normandy_." He gave the order even as he selected a target for his weapons. The data readouts gave him a solid target lock and he opened up with an anti-fighter missile before engaging with phasers.

The initial strike did as expected. Over ten enemy fighters died to that first volley, with another twelve damaged to varying degrees. The Nazis broke off their chase of the _Normandy_ and turned toward Laurent's fighters. The warning tones of active target locks filled Laurent's ears. He repressed the instinct to break off wildly and controlled his evasive maneuver, changing the heading of his fighter and hitting the Mongoose fighter's boosted engine trigger. The maneuver was good for evasives, but it also had the effect of straining the inertial dampeners enough to generate punishing G-forces.

The Nazi fighters missed thanks to this maneuver. Their pilots were skilled enough to not entirely lose track, however, and Laurent found that they were keeping the superior angle of attack, forcing him and his squadrons to remain on the defensive. His fighter twisted and shifted to evade the incoming disruptor fire. One of the other fighters in Fox Squadron wasn't so lucky, taking enough fire to pierce the deflectors. The fighter was torn apart from the attack.

Before the Nazis could claim more, light mass effect fire struck them. The _Normandy_ maneuvered into their rear, her weapons blazing, and four enemy fighters blew apart before they realized the frigate was attacking them, forcing them to break off. Laurent happily shifted to offense, finding a target and striking it with several shots before moving on. "Thank you, _Normandy_ ," he said into the radio.

" _You scratch my back, I scratch yours_ ," replied the pilot on the other end. " _Unless you've got one of those really hairy backs, I draw the line at that._ "

Laurent chuckled. "Well put." With that exchange over Laurent turned his attention back to the fight at hand. 

* * *

They almost made it to Teltow before facing enemy units. Robert had even been entertaining the possibility they wouldn't have to fight anyone before linking up with the Aururians. That thought went away the moment he felt the sense of danger. He stopped and glanced toward Lucy and Meridina. Both nodded and ignited their lightsabers just as he did his.

That was when the snipers started firing. Robert sensed where the shots were coming from and where they were going. He intercepted the shot aimed at his head with a quick motion of his blade, its buzz filling the air as it sizzled through the air before him. Shots aimed at Zack and one of his officers were stopped by the other two.

"Garrus, Tali, Ashley, right side," Shepard barked. "Wrex, Kaidan, with me!" She went to the building to the left as the others went to the right. Both structures had a commercial look to them, as did those around and before them, giving them an innocuous look that had to be ignored in the nightmare of an urban combat. The normal response to the incoming fire was, in fact, to call in artillery to level the place.

Shepard's team ran ahead, and they weren't going alone. Anders sent his Marines into action, detailing squads to follow them. Around them Zack and unit sought what cover they could manage. "Platoons Bravo and Charlie are confirming no sniper fire on their roads," Tachibana said. "They're moving ahead…"

Shepard's team had only just entered the structures when more visible enemies moved into sight further ahead. Robert sensed and deflected another sniper shot before turning his attention to the incoming threat; a platoon of four panzers and accompanying infantry, including a squad of _Panzergrenadier_ armored infantry.

"Anti-armor rounds!" shouted Anders. The power-armored Marines with him obeyed, triggering their armors to switch to said weapons. Disruptor fire converged on them and on the naval infantry and was quickly responded to by suppressive counter-fire. Missed shots tore holes into the ground around their targets and started fires.

The firefight made things more difficult for Robert, Meridina, and Lucy, as they couldn't focus on the attack so long as they had to deal with both the incoming fire and the sniper fire from the buildings. They were in a stalemate at the moment, but only for a moment. Robert and Lucy had to leap away from the others to evade a shot from one of the tanks. The other enemies fired as well and they heard cries and screams from behind, those of comrades mangled or slain by the blasts. _Any time Shepard!_ was Robert's thought, after which another sniper shot came within a second of blasting through his shoulder. He deflected at the last minute.

One of the enemy tanks blew up, the victim of a missile from the Marines. Said Marine unit had to return to cover to avoid another round from the tanks. The fire blasted away at the first floor and foundation of the building instead.

Just as it seemed the tanks were a volley away from overwhelming the three, there was a sharp cry and an explosion from a nearby building. A soldier went flying from a window. " _Sniper down_ ," reported Ashley.

Robert sensed a surge of fear joined by resignation, and then a distant feeling of void filling in where there hadn't been one. " _Coleman here_ ," said one of Anders' Marines. " _Sniper down._ "

Lucy didn't wait for the confirmation of the last sniper being defeated before dashing ahead, lightsaber swishing through the air to block incoming fire. Robert and Meridina sighed in resignation before taking off after her. Robert waited for an opening after another sniper shot before focusing on one of the tanks ahead. He reached through the Flow of Life and felt its power, so chilled by death and hatred on this world, but still vibrant enough to respond to as he needed. Much to the surprise of the vehicle's driver, the vehicle was knocked into the air as if something had exploded under it. It flipped in mid-air and came crashing down on its turret.

A moment later there was a crash from above. The last sniper came flying out of the building, Shepard above him wreathed in biotic power. She shot the sniper in the torso on the way down, a hit to the heart that was immediately fatal. She landed and rolled, avoiding incoming fire from the _Panzergrenadier_ s.

Freed from sniper attack Robert and the others could focus on offensive means. Robert brought his hand up and gripped a large chunk of debris with his power, sending it flying into a _Panzergrenadier_ to stun him long enough for Meridina to close the distance and begin slicing through the armor with her weapon. He turned to aid Lucy and found she needed none. She leapt over one of the _Panzergrenadiers_ , landed behind him, and drove her lightsaber into the armored suit's power core on the back, the blade impaling the pilot and his suit so that the blue blade was sticking a little out of the front as well. She pulled her blade out immediately and went for one of the two remaining tanks. The tank crew tried to depress their gun low enough to target her, but Lucy acted first, forcing the muzzle high enough that the shot flew off over her head. She reached the tank in the next few seconds and sliced its main gun in half with her lightsaber. The coaxial disruptor targeted her. Robert ripped it free while she went to work on cutting into the turret. An enemy soldier popped out of the turret with a sidearm coming up. Lucy raised her hand and invisible force ripped the gun from his grip. The man had a moment to be absolutely stunned before the same free hand turned into a fist and struck him in the jaw. He fell over and back down into his vehicle. Lucy finished cutting a hole in the turret and dropped down into the confined space. Robert heard cries of surprise in German, sensed a moment of pain and disbelief, and then the fighting stopped with further cries of surrender.

That left one tank. Meridina dealt with this one by forcing the vehicle to flip and then mentally commanding those inside to go to sleep.

Some of the attached infantry was already retreating. The armored infantry lacked the speed to, especially given Shepard and Lucy, who used their abilities to quickly get in range, at which point their respective weapons - shotgun and lightsaber - came to play. Robert and Meridina left them to finish the fight and approached Zack, now coming up from behind. He was shaking his head. "Goddamn," he muttered. "Every time I think I know how badass those powers make you…"

"What's our status?" Robert asked.

"Bravo and Charlie platoons ran into infantry, but they're retreating now. As for Alpha?" Zack shook his head. "Two dead, four wounded."

Robert sighed at that. "I'm sorry," he said. "A hell of a thing. They signed up to serve on starships, not fight on the ground."

"Don't worry about that. They knew it'd be bad coming in," Zack said. "They're all volunteers who want to see the Nazis beat down. Anyway, I've got my corpsmen prepping the wounded to be carried. The Aururians aren't far from here, right?"

"Probably not. But we'd better hurry. The Nazis know we're here and if we get identified, they might figure out what we're here for."

"Right. We're still behind you."

Robert nodded once and showed his friend a grateful smile before they continued on. 

* * *

The Nazi fighter attack was on the ebb. Shai'jhur's tactic of a formation to maximize the anti-fighter weaponry of the fleet and the skill of the allied pilots was grinding down the enemy fighters, such that the attack was visibly petering out.

Through it all, Cat kept her eyes on the sensors. They were already showing the distant energy discharges of the main fleet battle as well as those of the battle with the fighters. No other ships were showing on the long range bands, although she couldn't rule out cloaked ships.

She was just about to return her attention to other bands when she noticed something of interest. A faint reading was coming from deeper within the solar system, in close proximity to Sol itself. Her first thought was that it was just the sensor detecting a natural signature from the star. But the more she looked at it, the more she wasn't certain. "Captain, I've got something on sensors." She prided herself that calling Julia by rank while on duty was virtually second nature to her now.

"What are you seeing?" asked Julia.

"I'm not sure. I think it might be an energy source near the sun. Which would be what the fleet warning was about."

"And it would be pretty hard to see from here," Jarod noted.

"See if any of the other ships are picking it up?"

"I'm asking now…" Jarod worked his console to send the message. After a moment he nodded. "The _Enterprise_ is seeing it too. Data thinks it might be multiple ships."

"Oh, right," said Cat. "It would explain why we're seeing it. So…" Something caught her attention. "The signature's shifting… I think they might be moving."

"Standby. Jarod, alert the _Magaratha_ …"

"Warp signatures detected!" Cat called out, noticing the change in her readings. "They're…"

There was no point in finishing the warning. On both the tactical display and the holo-viewer, incoming ships zipped into existence, having just decelerated from warp. Julia recognized the various lean, predatory shapes of Reich warships, the smaller ones resembling daggers and the larger having a slanted shape. She also recognized the coloring scheme and the twin lightning bolt insignia visible on the vessels.

"Evasive maneuvers, now!" Julia called out. Violeta obeyed and sent the _Aurora_ into an corkscrew turn. A moment later, disruptor beams sliced through the space they would have been occupying.

"Fleet orders, assume formation Lepanto-3," Jarod called even the very moment they had finished evading.

 _Heavy ships straight in to disrupt the enemy formation. This will be unpleasant._ "Helm, come about four-one-one mark seven, full ahead!" 

* * *

The first contact with the Aururian troops occurred to the west of Teltow. The area showed the signs of bitter, fierce fighting, with bodies and burned out vehicles littered amongst the piles of rubble barely recognizable as having once been human-made structures. The troops were mostly Ralsan in this immediate sector, the silvery-complexioned humanoids with pointed ears, tails, and brown hair nearly thick enough to be fur. The same was true for General Kylarjha when they arrived at her command headquarters, nestled in what had been a former bank at the edge of a residential sector, the vault being one of the few structures to survive the hellacious bombardment that had pounded the area. Members of various species could be found in the HQ, although Humans and Ralsan in Aururian uniforms were by far the most prominent.

"Captain, Commanders." Kylarjha nodded to them. "You have arrived with unintentional punctuality for our attempt to seize a bridgehead over the canal."

"We'll help with it in any way that we can," Robert assured her.

"I am aware of your talents, as well as the capabilities of your allies.." Kylarjha looked briefly to Shepard. "I intend you to remain in reserve for the initial attack. Your mission is of high importance and I shall not see it risked needlessly."

It was a good point. Robert felt an instinctive dislike at remaining on the sideline, though. "We'll hold back until your forces secure our route over the canal," he said, "and then we'll help secure your bridgehead. We're going to need your support to get to the _Volkshalle_."

"Is that where you believe the research center is?"

"We're not certain of the location yet," answered Shepard. "But it's somewhere in that area."

Kylarjha respponded with a single, stoic nod. "Very well. I shall provide an escort for you toward the front." 

* * *

The Teltow Canal predated the Nazi Regime by a generation, built in the first decade of the 20th Century to link the rivers Havel and Dahme and allow river traffic to move south of Berlin's busy center. The Nazis' initial rebuilding of Berlin after their victorious war left the canal intact, as had the centuries of urban expansion since. Some trees and parks continued to flank the waterway while middle and upper class residences and commercial parks were to be found beyond, offering a place for rowing practice and swimming in the city.

That was in peacetime at least. Now that the capital was a battlefield, every structure in sight showing some kind of damage, with many no more than piles of rubble, no matter the effort the Nazis had put in for their buildings to become graceful ruins. The north end of the Canal was not lined by trees any longer, but by enemy infantry and heavy guns, including enemy tanks. Only occasional trees had not been knocked over or shattered by artillery fire, and of the buildings, they showed the effects of the titanic concentration of heavy artillery that had been brought forward to attempt to secure a lodgement on the far shore.

While the naval infantry and Marines cooled their heels for the moment, Robert and many of the others gathered at a divisional-level observation post - assembled in a captured business - to observe the river crossing. The Aururian general in charge was Native American, a Quechua-speaker from the Andean region of South America. She spoke that language with aides, all from the same region by Aururian custom of geographic recruitment and unit groupings, and switched to English and Aururian when issuing commands to her subordinates or receiving the same from Kylarjha.

The attack began with an artillery barrage on the other end of the canal. The enemy defenses had force shield protection, but against the fury of a full-fledged bombardment these shield systems degraded and finally collapsed. Explosions threw up chunks of debris from their impact points, occasionally joined by bodies… or at least pieces of them. One shell landed squarely on a gun emplacement, slaughtering the crew servicing it and blasting the gun to pieces.

As the barrage developed, the precision munitions were hitting so frequently that the opposite bank turned into nothing but a wall of smoke and flame. There was no longer any ability to tell the explosions apart, only an ongoing assault of sound, explosion following explosion, blending together into an eardrum shattering crescendo. The disruptor beams and bursts that came sizzling from the far side slowed, then ceased, as those foolish enough to give their positions away served only to provide the forward observers points of aim.

As the bombardment continued its steady steel rain, the Aururians went into action. Their armoured vehicles moved up into jumping-off positions. Rows of tanks hid behind buildings as small compressed air lines were rolled up right to the bank by advancing infantry. These were attached to smoke generators and misters loaded with chemicals which would aerosolize and block sensors. Quickly the entire bank was obscured and the visage of the Nazi positions under attack on the opposite bank could no longer be discerned, nor could the final preparations for the jumping-off points be observed or targeted by the Nazi troops.

The Aururian General in command of the post had been quite busy, and ignoring them for a sustained period of time, before, after a brief exchange with some of her staff, she stepped back over to the group, a Ralsan officer saluting and leaving the post as she did.

"Alright. Captain Dale, please go forward to point X-ray Vectrus," she said mildly. "Once we get the bridging gear across the Fourth of the Twelfth Wirrawunga's commanding Colonel has been instructed to take you forward. Good luck, Captain."

"Thank you, General. And the same to you." Robert rose.

"Oh, save it for my girls," she said simply, her voice pitched to carry through the roar.

"Then I will." With a tight grin that was really his teeth gritting, he waved his hand. "All right, team. Let's go!" They started off down the streets of the burning and shattered capital, straight into the bare hell of a massed urban attack.

As they reached the point marked by a blazon of spraypaint across a ruined building, small groups of troops could be seen, dashing along the streets under the cover of smoke and smog. They had compact, conformal air tanks and special armour, the women under it slipping on facemasks and fitting fin attachments to their boots. Robert could hear a call through the dim murk, lit by the continuous roar of explosions across the front.

"See you on the other side, Maria! All right, girls, let's go. Strength and Guile!" They disappeared down the bank.

The barrage continued. Talara shook. It was impossible to think, impossible to feel, impossible to _anything,_ there was just a continuous whooshing, crashing, freight-train rumble, the sharp whine of energy weapons as direct fire weapons were now engaged through the cover. Now the barrage was for suppressive purposes. "How is it possible for _anyone_ to survive that!?" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Lucy barely heard her. One of the Aururians passing by was closer, a Major bringing forward scan-gear with a small team of techs. "Oh, they'll be alive." She shook her head grimly. "They'll be alive. But courage! We'll slosh 'em up enough to get across." Then she and her team vanished again into the impenetrable fog.

The SBS teams went into the massive storm-drains which debouched into the Teltow on the opposite side. They used micro-drones to scout ahead and disable Reich reconnaissance sensors intended to prevent them from doing - exactly what they were going to do. Passing through and up into manholes behind the forward Reich positions, where the smoke and smog drifting across had now obscured the far bank as well.

Their weapons were knives and compressed air guns with tritanium cylinders and barely subsonic, poison-tipped flechettes, fought at ten paces or hand to hand. Once they cleared their positions, they marked sensor tracers for the remaining Reich strongpoints, working around their own suppressive barrage.

On the opposite bank, the minutes passed with an unimaginable fury. Twenty minutes, twenty-five… _How long could it last?_ From the ammunition the Aururians were expending, freshly resupplied by the freighters Shai'jhur had escorted in and out, it seemed forever. They saw the end of their campaign ahead, and they spared no shell in making the crossing.

Meridina joined Lucy at Talara's side, putting a hand on her shoulder. Robert stayed low. He could see his Grandpa right now. The breakout from Normandy had been like this. Little else in the American experience...

Then the opposite bank erupted. Moments later the scream from overhead signalled that it had been caused by air support, carefully timed for the final support for the operation. Precision guided fires from both artillery and aircraft converged on targets designated by the SBS. As they did, they finally squawked, using their suit radios to confirm target destruction. In the headquarters, a tactical plot for the assault crossing was updated with each report, showing cleared lanes for the assault, questionable, and dangerous.

Combat engineers were moving forward to the bank, the snorting and clanking of their massive 'funny' special purpose tanks buried under the sound of the ongoing barrage. The complexity required for the operation meant there were actually MPs _directing traffic_ behind the buildings to get the right equipment in the right places. It was almost incongruous to see women in white gloves and crimson helmets waving batons with perfectly crisp gestures.

The MP's redirected traffic on the fly to account for Nazi strongholds that hadn't been knocked out by the final precision air assault. The SBS girls did their best, but it was equally important for them to accurately observe where the air assault had _not_ worked. Final selection of the crossing lanes was done at the last second and then uploaded across the tactical datalinks, the MPs receiving the last set of directions for the tank columns.

Abruptly the barrage surged to an enormously intense tempo. The multiple rocket launchers were salvoing-all of them. The artillery was firing as fast as it could. The tanks began to roar and whine, and then to move. They would go across first, alone, as a breakthrough element. As the lead of the columns arrived on the far shore, the SBS would take positions to support and warn of infantry ambushes and once resistance requiring heavy armour to break had been met, close support would be rushed up as the bridging crews worked.

Unseen to the observer on the banks, more SBS teams were operating down the canal itself, clearing mines, traps and encumbrances. As they worked, special burrowing drones they had set were drilling into the concrete a few feet below the water, trailing line charges as they did. Once through the concrete and a set amount of soil, they kept going to protect themselves and dropped the line charge, leaving it embedded through the concrete.

It was time. The Micklick detonations provided the final signal. Massive high-end chemical explosive charges eleven times the power of TNT erupted inside of the concrete, blasting massive gouges across the banks of the canal and collapsing the bank. The charges had been specially placed and calibrated as planned demolitions: They created the ramps that the tanks would egress from the canal on.

The heavy tanks moved directly into the canal as charges buried into the bank on their side provided a similar effect at the very last moment. Plunging down ramps of mud and rubble into the canal, the tanks disappeared entirely. It took Robert's breath away for a moment, for he remembered the need for tanks to _breathe_ back home. But that was the 21st century and this was the Aururian Army. They were quite capable of operating fully submerged for bridging operations, and churned the water brown as they roared across.

In a final act of support, the phosphorous and smoke rounds crashed down to augment the fog and aerosol cloud in blinding and disorienting the Nazi defenders, a final salvo as the assault was already underway. Abruptly, the _silence_ in the wake of that barrage was almost as unnerving as the thunder before it, and to call it silence simultaneously true and a black joke, for the intensity of the direct fire with charged energy weapons that now commenced. The Aururians advanced according to a tightly coordinated plan where part of each tank formation provided fire support as the other part dashed across.

For a long moment, it seemed like there was an absence of response on the part of the Nazi defenders. Perhaps, contrary to the pessimistic and anonymous Major, they had in fact been blasted into total annihilation. Certainly the SBS professionals had marked and seen to the destruction of every direct fire strongpoint or position for anti-tank weapon teams that they could identify, and it showed. The initial phase of the assault was proceeding flawlessly, the tanks charging up the destroyed banks of the canal, engines again screaming in air as they shook off the muddy brown water and ground through ruined concrete and rebar.

The life force users could _feel_ the anxiousness of the ranks around them, huddled behind what-ever cover was to hand - the engineers would be next, to float their spans to provide for the follow-on waves. The heavily armoured engineering vehicles went underway next, while rockets sent lines across the canal.

On the far bank, the Nazi defenders were not in an utterly hopeless position. Small groups of survivors rallied. Taking local initiative, Unteroffiziers moved into position with radios. Where heavy weapons had been knocked out, they used comms. Working through the jamming with automatic frequency shifts, they began to call down high-angle missile fire from launchers centrally located in the city.

This fire was detected long before anyone along the bank could see it. Tanks waiting their turn to cross spun their turrets skyward, the dedicated anti-air and artillery SP pom-pom platforms swinging their barrels in accordance with direction from central control. The first counter they could see were the massive salvoes of anti-air missiles from the rear areas screaming over their heads. A rippling mass of explosions swept the sky, and the agonising roar of battle was back on around them.

These missiles followed power-trajectories which brought them plunging straight down toward the canal. They were guided, making final course corrections before slamming into the bottom. Tremendous masses of water erupted where they did, tanks and engineering vehicles that were crossing skewing to the sides to dodge their own lines of advance and then converge on the ramps on the far side. Few got through, most missed. A couple did not.

As the artificial smoke and smog cleared from around the river, the tremendous hammers of the explosions shattered one of the engineering vehicles. The instantaneous deaths of the crew could be clearly felt in the direct line of sight, amongst the exploding rubble blown upwards in a mix of muddy water were the fragments of what had once been living women. Talara stopped in her tracks again, transfixed, the moment of clarity bringing home the continuous killing all around.

Lucy put her hand on Talara's shoulder. "It's not easy," she said. "It should never be. And hopefully you'll never get used to it… not like I have."

"All of this death," Talara murmured. "It's wrong. This entire city, this place, it's…" She stopped, unable to find the words to continue. Through it all she sensed dark fascination and noticed Tra'dur watching the battle as well.

The Dilgar woman looked to her and swallowed convulsively. "Now I understand Battlemaster Fei'nur very well. She spent years like this, and then she raised us when her entire family was dead. Before now… I didn't understand. Not even the fights at the tidal barrage could tell me that."

Most of the engineers got across. Extending bridges across the canal using the guide wires started immediately. Secured to bridging equipment on each end, the lightweight composite structures unfolded while anchors were driven by explosive charges into both banks. They were still under intermittent fire, but the tanks were pushing ahead and light hover-vehicles were now racing forward to deposit large numbers of troops to finish clearing the bank.

Threats to the tanks had all but been eliminated, but crew-served weapons were still positioned and manned in several nests throughout the remaining buildings and ruins. Two of them converged fire onto one of the hover-transports as it crossed. A few others were engaged, but quickly fired counter-missiles at the attacking positions. This one was not so lucky; struck in one of the manoeuvring thrusters, it spun violently in circles until crashing into the canal.

Unlike the tanks and engineer vehicles caught under-water, most of the squad aboard was very much still alive. Robert could feel their fear and desperation in the Flow of Life, and he acted without thinking, lunging forward out of their partial cover, back from the bank, and charging toward it.

Lucy reached for her lightsaber. "Now's our time!" She dashed forward, and Talara and Meridina followed. After a shrug, Shepard followed them as well, dashing straight up to the bank.

Throwing himself down on his belly at the concrete retaining wall, Robert reached out with his strength. The energy that flowed through him joined in the life of a planet still very much full of it, for all of the darkness and evil that it had known. He slipped one of the heavily weighed down and drowning women into the air and then onto the bank, and then another.

Above his head, Lucy and Meridina's lightsabers hummed, quickly hard pressed by a few Nazi positions still held with small arms. As they covered them, Shepard rolled out of her own cover and delivered a biotic attack straight across the canal at the position.

Talara dropped to her belly at Robert's side and lent her strength into the effort, her full concentration burying her psyche into the exertion of her own powers, barely trained. Slowly another rose from the water.

Fire slapped around him, and Robert ignored it, bringing another person to shore. Suddenly, it was gone, and his concentration threatened to leave him as he felt the flash of a large group of men abruptly die. The searing heat of a flamethrower device on one of the engineer vehicles ripped across the Nazi positions that were taking them under fire, superheated uncontained plasma much safer than the gelled gasoline of old and even more effective at incinerating and catching light to everything in its path.

Robert won the battle against his own demons, forcing him to think calmly of the aspirations and desires of a woman who wanted to go on living. He slowly pulled her free and then quickly swung her in the air to safety. As he did, Talara did the same, and they exchanged a silent, quick smile, words lost in the roar of hell all around.

Robert was bringing another pair of half-drowned people to the shore when he sensed Zack approach, a Ralsan woman at his side. Nearby he heard mechanical whirring and turned. Another of the bridges was going up right next to them.

Zack's naval infantry and Aururian troops waited for it to finish. Much further down another bridge was already stretched across the canal, allowing Aururian tanks covered in infantry to cross. "It's time to go," Zack said. "The Nazis are pulling back toward the _Horst Wesselstrasse_. And your ride's here. Colonel Teroli," he introduced the woman.

"Where they'll make another fight of it," Robert answered with a sigh, and then reached out his hand for the Colonel.

She shook it, her tail flexing behind her. "Captain Dale. I believe you got a bit ahead of yourselves, but fortunately close enough to find you. We'll be pushing on ahead in the same direction long enough for you to hop a ride, if you don't mind being _tankniki_ for a bit. I certainly would, but I expect you can handle it better than most."

He looked out on the canal; with enemy fire non-existent in this section, the bridge had been rapidly completed at their side, and with their efforts completed at life-saving, he felt a wave of fatigue. "Sorry, Colonel…" He swayed in place, blinking in exhaustion.

Zack reached out and steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, Rob," he said, and then reached into a pouch on his belt and removed a ration bar. "Here, get some energy back. Follow us when you're ready. Colonel, say they can fall in with D Squadron at the rear and then my troops will come up right behind your Wirrawungas?"

"That'll do, Commander," she answered, and turned away, whistling a cheery tune. For the warrior Ralsan, the occasion was one of grandeur and pride.

Zack shook his head, and handed out similar bars to the others before heading off to join his unit and form them up for the crossing. Robert stood silently, watching Zack go.

Lucy was already tearing into the bar Zack handed her. "He'll be fine," she said to Robert, trying to assure him.

"I'm not sure any of us will be," Robert admitted. The thunder of distant explosions punctuated his words. "Let's push onward. I want to be there in case the unit needs us."

"Yes," agreed Meridina.

And together they approached the bridge. As promised, an Aururian tank stopped long enough for them to hitch a ride on the back, after which they joined their friends and allies in the push toward the heart of _Welthauptstadt Germania_.


	66. Episode 3-12-4 All In

A wave of Nazi _Z-2500_ destroyers, one of several dozen in the enemy fleet, began an attack run ordered by the SS commander on the cream of the Alliance fleet: the _Aurora_ , her _Enterprise_ -class cousins, and the _Unity_ herself. The attack ordered by Shai'jhur meant they converged at a high closing rate, the attack having been thrown together in response to Shai'jhur's own manoeuvre. The ships raced in at high acceleration, straining their engines to maintain the maneuvers to keep their ships alive long enough to finish their attacks.

The first target of the attack was a Dorei starcruiser which had already been damaged in the fighter action. They formed up smartly and delivered their torpedo salvoes into her flanks as they turned in toward the port of Shai'jhur's formation. Weakened shields were overwhelmed and the starcruiser erupted in sheets of flame from venting oxygen down her flank. As they moved beyond the burning Dorei starcruiser, the luck of their attack had already run out.

Amber energy lashed out in pulses that pummeled at one of the enemy ships. A solar torpedo went through its weakened shields and slammed into the engineering section, the "handle" of the Nazi destroyer's dagger shape, resulting in the vessel disappearing in a white fireball brought on by antimatter containment loss. The Attackers had arrived, nimbly shifting through the regular order of the formation to plug gaps and respond to contingencies.

Having finished off one of its prey, the _Starship Koenig_ directed its attentions to the rest. The attack ship directed its fury at another enemy destroyer. This one didn't die like the last, with their shields holding just enough to take the follow-up torpedo hit. The destroyer captain maneuvered sharply to evade the _Koenig's_ fire while trying to stay on his attack run.

Creighton Apley, the _Koenig_ 's XO and piloting officer, kept his nimble ship on target, allowing April Sherlily, the tactical officer, to savage the enemy ship with another phaser burst. The destroyer broke apart under the attack. There was no time to celebrate before emerald pulses slammed into _Koenig_ 's shields. "Shields down to seventy percent," Magda Navaez warned as the ship shook. "Two enemy attack ships to stern, _A-2000_ class."

In the command chair, Will Atreiad remembered the designation, a newer Nazi attack ship built to counter the Alliance's _Trigger_ -class, which were based on the _Koenig_. They were handier ships, in principle, with their wings and manoeuvring vanes, but they had a few weaknesses. "Evasive Pattern Delta," Will ordered.

"Aye sir."

Apley sent the _Koenig_ into a tight series of maneuvers. Under that evasive plan, the ship used her more compact mass to take advantage of shorter impulse times for initiating violent, jerky manoeuvres that the sweeping turns of the magnetic vanes on the A-2000s couldn't match even if they could turn inside of _Koenig._ The two enemy ships, dagger-shaped like the destroyers but a little smaller and far more agile, kept on the _Koenig_ , though most of their fire was evaded successfully in the violent snap-rolls and turns.

Just before Will could order an attempted shift to the offensive, weapons fire struck one of the attack ships. Disruptor torpedoes from the _Normandy_ blasted through the ship's shields and crushed the Nazi vessel's armor, inflicting internal damage. The Systems Alliance frigate twisted hard to avoid an incoming disruptor bolt.

"Attack Pattern Echo, execute!"

Apley maneuvered the ship once again, this time spinning the ship about her centre of mass to bring her forward guns to bear as the thrusters fired in a complex sequence to place her _en echelon_ to her pursuers, able to deliver fire to both in overlapping coverage on the same heading. Under fire from another angle, the pursuing attack ships failed to fully match his maneuver. The first ship targeted was already damaged. Amber phaser bursts slammed into its degraded shields until the side of the ship was exposed. A single torpedo followed and blew it to hell.

"Another one down," Sherlily crowed.

Nobody had time to respond to her boast, not with more enemy vessels in the fight.

A Reich _Sedan_ -class cruiser drew alongside the _Aurora_ and struck at her deflectors with repeated beams of emerald energy. As the cruiser's disruptors cycled, a second and newer cruiser, identified as the _Tannenburg_ -class, joined in with pulse cannon disruptors that battered away at the _Aurora_ 's shields.

As the bridge shook under her, Julia readied to give an order to return fire, but it proved unnecessary. The starboard plasma cannons and emitters lit up, their sapphire light burning into the red hue of the Reich ships' shields. Continued hits on the _Tannenburg_ finally blew through the ship's shields, creating plumes of flame and gas wherever the _Aurora_ 's weapons sliced into the ship. Violeta turned the _Aurora_ to port on Julia's command. Not only did this evade fire from one of the big dreadnoughts looming ahead, it presented the aft cannons toward the enemy cruiser. Angel was quick to acquire a target lock and fire. Thick pulses of blue energy slammed into the damaged ship, setting off further explosions that gutted the cruiser. More blue beams played over the _Tannenburg_ -class cruiser's shields, which flickered and weakened when solar torpedoes from the aft launchers slammed into them.

The thick pulses of plasma that finished the cruiser off didn't come from the _Aurora_ , however, but from the _Thunder Child,_ side batteries receiving maximum energy for a brief burst of fire which ripped the nacelles to shreds and tore through her victims armour in a hundred places. The heavy cruiser spun off, power dead and escape pods loosing from her sides.

The _Enterprise_ -class ship veered in across their field of vision with a moment's warning for Violeta through the taclinks, a quick coordinating message based on standard patterns. In this case, _Thunder Child_ bravely stood in, absorbing fire meant for the _Aurora_ and focusing on an enemy battlecruiser. Another of the same class, the _Olamte'se_ , joined the _Thunder Child_ in hitting the Nazi _Lützow_ -class warship hard. The converging fire of the two big cruisers overwhelmed her shields and wrecked the starboard flank batteries of the battlecruiser and she fell back into the protection of her compatriots.

Given the amount of attention the enemy fleet was applying to the _Aurora_ , it could be hard to forget she was hardly the focal point of the battle, nor the most capable of the ships. Over a hundred thousand kilometers away, on the other end of the formation, the _Challenger_ and the _ASV Enterprise_ were exchanging fire with a Reich dreadnought. A spread of white-lit quantum torpedoes announced the intervention of the _USS Enterprise_ into that fight. Under Picard's command the _Enterprise_ laid into the port side of the dreadnought, absorbing a couple of powerful disruptor hits to her shields as she did. The _Akira_ -class _Sitting Bull_ joined that fight with an even larger spread of quantum torpedoes that blew large chunks from the side of the dreadnought. The _Challenger_ 's plasma banks and cannons laid into the bow of the dreadnought. A return shot from the spinal mount disruptor barely missed the smaller cruiser.

One thing Julia was picking up from the fight was that Shai'jhur's tactic was, for the most part, working. The heavier enemy fleet's formation was breaking up from the allied fleet's charge into close-quarters combat. As the _Aurora_ shuddered again, with Jarod informing her that shields were down to fifty percent, Julia wondered if it would be enough in the end.

* * *

The wide boulevard known as the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ was one of the major arteries leading into the center of _Welthauptstadt Germania_. Flanked to either side by parks and smaller buildings - a commercial area for the capital - the road was well-maintained and the sight of a number of memorial statues. It was also vast, six lanes in each direction with electric trams on the outside and wide sidewalks, with pedestrian overpasses to access the immense linear park in the middle subtly integrated with the vast number of distributory flyovers that were anchored on buildings and decorated in the standard Reich architectural pattern, the Volkshalle rising above them in the near distance.

Much of the area was already a ruin. The molten, wrecked remains of a statue to Heinrich Himmler provided some cover for Robert, King, and Tra'diur. They were the closest to the road in question while the others were further behind and toward the eastern flank of the advance. The debris of urban warfare filled the streets, including the bodies of the slain. Burnt, wrecked frames of vehicles abounded. Shattered and violently rearranged roadblocks and gun positions marred the sidewalks and storefronts.

There was little time to take in the sheer devastation. Across the road Nazi panzers were still in hull-down defensive positions, covering the lateral road from Teltow they'd taken. A pair of burning Aururian vehicles nearby spoke of their effectiveness. Above them an emerald beam streaked, melting a little more from the statue. "I wonder if they'll get in trouble for destroying the statue?" Robert mused idly. The sheer intensity of the battle had deadened his nerves to the point that even the splash of some droplets of molten bronze on his coat didn't make him flinch or try to take further cover.

That won him something of a glare from King. "This is hardly the time to consider that, Captain."

She was right, of course, but it still stuck in Robert's head. He chuckled mirthlessly. "I guess it'd suck to survive all of this and then get executed for wrecking one of the Nazi statues." Sensing King's increased aggravation, he shook his head and forced the thought away. "Dale to Carrey," he said into his omnitool. "We're pinned down here. What's your status?"

There were distant sounds of battle over the comm line, indistinguishable from the sounds they heard directly. " _The going's hard. Shepard and her team cleared one of the buildings sniping the Aururian tanks and Lucy, Meridina, and Talara cleared another. But we've taken more casualties and the Nazis aren't giving any ground. How did the flank attack go_?"

"Poorly," Robert replied. "They had a detachment holding the intersection. Our vehicles are down and we've got a lot of dead and wounded."

" _I'll let General Kylarjha know. We'll get to you when we can, Carrey out._ "

Another heavy disruptor beam sizzled nearby. More importantly, Robert sensed approaching troops. He glanced toward their direction just enough to see figures in _feldgrau_ entering the street. If they kept coming that way, they'd certainly flank the three of them. "We're sitting ducks if we stay here," Robert said to the others." He glanced around and noticed that one of the Aururian vehicles was still mostly intact, if disabled. "There."

"Fifty meters, about," King noted. Resolve showed on her face. "It's our best shot."

"You two go, I'll cover you before I join you."

"Captain, are you sure…?"

Robert nodded at Tra'dur. "Go!"

The two jumped from cover as Robert's lightsaber ignited in his hand. When he stepped out of cover a moment later his blade intercepted a disruptor beam of the same color, sending it back to the shooter. The shooter collapsed with a cry of pain and surprise.

This drew more fire, of course, and Robert focused himself on stopping that fire. His arms seemed to move of their own accord, blocking shot after lethal shot sent his way. After several deflections he felt an opening to counter-attack. He reached out with his power and gripped a chunk of the Himmler statue, throwing it toward the oncoming enemy. Three of them were unable to get out of the way in time and were thus crushed under the ruin.

As they ran, Tra'dur and King both took turns diving to the ground and firing with rifles to provide further cover for the other. It was too far to cover in one go. As they withdrew, however, Robert attracted the true effort of the advancing Wehrmacht troops. Even an Unteroffizier knew where to find the schwerpunkt and concentrate against it; it was obvious that the lightsabre-wielding man was critical to the enemy advance in this sector.

Robert sensed danger a moment later and reacted with instinct. He pushed out with the force of his life energy, concentrating it into a hammer of invisible power that forced the turret gun of one of the tanks upward. A shot that would have landed on him instead struck the building behind them, blowing off pieces of debris and partially collapsing at floor.

This created a shower of debris that rained down upon Tra'dur and King, just as they neared the ruined tank. Most of the pieces missed…

...and then one landed on King's head. She collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Tra'dur reacted immediately, bending over to collect the unconscious woman, while Robert kept his attention firmly on the enemy tank. He gathered the warm energy inside of him and pressed it below the tank, feeling his control shudder as he did. The tank suddenly popped up into the air, rising by at least six meters before it twisted and fell on its own turret.

That didn't stop the infantry fire from coming his way. It was everything Robert could do to reflect it with his weapon. He managed to send one bolt into an enemy infantryman. This was hardly enough to stop the barrage of fire that was pinning him in place and keeping him from counter-attacking.

Relief came from the pulse fire that struck the Reich troops from their flank. A streak of blue energy proved to be Shepard, who slammed into one of the soldiers and sent him flying. Her shotgun barked and a solid slug ripped through the heart of a second soldier.

The fire against Robert ended. He lowered his blade and brought his left hand up, using it as a focus for the energy he summoned. Invisible force struck several Reich soldiers, throwing them to the ground. Most were mowed down by weapons fire before they could stand. Confident that the reinforcements had turned the tide sufficiently Robert turned away and ran over to where Tra'dur was examining King. "How bad is it?"

"She is alive," Tra'dur said. Her omnitool was showing the results of a medical scan. It wasn't as detailed a scan as a medical-model omnitool would provide, but it provided the necessary basic information. "There is some head trauma consistent with a concussion."

"Let's get her to the others," Robert said.

By the time they lifted King up, Zack and Meridina were approaching them. Both were starting to show the wear of the day's fighting on their suits and in their tired expressions. Meridina immediately noted King's state. "I can help her," she said. "Allow me."

As Tra'dur did so, Robert turned his attention to Zack. "I didn't think you'd get here so fast."

"We had a little help," said Zack, indicating the sight behind him. Along the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ troops were marching with vehicles rumbling beside them. Robert immediately noted that they were not all Aururian, in fact, instead of being tanks they were giant 10x10 IFVs with tank turrets. They were so completely piled with applique armour, slat armour, ERA blocks, extra plate welded on the front, you name it, as well as bedding and packs and what frankly had to be plunder from peoples' houses, they sagged overweight on their tires.

"The Dilgar caught up to us and cleared the other side of the road," Zack explained. "Look at 'em, they're fighting with total crap, too, but they don't seem to care and they've got a lot of it."

There _was_ a very high ratio of IFVs to soldiers in the Dilgar units. "Even so, good timing," Robert replied. "Your troops are following up?"

"They're securing some prisoners first, but they'll be joining us soon."

"Right." Robert took one more look at the Dilgar troops. Mostly very young and a mix of the smaller ones from Rohric-a few coughing blood right on the battlefield-and healthier Dilgar from Tira. He could sense their fear,their equipment was all forty-year old designs from the Dilgar war that had sat in depots in Rohrican caves for decades, they knew it was inadequate, but they had a lot of it so there were always replacements and always another IFV for a unit. But you couldn't replace a life and they were taking much higher casualties than most of the other units in the offensive. He could _feel_ the numbness in their minds, mixed with grim determination, a natural instinct to duty, which carried them on through countless dead comrades. They were almost entirely conscripts, and that fact made his soul ache.

Feeling sick _again_ , he glanced toward Meridina and King. He could feel Meridina's power reaching into King's head, soothing the bruises and healing tissue, concentrating on her and using that concentration to acknowledge, but not dwell on, the feelings of those around. She wasn't a fully trained healer, so King would still be feeling the blow, but it would help King recover quickly. "Let's rejoin them, then."

They continued on through the wreckage, as much of lives as of the city.

* * *

In orbit the fight between the fleets continued in all of its fury. Another round of shaking through the ship pressed Julia against her harness. The tactical display beside her showed the source of the attack; the remaining SS-crewed dreadnought, even now coming about to bring its spinal-mount super-disruptors to bear on the _Aurora_. Violeta kept the _Aurora_ maneuvering to prevent this.

The _Aurora_ 's own weapons continued to blaze away, filling space around them with sapphire beams of plasma and the more powerful bursts from the plasma pulse cannons set into the bow and stern of the ship. Much of this fire was directed at the dreadnought, causing red energy to sparkle into existence around the impact points. Again and again the _Aurora_ 's weapons lashed out at the enemy ship as its weapons lashed out at her.

Julia noticed the threat from the other side just as Angel did. From their starboard another of the Reich battlecruisers was locking on, its own spinal mount weapons coming to bear. "Evasive Pattern Echo," Julia ordered, mentally tracing the movement against the tactical map. The maneuver would, if successful, keep them clear of both capital ships' spinal mounts.

The _Aurora_ made a twist and something of a turn, shifting away from the oncoming battlecruiser. When its weapons fired they achieved only glancing shots.

"Shields still at thirty percent," Jarod said.

"Focus on that battlecruiser," Julia ordered.

Angel responded with as great a barrage of fire as she could manage from the ship's current angle. This attack intensified as they completed a turn and brought the bow guns to bear on the battlecruiser. Its shields flashed red under the sapphire onslaught, holding with increasing difficulty. Fire from other Alliance ships in the vicinity joined theirs in ripping into the shields of the ship. The battlecruiser's shields began failing.

The enemy dreadnought fired on them again, as if to aid its comrade. The heavy disruptor mounts tracking them struck the _Aurora_ 's shields, which crackled and weakened. At Engineering Lieutenant Mallory noticed the result of the hit immediately. "Primary Shield Generator 4 is down," he said. "All secondaries and tertiaries are engaged."

The latter report did little to assuage Julia's concern at the initial one. The primary generators were primary for a reason, and with one down the shields' regenerative cycle, and capacity for deflecting or absorbing incoming fire, would be diminished.

It was therefore no surprise that after several more hits Jarod's response was, "Shields now at twenty percent."

In the meantime the enemy battlecruiser was no longer a problem. Fire from the _Aurora_ and other ships reduced the ship to a flaming wreck. The dreadnought retaliated with another barrage on the _Aurora_. "Shields down to fifteen percent, stress damage on Secondaries 2, 5, and 6."

"Maintain evasive maneuvers!"

Violeta did so, to the best of her ability and that of the ship's. Of course, a kilometer-long starship couldn't shift course on the fly. The evasive maneuvers did not evade every hit, and in their situation even a single hit was now potentially dangerous.

This hit was delivered rather soon after the previous. "Shields are at ten percent, cohesion is failing," Jarod warned. "Hull breaches on decks 7, 9, 10, and 15, multiple sections."

"Armor self-repair systems are operational," Mallory assured them.

"Do something about that dreadnought, Tactical!"

"Trying now, Captain." Angel didn't look up from her console while replying to Julia. With her systems showing a firm target lock Angel triggered the weapons on the port side of the _Aurora_. Repeated beams of sapphire light continued to meet the red of a deflector shield over the dreadnought. The _Aurora_ twisted slightly, a maneuver to throw off another heavy shot from the dreadnought. Even then, its smaller mounts continued to lash the _Aurora_ 's faltering shields, some of the emerald beams persisting long enough to scour the azure hull. An SS cruiser delivered several more hits to starboard, exploiting the weakening of _Aurora's_ shields.

Said cruiser didn't get a second shot. Energy fire overwhelmed its weakened deflectors, with spinal-mount scale grav lasers ripping into the vessel until it was left a gutted ruin. The Dilgar battlecruiser _Wrath_ ignored her victim and focused her next barrage on the enemy dreadnought, striking from a new angle, firing the two Hyach spinal lasers again and again on continuous beam. She maintained the heavy assault until the enemy ship began to divert some of its shield energy to face the _Wrath_.

Angel was quick to take advantage, with help from Violeta. Violeta turned the _Aurora_ until her bow weapons could bear on the dreadnought. Angel quickly confirmed a target lock and opened fire with the bow mounts. Ten pulse plasma cannons erupted with sapphire fury, their bolts tearing through the dreadnought's shields and impacting on hull. Torpedoes followed up just as the plasma fire died down, allowing them to crash into the enemy ship without shields to stop them. Flame flowered from the dreadnought's hull, accompanied by gas and debris.

Wounded, the dreadnought retorted with her weapons yet again. The spinal-mount disruptor fired, missing the _Aurora_ and instead impaling an Alliance vessel beyond her. The other shots repeatedly stabbed at the _Aurora_ with emerald light, many of them hitting. The _Aurora_ 's shields likewise faltered, below the ten percent level that maintained cohesion, and the armored hull took most of the blow.

For all the damage caused by the hits, they didn't do anything to degrade the effectiveness of the _Aurora_ 's weapons. The bow cannons blasted chunks of hull and armor from the enemy ship. The port side of the dreadnought received another barrage from the _Wrath_ that destroyed some of the weapon emplacements on that quarter of the ship as her unshielded status meant that the _Wrath_ was able to use guided missiles with naqia-enriched thermonuclear warheads for pinpoint fire, wrecking entire sectors and directly targeting and blasting through even heavily armoured weapons mounts.

Burning and dying, the dreadnought began to maneuver away. Angel wasn't letting it go that easily and quickly put another spread of solar torpedoes into the SS ship. The blue-white sparks savaged the bow area as it continued its turn away. Blue beams lashed into the damaged area, followed by the pulses of the _Aurora_ 's main battery.

A sudden brilliant flash erupted from the forward end of the dreadnought. One of the shots from the _Aurora_ had struck the main capacitor for its powerful spinal mounts. Now that energy was violently released with an explosion that blew the bow off of the Reich warship. The _Wrath_ , seeing the weakness, immediately poured more fire into the dreadnought. The _Koenig_ and _Normandy_ led an attack run of fighters that sent a volley of torpedoes and energy fire into the wrecked bow while the _Aurora_ continued her own withering barrage.

Further explosions came from the interior of the dreadnought until a final, terrific series culminated in a flash of white light that engulfed the vessel, signifying the loss of its antimatter fuel. The SS dreadnought was now nothing but a field of molten debris.

The dreadnought's loss was not the start of the retreat, but it certainly contributed. Even before it blew, a number of the most damaged Reich ships made the emergency jump to warp. That number escalated in the minute after the dreadnought died until every intact ship of the Reich had successfully fled, leaving only their broken comrades.

"No new contacts on sensors," Cat confirmed. "They're running!"

"For now anyway," Locarno said. "I'm sure they'll be back."

"Maybe, but it gives us the chance to get some damage control done." Julia released the harness from her chair. She looked Cat's way. "And a location for that research facility would be nice."

"This fighting made it impossible to keep up the analysis, too much interference." Cat tapped several keys on her board. "But now that it's stopped I can resume the search." She looked over her screen. "The team's still not close enough for me to be certain, but I'm narrowing it down now."

"Relay any information to the planetside team. And then get some rest. Cots are in the conference lounge." Julia looked to Angel next. "The same to you. I want everyone taking rest periods when possible."

She received no complaints.

* * *

The daylight was long gone and night settled uneasily over the city. An orange hue covered the horizon on all sides. The continued sound of battle was a din in the background as the group assembled in a trade school's cafeteria. Nearby classrooms were being employed by their supporting naval troops as temporary barracks Outside the window Aururian and Dilgar troops and their vehicles continued to hold positions along the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ , with very heavy fighting still raging in the distance.

"Why aren't we pushing on?" Lucy asked. Despite some enthusiasm in her voice it was clear she welcomed the respite.

"It's been a hard day, Lucero," Shepard answered. "Taking the time for chow and a nap will make the fighting to come easier to survive."

"She's got a good point," Robert said.

"Well, if you think that…" Lucy reached into the pack she was carrying. It was a standard issue one, meant for emergency supplies - rations, water, first aid - but Lucy had clearly added another pair of items, on the bulky side. Robert recognized them as a pair of insulated tubs. She sat the tubs on a nearby table and opened them up. The appealing scent soon wafted into every set of nostrils in the room.

Tra'dur's nose visibly twitched and a hungry look came to her eyes. "Sausage stew."

"Fresh from Hargert… when we left anyway," Lucy explained. She nodded to Tra'dur and then Shepard. "One of each type to fit your dietary laws."

"Dietary laws?" asked Garrus.

"Some religions restrict the kinds of food you can have," Robert explained. "Lieutenant Tra'dur follows Hindu dietary law, so no beef. Nothing from the Earth cow, I mean."

"And the other has no pork." Lucy smiled and nodded at Shepard.

Seeing the looks from some of the others, Shepard shrugged. "I've never been a particularly observant Jew, but we don't eat pork. Or anything non-kosher."

Lucy went digging into her pack. "Now we just need some bowls. I thought I packed something…"

Zack jumped up from the seat he took and went to the side of the room. "We're in a school cafeteria, so… yep!" He pulled up a tray with utensils and plain white ceramic bowls and grabbed some spoons from another receptacle. "These should work."

Lucy gave Garrus and Tali an apologetic look. "I'm afraid Hargert didn't have any dextro-compatible food. I did replicate some…" She provided them insulated containers.

"Very thoughtful of you, Lieutenant," Garrus said, accepting one. Tali took the other.

"You've been carrying around that extra weight all day?" asked Kaidan.

Lucy nodded. She gave Meridina a knowing look before saying, "I'm used to dealing with weight."

Meridina returned the look with a small smile. Talara sighed, familiar with the exercises Lucy was referring to.

Robert chuckled, also aware of what she meant, but not saying so. Taking the bowl Zack had given him, he accepted his portion of the stew, selecting the beef sausage variant.

While the bowls were put to use to give out portions, Ashley looked at Tra'dur with some interest. "So your people converted to a Human religion? Why?"

"It's complicated," Tra'dur observed, "but my mother-Shai preached a dharmic interpretation of our Gods from the copy of the Gita that mother-Kaveri left with her, at the time of our greatest hopelessness after Omelos, when the suicide rate was brutally high. It isn't that we converted so much as human religion offered a new philosophy of explaining how we were utterly defeated and most of us died at Omelos, and how we might have a path forward from that."

"To repair your people's broken spirits, your mother embraced a spiritual solution," Meridina remarked.

"There were many more that might have been lost otherwise." Tra'dur gave Lucy a look full of gratitude as she spoke, freely mixing her speech with mouthfuls of the stew. Even inside a building some of the party had difficulty hearing her over the continuous roar of the shelling in the background.

The roar briefly gave way to a particularly loud blast from nearby. For a moment everyone was silent. Robert spoke first, saying, "That was pretty close."

"I'd say we should have found somewhere safer, but there's nowhere in the city that's 'safe' at the moment," Zack said. He looked toward Robert. "I remember your granddad saying a few things about what it was like for him."

"A few, yeah," Robert said. "Grandpa Allen didn't like to relive some of the things he went through, though, so most of his history I only found out after he passed away."

"Your grandfather fought in a war?" asked Ashley.

"Yeah. Our world's World War II, to be precise. He fought in the European Theater against the Nazis." Robert chuckled lightly at that. "So he and I have that in common now."

"That war must have been very different from this one," Tali observed. "I mean, your technology wasn't nearly as advanced."

"No, but it was still vicious." Robert dug a spoon into the stew. "No smart munitions, but they still had lots of artillery, armored vehicles, bomber aircraft. The war killed millions." He glanced toward the window and the distant carnage raging outside. "I was always a little disappointed in how some of his stories didn't have actual fighting in them. Now I suppose I can understand why. He didn't want to relive this part."

"Not many do," Shepard noted. "War is hell."

"I was just a child when my father went to assist with one of the Interdependency's wars with the Coserians," Meridina noted. "He never spoke much of what it was like. It was the one activity in the Order he did not share freely with me."

"Is there anyone who thinks war is something other than bad?" Zack asked rhetorically. "Besides Klingons, I think."

Nobody answered immediately. Slowly, a rumbling chuckle was gaining everyone's attention. Shepard looked to the source and asked, "Something to add, Wrex?"

The Krogan Battlemaster snorted with amusement. "I find it funny that all of you people talk so much about not liking war, but you're always ready to fight them. And people say we're the violent species."

Tra'dur glanced up. "To be honest, I'm not sure if Dilgar are more inclined to like war than humans, or that was just the propaganda of the Old Imperium days and we still live in its shadow."

"War is often driven by the darkness inside of living beings," Meridina noted. "Fear, anger, hatred. Whether driven by darkness itself or an imbalance in life, it can drive any people into war. And as war fuels such darkness, it spreads to others touched by it, creating a terrible cycle that fuels itself on the darkness war brings to all."

"That's certainly more poignant than 'War is an extension of politics by other means.'" Everyone turned to see King walk into the room. Despite her usual bearing, it was clear she was still a little uncertain on her feet, and her head was wrapped in a white bandage.

"How are you?" Robert asked her.

"The corpsman confirmed the concussion and provided means to reduce the swelling and coax the cells to heal," King replied. "He also made it clear I'm to avoid serious combat if I can. I consider it an act of great forbearance on my part that I did not point out the folly of that restriction in our current situation."

"I suppose you can't blame him for trying," Shepard said.

"It's your pick, Captain," said Lucy. "Sausage stew without pork or without beef?"

"I'll take either," she answered while taking a seat. Zack offered her a bowl. Shortly after he handed it to her the building rattled from another stray shell going off nearby. "I see we are still close to the fighting. Any updates?"

"The Dilgar and Aururians are going to keep pushing down the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ ," Robert replied. "To give us as close a jumping off point as they can give us. And some Alliance troops have broken through the Seelow Heights area and are entering the eastern part of the city. We might still hook up with them in the heart of the city, if they manage to keep up the momentum."

"Well, that is excellent news," King remarked. She took a bite of her food and was plainly impressed. "I had forgotten what an excellent cook Mister Hargert is. Thank you kindly for the reminder."

"You're welcome," Lucy said.

* * *

In the heart of the _Aurora_ 's drive hull, Main Engineering was a hub of continued activity. Scotty kept his place at the control table near the master systems display for the ship, noting all of the yellow and red showing damaged and offline systems.

Barnes approached him, looking tired and frustrated. "Just as I thought," he said. "Primary 4 is down. It's going to require a complete rebuild to get our shields back to full strength."

"Aye. That's what I was expectin' tae hear," answered the older man. "Anythin' else affectin' the shields?"

"Primary 2 is offline for repair, I've got a team that should have it finished in an hour. Section G on Decks 10 through 14 is still on backup power, the power conduit feeding the area needs replacement."

"Did ye make sure th' medbay has full power?"

Barnes nodded. "I did. Secondary lines are up and running. Even if all of Deck 12 loses power, the medbay will still have its lights on."

"Good lad." Scotty sighed and tapped at the table. "We cannae have th' doctors losin' our crew from no power."

"Yeah." Barnes looked over the display. "Anything more about those microfractures in the cooling system?"

"Nae problems so far. I've put a team on settin' up a bypass around th' fracture zone."

"Best we can do until we're in dock," Barnes agreed. He looked over his mentor and noticed the obvious. "It's been a long day, and Thama set up some cots in Section Storage. Why don't you get some rest?"

That got him an irritated glare. "Dinnae ye baby me, Tom." The rebuke was heated, especially since it was clear Scotty knew he needed the rest too.

"I'm not Ju-... the Captain," Barnes countered, correcting himself as he did. "But I figure the Ratzis are gonna be back, and it might be better if we're ready for the long haul, y'know?"

"Aye, I do, an' I'll get a wee bit o' shuteye soon, but I need to brief th' Captain on our progress."

"Why don't you let me do that?" Barnes asked.

For a moment a refusal formed in Scotty's voice, but he stopped himself. "Alright, lad, I'll leave it t' ye. Let me show ye a few things before I head off." 

* * *

A look at the sensor screen showed Cat she was starting to get close. The instruments Tra'dur had taken with her gave Cat's systems a better look at the specific particle emissions she was seeking. The zone of possibility was shrinking appropriately, becoming a smaller circle in the middle of the capital.

" _The results are promising, Cat'Delgado_ ," Tra'dur said in a near-whisper over a commline. Cat could barely hear her over background explosions. " _Once we fight into the city center we should be certain._ "

"And the closer you get, the smaller I can make the circle," Cat said. "I may have an exact coordinate for you by the time you're approaching the middle of the city." After a moment's consideration, she asked, "So, how is everyone?"

" _Quite tired. Many of them are asleep or nearly so. Even I may be dozing off soon._ "

"Yeah. I know the feeling." Cat checked the time and stifled a sudden yawn. She wanted to get to sleep soon, even if it would only be a cot in the lounge and not her bed. "It's really bad, isn't it? The fighting, I mean, and the people dying…"

" _It is. Today has been a lesson._ " There was brief silence on the other end. " _I used to wonder what made Fei'nur the way she is. To know she endured this for_ years _, I can hardly imagine staying sane._ "

"I can't at all," Cat admitted. She remembered Fei'nur, the big bodyguard cyborg for Shai'jhur, undoubtedly over on the _Magaratha_ at the moment. "You know, I thought it was funny to see the way she reacted to replicators, but knowing she had to survive for so long… it's not really funny now."

" _Between Balos and the decades on Rohric with the poor food, I am not surprised at all that she is enamored with replicators. Most of my people are. And for those who remember Omelos, who remember food not tainted by spores, real filling meat… Gods, it makes me ravenous just talking about it. And my family runs a meat canning factory to begin with._ "

Cat giggled quietly. "I'm sorry to make you ravenous," she said. "If I could, I'd send you something."

" _Lieutenant Lucero was kind enough to carry Mister Hargert's stew for all of us._ "

"That's Lucy for you. She always likes to make people feel better. It's part of her 'Life Force Knight' thing or whatever it's called." Cat's eyes examined the long range sensors next. There was no sign of any further ships coming in, although the sensors showed the main fleets still out by Neptune. The battle there was now more of a skirmish, but likely just to give the Nazis time to get reinforcements in. At any time the fleets would likely re-engage. "I should let you get some sleep."

" _I appreciate the conversation, but yes, I think…_ "

Over the line, Cat heard sudden shouting and the distant whine of disruptors. "Tra'dur?" she asked, confused for the moment. "What's going on?"

After several seconds of nothing, Tra'dur's reply came with haste. " _I must go, we're under attack!_ "

* * *

In seconds the sound of nearby disruptor fire roused everyone who had actually managed to fall asleep. Hands went to weapons and Robert and Lucy quickly unfolded their robes - they'd been using them as makeshift pillows - and pulled them on over the armor. Garrus' voice came through their short-range commlink. " _They're coming from the north. Vehicles, infantry, and mechs._ "

" _Panzergrenadiers_ , probably," Shepard remarked, putting her shotgun back on its small-of-back mount on her armor. She scooped up the assault rifle last. "How close?"

Everyone heard the shot from Garrus' rifle. " _Close enough_."

Zack's voice came through next. " _My unit's ready._ "

"Have them take up defensive positions." Robert ran toward the door with Lucy and Meridina trailing, the others behind them. The exit to the north was nearby. Between the energy he was calling upon and the adrenaline rush, any remnant sleepiness was fading. He triggered another comm. "This is Dale to Union command post, status?"

A Dilgar voice responded, " _An enemy counterattack has broken through our northern flank. They are closing in on your location._ "

"We spotted that. Anything else?"

" _We have sent troops to support your position. Hold until relieved._ "

"They won't, then." Robert looked to the others. "We'll stop them." He re-opened the channel to Zack. "Get your unit ready. We're going to give the Nazis a surprise." 

* * *

The approaching enemy were crossing the wide boulevard of the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ when the naval infantry's return fire reached it's peak. The entire unit was now engaged, using the windows and doorways of the school to fire from cover. Anders and his Marines focused their efforts on the enemy armored forces, power armor infantry and tanks, using the heavier munitions they were equipped with to deal damage to those foes. In turn their return fire struck at the structures of the school, blasting through walls and ruining entire rooms.

Not every shot like this hit as expected, however. One of the tank gunners was surprised to see his shot thrown back to explode in the street, as if it had been deflected.

Having performed that deflection, Robert drew in a breath and felt the life energy within him swell in readiness. When he called upon it again it was to reach out and grasp the offending tank. He caused it to fly upward into the air and twist, after which it landed on another tank, smashing the turrets of both. He repeated the process with another, although this time the tank landed in such a way as to not crush the other tank's turret, simply its main gun.

His senses warned him of the incoming attack. He jumped from the window and hit the ground below with a shockwave of dust, the result of his effort to cushion his landing. Above him several shots from the enemy tanks all struck, blasting much of the upper floor. "Is everyone clear?" he asked into his comm.

" _Affirmative_ ," Shepard answered. " _Although you gave Garrus a scare. Either way, we're ready_."

"Good," Robert replied. "Let's go. Zack?"

" _We're ready when you give the signal._ "

"Consider it given." Having said that, Robert ignited his lightsaber and ran ahead.

From the east side of the school came the rest of the team, weapons blazing, Lucy and Meridina in the lead deflecting incoming fire. 

* * *

At Robert's signal, the rest of Zack's unit sallied from the damaged school, following Anders' Marines. Their training in field operations, rushed as it had been, taught them enough that with the Marines in the lead, they provided the necessary numbers to the counter-attack to give it a chance.

In the years of the Facility, Zack had seen some terrible things. He'd seen what was left of Human beings starved in work camps and prisons, beaten, tormented, ruined, among other horrors. And there had been fights, true. He'd even once gotten his jaw broken in a tough fight to rescue kids being used as slave labor. Such things had always seemed truly hellish to him.

But that hadn't been this. This kind of fighting, with energy weapons and shellfire everywhere, freaking _tanks_ shooting at you along with heavy weapons on big armored infantry… it was an entirely different kind of Hell. Any moment he could be blown apart or hit by a shot that could overpower his personal forcefield and kill him. The same had been true to an extent while commanding the _Koenig_ , but combat between starships lacked the visceral (sometimes literally so) nature of the battle.

Zack hit the deck as fire swept nearby, narrowly avoiding a disruptor shot. While prone he lifted his pulse rifle and fired it toward the source of the beam. In the night he couldn't see if he hit anyone, but even if he hadn't hopefully his fire was forcing someone to hit the ground or otherwise hold their fire. After squeezing off several more shots while prone he got to his feet and, accompanied by Lieutenant Tachibana and several of the others, kept moving ahead. Their running carried them into the street and to a damaged, abandoned Nazi tank that they used for cover.

Whatever he was accomplishing with his pulse rifle and shouted commands to the other platoons over his commlink, Zack knew it was very little compared to some of the others. Over the other sounds of battle he could hear the booms and thundering from Shepard's biotic attacks and her shotgun. He also thought he heard the occasional high-pitched buzzing of the lightsabers in action. Robert, Lucy, and Meridina were doing more than their share of damage with their powers and their weapons. And Anders and the armored Marines in his unit were doing more damage with their heavier weapons by far.

The enemy noticed this too, and that meant the team heavies were drawing disproportionate attention from the Nazis. "All platoons, keep going," he said, readying himself to go back out. "We've got to keep them off-balance so they don't regroup!" Affirmations from the platoon commanders came over the commlink. He nodded to Tachibana, who smiled thinly and nodded back. "You didn't sign up for this either, did you?"

"Not particularly," she admitted, her voice accented with Oxford English despite her name. An amused glint in her brown eyes made Zack grin. "But I did sign up to stop the Nazis. It's why I'm here and not with my ship."

"Right. Well, here goes!" With that Zack emerged from cover, trying to stay low while spraying pulse fire where he could. He caught one infantry soldier trying to get a bead on him and Tachibana shot the soldier before he could fire. With the rest of the unit they were almost to the other side of the _Horst Wesselstrasse_ and the enemy seemed completely surprised by the attack.

Zack looked to one of the enemy tanks in the road rotating its cannon around to fire on the others. The same rotation turned the turret away from his position with Tachibana. "Cover me," he ordered. She nodded just as he turned away. Zack jumped from cover and pulled a demolition charge from his field uniform's belt. It took only seconds to get close enough to place the charge up on the turret ring, after which he turned and sprinted back toward cover.

Before he could get back, the charge detonated. Spalling from the torn metal tore into the crew space, ripping them apart in the second before the destruction hit the ammo storage. A massive shockwave slammed into Zack, throwing him into the air. He tumbled and landed hard, knocking the air out of his lungs. He sucked in several breaths trying to get over the shock of the hit, wondering briefly if he was more severely wounded.

He was just about certain he wasn't and started to get up when a boot kicked him in the side of the head. Even through his protective helmet Zack felt an impact that might have caused a concussion without said helmet. The world spun in terrible colors as he fell over on his side and looked up at his attacker, a frowning, angry-looking enemy soldier. Strands of blond hair showed around his enemy's face, with hate-filled blue eyes glaring at him, and a pair of SS thunderbolts prominently displayed on his collar beside rank insignia. Wordlessly the soldier brought his disruptor rifle up to shoot Zack, who was still recovering his equilibrium.

There was a powerful impact that splintered the SS trooper's helmet. Blood erupted from the other side of the helmet, joined with some gray matter, and the enemy trooper dropped with a hole in his head. Given the nature of the wound, and the fact there was no flash of pulse fire, Zack guessed at his savior and croaked into the comm line, "Thanks, Vakarian."

" _You're welcome_ ," Garrus replied.

Zack got back to his feet and had a moment to take in the battle now that it was on the north side of the boulevard. The counter-attack was working; the SS unit was disintegrating. To the west Dilgar infantry were riding up on mechanized vehicles, joining the counter-attack.

"Are you alright?"

Zack turned his head. Robert was approaching, his lightsaber now off and hanging from his waist again. In his blue armor and those brown robes he was a unique sight compared to the uniformed soldiers and naval troopers around them, including Zack's own field uniform. Sweat coated his forehead, much as it did Zack's own. "Are you alright?" Robert repeated.

"Got my bell rung. Twice." Zack rubbed at his head. "But nothing serious."

"Good." The sounds of battle were moving further away. "The Dilgar got their reinforcements to us. The SS battalion's in full retreat. I'm betting they didn't realize how ferocious your unit could be."

"Or that you were with us," Zack said. "I doubt they planned for three life force whatever users, and certainly not for Commander Shepard."

"Seeing her in action as I have, I don't think _anyone_ can plan for Shepard. Not unless it counts surrendering immediately upon encountering her." Robert chuckled. "So, think you can get back to sleep?"

Zack's reply to that was a harsh laugh. "No. Not happening now."

"Thought so." Robert gestured toward the road leading to the center of the city. "I guess we should press on, then."

"I guess," Zack agreed. "The sooner we get to the center of the city, the sooner this ends."

"Then get your people ready, and I'll alert the others," Robert said. He turned and looked down the road, as did Zack, toward the silhouettes of the city's massive structures in the far distance, barely illuminated by the brief flashes of artillery strikes. "It's time to make our push."


	67. Episode 3-12-5 All In

Angel slept soundly in the lounge with some of the others, finding the cot to not be too uncomfortable. It was a unique experience. Even during the weeks after the ambush at Krellan Nebula and the start of the war, they'd never resorted to an arrangement like this, keeping everyone at or near duty stations with no one cleared to return to their quarters.

When she woke up, it was to find the table covered with pitchers of coffee and tea and a number of pastries and finger foods. She grabbed a breakfast wrap that proved to have chicken and cheese with lettuce and wolfed it down with a cup of well-brewed _raktajino_. It was on the bitter side, but she didn't get why the others thought it was so terrible. And it certainly woke you up.

Looking around Angel noticed that she was one of the first of the main crew to be up. Jarod and Violeta and Locarno were all snoozing away and Mallory was half-awake. She frowned when she saw that the last empty cot, meant for Cat, was not only empty, but had clearly not been used. After retrieving her uniform jacket and fitting it on properly, Angel went out to the bridge. Lieutenant Takawira had the backup watch on duty: Crane at Tactical, Neyzi at Ops, Rawlins at the helm, and Tagas at Science…

Or rather, it should have been Ensign Tagas, but the Dorei man wasn't present at all. Cat was still at her post, a free hand on a cup of what Angel guessed was coffee, her eyes focused on a sensor screen showing this universe's Berlin and shifting color in the city center. She went up to the station and looked down. "Have you gotten any sleep at all?"

"I've been busy," said Cat. "They're getting close enough that I'm starting to get a fix on the research facility."

"I'm sure Tagas could have done this," Angel said. "You should let him relieve you. Or Al-Rashad."

"She's on a rest cycle," Cat said. "I had her running the search from Lab 2. And Tagas… I mean, he could've done this, but I…" Cat looked at her sister with weary eyes. Bags were already formed under them. "I felt it was something I had to do. To make sure."

"Silly nerd," Angel sighed. "You need your sleep, Cat."

"I'll get some as soon as I'm done. Besides…" Cat frowned. "It's not like Rob and Zack and Lucy and Meridina are getting to sleep."

"Yeah." Angel nodded. "They aren't. But that doesn't mean you have to stay up too."

"I have to find that facility. Then they can hit it and complete this mission and come home and the war can finally be over so we can get out of here." As Cat continued speaking her frustration was clearly growing. "But that can't happen because these Nazi _jerks_ are hiding it too well!" Cat ended her remark with a frustrated smack to her table.

"This is all the more reason you need some sleep," Angel insisted. "Now, call up Tagas and get to that cot. Sleep as much as you can before the Nazis send another fleet at us."

Cat sighed and nearly did so. Just as she did so, her screen showed new readings. A particle trace, one of many given the technology used in the fighting, but still…. "Wait," she said. "Look."

"At?"

"That neutrino signature. It's a little off but…" Cat tapped at her omnitool. "Delgado to Ground Team."

" _Yes, Cat?_ " The reply was from Robert.

"I think I've found them!" Cat informed him. "Tra'dur, are you there?"

" _I am_."

"I'm relaying a particle reading to you, it just came up. What do you think?"

There was silence initially. After several moments Tra'dur's voice came back. " _The wavelength is a little off, but it does look like a drive signature._ "

"I think we've found their research facility," Cat said.

" _I would concur. They must be testing a model, even now._ "

" _Good job, Cat_ ," said Robert. " _Now go get some sleep._ "

"What? Why are you…"

" _Because you've been up all night trying to find this place_ ," he replied. " _And there's no telling when another fleet's going to show up, so you need your rest._ "

"Oh." Knowing she couldn't argue, Cat sighed… and it promptly turned into a yawn. "Okay. And Rob…"

" _We'll be careful,_ " was the response. " _Good night, Cat_."

When the call ended, Angel was already alerting Tagas to return to the bridge. He arrived and nodded to Cat, who relinquished the science/sensor station to him. She went to the lounge where, after removing her uniform jacket, she slid her cot over to Violeta's and laid down in it. She fluffed the pillow laid her head on it and was asleep within seconds.

* * *

With the flank attack beaten off, the team worked their way down the _Horst Wesselstrasse_. Statues adorned both sides of the wide road, accompanied by an increasing number of state ministry offices among the other institutions like banks and stores. The industrial sector was clearly long behind them. Ahead, as sunlight crept over the horizon, they could see the massive structures of the city center, the most prominent being the massive _Volkshalle_ built near the Tiergarten along the Spree.

The disgust that the team felt toward the Nazi imagery was in some small apart ameliorated by the fact that much of it was on fire.

Even now the artillery was raining down on the area. Much of it was Coalition, although the Nazis had some remaining that they were using with abandon. Their World Capital was the work of centuries of Nazi architecture and labor, but they clearly showed no hesitation in wrecking it in the course of a day.

"The facilities are located in the Friedrich-Wilhelm University grounds," King was saying, observing the data Cat sent. "According to their files, this section is named the Werner Von Braun Academy of Advanced Physics."

"The university is east of Brandenburg Gate," Robert noted. "And that's not far from the _Führerhaus_ , where intel says the _Führerbunker_ is."

"You think Sauckel's in there?" Zack asked.

"I'd bet on it. Withdrawing their leader would be seen as an admission of defeat by the SS and the OKW." Robert smiled grimly. "So if we can manage it, I say we go pick up _Herr_ Sauckel after dealing with the Von Braun Academy."

"A workable plan," King said in agreement.

Ahead of them, the sound of weapons fire was growing. Aururian troops were to their right, moving to flank the Reich's defenders on the road and secure routes to Tempelhof and the southern entrance into the Reich's capital district. Dilgar troops would shift to the left but were going to be their primary backup heading in.

Robert reached for his lightsaber and unlatched it from his belt. "We've made it to the heart of their precious 'World Capital'." He flashed the others a wicked grin. "Let's go wreck it."

"Let's," agreed Lucy.

* * *

Leo awoke from a nap in his office and departed a minute later, a near-finished mug of coffee in his hand and his uniform and lab coat on. He ventured into the arrival ward, now bearing overflow from the Normal Care Ward. Some of the wounded were crew assigned to the _Aurora_ , but a few were from other starships. He noted a Tellarite in a damaged Starfleet uniform, likely from one of the Starfleet ships lost in the fleet battle, and a Dilgar male being tended to by an Alakin nurse. Doctor Hreept was inspecting these wounded. "Doctor, you are rested?" the Alakin physician asked.

"I am, about as well as could be expected," replied Leo. "Anything new?"

"Several more wounded that are overflow from the army surgical hospitals. Doctor Walker is treating them."

"Singh?"

"In the Critical Care Ward, still."

"I'll relieve her then," Leo said, moving on to do so. As he passed through, he felt relief that his friends on the surface weren't present. While they would likely be treated planetside if the worst happened… well, no they wouldn't, because the worst happening would preclude treatment…

 _Stop worrying, Leo. Focus. You've got patients_.

He arrived in the Critical Care Ward to find the worst of the cases on the ship. Most were from hull breaches suffered late in the fight. There were again some wounded from other ships and from planetside.

Worst of all, four of the occupants were entirely covered by sheets.

From the central station near the entrance of the ward, Doctor Singh looked up. Amita Singh was a woman of strong features, New Punjabi by birth with ancestors from that same region of the Earth in Universe L2M1. She appraised him with weary eyes. "We lost four more," she said quietly. "Their injuries were too severe."

"So I see." Leo swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"There was nothing that could be done. The surgeons did their best, as did we. I've already filed the reports." She stood. "Your office?"

"Or the lab," Leo said. "Some of the nurses are setting up there."

"I prefer the office, and thank you for allowing it." With visible relief Singh went for the door. Leo finished recording the change in watch doctor and settled into the seat. So far the critical cases were stable, or at least not in need of any immediate help. But that would change, and that was assuming no immediate cases arrived in the medbay.

"I just want this damned war over with," Leo grumbled aloud, after which he breathed a prayer for the friends and colleagues who were, even now, risking their lives to bring about his request. 

* * *

The center of Germania was a great maze of towering structures that housed the immense bureaucracy that worked in the various government ministries of the Reich. Shops could be found on the lower floors of the buildings; some structures were entirely given over to commercial or other enterprises. Law firms, trading corporations, everything one might find in an urban area. To supplement the roads at ground level, the Reich had added elevated roads that moved from building to building on bridges several stories in the air. Some buildings even had open floors to accommodate these roads, spanned on massive reinforced concrete arches.

These immense flyovers removed cross-traffic and distributed vehicles directly into the massive parking garages which held the commuters. The bridges themselves were a box truss, carrying transit lines inside of them, neatly concealed from view in favour of the Reich's ornate architecture. At the heart of the city the _Volkshalle_ now loomed above everything, the dome a truly immense presence, large enough to fit the Great Pyramid at Giza comfortably inside.

The ruins of one such bridge now blocked the way down the _Horst Wesselstrasse_. Positioned along the ruins were a full company of Lowe or "Lion" heavy tanks and perhaps the better part of an improvised abteilung, part of the strong force guarding the core government buildings. Getting through them would require a major battle which might last hours, and even as he conducted recon now, Robert had to move quickly to avoid the harassing fire that the Nazi forward positions directed towards even a single man.

Robert considered one of the high rises as a detour and immediately discounted the idea. He sensed the danger there. Too many places they could be held in place by enemy troops, too much risk of one side or the other bringing the building down upon their heads. Instead they turned down the _Kurfürstenstrasse_ and headed toward the Reich Ministries section of the _Volkstrasse_ , the parade avenue of the government district in Tiergarten.

Robert felt the sense of danger with the others. Talara voiced it by shouting "Look out!", even though she didn't recognize where the attack was coming from. Everyone back to the advancing squads of Marines and naval infantry started moving toward cover.

The attack was heralded by scream of shellfire, rather than the whine of disruptor they'd grown used to . Scanning with their omitools Robert and the others quickly identified the threat. Nazi panzers were on the elevated road two blocks to the north, at the very edge of the high-rise dominated area along the Landwehr Canal. Their gun turrets were depressed as low as they could be, allowing them to fire on anyone trying to go down the _Kurfürstenstrasse_. Another shot boomed, forcing everyone to pull back toward _Horst Wesselstrasse_. "We've got tanks on the elevated road," Zack reported into the tactical comm. "North of our location. Think we can get some support?"

" _Fire support is already tasked to other units_ ," replied a controller for the Coalition command.

"This is Captain Robert Dale. I'm a Paladin on an urgent mission and I need priority," Robert insisted.

" _Understood Captain. I just found some air units to assist._ "

Robert was giving his thanks when the attack began. Lucy intercepted a shot meant for him with a swing of her weapon. Meridina shielded Zack while Shepard and Kaidan cooperated on a biotic field that absorbed the other incoming attacks. The attackers were quickly identified as firing from the high rise to their south. Everyone scrambled for the only cover that was realistic; the shadow of the building. "Wait," Meridina urged as everyone went for the visible door into what looked like a fancy retail shop. She projected force into said door, throwing it open.

A massive plume of plasma and flame erupted from the door, accompanied by a shockwave that threw several Marines and infantry on their backs. Tali was knocked back into Wrex, who caught her. A massive concentration of fire from concealed positions inside of offices on upper levels of surrounding high-rises converged on them, disruptors scouring the ground. Zack's entire unit hit the deck, rapidly throwing back suppressive fire as their scouts tried to pinpoint the positions of the enemy strongpoints in the upper stories and direct man-portable missiles into them.

One thing was clear: If they remained in position out in the open on the _Kurfürstenstrasse,_ they were all going to die within minutes. Tra'dur growled through her teeth and pulled a Dilgar stick grenade off the bandolier she'd grabbed earlier. "Come on, it's the doorway or we're all dead, we've already triggered the trap, let's go!" Slinging the grenade underhanded in a perfect throw through the doorway, she rose to charge. The explosion was perfectly timed, but the enemy behind cover waited for it and then, and only then, took their positions. The shout of " _Stellungen!_ " saw all expression leave Tra'dur's face. A moment later disruptor beams sizzled through the doorway.

Talara on instinct lunged and knocked her clear of the converging disruptor beams. As she did, it seemed that the position exploded again from a micro-missile or rifle grenade launched from _somewhere,_ screaming through the entrance.

Tra'dur's plan might have been a feat of reckless courage, but the realisation and the plan were both sound, the mysterious explosion a perfect opportunity, and the rest of the team followed up by impulse. Meridina and Lucy charged in, their lightsabers flashing blue streaks in the air that deflected the emerald beams coming at them. Ashley and Wrex followed with their rifles blazing, Zack behind them leading a squad with an automatic shotgun.

Robert was so intent on covering the rest of Zack's troops trying to reach shelter alongside the base of the building that he almost missed the incoming air support. Craft streaked through the sky, too fast for him to notice. The release of weapons was perfectly silent,and for a moment it seemed like they had just flown overhead. Then the rippling explosions through the buildings told him they'd hit home, a cascade of steel, concrete and glass pounding to the pavement of the _Kurfürstenstrasse_ as the PGMs detonated directly in the Reich positions which had been marked by ground-based targeting from Zack's troops. " _Ground team, you're clear_ ," said a female voice that he thought he recognized.

A moment later he realized he did, in fact, recognize the voice. "Colonel Deering?" he asked.

" _Captain Dale, it's good to hear from you_ ," said Wilma Deering, a starfighter pilot and commander from Earth N2C5's United Earth Alliance " _We cleared those vehicles from the upper road. And collapsed it, I have to add. From what I see, your way is clear._ "

"Thank you, and my best to Buck and the others if you see them after all of this," Robert replied. When the call ended he turned to Anders and Zack. "What's our status?"

"Snipers on several floors." Anders frowned. "It's going to take forever to clear the building."

"I don't have forever. Let's keep going."

"And leave these Nazis in our rear?"

Robert shook his head. "They won't be for long. Let's go." As they worked with Shepard to get everyone out of the shop, now secured, he used his omnitool to identify the building as a sniper's nest to the Coalition command, ensuring the Dilgar or Aururian units following them would work to secure the building.

Careful to keep themselves shielded by the structure as long as possible, they ventured on toward the Reich Ministries, taking them into the heart of the city, their destination now mere kilometers away.

* * *

In the ready office off the bridge Julia checked over reports of the damage control efforts currently underway. While their shields would not be at full strength with the loss of one of the primary generators, at least the armor and hull were fully patched, the self-repair systems' work reinforced by careful damage control repairs. It was one of the _Aurora_ 's great advantages, one shared with the _Unity_ and the other Darglan-tech ships, that the self-repair systems let them fix with ease damage that usually required delicate EVA work or a full yard. Some of the other vessels in the fleet wouldn't be so lucky.

With reports on her ship done, Julia took the time to check the status of the fighting on the ground. The battle was going well, although with great cost. She noted with relief that none of her friends were listed as casualties, although a quick check confirmed that several of Zack's company were dead or badly wounded, as were a few of Anders' Marines.

She was considering requesting more information on their situation when the call came from the bridge. Locarno's voice was tense. " _Code Red, all hands to battlestations. Enemy fleet inbound. Captain Andreys, please report to the bridge._ "

She jumped from her chair about as forcefully as she ever had and rushed to the bridge. Locarno swapped from the command chair to the first officer chair. He was somewhat rested, at least, although there was still a hint of visible discomfort at being in one of the central chairs. "Status on enemy fleet?"

"It might be the same one from before, but with reinforcements," Locarno indicated. "Maybe some ships pulled from their main fleet."

"What's the status of that battle?"

Locarno checked the report quickly. "Maran's fleet is fully engaged. It looks like the Reich fleet's throwing everything they can find at him. They must have a thousand ships more than he does now."

That wasn't good news, but Julia had faith that Maran could deal with the numerical disparity well enough to win.

There was no need, nor time, to give further orders. The enemy fleet dropped from warp in near-orbital space. Barely a second passed before disruptor and torpedo fire erupted from the enemy. The Coalition fleet immediately returned fire, creating a riot of lethal colors in the space over Germania. The _Aurora_ lent its contribution to this display, her pulse plasma cannons raking a Reich cruiser with sapphire fury. The blue-white fields of solar torpedoes buried themselves into the hull of the enemy ship, eradicating the _Hakenkreuz_ insignia on its side.

Multiple disruptor blasts played over the _Aurora_ 's weakened shields. A shield-disrupting torpedo from a Nazi destroyer nearly struck as well, only to be destroyed at the last minute by a timely shot from the _Aurora_ 's particle interceptor batteries.

"Shields already down to seventy percent," Jarod warned. "The starboard shields are degrading."

"It's the loss of Primary 4 Captain," Ensign Mallory added. "Shield capacity and regeneration rate are down and coverage on the starboard is compromised."

"And they know it too," Locarno warned

Julia saw immediately what he meant. Two enemy cruisers were already maneuvering to the starboard side, focusing their fire upon it, and a battlecruiser was joining them. Maneuvering to present their port side would disrupt the Alliance formation and put the enemy out of their primary arc.

The weapons kept firing at the approaching enemy, degrading their shields steadily. Another enemy barrage caused a similar loss on their side. "I'm wearing them down as best as I can," said Angel. "But I don't think… wait."

What Angel noticed was soon evident to everyone. Amber beams sliced into one of the Nazi _Tannenburg_ -class cruisers until its shields began to falter. A pair of white sparks - quantum torpedoes - slammed into the ship, blasting gaping wounds into the Nazi cruiser's bow and port side. Within moments the fire that was steadily degrading the weakened starboard shields ceased making so many impacts as their fury was instead spent on the shields of the _Enterprise-E_ , now off their starboard side.

"The _Enterprise_ is covering us to starboard. Other Federation ships are moving up to meet the enemy," Jarod said.

"Ross is reinforcing our section of the fleet," Locarno said.

Julia nodded. "Let's return the favor and keep the enemy off their port. Maintain fire, cruisers are priority targets. _Koenig_ and the fighters will take care of enemy destroyers."

"Transmitting orders now."

The ship shuddered under another hit, slightly straining Julia against her seat harness. She kept her focus on the tactical display as the battle continued around them.

* * *

The sleek _Sovereign_ -class _USS Enterprise_ entered her first fight as if she were spoiling for one. Phaser beams lashed out repeatedly at the _Tannenburg_ -class Nazi cruiser to starboard. Red-hued shields kept crackling into view as the amber beams struck.

The _Enterprise_ - _E_ 's bridge was rather different from the prior _Enterprise_. Gone was the wood-paneled horseshoe with the tactical station at the center, behind and above the Captain's Chair. Now tactical was on the starboard rear corner of the bridge. The helm and operations were likewise placed in close proximity to each other. At Operations was Data, as always, while the helm was manned by Lieutenant Hawk, a male Human officer. Lieutenant Padraig Daniels stood at Tactical.

"Enemy vessel's shields are degrading," Daniels reported. Return fire caused the deck to shudder beneath them.

Data added, "Our shields are down to eighty-nine percent. No further damage."

"Attack Pattern Beta, Mister Hawk, Mister Daniels," Picard ordered. At his right side Commander Riker kept his eye on his own station, allowing him to coordinate the ship's crew for the battle. "Remember to keep us to the _Aurora_ 's starboard."

Under the control of the two officers, the _Enterprise_ maneuvered to bring her torpedoes to bear. Daniels fired a spread of the projectiles and Hawk promptly brought the _Enterprise_ back over, ensuring that another disruptor bolt meant for the Alliance vessel's shields instead struck _Enterprise_ 's.

The quantum torpedoes fired from _Enterprise_ followed her phaser strikes in, slamming against the cruiser's shields until they caused a localized shield disruption. Phaser beams played over the Nazi vessel's hull, splitting it open.

To make the cruiser's problems worse, other Starfleet vessels joined the attack. A _Miranda_ -class ship pelted the wound with photon torpedoes. The shields regained cohesion in time to stop the follow-up phaser strikes, but the injury to the _Tannenburg_ -class cruiser was already done.

This freed the _Enterprise_ to face the _Lützow_ -class battlecruiser just as its spinal-mount disruptors lashed out at them. This time the hit caused a severe rocking throughout the ship. "Direct hit," warned Data. "Shields are down to sixty percent."

"Return fire."

At Picard's order the _Enterprise_ - _E_ directed her firepower on the battlecruiser. Its shields proved to made of tougher stuff than those of the enemy cruiser, absorbing the phaser fire and torpedoes without effect.

Ten streams of thick sapphire bolts crashed into the enemy battlecruiser a moment later, followed by a flurry of beams of the same color. The _Aurora_ was directing her own considerable firepower on the enemy ship. Daniels followed up with more shots of his own, this time causing clear loss to the enemy's beleaguered shields.

This didn't stop the enemy battlecruiser from firing again. Hawk maneuvered enough to evade the thick disruptor beams from the spine. One instead smashed into a _Galaxy_ -class starship to their stern. Said vessel, the _Venture_ , retorted with a barrage of rapid phaser strikes and a full spread of photon torpedoes. The _Excelsior_ -class _Lakota_ joined in the attack, firing quantum torpedoes into the growing wound in the battlecruiser's shields causing immense devastation across the Reich warship's hull.

The enemy ship attempted to break off, to find cover with allies, but the SS commander had provoked too many foes with his bold lunge at the _Aurora_. The _Enterprise_ and the Starfleet vessels around her were relentless in their attacks on the battlecruiser, pounding it with phaser and torpedo fire until it finally blew apart.

Given how the SS viewed the Federation and its reputation, the attack was a fair reminder to them that for all Starfleet talked of peace and mutual understanding, it still had _teeth_ and it knew how to use them.

There was no chance to reflect on this, however; there were more foes coming up, and the _Enterprise_ was soon hotly engaged with them.

* * *

The team spent an hour fighting their way through the Ministries, a battle they'd still be tied up in if Dilgar troops blasting through the barricades at the southern terminus of the " _Volkstrasse_ " hadn't linked up with them. Now they were in striking distance of the massive _Volkshalle_ , a gigantic domed structure at the heart of the Reich capital. Even a kilometer away the building was imposing in its size and grandeur, and atop it was an emblem of the Reich, with an utterly massive winged eagle perched over a wreath around the swastika. It might in fact be the largest classical Dome in the multiverse-only geodesic hab domes were larger.

"I say we blow it up," Lucy said, looking toward the structure. "What do you think?"

"I think it can wait until we finish our mission," Robert answered, grinning.

"Business before pleasure. Right."

A green uniformed Dilgar approached them and gave a salute. "Battle Expert Ter'shar," he introduced himself. "My unit's been detached to assist yours." Beyond him more Dilgar infantry approached, male and female in worn combat uniform and gear mounted on more of the inevitable old but serviceable kit, IFVs and APCs that had gone through some ridiculous up-armouring kits.

"We need to get to the research facility on the University grounds nearby," Robert said, speaking to both Ter'shar and the others.

"There are enemy forces holding positions in an arc through the university gardens and residential blocs. They are in a fight with one of your units that approached from the east, but they have the reserves to block our advance," Ter'shar warned.

"They may not know where we're planning on attacking," King said. She looked to Robert. "Why don't you take Shepard's team, Commander Meridina, and Lieutenant Lucero with you? Feint toward the _Führerbunker_ and draw them in. Our forces will round north toward the Brandenburg Gate and then swing to the east as soon as you have their attention."

"Sounds like a plan," Robert said. He glanced toward the others.

"I'm all for it," replied Shepard.

Meridina and Lucy nodded their approval as well. Lucy looked to Talara and said, "Keep Captain King and Lieutenant Tra'dur safe, Talara."

"Yes ma'am," the Falaen replied. The orders gave her renewed confidence. She'd already done that with Tra'dur. She drew on the feelings of hope from those around her and concentrated on the task ahead.

Zack gave Robert a worried look. Robert returned it with a nod and a small smile. "We'll be okay, Zack. And we'll link up with you when we can. Take that research facility. It's the reason we're here."

"We will, and you'd better damn well keep yourself alive while we do it," Zack answered.

"The same to you."

With this final goodbye, Robert and the others broke away from Zack's unit. They cut over to the east by a block to approach the bunker from the south. Outside of the parade lane of the _Volkstrasse_ , the high rises were again surrounding them. But many of these were burning, broken wrecks and some were completely collapsed. Robert, Meridina, and Lucy sensed the dead and dying in the rubble. And some were not soldiers. Each sensed the others' sadness at this realization - at the very real fact that civilian life was being lost - and together they provided some measure of comfort to one another on this.

One thing all of the rubble and broken shells of vehicles allowed for was plenty of cover, which proved vital as sniper fire occasionally converged on them. The three intercepted the snipers' fire, deflecting their shots, and mentally noting their positions to the others. Garrus and Ashley provided counter-sniper fire with their rifles. These attacks slowed their advance at points, but they did not stop it.

A squad of _Panzergrenadiers_ challenged them to the south of the " _Führerplatz_ ", where Sauckel's palatial residence and its adjoining square bordered Brandenburger Tor and the Kroll Opera House. By this point it was clear that the cohesion of the defence was breaking down. Nazi reserve units were moving in disorder and encountering the enemy randomly as command and control was degraded by the continuous artillery and aerial assault which still filled the sky with an unending screaming and roaring and shook their bones as it had, unrelentingly, for more than forty hours straight.

Robert responded to their presence with a wave of force that sent one flying backward and forced the others to brace themselves. Meridina and Lucy rushed ahead. Their lightsabers scythed through the air in blue flashes, cutting through the suits' armor. As they went to work dismembering and disabling two of the suits Shepard shot forward and slammed into the third that was still standing. Her shotgun thundered, a point-blank shot that penetrated the machine's armor partially. The pilot inside stepped back and tried to aim one of his arm weapons at her, but Shepard was already in motion. Biotic power erupted under the armor and knocked its legs out from under the pilot. Shepard stepped up to the chest and discharged her weapon again, this time at the faceplate. The slug smashed through the armor and killed the pilot within.

With another sniper firing at them, Robert was busy deflecting that foe's shots and directing Ashley and Garrus toward him, leaving Wrex, Tali, and Kaidan to deal with the suit he'd toppled. The _Panzergrenadier_ got back to his feet just to be thrown off them again by Wrex, who slammed into the armor at a full charge. While Wrex's shotgun boomed, wrecking one of the legs, Kaidan's biotics flared to life and tore the left arm off as it trained to aim at Wrex. Tali came up to the right side and used her omnitool to fire a cryoburst in the right arm, flash-freezing it in place. With his foe helpless, Wrex finished him off with three more shotgun blasts that overwhelmed his armor.

This proved the most intense of their battles on their way toward the grounds of the _Führerhaus_ , itself part of a complex of buildings housing military command offices. Around them, the sun was starting to fall, helped by the choking clouds of smoke from the endless fires in the city. The light turned a sickening red-orange through the boiling, roiling clouds and cast unnatural shadows across the ground. Ahead of them, the architecture had a grandiose, Gothic feel to it; like much of the city it was built to transcend prior forms of similar structures. The effect was especially unnerving in the fading, smoke-choked light.

The group expected heavy resistance. More _Panzergrenadiers_ , actual tanks, infantry in prepared defensive positions. What they found seemed more like stragglers, as if a more vital place was being defended. Individual squads of infantry who quickly fell to the powers and skills of the team. Approaching the building, Robert could sense something cold and dark ahead. He noticed Meridina and Lucy did as well, but none of them reacted.

"Might I suggest we split into teams to take different entrances?" Meridina asked. "I do not sense numerous foes in the structure."

"We can go through the front," Robert said. "Shepard, can you have your team sweep the north entrance? Depending on what we find, we'll break off and rejoin the others."

Shepard gave him a searching look. When he didn't blink she finally nodded. "Alright. Good luck, and keep in touch. Let's go everyone!" She led her team away to the side of the building.

Robert exchanged looks, and feelings, with Lucy and Meridina. They agreed that this might be safer for Shepard and her team. _While I do not doubt Commander Shepard's combat abilities, nor her talent against those with_ swevyra _, the rest of her team may not fare as well._

 _I was thinking more that Shepard can hit them from behind if we need her help,_ Robert responded mentally. "Let's go," he said aloud. "We need to find out what this darkness we're feeling is."

"Yeah." Lucy reached a hand up and pulled the ornate front doors off with a gesture. They entered.

The opening hall was much like any foyer to any office building, complete with directories and a desk for building security or information. That it was adorned with Nazi imagery was substantially less appealing.

Ahead of them there was movement. Six figures in what looked like specialized SS field uniforms were assembled by a lift. A look of angry familiarity crossed Lucy's face as the SS-garbed men turned to face the team.

At the rear stood one particular man, genetically-engineered to have the blond hair and blue eyes of the Nazi ideal, who gave them a contemptuous look.

"Fassbinder!" Robert called out.

A small, contempt-filled smile crossed the Nazi's face, after which he stepped into the open lift. "Deal with them," he ordered.

" _Jawohl_ , _mein Oberführer_ ," one of the other men said. Like Fassbinder, like them all, he had blue eyes and blond hair, although his hair was a shade closer to gold than the others.

The door to the lift closed.

As the remaining five SS turned toward the trio Robert connected to Shepard with his omnitool. "We've got hostiles on this end, we'll hold them."

" _Roger. Let us know if you need backup._ "

"Right." Robert lowered his omnitool. His right hand was already reaching for his weapon. Lucy and Meridina re-ignited their lightsabers a second before he did.

In a smooth coordinated motion, the five SS pulled objects from their belt. Robert didn't recognize the style, but he had a sudden horrible realization of what they were using, a realization that proved true when five blades of crimson light flashed to life with a harsh electronic snap and prolonged hiss.

The five charged toward the trio. Lucy and Meridina moved ahead to meet them. Robert, not the duelist either of them were, stood his ground to receive his initial attacker, or more accurately, to project force that stopped the SS in his tracks. Two hate-filled blue eyes started to turn yellow as the SS man met his power with the same, but colder, darker.

Lucy found herself dealing with two opponents. She kept her movements defensive, letting her blue blade intercept repeated strikes from the red blades of her opponents. Training with Julia and her own personal training came through for her here, as Lucy kept her movements short and quick, causing her trained but untried foes to waste energy trying to strike her. She weaved, ducked, and spun, her lightsaber flashing in the air to repeatedly meet her foes' attacks, even as they tried to flank her.

Meridina tried to engage two herself, and successfully locked blades with one. But the other continued on, coming to the aid of his comrade trying to attack Robert. She twirled, evaded a blow from her foe, and sent a bolt of force into the SS trooper's back that sent him flying before he could hit Robert from the side.

Robert, sensing the threat he might still face, chose to give ground as needed. He stepped back, letting his opponent move forward, and felt out for the other intended attacker. He felt the SS man stand, his heart full of fury, and felt dark power surge from that raw anger, that raw _rage_. He forced his focus to split long enough to generate a strong field of force that grabbed and threw his second opponent toward his first. He hadn't intended the result, but seeing them collide and fall in a tangle of limbs gave him a moment of amusement. Just a moment, however, as one of them quickly sat up and opened his hands toward Robert. As his eyes' gold color intensified Robert felt darkness well within the man. He was surprised when purplish electricity surged from the gloved hands of his foe. He barely got his lightsaber in the way in time. The lightning crackled angrily at the green energy of his blade, as if trying to arc around it.

Meridina's opponent was proving a skilled duelist, and Meridina sensed the scars on his face were part of that background. His style was unlike any Meridina had seen, with a _lakesh_ or a lightsaber, consisting of quick one-handed movements while the free hand kept balance or acted as a focus for attacks with his darkness-tainted life force energy. She responded to the style with careful, defensive maneuvers, waiting to find her opening.

Robert's second foe stood. Like the other, dark power welled up within him and lightning crackled from his fingertips. Robert shifted his weapon until he was catching both attacks with it. He grunted with effort, supplementing the lightsaber's deflective properties with his own power, allowing him to weather the attack of his two foes.

With growing frustration and rage they escalated the power surging at him. Robert matched it with determination, continuing what was, for the moment, a stalemate.

* * *

Acting in concert Zack's infantry, the Marines, and the Dilgar under Ter'shar followed the _Volkstrasse_ north toward the Brandenburg Gate. They broke to the east before reaching the parks of the Tiergarten. The enemy response to their advance was sporadic given the multiple Coalition thrusts toward the heart of the city and the strained resources of the divisions responsible for defending the capital.

The Dilgar troops had attacked with headlong aggression again and again, trying to get into the operational decision loop of the enemy. To a certain extent it had worked, because each time they had broken through. The casualties of Ter'shar's battalion had been enormous, though. Combat car after combat car had gone up, their armour inadequate against the firepower of the Nazi defenders.

The result had been dead Dilgar, burned, minced, blasted to pieces, or dying in unusual composure from shockwaves. There were at least a hundred burned corpses in view of his position at the moment, and seventeen burned out Dilgar vehicles. Survivors threw up on the street as their NCOs screamed at them or, especially in the heat of the moment for silver furred old veterans of the Imperium's military, beat or kicked them until they re-assumed their positions.

Zack found himself hunkered down with a young Dilgar corporal, or something like that anyway, who was attaching the guidance package to a new disposable anti-tank missile tube and checking the bullet count on her magazines. She was shaking, but looked intently at her weapons, focused on her job and forcing fingers through the motions.

She looked too damned young. "How old are you?" He asked, feeling as sick as he'd ever felt.

She looked up through wide, blue, catlike eyes and blinked hard. "Fifteen, human officer, Sir," she answered in broken English, rising as she finished her checks.

"My God, why the hell are you here?"

"Because _Dilgar_ are not _beggars._ We will show we _equal_. Sir." She snapped the lock off her rifle, took one last look, and dashed to join another unit forming up.

"Jesus Christ." The night was stealing his sight as he leaned back against the cold concrete, and he reached for his night-vision goggles. Zack could see pretty clearly the _moral_ dimension. The Union espoused the values of democracy but Shai'jhur couldn't change things in a day, or a generation. Their Army still ran on brutality and conscription. She needed the experienced people used to that. And she craved respect for her people. Redemption.

And they'd been too desperate for help in the war _they'd_ started to say no. So they got fifteen year old conscripts. Zack remembered seeing them, was it minutes, was it hours, ago- _probably_ shooting Nazi troops who had surrendered. Looking at the piles of charred corpses and burned out vehicles and that girl seared in his mind, he decided he hadn't actually seen that and there was no need to bring it up.

One of his NCOs, Tucker Johansen, came trotting up with a report. Zack turned to greet him and shake the memory from his head when an abrupt explosion in the middle of the street sent a shockwave and shrapnel across their position. He watched as Tucker was literally shredded before his eyes, ripped by the shockwave and destroyed by shrapnel in so much of a heartbeat from the blast. A heartbeat later it sent him flying through a window into a shop. A meter to the right and he'd have been flung into the granite facing of the building instead.

The building like as not saved his life as the rest of the multiple rocket salvo slammed into the street in front of him in a continuous rippling detonation of impacts. The flashes were damped by filters in the night-vision goggles he was wearing, and as the roar of the impacts passed, he pulled himself to his feet and dashed back out into the street. The explosions had shredded the dead and the living alike, and this time his own soldiers were among the wounded. Forcing himself to overcome the impulse to stand and stagger insensately from the shock, he screamed at the top of his lungs. "CORPSMEN, CORPSMEN, GET CORPSMEN FORWARD NOW!"

As they came forward, Zack could heard heavy fighting, direct-fire disruptors and cannon, on the right. The latest Dilgar push was at hammer and tongs with the enemy and the rockets must have been fire support from a surviving Nazi battery which had overshot its intended target, landing on his unit instead of the Dilgar. Or since they were all part of the same attack it didn't matter and they'd simply targeted what they could. As the corpsmen came forward, Zack dashed for the wounded himself to help with first aid. At the moment it was all he could do.

Zack was busy checking up on one of his wounded, a young Irishman nearly disintegrated by the plasma warhead on one of the rockets, when the last two Dilgar combat cars still intact finished flanking the main enemy position on the lateral road just south of Brandenburger Tor. " _Commander, we've got an open route_ ," said Anders over the taclink. " _My Marines have scouted the approach, no more opponents. It looks like they're pulling back to the University grounds. Bring your men forward._ "

"We're on our way," Zack said.

" _Can you meet with me to plan out our attack as your unit moves up?_ "

"Yes, what's the position of concentration? _"_

" _Designated Alpha Sierra X-ray on the taclink."_

 _"Understood._ " Zack switched to general tactical orders. "All troops, this is Commander Carrey. Converge on tactical point Alpha Sierra X-ray! _"_

With stretcher-bearers starting to take the wounded back to the nearest battalion aid station he felt confident with moving forward. After shaking the injured man's hand one last time Zack jumped on a passing Dilgar vehicle-the markings suggested it was reinforcements from a second battalion now coming up the road-and joined the infantry sitting on it in a ride toward the front. Around them the detritus of the city's smashed towers and structures filled the streets, as did the bodies of the dead. Zack was familiar with the later, he'd seen more in the last few hours than he could stand, he was more familiar than he'd ever imagined he'd be before the Facility was discovered, but the sheer wreckage of the city was something new. It reminded him more of alien invasion movies he'd seen back in the pre-Facility days of his life, but they didn't do justice to the sheer destructiveness of the battle. Oh yeah, there were pictures of this very city being wrecked by the Soviets in 1945, but they were after the fact, still images in black and white. This was seared in living color into his brain, right as it happened. A ringside seat to the devil's show.

One of the Dilgar soldiers, a female, gave him a curious look. One of her companions growled something too lowly for his Universal Translator to bother translate, winning a hot look from the female. "Is something the matter?" he asked.

"Nothing of importance, Commander." The Dilgar spoke with something of an Anglo-Indian accent, although the sounds were off from normal given the Dilgar language's influence on her pronunciation. "Just a stupid young soldier making a crass remark." She reached into her pack and offered Zack a foil-covered strip. "Are you hungry? The meat strips are very good… Humans are omnivores, yes? You eat meat?"

"Unless we choose not to." Zack accepted the strip. He did feel rather hungry. He blinked at the taste. "Turkey jerky?"

The Dilgar answered with a nod.

"What's your name?"

"Master Kia'mur," she answered, her rank indicating she was an NCO. "Sir."

"Commander Zack Carrey," he answered.

The conversation ended as the vehicle pulled up to the southwestern border of the campus. There was a distant sound of pulse fire and the whine of disruptors. Zack dismounted and, after checking his pulse pistol's charge level, moved toward the sound of the fighting. He entered through a gate into the grounds.

The Friedrich-Wilhelm University was one of the premier institutions of learning in the Reich, and the regime had built it to match the rest of the capital. A wide courtyard filled with trees - most destroyed now - was surrounded by classically-designed structures, each bearing the name of a beloved Nazi scientist. Zack could see the Marines from the _Aurora_ and his naval unit moving to occupy a corner of the courtyard, returning fire as they could. The Dilgar were assuming their own positions, reinforcements for Ter'shar's battered command coming up fast. And to the south was another force, men in light and heavy power armor with a combination of pulse rifles and coilgun weaponry Zack wasn't immediately familiar with. He met Anders and King on their way to meet with the others, with Tra'dur and Talara following.

They were behind cover when a blast nearly lifted them off their feet. "That damn gun," Anders grumbled. In his armor he took the hit better than the others. "The Ratzis have a heavy cannon in an anti-fighter flak tower that can depress enough to sweep this entire arc. Not one of their usual disruptor models, this one's firing plasma. Superheated tungsten rounds. With their defences around it including at least twenty Lowes, taking this place is going to be bloody."

"Do we not have armored vehicles that can fight it?" asked Talara.

"The gun is huge, I don't think any tank without full deflectors for its size can take a direct hit from it," Anders said, "and they've got it behind protective fields on the tower, which is probably tritanium reinforced concrete. We called in air support, but the fighters are busy dealing with a fresh commitment of enemy air power. They're holding back missions until the flyboys and flygirls regain air superiority."

This conversation carried them into range of the armored infantry. One of them saw them coming and saluted in the British style. "Sir, Corporal Donald Hamilton, Black Watch 1st Battalion." His accent had a strong Scots burr.

"Who's in charge here?" asked King.

"That'd be Major Trewen, ma'am, I…"

Before he could finish there was a loud blast. This time the hit wasn't close enough to cause them any trouble, but the screams and cries of the affected made it clear the Nazis had fired for effect.

"Private!" Hamilton called one of his soldiers over. "Bring them to Major Trewen!"

As it turned out, Trewen was nearby, near the front with his troops and like Anders in combat armor. He saluted the new arrivals. His faceplate's transparency showed a man of slightly tanned complexion with brown eyes and what looked like a lock of brownish-red hair near his left eye. "Major Reginald Trewen, Commander of the Black Watch 1st Battalion." While his Scots accent was evident, the pronunciation was less pronounced.

"Commander Zachary Carrey, 5th Naval Infantry, and Major Gabriel Anders, Commander of Troops on the _Starship Aurora_ ," Zack answered. "And Captain Elizabeth King, nominally commander of the _Starship Excalibur_ , on intelligence assignment."

"Major, the Union Division made it through?" King asked.

Trewen smiled slightly and nodded. "Aye, Captain. It was a right hard battle getting through the Heights, and some of the other units are still tied down there, but we got through with a couple of Dorei divisions. And I hear the FedStars' East Asia Division is coming in from the northeast. They should be here by tonight."

"We need to get in there immediately, Major," King said. "This facility is the entire reason for the invasion."

"I've heard rumours about that. Bloody Nazis with IU drives, talk about a nightmare." Trewen seemed distracted for a moment. "Captain, I hear you… I understand about the gun, but we've got supporting forces now, I want that position taken…" After the unheard Captain presumably made further remarks, Trewen sighed and said, "Standby, I'll see what I can do." Seeing the look of the others, Trewen said, "My lads and lasses have been in combat for days. We've already lost good people, and morale's cracking. But we'll get the job done."

"I'll comm Ter'shar, we'll launch a coordinated attack with you," Zack said, though he cringed at the idea of ordering the Dilgar battalion forward again with how many casualties it had already taken. Even as he said this, the enemy gun thundered again. This time the cries were further away, and Zack had the sick feeling his people had taken the hit. _Taking that position without removing the gun is going to be messy. I'm going to get a lot of our people killed. If we could take out the gun…_

He blinked and looked toward Talara, who was looking at him intently. "Commander, I may be able to help…" she began.

* * *

Will Atreiad, when faced with the renewal of the enemy's attack on the fleet, immediately breathed a prayer to the Lords to give him strength. The _Koenig_ crew was ready as always, but he knew that sooner or later they'd hit their limit. It was always a human weakness; people get tired.

Sherlily was directing accurate fire into an enemy _A-2000_ that was currently shooting up a Dilgar-crewed _Trigger_ -class ship. Said vessel pulled away, shields nearly depleted and several scorch marks on its hull, a warp nacelle inactive from battle damage. The _Koenig_ came about to face another enemy destroyer squadron, this one coming in for an attack run on the _Unity_. Dilgar and Aururian fighters joined them in hitting the destroyers hard. Three exploded from direct hits before the others broke off, firing their torpedoes defiantly. The _Unity_ 's defenses engaged the torpedoes, shooting down three before the rest struck and disrupted the big dreadnought's shields. But the disruption did little to aid the Nazi battlecruiser the _Unity_ was in the process of wrecking.

The _Aurora_ was still in the thick of the fight, Will noticed, and she was paying the price for it. "Bring us back around. The _Aurora_ 's starboard shields are still weak."

"Already flying us that way," Apley confirmed. As always the ship's long-time XO kept a cool head in the crisis, flying the ship with skill and ease around incoming enemy fire. A super-disruptor beam meant for another ship slashed across the bow.

"Glancing hit. Shields down to thirty-eight percent," said Magda. "And we've got destroyers inbound for the _Aurora_."

"Take them out," ordered Will.

Again the _Koenig_ crew executed an attack run, this one from the side of the attacking enemy division. A full torpedo spread and rapid phaser fire lashed out. The phasers battered away at one of the destroyers until it exploded; torpedoes damaged two more enemies. Sherlily's second barrage finished one of those off.

The ship shuddered violently. "Shields now at thirty percent," Magda said. "Enemy _A-2000_ s approaching bearing one-six-six mark two-zero-nine."

Will considered breaking off, but he wanted to remove the destroyers hitting the _Aurora_ on her weak side. "Maintain attack run." The ship shook again, another enemy hit despite Apley's efforts to keep the attack run up. Sherlily killed another of the enemy destroyers. Without needing the order she fired another torpedo spread. The blue-white drive fields of the projectiles sparkled in space before crashing into their victims. One more destroyer died, leaving four.

The _Koenig_ rocked again. "Shields now at twenty-seven percent."

Sherlily kept up fire. As soon as she registered a reload, torpedoes fired once more. She fired aft torpedoes as well at their pursuers, registering a hit. Her forward fire eliminated another enemy destroyer and damaged one.

The enemy squadron fired in sequence. Four torpedoes per ship, meaning sixteen came at the _Aurora_ on the weak side. "April!" Atreiad called out.

"On it!" She started firing phasers on the torpedoes. The _Aurora_ 's point defense particle interceptors joined in, filling space with blue bolts. Some of the torpedoes exploded as they were shot down. Then more.

In the end, six crashed into the _Aurora_ 's faltering shields, in sequence. Had they hit together it would have been bad enough, their shield-disrupting effects leading to immediate shield loss on that quarter. But hitting sequentially meant localized shield loss. Localized loss that, in the end, permitted two torpedoes to come through to crash into the _Aurora_ 's hull. One slammed against the upper starboard nacelle's pylon, blasting a hole through it and damaging the plasma feed leading into the nacelle. The other struck the drive hull, exploding against the armored hull. Despite that armor, damage spilled in to the ship's internal sections, albeit only along the hull, and the armor repair systems and forcefields quickly dealt with the hull breach.

That wasn't the only problem, though.

* * *

In Main Engineering Barnes noticed the problem first. "God dammit," he growled.

Scott looked over from where he was working and noticed the same; a red light on the ship's reactor coolant system. He quickly opened a comm. "Engineerin' tae Jakala, what's yer status?"

" _Coolant rupture is confirmed_ ," the Alakin answered. " _The conduit to the primary heat exchanger is completely ruptured, Deck 24 Section P. We're suited up and well, but we're trapped until we can get the coolant line fixed_."

"Dinnae bother with that, man! Check th' shunts an' shut down th' main line!"

" _Acknowledged. We'll need a team in Section O while the bulkhead's sealed_."

Scott furrowed his brow at that. With all of the damage occurring on the starboard side, his damage control teams were stretched thin. He'd have to divert one…

"Let me put one together," said Barnes. "I'll take Lopez, Aung, and Hataram, we'll get the work done."

"Good choices, lad. Get to it, an' remember tae wear th' environmental suit. Just in case."

"I don't wanna get flash-fried to a skeleton by plasma, so count on it." Barnes turned away. "Lopez! Aung! Hataram! Front and center! We've got work to do!"

The individuals in question - an Argentinian woman, a Burmese man, and a Gersallian male - looked up from their stations before responding. They fell in with Barnes as he left through the aft entrance to Main Engineering. Scott watched him go with confidence before returning his attention to the ship's faltering shield systems. The _Aurora_ shook from another impact against the hull, the starboard shields degraded enough to allow bleedthrough. He went to work shifting the shields to adjust to this problem. 

* * *

With the devastation in the courtyard of the Friedrich-Wilhelm University, cover was nearly impossible to find. The trees and bushes were charred husks and the beds for some of the plants lining the walkways were broken by repeated fire. Cover was more often provided by force shields deployed by the Alliance or Reich forces, and those could be overwhelmed by sufficient firepower. This was proven by the large plasma cannon that dominated the defensive position of the Nazi troops holding the other side of the University. It thundered once more, a white flash searing into unprotected retinas as it streaked across the darkness of the sky and toward the ground, a bolt of tungsten superheated into plasma that exploded against the shield and broke it immediately with enough leftover power to injure and kill the Dilgar troops using it for cover. Heavy fire fell on their position, causing more casualties before the survivors could get back out of the line of fire.

From one of the few spots behind cover, Zack was consulting with Ter'shar, the Dilgar commander. " _Our flank attack to the north is being held back by an enemy column supported by armored vehicles_ ," he said. " _We will not be able to catch the enemy position in its flank. We've already taken four hundred casualties in this push, nearly half the battalion, and Battle Expert Fia'tur's battalion as taken a hundred since it came up."_

"Then we'll try our plan instead, Battle Expert. Standby." Zack turned his attention to Talara, who was kneeling beside him. "Are you sure you can do this?" he asked.

Talara's initial thought was no, she wasn't. All she could do was try. But she thought of Lucy's lessons. That she had to be certain of her intent, that there was no such thing as trying, simply _doing_. There was no room for doubt. So she pushed it away. Her eyes, shining like blue crystal despite everything around them, met Zack's with determination. "I will," she said.

"No time like the present then," Zack said.

Talara nodded and turned her attention to the Nazis. She sensed them through the Flow of Life, sensed those who genuinely were ready to die for Hitler's Thousand Year Reich, and those who had no choice but to be here. She felt sorry for those souls born in this place of evil and forced to fight for that same evil. Such people might yet contribute to a better world, a better Multiverse, if they survived this battle.

Which meant she needed to act, to do her part to end the fighting, to save what lives she could.

Talara reached within for the energy there, the power of her life and its connection to the wider Flow of Life. She felt the golden warmth within and, as always, felt awed by its presence. She took that energy and reached out with it for the distant gun. She couldn't see it from the cover they were using but she didn't need to. She sensed the dark satisfaction of the gunners, firing with impunity behind the protective defenses of the massive flak tower to kill and maim their foes, well supported by comrades who would protect them, fighting for the defence of their homes. She coalesced her will around the weapon itself. It was not an easy thing and Talara nearly lost the grip several times, just managing to hold on.

Without warning the others Talara got to her feet. She needed to see what she was feeling for this final act, requiring her to expose herself to danger in the process. She felt the weapons turning toward her. She had seconds to act.

Talara's hand came up in a gesture, a focus for the invisible energies she was wielding. The power forced the Nazi-crewed cannon to point downward, its next shot striking its own allies and temporarily disturbing the enemy defense.

At Trewen's order the Black Watch launched an immediate attack on the defending positions. Again weapons fire blazed through the courtyard. The cannon's gun crew tried desperately to re-align their gun, but Talara kept it pointed too low to be used against the attackers, forcing the enemy to leave the gun unused. The flak tower commander quickly ordered his men to take up small arms and fire from the parapets and firing slits, but that was nothing in comparison to the big gun drawing power directly from the research reactor on the campus.

Soon the entire courtyard was alive with weapons fire, as the other units - including Zack's - joined the attack. Even without the cannon being in action, it was clear the Reich forces had a strong enough position that the attack might not make it Multiple troops fell to the emerald disruptor beams and anti-armor coilguns of the Reich troops. These enemy troops had the further advantage of being relatively fresh compared to the troops of the Alliance and Dilgar, worn down by the prior days of fighting.

Then mortars opened fire and swept the advance. The flashes of plasma dug craters into the ground and the hammering of shrapnel bombs going off in a carpet above the heads of the attackers ripped through the formation. Several heavy crew-served weapons opened up from the flanks, taking the attack in enfilade. The Highlanders peeled off groups of power armour to attack those, but it was clear that the better part of the force was now pinned down, going to ground as the field was churned and burned.

Even with cover, they were still taking casualties from the mortar bombs. The attack was already coming apart. Troops found themselves unable to attack or to retreat as the tanks fired shots over their heads, engaging with the Alliance tank company in support of Trewen's men and checking them just as effectively as the infantry.

Zack watched the attack falter and then looked to the straining Talara. If she tired and that cannon came back into action, the entire force would be wiped out in minutes. 

* * *

The battle in the foyer of the _Führerhaus_ raged without end. Robert, Lucy, and Meridina had the superior talent and experience, their five SS foes the benefit of numbers and the surprise of what proficiency they did have, far beyond what had been expected. Lucy and Robert each continued to fight a pair of foes while Meridina fought a talented duelist alone. At a glance Robert thought Meridina's opponent's one-handed style seemed like fencing. She was adjusting to it, parrying the thrusts of his blade as they came. Nearby Lucy continued to spar with two foes. She alternated between them, her weapon at the ready, deflecting their attacks with skill. Occasionally she mixed in an attack. A couple were slashes that nearly struck home, but now it was a high kick that struck the chin of one of her foes, knocking him to the ground. This let her focus for a moment on her other foe. She drove him back several steps and delivered a swipe that came within an inch of a lethal blow.

Robert's foes had him on the defensive as well. He sensed their hostility, their hate, toward him, and their determination to kill him. Their tactics were to divide his attention; one would try to overwhelm him with darkness-infused lightning while the other went at his weak side with lightsaber attacks. Robert responded by giving ground where he could, circling around the foyer in the process and keeping either from attacking from behind. His lightsaber came up and parried a blow. He followed up the parry with a burst of invisible force that threw his foe backward and gave him space, but only for the moment before more of the lightning crackled through the air.

And so the dangerous dance went on. 

* * *

From her place at the south entrance to the university grounds, Tra'dur could see that the attack was in danger of failing. The allied forces were tired and their morale ebbing while the enemy fought like a cornered beast. She felt for her gun but knew there was little she could do to turn the battle. Her last attempt to turn a situation around by motivating the assault on the skyscraper had 'worked' only in the sense that she had nearly been killed and had just prompted the Knights to attack.

She bitterly wondered how Fei'nur would take it, seeing her cowering here, her allies faltering as she did nothing. This was the kind of thing Fei'nur endured for years without complaint. She… Was a member of the clan of Dur. Dilgar were not cowards, and especially not her's. She had seen so many dead Dilgar, laying scattered all around the streets in shocking, ghastly windrows of burnt and shattered corpses. The entire day had been a trek through dead Dilgar. They, who were so few, less than forty-five million where once there had been twelve billion, a fraction of a percent of their original population, were dying out of all proportion to all the other races and nations involved. _At the will and design of your own Mother-Shai. That's what killed them, don't pretend it's anything else. In_ ** _all_** _of our wars, your mothers have been giving the orders that got those kids killed._

Tra'dur spied one of the wounded being pulled through the entrance to safety in the street. Corpsmen responded immediately. The figure was one of the smaller ones among the Human regiment. Drawing close and watching the corpsmen remove the mask, Tra'dur saw it was a woman, of brown hair with her eyes closed and her face paling. A savage disruptor burn showed through a melted, exposed piece of her armor. On the pack fixed to her armor was gear… and one thing else that none of the others had.

Tra'dur was beside them when the corpsman removed the item to better handle the wounded. "Clear out!" one demanded of Tra'dur, working as he was on saving the life of the wounded. Tra'dur took a step back, but only a step, as her eyes remain fixed intently on the set of bagpipes removed from the wounded.

A sudden thought came to Tra'dur, one that brought with it a moment of fear, fear she forced away. That thought grew to a determination to action that led her to pick the discarded instrument up. With the practice of years, heightened by her off-duty sessions with Commander Scott, Tra'dur slung the instrument into place. A breath to prepare herself came and she re-entered the battleground. _The ones who fought your mother's troops all died you know, and you will die too. You know your mother's troops brought her that set as a trophy of the body of a dead man. And in another five minutes, you're going to be just as dead._

"But even my mother called them heroes," Tra'dur answered aloud the voice in her head. And then she rolled out of cover.

The sight would always come back to the many soldiers fighting for the university commons. A lone figure, in a dirtied Alliance Stellar Navy field uniform, charging back into the firing zone, a set of bagpipes wailing. Tra'dur remembered the song among the many that Commander Scott had taught her, the quick march tune of the Black Watch, and so over the sounds of battle " _All the Blue Bonnets are O'er the Border_ " could be heard.

Tra'dur had every right to expect she was about to die. Playing required her to be out in the open. A disruptor beam, fired from cover, sizzled just a meter away from her. That she survived the coming minutes could be attributed to the effect of her arrival on the battlefield. For as the song reached the ears of the soldiers around her, the weary men and women of the Black Watch felt a sudden surge of pride. The sight of this alien woman, a navy officer, playing their regimental march in clear sight of the enemy, galvanized that pride, or pushed with shame, it didn't matter, not in that place, not at that time. With growing, fierce determination the Black Watch rallied. Soldier by soldier, squad by squad, they got to their feet and charged forward with a loud roar.

A figure appeared beside Tra'dur, though she didn't turn to face him for how focused she was on maintaining the _Blue Bonnets_ at the quickened pace Scotty had taught her. "Keep playin' lass!" urged Major Trewen. His rifle barked fire, hitting a distant Reich soldier about to fire at them. "For God's sake, _keep playing!_ "

She did. Somehow, by luck, by Gods, or just perhaps, by the respect that even the Nazi in their ranks felt for such a display of clean martial courage, she was not taken under fire and not hit.

The sudden charge of the Black Watch was joined by another. From the western edge of the courtyard the Dilgar soldiers, their own pride stimulated by the sight of Tra'dur and the Human soldiers she'd rallied, charged as well. The yowled cry was instantly translated by the comm systems of the adjoining Alliance Marines and Naval Infantry - " _Harm's Way is the Valiant Way!_ " - who watched the Dilgar rush forward.

" _Take that damn cannon!_ " Anders roared, bringing the _Aurora_ 's Marines into the attack.

"You heard the man!" Zack shouted into his unit's comms. "Everyone, go!" He glanced toward Talara, still concentrating and clearly near the edge of her endurance. As nobody was firing at them for the moment, he lifted his rifle and moved ahead, joining the growing charge for the enemy position.

Losses were taken by the Coalition in the charge. How many, perhaps hundreds. By that time, exact positions of casualty counts and where people fell, at what moment in what place, were becoming difficult to track. The tanks came forward. The Reich panzers, fighting hull-down, had an inestimable advantage and the Alliance tanks started to explode and burn as the Panzertruppen did their job.

In doing it, however, they were distracted. They were fighting their like, their equals. The coax guns were not sweeping across the field. They were not tracking to deliver main cannon fires to the infantry.

Even now, it was not a true charge in the classic sense. Everyone was too disciplined was for that. They advanced by squad, dashing crisply ahead, the Highlanders with bayonets fixed. Half of a platoon at a time would advance and the other half cover with crew-served weapons.

The delay, too, had given time for the Dilgar and Alliance troops to bring up heavy mortars which now engaged in earnest. Laying down a continuous suppressing fire as fast as the big 120's could be worked, they forced the gunners on the crew-served disruptors and plasma guns in the defensive line to cover and killed more than a few.

Historians would probably debate in the future which component made a difference: The tank attack at close quarters, the mortar support, or - the piping. But the men and women of the Black Watch had no doubt.

The attackers soon crashed into those defensive lines. It was a battle to the knife, with bayonet and pistol as much as rifle. The outlying defensive positions fell before the charge, which carried on into the next group and into the next. As they did, the tanks exchanged fire at twenty paces. At this distance it was like few armoured battles that had ever been witnessed, and was a bloody carnage where the explosions of tanks wounded, maimed and killed soldiers on both sides.

Glacis to glacis, they fired on each other. It was over in minutes, it seemed like every single one of the tanks was on fire, but two of the Alliance ones kept moving, grinding over the rude entrenchments. As they did, they crushed the piled dirt of the berms back into the positions, burying Reich soldiers alive as they crossed and swung their turrets rapidly to deliver enfilading fire down the line to support the attack.

Tra'dur witnessed the battle while continuing to play. Now the enemy was hard-pressed. Agan and again the tanks fired, ripping through entire long sections of the trench and clearing them away for the infantry to press on and over. The danger to her seemed to have faded, the enemy infantry having more pressing foes to shoot at, and incredibly she considered for a moment that she might survive.

Her attention was drawn to a soft moan nearby. She turned, still playing, and watched Talara drop to her knees. The Falaen woman was pale from exertion and exhaustion.

At that moment, the enemy cannon righted itself… and pointed right at Tra'dur.


	68. Episode 3-12-6 All In

The combat in orbit was taking on a desperate air as the numbers of SS fleet pressed down on the support fleet. The _Aurora_ and the _Enterprise_ remained in close formation to support one another while _Koenig_ continued its difficult struggle to thwart destroyer attacks on the two ships.

The _Enterprise_ was currently busy fighting off an enemy battlecruiser while the _Aurora_ exchanged fire with another. The _Lützow_ -class ship was an equal adversary even under the best conditions, and the damage to both maintained that equality. Disruptor beams and plasma beams lashed back and forth, degrading shields, while missiles and torpedoes strove to batter through weakened shields to damage hull.

After another of the exchanges with the enemy battlecruiser Jarod read off the shield status. "Fifteen percent."

"All available generators are engaged," Mallory added "That's all we can give."

Julia nodded in understanding. Given the current situation there wasn't much in the way of maneuvering they could do, not without exposing their weak starboard side. Although soon that wouldn't matter, as below ten percent the shields would start losing cohesion completely. She kept an eye on the tactical display beside her and Locarno. After considering it she said, "Helm, change heading, zero nine one mark zero zero six. Relay that change to the _Enterprise_ and ask them to follow. Tactical, all weapons on the _Enterprise_ 's target."

"Locking on," Angel confirmed.

"The _Enterprise_ is acknowledging and joining us," Locarno added.

The maneuver turned the _Aurora_ to present her port side to her foe. It also cleared the way for her powerful bow armaments to unleash their full power on the _Enterprise_ 's foe. Said enemy recognized the change and attempted to maneuver as well, but the realization came too late to prevent both ships from unloading a full torpedo and energy weapon barrage. Amber and sapphire beams carved into the SS battlecruiser, joined by the sapphire pulses of the _Aurora_ 's pulse plasma cannons. Quantum and solar torpedoes followed up to exploit the increased strain on the enemy battlecruiser's shields. Some made it through, striking hull and inflicting significant damage.

As another exchange of fire occurred, Jarod's attention was drawn to a system alert. "I'm detecting a power loss."

"Where?" Julia asked.

"It's the naqia reactors, Captain," Mallory remarked. "Commander Scott has to take them offline due to the damage to the coolant system."

Julia didn't like the sound of that. While the ship's fusion reactors could power most of the basic systems - lighting, life support, gravity - the more power intensive systems like the shields and weapons required the energy provided by the naqia reactors. She pressed the intercom key on her chair and said, "Bridge to Engineering. Mister Scott, I need those reactors."

" _I've got a couple online for ye, Captain, an' th' rest shud be back on soon. But we cannae run th' reactors on full with th' coolant system leak. They'll melt themselves down an' wreck th' ship._ "

Julia bit back a remark about Nazi weapons doing the same to the _Aurora_. "Understood. We'll do what we can. Bridge out." As she spoke the ship shook from a super-disruptor hit, a violent shaking that made Julia sure their hull had taken it. "Status?"

"Shields are at five percent, cohesion is failing," Jarod said. "Damage on Decks 18 and 19, Section J."

"Auto-repair systems are fully engaged," added Mallory.

Julia checked the tactical display again. She'd maneuvered away from their initial opponent to help the _Enterprise_ face theirs with a certain expectation. Had she been wrong…?

No, she hadn't been.

The battlecruiser now to their port almost fired again when two powerful graviton bursts smashed against the ship. The nature of the weapon rendered the shields helpless to stop their effect, a violent shaking that caused the SS crew no shortage of problems. Further weapons fire struck at the shields, missiles and energy fire. From "above", the Aururian battlecruiser _Maya-Mayi_ seemed to dive into the fray, her massed batteries of plasma cannon firing as the turrets stayed fixed through her manoeuvre, taking advantage of the disorder induced by the graviton cannon to bracket the Nazi with plasma fire.

Aururian destroyers positioned on her port flank broke for the opposite side of the Battlecruiser and dashed in on attack runs, their own smaller graviton weapons adding to the debilitation of the enemy battlecruiser, 'ringing her bell' from stem to stern as they prepared their torpedo attacks. The characteristic orange glow of the gas-pumped shields obscured both ship and the battlefield beyond.

The distraction allowed the _Aurora_ to focus on her other foe. With the _Enterprise_ contributing repeated phaser fire, the enemy battlecruiser was unable to resist the incoming salvo. It returned fire with desperation as it was carved up by the two ships.

The foe to port wasn't quite done, however. Being battered by the Aururians as she was, the SS battlecruiser kept some of her firepower on the _Aurora_ , including her spinal-mount disruptor cannon. This again flashed to life, forming an emerald spear that pierced the _Aurora_ 's non-existent shields and slashed into her hull. The beam was powerful enough that the armor failed at the point of impact, allowing the beam to carve a wound deep into the _Aurora_ 's stern sections.

Including Section O. 

* * *

The stern sections of the ship were mostly machinery spaces. Instead of the smooth corridor walls and ceilings of the rest of the ship, it more closely resembled submarines with the confined spaces and the tubing and other machinery parts that the engineers were tasked with directly accessing. Surfaces were more gray than blue and warning markings were on several surfaces, especially those that channeled the hyperconductive plasma used to draw heat from the naqia reactors and fusion reactors. They were more prevalent in this area of the ship, the guts of the vessel's primary heat exchanger.

The shunt that would re-direct plasma coolant around the break was nearly in place when everything went to hell. Barnes felt the ship shudder beneath his feet in the second before everything went sideways. The damage wrecked a portion of the plasma line, creating another breach through which super-hot plasma seeped through, filling the machinery space with a green mist that could virtually vaporize even bone with its sheer heat. The only reason Barnes and the others survived the following seconds was that their suits were designed to survive prolonged periods in these kinds of environments.

The problem was that the rupture was an explosive one. The heat and force of the plasma sheared through the structural bulkhead above their heads. Recognizing that the section was no longer safe, Barnes yelled, "Move on! I've got this!" to the rest of his team. They acknowledged and went to work on the rest of the shunt, leaving him to deal with the damaged section. He reached into the pack the team brought with them and drew out a sheet of specialized alloy material, made to resist the heat of the conductive plasma and a vital component in the plasma system. Using both hands he carefully set it over the breach in the shunt line, stopping the plasma from flowing out. He pulled a plasma welder from the suit tool belt and, with one hand on the sheet, welded the sheet into place.

The entire job took maybe a minute. Barnes was confident it would hold. Spying another break from the damage, he picked up another sheet and went over to fix the breach.

" _Scott tae Barnes. What's th' status of th' coolant system?_ "

"I'm repairing the shunt now," Barnes replied. "This section's full of plasma too. The others may have gotten out, but I'm sure I'm sealed in."

" _Do what ye can. Th' secondary heat exchangers took a direct hit an' we've lost them. Th' reactors are…_ "

Barnes didn't hear Scotty complete that line. Another thunderous roar filled the ship, likely from a torpedo or missile impact, with an explosion that sent a tremor through the hull.

Under ordinary circumstances this would not have been a problem. But with the prior damage from both the weapon impacts and the plasma leak, the entire section wasn't up to taking more of a pounding. The hits were the final straw, wrecking the decks above, breaking them up…

...and bringing them down on Barnes' head. 

* * *

The Aururians finished off the enemy battlecruiser with a rippling destroyer salvo of close-range heavy torpedoes. The ship erupted across her beam, huge sections of plate blowing out cross the hull, the warp nacelle to port erupting in an explosion. The battlecruiser tumbled away, electric arcs from severed mains rippling across a ruined hull venting air and power. It had not been fast enough to stop her from loosing one last volley of missiles that now flew out from the stricken battlecruiser toward the _Aurora_.

Given their situation Violeta did what she could to evade them, but with a kilometer long vessel it wasn't possible to do so, not without a warp jump that was itself suicide in the great mass of ships, and bluntly, against orders. They had to stay and fight, for the sake of their friends on the surface. So she did her best, and hung on like hell. The particle interceptors did their work in attritioning the strike, but in the end three missiles still struck home. One slammed into the lower port warp nacelle and caused an explosion that tore the rear quarter off. The second and third both hit near the stern, exacerbating the prior damage.

On the bridge Jarod quickly confirmed the damage. "We've lost a warp nacelle, warp drive is offline. Major damage to Decks 23 through 27, Sections M through Q. The secondary heat exchanger's been destroyed."

Julia immediately realized how bad the situation was for them. "What about the primary?"

"The main coolant lines into the primary exchanger are still down," Jarod said. "The tertiary exchanger is running, but it's not designed to handle the amount of heat our reactors produce at full combat power."

"Head buildup has already begun," Mallory confirmed. "Engineering recommends a reduction of 40% to power output."

"In _this_ fight?!" Locaron's incredulous outburst was punctuated by another hit to the ship. "We'll lose maneuverability and weapons power."

"And we'll lose the ship if the reactors melt down," Julia pointed out.

"Orders, sir?"

It was one of those tough decisions that could mean life or death for her ship, her crew, and herself… not to mention the friends she had aboard. Julia pondered the issue over the course of the following seconds before making her decision.

"We keep fighting," she said. "Give me everything you can, and hope the battle ends before we melt our reactors down."

* * *

The SS detachment, a reinforced squad from the _Liebstandarte SS Adolf Hitler_ , was tasked with a special mission from _Oberführer_ Fassbinder; hold the entrance to the backup stairway for the _Führerbunker_ , buried below the similarly-named _Führerhaus_. Said structure, regardless of the name, was not entirely a residence for whomever was considered the leader of the Greater German Reich, rather it was an adjunct to the nearby _Reichkanzli_ , where the ruler kept his offices. The _Führerhaus_ was partly for social receptions, partly for housing the _Führer_ 's guests if any were in the capital. The actual leader rarely lived regularly in the structure, but it was still maintained over the centuries for the presence of the bunker complex beneath the building, a relic of the 20th and 21st Centuries when the Reich might still expect attack from foreign powers. This assured the bunker's reactivation as the Coalition forces drew closer and closer to Earth.

With a rapid fire disruptor pulse cannon, crew-served, watching the only approach to their position, the SS felt confident in repulsing any would-be assassins or attackers.

But for all of their confidence, the SS had one problem.

They didn't know anything about Krogan.

When Wrex came bursting through the wall beside them, their shock was complete. The gunner for the disruptor cannon barely had a moment to react before Wrex shot him in the face with his Claymore shotgun, making for a messy result. Behind Wrex Ashley and Kaidan poured through the hole in the wall, the latter throwing a biotic shockwave that knocked two more members of the squad down while Ashley gunned down another. The SS soldier nearest the disruptor cannon turned to go for the weapon. This allowed Shepard to blindside him with a biotic charge. After she slammed into him and sent him flying into the wall nearby, Shepard shot him with her Crusader shotgun, blowing a hole in the man's chest.

Not to be outdone, Garrus got the last with a pinpoint shot from his assault rifle, and Tali shot the two soldiers Kaidan had knocked down in quick succession.

A couple more shots for the remaining members of the detachment were necessary, but it was all over in ten seconds. "Looks like we found the entrance," Shepard said. She triggered her commlink. "Shepard here. We found a backdoor into the bunker."

" _Still busy_ ," was Robert's reply. " _Good luck._ "

After the call was over, a bewildered Ashley asked, "Was that _lightning_ I heard in the background?"

"Sounded like it to me." Garrus checked his rifle. "Probably some arcing power conduit. So, I've always wanted to capture a genocidal dictator."

"Just in case, I'd like some backup," Shepard said. She used her omnitool to tap into the Coalition military comms. "This is Commander Shepard of the Systems Alliance. My team has secured an entranceway into the _Führerbunker_."

Several moments later a reply came. " _General Kylarjha here. I have troops on the north end of the_ Führerhaus _that I can divert to your support. They will arrive shortly._ "

"Thank you, General. We'll hold until they arrive. Shepard out." Shepard looked to her team, who all responded by assuming defensive positions.

 _I wonder how the university assault is going_ Shepard thought to herself. 

* * *

The assault cannon swung Tra'dur's way as she continued playing, and she knew there was no chance of getting away. She had already survived several minutes longer than she should have after Talara's collapse thanks to the need of the Nazi commander to recall his gunners from small arms positions in the flak tower. The blast from its superheated plasma striking the ground would claim her even if she stopped playing and jumped. In that one crucial moment, she felt the supreme fear of imminent death that probably any mammal had, certainly her sister Nah would have said so, and yet she pushed it away. _So, mother,_ she thought, and it was not about Shai'jhur, _will we meet? Why were you …_ She shook away the vision and tried to think chants to the Gods at the same time she played.

The gun never fired.

There was a spurt of blood from control room. The gunner tried to scream, but it was little more than a gurgle through his opened throat accompanied by a brief bubbling of the blood now flowing freely into his lungs. The other gun crew sought out their comrade's killer, scrambling for their sidearms, but saw none. Not even as blades pierced their chests and throats did their killer appear before them.

In five seconds it was over. The gun crew lay slain upon the concrete decking around their dormant weapon, and the wraithlike figure descended, killing and killing again, sweeping through the tower from top to bottom.

Tra'dur played on. From the distance she couldn't see the fate of the gun crew, only that someone had gotten to them before they could fire on her. She celebrated her survival by playing the _Blue Bonnets_ ever more enthusiastically, as if to spur on the weary soldiers of the Black Watch in this final assault.

In the end, it certainly worked. It was a squad of Black Watch soldiers who reached the flak tower first and another that secured the entrance to the Von Braun Academy. When they entered the flak tower, they found its defenders already dead. Few people in combat that fierce spend much time worrying about good fortune. Instead, they pushed on to fully clear the tower while a Lieutenant who had survived and spoke German raced to the top. The Nazis had been slain too quickly to lock down the controls, and he was successful in spinning the gun around to turn on its former owners. Now they would be the ones conducting a massacre.

The Dilgar went to work gathering surviving foes for captivity-when their officers could actually force them with shouting and punching to obey the laws of war-and the Marines and Naval Infantry flowed into the Von Braun Academy, rushing toward the labs that were their target. Tra'dur ceased playing when the firing stopped. She turned toward Major Trewen to thank him for his confidence.

She found Talara kneeling beside Trewen. A massive burn mark covered his failed armor over the heart. Tra'dur felt a rush of sadness for the brave man that died at her side, unnoticed in the heart of the fighting.

"He was exactly the same mettle as the Canadians at Balos," she murmured, and dropped down at Talara's side. Wresting his helmet from his armour, she closed his eyes and then used her combat knife to cut off some of his hair, thinking his family might want it as a Dilgar's would if he were not recovered from the field.

"The Canadians at Balos?" Talara looked up.

"Yes, the Canadian Black Watch. They played their pipes as they died, covering the retreat of the rest of the human army into the tunnels during the old Imperium's war. They fought like each of them was worth twenty Dilgar. I can barely believe I did the same."

"I can barely believe _this_! How do you Dilgar survive it? How do humans survive it? Was this what my ancestors knew…" She looked down to Trewen's face and started to cry.

Tra'dur reached out and hugged her, impulsively. "You fought as bravely as any other, and saved my life once already this night."

Talara pushed away. "And that's not enough, Tra'dur. There are people dying. Now." She shook herself, and spun away to find the wounded and try to help.

Tra'dur stood there and watched her go. Then she swept her gaze across the battlefield. The big gun was firing now at the Nazis instead of her side, driving them further back from the University. The tanks were burned out by the dozen along the line of the entrenchments. There were medics working everywhere, but just as many dead bodies simply abandoned.

She turned to head into the university when an invisible fist knocked her into the dirt. " _You stupid, stupid kit._ "

"Mrroff..." She rolled on the dirt, blinking her eyes and realising her vision was obscured because her night-vision goggles were covered in dirt. She pulled them off, blinking hard.

Fei'nur was standing above her, glaring. "How could I survive the Supreme Warmaster's wrath if you were killed that stupidly, fighting a war for glory and not survival? How could I live with myself if one of the girls I raised since before they could speak were dead? How could I survive the quiet sadness in the Warmaster's eyes when I returned?"

"She's not alive, she's not coming back… And my mother-Shai sent these girls off to die, the least.."

Fei'nur kicked her. " _Do not do such things. By rights,_ you should not have survived. The enemy _spared_ you because they thought you were _mad,_ because they had not faced such a lunatic in so long that they did not realise until too late the moral effect you had on your human troops. Learn your lesson, girl!"

Tra'dur groaned. "I'll never do it again," she whispered softly.

" _Good._ The death of many is not solved by the death of one. It just means you're _dead._ " She reached down and hauled Tra'dur up by the scruff of her neck, the girl collapsing into a mass of relaxed muscles under the enormous strength of the Spectre.

And then Fei'nur hugged her tightly and kissed her cheeks. " _You scared me so much, girl._ Now, don't forget this lesson."

"I won't… Thank you, Fei'nur."

"You're welcome," the old commando snorted softly, and gestured on to the university. "Now, come on, I'll help you catch up with what you were actually supposed to be doing down here." 

* * *

The battle in the _Führerhaus_ foyer showed little sign of abating. Lucy continued her careful dueling between two adversaries, anticipating their attacks enough to eliminate their numerical advantage. Her blade stayed in near constant motion, parrying and deflecting strikes. Her concentration was absolute; her defensive stance unyielding.

Meridina had little time to note this, although she still did. Her opponent's unique style and talent with the blade forced careful attention from her. She attempted another mental attack just for the SS duelist's mental defenses to block it. While he was not a telepath, his darkened _swevyra_ gave him some protection. Enough that she could not focus her mental gifts enough to break it without leaving herself open to attack.

There was a common concern for both; Robert. He remained in the fight as well, but his relative lack of skill with a lightsaber required him to fall back on the raw power he now wielded. He used his blade for defense only, deflecting lightning and lightsaber strikes from his foes while giving ground as necessary. He was not above an attack with his powers either. One of his foes leapt at him with a raised lightsaber, looking to catch Robert on his weak side. With a flick of his wrist and a greater surge of focus, Robert sent a table in the foyer flying into the man. He caught his foe in mid-air with the table and sent both flying to the ground. He immediately shifted his attention back to his other foe. Lightning, hued purple and full of cold, deadly hate, crackled at Robert. He caught it with his green lightsaber blade, deflecting the lightning into the ceiling.

Meridina sensed the growing frustration of her opponent. He was used to winning more swiftly than this, and he found her dueling style simplistic but difficult to overcome. This frustration was to his detriment and her aid, turning his movements into aggressive but ill-thought strikes she easily parried. She watched her footwork carefully until the moment to strike came. Her enemy misstepped in a strike at her, allowing Meridina to evade said strike and get a clean attack of her own. Her lightsaber plunged into his chest, striking the lung. A surprised look came to the scarred man's face. He choked something before collapsing.

Meridina readied to go to Lucy's aid. She turned toward her former student to find Lucy being attacked from both sides. Her foes had maneuvered themselves so that one could get a clean strike at her back.

Which was exactly what Lucy wanted.

She sensed the lunge coming and ducked down, spinning as she did. Her foe's blade nearly struck her despite the maneuver, landing a glancing blow her armor absorbed. She swung her lightsaber in an upward cut that passed cleanly through her foe's forearms. The SS man cried out in shock and pain at his sudden dismemberment. Lucy kicked him hard enough to send him to the ground.

The kicking motion continued, letting her spin and catch her other foe as his weapon came for her. Her lightsaber parried that blow, then the next. Her foe's frustration turned to anger. The dark power within him intensified, but Lucy gave him no time to bring it into play. She parried the third blow and followed up with a swipe of her own that grazed the shoulder of the SS fighter. He reached instinctively for the wound before returning his attention to the fight. Lucy attacked again, then yet again, and it was soon clear she had her opponent on the backfoot.

Meridina turned her attention instead to Robert, still holding off two opponents with his abilities if not his blade work. She rushed forward and used her weapon to parry a blow from his second opponent, who backed away at facing a new foe.

Robert's other opponent responded by generating as much dark lightning as he could. Robert met it with his blade, shielding Meridina from the attack to let her focus on her new adversary. As soon as the lightning weakened he pushed his free hand forward. A bolt of force slammed into his enemy, throwing him back into a portrait of what looked like Goering. The SS trooper nearly got back to his feet when Robert gripped him with life energy and sent him flying into the far wall, then into the ceiling.

While Robert kept his lone remaining foe in the air, slamming into the walls and ceiling of the foyer, Meridina found her new opponent an inferior duelist. She easily parried his frustrated blows with his crimson-bladed lightsaber. In a flash of blue light her own weapon slashed across his left arm, wounding and distracting him. Her next strike was barely deflected in time, but it left her opponent open to a powerful push with Meridina's _swevyra_ that threw him into the wall. Meridina followed that by using the same power to grip his weapon and pull it from his weakened grasp. Disarmed and wounded, he was now susceptible to fall to mental attacks. Meridina forced a sleep command into his mind.

Lucy's remaining foe made one desperate attempt to regain control of the duel, throwing a series of wild strikes toward Lucy's head. Lucy deflected them easily, one two three, and on the fourth maneuvered into place. Again her lightsaber flashed and again a pair of severed limbs struck the floor. She whipped her lightsaber around in a brief flourish before pointing it toward the SS trooper's hate-filled face, triumph showing on her own.

Sensing the others were finished, Robert slammed his opponent into the ground. All of the impacts left the SS man so dazed he didn't resist Robert reaching out with his life energy to pull the lightsaber from his foe's weak grip.

His opponent glared hate at him, as did the others still conscious. Then, one by one, each bit down on something. There was a small cracking noise before they started to convulse.

"Suicide pills." Robert frowned.

Meridina went over to the only one of their foes who was in no shape to commit suicide, the enemy she'd rendered unconscious with her telepathy. "I will attempt to find and remove the suicide capsule from this man."

"Sounds good to me." Robert looked toward the lift Fassbinder had gone down in. After sensing Lucy's readiness to join him, he pressed a key on his omnitool. "Dale to Shepard. We're done here."

" _We're going in. You're free to join us_."

"We're on our way," was his immediate response.

* * *

More weapons fire played across the hull of the _Aurora_ , preventing her weakened shields from regaining the coherence needed to repel fire. They left scorch marks across the azure skin of the vessel, marks slowly disappearing with the operation of the armor self-repair system.

On the _Aurora_ bridge Julia watched Angel return fire against the responsible foe, a Nazi cruiser. The vessel, a slant-hulled design, suffered immediately from the pulse plasma cannons on the _Aurora_ 's bow. With its shields failed, the cruiser couldn't endure the strikes to its unshielded hull. Its own weapons blew apart under the fury of the _Aurora_ 's firepower.

"Heat levels in the reactor systems are approaching the redline, Captain," Mallory reported. "We need to power down most of the reactors."

Before either Julia or Locarno could disagree, their case against this was provided by the approach of another Reich dreadnought. Once, the presence of a single one had been attended with terror, but in this battle they had fought, and destroyed, more than Julia could even remember at the moment, a fact that drove home the intensity of the fighting, and her own grueling exhaustion.

The ship completed a sharp turn to contact, and the spinal-mounted "super-disruptor" assembly opened fire immediately. Only by a tight maneuver, one impossible with the desired shutdowns, did Violeta evade enough that only of the three beams struck the ship. That blow was severe enough, carving a deep gash through the primary hull and destroying one of the pulse plasma cannons.

Julia re-opened a channel to Engineering. "Mister Scott, we're still under heavy fire, we need those reactors running!"

" _I cannae do much more, Captain_ ," was his response. " _Th' stern's taken tae many hits, we dinnae have th' time t' cut through th' wreckage an' make repairs!_ "

"What if we shut down power to weapons?" Locarno asked. "We focus entirely on evasive maneuvers until the coolant system is repaired or we can break free of the battle?"

Julia considered that. The _Aurora_ was taking heavy fire and suffering from it with her lost shields. Trying to pull back in the formation to make quick repairs made sense.

The problem was there was nowhere to pull back. While Maran was engaging the bulk of the enemy fleet out past Neptune, the SS fleet was numerically larger than the support fleet. Every ship was needed at its place in the line. The slightest loss of offensive capability could turn the battle against the fleet. Until the battle was decided, she needed to keep the ship firing as long as possible.

"No. We keep weapons and engines going." Julia re-opened the channel to Engineering. "Mister Scott, shut down all non-essential systems and dial down the reactors as much as you can to keep us flying and fighting."

" _It willnae be nearly enough…_ "

"I know, but the fleet needs our guns in the fight." As Julia spoke the _Aurora_ 's weapons battered away at the damaged enemy dreadnought. An Aururian dreadnought-the _Silver Sea_ -was alongside the SS ship, pouring fire into it as well, and on the holo-viewer she watched the _Enterprise_ execute an attack run with the _Koenig_ while the _Maya-Mayi_ and the _Thunder Child_ directed heavy fire into the beam opposite the _Silver Sea._ Given the defenses of the SS vessel, these ships still needed the _Aurora_ 's guns and torpedoes in the fight. "Do what you can, Mister Scott. But keep us fighting. Bridge out."

"Primary Reactors 1 and 4 are at maximum safety threshold for heat. 2 and 3 are at 95% and still climbing," Mallory warned.

Julia said nothing in reply to that. She'd already said everything she needed to. 

* * *

The same data was showing on the boards of Main Engineering. The chamber itself was heating up as well. Sweat dripped down Scotty's face while he looked over the board. "Ensign Aung, have ye got th' new shunt line through yet?"

" _Negative, sir_ ," Aung answered. " _We can't get through the wreckage to Section P and the heat exchanger hook up._ "

"I sent ye a team…"

" _They're trying to cut through, but there's so much damage…_ "

"Do what ye can, lad, or we're losin' th' ship!" Scott turned away and noted one of his teams spraying a reactor down with liquid helium, trying to cool it. It was itself a dangerous method, and it might even require extensive repairs to the reactor, but if it saved the ship Scott considered it worthwhile.

He eyed the damaged sections in the stern again before keying the comms. "Scott tae Barnes. C'mon lad, are ye there? I'm showin' a life sign…" 

* * *

"... _lad, are ye there? I'm showin' a life sign, Tom, I know ye're alive in there…_ "

His mentor's voice helped coax Barnes back to consciousness. He tried to move his right hand, but couldn't. Pain shot through the arm, terrible pain. He ended up reaching with his left hand until he was able to get a grip on the shattered plating over his head and move it.

His legs moved more easily. He wasn't completely buried under the wreckage of the deck that had fallen upon him. Barnes used his legs to begin pushing himself free, whimpering as he did at the savage pain shooting up his right arm. Only as he got himself free did he look toward said arm to confirm his suspicions.

For one thing, the arm was broken in at least two places, courtesy of the heavy structural member that landed on it. His hand hung limply from the pieces his arm was sandwiched between.

But on top of that, there was the sharp piece of broken, blood-stained metal showing through his bicep and thrusting into the debris below. His arm wasn't just stuck, it was pinned in place.

"Frak me this Goddamned hurts!" he shouted.

" _Tom?!_ "

Scotty's voice helped him gain focus. He nearly bit his tongue from the intensity of the pain. "My arm… it's pinned. Frak me it hurts!"

" _Tom, ye're th' only one who can save th' ship now_."

That remark drew Barnes' attention through the pain. "What?" he croaked.

" _I cannae get any teams in t' restore th' shunt. Th' last break is right there by ye. If ye dinnae fix it, th' reactors are goin' tae overheat. We'll lose th' ship_."

Barnes immediate recommendation was to just shut reactors down until the cooling systems could handle the load. But he immediately knew that wouldn't work. The _Aurora_ needed power for its weapons, its engines, its sensors. Maybe not as much power as it needed to open IU jump points or power the warp drive, but enough that the some of the reactors were still needed and, in turn, needed to be cooled. And if the secondary heat exchangers were down…

He swallowed. Heat wouldn't destabilize naqia by itself, rendering it delicate and unstable, but it would still wreck the reactors and they, in turn, would ruin the drive section with the resulting meltdown. The _Aurora_ wouldn't survive that in the middle of a battle.

A distant hull breach had sucked all of the plasma out of the compartment, at least, so he could see clearly. He looked up to the breach in the plasma line he'd been about to fix when it all came crashing on top of him. It was still open. "Scotty, just the one breach, right?"

" _Aye_."

Nearby his plasma welder and the plate to cover the breach were still intact. He reached with his left arm and pulled the plate over, then the welder. His attempt to stand up quickly showed he couldn't. His right arm was still locked in place by the wreckage. He pressed his body against it, but nothing would yield. He was stuck and it hurt.

" _Lad, we dinnae have much time left! All o' th' reactors are overheatin'!_ "

Tears of pain were starting to obscure his vision. He didn't dare remove the helmet to wipe them away. He glanced from the damaged shunt line, out of reach from here, and back to his pinned arm.

And he knew there was only one way this was going to work.

"Frak me," Barnes grumbled, picking up the welder again. "Frak me frak me _frak me_ …" 

* * *

In orbit over the burning Reich capital, the fight between the support fleet for the invasion and SS naval forces raged in all of its fury. The _Aurora_ , despite her increasing damage, remained in the thick of the fight. On her bridge Julia could do nothing to relieve the tension of waiting to see if the reactors would finally melt down. Both the tactical viewer and the main holo-viewer showed the ferocity of the battle raging around them. The Aururians were now taking the brunt of the fight and giving as good as they got. She watched a burning SS dreadnought, one of the long-dreaded _Aryan_ -class ships, skewer the _Maya-Mayi_ right before their eyes at close-range, with a solid hit from its spinal-mount disruptors while the Aururian battlecruiser was evading the same weapons mounted on a Reich battlecruiser.

The shot tore through the primary armour and straight through half the hull before coming to a stop. A moment later a massive explosion from one of the reactors vented straight out the hole the disruptor had just created. Half of the dreadnought-sized battlecruiser's engine banks immediately went dark. "Shit," Violeta muttered from her station. Julia was for a moment expecting the worst, but the massively armoured internal subdivision of the ship held. When she realised it would, she sighed in relief.

The Aururian ship was only wounded, not dead, and given the reputation of her captain, the famed Margrethe von Lohringhoven, she retaliated with a tremendous fusillade from her missile batteries, turreted plasma cannon, and point-blank heavy torpedoes. The enemy ship's shields were degraded enough that they couldn't stop every missile, causing explosions to flower along the ship's dark surface. Without orders Angel assisted, scourging the enemy dreadnought with the _Aurora_ 's remaining plasma cannon emitters on the port side. The double lightning bolt insignia of the SS was erased by the sapphire beams ripping along her hull.

The bombardment allowed the _Koenig_ and a pair of _Trigger_ -class attack ships to make a successful attack run. Solar torpedoes blew apart the spinal mounts that had just damaged Iron Margrethe's vessel. Pulse phaser cannons ripped up hull and further damaged the dreadnought. The _Aurora_ 's weapons thundered again, blasting chunks of hull and material away from the stricken bow.

The battlecruiser the _Maya-Mayi_ was facing opened fire on the beleaguered ships as well. But while its disruptor beams played along the damaged hull of the _Aurora_ , the heavier bombardment it loosed did not strike the _Maya-Mayi_ as intended. A _Traynari_ -class emergency-construction cruiser in Dilgar colors, the _Ghatarn_ , soared in to take the blow on partially-intact shields, giving the overwhelmed gravitic shielding of the _Maya-Mayi_ an important reprieve. Julia smiled tightly. She knew that was Zhengli Varma over there, fighting as courageously as she had at Tira.

Of course, for all that, none of it could save them as long as they stayed in action at full power. Like an old waterborne dreadnought damaged by a torpedo and electing to strain her bulkheads by staying at full power to keep in the line of battle, Julia's command was literally killing herself to keep fighting. Dreading the answer to the question before she'd asked it, Julia looked to Mallory. "Reactor status, Mister Mallory?"

"All reactors are overheating," he said. "If we don't power down now I estimate… wait."

"Ensign?" Julia asked pointedly, not particularly patient on the survival of her ship.

"Heat levels are decreasing." Mallory checked his readouts. "The primary heat exchanger is dumping heat again. The coolant flow has been restored to 80% capacity."

Julia's initial thought was that Scotty really was a miracle worker. Her second was that she had to keep the ship alive long enough to thank him for being one. 

* * *

The Wernher von Braun Academy was several stories tall, not counting the subbasement. Through it's halls the 5th Naval Infantry Company and the _Aurora_ Marines moved on. Each hallway corner, each room, was a potential strongpoint for the defenders, as scattered and disorganized as they where.e the space the

Zack and Anders led their forces cautiously as a result. Every room was carefully screened. The slightest resistance resulted in grenades or heavy fire from the remaining power-armored Marines. As each section of the building was secured, the Alliance and Dilgar troops behind them moved in to hold these areas.

Zack sent Tachibana and one platoon to begin securing upper floors. He and Anders headed down. Lifts were avoided - they were too easily booby-trapped - and the stairs utilized. Locked doors were quickly blasted open. Zack kept glancing back toward his omnitool, following the particle trace Caterina had found.

This led them to the third subbasement, which was where they found their heaviest resistance in the structure. Rapid disruptor fire, from disruptor pulse cannons, filled the hall leading to what the signs' translations indicated was a lab. Zack kept to cover with Anders, who motioned for his Marines to double around. "Sonic imaging of the floor indicates a side approach," Anders said to him.

"They probably have that covered too."

"But by how many weapons? If that's their only heavy weapon, they can't easily cover both approaches."

The answer soon came: it was the only weapon. With that knowledge in mind Anders quickly formulated a plan. "Coleman, have your squad link shields. It'll buy time for us to take them out."

"Roger."

Moments later Coleman's squad came from the closer approach. Four power armored Marines with their armor's protective fields linking together. The heavy weapon's shots dissipated against the shields. They wouldn't for long, though, so Anders and Zack had to act immediately.

They did, moving up behind the armored Marines and tossing grenades over them. The one-way shields allowed the grenades to pass and land near the enemy. There were surprised cries in the moments before the blasts thumped through the hall. The Marines' shields held back the blast, but the enemy light infantry had nothing to do the same with.

The unit moved onward into the lab, spreading out to take control. Men in white lab coats surrendered the moment guns came up. The fear in their faces made Zack wonder if they expected summary execution or something of the like.

King was soon behind him. She looked as ragged as everyone else, a look enhanced by the bandage wrapped around her head. "The trace is strongest here," she said.

Looking at the center of the lab, Zack nodded. "Yeah, and it's pretty clear why," he noted.

In the middle of the lab, covered in wiring and cabling, was the familiar sight of an interuniversal jump drive. 

* * *

For centuries the _Liebstandarte SS Adolf Hitler_ remained named for the First _Führer_ , proudly serving as the bodyguard unit (and occasionally Praetorian Guard) for the rulers of the Reich. Nominally an infantry regiment it was occasionally raised to the level of division depending on the whims of the _Führer_ or, now, in a war with a vast Multiverse of species and nations who stood in agreement that the Reich should be destroyed.

Now some of the best soldiers in that regiment, members of the bodyguard company of their _Führer_ , were holding defensive positions in the war room of the _Fürherbunker_. The holographic displays told everything about the Reich's dire situation, with half of the Reich's territorial space lost to the enemy or to revolt, the fleets scattered and broken, and _Welthauptstadt Germania_ herself ablaze over their heads. For these desperate men, this was nothing less than the _Gotterdammerung_. But each was ready to drag a hundred enemies of their Reich and _Volk_ with them into the Abyss.

When the far door blew open, each man opened fire with their disruptor rifles, spraying the entranceway with deadly green light. Only after several seconds of firing was it clear no foe was entering.

When the attack came, it came from above. The ceiling above them was blown downward by an incredible force, the debris smashing the central holotank of the chamber. Through the hole dropped two foes, both hated _untermensch_ females of bronze coloring.

Lucy and Shepard landed back to back, Lucy's lightsaber flashing to life in the seconds before she landed, and immediately went to work. The sapphire blade of Lucy's weapon cleaved through the air and sliced a disruptor rifle in half, after which an invisible shockwave of force threw four of the SS soldiers back. Shepard's arm shot forward and a wide ripple of biotic explosions raced across the floor, wrecking more of the war room displays and throwing SS soldiers backward and sideways. Biotic energy formed around Shepard and she shot forward, the dark matter thick enough to distort a disruptor beam that stabbed at her shoulder. The shooter was blown into the far wall with enough force that he blacked out. One of his comrades was a half-second from firing when Shepard's shotgun barked, blasting a hole through the soldier's armor.

Through the door the assault now came. Robert rushed in first, the green of his weapon flashing through the air and deflecting the disruptor beams of his foes. Behind him Ashley and Garrus entered, assault rifles blazing, with Wrex and Tali behind them and a squad, then a whole platoon, of Aururian soldiers joining the fight. Kaidan dropped down through the hole in the ceiling in the company of an Aururian soldier. Both fired as they landed and began moving, clearing the way for more Aururians that jumped down through the hole.

The SS men were caught by surprise and never really regained their footing. The room was overrun too quickly for them to do so, and in less than a minute from the initial breach they were utterly defeated.

In their resistance they did manage some return fire. One disruptor bolt clipped Tali. Shepard and Robert immediately went to her where she collapsed, seemingly more stunned than in pain, but Robert sensed a surge of fear before she confirmed, "My suit is breached. I need help," Tali insisted with a voice on the verge of panic.

Robert knelt beside her and focused his hands toward the breached suit. It took a lot of focus to generate invisible, airtight force around the break, such that Shepard had to nudge him when an Aururian corpswoman was ready to slap a wound sealant on the breach. He let her do so.

"My suit's been breached," Tali said again.

"Her species has a non-existent immune system," Shepard said to the Aururian. "Any infection is dangerous. If you can arrange for the _SSV Normandy_ to land and pick her up, Doctor Chakwas is equipped to care for her."

"I understand, Commander," the woman replied with a thick Russian accent.

"You're in good hands, Tali," Shepard assured her.

"We'll be right back," Robert added.

"Get the _bosh'tet_ ," Tali demanded.

They walked on to join the others. Lucy and Ashley were in the lead, Lucy's lightsaber already melting through the armored door to _Führer_ Sauckel's inner office and living quarters. "The room's shielded, so sensors can't tell if there's anyone on the other side," Ashley informed them.

Shepard glanced toward Robert, but it was Lucy who said, "I don't sense anyone alive on the other end." She finished a circular cut that left a glowing box in the middle of the door. Robert did the honors of smashing the door in, sending the cut portion flying in with enough force to ruin the day of anyone inside. Once the gap in the door existed, Shepard rushed in, shotgun at the ready, with Lucy and Ashley behind.

Within seconds the entire team was inside, the Aururians close behind. The moment was surreal to Robert: here he was, in the inner sanctum of the leader of the Nazi Reich, and ready to face that same leader. He knew from captured images and propaganda broadcasts that _Führer_ Ludwig-Friedrich Sauckel was hardly the image of Aryan perfection. He was a slight, balding middle-aged man of dark hair and brown eyes, unmarried, a life-long Party bureaucrat who was elevated to his position as a compromise following an indecisive internal struggle between the various factions of the government. Half of the reason he was picked was apparently due to his ancestry as a descendant of Fritz Sauckel, one of the first generation of Nazi officials, and the propaganda benefits of this familial link.

Now Robert might finally get to meet this man, the embodiment of the evil that had shed so much blood over the last five centuries of the S4W8 universe.

He was still wondering how Sauckel would react to capture when he stepped with Shepard into the bedroom. It was barely furnished, with a hard cot. The only sign of habitation was a desk with miniature starship models laying upon it, some only half-painted, and a painting set to one side. A figure was slumped over on the table.

Disappointment welled up within Robert. He said nothing as Shepard went up and examined the figure. "He's dead," Shepard said. She seemed disappointed as well.

Robert stepped up and pulled the body back. There were no marks on it. No disruptor burns. Just a look of pain and resignation on the face of the German _Führer_ , testament to his final moments. He quickly keyed his omnitool. "This is Captain Robert Dale to all Coalition commands. We have captured the _Führerbunker_. Sauckel is dead. I repeat, the Nazi leader is dead."

"Damn," Garrus mumbled. "I guess that one's going back on the… what did Doctor Chakwas call it again?" He looked to Kaidan. "The pail list?"

"Bucket," Kaidan answered numbly. "Bucket list."

"All of this way and the bastard suicided," Ashley grumbled. "Goddamned Nazi coward."

"I'm not sure he suicided," Lucy said.

"Why do you say that?" asked Shepard.

"There's no disruptor burns," she replied. "And he didn't hang himself. I don't sense poison, and his lips aren't blue. I guess there are poisons that wouldn't show themselves, but I… no, I don't think it's poison. Plus, there's another problem." She gave Robert a worried look.

"Oh?" asked Wrex.

"Fassbinder came down here," Robert said. "So where the hell is he?" 

* * *

While word quickly spread through Germania that the Reich's _Führer_ was dead, the battle in orbit continued between fleets that seemed locked into place by their own desperation. Both sides were fighting until their ships died or simply quit from excessive damage. The _Aurora_ was one ship still in the fight while clearly at the edge of her endurance. Her azure hull was marked with battle damage that her overtaxed self-repair systems had yet to patch. Multiple weapon emplacements were down. The ship's stern section was a mess from extensive battle damage with two nacelles mutilated by attack.

Yet despite her damage, the _Aurora_ remained at her place in the battle, continuing to fight alongside the rest of her comrades and allies.

An enemy cruiser, _Sedan_ -class, was coming up on the starboard side. Ordinarily the _Aurora_ was more than a match for a vessel of that design, but in her damaged state a _Sedan_ was a dangerous foe and demanded attention. Julia considered the tactical map as another series of disruptor beams cut into the _Aurora_ 's hull. "Damage on multiple decks, multiple sections, primary hull," Jarod said, his way of informing her the actual list of decks and sections would take too long to mention aloud. "And the armour self-repair mechanisms on the primary hull have also failed."

"I just lost two starboard plasma emplacements," added Angel.

"Helm, one six two mark three four four, on my mark," Julia said.

"Aye ma'am."

Julia waited another moment, just to be sure, before affirming the order. 'Mark!"

The _Aurora_ turned to starboard and raised her bow, a maneuver meant to bring heavier weapons to bear on the cruiser. The cruiser commander, aware of the threat posed, maneuvered to keep his ship to the _Aurora_ 's starboard.

As Julia had hoped, this maneuver doomed the SS cruiser.

The SS commander was so focused on the _Aurora_ he didn't notice the other threats taking an interest in his command. Not until it was too late. The _Sedan_ -class ship was suddenly struck on two arcs by the _Ghatarn_ and the _Wrath_. The two Dilgar ships-one a rebuilt relic from the terrible glory days of the Imperium, the other a brand new ship provided to the new Dilgar state by the Alliance they sought to join-worked together admirably to slice the Reich ship to pieces, delivering blow after blow. When the Hyach lasers on the _Wrath_ fired, they stuttered down the length of the cruiser and tore completely through the hull. The dying blast left the ship annihilated, just blazing sparks disappearing into space to mark the deaths of her crew and steel alike.

Angel was already directing fire on another target when it all ended. The SS ships suddenly broke away from orbit. After a final exchange of fire with the battered support fleet, the vessels all jumped to warp speed.

For a moment there was no reaction on the _Aurora_ bridge. Finally Angel asked, "Is that it? Did they all leave?"

Cat nodded. "The space around us is clear. The SS fleet… they just warped out."

Despite the intense curiosity Julia felt at that announcement, she knew she had other things to deal with. "Stand down from combat alert. I want every repair team we can spare getting the ship ready for another fight, if it comes." She pressed the key on her chair to open the ship intercom. "Bridge to Engineering, we're secure from combat for the moment. You can commence shutdown of all overheating reactors."

" _Aye Captain._ "

"Great job with the cooling systems, Mister Scott." Julia permitted herself a relieved smile.

" _Th' credit goes tae Tom, Captain. He did th' work._ "

"I'll thank him now, then, and let you get back to work Mister Scott. Bridge out." Julia promptly tapped the key again. "Andreys to Barnes." After a moment with no answer she said, "Andreys to Barnes. Is everything okay? Mister Scott says we have you to thank that the reactors didn't melt down."

" _Yeah, I suppose_."

Julia felt worry fill her at the sound in Barnes' voice. "Are you alright?" she asked.

" _I could use some medical attention, actually… frak this_ hurts."

Given the clear anguish in his voice, Julia didn't even pay attention to his use of obscenities in an open comm call. "We'll get you a medical team immediately."

At seeing her worried look, Jarod confirmed the order. After he was done Jarod said, "Incoming call from the _Magaratha_. On the fleet channel."

"Put the Warmaster on."

It was clear from the image that Shai'jhur was as exhausted as they. But the small Dilgar woman, still clad in the red blood slash that would hide the blood should the spores of her homeworld bring another round of bloody coughing, projected nothing but confidence, strength, and triumph. " _My people and comrades in arms, I bear good tidings to you all. We have received confirmation from our soldiers. The German_ Führer _is dead. Our forces hold the heart of the city and the flags of the Union and the Alliance fly proudly from the_ Volkshalle _! Germania is ours!_ "

The news was good, and Julia allowed her friends and crew their cheers and applause. For her, it wouldn't be a victory until Rob and Zack and the others came home. 

* * *

By the time Robert stepped out of the _Führerhaus_ with Lucy, Shepard, and the others, exhaustion had set in. It felt like real effort was required to walk the rest of the way to the waiting command vehicle sent by General Kylarjha to bring him and the others to rejoin Zack at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University. A second vehicle, a requisitioned ambulance, was present to bring Tali with them. She was holding up well although already showing signs of a potential infection. Due to the city's damage, the University common was the closest spot that the _Normandy_ could land to pick her up.

The trip was a quick one. Some debris on the roads had to be avoided, as did the burning remnants of a German Lion tank, but the street was mostly clear. The same couldn't be said for the city at large, of course. The burning remnants of the city's massive high rises belched smoke into the sky. Together with the flames, it gave the city a crimson look that matched the blood shed upon its ground. In the distance the colossal _Volkshalle_ still stood, albeit with a hole in its great dome. The flag of the Allied Systems fluttered in place beside that of the Union of Tira and Rohric, both placed by the Dilgar troops that swept the Nazi structure of its defenders.

For a moment Robert's exhausted mind considered just how destructive the fighting had been. How many families had been wrecked or killed by the fighting? How many more would suffer the same if the struggle continued? He didn't speak of these thoughts to the others. And they did not speak on their own. Everyone was too exhausted to do otherwise.

They arrived at the university just as the _Normandy_ swooped in for a landing. The Aururian medics brought Tali to the cargo door while the others went for the entrance to the Von Braun Academy. Nearby Robert noticed an Alakin sky-hopper, an anti-grav short-range aircraft that was likely that of General Threek's. There were also a couple of towering BattleMechs with light blue camo patterns and the likeness of a ghost painted on them and a third painted black with a red hourglass symbol.

An Alakin soldier led Robert, Meridina, Lucy, and Shepard deeper into the academy, down into its subbasement levels. They stepped into a large lab area where Robert found he was in exalted company. General Kylarjha was joined by the other general-ranked officers of the Coalition forces. Threek and General Victus were also in uniform, as was a Free Worlds League army commander. Natasha Kerensky and Prince Victor were in MechWarrior BDUs, new full cooling suits developed for F1S1 'Mech pilots with the aid of Multiversal technology. The Dilgar ranking General, Gar'nak, stood with them. As a Paladin agent Robert was relieved of most usual niceties, but for diplomacy's sake he stood at attention. He sensed the commanders were nearly as fatigued as he was, especially Victor and - though she'd deny it fervently - Natasha. "Prince, Khan, Generals."

"Captain." Victor nodded. He was officially the commander of the invasion army, so the other generals deferred to him despite being older in most cases. "We've heard the news. It's already spreading through both armies."

"Sauckel is dead. I wonder if that will really change anything," Robert said.

"Time will tell."

"We've already secured most of the city center, including all of the bridges over the Spree," Victus remarked. "There are some holdouts in the middle of the park of the Tiergarten and a concentration of forces at the northern edge of the _Volkstrasse_. We believe the remaining enemy commanders are using the _Rathaus_ as a command post."

"They won't be for long, my Wolf Spiders are already in position to smash the whole thing," Natasha boasted.

"It might be best if they be given the chance to surrender," Threek said. "It may end the fighting more quickly."

"It would be preferable." Victor looked toward the center of the lab. "I am more interested in what our people have found here."

Robert followed his eyes and noticed what he was looking at. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the long, cigar-shaped metal object laying on a table, colored dark blue with cabling and wiring covering it. It was at least fifteen meters long, which was to be expected for an interuniversal jump drive.

The assembled commanders, with Robert and the others, approached the work area. Robert noticed Lieutenant Tra'dur was working at one of the stations in the company of a much larger Dilgar. Meridina and Lucy both recognized her and mentally informed him of her name: Fei'nur, the cyborg Dilgar bodyguard of Tra'dur's mother, Warmaster Shai'jhur. Nearby King was consulting with an engineer in an Stellar Navy field uniform, a blue-skinned teal-spotted Dorei with Lieutenant Commander rank insignia. When she noticed the assembled senior commanders she stood at attention. "Highness, Khan. Generals."

"Were we too late?" Victor asked.

King looked back to Tra'dur and the Dorei. The Dorei shook his head. "I do not think so," he said.

"Everyone, this is Lieutenant Commander Tauram Sjitas, Chief Engineer of the _Starship Thunder Child_ ," King said. "With the battle above over I asked for a naval engineer to come and confirm some of our findings." She noticed the look of constrained fear on Robert's face. To his surprise, a mental thought clearly meant for him surfaced in her thoughts, free of the usual shields she kept her mind under when in the presence of potential mind-readers. _The_ Aurora _is intact, Captain Dale, but Commander Scott is busy with repairs, and I am informed Lieutenant Barnes was wounded and is not fit for further duty_.

 _Thank you_ , he thought back, feeling a tinge of warmth in his heart. King was notorious for opposition to anyone reading her thoughts with telepathy, regardless of the kind of telepathy. An unshielded thought to relieve his worries privately was a huge gesture on her part.

"Commander, what have you found?" asked Victor.

"I have not finished my examination entirely, Highness, but I am at least able to confirm that this unit is not yet ready for operation," Sjitas said. His purple eyes showed palpable relief. "The projectors are not capable of creating an interuniversal jump point."

"Then we were not too late," said Kylarjha.

"We were not," Sjitas agreed. "Nearly so, I believe. They were getting close. Going by the testing rate and results I've seen, I believe that in a week or so they may have found the appropriate mechanism to form a jump point."

Robert felt a cold shudder at that. Not just from how close they'd cut it, but from thinking about what happened at Earth W8R4, when the Daleks had also played around with the jump drive… and what they'd nearly awoken. They might very well have prevented the Nazis from awaking the Darkness as the Daleks nearly had...

"Then the attack came at just the right time," Shepard said, not knowing what Robert was thinking. "Any later and they'd have a working drive."

"Yes. One that they could have easily manufactured off-world."

"And undoubtedly they already had arrangements to commence such manufacturing," King noted. "Even the fall of Earth would have done nothing to stop them."

"Then the sacrifices were not in vain," said Victus.

Robert sighed in relief. "No, they weren't."

"I will want to debrief the scientists here before finalizing my report to Admiral Maran and to yourselves," King said. "But I am in concurrence."

"Thank you, Captain King," said Victor.

"Highness." With that King stepped away to get back to work.

As King stepped away with Sjitas, a Turian soldier stepped up and saluted Victus. "General, we just received word from Captain Hadran. An enemy officer has approached the allied line near the town hall. He came under a flag of truce and wishes to speak to a representative of Coalition Command." 

* * *

A short time later Robert walked out to the University commons and approached the enemy officer, flanked by Turian infantry. He wore the gray uniform of a German Army officer with the rank insignia of an _Oberst_ , a Colonel. His brown eyes were full of pain, pain and shame that Robert felt radiate off of the man. Graying hair of dark blond color was visible under his officer's cover, marked with a German eagle. Upon looking Robert over there was visible recognition from the man. He snapped a salute. " _Kapitän_ Robert Dale?"

Robert nodded. " _Ja_. _Ich bin Kapitän_ Dale."

There was a flicker of surprise on the officer's face. Whatever he knew of Robert, apparently Robert's fluency with German hadn't been part of that. There was instinctive relief from the man as he continued, in German, "I am _Oberst_ Karl Baumann. I come representing General Wolfgang Kleist, commander of the _Germania Armeegruppe_. He has sent me to request terms from the Alliance."

"Terms of surrender?"

" _Ja._ " Again the pained look. "For all German army forces in Germania and the European continent."

"But not for the whole planet? Or the Reich?"

"He lacks the authority. Planetary command was transferred out of the capital."

Robert nodded. It had indeed been too much to hope for a wider surrender, not yet. But at least a local surrender would end the killing around the capital. He nodded to the officer. "Follow me then, and you can see what terms Prince Victor and the other commanders are willing to give."


	69. Episode 3-12-7 All In

The images had already gone out to the Multiverse. Shai'jhur would have accepted nothing else. Billions of beings watched them through thousands of media sources in awe, happiness, amazement. The triumph of the allied forces and a new Liberation Navy was at hand. And she had helped engineer it.

One entire brigade had been devoted to the task of assaulting the _Volkshalle._ They had stormed through the lower levels and into the great hall itself. Then with the help of their engineers, the Dilgar had climbed the maintenance scaffolding high into the dome. Intermittent fighting with the remaining Nazi defenders was filmed by the correspondents as they stormed forward through the offices of the Nazi Party itself.

Leaning into ropes and clambering up steep access stairways, they reached the top. A few dispersed Nazi troops in detachments offer resistance. They are quickly killed. The cameras carefully avoid showing a few of the wounded sliding, falling off the sides of the dome, disappearing into the sky.

They reach the top, and look at the shattered damage to the dome, at the shattered city beyond it. A combat engineering team reaches the cupola at the top of the dome. A minute's application of plasma cutters is all that is required, and a group of thirty Dilgar troopers roaring and cheering as they push.

The great bronze bird totters, and then it topples into the side of the dome. The dome holds, and it tumbles down the side, scouring the rock facing, down, down, until it reaches the lip of the dome and bounces off, crushing itself in the great carved and fit marble of the plaza. As it falls, a flagpole is hoisted in its stead, a Dilgar flag. The other flags will come later. The camera focuses on it, waving over the _Volkshalle_.

In two weeks of fighting, the Dilgar have taken 62,000 killed on Earth, ten percent of their forces engaged. It was the highest of any of the allied armies in proportion to those committed to action. But they don't talk about that. They cheer, and celebrate wildly, for on this day, finally, they have buried ghosts and won a triumph.

Shai'jhur watched the broadcast on her screen. She quietly ignored the cheers of her bridge-crew around her. Her eyes dimly follow each detail of the screen, committing them to her memory. _They cannot deny me now. Gods, but it has to have been enough. It must have been enough!_

* * *

Lines of weary soldiers formed along the _Volkstrasse_. Around the _Rathaus_ , the capital's city hall, men in _feldgrau_ were standing at attention. For Robert there was again the onslaught of shame and broken pride from enemies who had presumed themselves the pinnacle of Humanity and the superior of all other forms of life; enemies who were now vanquished.

To the south and north of the _Rathaus_ , Coalition troops stood as well. Exhausted, but eager. They were hurting from wounds and lost comrades and ready to see the bloody business terminated. Among their number were various vehicles and war machines of the victorious powers, from Alakin urban combat cars to towering BattleMechs.

As the leader of the ground forces, Prince Victor took the lead in approaching the _Rathaus_. Robert joined the other commanders in following him. Halfway to the lines, General Kleist and his subordinate commanders met them. The surrender went off without a hitch, without any sign of resistance from the vanquished Reich troops. Kleist and his officers surrendered their weapons personally and their soldiers formed lines to do the same. Enemy troops scattered around the city and the entire continent were receiving orders to do the same.

Once the formalities were observed and the captive Germans led off to confinement, the commanding generals dispersed. Victor turned and looked up at the damaged dome of the _Volkshalle_. In the fading daylight the flags of the Coalition powers fluttered together. The Union flag of the Dilgar seemed to flutter the most proudly. "I wonder what the Drazi will have to say about that," Robert murmured. "The Dilgar just guaranteed that the Multiverse will never tolerate another genocide attempt against them."

"They earned it," Victor replied. There was a tired look on his face. "Proportionally they took the worst casualties of all of our forces."

"They have something to prove to the rest of us."

"During the Tira Crisis I was briefed on the history. It is fitting that a people who once rivaled the Nazis in atrocities shed so much of their blood in the cause of stopping more. Maybe the Germans of this universe will find inspiration in their example." Victor glanced Robert's way. "So you are an operative now?"

"Something to that effect."

"You once spoke to me of right making might. Many would say your current job is intrinsically opposed to such views."

"I'm sure they would," Robert replied. "And maybe they have a point. But President Morgan wants to keep us honest. We're not going to be Spectres or anything like that. Our purpose is to protect the Alliance while upholding its values."

"It will not be easy," Victor said. "I am familiar with how statecraft and ideals can conflict."

"If anything, the Harris Station Charter situation has reminded me of that," Robert said darkly. "We signed that charter to protect worlds from exploitation, not to promote a carving up of the Reich's empire."

"The moment this became a coalition war effort, such a carving up was inevitable," Victor remarked. "But the important thing is that we've laid the Reich low. It won't pose a threat to our existences any longer."

"We have that at least," Robert agreed.

* * *

 _Generalfeldmarschall_ Konrad von Schoenburg sat in the reserve command centre of the Planetary defences at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The city had a proud old civic tradition and had been enormously pleased to receive this installation a century ago, and had since developed a strong connection to the _Luftraumwaffe_. It had been German majority even when it was ruled by the "Jewish cabal" of the United States and in no small part served as the cultural capital of German North America.

Once upon a time, of course, it had also had a large African population, but unlike the primitive tribes of Africa, it had no anthropological value and had been removed centuries ago. Only Aryans lived in Milwaukee now. _Not for much longer._ Konrad considered himself a cultured man, and he was not overcome with fury or despair. Confirmation had come through that the entirety of OKW was dead, the primary Ministers were dead, the SS leadership was missing. As second in command of the planetary defences, the weight of the Reich had settled on von Schoenburg's shoulders.

He could see the situation clearly enough. They were going to be forced to surrender in total. The surrender of Europe already made the situation on the surface untenable. They retained considerable industrial resources on interior colonies, but the fleet had been destroyed. The SS had fled without orders and without explanation, removing his only chance to continue to defend Earth while Admiral von Platen's fleet was concentrated.

In theory, he could order the concentration and transfer command of the Reich over to Von Platen. He would not escape the surface, but that would not matter. Von Platen could contact the remaining commanders of the SS and they would acknowledge him as the _Führer_ -or not. But regardless, they could concentrate maybe fifteen hundred ships to defend the whole rest of the Reich.

At that point, the war would grind on for another six months. The enemy would redouble their production, the innumerable allies they had found across many universes would do the same. The destruction would spread to countless additional German worlds. A few more billion Germans would die without result.

Konrad, personally, had been in the _Luftraumwaffe_ his entire life and had been in command of planetary defence networks for most of that time. He was confident he could win acquittal in any serious trial, and if the enemy wanted to shoot him, the outcome was preordained. His own survival was immaterial, though. He was a German patriot, by definition.

Quite logically, he decided to surrender the entire Reich. Highly placed enough to see documents on the other universes, he knew they had defeated the Reich centuries before, in places where it had even existed. They had crushed the German soul and spirit up _before_ it had a chance to spread. But here there were hundreds of billions of Germans. Scandinavians, the Low Countries - Milwaukee - and all of their children in the stars had collectively come to see themselves as German. These victorious allies could crush the Reich, but they could not change the fact that in this universe, unlike other universes, there were a hundred billion Aryans in a compact mass of settled planets, possessed of shared culture and language.

The more intact the Reich was, he felt, the harder it would be for the allies to destroy what it meant to be German. It was time to end the pointless resistance. He would endure the unendurable, and someday a Fourth Reich would rise from the ashes, in some new form better capable of surviving the Multiverse.

"Major von Kechler?" He was a good lad, a smart man of a noble family originally from Holland, capable and brave with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross around his neck. He would have to do for the one thing that actually truly mattered at the moment.

"Sir!" The young fighter pilot, assigned to the ground duty while recuperating from wounds suffered in the war, stepped forward. His handsome face was still marred by pink scar tissue.

"My daughter Mathilda lives at 1171 _Seeuferstrasse_." He pulled something out of his pocket. "Remove your uniform, take these keys, and go there immediately. You are to take her into the Multiverse. Anywhere! I don't care! Find a way and get her to safety."

" _Sir!?_ " The man paled, as silence slowly began to spread in a cone around him in the command centre.

"You have your order, and that is a direct order from the ranking surviving officer in the Reich, Major. Take my daughter, and get to another universe. That is all."

" _Why another universe, Sir?"_

Konrad tugged on his own collar and turned toward the banks of comms. "Because in another fifteen minutes every single surviving SS man will want to kill her in revenge for what her father did. I believe we have no choice but to begin negotiations for the surrender of the Reich. She's quite the handful, Major. She'll want to stay and fight in some kind of resistance even though she's a woman. Get started, you'll need some time to get clear. Go hide up in the North woods until an opportunity presents itself."

" _Sir._ "

* * *

With the combat over, paperwork was now the order of the day. Combat reports had to be filed, damage reports collected and signed off on, requisitions for repair material made. Given the extensive damage list Jarod and Scotty provided, Julia was certain they were due for weeks of yard work to get the _Aurora_ back in shape. Given the ferocity of the previous few days, it was no surprise.

But before touching the paperwork, Julia had something else to do first.

As expected, the medbay was full of combat casualties. With all of the hull breaches it was not surprising. The ship was also taking overflow from more damaged vessels. Thankfully Julia didn't have to hunt for help. Nasri found her immediately and brought her through to the Standard Care Ward of the medbay.

She found Barnes in a corner bed, laying with his eyes closed. She couldn't keep the gasp from forming. His right arm ended a few inches below the armpit, the stub covered in bandaging. "Tom?"

"Hey." Barnes opened his eyes. His voice sounded weary. "So it's all over?"

"Yeah," Julia said. "It is. The German Army in Europe surrendered an hour ago. Shai'jhur and the other admirals are already discussing terms with the remaining planetary command officers. They're holed up in Milwaukee of all places…"

"Huh. I guess they like the cheese," Barnes joked.

"My God Tom, how did that…"

"Plasma welder," he said. "My arm was pinned, and I had to fix that coolant shunt."

"Christ," Julia swore. "You… you cut off…"

"Yup. Hurt like all fraking hell too," he said. "But it was lose my arm or lose the ship. Couldn't do that. The _Aurora_ is my girl too, y'know."

"Yeah."

Barnes sighed and then let out a small moan. "I feel like I could sleep for a year."

"I think we all do." Julia smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Tom. You… you're the reason we're still here. And I'm sure Leo can save your arm."

"Maybe. He says the welder damaged the nerves and I'll need nerve regeneration therapy before I can think of anything else." Barnes shrugged. "Maybe a robot arm would be cool? I could have it fit with engineering tools or something."

Julia giggled at the mental image, but she couldn't keep the sadness out of it. On top of everything else the war had cost them, in time and lives and blood and terror and pain, it had added to it by forcing Barnes to mutilate himself. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

He nodded mutely in reply. When he spoke, it was a subject change. "Did Zack and Rob…?"

"They did," Julia assured him. "They're alive. Okay."

"Good. They're coming home then."

"Eventually, for Zack. He'll probably be back on the Citadel within a week. He's got duties there."

"Make sure he gets the _Koenig_ back, dammit," Barnes insisted. "It's his ship. Atreiad's cool, don't get me wrong, but _Koenig_ is _Zack's_ ship."

"It is," Julia agreed. She started thinking of something else to say when her omnitool made an electronic tone. She tapped the blue light that appeared over the back of her left hand. "Andreys here."

" _Good news_ ," said Jarod, and his voice, weary as it was, sounded like it. " _The fleet just got back. Maran won. His fleet wrecked the Reich's battle fleet. Their survivors are already in full retreat or have surrendered._ "

"That's great news," Julia agreed.

" _He's already in talks with the Wehrmacht's planetary command bunker in Milwaukee_ ," Jarod continued. " _Warmaster Shai'jhur's confirmed they're asking for surrender terms._ "

"For Earth?"

" _No_ ," Jarod replied. " _For the entire Reich_." 

* * *

_Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 16 July 2643. Captain Julia Andreys recording._

 _It's over. I almost can't believe it._

 _We've been at war with the Nazis for two years. Since it started we've faced fight after fight with them. Even when we were off on other missions the war was always there in the background. Always there to remind us that at any time we might get pulled back in._

 _And now it's all over. Earth is ours. The remaining leadership is preparing to surrender the entire empre to the Coalition. All of the sights from the fall of Germania - the Dilgar on top of the_ Volkshalle _, the Alliance and Aururian troops meeting at the_ Alexanderplatz _, the Federated Commonwealth BattleMechs stomping through the park in Tiergarten_ \- _they're all being broadcast across S4W8 as we speak. We're already getting reports of worlds rising up in revolt. Of_ Gauleiters _begging Coalition commanders to take over to protect German minorities on some of the planets. After all of this fighting… it's like we finally hit them hard enough that the entire Reich is just… falling apart._

 _It's come at a cost. The_ Aurora _has suffered severe damage to several systems. We nearly lost the ship. We survived only because Tom sacrificed his arm to save the ship. And between the battle at the Citadel and the battle for Earth, we've taken over a hundred casualties to the crew and the fighter wing. Everyone is worn down to the point that the entire crew feels like it's about to collapse in place._

 _But I can't complain. It could be so worse for us. So much worse._

Julia waited quietly at the transporter station for the return of the others. Meridina, Lucy, and Talara were the only ones to materialize. Julia was immediately struck not just by their exhaustion, but by the looks they had. Talara especially seemed worn down to a nub emotionally.

She went to ask about the others, but Meridina sensed her questions and preempted her. "Robert is remaining to coordinate the surrender negotiations with Admiral Maran and Prince Victor. Zachary is seeing to his unit. Tra'dur is remaining to assist King in examination of the technical intelligence we recovered."

"Oh." Julia couldn't keep the disappointment from her face. "I…"

"It's fine," Lucy said. She smiled weakly. "You wanted to see us all come back at once. It'll make us surviving it real."

"You got me," Julia confessed. She focused her attention on Talara. "Ensign Talara, are you okay?"

"No, Captain, I am not," Talara said, her voice quivering. "So much death and pain and loss… so much of it, I can't…"

"It's okay." Lucy put a hand on her student's shoulder. "Come on, you need some rest."

Julia sighed and shook her head. "Some of the junior officer quartering took damage from enemy fire. We've had to seal off some of the sections."

"She can stay in my quarters if she needs to," Lucy said. "Do you need anything else?"

"No. You're dismissed."

Lucy nodded at that. With Talara present, and the transporter operator, Julia would want to maintain at least some formality. She quietly guided her suffering protègè out.

"It was very hard on her," Meridina said. "She is quite sensitive."

"It was bad, then?"

"That city was already a place of great darkness. The deaths suffered there only make it worse." Meridina visibly shivered. "I can feel it even now…"

"Do you need some time off?" Julia asked. "I'll understand if you do…"

"We all do, Captain," Meridina said. "For now, I will seek out Commander Locarno and learn from him what must be done."

"And I need to talk to Zack." Julia clearly wasn't enjoying that thought. "There's something I have to tell him."

Meridina sensed what it was. "Swenya's Light, he actually…?"

Julia nodded. "And he saved the ship."

"Yes, it is best if you inform Zachary. So it is not a terrible surprise."

* * *

The _Enterprise_ was better off than the _Aurora_ , Robert could see. Her shields had nearly fallen during the thick of the fighting, but she came out with little in the way of hull and system damage, and things were already returning to normal on the ship.

The invitation to come aboard brought him up to the bridge and on to the ready room. There he found Picard sitting at his desk, a cup of Earl Grey in his hand, with Admiral Ross on the monitor. " _I feel fortunate that we never signed the Harris Station Charter_ ," Ross was saying. " _The territorial disputes are already beginning._ "

"That's to be expected when you have a large coalition of states that include empires," Picard observed drolly. He noticed Robert's presence and nodded. Robert remained quiet to let the conversation continue. "I can't imagine a man of Admiral Maran's reputation is enjoying the experience."

" _He isn't. And there's little he can do about the issue, this is a matter for the diplomats. But the need to put the occupation plans into practice is forcing him to deal with the complaints on top of getting ready for the final surrender ceremony._ " Robert couldn't see Ross from the angle of the screen, but he imagined Ross looked way momentarily. " _They're ready to resume another meeting. I'll inform you if anything important develops. Ross out._ "

Once Ross was gone, Picard looked up. "Welcome aboard, Robert," he said. "Have a seat."

"Thank you, Jean-Luc." Robert took one of them. He looked around the room. Gone were the fish that Picard once kept on the last _Enterprise_ , but several of his mementoes were visible. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised that this may turn into a carving contest."

"History shows that disparate coalitions rarely survive the wars they were formed to fight," observed Picard. "Once the threat of a common enemy is gone it is easy for the victors to turn their energies against one another."

"It's been a subject that's come up before. That we had to amend the Harris Station Charter at all…" Robert shook his head. "Before I came up General Lenarov and General Victus were already arguing about one planet on the Turian list. Drachenfeldt apparently has a significant Bulgarian population that wasn't reported, so the Slavic Union is insisting that the planet be re-assigned to them. Victus doesn't have authority to negotiate the matter so they just yelled at each other for a bit before Victor asked them to stop."

Picard sighed at the news. "They will race toward the world, I suspect."

"It's in the Anti-Spinward, so maybe. Or maybe the diplomats will make a deal." Robert shook his head. "I never liked that the Charter was amended. We're supposed to be liberating these people. The Turians are more interested in expanding their territory. And they're not the only ones…"

"The important part will be to keep all of the partners from deciding that rearmament of the German population is favorable. That would inevitably escalate the situation."

"Nobody's talking about that right now, but I suppose it might one day happen." Robert's voice made it clear he wasn't happy with the thought.

Picard took another sip of tea. "Well, it seems things have rather changed for both of us."

"You have a new _Enterprise_ ," Robert noted. "And I'm not a captain anymore."

"How do you feel about that?"

"I… don't know," Robert admitted. "I've mostly gotten used to it now, but there are still times I catch myself thinking about taking command." He shifted in the chair. "So much for my potential, I suppose."

"They won't give you another vessel?"

"No. Maran's made it clear that the Admiralty won't let me captain another ship," Robert said. He shook his head. "The damned thing is… I'm not sure I feel angry about it."

That drew Picard's attention immediately. "Oh? I admit I would be rather unhappy should Starfleet forbid me another command."

"I don't doubt it. And Julia would probably resign right there." Robert rested his elbow on the desk. "But I… I don't feel that way. I think I understand why they've done it, and it's entirely on my end. The fact I've often left my ship to accomplish other missions. Julia even warned me about taking to the field too often."

"That was her role, among many."

"And I still went. Every time. Because I felt it necessary."

"I imagine this has to do with this… metaphysical power you've discovered within yourself?" Picard asked.

"Oh, I'd say so." Robert thought again to that moment in the TARDIS. "'Your life will end.'"

"Pardon?"

"It's what it said to me. The Doctor's TARDIS. It said my life would end if I did what I did to save the _Aurora_ ," Robert explained. "I thought it meant I was going to die. But that wasn't it."

"You believe it meant your life as a starship captain," Picard observed.

"I do. And that's how things have gone for me," said Robert.

"And now you're… something of a secret operative?"

"Not so secret. The Paladins aren't black ops agents, we're… I suppose we're the troubleshooters," said Robert. "I suppose you can say we're a cross between the Citadel Council's Spectres and the Aururian Empress' Imperial Marshals."

"That will not be easy," Picard warned. "The kinds of operations you might be called upon to complete…"

"...they might not be on behalf of very good people, I know," Robert said. "That's why Morgan asked me and some of the others. He wants people who won't decide the job lets them solve every problem with a gun. I'll happily avoid such myself." Robert glanced toward Picard. "Are you disappointed?"

"Hrm?"

"You once told me that good starship captains were rare enough that they had to be encouraged. Now, after everything, I'm walking away from it."

"Perhaps in name, you are, but I suspect that as a Paladin, you will find yourself in situations not dissimilar to what you would experience as a starship captain," Picard observed. "Diplomacy, problem-solving, critical thinking, tactics… the stakes will be just as high as well."

"They already have been," Robert said, thinking of the campaign against Saren and Sovereign.

"Then in the end, I do not consider my efforts to encourage you wasted, Robert. Whether or not you are in the captain's chair or not." Picard set his cup down. "Now, since it has been some time, I would like to extend an open invitation to you and your comrades. Since Mister Worf's assignment to _Deep Space Nine_ and the general disinterest of his successors, I'm afraid the weekly poker game has never been the same."

To that Robert laughed. "I'll extend the offer as soon as I get back."

* * *

Admiral Heinrich Rudolf von Platen was commander of the 4th Antispinward Grenzland Fleet, responsible for patrolling the inner frontiers of the Reich. He heard the orders from headquarters to stand down and commence a cease-fire in preparation for surrender. He heard the reports of the fall of Earth.

"Admiral, the fleet transmission is live," _Kapitan-zur-Raum_ Mattias Erlaucher approached and tossed the more relaxed salute of the space-forces.

"Thank you, _Kapitan_." Heinrich sank back into the command chair of his flagbridge. Truth be told, thinking about his family on Earth, he couldn't really compose himself enough to appear in a visual before the fleet.

But he could compose himself will enough to say what he was going to next. First, though, there were a few formalities. "Mattias, have we dealt with the Gestapo men?"

"Yes, Sir. It's been arranged. The Naval Infantry are with us, and we've secured their quarters."

"That will be enough, then." Admiral von Platen had been competent, but he had also seen the bravery of countless aliens on the frontier. His commands had not been marked by any particular atrocities, though the very nature of the Reich meant that, certainly, the allies could find something to try him on, simply because near the borders there were always unpleasant tasks.

But he was not, and never had, been motivated by any love for the Party and the SS. Indeed, he believed he blamed them quite justly for the way they had lost the war. He could clearly see how both also motivated their enemies to incredible feats against them. And knowing what he did about the strategic situation, he had the smallest bit of hope that this story had not yet reached its final chapter.

He seized that hope, formed it together, held onto it, and began to speak. "Comrades, sailors, Germans. You doubtless have heard the reports from the capital of the Reich, our Earth, and I must, bluntly, confirm them. Earth has fallen to the enemy. The _Reich_ has fallen to the enemy."

"This is due to no fault of yourselves, comrades. You had the best fleet, a fleet much better than theirs, stronger and more capable in every respect. It is however a maxim of the study of warfare that those with strategic mobility have the true advantage. Interuniversal drive protected the centres of power of the enemy, while allowing them to attack us at will from many unexpected directions and deep behind our own lines."

"With the surrender of the Reich, the hatred of our enemies will necessarily fade. They will be at each other's throats within two years, mark my words now, men! They are a hundred races and nations, combined only because of ancient legends and propaganda written by those who in other universes defeated the great German nation, ground us down and destroyed our spirit!"

"Today, I offer you something plain and simple: Hope. The hope that comes only by choosing the hard course, by enduring the unendurable. I ask you to stay loyal to me, comrades. No more Reich, no more NSDAP. No more _Führer_! No more women and precious little wine! Just comrades, and the strong decks still under our feet!"

"I will never again fight for a Reich, I will never again obey the orders of the SS men, the NSDAP men! The party is dead, wasted, it has failed the German nation. What I promise you is the black flag of the _freikorps_! They will call us pirates and hang us if they catch us, but comrades, while we fight, our nation will know hope like it did in the dark days when Napoleon occupied all of our lands, or when the communist traitors fought to seize the Reich! Give me swords around a black flag, comrades! We have eight hundred ships, and if they are mostly light, that means they are handy. We will head coreward, and hide in broken and distorted regions of space."

"When our enemies have turned on themselves to fight over the spoils, we will return and liberate our nation and our families, comrades! The German nation will not perish as long as it has a fleet in the stars. All ships prepare for warp trajectories. We will set our course beyond the frontiers of the Reich, and pray to Njoror for fortune in our travels. No surrender, though it makes us pirates. Comrades, long live the Free German Nation! Come with me to fight another day under a black _freikorps_ banner!"

* * *

Among the ships that prevailed in the Sol System, the _Starship Thunder Child_ proved the most fit for her current mission: command a squadron of ships for a reconnaissance-in-force of _Himmlerwelt_ , the garden planet gifted centuries before to the SS and the seat of their power off of Earth. He was to either secure their surrender now that the Reich was collapsing or report on the extent of their defenses for a later assault, all while ensuring the safety of his still-damaged starship.

Seated in his command chair at the center of the bridge, Captain Phillip Wallace listened patiently as his Navigation Officer, Lieutenant Harold Wells, counted down to their arrival in orbit. His first officer was an Alakin female, Commander Taham Tolu, a bronze-feathered blue-skinned member of one of the minority nationalities of the Alakin species.

At the science station sat a young woman, Lieutenant Emilia Alessandria, with a porcelain complexion and raven-dark hair. She spoke with a pronounced Italian accent. "Still nothing new on sensors in the system, Captain. All we are reading is the space station and the lunar orbit shipyard."

His reply came in a faint Scots burr. "The damage to the sensors, could it be affecting your scans?"

"No sir," she replied. "The starbird _Yatan_ and the _Starship Aguinaldo_ both confirm our readings."

Both ships - a _Layama_ -class Dorei starbird and a _Nehru_ -class star cruiser - had been reinforcements to Earth after the battle so there was no prospect of combat damage to undermine their readings.

"Bringing us out of warp in three, two, one…"

With a flash of Cherenkov radiation and wayward tachyons, the _Thunder Child_ dropped her warp field and decelerated to Newtonian Law-regulated sublight speeds, as did the ships accompanying her. Ahead of them _Himmerwelt_ glistened in the light of her life-giving star. A toroidal space station hung in nearby orbit. Cities were visible as gray circles on the planet's surface.

"Put me on," Wallace instructed his Ops officer, Lieutenant Commander Mikhail Kirov. Upon receiving confirmation that the channel was open, he began speaking. "This is Captain Phillip Wallace of the United Alliance of Systems, commanding the Alliance _Starship Thunder Child_ , to the planetary authorities of the planet called Himmler's World. On behalf of the Alliance and its allies, we call upon you to accept the surrender of your government and end…"

Before he could finish, a bright light flashed on the bridge holo-viewer. As the light died, more lights flashed, and soon it became apparent that the space station in orbit had been detonated, and in such a way as to drive the fragments to slam into the planet.

He had no time to request his officers report on this when there were sudden visible flashes on the planet's surface. "My God," murmured Lieutenant Alessandria. "They're… they're setting off atomic devices all across the planet! I'm picking up high levels of radioactive elements being thrown into the atmosphere by the detonations! Life signs across the planet are falling!"

"By the Maker," Commander Tolu gasped.

"Bloody bastards," Wallace said, his expression grim. "Bloody narcissist Nazis. They're killing themselves and making sure nobody else can use their planet when they're gone." He looked to Operations. "Raise the _Kentan_. Admiral Maran needs to know about this." 

* * *

High above the ruined capital of the fallen Nazi state her handful of surviving leaders prepared to signal her defeat to a galaxy that, just two years prior, believed the Reich unstoppable. It had been, they might flatter themselves to believe, right up until the moment many universes had converged upon them with technology they had not foreseen to smash their fleets from a dozen directions at once, with waves of reinforcements as yet more powers joined the fight against them. But flattery did not and would not change the end.

The surrender would be received by the Reich's conquerors aboard one of the many star-faring vessels they brought to the task. The initial expectation had been that the Gersallian flagship _Kentan_ would host the ceremony, or the Allied Systems' newest dreadnought, the _Unity_.

Admiral Maran had another candidate in mind, as it turned out. A candidate he considered the most fitting given her history.

Battle damage had been cleared in the hours before the assembled personages arrived on the hanger deck of the _Starship Aurora_. Dress uniforms dominated among the assembled, some more ostentatious than others depending upon the traditions and regulations governing the wearer. A great table was set into the middle of the hanger with the articles of surrender laid upon it.

Not far from the table, forward and to port from its location, the command crew of the _Aurora_ stood in a group, all in the dress whites of the Alliance Stellar Navy save Major Anders, who wore the dress blues of the Alliance Marines. Commander Shepard and her team from the _Normandy_ , as well as Joker, Pressley, and Chakwas, stood to one side of the _Aurora_ crew, wearing formal uniforms in the case of those in the Systems Alliance military and formal suits (or something of the like) for those who were technically civilians. On the other side stood the command crew of the Federation _Starship Enterprise_ ; the command officers of the Alliance vessel of the same name were nearby as well. Warmaster Shai'jhur's officers stood almost opposite of them astern.

Shai'jhur herself stood among the seniormost officers of the Coalition. They remained assembled at the port side of the table, facing the surviving Nazi commanders to the starboard side. _Generalfeldmarschall_ von Schoenburg was joined by other officers of the _Luftraumwaffe_ , the Reich's aerospace fightercraft service, and a surviving deputy minister from the cultural and education ministry. They were all that remained of the central government. Teams had already found the bodies of the former OKW and the Reich Ministers, scattered about their offices and command posts in the center of Germania. Like Sauckel, they'd died without obvious use of poison or physical damage, leading to many presuming suicide.

Many, that was, except Robert and some of the others, who had a more viable suspect in mind.

The Coalition leadership was assembled around Admiral Maran. General Threek stood nearby, but the figures flanking Maran were Prince Victor, Khan Natasha Kerensky, and Warmaster Shai'jhur, as the highest ranking leaders. As Heads of State and Commanders-in-Chief (or near-equivalent to such in Natasha's case) they technically outranked Maran, but as he was personally representing President Morgan and had been the architect of the victory, they did not object.

One officer gave them a head's up to let them know that the comm systems were live, broadcasting them across the Multiverse. A great hush filled the room. Maran and the representatives of the Coalition states stepped forward, as did the Reich officers representing what was left of their central government.

Maran quietly invited the Nazis to examine the articles of surrender. They did so perfunctorily, fighting to restrain their emotions, save for von Schoenburg who seemed to have taken everything in stride. A few visibly failed. Robert, Meridina, Lucy, and Talara could all sense the shame and guilt these men shared, a feeling of despair and hopelessness, that they had failed their nation and that their lives were over. Many knew full well they would be bound for the dock to stand trial for the many atrocities and war crimes committed by the Reich. These men were convinced they were destined for a one way trip to an airlock or gallows, with a hope that maybe the Coalition would be merciful and send them to the firing squad instead. A few were convinced they had done nothing the Alliance would find illegal, but most of those still felt they would be executed anyway, believing what the Alliance said about fair trials was to be nothing more than a charlatan's propaganda to cover victor's vengeance (much as the Nazis themselves had often employed).

More than that, everything they believed in was being swept away. A foe they could not have imagined a few short years ago had crushed the nation they'd been raised to serve. All of their certainties were gone. They had been evil certainties, yes, and all of the peoples who had suffered or might have suffered from them were rightfully glad to see them destroyed. But that meant little to the doomed men signing away everything they ever believed in, and their emotions were just as real as the happiness in those that might have become their victims. Robert didn't know if he could, much less should, feel sympathy for their broken spirits.

Once the Nazi generals and officials had signed the articles of surrender, the Coalition representatives took their turn. One by one the officers stopped and signed: Admiral Ross, Warmaster Shai'jhur, Prince Victor, General Marrisa Morgan of the Free Worlds League, Mandrissa Huang of the Capellan Confederation, Fleet-Master Dartanrilam of the Gy'toran Interstellar Forces, Fleet Commander Telnarro of the Phosako, General Lenarov of the Slavic Union, General Franklin of Earthforce…

Maran waited until all of the allied commanders had signed before stepping forward and signing for the Alliance. Once he had affixed his signature in the flowing calligraphy of High Gersallian, he placed the pen squarely on the paper and took a step back. Again silence reigned across the hanger deck, an anticipatory silence. There was a weariness in Maran's spirit that Robert and some of the others could sense. While Gersallian physiology might not have lent itself to graying his dark hair from stress, it was clear there had been a price to pay for his burdens in the war.

Despite that weariness, he began to speak, his Gersallian lilt subdued and his words clear. "The war is over. The Nazi Regime is no more. For the first time in centuries, this galaxy, this universe, may know peace."

"It has been a long and bloody struggle to bring us to this point. Over the last five centuries many brave beings have lain down their lives to end the darkness planted centuries ago by the madness of Hitler and his followers. Some did so gratified by the thought their deaths would bring victory. For many others, there was no such hope, only a refusal to submit to that darkness."

Julia couldn't help but notice the pained look on the face of Ariel Shaham. So many of his people had died over the centuries in just that manner, in a cause that seemed hopeless. He and the last survivors of S4W8's Jews had nearly joined them.

"It would be a simple thing to believe that with the destruction of the Nazi State the darkness will be expunged," Maran continued. "If only it were so. The darkness, for all the destruction and pain the Nazis wrought from it, is not unique to them. Any beings, any people, can succumb to darkness, through pain or fear or anger. None of us are immune from this. And nothing can bring a being to darkness like the experience of war."

Maran gave everyone a moment to consider his words. Robert felt he may be considering his own as well, picking carefully what he said to bring his point home. "In war, we were resolute," he finally said, his voice strong and clear. "When defeated, we stood defiant. Now that we have achieved victory, we must show magnanimity. If we are to keep the peace, we must sustain goodwill. Otherwise, our own darkness may claim us in turn."

Again he went silent. Robert knew Maran had no gifts, no telepathy or life force powers, to tell him what others were thinking of his remarks. But he seemed to recognize that the reactions were varied. Some were in agreement, some seemed bored, and there were those who inwardly seethed in irritation, even fury, at what they saw as a moralistic lecturing.

Regardless Maran continued. "Today, our weapons may be silent, but our struggle is not over. It has only changed. The long years of darkness have tainted the worlds that our peoples are now responsible for. Nations that have long known the boot of oppression upon their necks must remember what it means to be free. The lies the Nazis used to control them must be visibly stripped away from their eyes, lest the hatreds the enemy spread among them bring further suffering. Just as well, the German nation itself must be reformed, it must be cleansed of the toxin the Nazi State poisoned it with, so that the German people of this universe will join with us in the Light."

"That is the charge we all face. And no matter our differences, we must never let our own anger and fear turn us from that charge. For our beloved dead, we must hold true to the cause of the Light of Life, and with justice and fairness, we can banish the Nazi darkness from this galaxy for good." After one final moment of consideration, Maran nodded once. "Thank you, that is all."

From that point the ceremony continued to its conclusion. The Nazi officials would be taken to their confinement on the _Unity_ until a secure location elsewhere could be arranged. The rest of the assembled eventually dispersed. Some would return to their ships or to the planet below, and some would take up Julia's offer for a reception in Conference Room 2 being catered by Hargert.

The broadcast of the surrender went out on all bands, subspace and interuniversal and on specialized tachyon transmissions, ensuring that within the next few days every corner of the Reich would be aware of it. And while some Nazi leaders in the other worlds might momentarily resist, or try to negotiate further, it was clear to all that there was no turning back.

The war was over. The Nazis had lost. The Humanity of S4W8 was free.

* * *

Just as the surrender was transmitted across S4W8 to a stunned galaxy, it was also transmitted across a jubilant Multiverse.

The result was joyous celebration. They could be found everywhere. The majestic cities of Thessia reacted with the same enthusiasm as the new colonial settlements of the Systems Alliance; New Liberty Colony's celebration was as enthusiastic as the one in the Alliance capital of Portland, Earth L2M1. From the great cities of Gersal to the crystal cities of Minbar, each people of the Multiverse commemorated the end to a bloody interstellar war in their own fashion.

The fireworks and holo-light displays set off in celebration by the Gersallian Interdependency's government over their capital of Jantarihal could easily be seen up in the mountains outside the city, where the Great Temple of Swenya stood as it had for millennia. In the Temple itself there was a feeling and sense of great joy at the vanquishing of a foe more terrible than the most bloodthirsty Coserian Emperor or the most avaricious Jeaxian warlord.

 _Mastrash_ Ledosh watched the surrender with quiet joy, noting the presence of his greatest student and her proteges among the victors. And then he returned just as quietly to his work.

Below one hand was a guide written centuries before by a Gersallian linguistics scholar, Gartanam of the Teshmatal. It displeased Ledosh that it took him so long to find a volume of Gartanam's work, and not even in his own Order's vast library, but in the vaults of the Interdependency's Linguistics Academy.

His need for the book was under the other hand: the _Life of Reshan_. There, the Order's only copy of the ancient tome was open, its archaic Gersallian defying all previous attempts to translate it. The language itself predated Swenya, and the evolution of the Gersallian languages since her time had rendered much of it incomprehensible. Gartanam's work into ancient Gersallian texts made translation of this critical work a possibility.

As he read onward, Ledosh felt a chill in his being. It was one that recurred for months. A feeling that something was wrong. They were under threat. But he could never sense a specific threat, simply that uncomfortable feeling of lingering menace. He knew some of the others on the Council sensed it as well, and many elsewhere, and it was clear the Order was in a growing malaise

The traditionalists charged that it was from continued change brought on by the Multiverse, the same traditionalists who defiantly clung to their _lakesh_ blades instead of training in the new lightsabers that Lucy Lucero taught many to make.

But Ledosh was certain it was something else. A dark force was stirring. Connected, perhaps, to the Prophecy of the Dawn.

And the key to this might yet be found in the _Life of Reshan_.

Thus Ledosh was not joining in the celebration of the defeat of the Nazis, but rather continuing his work. Because despite the nebulousness of the darkness he sensed, there was one thing he knew for certain. He was running out of time, and everything he cherished might be lost if he did not ensure this work was complete before the dark forces made their move.

* * *

Conference Room 2 was smaller than Room 1, sometimes called the Main Conference Room, but battle damage made the larger room unavailable. Hargert made good with what space was available, however. A feast worthy of the victory was ready for the attendees. The _Aurora_ 's officers and crew came and went - the business of running a starship continued regardless of other matters - and were joined by numerous officers of the other Coalition states.

Robert, Julia, and Zack stood in a corner together. They had the offered non-alcoholic drinks, for Zack's benefit, and watched the mingling quietly. Finally Julia lifted her glass and smiled. "To a half decade of insanity."

"It's only been five years?" Zack asked. "I feel like it's been twice that."

Robert chuckled at that. "Sometimes I feel the same way. It seems like it's been so long since I walked up to the mound that day." He took a sip. "It's something to think about, isn't it?"

"What?" Zack asked.

"It all came down to me dropping to my knees at the exact right spot," Robert said. "If I'd moved an inch to the left or right, or if I'd taken another step before I let it get to me… I'd have never triggered the Darglan transporter. We never would have found the Facility. There'd be no New Liberty, no Alliance, and the Nazi Reich would still be going strong."

"Sobering to think about." Julia's look was thoughtful. "It makes you wonder how much history can revolve around something as simple as putting your knee at the right spot."

"Yeah. Instead of trying to make a life in boring old Kansas, we're out here flying spaceships and fighting wars."

Robert sensed the pain in Zack. Images came with it. Robert had seen similar with his own eyes. "It's been a regular circus of horrors for us, ever since we entered our first North Korean labor camp," he muttered.

"Or finding Lucy in Patrick Duffy's own personal torture dungeon," Julia pointed out. "We've all seen a lot of terrible things out here."

"But at least we've done something about them…" Robert's attention was drawn to the door. "Well. Leo let him come after all."

The Conference Room 2 door swished open and admitted a hoverchair. A weary-looking Tom Barnes was seated in it, head leaning on his left arm. His dress uniform's empty right sleeve was folded and clipped into place. Nasri was pushing the chair in and Leo followed. The three walked up to join them. "It's nice that you let him come," Julia said to Leo.

"I think he might have driven the other patients in medbay crazy otherwise," Leo said, sighing as he did. He got a baleful look from Barnes at that. "As long as he doesn't exert himself, everything should be fine."

"Does eating the biggest damn slice of Hargert's cake count as exertion?" Barnes asked irritably. "Because if so, I'm fraking exerting myself."

"Tom, language," Julia scolded playfully. "There are general officers present."

"Right. Muckety-mucks." Barnes clasped his left arm over his chest, as if to fold his arms. He remembered himself after a couple of seconds. His expression became resigned.

"You'll get used to it," Leo said. "And in no time, we'll have another arm for you."

"And you'll be back to helping Scotty run Engineering," Zack promised him.

"You'd better be back too," Barnes said to him. "No more walling yourself off, Zack."

"Not going to happen," Zack promised. "Sydney's been hammering that home to me in therapy."

"Well, maybe things will return to normal around here then," Robert said, knowing full well they wouldn't.

Before the conversation could continue further, a knot of officers in blue and gray full dress uniforms approached. It was Shai'jhur, Kaveri Varma, and her eldest daughter Tia'jhur. "Captains, Commanders, Lieutenant," Shai'jhur started. "I have some business with the lot of you," she added, a smile touching her lips.

"Warmaster Shai'jhur." Robert nodded to her. "It's good to finally speak with you outside of work."

"It is a pleasure to meet the remarkable man who made this all possible-with a lot of help from a talented cadre of friends," Shai'jhur answered. "However, I am here for a _bit_ of business. Lieutenant Thomas James Barnes?"

"That's me," Barnes piped up. "Well, most of me now."

"About that, Lieutenant. Battlemaster?"

Kaveri stepped up and presented a small box, the older Indian woman grinning down to Barnes. Then she snapped the box open.

"Lieutenant Thomas James Barnes, on special permission of President Morgan and my personal insistence as commander of the First Support Fleet, I present your formal citation: 'Lieutenant Thomas James Barnes, Assistant Chief Engineer of the ASV _Aurora._ Whilst gravely wounded, trapped by debris and almost the only survivor after the explosion of enemy missiles penetrating throughout sections P and O of the primary engineering spaces, with great presence of mind and devotion to duty, took decisive action to repair a critical loss of reactor cooling, extricating himself by severing his own right arm with a plasma cutter, and being right-handed, successfully effected repairs on the heat exchangers with his left arm while in such a profoundly crippled condition, thereby saving the ship. For this meritorious conduct Lieutenant Barnes is hereby awarded by declaration of the President and the Select Defence Committee of the Senate for Personnel, the Alliance Order of Valour.'" With that, she picked the ribbon and medal up from the box Kaveri was holding, and settled it around Tom's neck.

During the whole recitation Barnes remained quiet, with increasing indication that he was stunned by what was happening. Once Shai'jhur settled the medal over his neck he looked down at it, utterly quiet. His friends assembled around him began applauding. When he finally found his voice, his reply was almost whispered. "I never thought I'd get something like this," was the candid admission.

"But you did," Zack pointed out. He put a hand on his close friend's shoulder. "You saved the _Aurora_. Not for the first time…" Zack thought back to the Facility, and how the _Aurora_ would have never gotten out had Barnes not risked damage to himself inside the impulse engine housing.

Barnes looked up to Shai'jhur. "Thank you," he said.

"Oh, it's quite all right. Warmaster Jha'dur used to personally decorate such brave conduct in her crews, on the spot. If I can't behave at least as well as _she_ did, then what the bloody hell kind of person am I? You have earned it, young man, and you will certainly go on to great things as an Engineer. You are the epitome of your profession, in what matters most. But don't let it go to your head, either, we do this so that if someone hesitates in your place in the future they have a little bit of motivation to do what's right. There can be deeds that are both the epitome of true courage _and_ something I should like to think any engineer would do to save his ship. I don't believe one being true makes the other any less true, and so you are _precisely_ the kind of person who should receive this reward."

It was the praise of Barnes as an engineer that brought a proud look to his face, of no surprise to his friends. Recognition of his talent as an engineer was far more important than being a hero.

"The part about it getting to your head is the important thing," Leo teased gently.

Finally the small hint of a grin came to Barnes' face. "Well, I'm sure you'll be happy to deflate my Goddamned ego if it becomes too big, Leo."

Julia couldn't stop the giggle that formed in her throat. "Now that sounds like the Tom Barnes we all know and love."

"I'm one of a kind," he answered. "And if I get one of those robot arms, it'd better be one of the cool ones. With tools built into it."

"We'll discuss that once your treatment's farther along," Leo assured him. Beside him, Zack laughed. "Now, you said something about cake? I'm normally worried about your sugar intake, but today's an exception."

"Thanks again, Warmaster," Barnes said to Shai'jhur, after which Nasri and Leo moved him onward.

A forlorn look appeared on Zack's face. Robert sensed his bittersweet feelings. "Christ, I can't stop thinking about all of those people that died down there." He looked to Shai'jhur and a thought came to him. "There were kids down there. Teenagers."

"The age limit was two years higher than it was at Third Balos," Shai'jhur replied softly. "And this time, they died so that men could be free. I remember the thirteen year olds in the crews of my _Ochlavita_ s in those dark days very well, if I did forget them I would deserve hell I think. Some of them died doing things as heroic as Lieutenant Barnes did. Our population is very young, and so the conscription classes had to be prepared appropriately."

Kaveri reached out and put a hand on Shai'jhur's shoulder, but said nothing.

Julia and Robert gave their friend concerned looks. It was clear that a part of Zack wanted to be angry at her. Just as much, Robert sensed the very real pain in the older Dilgar. A crushing responsibility, more acute than he'd felt in Prince Victor or President Morgan, and a quiet fortitude to bear it.

Ultimately Zack's voice showed he had his anger under control. "I'm just tired of the death," he said. "We came out here to help people, to stop all of the dying. I want it over."

"It is over," Julia assured him.

For a moment, Zack felt it. The need. The want. Stronger than it'd been in months. He could see Robert knew what he was feeling, and that gave him the strength to say no to the desire.

"Well, I hope that with our acceptance of Alliance membership, I can end conscription in the Union except for the planetary defence militias that won't be deployed off our homeworlds. I understand, Commander Carrey, that things were very bad on the surface. But it _is_ over. And, I leave you to celebrate that with your friends." She nodded quietly to Kaveri and Tia'jhur, and the group stepped away.

After a moment Robert said, "They needed this, in more ways than one." He set each hand on his friends' shoulders. "And honestly, I think we all need some time to just unwind. It's been a terrible week."

"A terrible year, in some ways," Julia said quietly. "But you're right. Whatever work we have to deal with tomorrow, today it's time to enjoy the celebration."

"Count me in," said Zack, grinning at his oldest friends.

And they did just that.


	70. Episode 3-12-8 All In

**Tag**

After five days in orbit over S4W8 Earth, the _Starship Aurora_ made her jump home, accompanied by the _Koenig_ and the _Normandy_.

The intense fighting in the recent weeks meant that every drydock space in the Fleet Base was being used for repairs. The _Aurora_ slipped into the only remaining dock for her size and the _Normandy_ into another. Even the _Koenig_ , though not as badly hurt, would have to content herself with repairs in her own dock on the _Aurora_ due to the lack of space.

Shortly after arrival, the time came for goodbyes. Everyone was gathered at the airlock into the station to meet the departures. Shepard and her team were joined by King and by Zack. Julia spoke to King as she walked up. "I heard the _Excalibur_ beat us here," she said.

"Yes. Commander Stirling was able to effect sufficient repairs to allow a mass relay transit," King said. Her head was no longer covered in a wrapping. "Due to my injury and Doctor Gillam's excessive caution, Commander Granville will be directing repairs for another few days while I undergo enforced recuperation."

Leo responded to the polite barb with an equally polite, "I'm used to my patients overestimating their recuperative abilities, Captain. So I try not to take chances."

"And that is why you are a marvelous physician, if rather frustrating to deal with," King replied jovially. "Although even recuperation has to wait. General Hatcher is awaiting my arrival."

"The intelligence from the Von Braun Academy?" asked Robert.

"Exactly," King said. "The Nazis were working on several projects there. Our analysts will have months of work ahead to go through this data." She nodded to Shepard, now arriving with her team. "Commander, a pleasure to work with you again." She extended a hand.

Shepard took it. "Same here. Watch your head."

"I shall." With that King departed.

The _Normandy_ and _Aurora_ crew exchanged looks and started to shake hands. "It's been quite the ride, hasn't it?" Shepard said to Julia and Robert.

"It has," Robert agreed.

"You got everything off of the _Normandy_?" Shepard asked.

"I did back at New Prussia," Robert confirmed. "And as much as I enjoyed the company of your crew, it's good to be home."

Shepard barked a teasing laugh at that. "You mean it's good to be back on this luxury cruise liner of a starship you've got. No more sleeping pods."

"I confess, I do miss a normal bed," Robert conceded.

"You Systemer types are spoiled," Ashley complained. "Completely spoiled."

"You're just jealous you don't have Hargert cooking your meals," Jarod retorted playfully.

Kaidan grinned. "I'm in the wrong service."

"Tell me about it," Garrus said.

Nearby Tali was leaning over the hoverchair Barnes was sitting in. "I'm so sorry, Tom," she said. "They're going to make you a new arm, right? Humans can have those?"

"One way or the other, eventually," Barnes answered. "I guess the immune system thing means Quarians can't have prosthetics?"

"It's… very difficult," Tali said. "Very expensive too. Sometimes we just attach mech limbs to our suits and use VIs to control them. But for a Quarian to do what you did? I think the Admiralty Board would agree to pay for a proper prosthetic."

"He may end up with an organic limb, actually," said Leo. "Our technology allows for cloned or replicated limbs. It just takes time. We can give this technology to the Quarians."

"If you don't already have it," added Locarno. "Relations with the Migrant Fleet are pretty good these days."

"Perhaps. I hope I never have to find out." Tali patted Barnes on the shoulder. " _Keelah selai_ , Tom. I hope you get your new arm soon."

"I do too," he replied.

As the _Normandy_ crew filed out, Shepard made sure to extend a hand to Robert, having saved him for last. "Good luck out there, Robert," she said.

"The same to you, Jen."

And then Robert surprised even himself by turning the handshake into a small, friendly embrace. Shepard accepted it, even if she was clearly surprised as well by the gesture.

Once she was walking through the airlock, Julia asked, "What was that about?"

"I… I'm not sure," Robert admitted. The feeling that drove him to the small hug was already faded. It wasn't that he was upset with himself for doing it. Shepard wasn't just an ally, she'd proven a good friend and a brilliant leader, and her advice on the matter of his abilities was something that he felt would always guide him. She'd earned it. He just couldn't think of why he felt the need to give it. It was like he was never going to see her again…

Zack stepped up next. "Do I get a hug?" he asked with amusement.

"Always," Julia said. She and Robert were the first; everyone else lined up to give one. "A week of mandatory leave sounds about right after everything that we've gone through."

"It does," Zack agreed. "I've got some trips to make. People I need to talk to."

"Clara's parents?" Robert asked quietly.

To that Zack nodded. "Yeah. And what about you?"

"I've got no standing missions," said Robert. He gave Julia a look. "I was thinking that I'd keep an eye on the _Aurora_ 's repairs so that Miss Responsibility could go have some fun. Before Leo sedates her and leaves her on a Pacific island paradise for an enforced vacation."

"Now that sounds like a good plan…" Leo said thoughtfully.

Julia shot him a playful glare. "I've got plans," she said.

"The Battlestar _Pegasus_ is in drydock for repair at Fleet Base Alexandria, I hear," Zack remarked. "And Alexandria's got a really nice selection of romantic getaways."

The glare was now directed to Zack. "Don't you start."

"I surrender," he said, holding his hands up. "Anyway, once I'm done with leave and my tour on the Citadel is over, I look forward to coming back. It's about time we got the gang back together."

"It is," Jarod agreed.

At that final farewells were given and Zack departed. As the others walked away, Lucy stepped up beside Robert. "Speaking of leaves and assignments…" she began. When she had his attention she said, "The answer is yes."

Robert sensed her meaning and nodded. "Welcome to the team," he replied.

Lucy chuckled. "A team of you and me, right now. Or are you going to take Shepard's route and put together a team of badass fighters?"

"Who knows? Maybe. Right now, though, I just want to enjoy some peace and quiet. You?"

"Same here. But I also need to be there for Talara. She…" A guilty look came to Lucy's face. "I may have hurt her more than I realized by bringing her down there with us, Robert. She wasn't ready to sense that much pain and death."

"You'll be there for her," Robert said. "I know you."

"Yeah. We're taking the leave to go to Fala, actually. She wants to see her parents. And I think she needs to go home for a little, to feel peace." Lucy felt a thought come to mind. "Have they confirmed what really happened to those dead Nazi leaders?"

"The autopsies are done," said Robert. "They were all asphyxiated. There's signs of trauma in their windpipes, like something clamped down on them."

"Fassbinder."

"That's what I'm thinking."

"Just what is the SS up to?" Lucy asked. "They nuked their main world, they killed off the Reich's leadership, and they turned tail at Earth. And Fassbinder went missing. You don't suppose…"

"...that Fassbinder was beamed up to the fleet during the fight and got away with them? That sounds like what happened to me."

"And how did he and his lackeys get that well-trained in barely a year?" Lucy asked. "When we fought on New Brittany, he was pathetic."

"I'm more worried about what the SS is up to," said Robert.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it's going to be trouble."

"As if it'd be anything else," he sighed. "But whatever they're up to, we'll stop them."

Lucy grinned at that. "Damn right."

* * *

Far from the now-dead world of _Himmlerwelt_ , _Oberführer_ Erik Fassbinder stepped off of the transporter pad of the SS dreadnought _Heinrich Himmler_ and raised his arm in a salute. " _Heil Hitler!_ " he cried.

 _Oberst-Gruppenführer_ Hans Kranefuss responded. " _Heil Hitler!_ " The elder SS leader was the highest ranking officer of the _Schutzstaffel_ still alive. "Report, _Oberführer_. Your team is lost?"

"They died so that I could accomplish my mission," Fassbinder replied.

"Then the reports about the death of the _Führer_ …?"

"He would not come." Fassbinder showed contempt. "Our defeats poisoned his mind. He did not accept my arguments. I spared him the indignities of capture."

"Excellent." Kranefuss led him from the transporter room to the corridors of the _Himmler_. "And the _Oberkommando_ and the Reich Ministers…?"

The contempt was joined with glee. "I removed them as instructed. _Generalfeldmarschall_ von Schoenburg was the only one we could not kill. He relocated to the secondary command facility in Milwaukee before the enemy resumed the attack."

"A pity, as von Schoenburg has surrendered the Reich," Kranefuss spat. "They signed it upon the _Aurora_. The Alliance has been transmitting the image since. While we expected as much…" Disgust showed on the older man's face. "The surrender is being acknowledged by _Gauleiters_ and commanders across the Reich, frightened of the _untermensch_ laborers on some of our worlds. There may be some that hold out, but they are scattered. Von Platen at least refused to surrender but he has declared his fleet a _freikorps_ and disappeared from known space."

"This is why the SS should have seized control long ago," Fassbinder grumbled. "We would have purged the damned 'von's and strengthened the Reich under orthodox Party leadership."

"We compromised to preserve the order of the Reich. But now that we are all that is left of Hitler's Thousand Year Reich, never again shall we compromise," Kranefuss declared. "We will endure!"

Their trip brought them to the bridge of the _Himmler_. SS men were at all stations. The Donner Nebula crackled with plasma energies on the main viewer. More SS starships were gathered here. Some were transports, some armed auxiliaries, and many were combat starships of varying type. And the _Himmler_ was their beating heart.

Fassbinder felt two other presences before he saw them. He turned to his allies, the only two females on the bridge, clad in dark jumpsuits and bearing the same energy blade weapon he had on his belt. One was, despite a lighter skin texture, a dead ringer for one of the _Aurora_ officers, Lucilla Lucero; the other was a gorgeous woman with wavy blond hair down to her neck. Fassbinder might have felt an interest in her if he wasn't aware of her true nature.

For they were not fully Human, but machines in Human bodies. Machines known now to Fassbinder as the Cylons.

"It is a shame you wasted some of the best students, _Oberführer_ ," remarked the blonde, "Six". "They were not ready to face our foes."

"It was required," he said. Fassbinder sensed Kranefuss' unease. It reminded him of the delicate balancing act he had to play; he could not alienate his allies, but if Kranefuss lost confidence in him, it would destroy this alliance before it could bear fruit. "There are others to train."

"There are," agreed the Lucero clone known as "Twelve".

Nearby Kranefuss accepted the salute of the _Oberführer_ in charge of the _Himmler_. "Are we ready?"

" _Jawohl, Oberst-Gruppenführer._ "

"Then put me on with the fleet." Kranefuss waited until this was done before he began speaking. "Loyal Germans of the _Schutzstaffel_ , this is your new _Führer_. I am Hans Kranefuss. You know my lineage. My family has served proudly since the days of Hitler. And we serve still!"

"Our Reich has been betrayed, comrades! Betrayed by the spineless cowards in the OKW and the weakling spoil-seekers of the Ministries! Our old _Führer_ Sauckel was forced to take his own life to avoid capture by the horde of _untermenschen_ that even now tear down our glories from the heart of _Welthauptstadt Germania!_ Our fleets lie broken and Germans everywhere are losing heart to despair."

"But not us! We are the beating heart of Hitler's vision! We are the raging fist of his Party! We are _Schutzstaffel_ , the purest among the Aryan Race, and we still stand! We go now to rebuild our strength and ensure that one day those who have brought the Reich low will die at our hands! The order is now given!" Kranefuss clenched a triumphant fist from where he was standing. " _Activate the drives!_ "

Fassbinder's heart was swelling with pride even before the viewer showed space splitting open ahead. One by one, swirling green vortices formed in the space of the SS fleet. The deck plates below his boots thrummed as the impulse drives of the _Himmler_ powered up to send their vessel through the one ahead.

Finally it was too much. Fassbinder jubilantly lifted his right hand and kept it at the firm angle over his head demanded of his perfection, hand perfectly flat. " _Heil Hitler! Heil Kranefuss! SIEG HEIL!_ "

One by one the other officers on the bridge stood and joined his salute, hailinging the names of the first and the newest of the great Nazi leaders before beginning the chant of " _Sieg Heil!_ "

And this they did until their vessels slipped through the interuniversal jump points, freed from the overrun home universe they were all determined to reconquer. 

* * *

When Robert told her that President Morgan wished to see both of them, Julia felt some surprise. She'd met the President before, of course, during the negotiations that led to the Alliance. But since then her contact had been entirely with Admiral Maran. That Morgan summoned her as well as Robert made her wonder just what was going on.

The security escort was as humorless as Julia figured they'd be when they ushered her and Robert into the presence of the President of the Allied Systems. Foreign Secretary Onaran and Defense Minister Hawthorne were in the room as well, as was Admiral Maran. Hawthorne gave them a level look. Julia didn't need Robert's abilities to know his dislike for the two of them and everyone they called friend. He was the leader of the anti-metaphysical talents camp of the Alliance government, with his in-service ally being Vice CNO Admiral Davies, who was even more bigoted than he when it came to "mind-readers" and metaphysically-capable individuals.

Morgan nodded to them. "Captains," he said. "My thanks to you and to your crew, Captain Andreys, for their bravery over Germania. It's fitting that the _Aurora_ has yet again played an instrumental role in bringing the war to a satisfactory conclusion."

Hawthorne's eyes narrowed slightly. It was clear he didn't agree with that assessment.

"Thank you, Mister President," Julia replied. "I just wish the cost of winning hadn't been so high."

"You and me both," said Morgan.

At that point Robert felt the weariness in Morgan was not just from the war. He could tell Morgan was upset with something, something new since the surrender. Had there been severe trouble over the division of the Reich into occupation zones?

"My intention when I called you was simply to give personal thanks to you both," said Morgan. "You are both being named for commendations, for service at Germania and prior operations. But there has been a new development that, I fear, may bring us on the path to another war."

"With the war's aftermath, or something else?' Robert asked.

Morgan reached to a control and looked toward the holo-viewer on the wall. "This message just went out on subspace all across Universe S5T3."

A moment later the holo-viewer came alive. On the screen was a Cardassian, one neither of them had met. But Robert recognized him from an intel briefing on the ongoing problems in S5T3. "That's Gul Dukat," he said. "And is that Cardassia? Did he come back from exile?"

"You could say that," Morgan said, after which he triggered the message to play.

" _You might ask, 'Should we fear joining the Dominion?'_ " Dukat said. " _And I answer you, not in the least. We should embrace the opportunity._ "

Robert felt his stomach begin to turn, realizing just what Morgan had met by Dukat's return.

 _"The Dominion recognizes us for what we are. The true leaders of the Alpha Quadrant. And now that we are joined together, the only people with anything to fear will be our enemies…_ "

President Morgan shut off the image of Gul Dukat before turning to Robert and Julia. "Now you see what we have to deal with," he said. "The Dominion has a foothold on our side of the S5T3 Milky Way. Our worlds, and those of our allies, are in danger."

* * *

For Caterina and Violeta, it was to be their last night together aboard the _Aurora_. Violeta's transfer to her new ship would be official following their leaves, requiring her to begin the process of traveling to the _Huàscar_ for her new post. They spent the time enjoying a meal before settling onto the couch in Cat's quarters, the same piece of furniture they'd first cuddled together on. It was only fitting that they cuddle again.

"You don't have to go to Sirius if you don't want to, Cat," Violeta assured her. "There's nothing else you want to do?"

"I cost you the last chance. It's only fair that I go through with it this time," Cat answered. She pressed herself against Violeta, enjoying the sensation immensely. "I guess it'll be awkward with your parents…"

"A little."

"...but still, I… I want to do it. Meet them, see the places you grew up. If we end up moving on, I want to at least have the memories."

Violeta responded by playfully toussling Cat's dark hair. "We already have a lot of good ones. But I'll be glad to make some more with you."

Tears formed silently in their eyes, both aware of how likely it was that after Sirius their relationship would end due to distance and time. Whatever happened, neither wanted it to become a bitter outcome. A sad one, but not bitter.

Quietly, both fell asleep in each others' arms.

* * *

Cat woke up to empty quarters. At first she thought Violeta had left for some reason, but quickly it was clear something was wrong. The ship seemed too dark.

 _No. Not this again. No no no no_ …

But it was. The same dream of a dead, dark ship. The bridge filled with the bodies of dead friends. Even her own body.

And then, when she stepped back from her corpse, she backed into someone. She turned in confusion and only remembered what came next when the hands pressed against her temples, unyielding, refusing to move. Pain filled her head. She screamed " _Stop!_ " while trying to escape and failing, feeling herself begin to fall.

A voice spoke. And her eyes widened in recognition at hearing the words spoken.

" _I'm sorry, Cat. I'm so sorry._ "

And then she fell, fell into darkness, into nothingness...

...and awoke still on the couch, cuddled up beside Violeta. Her girlfriend remained fast asleep.

Cat sat up and rubbed her face with her hands. It was the dream again. Why was she having it?

And why was _he_ the one hurting her?

"Why?" she whispered to herself. "Why?"

And for the moment, the answer did not come to her.


	71. Episode 3-13-1 The Coming Storm

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 10 August 2643 AST. Captain Julia Andreys recording. After weeks of repair work, I am pleased to report that the_ Aurora _is only a couple days away from returning to active duty. Our battle damage from the battles against Sovereign and over the Reich capital has been completely repaired. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're all eager to get back out there._

The medbay of the _Starship Aurora_ took up a sizable portion of Deck 12, providing the ship the medical facilities necessary to care for its own crew and assist with humanitarian efforts. Today it was quiet and mostly inactive, with much of the crew beginning to filter back aboard as the ship neared the day it returned to full service.

Ordinarily the repair work to bring her back into service would have been directed in some part by Lieutenant Thomas Barnes, the ship's Assistant Chief Engineer. Under the guidance of his mentor, the legendary engineer Montgomery Scott, Tom knew every system on the _Aurora_ like the back of his hand.

This time, however, he would not be joining the repair work. To save the ship in orbit over Germania Tom had mutilated himself, cutting off his right arm, broken and crushed and pinned in by debris as it was. He was still having dreams about it. The debris that buried him, the pain in the arm after enduring the punishment of broken bones and a metal spike through the bicep…

...the white-hot glare of the plasma welder as it sliced through flesh and bone, removing his arm in seconds.

The mutilation had been necessary. The _Aurora_ 's cooling systems were damaged. The ship faced a meltdown without the systems back up and running.

And so he'd saved the ship, his ship, at the price of his arm.

The empty sleeve of Tom' medical gown was rolled entirely up, revealing the stub of his arm. Doctor Leonard Gillam examined the stub with a medical recorder.

"So?" asked Tom.

Leo took another minute before nodding. "The nerve regeneration treatments are working as intended. You should be ready for the next stage in a week or so. That means you have a choice to make."

"The organic or prosthetic thing?"

Leo nodded. "It doesn't take long to actually make an organic arm, and the surgery to attach it is quick. But then you'll have weeks of therapy ahead to gain full functionality in the arm."

"While a prosthetic starts working almost right away."

"Yes," Leo said.

Tom nodded. Now came the important question. "Which will let me get back to work sooner?"

"The prosthetic," Leo said. "I can't clear you for standard duty until your arm's functional enough. The prosthetic will only take a day or two."

"But I could get an arm made later, right?" asked Tom. "Like, at any time?"

"Well, yes. It means going back into surgery, of course, and you'll still have to do the therapy," Leo said. "If you ask me, if you really want your arm to be organic, you should just get that over with now."

"Even though I won't be able to get back to work for a while."

"You could do some light duty," Leo suggested.

Tom gave him a look. "To run engineering, I really need two hands. And all ten fingers. Otherwise all I can do is run around and give orders, I can't actually operate stations as well."

"Do me a favor and give it a thought," said Leo. "Maybe consult Dr. Tusana."

Tom didn't recognize the name. "Who?"

"She's our new psychiatrist," Leo said.

"What happened to Ewing?"

"He's transferred away," said Leo.

"Oh." Tom sighed. "So you think I need a shrink?"

"I think you need some _therapy_ ," Leo said. "A little mental self-care. People who've lost limbs often do. People who had to maim themselves? Definitely." Seeing Tom's skepticism Leo sighed and silently cursed the toxic mentality toward mental illness that they'd all grown up with. "If my mom asked you about your missing arm, would you talk to her?"

Tom remembered the late Dr. Coretta Gillam and nodded. "Your mom was cool. Yeah."

"Well, Doctor Tusana is no different than my Mom. So how about I schedule a session for you before the time comes for you to make your decision?"

Knowing full well Leo wasn't going to take "No" as an answer, Tom answered, "Alright, fine. I'll go see the shrink."

" _Psychiatrist_ ," Leo corrected.

"Yeah, that." 

* * *

For Caterina Delgado, the excitement of the _Aurora_ being days away from heading back out into space was undermined by the pain of loneliness she was feeling. Violeta Arterria, her girlfriend for over a year, was gone, promoted and re-assigned to the _Starship Huáscar_ as its Navigation Officer. Now she sat alone on a couch they formerly cuddled on and thought of Vee, of those brilliant purple eyes and matching purple hair, created by the cosmetic genes that the Sirians were so known for. Cat wondered if this was how Angel always felt whenever her relationship with Robert entered its "breakup" phase.

Sniffling to herself, Cat walked into her sleeping quarters. The closet door was closed, keeping her from seeing the costume she wore for the _Ultimate Worlds of Fantasy_ holodeck game Vee had gotten her into. Now it was just another painful reminder.

Laying on her bed, Cat closed her eyes and, even as early as it was, she felt herself nod off to sleep.

That's when the dream started again.

The ship was dark, silent, _dead_. She made her way to the bridge and found everyone in the same state. Locarno sprawled out on the floor between the First Officer's seat and navigation, another body nearby that she didn't make out. Jarod was slumped over Operations, Angel over tactical. Julia lay back in her command chair, her skin ashen gray; she'd been dead for a long time.

And there, at Science, was Cat herself. Also dead.

Cat backed away from the sight. As always, she brushed up against someone and turned to face them. Hands grabbed her head, fingers clawing at her temples, and something started to press upon her mind. She felt like she was falling into a dark void. " _Stop!_ " she screamed.

At that, a familiar voice replied, " _I'm sorry, Cat. I'm so sorry_."

Her eyes snapped open in recognition of the voice. The shadows parted from her vision enough for her to see the face of her attacker.

And then she fell into the void.

Cat awoke on her bed with a start, crying the name of her attacker in confusion.

" _Doctor?!_ "

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"The Coming Storm"_**

After collecting her thoughts, Cat got back out of bed. The dream was getting stronger as the days and weeks passed. And now, she didn't have Vee to hold her and assure her everything was fine. She was alone and all she could think of was those images in the dream. Of her and the others dead. Just the thought of it… it seemed so crazy. The dreams felt more like visions of a sort, but she wasn't a clairvoyant.

Was she?

More than anything, Cat wanted to talk to someone about this. She had to. She felt like she was going mad. She tapped her omnitool, brought it to life, and made the call. 

* * *

Angel arrived in Cat's quarters wearing a white tank top with a faded design on it and high-cut jean shorts. The two might be sisters, but aside from hazel eyes and black hair they were very dissimilar. Angel's choice in clothing showed off the thick fighting muscle of her body, a contrast to Cat's thin limbs and build. Angel was several inches taller than her younger sister and had wider shoulders, looking every inch like a star MMA fighter. Which, had life taken them down a different path, she might have turned out to be.

Cat blinked at her sister's appearance. "I thought you'd be training," she said.

Angel flashed her a small grin. "I was on a date, actually." She sat down with Cat on the couch.

"Really?" Cat's eyes widened. "That's… I'm… that's wonderful, I'm so happy for…" She stopped with a horrible realization. "Oh no. You didn't end the date over me, did you?"

Angel laughed. "It's sweet of you to worry about me, Cat, but no. We finished our meal and he went back to work. We'll meet up later, and it'll be fine." She ran her hand through Cat's hair playfully. "And even if you did… you are my crazy little sister, and I'm used to it."

Cat smiled thinly at that. "I'm sorry when I do."

"I know. Anyway, what's the matter?"

"It's these dreams," Cat confessed. "I… I dream that I'm on the ship, and there's no power, and everyone's dead, even _me_. And then someone puts their hands on my head and it's like I'm falling…" She sighed. "I know it sounds weird, but it doesn't feel like a normal nightmare. It keeps happening the same way each time. And now… well… now in the dream, I see and hear the person attacking me… and it's the Doctor."

Angel's brow furrowed. "Okay, so what… it's some nightmare of him turning on us?"

"No. Not that, I don't think. It doesn't feel like that. He apologizes to me. Says he's sorry. Like attacking my mind is something he has to do." Cat shook her head. "It's not just a normal nightmare, though. I'm having it more often now. And it's getting more clear each time."

Angel waited for Cat to finish her answer before putting an affectionate hand on her little sister's shoulder. "It may just be a nightmare. Whatever it is, it sounds like it's bothering you a lot."

"It is."

"Then you should probably see Doctor Tusana," said Angel.

"The new psychiatrist?"

"Yeah. Leo's been getting on us all to meet her and have a session. 'Mental self-care'. The man's as bad a mother hen as Julia, I swear to God." Angel smirked. "I told him I didn't need some shrink rummaging around in my brain."

"It's actually not a bad idea," Cat said. "I mean, mental illness is more widespread than people realize, and even people without it sometimes need to, y'know, talk about things. Secrets and stuff."

"If I need to let things out, I've got a punching bag in the gym and a new boyfriend," Angel reminded her. "I'll be fine."

Cat sighed at that. She knew there was no arguing with Angel on the matter. "Alright. I won't push. And I'll call and ask when I can see her."

"Good." Angel leaned over and kissed her sister on the forehead. "And you can talk to me whenever you need. You know that."

"I do."

"Then I'll see you later. I want to get some time in the gym tonight." Angel hugged Cat and left the quarters, leaving Cat to sit on the couch before working her omnitool to set up the appointment she'd agreed to take. 

* * *

A universe and half a galaxy away from the Earth of Universe L2M1, the current location of the _Starship Aurora_ , was the massive space station known as the Citadel. With great arms forty kilometers in length, the Citadel was home to millions of sapient beings and stood as the heart of organized galactic government in Universe M4P2's Milky Way galaxy.

It had, regrettably, seen better days. Barely a month before, a great battle raged in nearby space. The Geth, a machine race built by the Quarians centuries before, laid siege to the station in the name of their "deity", the ancient Reaper machine known as Sovereign, in an attempt to call the Reapers back to the galaxy to begin another cyclical purge of organic life. The subsequent Geth invasion of the Citadel, and the attacks on communications that resulted, led to widespread chaos and violence. Thousands were wounded or killed during the attack and nearby space was choked with debris from the ships lost on both sides. Even now some of that debris remained, not yet cleaned away, and the damage to the Wards was still being repaired.

And that didn't account for the sentiments of the Citadel's residents. From them one thing was clear to Robert Dale, Captain in the Alliance Stellar Navy and one of the twelve Paladin agents of the Allied Systems: nothing on the CItadel would ever be the same.

The lab space was in Aroch Ward, a vacated warehouse claimed from its owners by the Citadel government to be used for the purpose of the investigation into the debris from the attacking force. While most of it had been catalogued, some had yet to be collected and stored, and much still had to be analyzed. The Citadel, and the Alliance, were putting great emphasis on this process to ensure greater understanding of the Geth as they'd progressed in the centuries since the Morning War.

On the tables and scanner assemblies around him, Robert watched some of his friends and comrades at work. Lieutenant Commander Jarod, the Operations Officer of the _Aurora_ , was leading the _Aurora_ officers assigned the task. Currently he was examining the remnants of a Geth platform with the aid of one of his officers, Lieutenant Tra'dur, a Dilgar woman.

Nearby Lucy Lucero, formally a Lieutenant in the service and now a member of Robert's team as a Paladin operative, was checking a shard of blue-tinged material from the wreckage of Sovereign. An emissions field surrounded the piece as a precaution. Newly-promoted Lieutenant Talara, nominally a member of the _Aurora_ 's bridge crew and a student of Lucy in the metaphysical powers they shared (as did Robert), stood by waiting to provide another piece for Lucy to examine. She was a Falaen woman, a species of Universe A7R6, with a brown complexion and blue hair and eyes with blue half-moons between her cheeks and eyes. Her ears were elfin in shape, with pointed ends, although not as long as the ears of a Dorei.

The third table was taken up by two other experts present and newly arrived: Lieutenant Commanders Data and Geordi La Forge of the United Federation of Planets' Starfleet. The Operations Officer and Chief Engineer of the Federation _Starship Enterprise_ , they were on loan from Starfleet to assist in the analysis efforts while the _Enterprise_ assisted in the recovery efforts around the Citadel itself. Data, constructed decades before by Dr. Noonien Soong, looked mostly Human save for his pale gold skin and eyes. Geordi La Forge was of African ancestry, with a moderate build and height. Where he had once worn a special visor to replace the sight he was born lacking, now ocular implants provided said sight, giving the appearance of blue eyes that showed clear circuitry when viewed closely enough.

In Robert's company stood a close friend. Commander Zachary Carrey and Robert had known each other since Zack was about six years old. They'd grown up together as one another's closest male friends. As grown men, this bond hadn't wavered, although it had certainly been tested over the years, especially since Robert's discovery of the Darglan Facility that changed their lives. Robert sensed his friend's quiet boredom. Zack was not a technical expert and this was hardly something he considered a valuable use of his time. His presence was from his current position, soon to end, as liaison officer between the Alliance and C-Sec.

"Intriguing," said Data. "This debris is giving off a weak electromagnetic field."

"How is that even possible?" asked Geordi. "We don't have it connected to any power source. Does this material generate its own power?"

"The other samples I've seen do," Jarod said, looking up from the Geth debris. He prompted Tra'dur to move it. "Although I'll be damned if I know how."

"The material is a unique composite structure outside of known science," Data said. "We will need further examination to determine the source of the power for the field."

"I'm more interested in what the field does."

Robert and Lucy exchanged uncomfortable looks at Geordi's remark. "It might be the method used for indoctrination," Robert answered.

Geordi looked toward him. "Indoctrination?"

"It's an effect that came from being in proximity to Sovereign," Robert explained. "Over time, those exposed to Sovereign gradually lost control of their minds. From what Saren's experiments revealed, the highest exposures frequently left beings as mindless husks or drones. Or they would go mad from imagining whispers and orders. It's how Sovereign converted followers."

Geordi winced. "Well, it's a good thing we're keeping all of these samples in containment fields."

"Even then, I'd be careful about being around them for too long," Lucy said. "There's still so much we don't know about the effect. It's possible that even the fields don't entirely contain it."

"Sensors show that the EM fields are contained, Lieutenant, I do not believe there is much need for worry," Data assured her. "Although given the scope of the problem, I do understand your caution."

Tra'dur brought another piece of Geth technology over to examine with Jarod. "There's no sign of a similar field with pieces from the Geth," she said. "And the atomic materials scans are clear on the component elements."

"That is to be expected," said Data. His gold eyes returned to the readouts for the shard of Sovereign on the table before him. "From the pieces I have already examined, it is clear that the Geth and Sovereign were not of the same technological base. There are clear, unmistakable differences."

"Make sure that goes in the report, please," said Robert. He gave Zack an uneasy look. "Sources close to the Council have already claimed otherwise on the extranet."

Jarod frowned at that. "We're not even close to done with this work. It's not possible for them to judge either way."

"It's not about scientific truth, Jarod," Zack sighed. "It's about politics. The Council's probably afraid of the results if they confirm what Sovereign was. Anderson's the only one voting for complete disclosure, from what I've heard."

Robert smiled at that. "How did Anderson get tapped for M4P2 Humanity's seat on the Council, anyway?"

"The Council asked Shepard's advice, Shepard picked Anderson," replied Zack. He grinned. "Although they probably didn't want Udina either. He's always a pain in the ass. Anderson's not a diplomat, but he gets stuff done, and he's still less annoying than Udina."

"I'm sure Ambassador Udina isn't happy," Lucy remarked.

"No he is not," said Zack. "And personally, I don't give a damn."

Robert chuckled. "I bet Shepard doesn't either."

"Have you heard from her lately?" asked Lucy. "Or the _Koenig_?"

"They're still out in the Attican Traverse," Robert said. "Investigating those missing ships. The _Normandy_ and the _Koenig_ will be back in port in a few days." He glanced toward Zack with a wide grin. "Just in time for Zack to get his ship back."

Given the twinkle in Zack's eye, it was clear he was eagerly awaiting that day. 

* * *

Alone in the middle of interstellar space, the _Starship Koenig_ moved along at superluminal velocity within the warp field her drives generated for the purpose. The ship was flying openly, cloaking device unengaged, her sensors actively scanning her environment.

 _Koenig_ was a special ship. While she shared many similarities in capability and design with the Alliance _Trigger_ -class attack ship, she was a unique design, created by Carlton Farmer and Montgomery Scott for the use of the Universe H1E4 Facility crew in the year before the Alliance was founded. The _Koenig_ 's purpose was to supplement the Darglan-designed scouts by being a pure combat vessel, sacrificing living space and independent operation capability for combat power. This was why the ship was rarely out on her own for longer than a week, maybe two, before returning to her home base, normally the _Starship Aurora_. She made up for this sacrifice in independence by having the firepower to threaten ships two, even three times her mass and size.

In command of the vessel was Commander Will Atreiad, who sat in the office on the bridge deck, sipping at coffee and reading reports from the crew. They were doing their utmost to make this, his final mission on the _Koenig_ , as smooth as possible. Once they were back he would be relinquishing command to Zachary Carrey, ending what now felt like a short caretaker command by returning the ship to one of her original officers and moving on to his new post as First Officer of the _Starship Huáscar_. While command of the _Koenig_ had been intimidating to him in the beginning - the ship had a legendary status among Will's people, the survivors of the Colonies of Kobol from Universe N2S7 - the _Huáscar_ presented its own intimidating nature. He would be responsible for a ship of two thousand ship and crew, half of them Dilgar, with all of the potential for trouble that entailed.

 _It will be like the early days of the Colonial Confederacy, when the Navy started integrating crews from multiple Colonies_ , he thought.

" _Bridge to Atreiad_ ," said Lieutenant Jean Hajar, one of the watch officers of the ship, with piloting and engineering as her specialties. Hajar was, like Atreiad, a former member of another service from the Alliance, having come over from the Federation's Starfleet. " _Commander, I have Commander Shepard on subspace for you._ "

"Put her through." Will sat up in his chair and looked to the flatscreen monitor panel on his desk. The image shifted to show Commander Jen Shepard of the Systems Alliance, commander of the _SSV Normandy_ and the first (and only) Human Spectre of the Citadel Council. She was a bright, passionate woman with a brown complexion. Her red hair was cut short on her head. There was an almost bored look in her green eyes. "Commander, anything on your side of the cluster?"

" _That's a negative_ ," she replied. " _There's no sign of these ships or their attacker. Or attackers. What about you?_ "

"Nothing here either," he said. "Definitely nothing confirming Geth involvement."

" _I suspected as much. I suppose we can't be too surprised. The Batarians have already gotten their hands on some extraversal technology, and there's no telling what the groups in the Terminus Systems have access to by now. They could have a couple dozen warships cloaked nearby and we'd never see them until they attacked."_

"Right."

" _Any further news_?" Shepard asked.

Certain as to what she was asking about, he replied, "The latest dispatches from S4W8 are that the Turians and Slavic Union are still disputing Drachenfeldt. Defense Command's assigned a brigade of British Stellar Union troops to garrison the planet until the situation can be negotiated. The Capellans and the Star Adder Clan nearly started shooting on New Lotharingia over the Hassenfeld Valley, but they've accepted Minbari arbitration in lieu of a Clan Trial of Possession. The Minbari are also arbitrating the Turian and Federated Commonwealth dispute over the Delta Serpentis System…"

Shepard's expression betrayed displeasure. " _Damn. Udina was right. I hate it when that smug bastard is right._ "

"If it makes you feel better, Captain Dale made the same prediction."

" _He doesn't count. He's got that life force clairvoyance thing_ ," she replied.

Will laughed at that. "The priests are still trying to figure out how to explain that stuff," he chuckled.

Shepard grinned, but the grin turned brittle. " _And the Cardassian situation?_ "

"Nothing new as of late. The Dominion sent another convoy through the wormhole two days ago. But ever since they kicked the Klingons out of Cardassian territory, the only thing they've been doing is clearing the Maquis out of Cardassian-claimed worlds in what used to be the De-Militarized Zone. Or 'Re-Militarized Zone' as Apley put it in our last status briefing."

" _We finish one war and another one is already brewing._ " Shepard looked away for a moment. " _Well, I've got a watch coming up. Keep me informed._ "

"The same to you, Commander. _Koenig_ out."

Shepard nodded once before her image was replaced by the stylized symbol of the Systems Alliance.

Will slid back in his chair and sighed deeply. _Lords, I know the reward for hard work is more work, but couldn't we get something of a break?_ he thought ruefully, after which he resumed his work for the day. 

* * *

Cat stepped into Dr. Tusana's office on Deck 12 wearing off-duty clothing, specifically a knee-length purple skirt and a pastel pink T-shirt with a stylized rearing unicorn carrying a lab coat-clad figure on its back with a Greek-style laurel on the figure's head. The text below read " _Princess of the Geeks_ " in purple lettering.

Dr. Tusana was a Gersallian woman of dark skin tone, wearing a loose fitting robe of brilliant green color over a cream white tunic. Amber-toned eyes looked over Caterina with great patience, and her chestnut-colored hair was pulled back into a looped braid, a hairstyle Cat hadn't seen before. She sat comfortably in her chair in the middle of the office.

The office was remarkably well-organized for a newly-arrived occupant, with mementos already placed and displays and items that, one suspected, were to help people relax. There was an earthy, sweet smell to the room, and Cat realized it was from the burning incense on Tusana's table.

Tusana noticed her interest and smiled gently. "It is _hrata_ ," she explained. "An incense that quiets the mind and helps focus thoughts."

''It does smell good," Cat said. She took the offered seat on the chaise lounge. "You're civilian?"

"I am, yes," she replied. Her accent had the same melodic lilt that Meridina's had, although the tone was slightly different, in the manner that Cat's Midwestern accent was different from Angel's, which sounded more Spanish than Cat's. "Does this trouble you?"

"Oh, no. I was just wondering. Doctor Ewing was commissioned, I was wondering if they did the same thing."

"They did not," replied Tusana. "I am pleased you came to see me. Doctor Gillam informs me that your culture has a negative view of mental therapy?"

"Well… I'm not sure it's all negative. It's…" Cat shrugged. "People from our area of Earth associate psychiatrists with mental illness, and being mentally ill… it's a shame thing, really. Everyone assumes being mentally ill means you're insane or a psychopath or something."

"I see. An unfortunate perception certainly. Another cultural difference between us, it seems. Now…" Tusana sat up in her chair. "What is it you wish to see me about, Commander Delgado?"

"You can call me 'Cat', Doctor," Caterina insisted.

"Very well, Cat." Tusana said nothing more, letting Caterina reply on her own time.

Cat took in a breath. "Well, it's these dreams I've been having. They… they don't feel like dreams, and they're getting worse, and there's more details as I have them…"

Tusana nodded. She leaned forward in her chair. "Would you object to allowing me to see your dreams?"

At first Caterina was taken aback, but then she remembered a fact she'd briefly forgotten. "Oh, right, you're a telepath. Okay, sure. How does this work?"

Tusana gave her an intrigued look. "You are the first patient I've had to react so openly to the idea. Aside from my people and Dorei, most have initial discomfort until reassurances are given, and a few have refused consent even afterward."

"Well, I guess it's scary having someone in your head. They might find out your deepest, darkest secret or something. But I told everyone my deepest darkest secret over a year ago, and they hugged me for it," Cat replied. Tusana easily picked up her warm thoughts for the day eighteen months before when she, still recovering from Morinth's attack on her, revealed to the others she was a lesbian, to clapping and hugs and a big Hargert-made cake. (Although this being Hargert, he'd have made a cake anyway.) "Anyway, yeah, it can be scary I guess to have someone who can mess with your mind. But I think it's pretty cool. And I've always wondered about the limitations of telepathy. Like, how many minds can be accessed at once, or how far apart minds can touch. Anyway, I'm just rambling, so let's start?"

Tusana's patient smile didn't waver. "Of course. When you feel me enter your mind, allow the memories of the dream to come up."

"Okay…" Cat closed her eyes and relaxed. Moments passed and she felt _it_. A little pinprick at the edge of her mind, like a small needle pressing against her skin. She fought off the instinct to push back and let the needle enter. _Someone's in my mind! This is so cool!_ was her sentiment, and she felt amusement that wasn't her own. Knowing that the psychiatrist was in her mind now, Cat allowed the dream imagery to come up. It was a horrible sight and she couldn't keep herself from feeling that way about it, even if she knew it wasn't real.

She let the images continue, until the Doctor grabbed her head, and the pain started and darkness came.

Something shifted in the alien thoughts in her mind. The needle was gone, replaced by a series of what she could only think of as probes that moved through her mind. _What is it?_ she thought.

 _I am using your dream to search your memories, to see if there are matching memories. I believe I…_

What came next was not so much pain as a sense of pressure. The probes began to coalesce, becoming a solid sense in Caterina's mind again. The pressure increased as the solid needle pushed on. Again and again it seemed to move and press, and every time the pressure held it, becoming uncomfortable as it did.

And then, like that, the alien thoughts in her mind were gone. Cat opened her eyes and was stunned to see that Tusana seemed worn down. As if she'd just had to sprint across the ship. Sweat glistened on Tusana's forehead. Her expression was full of bewilderment. "I have never felt a mental block that powerful," Tusana confessed.

"A block?" asked Cat.

"Yes. I felt an echo in your memory from the imagery of the dream. But when I reached for it, I was blocked."

"It felt like… a kind of pressure."

"Yes. Which means the block was not meant to harm," she said. "A cruel telepath would make blocks that could harm both the target of the block and any other telepath that tried to access it. But this was made to be gentle in its refusal to break." Tusana ran a hand over her forehead. "And it is powerful beyond imagining. I have trained extensively to deal with mental blocks and repressed memories, and I have felt nothing so strong in my life."

Cat frowned. "So you can't remove the block?"

"No."

"Well, maybe if Meridina…"

"No, not even with her. It would take many of us to even hope to, and the process of that many minds exerting themselves inside your mind would inflict incalculable harm upon you, Cat." Tusana shook her head. "I am at a loss to figure out how to fix this. The telepath who placed the block has power beyond anything I have heard of."

Caterina's brow furrowed. Hearing that, it was becoming clear to her what she had to do, if she was to learn what was going on in her mind.

Tusana sensed that thought from Cat. "Which doctor are you referring to?" she asked. "It's not one of the ship's doctors, is it?"

"No," said Cat. "The Doctor isn't a member of the crew." She stood up. "I need to go see Captain Andreys, Doctor. Thank you for your help."

"I wish I could have done more," Tusana said. "Please, do come back. I wish to have a normal session with you."

"I promise, I will," Cat pledged, after which she left the room.

* * *

After the day's work, Zack returned to his office at C-Sec headquarters to finish his day's paperwork… and the last day's paperwork as well. With his departure just a few days away he wanted to ensure his successor had nothing to complain about.

On the screen now was paperwork for a disputed invoice between C-Sec and a company from the Colonial Confederation that won the bid for installing updated software defenses for C-Sec's internal communications, a response to the way Saren sabotaged the same during his attack on the Citadel. C-Sec was disputing some of the charges and Zack was stuck firmly in the middle, the company expecting his office to threaten C-Sec into a settlement and C-Sec expecting him to report their negative findings to his government. _I think I'd rather be shot at by Nazis again_ , he muttered to himself.

He was drawn from this scintillating subject by a call over his comm unit. It took ten seconds or so for the call to finish finalizing through the linked networks of the M4P2 galaxy and the Alliance interuniversal communications system. When it was done, his screen blipped to show the face of Tom Barnes. "Hey Tom," he said. "How's it going? Feeling better?"

" _Starting to_ ," he replied. " _So… it's decision time, man._ "

"Oh?" Zack considered what he was saying before figuring it out. "Your arm?"

" _Yeah. Leo says he needs to know in a couple of days. So now I've gotta figure out how I'm gonna do this Goddamned thing. The prosthetic is quicker and will get me back into service faster, but… I dunno, I don't know if I want a fake arm._ "

"Is it reversible?" Zack asked. "I mean, if you get the prosthetic, are you stuck with it?"

" _Apparently the answer is no, but it means having to go through this again next time. And I'm tired of living with one Goddamned arm, man._ "

"I'd be too," Zack admitted. "Well, I guess you could go with the prosthetic then? I mean, it's not permanent, if you don't like it…"

A weary sigh came from the other end. " _Yeah, it makes sense. I just want to get this over with._ "

"Well, if that's the case, I'd say go for organic. I mean, it's all up to you, man. What's more important, coming back early? Having an organic arm and not a metal one? Getting it over with?" As he laid out his questions, Zack could see Tom was not entirely happy to have these reactions. Finally he asked, "This isn't what you want to hear, is it?"

" _I guess I was hoping you'd just advise me to do one thing._ "

"Well, you _were_ talking about cool tools in your prosthetic arm."

Tom chuckled. "Yeah, but apparently those kinds of custom jobs aren't covered by the Stellar Navy's treatment. I'd have to spend a fortune to get a specialized arm attached."

"I suppose you could always go to Solaris," Zack pointed out.

To that Tom laughed. " _Yeah, no. Those people are nuts, man. I'm not going into surgery and waking up with a fraking tail or some other weird crap._ "

"Fair enough. Still, I don't know what else to say, man. It's your call."

" _Yeah, and I'll make it. I'm probably overthinking it. I just… I've had nightmares, man. Waking up with my arm pinned again, the ship blowing apart around me…_ "

Zack nodded. He'd had his own nightmares, of fifteen year old Dilgar kids blowing up around him. Of all of those wounded and dead from his provisional naval infantry unit. "The battle left its mark on us," he said quietly.

" _Yeah, and now I've got Leo busting my balls to visit that new Gersallian chick shrink we've got. Because what I need is someone to hold my hand and ask me what I Goddamned feel. A waste of time._ "

"Not really, Tom," Zack answered quietly. "I might still be drinking if not for Jarod's mentor." Not that he hadn't been tempted, especially after the fighting in the Nazi capital. "It's not just touchy, feely-hand stuff."

Tom clearly wasn't sold, but he stopped groaning about it. " _Well, maybe I'll consider it, then. Anyway, I'd better go. Leo let me volunteer to do some of the Engineering paperwork so Scotty and the others can focus on the actual work. I've got a frakload of Goddamned requisition reports and repair orders to read through._ "

"Take care, Tom, I look forward to seeing you when I get back."

" _About damn time, man. I'll see you then._ " His image disappeared.

Zack leaned back in his chair for a moment. He couldn't help but turn to look out his window. Below and outside, one of the Presidium's open-air establishments had a visible, very nice-looking bar. It looked classy and they were said to serve great drinks there. And he'd heard so many good things about Serrice Ice Brandy, that it was like drinking pure, soothing cool…

 _No Zack. Bad Zack. One would be too many!_ With that thought he returned his attention to his paperwork.

Again his comms went off. Since he was in his office, the call was relayed to his computer unit in his desk instead of his omnitool. He tapped a key to accept the call. "Commander Carrey here."

" _Commander_." The voice was familiar. Armando-Owen Bailey, now a Captain in the C-Sec service, had fought at Zack's side during Saren's attack on the Citadel. They'd nearly died fighting the Geth. " _We've got a problem._ "

"Yeah?" he asked.

" _Something tripped an alarm at the debris repository_ ," Bailey explained. " _We just responded and, well… we've had a break-in_."

That was not a good thing to hear. Zack frowned. "What did they steal?"

" _A big damn pile of our uncatalogued Sovereign debris, Commander._ "

Zack let out a groan. "Of course," he signed, thinking again how nice just a single drink would be. _One would be too much. One would be too much..._

* * *

With the ship's departure from drydock approaching, Julia found she was yet again dealing with something close to a proper paperwork load. There were systems reports to read, requisitions, promotions and personnel transfers to approve, everything necessary to get the _Aurora_ ready to return to active service after the beating she took in the victory over _Welthauptstadt Germania_.

After taking the time to visit the restroom attached to her ready office, Julia returned to her desk. She was picked her digital pad up to resume reading when the door chimed. "Come in," she said.

Caterina entered. She was in the " _Princess of the Geeks_ " shirt that Tom had given her for her birthday earlier in the year and a matching skirt. Since the ship was still in drydock Julia decided to let the lack of a uniform while on the bridge slide. "What can I do for you?" she asked Cat.

"I need… I need to go do something," Cat said, her voice restrained.

Julia folded her hands on the table. "Alright. What is it?"

"I need to go to Earth, Universe W8R4," Cat said. "And I need to find the Doctor."

For a moment Julia said nothing. She let the request work its way through her mind. The obvious complications related to it. "Earth W8R4 is under a special contact limitation," she reminded Cat. "No contact is permitted with local population, only a few specially designated officers of the UNIT organization."

"I know," Cat said. "I studied the order first, just to make sure. But Sarah Jane has a link to UNIT. And since she already knows about us, the limitation doesn't really apply."

"I'm not sure the Admiralty will agree with that reading of the regulation," Julia remarked. "Why do you need to see Miss Smith?"

"Because she can help me find the Doctor, and I need to speak to him. He… I think…" Cat swallowed. She could tell she wasn't winning Julia over to the request. "Julia, I know it's bad timing and I know it could cause trouble…"

"Yeah, it is and it could," Julia said, although she immediately regretted it. She hadn't meant to sound that hostile.

She was impressed with Cat, however. While Cat might have once let the firm opposition cause her to yield, just to avoid the confrontation, now she held firm. She wasn't looking for a fight, but she had a good reason for something and she was going to push for it. "Doctor Tusana found a block in my mind, Julia," she said.

Julia frowned at that. "A block? As in…"

"As in my memories have been blocked," Cat said. "She says it's the strongest block she's ever seen. And she's sure it's beyond anything a normal telepath could make. But I know one that _can_."

"The Doctor," Julia realized.

"Yeah. He… I don't know what's behind the block, but it's related to my nightmares over the last few months, and I need to find out. The nightmares, they won't stop, and I don't know how much more of it I can take," Cat insisted. "If the Doctor put it there, he can lift it, or at least tell me why. If he didn't, maybe he can remove it. Either way, I really need to see him!"

There was clear heat in Cat's voice by the time she finished laying out her reasoning. Julia found it a sound argument. And she didn't want Cat suffering. If this was some leaking memory blocked away from Cat's conscious mind, Julia had no idea how much it would damage Cat mentally over time.

And yet, the regulations were clear.

Julia tapped away at the hard-light keyboard projected on her desk until she brought up the relevant contact orders. She was surprised to see that she, Cat, and Angel were all listed as authorized contact points for relations with UNIT, presumably due to their experiences in that universe. She gave the rules a quick read and finally nodded. "I'll sign off for you to use a shuttle craft, and I'll see about getting you a jump to W8R4."

Cat smiled at her and nodded. "I could hug you for this one."

"Ah, your thanks are fine," Julia said. She allowed herself a warm grin for Cat's benefit. "Go find out what's wrong, Cat. And then get your butt home, we'll have things to scan."

"Aye Captain!" Cat declared enthusiastically, giving a well-meaning, playful, and entirely unnecessary salute. "Uh, I'm doing it right, right?" she added with uncertainty.

Julia now allowed herself a small giggle. "I'm not sure, but since salutes aren't in the regs yet, don't worry about it."

"Okay. Let me go pack then. And I'll be back before you know it!" With that Cat rushed from the room. Julia watched the door slide close behind her before returning to the paperwork that still demanded Julia's attention.


	72. Episode 3-13-2 The Coming Storm

Cat was getting the last of her things together - since she didn't expect to be gone long, she was only taking a small bag of clothes and personal necessities - when there was a chime at her door. She sighed, knowing full well who it was even before she called out "Come in!"

Angel came in, wearing her usual exercise combination of brown sports bra and shorts with her hair pulled back in a bun. Muscle rippled under her visible skin, still glistening with sweat from whatever exercises she'd abandoned to come argue with her "crazy little sister". "Are you crazy?!" she demanded. "You're actually going back to that damn Earth?!"

"Well, just for a bit," Cat replied.

"Considering what happened the _last_ time we went there? Or the time before that?!"

Cat sighed. W8R4's Earth had proven dangerous twice so far, the first time with that alien with the bio-absorption cane, the second seeing them nearly killed due to the Cybermen and the Daleks. And the time before that, visiting had led to the Dalek invasion of the Facility…

...and that was just from Angel's point-of-view. During the year she spent with the Doctor - a year from her perspective alone, anyway - Cat had faced quite a number of dangers on that Earth, albeit in entirely different periods of time.

 _Okay, so W8R4 is crazy dangerous. In any era. Of course Angel's going to freak out that I'm going back there_. With that in mind, Cat avoided getting frustrated with her protective big sister. "I know how it looks to you, but I need to do it," Cat assured her. "The Doctor may be the only being in the Multiverse who can remove the block in my mind."

"You're telling me Meridina can't? If not, why not get Rob and Lucy to help, they've got that metaphysical life energy stuff…"

"It's not the same as telepathy," Cat insisted. "And no, it won't help. Whatever happened… the Doctor's the only one who can help. He can remove the block, or explain why it's there and can't be taken out. So I need to find him."

"And you're going _alone_?"

Cat shrugged. "Well, yeah. I'm just taking a shuttle."

"Dammit, Cat, that entire universe is a death trap!" Angel shouted. "And shuttles don't have IU drives! You won't be able to jump home if something goes wrong!"

"There's an observation post in the Jovian orbit that can help me get home," Cat said. "They're equipped with an IU drive to send ships back since there are so few visiting ships to the universe."

"But that assumes they don't get blown up first!"

Caterina let out an exasperated sigh and walked up to her sister. She set her hands on Angel's bare arms as if to brace Angel from falling. "Listen to me, Angel. I'm going to be fine! I know you're worried about me, you always are, but I have to do this. These nightmares are getting worse and they're going to drive me crazy! Please, trust me!"

"I trust you, Cat, it's that damned universe I don't trust," Angel responded. Now it was her turn to sigh, as she could see the determination in her sister's hazel eyes and knew Cat wasn't going to be swayed. "Okay, you're going. I get it. Let me go with you."

"Don't you have a date tomorrow? Or tonight or whenever?"

"You're more important."

Cat frowned. In between her failed attempts to romance Robert, Angel had occasionally tried other guys, and most of them walked away once they realized they had to compete with Cat for Angel's attentions. And now Angel was yet again putting Cat ahead of her own romantic relationships.

But she knew there was no point arguing. Angel couldn't dissuade her from going to W8R4, but that same Delgado stubbornness would keep Cat from getting Angel to let her go alone.

"Julia set aside one of the new shuttles, the _Moffat_ ," Cat informed her. "She's in the Main Shuttle Bay, I'll meet you there after you shower?"

It seemed that only now did Angel realize she'd stormed up six decks in her exercise wear. She sighed and nodded. "I'll go shower and change now."

"Cool. See you there!" 

* * *

When booking living quarters for their stay on the Citadel, Robert ended up picking Tulara Tower, a residence in Aroch Ward about three kilometers from Zack's rented apartment at Laranis Complex. While they'd only been around for a few days, they'd found that among the alien restaurants and cafes in the districts of Aroch between their residences, there was a single Human restaurant called _A Taste of Home_ , a family-owned business that boasted being the first Human restaurant on the Citadel. The menu was diverse, with the cooks capable of cooking everything from classic North American diner fare to the spiciest Thai concoction (as Talara had learned to some humorous result).

The two were enjoying a meal there now, Robert eating a classic diner-style patty melt sandwich and Lucy indulging in a decent plate of chicken enchiladas. After taking a bite Robert looked around and sighed. "You can feel it too?" he asked.

"Fear. Anger. Disbelief." Lucy nodded and sighed. "I can. But we can't be surprised. Nobody here ever imagined the Citadel could be attacked like that."

"Nothing in this galaxy will be the same again. No matter how much the Council or Udina wish otherwise."

"Are they really trying to cover up Sovereign's origin?" Lucy asked.

"I think they're undecided," said Robert. "They're trying to keep their options open. The longer they delay in confirming the truth publicly, the more time to let the population's fears settle, or for new evidence that will let them avoid the uncomfortable parts of the truth."

"You mean that Sovereign was just one of what might be _thousands_ of genocidal squid robots that want to exterminate us all?" Lucy asked drolly.

"Yeah, that." Robert shrugged. "I suppose I can see some of their concerns."

"Oh?"

"Well, think about it. Do you really think the Batarians or the Terminus Systems are just going to nod and agree to the Citadel suddenly implementing the kind of armament scheme needed to face something like the Reapers?"

Lucy shook her head and set her fork down, a half-eaten chunk of enchilada still on it. "No. They'll arm too."

"Yeah. And while that _might_ be useful, since everyone will be better off in fighting the Reapers… that's not true if one side decides to attack the other due to a miscommunication or some Machiavellian calculation," Robert pointed out. "I'm sure there are going to be Turian and Systems Alliance generals advocating using a temporary advantage in power to impose Citadel authority in Terminus, or to put down the Batarians' border defenses to hinder their piracy campaigns. Hell, maybe even our own side might suggest something like that. And the more people in this galaxy fight each other…"

"...the weaker they'll be when the Reapers get here," Lucy finished for him.

"Yeah. So I guess I can see why the Council may want to be more careful…"

"Rob! Lucy!"

Hearing their names being shouted was enough to redirect Robert and Lucy's attention to the speaker: Zack. He came up in his field uniform. Robert frowned. "What's wrong?"

"We need to get to the debris repository," he said. "There's been a theft."

"And just as I was on my last one," sighed Lucy, setting her fork down again. She turned toward a nearby Asari waitress. "Check please! And a to-go box!" 

* * *

The repository thieves had been careful in their entry, not damaging any major systems and causing alarms to go off. It was clear to the assembled officers that they were dealing with something more than a lone thief.

"This was a team job," noted Garrus Vakarian. The gray-skinned Turian was a former member of Commander Shepard's personal team and again serving with Citadel Security. He was in the Turian model of the blue C-Sec duty uniform. An Alliance-made pulse pistol was on his hip, the result of new C-Sec guidelines mandating use of personal firearms capable of non-lethal settings. Now he looked over the empty bins of what had previously contained suspected pieces of Sovereign. "There wasn't enough time for one person to carry all of this out."

"I concur with your assessment," said Data. He and Geordi were now examining the computer panels that controlled access to the bins. "Additionally, the method used to overcome the computer lock was quite sophisticated. I would theorize that the thieves used an invasive algorithm that insinuated itself into the running parameters of the security system, causing a general fault."

"You would be right," Geordi said. Unlike Lucy and the other Alliance officers, he still held a Starfleet-model tricorder. "Whatever it is just tried to hack into my tricorder."

"Purging the system's going to require a complete wipe, then," said Lucy.

"I'm more worried about where this stuff has gone," Robert said. "Between our examinations and Saren's research it's clear that it poses a threat to anyone in proximity."

"Beyond that, what I want to know is 'who'," Garrus said.

"Presumably the thieves believe the debris is of great value on the Citadel black market," noted Data.

Garrus shook his head. "My colleagues in the Organized Crime department have reported the opposite."

"I'd think crooks would be quick to grab anything that might be valuable," remarked Lucy. "And why wouldn't this stuff be?"

"That's what has us confused. All sorts of groups should be paying top credit. But it's like the entire criminal underworld is uninterested."

Hearing that, Bailey gave Garrus a look. "I've got some contacts, a CI or two, that might be able to sniff something out on that angle."

That prompted confusion in Talara. "If the criminals are uninterested, would that not be a waste of effort?"

"No," said Lucy, shaking her head. "If they're not interested when it seems like they should be, it means there's a reason why. That reason might tell us more about the situation, it could even give leads to whom _is_ responsible."

"I see."

"Continue cataloguing everything that's missing and find out everything you can," Robert said to Lucy. "Keep Talara and Tra'dur with you. Commander Data, Commander La Forge?"

"We shall assist," Data confirmed.

"Thank you," Robert replied. He nodded next to Garrus, Bailey, and Zack. "And the rest of us will see what we can find out. I have an idea on someone who might know something." 

* * *

The shuttle _Moffat_ was about four meters longer than the usual shuttle, allowing for a larger living space in the back for long-range trips. The shuttle glided into far Earth orbit with all systems set to hide it from early 21st Century radio detection methods, making the _Moffat_ visible only to the advanced, alien tech-derived sensors of UNIT, Torchwood, and other government agencies with access to said technology. Theoretically a satellite or spacecraft with short-range cameras might have seen the shuttle, but only if it came close enough.

At the altitude she set on the piloting console, Cat ensured that planet-based weapons would not be able to launch an attack on the _Moffat_ , at least not one that the shuttle couldn't evade. With this safety precaution taken Cat immediately commenced scans. Almost immediately she spotted what she was looking for. "There it is," she said. "The TARDIS is in London."

"Lucky timing," Angel replied. "So what now?"

"I'm sending a signal to the TARDIS to get the Doctor's attention. Of course, if he's not in it, then this could be a while." Cat finished this process before glancing awkwardly toward Angel. "So, this boyfriend of yours…"

"If you must know, he's one of the new security officers," Angel remarked. "Tony Zah. Richmond has him in charge of Gamma Shift."

"So that means that your dinner is his breakfast and vice versa," Cat noted. "But doesn't that make things… difficult?"

"Well, we don't actually _sleep_ together, if you catch my drift." Angel smiled at that.

Out of sheer curiosity Cat asked if that meant the relationship had gotten to home base yet, but she stopped herself. The slight reddening of her cheeks gave her unspoken question away, however, and Angel chortled with amusement. "It's not the kind of action you're interested in anyway, Cat."

"True." She shook her head. "At least one of us is getting laid, I guess."

"Well, I'm sure that if this long-range thing with Violeta really doesn't pan out, you'll find another sweet girl. And she'd _better_ be sweet right back to you, or…"

"...or you'll punch her, yes," Cat sighed, a sad little grin forming on her face. As much as it could be _annoying_ , letting Angel have her way sometimes kept her happy. And Cat liked her sister happy. "I'd like to meet him. Tony, I mean."

"I'll see about it," Angel promised. "So, anything yet?"

"Nothing. But let's give the Doctor some more time…" 

* * *

The mess hall of the _Koenig_ was the attack ship's social center. It was the only recreational space large enough for the fifty to sixty officers and crew to meet in a large number due to the combat-oriented design of the warship. Its replicators were maintained as well as could be managed, at least under the oversight of the ship's Chief Engineer, Karen Derbely.

Given the way the ship's watches were arranged, it was off-time for the ship's Second Officer and Operations Officer, Lieutenant Magda Navaez. Magda was a woman of solid build. Like many of the people from her nation, she was _mestizo_ \- of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry - with brown-toned skin and dark hair down to her shoulders. She was seated at a table enjoying a plate of replicated aborrajados and rich coffee from Colombia, the nation she once called home. The nation she'd called home, in fact, until the day she and her surviving family were plucked from the FARC hostage camp by a bunch of well-intentioned but sometimes naive-sounding Americans with an alien base buried far beneath the plains of Kansas. Those Americans - now the _Aurora_ crew - had in turn inspired her to join them (and to identify and target some of the violent paramilitary groups that were not so well known to Americans), and now Magda considered her home to be the New Liberty Colony with most of her family dwelling there.

Sitting across from her, with a plate of Gersallian _liyume_ that she was curiously trying out, was Lieutenant Ana Poniatowska. She was a woman of slight build with honey-colored blond hair and windswept gray eyes. She made a tentative try at the meal and nodded in acceptance. "Quite good."

Magda smiled thinly. "I've heard some of the others insist the replicator became the best in the fleet after Tali fixed it up."

Ana nodded in agreement. Her face shifted to show a hint of concern. "How is she? I heard she was wounded in the final assault on the _Führerbunker_."

"Well, she was at the surrender ceremony. I believe Doctor Chakwas got the infection under control." Magda sighed. "Since I met her, I've felt nothing but sorrow and pity for the Quarians. To live their entire lives in those suits, never getting to know the joy of a sun's warmth or a cool breeze…"

"I hold out hope that we might find a way to help them," Ana said. "I've spent some time lately reading up on the Quarians."

"Oh?"

"Well, I will be working closely with one. The _Huáscar_ is going to have a Quarian science officer."

"Good for them," Magda declared.

Ana nodded. She finished chewing on a piece of her food before continuing to speak. "How is your family?"

There was something in Ana's voice that made Magda feel this wasn't small talk. Regardless she replied, "They are well. Uncle Cristobal is still deciding whether he will run for election next year. Aunt Luz just returned from Colombia with a new load of immigrants. The Aid Society is doing well."

Ana nodded and smiled. "We may not raid labor camps and prisons any longer, but it is good to know we are still bringing in those looking for a better life."

There was something in the smile, and in Ana's voice, that made Magda realize the sadness within the statement. She quickly realized what was going on. "You couldn't find any of your family?"

"No," Ana said. "My cousins were in France, mostly in Paris, and those butchers from the _Avenger_ destroyed the city when they ravaged my home Earth. I must face the possibility that I may be the last of the _Poniatowcsy_ left. At least, from my Earth."

Magda went silent. She'd lost her parents to guerrilla violence, just as she nearly lost her life. But Ana's entire world had suffered far more grievously. The fate of Earth C1P2 put in perspective how fortunate everyone was that Robert and Julia and the others had the personalities and ideals they did. _For all that the governments of our world have said about us, we never wrecked a planet. We never blew up cities. And we did everything we could to avoid killing._ "I wish we had caught them at Tira," Magda grumbled. "If the damn Drazi hadn't nearly overwhelmed us with Sunhawks, maybe we could have disabled the _Avenger_ and kept her from escaping…"

"There will be justice for my planet one day," Ana vowed. "And for every other life taken by Hawk and his crew. And for the suffering that has never ended." Seeing Magda's look, she further explained, "My world is being ripped apart in wars. The Alliance could put an end to the fighting. It could save more lives." She frowned. "It could save Poland from the Regime of National Salvation."

"And now that we're not fighting the Nazis anymore, we have the ships and troops to do it," Magda agreed. "Hopefully someone in Portland is already planning it."

Ana nodded in final agreement before focusing on her meal. 

* * *

The theft from the debris repository required an exhaustive inventory to make certain of what had or hadn't been taken. With Data directing that effort, Tra'dur was seeing to the debris already catalogued. Talara aided her, bringing her pieces for checking against the database.

They'd worked for some time before it became clear to Tra'dur that Talara's subdued mood stemmed from intense discomfort of some kind. "Are you alright, Lieutenant?" she asked quietly.

Talara looked up from where she was lifting one of the larger pieces of debris with a drone, a safety precaution to maintain the emissions containment field around the piece. Her blue eyes passed over Tra'dur before looking away. "I am simply… uneasy. I almost feel Sovereign's malevolence even in these lifeless pieces."

"The containment field is intact, I assure you." Tra'dur glanced at her readings to reassure herself as well. The readings did just that. "Perhaps your feelings are from something else? I am aware that the battle for Germania was quite difficult for you."

It had, truthfully, been difficult for everyone. For all of the triumph of the fall of the Reich capital, the city itself was a nightmare of death and violence beyond anything either of them had experienced before. Talara's growing abilities with her life force - the Gersallian concept of _swevyra_ \- had made her particularly susceptible to sensing the mass death from the fighting, layered on the inherent darkness from what the Reich stood for. Two weeks on her homeworld of Fala to spend time with her parents and younger siblings had, to some degree, alleviated this problem. But it had not banished it.

Talara sensed Tra'dur had her own harsh memories of the battle. "You are still surprised you lived," said Talara.

The Dilgar woman nodded. "I am. In hindsight it was quite reckless of me to do what I did."

"Yet you turned the tide. I sensed the Human soldiers you inspired."

"Perhaps I did, but it doesn't change the fact that I was needlessly reckless." The memory of Fei'nur's angry strike that knocked her down came to Tra'dur. So too did the reaction of her mother, who was as happy to dress her down as she was to commend her bravery. "What of you? By controlling the enemy cannon for as long as you did, you ensured our victory. You deserve commendation as much as I."

"I've been rewarded well enough." Talara shook her head. "But I do not think I will ever feel the same again. The killing and dying was all so much."

"It was sadly necessary." Tra'dur examined another scan. "Alright. Another confirmed."

Talara nodded and sent an order to the drone to retrieve another piece. "Lucy assures me that time will heal the wound on my soul. I hope it is true."

"My mother tells me it will heal with a scar. Which seems the right and proper thing. Those of us who still live must carry the burden of living on when our comrades did not."

"Your people suffered more greatly than any other in the attack," Talara noted.

"Yes. It was our place to do so."

Talara frowned at that. She was aware of the sentiment, that due to the terrible crimes of the Dilgar Imperium a sacrifice was necessary, but it struck her as unjust. Most of the Dilgar who died in Germania had not yet been born when their parents or grandparents were slaughtering their way through the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. To make them suffer for the crimes of others…

...and there Talara caught herself. If it had been the Galra instead of the Dilgar, would she feel the same way? Or would she suspect them of duplicity, of continued intent to genocide her people, until they made a similar sacrifice?

Her realization there was that Meridina was correct. It became a vicious cycle, bloodshed inviting more bloodshed, and that she was sworn to oppose with every fiber of her body.

Talara heard an audible cough. It brought her from her thoughts to a quietly impatient Tra'dur. Talara remembered herself and resumed providing samples for Tra'dur to check against their list. They still had quite a lot of work ahead of them. 

* * *

Zack was curious where Robert was heading when they exited a lift and entered the Presidium's Financial District. "You really think you'll find a criminal gang here? Maybe their financial advisors…"

"I'm looking for something bigger," Robert remarked. Together they went into one of the structures. A sign above flickered from Turian script to Human English, showing the name of a financial broker. Robert nodded at it and walked in, Zack following and still confused.

Inside was a small waiting area. At a desk stood a Volus, inside an environmental suit that kept the ammonia breather alive in an atmosphere lethal to his physiology. The Volus looked up at them. ""Ah, Captain Dale," he said, after which he wheezed. "And Commander Zachary Carrey. I wish you the best of luck at returning to your command."

"Uh, thanks," said Zack.

"Commander, this is Barla Von," Robert said. "On top of whatever other services he provides, he happens to be the local man for the Shadow Broker."

Zack gave Robert a surprised look. Part of his temporary position on the Citadel included reading required intelligence files, including that on the elusive Shadow Broker, the M4P2 galaxy's most powerful broker of information. He was a private spymaster said to know everything there was to know in the known galaxy. Just being in the same room with one of his agents could lead to Zack facing an exhaustive investigation from Alliance Intelligence.

Robert glanced his way and shook his head. Zack felt a thought, a sense, that wasn't his. _I won't be investigated for this, it's covered_.

"What can I do for you today, Captain?" asked Barla Von. "Is it information you seek, or financial services?"

"I suppose you could say both, and either," Robert answered. "You may have heard what my mission is right now?" Without waiting for Barla Von to confirm, Robert continued. "I'm sure you have. Well, you may have also heard about a theft that just took place. Someone is so interested in pieces of Sovereign they went after the government repository for the debris."

"So I have heard," was the reply. "And you wish assistance in tracking the thieves? The suspects in the CItadel's criminal underworld are quite numerous."

"So they are, save that they've been doing _nothing_ about the debris," Robert remarked. "Despite whatever value it might have on the interstellar or Multiversal markets, the criminals here are staying away. Now why is that?"

There was a moment of quiet from Barla Von. "The most reasonable answer is a combination of bribery and intimidation. Another organization is removing them from contention in recovering the pieces." A moment's pause later and the Volus added, "I can assure you, the Shadow Broker has nothing to do with this."

Zack glanced toward Robert. "You believe him?"

"I do," said Robert. "To an extent. While the Broker may not be behind it, I wonder if the Broker's facilitated this unknown organization's efforts."

"The Broker has not," said Barla Von.

Robert felt no immediate deception, but he knew that didn't mean it was absent. "You're quick to volunteer that," he said. "I would imagine the Broker would prefer to be paid for the information."

Had he caught Barla Von in a slip, Robert would have felt something, he was sure. And it might have even provoked a reaction. But it didn't. The Volus shook his head. "In this case, we have greater concerns. Whomever has made these maneuvers displays a great deal of knowledge and influence. For such a force to exist without the Shadow Broker knowing of them indicates an extrauniversal origin. Such competition for influence in the dark economy of our galaxy is unwelcome to the Broker. Should you eliminate them this would benefit the Broker."

"Sounds reasonable, I guess," Zack remarked.

"But it would require you to know something," Robert added.

"Precious little, I'm afraid," replied Barla Von. "Our contacts with the criminal gangs of the Citadel have remarked upon their associates' lack of interest in the debris. It extends to threats against any member who might act independently."

"So whatever's influencing them, they want the gangs out of the way completely." Robert crossed his arms. "Which makes me wonder who is working for them."

"Of that I can say little. The one lead I do have are rumors among the Citadel's poorer communities of great cash rewards for Sovereign debris, if it is genuine."

"If you're not having the criminals work for you…" Zack began.

"Yes. The attack has not been easy on the less fortunate," replied Barla Von. "And some of them have become quite desperate. No amount of threats from criminal gangs will restrain the starving. I suspect that the repository is not an isolated case."

Robert frowned deeply at that. It was bad enough that people could starve even in this era, but someone using that against them? And exposing their minds to indoctrination in the process…

"Thank you for your assistance, Mister Von," Robert said. "Your insights have been useful."

"Of course, Captain," was the reply. "I hope this cooperation will be remembered in the future."

"It will," he answered. _Although you should be careful how you try to cash in on it_ , he thought as they walked away. 

* * *

Once a few hours passed with no response from the Doctor, Cat decided to investigate herself. She put on contemporary clothes and checked her omnitool before stepping toward the shuttle transporter. Angel took the controls. "Are you sure?"

"I just want to check real quick," said Cat. "Then I'll be back."

It was clear Angel was opposed to the idea. "And if he's facing space monsters or whatever?"

"Then I help him?" There was an unspoken "Duh" there.

Angel shook her head. "Crazy little sister," she murmured while operating the transporter controls. Cat provided her coordinates in London A buzz and a flash of light later, she was gone.

Angel returned to the co-pilot seat and waited patiently for Cat to resume communication. When she didn't, Angel tapped the comm key on the panel. "Cat?"

A few moments later her sister responded. " _Sorry, I was in public. At a police station._ "

"Find anything yet?"

" _Something. If my sensors are right, the TARDIS is in this parking garage below the station. It's kinda weird, though. There's some kind of exotic energy signature in the environment… woh, it just spiked massively. It looks like it's not far from the TARDIS._ "

"Be _careful_ ," Angel insisted.

" _I am… I am_ …"

A minute passed before a response came. " _Huh. It's right here, in the open._ " Cat went quiet for a moment. " _There's nobody else here though_."

"Well, he's probably somewhere else right now," said Angel. "I'll beam you back up."

" _Give it a moment, I'm curious about these energy signatures. One's right… huh._ "

Angel felt increasing aggravation with her sister. "What?" she asked.

" _It's… a statue. Kind of a weird place to put one, really. I mean, in a parking garage? What kind of benefit..._ "

"Cat, you're babbling."

" _Sorry. I'm just flummoxed. They've got a statue down here. Some cement angel. One of those fancy types, I guess it's from a cemetary. Anyway…_ "

Cat's voice trailed off. At least, that's what it sounded like at first. But after a moment Angel noticed that the line was no longer open. Her worry about Caterina intensified. She glanced toward the sensors to see where she'd gone.

Nothing. That's what the sensors showed. Cat was _gone_. 

* * *

" _…_ I think I'll…"

Cat stopped speaking as the vertigo hit, causing her to fall to the ground. She was in the open air of a night sky, now at ground level. In the distance she heard cars running down the street, but here it was dark, with deep shadows. It took several minutes for the vertigo to go away.

Cat looked down at her omnitool. Scan results showed a powerful energy signature around her. Something had been done to her. As she pondered that, the life sign reading she'd been looking for showed, approaching her steadily. With a sense of urgency looked up in that direction, in time to see two figures come from the shadows. One was a woman of African ancestry, the other…

"Doctor?" she called out.

The tall Gallifreyan Time Lord looked down at her, wearing a long brown coat over his usual business jacket. In his hand was an object with bright lights on it. His eyes, usually so gentle, now showed bewilderment. "Cat? What are you doing here?" he asked.


	73. Episode 3-13-3 The Coming Storm

Caterina and the Doctor exchanged bewildered looks. "Well, what is here?" Cat asked. "Everything looks different."

"We're in 1969 London," said the woman beside the Doctor. Her accent was what Cat thought of as English, much like the one the Doctor himself used. "How do you know the Doctor?"

"Well, it's a bit of a story…"

"That it is." The Doctor helped Cat to his feet with his spare hand. "Ah, Caterina Delgado, meet Doctor Martha Jones. Martha, this is Cat."

Martha offered her hand and Cat accepted a handshake. "What are you a doctor of?" Cat asked.

"Medicine," was the reply.

"Cool." Cat returned her attention to the Doctor. "So, this is the past? What… how did I end up here?"

"The same way we did, I expect," the Doctor said. "The Weeping Angels."

"The what?"

"The kindest predators in the universe, well, this one anyway," the Doctor replied. "They feed off of the temporal displacement of sending members of other species back in time. So they don't have to kill you. They just take away the life you knew."

"Oh. That's…" Cat swallowed. The statue in the garage had been a threat without her realizing it. Most likely it and those of its kind were the source of the anomalous readings she picked up. How many people had they done this to so far?

And then another consideration came. "Oh God, Angel. She's going to be freaking out. I've got to find a way to get a message to her, to the Alliance, to tell them where we are and they can send a ship to do a slingshot or something…"

"No, don't worry about it, Cat," the Doctor insisted. "I've been making arrangements."

"Oh?"

The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket and took out a thick folder and packet with a notebook and other things. "Let's just say I came forewarned, and I knew how to handle this. All we have to do is sit tight and let history take its course." He handed it to Martha before facing Cat. "So, Cat, you clearly came looking for me. What can I do for you?" 

* * *

With investigative work done, to a degree, everyone met again at the repository. "All catalogued pieces of debris have been accounted for," Data noted.

"That's good news," sighed Robert. "Any leads on the criminal element?"

"They're scared," Garrus said. "Someone's warned them off the hunt for Sovereign salvage. Someone with enough power to make them listen."

"Well, isn't that ominous?" Lucy asked with a flippant, almost-joking tone.

"I'm not sure this situation is proving very humorous," Robert answered. "Intimidating criminal gangs on the Citadel means we're dealing with real heavy hitters."

"Especially considering the Asari gangs, since they're all biotics," Bailey noted.

"There are Asari crime gangs?" Lucy asked.

"As much as the other Asari wish there weren't… yeah," Garrus said. "So the thieves are people who can intimidate them. Or bribe them into keeping their hands off. Neither sounds very good if you ask me." He looked at Robert. "Did you find anything?"

"Possibly. For one thing, I'm 90% convinced the Shadow Broker isn't involved in this," he said.

"You've spoken to Barla Von, then," said Bailey.

"Yeah. He says the Broker isn't involved. More to the point, the Broker isn't happy with the apparent competition from someone capable of this much pull with the gangs."

"And he suggested our thieves might be working with the poor residents of the Citadel instead of the criminals," Zack added.

"In other words, taking advantage of them in the aftermath of the attack," Lucy noted darkly.

"Exactly. But we have an advantage there," Robert said. "They're far less likely to be loyal to their employer than a professional crook."

"Assuming their employer hasn't intimidated them," Bailey added.

"True. But the important thing is that we talk to them. And since they're being offered cash rewards for turning in Sovereign debris..."

"Oh. I get where this is going," said Geordi. "You want to build a trap."

Robert replied to him with a knowing grin.

* * *

The final requisitions reports and requests were piling on Julia's desk throughout the day, representing the ship's departments preparing the _Aurora_ to return to service. She was reading through them when the hail came in.

Angel's face appeared on the monitor and immediately Julia knew something was wrong. There was a wild, terrified look there. " _She's gone! Something happened and… and she's gone!_ "

"Cat?" Julia felt a little twist in her gut. "Where? What happened?"

" _She… ugh, I can't stand how stupid she gets about this sometimes_ ," Angel continued. " _She beamed down and found the TARDIS, but nobody was there and then there was a power surge and now she's_ gone _and there's no trace of her, just some sciency readings and I don't know what they mean! I need help here, Julia, I need Jarod and the other science whizzes to get to WR84 and help me!_ "

"They're still at the Citadel," Julia noted. Sensing this was not the reply Angel wanted, she added, "I'll get the crews to configure the _Warri_ for scientific examination and send it to you. But it could be several hours."

" _I'll be here waiting to see if Cat reappears_ ," Angel said. She killed the line without saying anything else.

Julia felt sick to her stomach. There was no telling what might have happened to Cat. Maybe she was just being hidden in a stealth field. Or maybe she'd been instantly vaporized by something.

Either way, Julia knew what it meant for Angel as well. Angel would be driving herself mad with fear and guilt before long. And if something had happened, even if there was nothing she could have done… Angel would always blame herself, would hate herself, for Cat dying.

So Julia got to work immediately to get Angel that help. Then she sent a message to UNIT asking for their input as well. They might at least confirm whether or not Cat could still be alive. 

* * *

Nearly a half century in the past, Cat was sitting in a small flat the Doctor and Martha were using for housing without the TARDIS around. She waited for everyone to get situated before she started explaining what the problem was. "These dreams have been getting worse for months," she said. "I mean, it was just a thing once and awhile, and I'd be alone on a dark ship. But now it seems like I have it every week and it's me on the wreck of the _Aurora_ with everyone dead and… and me being attacked. And now I'm seeing your face… and the telepathic psychiatrist is saying there's a block more powerful than anything she's seen in my mind."

As she spoke the Doctor's expression became more dour. A frown formed on his lips. It was Martha who replied, "You think he…" She glanced at the Doctor. "Did you?"

Cat didn't need a reply from the Doctor to know. She saw it in his face. "You… blocked my mind," she said.

"I did," he admitted.

"Why?"

"I had no choice. You saw something… terrible," the Doctor said. "I had to block it from your mind to make you functional again."

"I hope you're not doing that to me," Martha said, frowning. "Doesn't that strike you as wrong, Doctor? To just go into someone's mind and take their memories?"

"It's not something I did lightly," he replied. "At the time I had no choice. What you saw, Cat… it crippled you mentally. You were so overcome I had to block it."

Cat nodded slowly. "Okay. I understand, really. We were still trying to find a way to reach Rose in Pete's World." Seeing Martha's curious look she added, "An alternate 5th dimensional location to this one. I'm from a 6th dimensional alternate Earth."

Martha seemed bewildered by that. "It's a complicated thing," the Doctor said to her. "5th Dimensional difference means the same time. 6th Dimensional is a different cluster formed by a different pulse of what you call the Big Bang. Different timeframe there. It's more complicated than that really, but only Cat would be interested in the full explanation."

"Right. Well, it wouldn't be the first complicated thing I've seen while journeying with you, Doctor," Martha remarked. She sipped at a cup of tea she'd made for herself in the small kitchen at the side of the living area.

Cat giggled. "It's always like that, I guess. He showed me some insane things I never thought could exist. And I was used to discovering new things, I mean, ever since my sister's sometimes-boyfriend found an alien base under his Kansas family farm."

"Now that sounds like a story," Martha said.

"It is. Maybe we can talk about it later." Cat turned her attention back to the Doctor. "The psychiatrist on the _Aurora_ said she can't remove the block. Can you?" she asked.

His reply was immediate and unwavering. "No," said the Doctor. "No I will not." 

* * *

With another change in the watch, Karen Derbely was released from her duty as Chief Engineer of the _Koenig_. After finishing the change of watch by briefing Ana on everything she needed to know, Derbely headed to the mess hall and replicated a personal favorite she'd installed in the system: a big greasy Latian hamburger, made from the meat of a bovine-like quadruped native to the planet Lata, one of the member worlds of the Colonial Confederation of Universe D3R1. Her home, the space habitat and asteroid mining center Littlefield Station, was in the same government. Now a member of the United Alliance of System, the "Colonials" - as they were proud to call themselves - had long run a free market-orientated, private interest economy based off of North American libertarianism.

It was not always an easy system to live in, especially for those with jobs that didn't pay as well, but Derbely grew up enjoying her life on Littlefield Station with her father Jack, the pilot of an ore hauler. Eating Latian-made hamburgers reminded her of her childhood of joining Jack Derbely in his long haul trips to Jury Station and its ore refineries. Every trip there, he'd take her to the same greasy spoon diner in the habitat sector and spend the _per diem_ of his unloading day buying the both of them the biggest, juiciest (and greasiest) burgers on the station, loaded with toppings and joined by French-cut seasoned potato fries…

"Your mind is back on Jury Station, isn't it?"

Derbely looked up from her half-eaten hamburger to face Lieutenant Commander Creighton Apley. The ship's Executive Officer and Navigation Officer - on a ship this size, the XO would always have a second role in the command crew - was a handsome man from the North American Midwest. His brown hair was a few shades darker than hers and cut to professional perfection. Apley had a plate of waffle-cut fries and a grilled chicken sandwich fresh from the replicator. "So it was," Derbely replied.

He nodded. "I still remember the sector blowout they had there in… what was it?"

She frowned. "2455," she answered, referring to D3R1's calendar. Their home universe was not quite two centuries "younger" than the L2M1 universe that was used for the Alliance Standard Calendar, given the UAS capital was located on its Earth. "Dad and I had just left a day before the incident. I was thirteen. I remembered a lot of whispering about how the place was an accident waiting to happen."

"Insufficient safety inspections by the new managers of the station," Apley remarked. "Back home a lot of people saw it as another sign of how badly off people were in your Confederation."

"I'm sure they did." Derbely smiled thinly. In D3R1 the Earth and surrounding star systems were under the Sol System Republic, an interstellar state with democratic-socialist economics that were at odds with the Confederation's philosophy. And they too were members of the Allied Systems; unsurprising since neither could stomach the thought of the other with an apparent advantage. "But we handled it our way."

"The residents of Jury Station voted to remove the station operating contract from the people responsible for the safety violations," Apley recalled. "And the replacement contractor made Jury Station the safest place in D3R1."

"That's how the system works. You screw up, people stop working with you."

"Not unless you have something they need, then you can force them to stomach it," Apley remarked. "And given our safety laws, the blowout never would've happened on a Sol station. Not like that."

Derbely finished chewing a bite of hamburger and smiled. "Because the wise, all-knowing Sol government never, ever had someone screw up."

Apley didn't answer that, since he knew the answer was no. He merely grinned and ate a fry.

"I'm up for another round of arguing about economic systems if you really want," Derbely said, "but I get the feeling you were just baiting me for fun."

"I suppose it was for old time's sake," Apley admitted. "A last chance to tweak your sensibilities."

Derbely looked at him curiously. "What are you saying?"

"I just got the word from Personnel," Apley said. "I'm being promoted." When Derbely replied with surprise but nothing further, he continued, "They're giving me command of a new Flight III _Trigger_ -class attacker, the _Reichert_. After we get back, I'm off to report for her shakedown cruise."

"Wow," Derbely said. "That's… good news. Taking anyone with you?"

"U'ruhn's earned a shot at being Ops," Apley replied. "And if Ana wasn't getting that shiny new _Enterprise_ -class ship I might've asked her to come along."

"U'ruhn has earned it, yeah." Derbely considered one of her last fries. "So… congratulations on your new command."

"Thanks. I don't know where we'll end up for our first assignment, whether we get assigned to a cruiser or a fleet unit, or an attack squadron. Either way…" Apley smiled sadly. "I'm going to miss you. All of you." He chuckled. "I think I'll miss being called 'Ap', and Commander Carrey used to make me grimace whenever he called me that on duty."

"You always were the straight-laced officer type," Derbely noted. "I guess it's a bit of a surprise that you came around to Carrey's command style in the end."

"He proved himself over time. So did his friends." Apley let out a little sigh. "I think I'm going to miss it all. Being on the _Aurora_ , always getting pulled in whatever crisis they wound up in the middle of…"

"Hargert's cooking," Derbely pointed out.

"Oh yeah. I'll definitely miss that. Hopefully there are other good cooks out there working with the service."

They chuckled at that. It let Derbely hide the small sense of hurt she felt. _Just as it seemed we were getting everyone back together, things are still going to be different_ , she thought before returning to her meal. 

* * *

In the months since she accepted the position of First Officer, Meridina had long adjusted to the paperwork load her new position required. The needs of her position were, if anything, a fresh challenge compared to what she was used to before, a challenge that she did not so much relish meeting as consider a worthy obstacle to overcome. There was, perhaps, a faint bit of amusement at the fact she had never considered she might be doing something like this while she was training hard to become a _swevyra'se_ of the Order of Swenya.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the computer terminal in her office bringing up an incoming communication over the interuniversal comm network. Meridina tapped a key and put in her passcode to accept the call. To her interest, the face that appeared was that of Gina Inviere. The blond-haired woman was biologically near-Human, created as one of a number of infiltrator models for the Cylons. They'd first met when Gina was preparing to kill herself to destroy the Colonial Refugee ship _Cloud 9_. Meridina successfully convinced her to relent and offered her asylum on Gersal due to her suffering at the hands of some of the Colonials. Gina's decision to join the Order had been a pleasant surprise.

" _Meridina, how are you?_ " Gina asked. There was a clear concern in her voice.

"I am well. But you seem not to be," Meridina observed.

" _It is… I am worried. About_ Mastrash _Ledosh_."

Meridina nodded once. Ledosh was Gina's mentor and teacher in the Order, just as he had been for Meridina. "What is wrong?" she asked.

" _He's… I don't know. He's been spending so much time with that book…_ "

Meridina blinked. "What book?"

"The Life of Reshan," Gina said. " _He's been translating it over the last several months. And it's like that's all that matters to him now. He is becoming distant. Distracted. He often leaves the Great Temple for the family cottage in the foothills to study and meditate. He speaks with no one outside of Council meetings and barely observes my training. Many on the Council are starting to voice concerns about him._ "

As Gina explained what was going on, Meridina thought on the book she mentioned. She knew Ledosh was trying to learn more about the Darkness and the Prophecy of the Dawn. The book clearly held some importance to his research. Once Gina mentioned the Council Meridina started to openly frown. "Have you spoken to him about his concerns for the Council?"

" _I have. He assures me that it is fine and he is explaining matters to them frequently. But I am still worried for him, Meridina. It's clear that there is something weighing down his mind and_ swevyra _. He's not the only one to feel there is something wrong around here. It's setting people on edge_."

"I see." Meridina drew in a little sigh. Her visit home after the fall of the Reich had included a visit with Ledosh, but he seemed no more than a little perturbed, and she already knew him to be. Especially around her, as deep down he blamed himself for not persuading the Council against the order for her to leave the _Aurora_ , the order that led to her departing the Order of Swenya instead.

The wound of leaving behind everything she believed in was mostly healed by this point, but recalling it did bring a small ache to Meridina's heart. She pushed it aside to consider the problem. Why hadn't she realized how bad things were for Ledosh? Had he hidden his concerns from her?

Yes. It was quite possible he had.

"Thank you for speaking to me, Gina," Meridina said. "I will contact _Mastrash_ Ledosh as soon as I am able. Hopefully he will speak of his worries with me."

" _Thank you, Meridina_ ," said Gina. "Mi rake sa swevyra iso."

" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ ," Meridina replied, after which she ended the call. She found herself in quiet contemplation for the moment. _Ledosh, what is wrong? Why will you not confide in your students_? she thought quietly, until she finally resolved to ask him that directly.

Even if it meant going to Gersal herself. 

* * *

The silence in the flat was a stubborn one, replete with tension. Cat kept glancing at the Doctor with a combination of frustration and disbelief. Sitting to the side in a ragged chair, Martha looked to them both with her own growing irritation.

"It's my mind," Cat finally said. "Doesn't that give me the right to decide?"

"If your sister wanted to plunge her head into an active plasma stream, would you let her?" the Doctor asked pointedly. "Or would you stop her?"

"That's not the same thing."

"It is," he insisted. "You're asking me to risk your sanity, Caterina. I sealed those memories away for a reason."

"Your seal isn't perfect though," Cat replied. "I'm getting nightmares from whatever happened! Over and over! And now that I know they're repressed memories, it makes it even worse!"

"I could reinforce the block," the Doctor offered. "Clear your memories of the nightmares."

"Right," Cat scoffed. "Repeat the same thing you did before. And it's not like Doctor Tusana isn't going to notice I suddenly forgot about them!"

"You could tell her it was your choice."

"But it isn't! And don't you dare say you can make me think it was, because we both know that's no better than just compelling me to agree with you!"

"I don't want to compel you to do anything, but I don't want you going mad either!" the Doctor shouted back. "What happened was... " A frustrated look crossed his face. "I should have said no. I should have told you no, that I could handle finding Rose myself, and sent you on your way with your friends."

"Really?!" demanded Cat. "After everything we accomplished together, you can say that?"

It was clear he made the remark without truly meaning it. More to the point, Cat noticed the discomfort on his face. The hollow look forming in his eyes. A thought came to her. "You were hurt by what we saw too," she said.

He gave her a level look. Though he tried, the Doctor couldn't hide the pain in his eyes. Martha noticed it as well.

"I get it," Cat said. "You… you want to protect me. You don't want me to hurt. I understand. But it's my mind, Doctor. My memories. And whatever you want, something in my head is fighting through the block. Even if you rebuilt it, you'd really just be delaying the inevitable. Whatever this memory is, it's refusing to stay in the block."

"You have no idea what you're asking for, Caterina," the Doctor warned. "You'll wish I'd left the block in place."

"Maybe she will," Martha said, joining the conversation. Her eyes met the Doctor's. "But it's her mind. Her choice. Not your's, Doctor. Never your's."

The Doctor gave Martha a quick look before returning his eyes to meet Cat's. She met the hardness of his look with her own. If he was going to be stubborn, so was she.

"Please don't do this, Cat," he pleaded. "You're asking me to hurt you."

"Maybe," Cat said. "But I won't have any peace until I know."

Again silence filled the flat. It stretched on and on while the Doctor and Cat kept their eyes locked, an unspoken battle of will between them.

Martha sat back, again locked out of the conversation, and wondered who would win in the end.


	74. Episode 3-13-4 The Coming Storm

In general, the further down one went through the Citadel wards, the further one got from the brighter, glitzier sections. While nothing on the Citadel quite resembled an urban ghetto, there were areas that were clearly less well-off than the others. Not every area could have the glamorous look and feel of the Silversun Strip.

These were also the areas that had suffered the most from the destruction of Sovereign. The Reaper vessel exploded directly overhead of them, at a time when the Citadel's arms were closed to bring them even closer to the point of destruction. The result was a rain of debris on all five Wards that wrecked buildings and tore up streets. The death toll was highest in this area, even accounting for the Geth attacks closer to the Presidium, as Sovereign's debris broke open the residential towers and exposed some of the apartments there to vacuum. The damage was extensive enough that simple surveying of it was just now coming to completion, with full repairs expected to take months. Years, perhaps, unless further (and likely extrauniversal) assistance was received for the reconstruction, and such remained to be seen.

It was in the far sections of Aroch Ward that Robert's trap was laid. A sizable piece of Sovereign was signed out from the repository, albeit with some grumbling from C-Sec and the Council, and slipped into rubble from a warehouse just now being cleaned up. Robert and Lucy spent an hour maneuvering chunks of debris about to make it look like the piece had truly just been excavated before they joined Garrus and Bailey for the stakeout. They rented a second level apartment from an adjoining tower, giving them a sight line on the warehouse ruins in question. The inside of the apartment was cramped but otherwise looked well. Robert imagined that the owner of the tower would appreciate the "confidentiality" bonus he'd paid to ensure nothing was said of their presence.

Garrus finished setting up the scope. Nearby his sniper rifle was in position. "It's been a while since I had a stakeout," he said. "Twelve hours of boredom at a time, punctuated only by frustration and irritation with your partner." He let out a long sigh. "Good times, right Bailey?"

Bailey shot him a bemused look. "Oh, wouldn't miss them for the world," he remarked sarcastically.

Lucy, for her part, finished setting up the bank of holo-displays and turned them on. Three showed images of the debris they'd left. The fourth showed Zack and Data, still at the repository. " _Are you certain you do not wish my assistance?_ " Data asked.

"Commander Data, you would stick out like a sore thumb," Garrus said. "There aren't many gold-skinned Humans in the galaxy."

" _True. However, I am quite capable of donning a disguise, including an application to approximate a more normative skin pigment._ "

"Maybe so, Data, but we still have cataloguing to do," Robert noted. "And by cross-checking where the pieces are coming from, and comparing them to the survey lists…"

"... _we can maybe figure out if there's a pattern to whomever's taking them_ ," Zack said. " _Makes sense to me._ "

" _True_ ," Data conceded.

" _Although I don't envy you_ ," Zack said. " _Stakeouts are boring as hell_."

"A good thing we can't have the publicly known Alliance liaison to C-Sec around, isn't it?" Robert teased.

" _Yeah. Although having one of the Alliance founders around would probably draw attention too._ " Zack smirked. " _Or do you seriously think a beard and mustache and long hair makes people not recognize you?_ "

Lucy giggled at that. "People always diss the hair," Robert sighed.

" _I think Julia and Angel are plotting to drag you to a barber soon if you don't handle it yourself_ ," Zack remarked playfully. " _That whole 'I'm a hermit' look is really…_ "

"Wait."

Garrus' voice drew their attention. He was looking through his scope. "Well, will you look at that," he said. "So much for a long stakeout."

Robert almost asked what he meant, but one of the monitors in the room showed shadows approaching the debris in question. With the exception of Garrus, everyone's eyes turned to observe the monitors. In moments every one of the monitors was showing the newcomers. "Well, I'll be," Robert muttered.

Lucy frowned at the image of the would-be thieves and felt a pang of sadness… and fury. "They're using Quarians," she grumbled. "The bastards are using the Quarians." 

* * *

The Quarians never had a chance to fight back or run. Lucy and Garrus, combining their technical know-how, arranged a particularly solid trap for whomever came to pilfer the debris. It was Bailey who was left to spring the trap the moment the other three arrived at the door. "Look out!" a female among the half-dozen shrieked, and a moment later projectors emerged from the rubble and created a force dome around them. One went for the dome anyway and was gently repelled.

"We don't want to hurt you," Lucy said aloud. "Please…"

They didn't listen. Two of them triggered omnitools and attempted to use neural shock defense apps against the field, to no effect. Two more, being more technically knowledgeable of the technology, used their omnitools to attempt to disrupt the field, only to find that Lucy was adjusting the field on the fly to counter them. One simply fell to his knees whimpering, terrified of what they were going to face.

The last pulled a gun, a Klingon disruptor undoubtedly found in the black market. Sensing the danger this posed to the wielder and his friends, Robert immediately reacted. He gestured with his hand and, with the power within him, ripped the gun from the Quarian's hand before he could fire. The Quarian stared at the disarmed hand, startled by the unseen force that had taken away his weapon.

"Calm down, all of you!" Garrus shouted. Seeing him in his C-Sec uniform had something of that effect, although it was more terror at what punishment they would face for getting caught. "Okay, that's better. We have questions to ask. Specifically, who hired you?"

"We don't know," one of the girls volunteered immediately. "It was from an anonymous extranet address."

As honest as she tried to sound, Garrus could tell she was saying something rehearsed. He glanced toward Robert and Lucy, who shook their heads, sensing the falsehood. "Lying to a C-Sec officer isn't going to help your case," Garrus said. "Now, let's try this again. Who hired you?"

This time there was no reply. They all went silent. "Well, since the Council announced ownership of all pieces of debris from the dreadnought," Garrus began, "that makes you six guilty of attempted theft of Council property. That's a minimum of three years in prison. And that's assuming I can't find other charges to stick on you."

Lucy frowned at Garrus' attempt at intimidation. The fear coming from the Quarians was troubling and not easy at all to feel for either her or Robert. But the fear wasn't just about imprisonment…

"You're from the Pilgrim's Shelter? In Zakera Ward?" Lucy asked them.

One, a male, nodded. "We are."

"Is Oresta still running it?" Lucy thought back to the female Turian who ran the shelter, relying on help from her friends from C-Sec days and from sympathetic merchants to keep the shelter going.

Mentioning the name of Oresta won their attention. A cautious reply of "Yes" came.

Lucy considered asking them what Oresta would think of their behavior, but she decided on another tack. "How's that replicator I left doing? Still holding out?"

"Wait, that was yours…?" a second girl asked.

"It was," Lucy confirmed. "I'm a friend. If you know Viya or Lan, they know me." She let that news sink in before speaking. "I can feel your fear. You're not just afraid of going to jail, are you? You're afraid someone will hurt Oresta and the others at the shelter."

There were uneasy looks.

"Whoever is behind this, we're going to shut them down. We won't let them hurt you or the others. I can have Knights of Swenya come and protect you if we must."

Robert glanced toward Lucy. _Do you really think the Order will approve that?_

 _Whether their Council approves or not doesn't matter. I know who to ask_ was Lucy's mental reply. Aloud she said, "Please. This debris is dangerous. It can damage beings mentally, turn them into mindless drones. We have to stop the people stealing the pieces."

There were several seconds when it wasn't clear if Lucy successfully go through to them. Robert sensed what was coming a moment before one of the male Quarians sighed. "There is a Human man. Ashford. He's paying a lot of credits for debris from Sovereign. We're supposed to deliver this piece to his warehouse in Zakera Ward."

"What do you know about him?"

"Little," one of the girls said. "I mean, he sounds like any other Human. But the word is he has a lot of connections off of the Citadel."

"He's working for someone. A Human named Yellow," another of the male Quarians added. "There are rumors on the street that she's killed several gang leaders that tried to take debris from the Geth dreadnought."

"I've never heard of this 'Yellow," said Garrus. "But we'll look into it. Give us the location of the warehouse and get back to the Shelter."

There was a nervousness among them that couldn't be missed. A fear that they'd just caused trouble for their fellows. Robert tried to allay it by saying, "It'll be okay, we promise. If it'll make you feel better, we can put you somewhere else for the night, get you off the street."

Garrus eyed him. Lucy looked his way too, but smiled. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

"That I've got a budget with some leeway? Yeah," Robert replied. "So let's use it. That hotel across from Zack's place is really nice."

Garrus chuckled. "You realize half of the local residents will be double-checking their security systems when they see this?"

"If specieist bigots want to make their lives harder, who am I to stop it?" Robert asked playfully. He nodded to Lucy, who dropped the field. "Let's get you somewhere safe," he said to the Quarians. "Then we're going to go have a chat with Mister Ashford." 

* * *

As the silence in the flat continued, Cat pondered the sheer ridiculousness of her situation. She was here, nearly half a century in the past, trying to get a millennia-old face-changing alien to remove a block he'd planted in her mind telepathically while they'd spent a subjective year, from her point of view, traveling across time and space in his home universe.

 _To think that six years ago, my biggest concern was finishing school with high enough grades to get a scholarship_ , she thought.

The distracting thought didn't deter her from her purpose. Cat refused to pull her eyes from the Doctor. She wouldn't let him intimidate her or cajole her into giving up. The block in her head had to come out, before the nightmares it was causing her became too much to bear emotionally.

For his part, the Doctor was impressed. When he'd first met Cat, she'd been tremendously curious, but also rather less willful. Between their journey together and her time since with her sister and friends on the _Aurora_ , it was clear Cat was becoming rather more willful.

Perhaps… perhaps she was ready.

A small grin crossed his face. "You've become rather more stubborn over… however long it's been for you," he noted. "It must be your sister."

"She says I've always been stubborn," Cat answered.

"Right." The Doctor folded his hands together in front of him. "Are you certain, Cat? Truly certain?"

"I am."

"You're aware that I might not be able to easily reform the block if you decide you preferred it," he pointed out. "Not without leaving it even weaker than it's become. Your mind is already resisting it, it seems."

"That's fine," said Cat. "I need to know."

The Doctor studied her hazel eyes for a moment before clapping his hands together. "Alright. Fair enough. Let's get this started." He knelt forward, reaching across the short distance between their chairs to come close. He brought his hands up to her face, touching his fingers to her head at the temples. "Quiet your mind. I'm going to open the block slowly, letting you remember everything one bit at a time…"

Cat felt her mind quiet. As she did, another presence came through. Stronger, older, than Tusana's had been, and it immediately made her feel the same pressure she'd felt with Tusana. She drew in a breath and felt the pressure shift a little, changing shape and intensity… 

* * *

The memory came back as the Doctor said it would. Cat recalled it as coming in the later half of their time together, shortly after a technovore had nearly destroyed her omnitool. The TARDIS came closer to home again, a solar system in the Milky Way galaxy. They stepped out off the TARDIS onto a street similar to a macadamized road on Earth, the Doctor in his usual suit and Cat in a sea-green blouse and blue pants. The structures were tall and spindly, with bars along the exterior.

The reason why came up a moment later. The world was home to a species of octolimbed creatures with dark, scaled bodies. "Tash'shash'tishish," the Doctor said, pronouncing the word despite its tongue-twisting sounds for an English speaker.

"Tash'shash'tishish," Cat repeated, managing to make the sound come out right.

"Ah, look at you," the Doctor said, beaming. "That's a tongue-twister, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I'm used to it by now," she replied. "So, that disturbance…?"

"It should be visible from here," the Doctor said. "Now…"

About this time it was clear to both that the Tash'shash'tishish were not in the most hospitable mood. In fact, most were clearly in a state of some panic, gathering belongings into carts. Cat looked to one and asked, "What's wrong?"

The reptilian looked at her with four eyes. A snake-like tongue flickered from the alien's mouth. "We must evacuate." The Gift of the TARDIS translated what would otherwise have been nearly unintelligible speech. "Space debris is going to strike our world!"

The Doctor overheard that as well. He looked up into the twilight sky above them. Cat did as well, but with her omnitool still mostly non-functioning she had to rely on her eyes, and she wasn't sure she noticed anything.

The Doctor was already retreating back into the TARDIS. Cat turned and followed him, finding him bringing over one of his monitors. He quickly operated the controls. "There it is," he said. "Coming in from the system zenith, wide parabolic, looks like it'll impact in about a day." He frowned. "And at that speed… oh dear, that's not good."

Cat went up and glanced at the monitor. The object was not close up, looking like a blue-silvery streak, and figures were displayed below it. Her eyes widened at the numbers. "That could be an extinction-level impact," she said. "Can we stop it?"

"We'll certainly try," the Doctor said, now at the TARDIS' flight controls. He started twisting dials and sliding levers. The TARDIS shifted below them. " _Allons-y!_ "

Cat didn't need to look outside to know that the TARDIS had just shot off the ground like a rocket. The technology of Gallifrey brought to mind the Clarke quote about sufficiently advanced technology being like magic. Time Lord technology certainly seemed like it, often enough. Even the advanced science of the Darglan seemed insufficient to match them, indeed the best the Darglan ever managed was to emulate Time Lord dimensionally-transcendental technology, and they could only implement it for stations, not vessels.

The TARDIS approached the unknown debris at a rapid clip. As it drew closer, the external camera gradually enhanced the image, making the space debris more and more detailed. The relative dimensions and the shape soon made it clear the debris was a ship, presumably dead and adrift, having achieved sufficient velocity to be a deadly threat to the world of the Tash'shash'tishish should it make impact.

Cat watched as the profile of the vessel soon became obvious. Width was about a third of length at the widest point, and height was yet indeterminable. At first it seemed a single hull shape, but as more of the profile became visible it seemed to be a ship with a dual hull…

And then her eyes widened in realization. "That… that's an _Alliance_ ship," she said. "It's a star cruiser."

"So it appears to be," the Doctor concurred.

 _Please don't have four nacelles please please no no NO NO NO!_ Cat's horror became evident to the Doctor as the vessel's rear section came into view enough to show the flat X of warp nacelle pylons there. Only three nacelles were present, the lower port nacelle missing with about half of its pylon, and the upper port had been sheared in half from just behind the pylon.

Was it one of the new _Enterprise_ or _Excalibur_ -class? Or maybe an even newer one, if this was from the Alliance's future? Cat wondered as they closed in, waiting and hoping to see a name other than…

 _A.S.V. Aurora_. 

* * *

The others joined Robert and Lucy in Zakera Ward. Bailey was gone, to join C-Sec's assault teams, leaving Garrus with the Federation and Alliance officers. They were seated on the second floor of a vacant residential building facing the suspect warehouse, technically off-limits while engineers ensured the damage from the battle hadn't made the building unsound. Lucy and Data had taken a moment to assure everyone with scans that, for the eight of them at least, it was safe.

Geordi was examining the building with his ocular implants. "I'm definitely reading the debris' emissions from the building," he said to the others. "We've found our place."

"What is it you need us to do, Captain Dale?" asked Tra'dur. She set a hand on her pulse pistol.

"You'll be responsible for cataloguing any debris we find after we clear the building," Robert said. "You're not here to fight. Frankly, if you're in this fight, we screwed up."

"The same with me?" asked Talara.

Lucy gave Robert an uncomfortable look. Talara was still recovering emotionally from the Battle of Germania, but at the same time leaving her sidelined might impact her confidence. Robert sensed the young Falaen woman's uncertainty and said, "I won't order you into a fight you're not ready for, but if you can do it, we could use your help."

Picking up on Robert's intent, Lucy added, "It's your decision, Talara. Are you ready for this? There's no shame if you're not."

"I see." Talara drew in a breath. "I am… I am ready. Yes." They felt her will assert itself. "I am ready to assist you in a fight against this Ashford man, the threatener of innocent beings."

Lucy smiled at her and nodded. "Then you're with us."

Garrus looked up from where he was talking with Bailey. "They're still twenty minutes out," he said. "We should be ready to go in at about the thirty, thirty-five minute mark."

"Right," Robert said. "Then we'll…"

"Uh… Rob?"

Lucy's remark prompted him to look to the warehouse. Data and the others did as well. There was activity inside, a lot of it. Robert brought up a pair of binoculars. They zoomed in to show armed beings, mostly Asari and Salarian, putting crates into cargo vehicles. He narrowed his eyes at the black insignia on their combat armor. "Eclipse mercenaries," he murmured.

"Eclipse. A mercenary outfit known for technological and biotic combat capability," said Data. "They will be quite difficult opponents in a tactical encounter."

"That's not the real problem here," Robert noted. "They're pulling out."

"Damn." Garrus frowned. "They must have someone in C-Sec. Or one of those Quarians decided to hedge bets and warned Ashford."

"We can figure it out later." Robert nodded. He felt inward for a moment, to decide if they had time to wait for C-Sec or not.

The response from within, almost instinctive in how it came, was that no, they did not. If they didn't act now, Ashford would get away with all of that Sovereign debris.

Robert pulled his weapon from his belt. "Change of plans. We go now." He turned to face Garrus. "Garrus, can you give us cover fire?"

Garrus reached down and picked up his Mantis-model sniper rifle. "I've got you covered. Commander La Forge, would you mind staying to be my spotter?"

Geordi and Data exchanged a brief look before the Starfleet engineer nodded. "You've got me."

Robert nodded and led the others out. They rushed down the stairs and out into the street. The door of the warehouse ahead was closed but not guarded, not from the outside anyway. Thanks to his superior speed Data was the first to the door. He immediately went to work on the panel. As they approached he said, "There is a locking mechanism, but it is not very sophisticated. Standby."

Data went back to work on the lock. As he did Robert focused his senses around him. He tried to detect the alarm that would come from the enemy realizing they'd come. For the moment he felt nothing, and when the door started to open he was ready to go in.

The sense of imminent threat kept him from doing so. Lucy hissed, "Get clear!" to the others, and they moved out of sight of the door.

Which was a good thing, as the moment it finished opening a missile came streaking out. It struck the street behind them and exploded, just far enough away that it didn't catch them in the explosive shockwave.

Lucy's lightsaber ignited and she rushed in, Robert behind her. A seven foot tall combat robot, or "mech", in Eclipse colors was swinging its gun arm toward them. They dashed in opposite directions, prompting the machine to pick a target. It chose Lucy, who swung her lightsaber as rapidly as she could to deflect incoming fire.

Robert, unengaged for the moment, reached out with his life force. A solid, invisible wall of force slammed into the combat walker's feet, unbalancing it. Its firing at Lucy went wide. Its head, with dual red eyes to provide proper depth perception, turned toward him. It had reevaluated him as a target and judged him the more tactically dangerous foe.

Robert smiled at that. The robot had _no idea_ how wrong it was.

And it barely got the chance. No longer being fired upon, Lucy dashed into range. The machine was just tracking its gun arms into place to fire on Robert when she zipped by, her lightsaber slashing in the air in a sapphire blur. The gun arms fell away from the machine. Its VI was busy trying to process this loss of its main firepower. As the shoulder-mounted missile launcher revealed itself, an amber phaser beam sliced into its head, vaporizing half of the matter and burning the rest.

Data entered, his phaser up and ready to fire again, and the others came in with guns raised.

This was advantageous, as moments later the first Eclipse mercs appeared on the upper floor nearby. "Intruders!" a Salarian female shouted. "Open fire!"

Everyone went for cover as mass effect firearms, mostly assault rifles, began raining projectiles on the lower level. One by one everyone returned fire, Talara's fire being the most accurate thanks to her gifts. Jarod, taking cover with Data, allowed himself a bemused grin while readying his pulse pistol. "So much for a peaceful cataloguing mission," he said.

"Indeed," Data agreed.

The two operations officers slipped out of cover long enough to return fire; with their respective gifts - Jarod's super-savant nature and training and Data's android control - allowing them to make shots close enough that the more heavily-armed enemies had to take cover regardless.

Robert and Lucy moved ahead, finding their own pathways to the upper floor. As they went Robert opened his tac comm line. "Garrus, anything new?"

" _Well, you've… hang on…_ " Garrus' rifle fired. " _There. As I was saying, you've certainly got the mercs attention. I'm making sure they don't take off with those cargo trucks. Bailey's ETA is now ten minutes._ "

"Glad to hear he cut it in half," Robert said. As he did, he had to raise his weapon to deflect shots from a semi-automatic mass effect gun in the hands of an Asari. She started to generate biotic energy in her hand, but before she could throw it he reached out with his life force and twisted her hand down, causing her to throw it at her feet. The singularity she generated crackled on the ground and yanked her off her feet. "Keep me informed," he added before racing on. 

* * *

There was a whimper from Caterina as the memory of finding the _Aurora_ hurtling toward the world of the Tash'shash'tishish returned to her. Martha glanced from her to the Doctor. "What is it?" she asked. "Her breathing's picking up…"

"She's remembering something unpleasant," he said, not turning his head. "Please, let me concentrate, I have to be careful."

Martha nodded and sat back down, watching with worry as the Doctor continued to unravel the block he'd placed on Caterina's mind. 

* * *

The memory of finding the _Aurora_ was the space debris they'd come to stop nearly jolted Caterina out of the mind link. The Doctor held onto her and kept her mind on track, allowing the memories to return carefully as he'd planned.

The memories continued on from that horrible realization. Caterina examined the reading on the TARDIS repeatedly. As they drew closer the grievous damage to the ship was more and more visible. The bow was gone, blasted away, as was the front of the drive hull. Entire sections of the ship were gone or open to vacuum. There was no trace of life present.

"What… how?" Caterina stuttered. "H-how is th-this…"

"I don't know," he said. "Let's find out."

The Doctor flew the TARDIS toward the ruined vessel. While Caterina struggled to deal with what she was seeing, his expression betrayed his own somber feelings. He liked the _Aurora_ crew and what they'd done with the legacy of the Darglan. And the ship was beautiful, as many Darglan vessels were, elegant in design and brilliantly engineered. He'd seen enough of those lovely Darglan ships reduced to wrecks...

It wasn't hard to find a hole leading into the heart of the ship. It was slightly harder to find one leading directly to the interior of the primary hull. He managed this anyway and flew them until there was nowhere else to go but into the turbolifts. Before stepping out of the TARDIS he affixed a device to his belt and gave another one to Cat. "Here. From the 119th Century of your Common Era, well, of what you call W8R4's anyway. It'll generate an atmosphere around you and give you a couple hours of breathable air. Plus it produces its own localized light so we can see what we're doing. Nifty, isn't it?"

Cat accepted the device quietly and latched it to her waist. A blue light showed it was coming online and ready to generate the atmosphere needed.

They stepped out of the TARDIS and into dark halls. There was no gravity operational, but Cat noticed she felt, if not weight, a general pull that held her feet to the ground. "The atmosphere things provide gravity too?"

"Not so much gravity as a general pull toward your feet… so yes, I suppose it's gravity. And..."

The Doctor quieted, and Cat immediately saw why when she followed his saddened eyes. Nearby was a body hovering lifelessly in the zero gravity environment around them, illuminated by the light being emanated around their atmospheric fields. The body looked female with an Alliance uniform, a species that Cat thought might be Falaen, but the ears were a little too long for it, the grayish skin a bit too light, as if it had been pearl-white before the crewwoman died. As they continued they came upon another pair of remains, one Dorei and the other either Human or Gersallian. Cat didn't recognize any of them, but that was small comfort for her.

"This place… something is… not normal," the Doctor remarked.

Cat gave him a flat look. "What else isn't normal about my home dead in space, about to crash into an innocent planet?"

"The space we're in, it's all… off," the Doctor insisted. "But it's still real enough to ruin the Tash'shash'tishish if we don't stop it."'

The lifts themselves were out, but the main shaft leading to the bridge was intact. "Tricky bit here. Watch that first step," the Doctor said just before taking the same. Cat squeaked out a cry of "Doctor!" before looking down into the dark shaft and seeing the Doctor standing on the side of the shaft as if nothing was wrong. He moved out of the way and smiled at her. "Come on, then. It's a tricky first step, but it's all about keeping your feet down."

Cat drew in a breath and stepped out into the open air. As she fully expected, her foot found nothing and she tipped out into the shaft. She "fell" until her foot, now level of the side of the lift shaft, pressed against the wall and stayed. Her sense of gravity effectively turned ninety degrees on her in the process. Tentatively she set her other foot down. It took her several seconds to accept the new orientation of gravity, after which she giggled despite everything.

"This way then," said the Doctor, starting to walk "up" the shaft. "I need to access the sensors and find out what's going on here…" 

* * *

The Eclipse mercs proved every bit as potent as Data had forewarned. More than potent for a few officers with pulse pistols.

Robert and Lucy were another matter.

Enough time had passed since first contact for such groups to become aware of the existence of the Order of Swenya and similar organizations. But such knowledge alone didn't suffice to prepare fighters to face their abilities or understand the power that was at their fingertips. The Eclipse fighters treated Robert and Lucy like powerful biotics and used tactics suited for fighting such beings.

But they weren't biotics. Biotics didn't move as fast as they could. They couldn't rip weapons from hands or send someone flying with barely a gesture. They didn't wield blades of light that could intercept gunfire and send it flying back to the shooter.

The two thus advanced the most quickly against the mercenaries. Data and Talara followed behind, Jarod and Tra'dur further behind them, exchanging fire where they could with the mercs.

They were all in the upper floor of the warehouse now, at the loading bays. The vehicles loaded with pieces of Sovereign hadn't moved. More crates, with that same cargo, remain stacked and ready for transport to those transport vehicles, but no such transport was taking place. Garrus had cut off that avenue of retreat.

That left the Eclipse mercs with no remaining options save to fight and hope they won. So they did so, with the ferocity of the desperate, still trying to concentrate fire on Robert and Lucy, still using their omnitools' specialized apps to fling bolts of flame and cryo energy, still flinging biotics of their own. One bolt of biotic power rushed as a shockwave along the ground, simply to be dispelled by Robert. Lucy zipped ahead and her lightsaber swept in a quick, blue slash. The Asari who sent the bolt cried out in shock and rage as her right arm, her gun still clasped in the hand, flew away from her body. A nearby Salarian raised an assault rifle to shoot at Lucy before being shot himself by Talara.

And then, in a moment, the battle went lopsided. C-Sec vehicles soared down to cover the loading bays. Heavily armed officers, the C-Sec equivalent of SWAT, jumped free from the vehicles and stormed into the warehouse. "Citadel Security! Stand down!"

The Eclipse mercs did not, and they paid for that. Robert found it incredulous that they continued to fight even when it was clearly hopeless, but they did just that, and C-Sec's officers responded with precise, careful tactics, throwing flashbangs and stun grenades while advancing.

One flashbang landed close enough to Robert he had to turn away, doing so just as it went off. As the afterimage blur started to fade he noticed a figure on the uppermost level, an office area overlooking the warehouse floor. Even with the distance the figure looked Human, likely male, wearing the kind of jumpsuit common to M4P2 Humanity, this one of dark blue color. He was carrying a duffel bag. Robert focused on him. He felt fear and panic, also irritation, some rage… and an intent to escape. He glanced toward Lucy next. _Lucy, Ashford's escaping. He's on the upper level and heading for a carpark._

 _Got him_ , thought Lucy back. She took off for the stairway to the offices. Robert followed. He felt Talara give chase.

Even with their speed, and Lucy making a superhuman jump onto the upper floor once she was in range, Ashford had the advantage of a head start aided by knowing where he was going. He was also quite swift on his feet. By the time they rushed through the offices and stepped out into the car park area, he was already strapped in and gunning it. The red aircar shot from the carpark at a speed that might have cost Ashford his life had he less space outside to maneuver.

Lucy had been a half second from throwing her lightsaber to disable the craft when it vanished. "Dammit," she hissed.

Robert triggered the tac comm. "This is Dale. Ashford's running, I repeat, he's left the building in an aircar, red coloring."

" _I see him, Commander La Forge is tracking_ ," Garrus said. " _Bailey, where's the cover on that exit?_ "

" _That car park doesn't exist on the Citadel Archive schematics for this building_ ," Bailey groused. " _I don't have anyone in position to_ …"

Another aircar pulled up to the three from the outside. It opened, revealing seating for four. Data was at the controls. "I have commandeered transportation," he stated. "We should hurry."

"Shotgun!" Lucy cried out, grinning, before plopping herself down beside Data. Robert and Talara sat in the rear. It was somewhat tight seating, but comfortable.

"Please fasten safety harnesses, this craft's inertial dampening systems will be insufficient," Data said. Before he finished the statement he was already hitting the throttle, throwing the three back into their seats as the commandeered aircar shot out of the building as well.

"We're in pursuit," Robert said into the tac comm. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ turbolift shaft came to its end on the bridge deck. The door to enter the bridge was beneath the Doctor's feet as Cat stepped up. He knelt down beside it and hovered his sonic screwdriver over it. Its blue diode blinked repeatedly as he examined the door. "Atmospheric seal," he said. "The systems are dead, so…" With a grunt of effort the Doctor forced the door open enough to slip through. Again it looked like he'd intentionally stepped into thin air, just to set his feet on the floor of the bridge. Cat did the same.

Like the rest of the ship the bridge was dark. Only one console seemed to be flickering in and out of life, over at ship operations. The light of the console was dim, so dim that Cat could only just make out a figure slumped over the inward side of the L-shaped console. A horrible thought came to her and she rushed to the other side of the bridge, the rear starboard, where the tactical station was. A figure was slumped lifelessly over the control station. She grabbed the shoulders of the body and pushed it back…

...and stared into her sister's dead eyes.

Cat shrieked and fell back onto the floor. Her letting go allowed Angela Delgado's body to tip backward into her chair. The Doctor walked up, his face locked into a thoughtful, grim expression, while Cat stared in mute horror at her sister's corpse. Angel's face was locked into an expression of grim resolve. Her brown skin had paled considerably in death. It was the same uniform as always, save a strap over the left shoulder that seemed to latch the front of the uniform into place, the strap and latch colored the same orange as the uniform's undershirt and the visible collar above the uniform jacket. The section of the strap above the latch had something attached, two horizontal bars of gold and a black one above it.

"New uniform," the Doctor murmured. "Lieutenant Commander rank, I believe. Your sister was only a Lieutenant, right?"

Cat didn't reply. She kept staring into Angel's lifeless eyes. Tears started rolling down her cheeks.

The Doctor moved ahead of her and swept his hand over Angel's face. His fingers forced her eyes closed. This seemed to slightly jolt Cat from her mute stupor. She stood back up carefully and continued looking around, as if desperate to keep her eyes away from the sight of her dead sister. While the Doctor watched with concern, Cat walked toward the front of the bridge. She was dazed enough to nearly trip over a body. She glanced down and gasped "Nick" at the sight of Locarno's remains. He was on his belly, his head turned to the side enough to see it was him. Another form was nearby, laid out near the helm.

Cat kept on to Ops. She'd seen the figure before, thanks to the slight illumination from the flickering console, and drew close enough to verify that it was Jarod, staring lifelessly toward his control board.

The Doctor stepped up behind her and looked down. "Clever," he murmured. "He rerouted battery power to keep the console running…"

Cat didn't really hear what he said. Physically she did, at least, but it didn't process mentally. Her mind, as bright as it was, was still reeling from what she was looking at. She turned toward the command chair, if just to verify what she knew she'd see.

Julia was laid back and to the side in the chair. Her light skin had turned nearly gray, as had her blond hair. She looked a little older from the stress lines that had formed on her face..

"Julia," Cat murmured, stifling a sob. "Jarod. Nick…" She couldn't bring herself to look to her dead sister again. She turned tentatively toward the port side of the bridge. She didn't recognize the figure at Engineering and so immediately continued on to the station beside it. The Science station… _her_ station.

A figure was hunched over it, in the same different uniform as the others. Cat stepped up carefully and put a hand onto a shoulder on someone who was quite short, and quite slim, maybe a little filled out now...

She pulled back and the body fell back into Cat's chair.

And even without looking, Cat already knew it was herself.

This Cat looked a few years older. Her hair was slightly longer. Like Angel, a Lieutenant Commander's bars were on the strip over the left shoulder, and yellow color had replaced the dark blue Cat's uniform currently used.

And like Angel, there was nothing but death in her hazel eyes.

Cat stumbled back one step… then another. Her breath picked up, her heart hammered. The enormity of what was around them…

Was this how it was going to end? All of their good deeds, all of their hard work… and this would be it? Dead on their broken vessel, their broken _home_ , as it flew toward a helpless world to destroy countless lives?

 _This_ was how their lives would end?!

That realization… it was just… it wasn't fair! They deserved more! They deserved better!

"Cat." The Doctor's voice was gentle as he stepped toward her. "Cat, look at me."

"This… this is how…" Tears flowed freely down Cat's face, glinting in the ethereal light her atmospheric field gave off. "This is how we end? We… we just _die_? Our ship becomes a graveyard? How… how can… this isn't fair!"

"Cat, please listen!"

"Oh God _this isn't fair! This can't be how…!_ "

And that was the last coherent word from her. At that point, Cat collapsed to her knees and screamed wordlessly at the unkind fate facing her and everyone she loved.


	75. Episode 3-13-5 The Coming Storm

In the flat Martha watched Cat cry out and gave the Doctor a worried look. "Doctor, she's…"

" _I know_ ," was all he said, struggling to keep his grip while Cat whimpered. 

* * *

Cat's scream echoed in the dark bridge. It was followed by her clenching her fists and smacking the floor with them. No coherent words came from her throat. Her mind could find no words for the feeling inside of her, the deep despair at what awaited her and those she cared for.

"Cat, please!" The Doctor knelt beside her and grabbed her shoulders, compelling her to face him. She blubbered a deep sob. The light of their atmospheric fields glinted off the tears flowing freely down her face. "Cat, this isn't what it looks like!"

Her reply was another wordless sob. The Doctor sensed the despair overwhelming her. The thought that everyone she loved was going to die here, on the ship she called home, was crushing Cat. She couldn't think, she couldn't feel…

He pressed a hand to her temple. The raw despair, the _fear_ , flowed into his mind from hers. Even a Time Lord might have been stunned by it, but the Doctor, sadly, was no stranger to either emotion. He knew fear, he knew despair, and he let it pass. He felt the raging, chaotic turmoil that Cat's mind had become and forced thought into it. _Cat, this is just a possibility! That's what that odd feeling was, those odd readings we saw! This is a…_ What he sent wasn't a term so much as a concept, into the center of her mind. The concept of a possibility given form due to an exotic interaction between space-time and dimensional instability. _This is a might-be, not a will-be!_ he continued, switching back to words.

If she'd been calmer, perhaps Cat would have understood. She was brilliant. The Doctor didn't often have Human companions who could grasp some of the exotic physics he dealt with on a regular basis. But in this state there was no response to him. She was emotionally shattered by the prospect that this might-be of the _Aurora_ 's future had presented her. Cat was convinced, utterly convinced, she was seeing the future, and it was too much.

So the Doctor sighed. There was one thing he could do. Something to let him deal with the situation and maybe, just maybe, keep Cat's mind intact.

And so he did what he felt had to be done. 

* * *

The Doctor let go of Cat's head and sat back. He didn't look exhausted, but he did look worn, emotionally raw, as Martha knew he could be.

Cat's tan brown skin had paled during the course of the telepathic interaction. Tears were flowing down her eyes and her expression betrayed her horror. "I… I remember…"

"Cat…"

The despair flowed back into her. That she and her sister and Julia and all of the others would die, their ship would be wrecked, would crash… _crash?!_ That thought was a lifeline she seized to focus her mind on something before the restored memory overwhelmed. "What… what happened? To the Thash'shash'kishtish?"

"Tash'shash'tishish," the Doctor corrected gently.

"Yeah. Them." She rubbed at her forehead.

"Their world is fine," he said. "I removed the _Aurora_ before it could hit the planet."

"Removed?" She blinked.

"Like I tried to tell you before, the _Aurora_ and everyone aboard her… that was all a might-be, not a will-be," the Doctor explained. "A shadow of possibility, you might say."

"A shadow with _mass_?" asked Cat. "Of actual matter?"

"They can have it, yes," he replied. "Think of the shadow being in a bubble…" He made a face. "Actually, that analogy's better. Forget the shadow." He gathered his hands to form a sphere with his fingers. "Think of what we saw as a bubble of possibility. Once I knew what I was dealing with, it was a simple thing to use the TARDIS to…"

"...pop the bubble," Cat finished for him. A little color showed on her face again. "You reimposed normal space-time over the distorted space-time and the might-be disappeared."

The Doctor flashed a grin. "Oh, there we are. The same brilliant Cat who always used to make squeaky little shrieks when I introduced her to something new. You don't know how many times I enjoyed seeing you figure things out. Always ready for new ideas. Come to think of it, I should have realized a mind like yours would defeat my block."

"Everyone else calls them 'squees'," Cat replied, grinning slightly. "The shrieks, I mean." Her eyes focused on him. She seemed more and more in control with each second. "So that was it? You put me to sleep, slapped a memory block on me so I'd forget the Tash'shash'tishish…"

"Pretty much," the Doctor replied. "There was no need to fiddle with your omnitool given the number that technovore did on it. I just let you sleep naturally and we went on our merry way."

"So… that's it, then?" Cat swallowed. "It's not… we're not going to…"

"I won't lie, Cat. That bubble, that was a possibility," the Doctor said. "It could happen."

"Yeah." She swallowed. The memory was back in her mind in all its ugliness. The thought that all of their adventures might come to an end like that… "And since it's only a possibility, we might still get killed by something else."

"Right. So be careful out there," said the Doctor.

"Assuming I get back out there," Cat said. "I'm going to be a senior citizen if I get back to that day the long way."

"Ah, don't worry about it," the Doctor said. "I've got a plan for the TARDIS. Although until it shows up, well… I do hate to ask…"

"Ask what?"

It was Martha who sighed. "We have an opening at the shop I work at," she said. "Although the American accent will lead to quite a few questions."

"Well, I could try to use an English accent. Like thes, roit?"

Cat's attempt at the accent made Martha wince. The Doctor chuckled and said, "Yeah, I don't think that's going to pass. But we'll figure something out…" 

* * *

Around the buildings of Zakera Ward the hovercar dipped and weaved and twisted. Other vehicles zipped by in their wake, some transmitting protesting alarm buzzers to the hovercar under Data's terrifyingly-precise control. In the back seat Robert felt like he was on the world's deadliest theme park ride.

"Almost there," Lucy said. "He should be… _there_."

Ahead of them a red aircar shot from their left to right, heading toward the tip of Zakera Ward. Data twisted the wheel of the aircar and brought it up behind Ashford's. "How can we force him down?" asked Talara. "This vehicle is unarmed. And a collision at this speed…"

"...would be inadvisable," Data replied, forgoing any further details. "I am transmitting our coordinates to C-Sec. They should have pursuit craft capable of…"

"Wait, he's going down," Lucy observed.

Ashford did indeed begin to dive. Data followed him, utterly relentless in his pursuit, even as Ashford made a series of crazed maneuvers that nearly got him (and then them) killed.

"We appear to be entering the industrial docks," Data observed.

Robert concurred. While passenger traffic and much commercial traffic went to the docking facilities at the base of the Wards, where they connected to the Presidium, the industrial areas at the far ends of the Wards had their own loading facilities. The materials needed for the Citadel's own manufacturing capability were brought in and finished goods, less regularly, shipped out. Some commercial traffic found its way here as well, usually bulk goods being imported for the Citadel population.

Ashford flew his aircar into one of the smaller docks. The dock itself was a hanger, so they did not see the vessel in question. Sensing danger, Lucy and Robert gripped their weapons while Data swung the car to present its passenger side, allowing the two to get out first.

Ashford was already out of his vehicle, still carrying a case. He rushed toward the door and a couple of armed guards there, Humans in dark-colored combat armor. "Stop them!" he shrieked.

One of the guards generated a hardlight combat shield and a hefty-looking machine gun, the other pulled a mass effect model assault rifle.

"I'll get Ashford!" Robert shouted, racing ahead with every bit of energy he could gather. He generated a blast of force with his will, throwing the guards away from the door so he could enter.

Lucy got to them before they could recover. She side-stepped and twirled, seeming to barely avoid a barrage of fire before she brought her lightsaber down on the armored man's weak side. The strike sliced his weapon in half. She brought up her hand and sent him flying into his compatriot. The other guard began to recover before Talara put him down with a stun shot.

Lucy went to pursue Robert, but more foes appeared from another door, presumably to a guard post, and she was forced to swing her weapon to face them. 

* * *

The layout of the loading area put the docking collar close to the car park entrance. The nearness of the docking collar was the only reason Ashford got to it first. A figure was standing at the entrance, a very short hooded woman in a brown robe which at first glance looked like a barnous. Robert could make out nothing of her face as he moved ahead, her head mostly shrouded by a broad, loose headscarf, but he sensed something strange in the woman. Not just the darkness in her, darkness that told him she had abilities like him, but a sense of a greater presence in the Flow of Life. A presence that seemed not entirely in tune with it.

Ashford spoke with an accent that sounded almost Australian. "It's all gone tits up and you still owe me! Get me out of here!"

"Ashford, you're under arrest!" Robert shouted. He raised his lightsaber, its emerald light filling the chamber as he approached the collar. The woman seemed oblivious to him and his approach even so.

"What are you bleedin' waiting for?!" Ashford shouted at the woman.

" _This,_ " she rasped. There was a sudden, familiar electronic snap in the air. Red light flickered across green, coming from her midsection, and Ashford screamed and toppled to the ground, the blade completing its course. The lightsabre hummed and glowed, with a blade brighter, redder, more intense, even a bit longer, than any the Nazis had possessed. It was the same tenor as Swenya's in every respect, except for the piercing, ominous red that shadowed his own green. The woman's head was downcast and she said nothing else.

Robert felt Ashford's life fade within seconds of the weapon cleaving through his body. His eyes fixed on the lightsaber glowing in the woman's hand. He brought his weapon to a ready position and in stunned outrage demanded, "Why did you kill him?!"

She looked up at the question, as though it shook her from a reverie. He could see then that her eyes were solid white, like those of someone who was profoundly blind, but she had no difficulty in detecting his presence. The lightsabre was simple chrome, resting in black gloved hands of a utility suit under her barnous. "He had already started to walk the road of indoctrination," she said in words that were not English, but which he knew anyway. "That is a one way road, once it begins you are lost."

Robert's eyes widened. His mysterious foe was speaking _High Gersallian_ , and with only a little of an accent compared to actual Gersallian speakers. "Who are you?!" he demanded in the same language, speaking it as clearly as he could manage.

"A servant. I will be leaving now, Captain Dale. _Destroy the remains of the Old Machine._ " She turned on heel.

"Stop! You're under arrest!" With Lucy coming up behind him, Robert rushed forward, gathering his power defensively, ready to meet any attack.

Or so he thought.

"You understand nothing of the true power of so-called _swen'kse,_ Dawn-bearer," she said dismissively, taking no attempt at a fighting stance. At the moment that Robert was upon her, she just spun back toward him, and raised her hand, palm open.

The strength she showed was _incredible._ It battered aside his defences like so much of a freight train coming at him. One moment he was confident in himself, rushing forward to face her. The next, he was flying through the air backwards into the dock at a lethally high rate of speed, his lightsaber toppling away.

Lucy caught him with her power, slowing him enough so that he hit the ground at a substantially safer speed. With Robert safe she turned to face his attacker, her blue eyes focused on the crimson blade still shining in the dim light of the dock receiving area. She could feel much the same thing Robert had. Darkness, cold and powerful, and a unique feeling to the woman's energy, one that Lucy thought she might have felt once before. She didn't bother to verbalize a challenge to Robert's attacker, bracing herself instead, doing everything she could to be ready to absorb an attack like the one that sent Robert flying.

Instead, the woman stared directly at her with those white eyes. _I was, and am, here to help. DESTROY THE FRAGMENTS OF THE OLD MACHINE. There is no shielding that is perfectly effective, only_ swev'a _and_ farisa _are safe, reach out with your power and know this is true!_ Her soul was an ancient melancholy bitterness, like regret itself given sapient form. But the telepathic contact conveyed utter certainty.

The contact gave Lucy a moment of pause. Despite the darkness, despite the dead body of Ashford, she sensed that she was not facing anything like _swevyra'kse_. She didn't feel the kind of malevolence, the malice, that _Mastrash_ Goras or Fassbinder and his SS had given off.

The woman deactivated her blade and turned. The bag Ashford had been carrying, filled with debris from Sovereign, flew through the docking collar with a gesture from the hand which held the cylinder. A moment later, a black gloved hand pressed a control inside the ship, and the hatch closed with the speed of a guillotine.

Robert scrambled to his feet and touched his omnitool. "This is Captain Dale to C-Sec. A suspect in the debris theft is getting away from the Zakera Ward industrial docking area. Unknown vessel and configuration."

" _Acknowledged,_ " came a reply. 

* * *

In the space beyond the wards, the Federation _Starship Enterprise_ was in position with the Citadel's much-reduced defense fleet. The Citadel had been a remarkable opportunity for the crew of the _Enterprise,_ and many regretted the circumstances under which they had had the opportunity to visit this remarkable structure.

The alert came with little warning, but the information from C-Sec was enough to identify the vessel coming out of the Zakera Ward. At 70-metres long it was smaller than most freighters but almost the size of the smallest marks of Klingon Birds of Prey. It somewhat resembled them, too, with sharply slanting downward wings, except they carried up almost to an A-frame above the main hull, which was configured to like a preying insect ready to pounce, with seven massive swiveling thruster blocks of three engines each and huge armoured shields which manoeuvred around the hull, sliding back to cover the aft arc as the craft, despite its size, accelerated and turned with the speed and manoeuvrability of a fighter.

As the vessel flew past, the _Enterprise_ began to turn as well. As she came about, the big _Sovereign_ -class starship locked onto the ship with a tractor beam, a ribbon of blue light that held the fleeing craft in place.

On her bridge, Captain Jean-Luc Picard exited his ready room and approached the center of the bridge. Commander William Riker stood from the command chair. "What's the situation, Number One?"

"Citadel Security asked us to intercept a vessel fleeing Zakera Ward," Riker explained. "It's believed to be carrying stolen debris from Sovereign. We've already raised shields as a precaution."

"The tractor beam is holding, sir," Lieutenant Kadohata reported from Ops. Of mostly East Asian descent, Miranda Kadohata was one of Data's subordinates in the ship's operations branch.

Picard turned to face the viewscreen and take in the appearance of the ship. "Is this design on record?" he asked.

"It does not appear to be, sir," Kadohata said.

"I wonder what capabilities…"

Before he could finish the sentence the _Enterprise_ tactical officer, Lieutenant Padraig Daniels, spoke up. "They're firing!"

A projectile erupted from the vessel. Picard braced for impact against the shields.

But there was none. The projectile went off in the middle of the _Enterprise_ 's tractor beam. When it did, an abrupt burst of rapidly spreading debris was sucked into the tractor beam, which obligingly pulled them at high speed back toward the Enterprise as the computer mass balancing loop was thrown off. The resulting disruption to the tractor beam freed the vessel, which shot ahead of the _Enterprise_. Kadohata blinked at her screens. "Sir, they're not on course for the mass relay."

"Intercept course. Put a tractor beam on them as soon as you can, Lieutenant," Picard ordered.

"Re-establishing tractor lock… I'm detecting an energy surge in the vessel. It appears to be…"

In an instant the unknown vessel seemed to just zip away. Picard could almost swear it vanished, only barely noticing the blip of movement before it was gone, like a video of a ship jumping to warp in fast playback.

Kadohata was staring at her screens. "I've never seen a drive signature like that, Captain. It bears a resemblance to S0T5 hyperdrive technology, but the profile is all wrong."

"So you say." Picard frowned slightly. "Quite a mystery vessel. I want a recording of this encounter dispatched to Starfleet immediately. Lieutenant, get me Citadel Security."

"Maybe Data and Geordi can make something of it?" Riker suggested.

"Maybe, or maybe not. Either way… we are clearly dealing with an unseen power," Picard said. "And they seem to have us at a disadvantage." 

* * *

With the ship departed and the mercs protecting the dock and hanger subdued or retreating, Data and Talara joined Robert and Lucy in examining the abandoned structure. Unlike Ashford's warehouse, there was no sign of Sovereign debris anywhere.

But that wasn't what was bothering Robert and Lucy. Talara sensed they had other concerns on their mind, and they did. When the examination was complete they walked off into a corner to speak privately. "You hesitated," Robert said to Lucy. "I don't blame you," he added to reassure her. "I've never felt that much power before. I think even Goras would have been knocked on his ass."

"That's scary as hell, yeah," Lucy agreed. "But that's not why. I… there's something familiar about that woman, Robert. I've sensed that kind of thing before."

"Oh? Where?"

"I'm not sure. It's faint. I think it was a subconscious thing." Lucy shook her head.

"Did you hear her?" Robert asked.

"No. She connected to me mentally. She called Sovereign 'The Old Machine'. I think she was trying to warn me, to warn us, about the debris. That no defense could stop the indoctrination effect." Lucy swallowed. "And I believe her."

"Yeah." Robert had his own worries about whether the fields being used could really stop the effect. "She told me that's why she killed Ashford. That he was already indoctrinated."

"Did you sense it in him?"

"No." Robert shook his head. "But it took me effort to sense it in Saren, and he was an egregious case, even if subtle. Maybe given time and more indoctrination victims I could figure my limits, but…" He shuddered at that. He didn't _want_ that opportunity. "I didn't sense any falsehood in her either. And that's not the only thing."

"Oh?"

"She also warned me to destroy the debris. And called Sovereign 'the Old Machine'." Robert met Lucy's eyes. "And she did it in _High Gersallian_."

Lucy's jaw dropped partly. "Then she's Gersallian?"

"No. I mean, maybe, but I'm pretty sure she was Human." Robert shrugged. "You know how it is."

"Yeah." The vague sense that their _swevyra_ \- their life force bound to the Flow of Life - could give on a matter's truth was occasionally vexing with how immaterial it could feel. "Did she have an accent?"

"Barely," he said. "It wasn't a Gersallian accent I've heard before. But not like our accents either when we try it."

Lucy frowned. "And no name?"

"None. Only that she was 'a servant'. But given what we know, I'm betting she was the one that the reports referred to as 'Yellow'."

"Well, since Yellow supposedly killed a bunch of badass crooks here on the Citadel… yeah." Lucy drew in a breath. "I don't like this, Robert. I feel something… elusive about this."

"Same here. We'll talk to Meridina about it when we get back to the _Aurora_. Until then… let's get back to work. I don't want to leave any Sovereign debris here, in case we just haven't found it yet."

"God no…"

With that, they got back to work with the others. 

* * *

In orbit over the Earth of W8R4, Angela Delgado thought she'd go insane. There was no sign of the _Warri_ yet, no sign of anyone that could help her find her little sister. As far as everything looked, Cat was just _gone_.

The first thing to get her attention was that the _Moffat_ 's sensors suddenly recorded some kind of spatial disturbance. She wasn't sure what it meant so she ran it through the library systems, requiring a comm link to the Alliance Stellar Navy's database. Yet more impatient minutes passed during which Angel really wished she had someone to punch. Preferably a slaver. Slavers always made her feel better when she punched them (and kicked them and elbowed them and just beating their slaving jerk faces in…!)

Then the result came back. The disturbance had been detected before. By the _Aurora_ , in fact.

It was the Doctor's TARDIS.

Angel was just starting to wonder what that meant when the sensors lit up with another disturbance. Just as the computer identified it as the same, she heard a kind of whooshing sound from the back of the shuttle. She reached into the emergency armory cabinet and pulled out a pulse pistol, turned…

...and faced the TARDIS, now fully materialized in her rear.

The door opened and the Doctor stepped out. He faced Angel and made a hmph sound. "You always did seem the type to be ready to fight," he noted.

" _Where is my…?!_ "

Before Angel could finish her demand, Cat ran from the TARDIS and grabbed her into a hug. "Angel! It's so good to see you!"

Surprised, Angel dropped the pulse pistol and returned the hug, embracing her little sister tightly. "You crazy, reckless, infuriating little nerd, you've had me worried sick. Why…?!" She put her hand to Cat's head and suddenly shifted the intended question. "Why is your hair longer?"

"Oh, I've been letting it grow a bit again. I'm probably going to cut it back down now," she said.

Angel blinked and then sighed. "You… were time traveling again?"

"Well, not by choice. A Weeping Angel sent me back to 1969 London where the Doctor and Martha were… oh!" Cat turned back as Martha stepped up to the threshold of the TARDIS. "This is Doctor Martha Jones, she's from this Earth and is traveling with the Doctor now."

"Oh, uh, hi," Angel said, waving quietly.

"Hi," Martha replied. She looked around at the interior of the _Moffat_. "So… this is a spaceship?"

"It's a shuttlecraft," Cat replied. "We live on a much bigger spaceship called the _Aurora_."

"Give Robert my best," said the Doctor. "And if he doesn't mind it, let him know I'd love to talk with him about what he experienced during his coma."

"How do you know he experienced anything?" asked Angel.

The Doctor gave her a look that just screamed, "You really have to ask?" Aloud he simply said, "Oh, it's just a little guess of mine, that's all. Now, I've promised Martha a trip somewhere sunny and warm and very relaxing, so I'm off. You be careful out there!"

"Bye," Martha said. "And Cat, be careful for a few more days, that pull might get aggravated if you aren't." After she spoke the Doctor closed the TARDIS door. Moments later it started to dematerialize.

Cat sat gingerly in one of the piloting chairs. Angel noticed the little wince on her face. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, just a little muscle pull," she said. A frown crossed her face. "I'm never going in a retail shop again. _Never_."

"Just how long were you with them?"

"Oh… three weeks? Four? No more than five," Cat insisted. "The Doctor's calculations for summoning the TARDIS were a bit off so we had to live in London for a while. That meant getting a job so we had enough food. I hated every moment of it. Ugh, so _boring_ … well, except for…"

"For what?"

Cat grinned sheepishly. "Well, Martha _is_ really cute…"

Angel chuckled and took a seat. There was no hiding the relief showing on her face and in her eyes. Cat felt a warm, fuzzy feeling at her sister being so happy. The unwanted image of her sister's dead face on that dark bridge popped up and she forced it away. She'd been learning to do that an awful lot these past few weeks.

After tapping in keys to put them on a course back to the Jupiter Observation Post Angel returned her focus to Cat. "So, did you get what you needed? Or what you wanted?" She was immediately concerned to see the uncertain, frightened look on Cat's face. "What's wrong?"

"It's… it's nothing important. Not right now," Cat said. "Just something I have to think about."

Angel knew there was more to it than that, but she let it go. If Cat didn't want to discuss it, that was her choice. She was just glad to have her sister home and safe. 

* * *

With the timing of their watches, the command crew of the _Koenig_ were all at stations as they continued their patrol of the Traverse. Their location wasn't far from Virmire now, which meant they were very close to the Terminus Systems, requiring the ship to remain at Code Blue standby alert instead of the relaxed Code Green of normal running.

Seated in the command chair, Will Atreiad was observing operations quietly. He wondered how it would be on the _Huáscar_ and how that crew would fit together. He already knew that Captain Zhen'var was rather more formal than Julia was. Her Earthforce experience would likely lead to an entirely different command concept being shown on the ship, and as her XO it would be Will who had to support it. _From fifty crew to two thousand. At least I won't be entirely responsible for them._

He was considering what to write home to his sister and nephew when Magda looked up at her station. "We're getting a distress signal, Citadel standard," Magda said.

"Looks like we're finally going to learn more about those disappearing ships," he said. "Identify?"

"ID code… Mother of God." Magda's face showed her shock when she looked toward him again. "Commander, it's the _Normandy_."

Will forced a neutral expression on his face. "Ap, set course, maximum warp."

"Doing so now." As Apley keyed in the course, relaying on Magda's data, he said, "They're well on the other side of the cluster, sir. Even at our best sustainable warp, it'll be at least an hour before we arrive…"

"Then give me more," demanded Will. He tapped the intercom key. "Engineering, I need the best warp speed you can give. The _Normandy_ is in trouble."

Derbely wasted no time in replying, " _Yes Commander, we'll give you everything we can get_. I'll see if I can get us past Warp 9.89."

Will knew that was considered the maximum warp speed the _Koenig_ 's engines were capable of, and even then they'd be burning the drives down in the attempt. But every second counted. "Let's set a record for the _Koenig_ ," he said. "Ap, engage!"

The _Koenig_ 's course through interstellar space shifted and her warp drive began accelerating, as fast as her crew could push her, in the hopes of rescuing a valued ally and friend. 

* * *

When Robert and the others returned to Ashford's warehouse, having relinquished the dock to a C-Sec CSI team, they found Zack, Geordi, and Tra'dur standing around the main storage area.

The _empty_ storage area.

"Did C-Sec get all the debris out that quickly?" Lucy asked Tra'dur.

"No, Lieutenant," the Dilgar woman replied. "We were busy securing the offices when there was a sudden power surge. Everything in the storage area was vaporized by an intense disintegration field."

"It was like nothing I've seen," Geordi added. "I found no traces of nadions, so it wasn't based on phaser or disruptor technology."

"Yellow," Robert said.

"You refer to the woman that killed Ashford?" Data asked.

"That's what we think, given the reports C-Sec gave us," Lucy said. "She escaped with a ship using an FTL system we've never seen. She didn't even bother going to the mass relay."

"Well, where is she going to go then?" Zack asked.

"She might be laying low on some of the other settled worlds in the systems around the Serpent Nebula," Talara said. "Perhaps Bekenstein?"

"Well, that'd confirm her wealth, if anything," Robert said. As he spoke, he didn't feel right about that guess. He glanced to Lucy, who was operating her omnitool. "What is it?"

"Establishing a communication line," she said. "I want to speak to Meridina about that woman."

A few moments later Meridina appeared, wearing her uniform and at her office desk. " _Lucy, Robert. What is wrong?_ "

They explained, in brief, what they encountered, which doubled as filling in the others and the now-arriving Garrus. When they were finished explaining Meridina's expression showed concern. " _You are certain her Gersallian sounded native?_ "

"It sounded better than Lucy's, and definitely better than mine," Robert said. "And she had a lightsaber of her own, but it wasn't like the SS ones we found, or that Cylon lightsaber Lucy's Cylon clone was using."

"It looked… well, I hate to say it, but better," said Lucy. "The blade at least. I can't imagine a crystal managing that kind of hue and brightness."

" _Rather disturbing. Did you see her face?_ "

"Not well, she was wearing something like a headscarf," Robert said. "Her eyes were the weird part. They were entirely white, like her pupils and iris never developed. Like she was blind. But she saw us coming, and in a way that didn't feel like it was reliant on sensitivity."

"And there was one term she used in her mental communication," Lucy said. "When she was warning me about Sovereign's remains. She said that only _farisa_ and what she called _swev'a_ were safe from indoctrination."

Meridina blinked. " _I am unfamiliar with that word, but it does sound like she was referring to one with_ swevyra. _Curious. I shall ask_ Mastrash _Ledosh_. _Perhaps he will shed some insight on this 'Yellow' and what she might be._ "

"Thanks," said Lucy. "We'll see you when we get home."

" _And we await that eagerly, Lucy._ Mi rake sa swevyra iso _._ " Meridina ended the call at that point.

"So that's what happened at the dock," said Garrus.

"Yeah." Robert nodded. "Anything from the investigators?"

"Nothing useful. It looks like Yellow, if that was her, hired a group of Human mercenaries called CAT6 to protect the dock. They're a bunch of thugs, dishonorably discharged from the Systems Alliance military."

"Explains the name," Robert muttered. Seeing the unknowing looks on the others, he said, "Dishonorable discharges from the Systems Alliance military are known as Category 6 discharges."

"They sound very unpleasant," Tra'dur remarked drolly.

"Well, we've got these men in custody for aiding theft of Citadel property. So they'll be spending time in jail." Garrus looked back toward the empty bin. "Too bad the evidence itself is gone."

"We have recordings of it, if your courts need it," Geordi said. "What I'd like to know is how."

"Well, we can guess why," said Lucy. "She says these pieces are dangerous, even inside of protective fields. That no protective field can stop them."

"How does she know?" asked Zack. "I mean, did you find evidence she was studying them as much as we were?"

"No, but then again, we didn't get her ship." Robert glanced toward the bin again. "I can't help but think she did us a favor. I still think…"

Before he could continue, Robert suddenly doubled over and went down on a knee. A stunned, pained look crossed his face. Lucy and Zack went to help him. "What is it?" Lucy asked. "What are you feeling?"

"I… I'm not sure," he said. "I feel like I've… lost something. Something's gone, it's been taken."

"Like?"

He shook his head. "I… I'm not sure." He drew in a breath. "I just need a minute. We should probably let C-Sec handle the rest of this."

"Well, we still have more work to do at the repository," Geordi said.

"And I will investigate whether or not this individual may have had an insight we lack on the danger of the debris," Data added.

"Yeah, thank you," said Robert. "Let me know what you find." 

* * *

Meridina was surprised that it took her an hour after she first called to get a response from Ledosh. She was more surprised by the worn look on her mentor's face. He was in his office, it seemed, which made her wonder if the time had been for him to get back from the cottage. She said nothing of this consideration, simply saying, "Good day, _Mastrash_."

" _Meridina. It is good to see you_." While she knew he meant it, it was also clear he was mentally distracted. " _I'm afraid I've been rather busy as of late. You are due congratulations for defeating the Reich and its evil._ "

"You are aware of the _swevyra'kse_ we faced?"

" _Robert informed the Council, yes._ " Ledosh's expression was grave. " _How they acquired the lightsaber weapons as well… I feel great concern._ "

"I am afraid I must add to this, _Mastrash_ ," Meridina lamented. "Robert and Lucy encountered a _swevyra'kse_ of incredible power on the Citadel, overseeing an operation to steal debris from the Reaper machine Sovereign. She too had a lightsaber..."

" _Swenya's Light…_ "

"...and she may have been Gersallian," Meridina added.

Ledosh's expression betrayed the grim thoughts in his head. " _Did they capture her?_ "

"No. They are not sure of the woman's species, but they say she spoke High Gersallian with something close to a proper accent. As if it were her first language. Or one she was long practiced in. And there is more… She said a word to them." Meridina watched her mentor's expression grow more grim and wished she didn't have to speak of these things. Whatever was going on, Ledosh was under strain. "' _Swev'a_."

Ledosh's eyes widened. " _They are certain?_ "

"It was transmitted mentally into Lucy by this _swevyra'kse_." Meridina sighed. "I can see you recognize this word, _Mastrash_ , and that you are under great pressure. I am sorry to add to it."

" _No. It is important that you tell me these things._ "

"Why are you so upset, _Mastrash_? You seem under great strain."

" _It is simply… a discomfort. Goras still lingers in our dungeons. We have never allowed a_ swevyra'kse _to live this long. I fear that his fall has brought a malaise upon our Order that even Lucy's discovery of the_ swenkesh _has not lifted. There is a darkness here, a darkness I feel in our future._ "

"And the Council…"

A bitter look came to Ledosh's face. " _Frightened. That is what they are. Save a few such as your father, they wish to ignore all signs and portents. I find myself missing your father's opposition to my views. He at least showed_ feeling _toward them. All the Council does is move to table discussion and go on to other things. As if I cannot feel their fear._ "

"Surely they know we must…"

" _They know only that there is something wrong, but they have no idea what to do about it. The Multiverse's many injustices weigh upon them, as does the continued low-level Dissenter activity. I suspect many now wish Robert had never found that Darglan Facility._ " Ledosh shook his head. " _We do what we can. Your Father and I, whatever our differences, will work to keep the Council from going too far. I trust everything else to you and the others, Meridina. Now, I am afraid I must go. I have much work yet to do._ Mi rake sa swevyra iso _._ "

" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ ," she replied, and barely had a moment before Ledosh disappeared. A terrible feeling came to her stomach. _What is wrong on Gersal?_ she wondered. 

* * *

Ledosh returned to his cottage in haste. Only there did he feel safe in continuing his work. Upon transporting in he went to his desk and unlocked the storage box below. From it he drew his translation guide. The work of the long-deceased Gartanam made his efforts to translate the outdated Gersallian of the _Life of Reshan_ easier. He was learning so much in these days. Knowledge that, in the wrong hands, could be dangerous.

Before resuming his work, however, he went back through the book, flipping through the text, reading the raw ancient Gersallian and wondering whether it would be better if he was right or wrong…

And there it was.

" _Swev'a_ ," he murmured, reading the text. The context soon told him what it meant, a term for one with active _swevyra_. Such an interesting term, displaying how much had changed in Gersallian thinking since that era. The idea of such a word existing… Just to double-check his translations he went back to Gartanam's guide.

Yes, there it was. _Swev'a_. The possession of sensitivity to the Flow of Life, but with a word that divorced such sensitivity from any connection to the Light, or even darkness for that matter.

And this mysterious woman had spoken it. What did that mean? What kind of omen was that?

Ledosh shook his head. He could consider that mystery at another time. He still had so much translation work ahead of him… 

* * *

It wasn't long after their return to the repository that Lucy felt Geordi's immense displeasure at finding something from the debris. "Well, I'll be," he muttered. "Maybe that thief was right."

From their place at another set of scanners, Lucy and Tra'dur turned their attention to Geordi. So did Garrus, who was double-checking the inventory for C-Sec. "What did you find?" asked Garrus.

"This debris… it's not just giving off that EM field," said Geordi. "I've been testing some of my ocular implants' wavelength functions. They're also giving off a light photonic pulse and emissions in several other bands and wavelengths. It's not as powerful as the EM field, but that might be intentional. It's certainly harder to detect."

"And how many of those can interfere with sentient brains?" asked Tra'dur.

"We will have to consult with Doctor Crusher to give a definite answer," replied Data. "But most of these emissions are theoretically capable of affecting or interfering with neuro-electrical patterns in many species. I would theorize that this effect was intended to maximize the possibility of such an interaction with numerous forms of brain patterns."

"So it could indoctrinate anything the Reaper encountered," Lucy remarked grimly.

Garrus' question was more to the point. "And can we block them?"

"Maybe if we could build an isolation field capable of blocking every kind of emission," said Geordi. "But that would include blocking light, so we wouldn't be able to see anything. And a field like that… well, I'm not sure we have something that can do it. At least not practically."

"Then that lady was right about what we need to do," Lucy said. "We should destroy them."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," Garrus lamented. "The Council will have to make that call. And they're not going to make it quickly. Valern still wants to study the debris, for starters, and Sparatus seems to have decided Saren and the Geth made this all up."

"He's an idiot," Tra'dur hissed.

"He's also the Turian member of the Council, and so represents the Council's military power," Garrus said. "Between him and Valern, don't expect any decision on this quickly."

"And in the meantime, this stuff is just sitting here, slowly exposing everyone to the indoctrination effect," Lucy said. "We've had enough exposure ourselves lately. We should probably leave."

"Now that we know this much, I have to agree," said Geordi.

"That's your call. I'll inform C-Sec of what you've found. From outside."

With everyone in agreement they all went for the exit. After they stepped out into the streets of the Ward, Garrus' omnitool came to life. He tapped at it and a screen showing Bailey popped up. "Have the repository sealed, Bailey, and inform the Council we've found evidence that these things aren't going to be contained by the fields we're using, or any field."

" _Roger that_ ," was the response. 

* * *

After everything that happened over the course of the day, Robert appreciated the quiet meal he was enjoying with Zack in Zack's apartment. It was a cozy place to live, he decided, although pricey given what Zack quoted as the monthly rent.

The place would have looked more cozy if it wasn't in the state it was in. Zack's bags were mostly packed. The next day they would all be departing on the _Enterprise_ , which would rendezvous with the _Koenig_ before jumping for S5T3. The _Koenig_ would in turn take them home just in time for the _Aurora_ 's return to active service.

Finishing that packing would be their chore after dinner. For now, though, they were enjoying a good meal, an expensive one. "It's my last _per diem_ , so why not splurge?" Zack chuckled as he cut loose another piece of steak.

Robert finished chewing on his. "Why not indeed. Although I'd hate to know how much this cost?"

"Well, ignoring relative costs and such… this is basically about thirty bucks a pound out here. Basically."

Robert shook his head. "Damn."

"Well, it's grass-fed. From Earth. Argentinian I think. Some of the colonies have cheaper beef. But I've heard stories that letting the cattle eat non-Earth grass makes the taste funny, so what the hell?" Zack drank from a glass of orange juice, authentic, another luxury.

Robert did the same, although his drink was a soda. "Looking forward to returning to the _Koenig_?"

"I can taste Hargert's cooking already," Zack answered. He grinned. "Well, not literally…"

Robert chuckled at the joke. "With you coming back… that's everyone. We'll all be back together for the first time since…"

"...since we saw you off to Gersal," said Zack. "Or since we left Ys'talla to drop you and Meridina off at Minbar."

"It's been, what, ten months?"

"Just about." Zack sighed. "It'll be nice to have everyone back together, but let's face it… it's still not back to what we used to call normal."

Robert nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Julia's captaining now, Meridina's XO, I'm a special operative answering to the President and Lucy's on my team…"

"...and I'm losing Ap," said Zack. "He's getting his own ship."

"Good for him," said Robert. "But he'll be missed."

"Yeah, he will." Zack scooped his spoon into a pile of mashed potatoes. "I guess things always change."

"That's life," Robert murmured. "Things always change."

They quietly finished their meal. When the were done Robert eyed what was left to pack up and sighed. "We might as well finish it now," he said. "Then we can just sit and relax."

"Are you crashing here tonight?" Zack asked.

"Nah. Still have a night available over at Tulara Tower, and I might as well use it," replied Robert. "As soon as I leave here I'm heading back there to get some sleep. I didn't bring much, so there's not much to pack."

"Lucky you." Zack smirked in amusement. "Anyway…"

He stopped speaking when he noticed Robert look to the door with an intent look. Moments later the buzzer sounded. Robert stepped forward to open the door. When it slid open, Garrus walked in. His time on the Citadel gave Zack just enough exposure to Turians that he knew something was wrong.

Garrus eyed Robert. "I… thought you should hear this from me. We just received word from the Traverse. The _Koenig_ picked up a distress call and…"

"She's dead," Robert murmured hoarsely.

Garrus gave him a knowing look.

Robert swallowed as his face continued to pale. "That's… that's what I felt. That was the loss…"

"What?" Zack was clearly confused. "What loss? Who's dead?"

"Jen," Robert said with a pained voice. "Commander Shepard. She's dead." 

* * *

Lucy got the news from Robert just before she left Tulara Tower, her features hidden by the hood of her cloak. It at least gave her an excuse to be away. Shepard had been a comrade and even a friend. Maybe not as much as she was with Robert, given his time on the _Normandy_ , but still…

Her thoughts wandered to Shepard's stay on the _Aurora_. Those training missions and simulations, all the times Shepard and Worf caused her to "die" in the sims by throwing curveballs at the teams. The meal they'd had in the Lookout on the trip to _Babylon-5_. The desperate fighting on Gamma Piratus. And then there was Germania. To survive all of that and die out there…

Her thoughts kept going until Lucy arrived at her destination. The debris repository was quiet. Whatever the Council was deciding, at least C-Sec was honoring the stay away order. For now…

Lucy's hand went to the pack she was keeping under her cloak. This wouldn't be as clean as what Yellow or whomever she was did to Ashford's stash. Undoubtedly C-Sec or Geordi or Data would find the leftover nadion particles when her jury-rigged phasers went off and vaporized the debris. Let them. That technology was fairly wide spread after all. The important thing was that the damn debris would be gone. It wouldn't destroy anyone else.

It wouldn't take another mother away from her daughter, as Sovereign had done to Benezia and Liara.

She was almost to the door when bright light flashed within the building. Lucy stepped back, sensing danger, and her omnitool confirmed it a moment later. Nadion emissions.

Someone had beaten her to the punch.

She was about to turn around when she sensed someone approaching her. She whirled about, her hand on her lightsaber and an instant from pulling it free.

"This probably isn't the best place," Garrus said. "Follow me."

Quietly Lucy did just that. She followed Garrus into what came off as a dive bar. A holo-screen showed what looked to be a biotic sport being played. Garrus led her away from that to a corner table where Bailey was sitting. "Did it work?" asked Bailey.

"Like a charm," said Garrus. Lucy could sense his grim satisfaction. But it didn't hide the hurt he felt inside.

"I'm sorry about Shepard," Lucy said. "She was… well, I'm going to miss her."

"We all will," Garrus answered in a low voice. "But we did right by her today. Sovereign's gone for good. No more indoctrination. Not from him anyway."

"You think there's other Reaper tech out there?" Lucy asked.

"I don't doubt it. If the damn things return every fifty thousand years, well… they'll have left something behind," Garrus remarked. "And there's always reports about expedition teams going out of contact around strange alien ruins."

"Probably just tall tales," Bailey noted. "Either way though, that crap was too dangerous. With Yellow gone and Ashford dead, you know damn well the crooks on this station would eventually start going after it."

"Did we get it all?" Lucy asked.

"Well, there may be a few pieces still here or there, but we haven't had a new report in days," Bailey said. "Whatever else they were, Yellow and Ashford may have finished our job for us."

"And good riddance to that crap," Garrus said. An Asari waitress walked up and handed them all drinks, even though Lucy hadn't ordered one. "It's on us," he said. "Nothing heavy."

Lucy looked at it and decided that even if alcoholic, it wouldn't hurt.

"To Shepard," Garrus said, holding his container of liquor up. "This is how you Humans do it, right?" he asked Bailey.

"It is," he said, lifting his own. "To Shepard."

"To Shepard," Lucy agreed, finishing the toast. 

* * *

On another Earth, in a place hidden from the majority of said Earth's citizens, a lone figure walked into a lab. A Human male of mixed Caucasian and East Asian ancestry, he was clad mostly in black with gold trim, and an elongated vertical hexagon insignia on his shoulders. His eyes were covered by a visor. Said visor scanned the room and all of the scientists present. Some he had personally delivered here. Others were personnel from indigenous allies. All were working on the object in the middle of the room, a piece of a machine, gray-colored with blue lighting.

A tone drew his attention to a nearby holo-projector. Two figures appeared on it. " _The piece is secure_?" asked one of them, a man with mechanical blue eyes and a cigarette held in two of his fingers, still burning.

"Yes sir," Kai Leng replied, nodding to the Illusive Man. "We are beginning our analysis."

" _The Triumvirate wishes to know more_ ," asked the other man in a hoarse, raspy voice. He was bald and decrepit, a corpse stuck in a wheelchair, but there was no denying the intelligent glint in his eyes.

" _Of course, Mister Raines_ ," the Illusive Man replied. " _Your Centre is going to help Cerberus understand the peculiar nature of this alien technology. And we will be more than happy to share the results. It will require sacrifice, of course, but with it we will gain information needed to protect Humanity._ "

" _We have plenty of test subjects_ ," said Raines. " _And we can always acquire more._ "

" _I have no doubt about that._ "

"I'm ready to return to the Citadel and acquire more debris," said Kai.

" _I'm afraid that is no longer a possibility. An unknown player has intervened. All of the remaining debris from the dead Reaper has been destroyed. Secure the project and prepare to report back to Headquarters_ ," the Illusive Man ordered. " _I have other assignments for you_."

"Yes sir…"


	76. Episode 3-14-1 Values Judgement

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: 22 September 2643 AST; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys recording. The_ Aurora _has returned to Fleet Base Skret Tel after four weeks exploring the Tanatis Frontier Sector in Universe A7R6. We are currently transferring samples taken during the expedition for further testing in Alakin and Falaen facilities._

 _During the expedition the_ Aurora _made first contact with two species capable of system-wide interplanetary flight and observed a third conducting orbital space missions. We also made preliminary studies of four potentially habitable planets for possible colonization and discovered rich sources of Cameronite and naqia on a lunar body._

 _While this work usually lacks the sort of excitement we've been experiencing since I took command of the_ Aurora _, it was a pleasure to be able to conduct a peaceful exploration mission for a change. No desperate battles, no threats to the Multiverse, just a reach of unexplored space._

 _On another note, a special package was waiting for our ship's resident Paladin operative when we arrived._

Set beside the _Aurora_ bridge itself, the "ready room" or "ready office" was Julia's preferred spot to do the office work of her position when she was not on watch on the bridge. Like all Captains she'd furnished hers with some personal touches, with photos of family on one of the stands inside of which she kept some of her secured digital readers for classified information. Additionally she kept a backup uniform hanging near the walk-in bathroom for use in emergencies. Along the wall beside the door to the bridge was a couch, a hold over from Robert's time as captain that she'd slept on a couple of times over the years.

Currently she was at her desk reading monthly performance reviews with Meridina and Jarod. "It looks like the Gamma shift crew is exceeding standards," Julia noted. "At this rate, we're going to lose Lieutenant Takawira to a new command. Is he up for promotion?"

"I have already written the recommendation to the board," Meridina informed her.

"Good." Julia looked over another section and frowned. "Science section's looking a little less polished than usual. Cat's always been a little too lenient with her subordinates, but I've never seen productivity go down before." She sighed. "This isn't just over Violeta's transfer, is it?"

"Some, I think," Meridina answered. "But I think she has other concerns on her mind."

"It doesn't help that she was doing a lot of extra work during the surveying," Jarod added. "Those metrics don't account for that, and won't until we finalize the exploration reports. Don't be surprised if it goes up."

Julia nodded. "I suppose I'm not used to dealing with the aftermath of peaceful survey missions that _stay_ peaceful."

"Well, we've only had what, two survey missions since you became Captain?" Jarod pointed out, grinning. "Come to think of it, I don't think we've had a peaceful survey mission that stayed peaceful since before the war started."

"And now the war's over," Julia said. "So let's enjoy it before there's another one, huh?"

"That is quite pessimistic of you, Julia," Meridina noted, using personal names given the privacy of the meeting.

"Well, the reports don't lie," Julia replied. "Increased Jem'Hadar activity on the Cardassian border. They've finished wiping out the Maquis. They attacked a Federation ship at the edge of the old DMZ three days ago. And Dukat gave another speech about reclaiming 'all of Cardassia's lost territory'."

"Meaning Bajor," Jarod observed.

"Yeah," Julia said. "We may have a war breaking out in the Alpha Quadrant soon if this keeps getting worse. And that's not the only problem. More ship disappearances in the Attican Traverse of M4P2. Von Platen's _freikorps_ hit a relief convoy headed to one of the Anti-Spinward colonies in the old Reich territories. And there's the attack on Mars in E5B1 from ten days ago." She let out a sigh. "And there's always the Cylons to worry about. The war with the Reich might be over, but I have a feeling things are still really dangerous out there."

The other two didn't need telepathy or super-smarts to know what was really bothering her. "Robert's new ship is in, correct?" asked Meridina.

"It's down in the secondary cargo bay," Julia confirmed. "Fresh from the factory, I'm told. Based on the same armed courier that Lennier and Druni own."

"The _Keyeri_ is quite an impressive craft in of itself," Meridina recalled. "But it still worries you."

"Worries me? That Robert's doing this secret agent stuff once and awhile? That he's going to be heading into incredibly dangerous situations as a regular job?" Julia lowered her eyes for a moment to push away the upset feeling she had. "And that he won't have us as backup because he'll be traveling into hostile systems on a ship little bigger than a standard runabout?"

"It's a bit bigger than that, I think," Jarod said. "It's almost forty meters long. Even with the spare space we've got in the secondary bay, they had to move two shuttles out to give it sufficient space of its own. And given the specs, it's perfect for the job." Jarod noticed her growing frown and promptly added, "But that's not what you want to hear. You'd rather he stay."

"I know he can't," Julia admitted. "But I wish, well… I wish he could. After we came so close to losing him last year…"

Meridina gave her a sympathetic look. "I understand your fears. But it is his choice. Robert feels he has much to still offer the Alliance, even if he no longer commands a ship."

"Besides, you know how he is. I think Morgan named the entire group with him in mind," Jarod said, smiling. "And now that he's got his noble steed…"

Julia let out a laugh. "So Tom told you about that too, huh?"

"I've already set up the shuttle bay systems to record the reaction. Zack promised Beth she could see it. Given how much worry he causes her, she deserves it."

A blue light appeared on the back of Julia's left hand. It was being generated by her omnitool frame, indicating she had an incoming communication. She tapped the light to accept the comm. "Andreys here," she said.

" _Captain, we are receiving a transmission over the IU network_." The voice was that of Lieutenant Tra'dur, the ship's lone Dilgar officer. The operations officer, with a subspecialty in science, spoke English with an accent that sounded close to Indian. " _Admiral Maran wishes to speak to you and Captain Dale_."

"Alright. Let him know we'll see him shortly." Julia tapped at her omnitool control, the blue hardlight display currently over her left forearm. "Andreys to Dale."

After a moment a reply came. " _Dale here_."

"We have an incoming message from Admiral Maran," answered Julia. She grinned, betraying her amusement to the others while her voice remained mostly business. "I'm afraid you'll need to stop admiring your noble steed, Admiral Maran is on comms for both of us."

" _You knew?_ " he asked, his tone almost accusatory.

Jarod chuckled lowly, too low for Robert to hear.

"I'm the Captain," Julia replied. "Of course I knew. Now get your butt going, Sir Robert. Thy noble lord is awaiting thee to give thee a quest, O Paladin." The grin on her face grew.

There was laughter on the other end. All present recognized Tom's laughter, and Meridina was certain the other voice was Lucy's. " _On my way_ ," came Robert's droll response.

* * *

The bridge deck of the _Starship Aurora_ was the usual nerve center of the ship, by design of the ship's Starfleet-trained builders, Carlton Farmer and Montgomery Scott. Whatever layout the Darglan had intended, the two engineers from Universe S5T3 filled in the hull of the _Aurora_ with a layout they deemed the most efficient, with the bridge being at the top of the primary hull. The bridge was not by itself the only element of the deck, as there were facilities for the officers, particularly the Captain's ready room and the conference lounge. While the ship had much larger conference rooms in the facility and living decks of the primary hull, the conference lounge allowed the command crew to hold meetings while remaining close at hand to the bridge. In a pinch it also permitted further use, such as using it for emergency sleeping quarters during prolonged crises (as happened during the battle for Germania).

Julia arrived long before Robert. Since it was only the two of them, she took Meridina's usual seat to the right of the head of the table, which was - fittingly - Julia's usual seat. Once Robert arrived he sat across from her in Jarod's place. Julia tapped a key to direct the channel into the conference lounge.

Together they faced the viewscreen built into the wall and faced Admiral Maran. Maran was well into middle age for a Gersallian and by appearance looked the same to a Human, given his species' external resemblance to their own. That leading the military of the Alliance in two years of bloody, sometimes desperate interstellar war hadn't turned more of his dark hair gray could be chalked up to Gersallian physiology more than anything.

" _Captain, I have reviewed some of your reports from the Tanatis Frontier. You've done well. High Minister Brepk and Regent Nalena have been quite fulsome in their thanks for your part in the expedition. We have high hopes for our future relations with the Trenap and the Dynielil. Both show promise as prospective Alliance partners, perhaps even members._ "

"Commander Delgado is really eager to visit Agynnielil," Julia said, grinning in appreciation of Maran's praise for their efforts. "The Dynielil we met during the first contact have indicated their species isn't native to the planet and are likely transplants. Given the timing alluded to in their written histories, it may indicate the Darglan transplanted them to Agynnielil."

" _Perhaps we should introduce them to the Miqo'te_ ," Maran noted. " _Captain Dale, I trust you've been keeping busy?_ "

"Yes sir," Robert answered promptly. "While assisting the _Aurora_ crew with their scientific and diplomatic endeavors isn't the kind of duty most people expect from Paladins, I actually enjoyed the chance for a peaceful exploration cruise."

 _It's also the kind of duty I wish you were doing_ , Julia thought to herself.

" _I'm glad to hear it. But I'm afraid that cruise is now over._ " Maran's expression, while always stoic, shifted to show the weight of the situation. " _Are you aware of the attack on Mars in E5B1 ten days ago?_ "

"I noticed a report on something to the effect," Robert said, beating Julia to the punch. "Terrorism was suspected."

" _And confirmed. Unfortunately, the culprits may be laid on our doorstep, given the evidence._ "

"What do you mean, Admiral?" asked Julia. A sudden bad feeling came to her. There was only one way that might be true...

" _Investigations have confirmed that the primary target was a Psi Corps facility on Mars_ ," Maran said. " _And the attack the responsibility of the Telepath Underground._ "

Robert and Julia exchanged concerned looks. "Lyta Alexander," Robert sighed.

" _Yes. And you can imagine how EarthGov is spinning this._ "

"The Free Colony," Julia said, referring to Lyta's "Byron Free Colony", the planned homeworld of free telepaths that had escaped Psi Corps and the Earth Alliance, named in honor of a fallen leader of non-Corps telepaths. It had been Lyta's price to help Robert and Meridina with their hunt for potentially-dangerous Darglan technology. Since she'd led them to a former Darglan scientific complex on one of the dead race's old colony worlds, the Alliance couldn't say they got nothing for the exchange. But it was one of those deals Julia always wandered about, in terms of how it might come back to haunt them. Aloud she asked, "They're using its existence to accuse us of being involved, or allowing it to happen?"

" _That is a common view in Earthspace, yes. And it has led to violent incidents against Alliance citizens. The Foreign Office is already advising against travel to the Earth Alliance until the situation is resolved. And that's where you come in. Because of the tense situation, President Luchenko has agreed to cabinet-level talks between the Allied Systems and the Earth Alliance. They're to be held on_ Babylon-5 _. And you will be bringing Secretary Onaran and his team to the station._ "

"Understood, Admiral," Julia said, nodding. Another visit to B5, nearly two years after their first? She was up for that. And diplomacy trumped shooting. "Let me know where the rendezvous is and I'll get the ship underway."

" _They'll be traveling aboard the_ Shenzhou. _You'll be meeting them at the Darglan Homeworld._ "

Robert blinked. "Isn't that in the opposite direction from B5? Or is the Secretary not on Earth?"

" _He departed this morning, actually, but the stop at She'teyal is important. The_ Aurora _and the_ Shenzhou _will rendezvous with the_ Huáscar _there. Captain Zhen'var and members of her staff will be personally briefing you and Secretary Onaran's team on what happened at Mars._ "

To that Julia asked, "I thought the _Huáscar_ was still on her working up cruise?"

" _True, but they were at Mars for the post-attack cleanup and investigation and they have critical information on the attack that may be relevant to the talks_." Maran leaned in slightly. " _After you've picked up Secretary Onaran and his team, head to B5 to begin the negotiations._ " He put his hands together on the desk before him. " _I shouldn't have to say how critical this situation could be. The Drazi and Brakiri are not entirely reconciled to the Rohric Peace Treaty yet, so Earth has potential allies in the event of hostilities. We have enough trouble without dealing with Earth becoming aggressive on this matter or that of their attempts to lay claim to former Darglan space. But more importantly, we're hoping to convince Earth to see this terrorism problem as an opportunity. Their laws against their own telepaths are to blame for this situation. If the negotiation team can persuade them to relax those restrictions as part of a general agreement, we can defuse this situation before it grows any more dangerous._ "

"If there's no Psi Corps to chase rogues, then the rogues won't feel a need to lash out?" Robert suggested.

Maran nodded once. " _That is one way of putting it. And that brings me to the other issue at hand…_ " The way his eyes moved indicated he was looking to Julia. " _Captain, I must now discuss Paladin business with Captain Dale. Given you will soon be in personal contact with representatives of EarthGov, including a member of Psi Corps, I'm afraid I must insist on secrecy._ "

Robert glanced apologetically to Julia, but she nodded once and stood. A part of her rankled that she wasn't being told, but it wasn't hard to figure out why, if Psi Corps would be at the talks. "I understand, Admiral," she said. "I'll order our departure from Skret Tel right now. Permission to be dismissed?"

" _Granted_."

Julia nodded to him and to Robert before heading to the bridge. Tra'dur was at Ops now and Meridina in the command chair. Lieutenant Talara, a Falaen woman who'd joined the crew as the Gamma Shift helmswoman at the beginning of the year, was at that station. "Lieutenant Tra'dur, set the jump drive for the She'teyal anchor."

"I am doing so now," Tra'dur answered, tapping away at the keys. "We are off of the spatial aspect by several light years."

"I figured," replied Julia. "We'll proceed at warp until we're in the proper spatial aspect range. Recall all personnel from Skret Tel."

"I am doing so now," said Meridina, tapping away at the console beside her seat. "We have fifty-nine crew aboard the Fleet Base currently. Unless you wish to employ transporter recovery, I estimate ten minutes before they are aboard."

"Ten minutes is satisfactory. It should give time for Operations to confirm all critical replacement stores have been brought aboard." Julia gave an expectant look at Tra'dur.

"Right away, Captain," the young Dilgar replied.

As she went to work, Meridina asked, "Where is Robert?"

"Getting his own mission," Julia said. "While we're heading back to _Babylon-5_."

 **Undiscovered Frontier**  
 ** _"Values Judgement_ "**

An emerald vortex split space open, forming a bridge between universes. From it the _Aurora_ emerged, cutting her impulsor drive power down and beginning to decelerate as she emerged. Below her the planet She'teyal continued her quiet orbit, the graveyard for one of the few civilizations to achieve the miracle of interuniversal travel.

 _Aurora_ found herself in the company of two vessels. The _Huáscar_ was a little larger than her, like all of the _Aurora_ 's _Enterprise-_ and _Excalibur_ -class siblings. A patrol of Mongoose starfighters from the vessel continued a circuit around them. Between and behind the two was their smaller cousin, the _Shenzhou_. The _Discovery_ -class ships were designed to be the smaller counterparts of the _Aurora_ , with similar hull lines scaled down to their smaller size, and only two warp nacelles instead of the four sported by _Aurora_ and _Huáscar_.

The moment they took formation, Secretary Onaran signaled, requesting a meeting on the _Huáscar_ with Julia, Meridina, and Jarod in attendance from the _Aurora_. This is why, barely twenty minutes after their ship's arrival, the three found themselves materializing in a burst of light in a transporter room of the _Huáscar_. A Dilgar crewmember was operating the transporter station and their escort was awaiting them.

Will Atreiad was there to greet them. He came to attention. "Captain Andreys, Commanders. Welcome aboard the ASV _Huáscar._ Captain Zhen'var is waiting in the No.2 Conference Suite."

"It's good to see you, Commander," Julia said, taking the lead in stepping off of the transporter pad. "I've heard the maiden cruise hasn't gone as planned."

"We had to respond to the situation at Mars," Will responded. "We called about six alerts in four days, all of them multi-hour."

Julia winced at that. "And with a crew still getting settled."

The description won a sympathetic look from Meridina as well. "A difficult challenge, certainly." She considered the scope of what Will was saying. Putting an entire crew on alert for long term periods always strained the crew's energies and often their morale. Having to repeatedly go on such alerts? That could sometimes be worse than simply remaining on alert. "Quite a trial for your new crew. But I sense you have come out of it well enough?"

"No choice in the situation," Will answered as they walked and then took the lift. "Yes, it was a good bonding experience," he chuckled. "I'm getting to know the secondary command bridge intimately."

"You personally man the secondary bridge during combat alerts?" asked Jarod.

"Yes. Zhen'var expects a seamless operational transition. If the _Heermann_ is aboard and I'm on the bridge when the alert is called she occasionally has Commander Imra take the position instead, though." They arrived at the conference suite and the doors breezed open. Captain Zhen'var, Commander Imra and Surgeon-Commander Nah'dur were waiting.

"Captain Andreys, welcome," Zhen'var offered. "We have some light refreshment for the briefing," she added, gesturing to satay and some garlic bread on the table with water, coffee and tea. "Thank you for bringing them down, Will."

The three took from the offered refreshments. By the time they were finished, Secretary Onaran arrived. "I was seeing to my staff's transfer to the _Aurora_ ," he said. "My apologies for the delay. We have much to discuss."

"Our people already have quarters ready," Julia assured him. "Lieutenant Tra'dur is seeing to the arrangements."

"So she is." Onaran nodded next to Zhen'var. "Captain, my thanks and the thanks of President Morgan to you for your handling of the Mars situation. It was a difficult situation and you did well in resolving it despite those difficulties."

"The situation was resolved by little more than patience, as well as some excellent effort by Commander Imra at diplomacy," Zhen'var nodded to the woman at her side, as inscrutable as ever.

"The Captain is being excessively kind. I merely offered security to Psi Corps until the repatriation could be arranged. Once the children from the facility were safely aboard the _Huáscar_ the rest was a matter of patience only, and with the telepaths removed from Mars, the situation there immediately calmed."

"Patience and security often go hand in hand with diplomacy," Onaran observed. "And that you left Martian space when ordered has not gone unnoticed. We believe certain factions of the Martian government, whatever their criticisms involving the telepath situation, were impressed by your respect for their space and are willing to re-open talks for closer ties to the Allied Systems. Although that is a matter for another time."

Julia listened without saying anything. Given the reports she'd read, the _Huáscar_ crew had done as well as anyone could given the explosive situation. Although the fate of the recovered children puzzled her. She couldn't imagine that the Free Colony wouldn't have taken them in. Returning them to Psi Corps, given its reputation, puzzled her.

"To elaborate on my presence, as you might have guessed, Captain Zhen'var, the Earth Alliance is accusing us of responsibility in the Mars attack, although they have stopped short of declaring complicity. While President Luchenko herself has refrained from comment, ISN's news reports have been quite unkind and there have been violent acts against our citizens in Earthspace. We are now commencing direct negotiations with the Earth Alliance on _Babylon-5_ to deal with this situation before it worsens. Before I go to meet with my opposite from EarthGov, I wish to ask questions about the report you filed. To begin with, may I ask to have Commander Saumarez attend?"

"Secretary, Commander Saumarez has the watch," Zhen'var answered. "Is it a requirement that she be here? I was intending to have Commander Atreiad deliver the brief."

"I intend no disrespect for Commander Atreiad. I have read her report on the Mars situation, particularly the ramifications of the Martian government's actions, and I would very much like to discuss this matter with her attending. I may have made a presumption that she would be attending, and I apologize for not making my needs clear upon arrival."

The officers from the _Huáscar_ exchanged a glance. Zhen'var tapped her omnitool. "Commander Poniatowska, please report to the bridge and assume the watch from Commander Saumarez."

"Understood, Captain," the Polish woman answered.

Julia and Meridina exchanged looks. _What can Saumarez provide in the briefs that…_ She stopped herself before finishing, remembering that Elia Saumarez was a telepath herself. Suddenly Onaran's interest became obvious.

"Commander Saumarez, Commander Poniatowska will be relieving you momentarily, please report to Conference Suite 2 as soon as she does," Zhen'var continued on a second line. The faint French accent of British upper crust speech that answered sounded to a certain extent like a female version of Jean-Luc Picard's. "Of course, Captain."

"It will be a few minutes, of course, Secretary. Please forgive me. Is there anything you would like to get started on first?" Zhen'var asked.

"You may as well have Commander Atreiad begin the brief, Captain," said Onaran. "Questions can come afterward."

Will got up and activated the holoprojector. Or tried to. It flashed briefly and then turned off. He frowned, and rebooted it, and then the image came up on the screen. "Starting with the important information we've learned…" The briefing passed quickly. "In summary, we think the relationship between Mars and Psi-Corps is permanently lost and the development that Psi-Corps has a sizable force of warships, in the context of an aggressive terrorist campaign against them, suggests the Earth Alliance is critically destabilized. Furthermore, we have strong circumstantial evidence that elements of the Earth Alliance government may be preparing to purge Psi-Corps."

Julia, Meridina, and Jarod took in the news with some surprise. They'd learned about the Mars situation from the reports, and the _Aurora_ had itself encountered a Psi Corps-crewed warship 11 months prior at F41-001-V, but the idea that EarthGov itself might be preparing to turn on the Corps?

Will sat back down, and Elia breezed in, coming to attention. "Secretary, Captains. Commander Elia Saumarez, reporting as ordered."

"Commander, thank you for coming. We have much to discuss." Onaran smiled and nodded at her before returning his attention to Will. "Commander, thank you for the brief. It is quite enlightening. And it concurs with certain other pieces of information that we have been discovering for some time. Now, I suspect Captain Andreys and her officers may have a question?"

Onaran had read them well. Julia nodded. "This idea of a purge of Psi Corps, what are we talking about? Arrests? Dissolving the Corps? Revoking the anti-telepath laws? I mean, that's what we'd like to happen, I'd think. If telepaths in the Earth Alliance get their civil rights restored, Psi Corps wouldn't have a purpose anymore, and any crimes they've committed can be brought to trial. And it would certainly take the wind out of Lyta Alexander's sails."

Immediately she had the idea that she might have said something wrong. Nobody on the _Huáscar_ crew said anything, but it was in their looks, making Julia feel like she was back in High School and had just said something really dumb as the answer to a question.

"That is a good question, Captain," Onaran said. "As for your point about telepath rights, it is true that this problem would be settled quite handily if the Earth Alliance repealed the Crawford-Tokash Acts. But recent events and new information indicate that the situation with the Psi Corps may be a more… complex matter than previously assumed." Onaran turned his attention to Elia. "Which is why I have asked for you, Commander Saumarez. Now, I have read your report on the Mars situation and Commander Atreiad's brief was an excellent summary. To clarify, however… if EarthGov is truly turning against Psi Corps, what do you imagine the result will be?"

Elia was rigidly silent, poised like a Greek statue and with her skin having turned a chill white where it was visible from her neck to her face. "Sir." She said after a moment. "Of course, the reality is that if the Psi-Corps is disbanded, there will be no organisation to protect telepaths from the popular fury of the mundanes. While gentlemen like Francis O'Leary belong broadly to an idealist faction of the government that is ironically centred around the Intelligence agencies, the rest of the government is dominated in a close relationship with the major Earth corporations. These corporations rely on telepaths as the engine of commerce, since they eliminate risk from all business transactions. The overriding objective of the corporations would be to tightly subordinate telepaths, reduce their wages, and eliminate risk. They will use the popular fury and pogroms to justify a new, harsher regime which completely eliminates Telepath involvement from their own governance. Sir."

"Mister Secretary?" After Onaran nodded to Julia, she looked to Elia and asked, "So you're saying that Psi Corps is necessary for the protection of telepaths?"

"Who else would protect telepaths, Captain?" Elia answered.

"So EarthGov would just standby and let the telepath population get attacked, get murdered, without the Corps around?"

"Did the Tsarist government protect the Jews from the Black Hundreds? Did the Ottoman government protect the Armenians from the Bashi-bazouks, Captain? Democracy is no inoculation, either; elected politicians are most apt to follow the will of their voters when it costs them nothing, better yet, buys them something. If telepaths sell themselves into virtual slavery to the mega-corporations that the Senators really report to for the sake of their personal survival, _and_ the voters are satisfied by the bloody circus of a pogrom, who loses?"

Julia and Jarod forced themselves not to look toward Meridina. Meridina quietly messaged them mentally. _She is not deceiving, nor does she consider herself exaggerating. These are honest answers_.

Julia's return thought was rather vehement. _Yet she makes them sound like, well, a group that wouldn't have been hunting you and Robert down to make you into laboratory experiments!_ A moment after that thought zipped through her head, Julia realized that Elia had to have heard it too.

 _I recall Agent Bester's threat quite vividly myself, and I admit to my own trepidations about the organization he represented_ , Meridina replied mentally. _And if I may… an organization in such straits may very well make very cruel decisions if they believe survival is at stake._

 _Or they can use that belief to justify whatever they want_ , Jarod observed. _Although I can still see why they'd think that way._

These thoughts only took seconds to go through their minds, far faster than the words would be. But there was no hiding the three were in telepathic conversation. Julia gave a nod to Elia. "Alright. Then may I ask why the Corps seems so hellbent on blocking telepaths from getting to the Alliance? I understand they have to enforce the Earth Alliance laws against telepaths, but there doesn't seem to be any dissent from them on enforcing those laws. The way you're making it sound, especially with these new developments, Psi Corps should be coming to us, asking us to help them get telepaths out of Earthspace before the hammer comes down."

"Telepaths are not born cowards waiting in their ghetto to die and looking for ways to abandon their unborn children to the mob!" Elia snapped back in a burst of heated emotion. She gripped her hands together and flushed. Her eyes flashed to look at Imra for a moment, and then she turned her face downwards. "Forgive me, Secretary. That was inappropriate and unbecoming of an officer. I do not have any perspective on this issue and I request my dismissal from this meeting. Captain Zhen'var knows everything you need for your mission."

The ferocity of Elia's response made Julia lower her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to make it sound that way."

"Your question, Captain, is why Commander Saumarez is here, and why I cannot grant her request just yet." Onaran looked to Elia. "Commander, your report has reached the eyes of many in Portland who have been considering this problem of Human telepaths in E5B1 for two years now. Between that report and those made by Captain Zhen'var, it is clear to us that the situation in Earthspace is becoming critical, and that we may have a humanitarian crisis on our hands. Possibly even a genocide." Onaran's expression was stern at using that word. "We need more options in our dealings with the factions in Earthspace. That is why I am asking you to take up a special assignment."

"You ask me to take an assignment without telling me what it is, Sir. I am needed to complete the operational standup of the _Huáscar,_ " Elia answered tightly.

"Before you say no, Commander, please hear me out." Onaran met her eyes with his own. "EarthGov and the Alliance have already shared the names of our negotiators. We know that among them is a Psi Corps representative, sent should the Alliance have telepaths at the meeting." Onaran folded his hands before him, leaving them partly open. "Commander, I'd like you to come with us and meet with this telepath. It is time we open a channel of communication between the Alliance and the Psi Corps."

Zhen'var frowned even as she bleakly wanted to laugh at the absurdity of Elia being ordered to do what she had already done. _This is why they are taking away my best officer? This!? To act in an untrained capacity to do something she_ ** _already has?_** _Our Gods are so unkind._ "Why is Commander Saumarez required for this mission? The Union Government can certainly arrange contacts with Psi-Corps upon request. The Mha'dorn is best suited to handle this situation, and there are many who would volunteer." Zhen'var leaned in. "Furthermore, Mister Secretary, _I_ must protest as the Captain of the _Huáscar,_ for Elia is my Operations Officer during working up and this will unduly impact our working up to have her gone for a week or more."

The revelation that the Dilgar could contact Psi Corps clandestinely was as much a surprise to Onaran as it was to Julia and Jarod, although Meridina seemed less surprised. "I was unaware of this," Onaran admitted. "Although this makes Commander Saumarez's participation even more vital. As a member of the Mha'dorn, the Corps representative will be more trustful. The establishment of a direct line of communication between the Corps and the Alliance government could save many lives should the worst come to pass."

Sensing Zhen'var was going to continue her line of argument, Elia raised a gloved hand. "Thank you, Captain. However, if this is the desire of the Alliance Government, I will execute the order. Please assign my replacement aboard the _Huáscar_ as soon as possible to guarantee her working-up is not unduly interrupted." _You know I must do this, Captain,_ she thought to herself.

"I understand I ask much of you, Commander," said Onaran. "You are one of the few who can make this succeed."

Zhen'var looked tiredly around the table, and reached out to take Elia's gloved hand. "We will be sorry to lose you, Commander, but I understand that you must do this."

It was Commander Imra who settled it. "Of course, I can maintain the _Heermann_ at operational readiness _and_ stand in as operations officer. I'll just work two shifts a day until Commander Saumarez returns. It's only fair."

With that, Zhen'var rose. "With your permission, Secretary? I don't want to unduly delay an operation of this importance." Her voice was very carefully modulated.

Onaran nodded in assent, well aware he had tried Zhen'var's patience. He stood. "Then this meeting is concluded. And thank you, Captain, for your cooperation. I understand this is quite disruptive. We will try to get Commander Saumarez back to you as quickly as we can."

"We'll arrange your quarters aboard the _Aurora_ immediately," Julia said. At that, Jarod immediately began to send a message back to the ship with his omnitool.

By the time Elia had fallen in with Julia and her officers, a rigid mask of iron had settled over her face. Jarod, meanwhile, had a thoughtful look on his face, while Meridina gave Elia a worried glance. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ and _Shenzhou_ departed She'teyal at virtually the same moment. Julia was in her ready office considering the tricky diplomatic situation. On the viewscreen of her desk monitor, Li Ming-Chung, the Captain of the _Shenzhou_ , was seated at her own ready office. They were of similar age, although their backgrounds were quite different, especially given Li's more tragic background. Her unorthodox name was self-picked, combining the personal name her adopted mothers had given her with their family names in intentional defiance of traditional Chinese culture. Her dark hair was cut shorter than usual, barely reaching shoulder length. " _We're due for the frontier with Earth ourselves, near the Gamma 12 Colony_ ," noted Li. " _The Martian refugees are beginning to return now that the damage to their domes is no longer critical._ "

"Given Zhen'var's reports, Earthforce may attempt to harass the returning ships," Julia noted.

" _And if they do, we'll be ready_ ," Li replied. " _The hard part will be if Mars requests assistance with further repairs and we're sent in. Earthforce was very hostile toward the_ Huáscar _when she went in._ "

"A good thing you can cloak," Julia pointed out.

" _Somehow I do not imagine suddenly appearing at the edge of Mars' orbital space will make our presence any more acceptable_ ," Li answered with a smile. " _Plus we have received indications that EarthGov has begun deploying a tachyon detection grid around all key systems._ "

"Well, that's one edge we've lost," Julia sighed. "Anything else?"

" _Nothing on the mission. Although I have heard from Madeleine. Do you remember Nasira?_ "

The image of a defiant Egyptian girl of the Coptic faith came to Julia's mind. "Of course," Julia said. "Nasira Fanous. She's been Maddie's XO since the _Challenger_ launched."

" _She's been re-assigned_ ," said Li. " _They are giving her command of the_ Maimonides."

"One of those new science cruisers, right?" Julia shook her head. "She's put in enough command time to justify a command of her own, but I suppose Maran doesn't think he can justify giving her anything else."

" _A lot has changed since the war started. Officers with a stronger military bent have been winning promotions, including joining the Promotion Board and Personnel's assignment offices, and Maran has to consider their positions. But it's still a command for Nasira_ ," Li pointed out, smiling. " _It's always good to learn when one of our people goes up in the ranks. We're so few in this sea of peoples from the space-faring cultures…_ "

"I know what you mean." Julia heard a chime at the door. "I've got some work to do on my end, so I'll let you go, Li. Take care."

" _The same to you, my friend._ "

"Come in," Julia said aloud as Li's image disappeared from the monitor. The door opened and Robert entered. "Ready to go?" she asked.

"I am," he said. A little frown formed on his face. "I know you're upset that I can't tell you where, though."

"I understand it's part of the job," Julia replied. She felt a pang of irritation at herself for not hiding the sentiment more carefully. "I just… well, Rob, I'm worried. For this to be top secret…"

"...it could be dangerous, yeah," Robert conceded. "And it probably won't be the last."

"It's not even the first," Julia pointed out. "But I know what you mean. Honestly I suppose I should be used to it. You spent nearly two months on the _Normandy_ …"

"But at least you could talk to me when I was there," Robert pointed out. "And I was with Shepard and a team. Now it's just me and Lucy and, if you don't disapprove, Talara."

"I'll let Locarno know to circulate someone else into the helm watches. Do you want more support?" asked Julia. "Your ship has room for more."

"It won't be necessary with this mission. Really, it's just a quick reconnaissance," Robert assured her. "I may even link up with you at B5 if I get done quickly."

"Hopefully so," she said. Julia got up from her chair and rounded her desk so that she could pull him close for a hug. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

"Yes, mom." Julia responded to that with a playful sarcastic glare. He smiled and replied, "Turnabout's fair play, you know."

"I suppose it is," she said. "Now get thee to thy noble steed, Paladin."

"Right away, my noble lady." Grinning, Robert took her hand and pulled it to his mouth, looking to kiss the knuckles in knightly fashion.

Julia couldn't help but make a face at the sensation of his facial hair bristling against her skin. His lips had barely brushed her finger before she yanked the hand from his grasp. "No kissing of the hand unless you shave," Julia insisted.

"Well, I suppose I do have an incentive to shave after all," Robert jokingly said before turning away. Julia watched him leave the office with a smile, enjoying the teasing, and yet… still utterly worried for his safety.

It was perhaps unfair to her crew for her to feel this way. She was responsible for two thousand lives; worrying that much about one was certainly bias showing. But yet… it wasn't just another person in her life. It was Robert, her Robby, her playmate and companion since she was three years old. What she held for him was… did the word "love" even begin to cover it? He was a part of her life like no one else, not Zack or Angel or even her parents, had ever been. What they had was so precious…

 _Just a reconnaissance_ , she reassured herself before she returned to her seat. _He's just going for a little reconnaissance mission_.

* * *

The medbay of the _Aurora_ was not particularly busy. Leo thus considered himself as having time to deal with one of his more annoying patients.

Tom sat in an examination chair, his prosthetic arm detached from the stub that ended just below his shoulder. The arm was on the table beside him. Leo leaned over it, examining the internals and frowning. A heavy sigh came next. "You've barely had this thing a month, Tom, just what were you trying to do with it?"

"I was seeing if I could add a power source for a plasma welder attachment," he said. "That's it."

"Tom, so help me…" Leo sighed. "This part, this is the sensitive part, you know that right?"

"Well, yeah, the schematics…"

"And so you know that if you damage this part, the arm will literally go out of control?" Leo continued. "It'll mess up how the machine interprets the signals your nerves send to it."

"What, like I might try to give someone the finger and instead I give them a thumb's up?"

"Or you try to move your arm one way and it goes the other, leading to you hitting someone on accident," replied Leo. "And really, a plasma welder?"

"Well, it saves me from having to carry one around," Tom replied. "Although I suppose I could go for an autospanner attachment instead, that might be more useful."

"How about you use the tools like you always have and not try to fuss with the delicate machinery in your prosthetic arm?" Leo proposed.

Tom let out a harsh laugh. "I'm a freakin' engineer," he said. "You don't think I can handle it? What, will I void the warranty or something?"

Leo closed his eyes. "Lord Almighty, grant me patience."

"What if I just built my own? This stuff can't be too hard to figure out."

"Be my guest." Leo closed the access on the arm. "Just don't touch this one."

"I will build my own, y'know," Tom insisted.

"And I'll happily put it on you if it works," Leo remarked, his skepticism evident. "But I'm not holding my breath."

"I'm interpreting that as a challenge."

"Of course." Leo fitted the arm back onto its attachment point.

"You're daring me here, Leo."

"Uh huh…"

* * *

The _Aurora_ was at the edge of Earth space the next morning and still half a day out from B5. But rather than attend to their usual routines for Alpha Shift, Julia and Meridina left Jarod and Locarno to take their places in those duties, freeing them up to respond to Secretary Onaran's summons.

Conference Room Two was the pick Onaran made for introducing the full negotiation team. It would be a working breakfast, the meal provided by Hargert with a mix off cuisines reflecting all four of the Alliance's species and some of the varied dishes from their nations. Bowls of steaming _threek_ \- a soup-like concoction popular for Alakins from their northern continent - and plates of _talna_ steaks and _seemai_ strips from Dorei cuisine joined Gersallian _papam_ and Human cornbread.

Onaran sat at the head of the table. Everyone had a digital reader with them, since they were easier to use if one was trying to eat. He had Julia, Meridina, and Elia to his left. On his right was a Human man of light complexion and a round face: Onaran's lead aide, Ilya Karbarov. Beside him was a Gersallian woman of what, for a Human, would be East Asian facial structure. Her name was Tanapa. Around the room, four more individuals, one a dark-skinned Gersallian in the uniform of the Alliance Army, were gathering food before sitting further down the table.

The last figure to arrive sat across from Elia. He was a man of bronze complexion and Latin features.

Elia knew from the moment the man arrived he was another telepath, and had been intentionally seated across from her to get them to talk to each other, for amusement or intelligence purposes. Uninterested in talking to someone from the Free Colony, she had wandered over to the replicator, ignoring what was already prepared, and instead gotten herself a good hearty Guernsey cream tea. To her body, operating in sync to a different schedule from the First Watch that was set to the legal workday in Portland on Alliance ships, it still felt like afternoon and some comfort food was in order, anyway. She made a show of remaining utterly focused on the ceremonial act of splitting the scone and topping it with jam, followed by a heavy ladle of clotted cream, and also of pouring milk into the tea she'd replicated as dark black as a working navvy's and stirling idly until it was a brownish-blonde. The familiar ritual kept her mind empty and quiet.

Onaran seemed to be distracted for a moment, looking through the contents of a datapad. When he was done he gestured to the newest arrival. "Captain, Commanders, this is Emilio Travada, the head of the Free Colony's Diplomatic Service."

Meridina glanced uneasily toward Julia and Onaran. _The seating arrangements are inappropriate_ , she mentally flashed to Julia.

 _I didn't make them_ , was the return thought. _I think Onaran is testing both of them. It's the only explanation that makes sense_.

"It is good to meet you all," Travada said, his English accented moderately by Portuguese. Glancing to Elia, he said, "Especially you, Commander Saumarez." His greeting was polite, but his eyes fixed momentarily on her gloves; realization dawned on him and he reinforced the defenses around his mind.

"Chief Travada," Elia answered, her eyes never quite leaving the scone. Her Mother and Father had taught her to be polite. Life frequently depended on it.

Only Meridina sensed Travada's response. It was a sentiment of understanding as another exile of conscience; but he maintained a guarded posture. Necessity had forced her out, but she was still loyal to the Corps and he knew it. Aloud he said, "I heard what you did at Tira, Commander. I am sorry it forced you to leave your Mother and Father."

A flash of white-hot anger never left her mental shields. "As a Naval Officer of the Alliance I am sworn to uphold universal principles of sapient rights. As a _Huáscareno_ I do it out of habit." Onaran's speech was frankly a merciful interruption by that point.

"Now that we are all here, it is time that I share facts of the greatest secrecy with all present. To begin with, our negotiating position is a simple one. Earth's laws against telepaths are reprehensible, driven by base fear, and that the best method for them to employ against the terrorists is to remove the basis for the conflict between the Underground and the Corps. The Crawford-Tokash Acts must be repealed and the civil rights of telepaths restored, and we will offer assistance to Earth should it agree to such." Onaran shook his head. "But of greater importance is the discovery made by the _Huáscar_ 's officers during the investigation into the attack on Mars." Onaran tapped his digital reader, sharing a file to all of the others in the room. "Further analysis has confirmed their findings. The attack on Mars was made using Darglan technology."

Julia and Meridina were jolted by the news, as were Onaran's other subordinates. Travada's eyes widened and his mouth started to open and then close. Tanapa gasped and muttered, "Swenya's Light, _how_?"

"We are still investigating how the Underground obtained access to such technology," Onaran stated.

"Has my government been informed?" Travada asked. He was clearly shaken by the news.

"Do they need to be, Chief Travada? Here where it costs us nothing, I will be blunt, Sir, there is only one known source of Darglan technology in the multiverse," Elia replied, her voice again sharply controlled.

"I know what you are getting at, Commander, but we had nothing to do with this," Travada insisted. "We're too busy building our world to indulge in madness like that."

"To answer your question, Minister Travada, we have consulted with Governor Kuhln on the issue, and he has issued the same assurances. Unfortunately, as Commander Saumarez has reminded us just now, the sources for Darglan technology are limited. The Alliance is the only major source. If the investigators from EarthGov have determined this for themselves, and they likely will at some point, Earth's suspicions about the Alliance and Free Colony will seem verified."

"What kind of Darglan technology was used?" Julia asked. "Transporter traces? Weapons? Were there any recovered items?"

"Both," Elia answered. "But primarily weapons on the flyers which were used. They had been modified into fighters, probably at a custom workshop. There were no recovered items because the attack focused on total destruction-there were twenty thousand killed, confirmed. The only ground operation was the one which intentionally scattered the children from the XI research facility into the tunnels so their abilities would cause panic in the Martians. That's a classic tactic of the so-called Telepath Resistance, which after all started using child suicide bombers to hit targets like schools a hundred and fifty years ago, and hasn't stopped since. They were too disciplined to abandon any weaponry."

 _Twenty thousand…_ Travada thought out loud in shock through his own defenses before turning his thoughts inward to consider his stance and approach.

Julia felt a wave of revulsion at the idea of using children like that. As she was considering the scope of the attack, Meridina spoke up. "I imagine an investigation has been launched?"

"It has, and it is still ongoing," Onaran answered. "But it is unlikely to be completed soon. There is much to inventory among various weapon manufacturers. We will have to wait and see if EarthGov has come to its conclusion yet, and if they have, how they will react during the negotiations."

"They might break the talks off completely, or make non-negotiable demands," Julia said. "We probably need to consider that this is going to create a permanent rift between the Alliance and EarthGov."

"Conquer them like we did the Reich," Elia answered. "Force universal human rights. As long as we're talking freely, and for interests of how you want to use me in this role _Secretary,_ that is my professional opinion. Ghettos and kleptocracy-so what if they haven't reached the final stage of genocide, the system has been optimized to let them turn the dial up or down. I know this isn't my choice and I will obey orders, but speaking from my perspective on the laws governing the Alliance Stellar Navy and our duty to proactively defend against atrocities, why do we negotiate with people who enable and encourage pogroms and compromise with totalitarians? We are mobilised and they are not."

 _As much as I have sickened of war, there is justice in her words_ , Meridina said to Julia. _The Earth Alliance has much to answer for_.

Onaran, for his part, nodded. "Your point is one I have heard in Portland, Commander, and there is justice in it. But while we are still built up from our defeat of the Reich, we must face the possibility that Earth would not stand alone should we move to impose civil rights for telepaths upon them. There are species in the InterStellar Alliance that would side with Earth over us out of self-interest or remnant hostility from the Tira Crisis, enough that Earth might successfully compel the ISA to intervene on their behalf against us. And given the other threats the Alliance must consider, especially that brought about by Gul Dukat, the Alliance Government is attempting to avoid conflict where it can should our strength be needed elsewhere." Onaran frowned. "And I need not mention Senator Pensley's faction."

"Or Hawthorne's," Julia added. "I can already imagine how he and Davies would react to a war."

"Indeed." Onaran gave Elia a meaningful look. "If we are to reform the Earth Alliance, it may require internal processes instead of external imposition."

"Then all of those internal processes necessarily run through the consensus of Psi-Corps, Secretary, Sirs. Without the org which represents the consensus of ninety-five percent of the oppressed people at the table, you cannot say you have acted in their interest."

Before the flash of skepticism could fully develop in Julia's mind, Meridina nodded. "The Commander raises an eloquent point, Mister Secretary. Whatever concerns we may have of the Psi Corps' actions in some circumstances, they do number the majority of Human _farisa_ in this universe. Imposing any agreement upon them without even the slightest consultation will be, among other concerns, quite counterproductive."

"Of that I am in agreement," Onaran said, while it seemed clear his subordinates were not so certain. Nor was Julia. And that was all he said for the moment on that particular matter, although his surface thoughts made clear that he considered that point to be the reason for Elia's mission. "The Telepaths, all of them, should be involved in discussing their fate."

"I must admit my skepticism of our opening terms, then, Mister Secretary," said Karbarov. "Given what we have read and heard, do you truly believe the Earth Alliance will agree to open emigration of any telepath who does not wish to join the Corps or go on these… 'sleeper' drugs?"

Onaran did not respond immediately, but he did seem to sense - or rather, guess - that Elia had thoughts on the matter. "Commander, I have already discussed the emigration issue with Minister Travada. I am also interested in your thoughts on the matter."

Emillio took the pause between Onaran's question and the Commander's response to speak and try to reassert some authority on what he perceived to be his bailiwick. His tone was clipped but polite, and he betrayed nothing of his surface thoughts "I honestly don't see how we can do anything else but be absolutely firm on that position. The Earth Alliance will never accept telepath civil rights, but emigration is something we can get out of them with sufficient considerations."

Elia's rigid expression admitted no emotion. "What about the unborn telepaths? How do you justify denuding them of a community to welcome and protect them? The rate is one in a thousand of mundane births. That's my opinion. And of course two of three on any ratline will die or be enslaved before reaching Alliance space. _That_ 's just a matter of objective fact, not emotional influence."

"Some is better than none, Commander. We can't very well impose our will on fifteen billion people and expect it to last. If we want anything of our culture to survive, withdrawal is the only sensible option. It's better that than for all of us to be ground out as dust beneath an Earthforce boot." Travada replied, also admitting no emotion. But he wasn't as well-trained as Elia was, and whiffs of fear leaked through his defenses. Fear not only of what could happen to him, but of what he might be forced to do. They weren't his kids, the Corps might delude itself into thinking that they were, but he always found that notion ridiculous.

"Be that as it may," Elia answered very quietly, "The Secretary has been given my professional opinion as directed. Sir." She could feel Travada, could have spoken to him, didn't want to. Occupying the tenuous borderland between the mundane-imposed P9 and P10 ratings and trained in military tactics, she could have done a lot more than talk to him, for that matter. Those temptations, she also kept well buried. The gnawing feeling of helplessness, of being unable to have any material impact on the fate of her people-that was very familiar, indeed. She remembered the lyrics to a song, _'hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way',_ and silently finished eating her scone.

Onaran nodded. Karbarov was skeptical the legal emigration concept would go anywhere and Elia was clearly opposed to it due to the likely fates of any new telepaths born to the Human population. But he couldn't simply abandon it, not without the talks commencing. That invited EarthGov to misjudge the Alliance and sent a bad signal to the telepath population regardless. "I see. Then we should move on to considering the issue of EarthGov's likely demands over their claims on former Darglan space…"

* * *

Once everyone was gone, Julia and Meridina remained alone for a moment. "Darglan technology," Julia murmured. "But why would it be in their hands?"

"The agreement with Lyta called for her people to have some means for their own defense," Meridina pointed out. "It is possible those weapons were used. Maybe stripped from attack craft."

"And now Earth has an excuse to demand things from us," Julia noted grimly. "By themselves, well, they can't outbuild us, they're smaller than some of our individual members, and our technology is better. But as the others pointed out, they won't be alone."

"Indeed. Therefore diplomacy will be paramount."

"And there's the Secretary's other mission."

"I sensed your discomfort," Meridina noted.

"They tried to take you and Rob and turn you into guinea pigs," Julia said, almost hissing. "They hunt their own people. She wants me to believe that they're the real victims here?"

"They are," Meridina noted. "It does not excuse their own dark acts, but they too suffer under a government that treats them abominably. Given what they labor under, some will easily fall into darkness."

"It's why I think Zhen'var was wrong," Julia said. "Those children would have had happier lives in the Alliance. They would be _free_."

"I do not dispute the truth of that statement. They would be free. But when you consider what they suffered, and the bonds that you would be snapping? I fear such a choice would have inflicted great harm to them, regardless of your good intent."

As always, Meridina was good at debating Julia on such things. She could see Meridina's point. The entire situation with telepaths in this universe, Human ones anyway, was infuriating. "Do you think… if we manage to talk Earth into being kinder to them, do you think Psi Corps might become better people? Could they repudiate people like Bester?"

"I suspect they may be too used to their current situation to do so easily," said Meridina. "But I believe, whether or not they were to turn on Bester and those like him, they have hope to become something better for themselves. But neither of us can dictate that. Commander Saumarez is correct about that. The telepaths will decide their fate for themselves. We can only help them win the opportunity to do so and strengthen the Light." Meridina stood. "I shall return to the bridge immediately."

"And I have paperwork to do before I join you," she said, standing as well.

Meridina turned as she approached the door. "Whatever the circumstances, I admit I am looking forward to visiting _Babylon-5_ again."

Julia nodded and grinned. "So am I."

* * *

Julia arrived on the bridge in time for the arrival. Given the nature of the meeting she was wearing the dress uniform, which replaced the black of the normal uniform with white and added golden epaulettes and shoulder-boards to the shoulders. Several commendations were attached as medals to the right breast of her uniform jacket, with the Alliance Senate Order of Merit, the Star of Valor, and the United Federation of Planets' Peace Medal the most prominent of them.

Jarod looked up from the command chair. Tra'dur was at Ops in his place, otherwise the bridge command crew were all at their stations. "I thought you'd be waiting in the Transporter Station?" he asked.

"I'll head down as soon as we're on approach," Julia said. "But I want a look at what Earth has waiting for us."

Caterina looked up from her station. "There's definitely a ship near the station. A big one."

Julia didn't replace Jarod in the command chair, simply standing behind Cat's station and waiting patiently for the moment to arrive. It came within a minute. "Dropping from warp," said Locarno.

The ship decelerated from warp in the space of a second. "Put B5 on screen," Julia ordered.

"Aye Captain," answered Tra'dur.

The bridge holo-viewer came to life. Set against the pale beige of Epsilon 3, the space station _Babylon-5_ continued to spin in place, much as it had the last time Julia had been to the station. _It's been almost two years_ , she thought to herself.

But now it wasn't alone. Near it's five mile long body was a ship almost twice the length of the _Aurora_ herself. Its design aesthetic was quite different from her ship, long and blocky, visible weapons ports on the bow and sides with a large engine in the rear. Julia had seen the design only a couple of times before.

"They have a _Warlock_ -class dreadnought alongside the station," Cat remarked. "IFF code identifies her as the _EAS Titans_."

" _Titans_." Julia recalled the name. "That was the ship that took control of the _EAS Huáscar_ at Rohric. Susan Ivanova's ship."

"They knew we were bringing Onaran," noted Jarod. "So this is a message."

"Either they're trying to intimidate us, sending a dreadnought when we sent a star cruiser…"

"...or we've become famous enough that they decided nothing less than John Sheridan's old XO was suitable," Jarod finished for her.

"It would be nice to know which," Julia said. She turned back to the lift. "I'm on my way to Transporter Station 1. Signal for transport as soon as we're cleared."

"You've got it," said Jarod.


	77. Episode 3-14-2 Values Judgement

The negotiation team was beamed into the reception area connected to the VIP docks, Julia and Meridina joining them. They were met by their counterparts on the Earth team. In the lead was an older man, middle-aged going on elderly, with graying hair, mustache, and beard, and a demeanor that seemed pleasantly warm. Behind him were a number of other Humans of varying dress, equaling Onaran's team. One, a woman approaching middle-age, was in a black-and-gray suit with the brass Psi pin of a Psi Corps member prominent on the suit.

To his side were two women in Earthforce dress uniform. Julia recognized Captain Elizabeth Lochley, an older woman of dusky complexion and light brown, almost reddish hair. She was the commander of the station. Beside her was a woman, Caucasian, with brown hair and blue eyes that scanned them carefully. Julia found it easy to guess it was Ivanova, whom she hadn't met at Rohric during the _Titans_ ' brief time there.

The bearded man nodded to them and smiled warmly. "Secretary Onaran, it is my pleasure to meet you."

"And it is mine as well in meeting you face to face, Minister Lantze," Onaran replied. "My thanks to Earth for providing us this opportunity to settle matters between our governments."

"We are quite hopeful that we can make progress," Lantze said. Julia wondered if that was genuine or an act, given the difficulties they were facing.

One of Lantze's people stepped up and whispered in his ear. Lantze's expression briefly froze, becoming quite brittle in appearance before he recovered himself. "Mister Secretary," he began, "I am afraid there is an issue that must be addressed before we begin."

Onaran inclined his head slightly. ''Please, inform us of this issue."

Lantze did not seem particularly enthused by the request, but it was clearly part of the EarthGov position. He sighed and said, "I am afraid that the presence of Mister Travada is not acceptable to Earth. He is a rogue telepath, representing an illegal settlement of rogues. We cannot accept him in the negotiations."

Onaran narrowed his eyes. "Minister Travada is the diplomatic representative appointed by an Alliance affiliate state for talks in which that state has a clear and defined interest. He is the voice of his people, and it must be heard."

Julia noticed the hard look on the face of the Psi Corps woman, but even that paled in comparison to the open disgust from a couple of the other Earth people. As one of them sidled up to Lantze and drew his attention, Julia felt Meridina make telepathic contact with her mind. She shared not words but impressions; the Psi Corps woman was displeased, but the thoughts coming from some of the others was worse, open contempt for the Allied Systems mixed with raw hate for Travada. Most felt offended by the very idea of a telepath being the "Minister" of any kind of government. The only exception, which Meridina pointed out, was a Chinese man in a formal suit.

After a moment of discussion, a displeased, resigned Lantze turned back to Onaran. "I am afraid Earth must insist on the exclusion of Mister Travada from any discussions. We do not recognize his government as a legitimate one nor his right to participate."

Onaran nodded once and immediately looked to Julia. "Captain Andreys, please arrange for our immediate return to the _Aurora_. It appears we have come out all of this way for nothing."

Lantze sucked in breath. Some surprise showed on a few of the Earth members. Ivanova, however, smiled thinly, as if impressed. Julia thought she saw approval on the Chinese man's face as well.

"Mister Secretary, please…" pleaded Lantze.

Onaran's eyes bored into Lantze and then those with him, twin amethysts glittering with distaste. "I will give EarthGov ten hours to reconsider before the _Aurora_ departs," he said.

Without consultation from those with him, Lantze insistently declared, "There is no need. In the interests of peace, we will concede and permit Mister Travada to join our talks, so long as you accept the presence of our advisor from Psi Corps."

Onaran nodded. "Then there is no issue. I believe you wished to hold a friendly reception meal before we begin business?"

"Yes. Captain?"

Lochley, who had remained silent the whole time, suddenly spoke as if she had never been out of the conversation. "Mister Secretary, Captain, if you will all follow me?" She turned and the two teams, as a group, departed the receiving area.

 _I wonder how the Psi Corps' 'advisor' feels about that distinction_ , Julia thought, knowing Meridina - and like Travada - would overhear, not to mention the advisor herself. _We're demanding the telepath minority be given a seat at the table, Earth only has a telepath present to stop our telepaths from picking at their brains. And the Corps is still the majority of them._

 _I suspect she is used to it_ , Meridina lamented. 

* * *

The holodecks could be used for many different kinds of activity, such as training or scientific examination. On some ships in the Alliance fleet, captains tightly regulated them as for training only, or for training and scientific purposes. Other captains saw them as a means to improve crew morale, as the most desired use of the holodeck for many wasn't for training or science, but for entertainment and fun (although for Cat, science _was_ fun). Tom Barnes in particular had noticed its potential in one field almost immediately.

Holodecks allowed for the _best_ video games ever.

Tom had his hands on the flight stick of a P-51 Mustang fighter. He pulled and moved the stick to keep the German aircraft in his crosshairs, pulling the finger trigger often and watching bright tracer fire play over the German fighter. Flame spewed from where his guns were ripping into the simulated aluminum (aluminium according to Scotty) skin of the Nazi craft. Damage caused the other craft's maneuvering to cease, allowing Tom the easy kill with his next barrage. His aircraft went barrelling by the enemy plane as it fell apart.

There was a stream of tracer fire in front of him, coming from below. Tom banked hard to evade. Some bullets still struck, but nothing vital was hit. He turned and climbed, putting the engine to full, and then dived to make use of this gain in altitude. All the while tracer bullets would appear, his foe reminding him that he was being hunted. So long as he kept this foe from doing to him the same he'd done to his opponent's buddy…

His radio crackled to life. " _I've got him_." With that, Zack's fighter dove in from the direction of the sun, catching Tom's foe by surprise. A burst of fire turned their last remaining opponent into a fireball that broke apart in the blue skies, sending them to the French farmland below. Zack pulled his Mustang up beside Tom's and flashed him a thumb's up sign through the cockpit.

" _Alright lads, fighter sweep complete_ ," an English male voice said. " _Best run yet. Would you like to try again?_ "

"Nope," Tom said, knowing Zack was saying the same.

" _Ready for landing?_ "

"Skip landing sequence."

Their surroundings changed immediately to an airfield in southern England. Their once mobile planes were now parked and shut down. They opened the cockpits themselves and climbed out. "Computer, end program." The holodeck shut down, leaving them in an empty room of blue walls. "Well, that was fun," Zack said. "I didn't think we'd beat our old score." He raised his fist and Tom bumped it, knuckle-to-knuckle. "It's good to see I haven't lost all of my piloting touch."

As he spoke they stepped out of the holodeck and into the ship's corridors. Given they were on a starship, being dressed up as World War II-era fighter pilots made them look particularly out of place. "You're still on flight status, right?" asked Tom.

"No. I'm inactive until I complete the requalification course," Zack answered. "Between the time I was gone and my time on psychiatric leave, I didn't get enough qualifying flight hours to keep my wings."

"Well, when are you going to take the course?"

"Probably never," Zack answered.

"But you love flying, man," Tom said, looking worried. "Why would you give it up?"

Zack returned the look with a small smile. "Yeah, I do love flying fighters. But I've got duties as CO of the _Koenig_. I let my crew down, Tom, so I have to work twice as hard to get their trust back. I don't have the time for the re-qualification tests or the mandatory flight time to keep my wings."

"Huh. Yeah, that makes sense. Kinda sucks though. You know they've got a new model of the Mongoose now, right?"

"I saw," he affirmed. "And they're awesome. But my place is on _Koenig_." They arrived at a lift that would take them back to their quarters. "Deck 4," said Zack. He gave Tom his own worried look now. "How's the arm?"

"Ah, it's fine," Tom said. "Although Leo's cramping my style, saying I shouldn't alter it."

"Leo will always be Leo," Zack pointed out. "I'm just glad the arm seems to be doing good."

"Yeah, it is. I'm getting so used to it I sometimes forget it's not my original arm," Tom admitted, holding his right hand up to look at it. The pseudoskin matched the hue of the rest of his body just right, but there was a certain feel to it that was off whenever he touched it. "I sometimes get nightmares," he confessed. "That I'm pinned in that wreckage again, but the plasma welder is just out of reach, no matter how far I stretch. And the entire place just keeps getting hotter and hotter, and Julia and Scotty are screaming over the line that the reactors are melting down one by one, and I just can't _reach_ the damn thing. Like I'm completely helpless."

Zack set his hand on Tom's shoulder. "I know the feeling, buddy."

Tom looked at him. "Let me guess. Clara?"

"Sometimes," Zack said. He didn't say that sometimes it was Julia that the Cylons shot dead. "And since Germania, I keep seeing that teenage Dilgar girl in my dreams. And no matter what I try, she always gets blown to bits. People scream for me to help and then there's a big boom and… well…"

"Damn man," Tom said, shaking his head. "Y'know, when we got out here, it was like this really cool adventure. Now it's…"

"Now it's serious," Zack finished for him. "And it's our lives, and more, on the line."

"I never thought I'd be hacking my own fraking arm off, man. And they had you charging tanks and crap, watching people get blown up. That stuff messes you up." Barnes shook his head.

"Yeah," Zack said quietly. He could still see those Dilgar being blown to pieces. "That's the price we paid to come home, really. Thousands had to pay with their lives to stop the Nazis."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

The lift opened. "Same time tomorrow?" Tom asked.

"Sure," replied Zack. 

* * *

As it turned out, EarthGov spared no expense, funding the reception lavishly with fresh food shipped directly from Earth and prepared by the kitchen staff of the station's most respected restaurant. Introductions were shared among the two negotiating teams.

"Everyone, please, a toast," Lantze requested, holding aloft a glass of wine. Those present quieted and did the same. "To the peace that brave men and women such as Captain Andreys and Commander Meridina won," and here he nodded toward Julia and Meridina, "by defeating the horror of the Reich, and to the hope that here we will preserve that peace and overcome the unfortunate issues that have divided our peoples. To peace!"

"To peace," echoed in the conference room, not spoken by all with the same enthusiasm as Lantze clearly had. After the toast, with individual members of the two groups splitting up to privately discuss matters, Julia took the time to note how they were reacting to Travada's presence. It was clear that most of Lantze's team were hostile to his presence, shunning his approach openly. Only one of the Earth team approached him, the Chinese man, who identified himself as Deng Jiang, who shook hands with Travada. As if not to be outdone, Captain Ivanova did the same.

It was easy to notice the same could be said for Astrid Bergsen, introduced as the Psi Corps "advisor" to the Earth team. Her own team gave her a wide berth. And they kept their distance from Meridina as well, as if she could download their memories with a glance. Julia noticed Meridina look toward Bergsen, but she was locked in conversation with her fellow Gersallian, the diplomat Tanapa, and did not approach.

Julia's attention was diverted when Lantze stepped up to Onaran and her. "My apologies, Mister Secretary, for that display," Lantze said. "I had to obey my instructions on the matter of Minister Travada."

"Oh?" The Dorei man showed not a hint of recrimination.

"Earth believed it to be impolitic to acknowledge or recognize, in any way, the Free Colony," Lantze explained. "The belief in EarthDome is that such recognition would inspire more telepaths to turn rogue and flee, complicating our relationship with the Psi Corps. I was only permitted to accept their presence as a concession."

The language made Julia suspicious that this had become a negotiating tactic: "We've given something up for you, now give us something", done before they even reached the table. Onaran, whether he believed it or not, nodded. "I understand the difficulties that a diplomat can operate under when instructions are strict," he said soothingly. "Hopefully we may use this to find a common ground."

Lantze was clearly pleased with that remark. He and Onaran stepped away, Lantze beginning to discuss something involving a grandchild.

Julia considered following but stopped when she noticed Captain Ivanova's approach. Ivanova came to a stop in front of her and nodded. "Captain Andreys," she said, her accent mostly American. "Your reputation precedes you."

"Yours as well, Captain Ivanova," Julia replied. "And it's more impressive."

"At the rate you're going, it won't be for much longer," Ivanova replied. "It's a shame I missed out on the push to Germania. I have twice the reason to want to blow up Nazis."

"Russian and…?"

"Jewish," Ivanova said. "Not very observant, true, but that wouldn't have mattered to those bastards."

"I understand," Julia said, nodding quietly.

"Your record against the Reich is one thing. What you did at Tira… it impressed the hell out of a lot of us in Earthforce. The Drazi and Brakiri went completely over the line."

Visions of smashed incubation tubes and the broken remains of Dilgar babies briefly entered Julia's mind. "They left the line over the horizon if you ask me." She returned her attention to Ivanova. "I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you at Rohric."

"It's no trouble. We didn't linger," said Ivanova. "Earthforce only sent us because someone had to bring the _Huáscar_ back."

"You also carried Governor Ari'shan, though."

"They would have put him on an EAI ship if I hadn't been available for that mission," said Ivanova.

Julia took a sip of her drink, a fine wine that had a rich taste. Almost too rich for her preference, but enduring such things was the cost of doing diplomacy. "Earthforce felt that embarrassed about Tira?"

"Well, the ones who stayed with Clark back during the Civil War were upset that Captain Varma got involved in saving the Dilgar in the first place. And all of the officers who fought Clark were furious when EarthGov gave Foster support for mutinying against Varma. Then, depending on who you talk to, either Varma legitimately reclaimed her ship with loyal officers or staged a mutiny against the Earth-supported commander, making us look weak before aliens." Ivanova gave a frustrated sigh. "The entire thing was a screwup that Earthforce is happy to forget happened."

"A funny way to describe an officer seizing their ship to openly support genocide," Julia remarked.

"True. Good old EarthGov. Avoid the hard decisions until someone has a PPG to your head, then pick the wrong one." Ivanova rolled her eyes.

"If you ask me, Captain Varma should have been given your highest commendation and returned to her ship."

There was a flicker in Ivanova's eyes. It was joined by an uncertain silence. "Yes, I agree," said Ivanova. "It's good to hear she finally came around to doing the right thing."

That won Julia's attention immediately. "What do you mean?"

"How close are you to Captain Varma?" Ivanova asked. "I've heard she's accepted an Alliance commission now."

"Personally? Not very," Julia admitted. "I did just meet her again on her new command. But we're, well, I think pretty frigid right now. Professional courtesy and that's it."

Ivanova nodded. "She's always been an odd one. And she has a very rigid code of honor. It's why she fought on Clark's side in the Civil War after leaving B5."

Julia blinked at that. "She did?"

"Oh, she talked it up as remaining loyal to her oath to Earth," Ivanova said. "And she wasn't helping Nightwatch, I'll give her that. But when we asked her to support us after B5 became independent, she refused to sign up. All she'd do, she said, was protect the station. Given the stakes we weren't about to risk a secret Clark loyalist remaining on staff, so we shipped her back to Earth." Ivanova frowned at the recollection. "I hear Clark's people didn't care much for her either, she was too friendly to aliens for their tastes, but they didn't want to act against someone who fought on the Line."

"So if both sides hated her, how did she end up in command?"

"General Lefcourt supported her, gave her postings," Ivanova said. "She gets rewarded for making the wrong choice, then loses it when she makes the right choice. God's sense of humor, I suppose." A curious look came to the older woman's face. "So, I'm guessing she has some strong opinions on this current crisis?"

"Some, I think," said Julia. "I'm still confused on why she let Psi Corps reclaim the telepath children her crew recovered on Mars."

"She's always been a sympathizer for the Psi Corps." There was real heat in Ivanova's voice. "Maybe we shouldn't be surprised she sided with Clark…"

"The answer is fairly simple Captain, Captain Zhen'var repatriated them after their house-parents were brutally murdered, because they're our children. We raise them communally. Oh, and we won in court with our own lawyer." The Psi Corps representative interjected politely in a happy-sounding Swedish accent, that last part was spoken with _particular_ pride. She stepped up to form a conversational tripod from a position where she could see every other mundane in the room.

"Astrid Bergsen, Psi Corps Commercial division, rating P9. A pleasure to meet you Captain Andreys." she turned again, not missing a beat. "And need I remind you Captain Ivanova that the Psi Corps is bound by our charter to political neutrality."

"Which is why you endorsed Clark, and why so many members of Psi Corps helped the Nightwatch mind-rape innocent people?" Ivanova retorted.

"Did we endorse him?" She asked. "I seem to recall that Director York is a non-telepath appointed by the Earth Alliance Senate. A quandary for the history books I suppose!" Astrid replied cheerfully. "Though I'm afraid that same charter also prohibits me from commenting on any aspect of what the Psi Corps may or may not have have done during the Civil War. However, I can discuss a hypothetical, will you permit me Captains?"

A look of impatience was showing on Ivanova's face. Julia preempted any refusal by stating, "Alright. I'll hear you out."  
"Thank you for your forbearance. Say you have a population that is without any civil rights, including the vote and due process, shackled to the will of the state. Say that entire population makes up, oh, less than half a percent of a country's population, and they know they might be subject to pogroms like they were in the past if they refused to do what they were told by the state; would you expect those people to _openly_ disobey the orders of said state?"

The word "pogroms" brought back dark memories for Julia, of a little town in Eastern Europe with rampaging Cossack cavalrymen sweeping through the streets, setting fire to homes and running people down. She remembered the surge of anger vividly, the grip on her pulse rifle before Robert and Angel rushed in, all to buy time for Tom and the other transporter operators on the _Kelley_ to evacuate the residents.

"My people know something of pogroms themselves," Ivanova said. "It doesn't change what the Corps has become. Or what it's done." There was a quiet fury in Ivanova's voice as she said that.

"Here I am speaking in hypotheticals, and you're discussing the Psi Corps… You know I cannot necessarily answer your charges. However, let us assume there are excesses. Surely you know that there are always going to be quislings in the ranks of such a people that must be continually rooted out and destroyed. Surely you also know that this must be done quietly."

Before Ivanova could respond, Julia looked to Astrid and asked, "You keep bringing up the Psi Corps charter as forbidding you from discussing anything. You're telling me the charter forbids you from discussing anything about the telepath issue?"

"I am permitted to discuss the facts of history and law as an intellectual exercise, and am freer to speak in private, Captain. However, in a public forum I cannot discuss the merits of EarthGov policy or weigh in on controversial topics, that issue included. Nor am I permitted to vote, hold public office, or act as a journalist in any capacity other than perhaps to be interviewed on a matter of public information concern. A Psi Cop might get on ISN and provide information about an ongoing criminal investigation that impacts the public, for instance." Astrid answered in as cheerful a way as possible, but the smile never reached her eyes, instead her eyes gleamed with quiet anger.

Julia glanced briefly to Ivanova, who remained stolidly quiet, before she looked back to Astrid. She thought she could see far more to say behind those quiet, angry eyes, things Astrid didn't dare say in any kind of public venue. What she said tracked with what Julia already knew about the Earth Alliance and she felt a pang of sympathy for the idea of having to live like that.

A little part of her rebelled at that sympathy. _These are the same people who hunted Rob and Meridina to turn them into lab rats!_

 _I have been cleared to tell you this: We are sorry about that. Partially a misunderstanding, partially Bester, partly standing orders from EarthGov._

Given the silence that passed between them a suspicious look came to Ivanova. Before she could say anything Julia clamped down her anger and said, "I'm sorry you have to live like that. People should be free."

"I thank you for that." Astrid said gently. "It is… tiring. There are those who, under different conditions, might _defenestrate_ me for being as forward as I have been." She glanced over at Ivanova.

Ivanova crossed her arms and gave Astrid a hard look. "I've gotten along perfectly fine with a telepath being forward with me. And she was loyal to the Corps too. The Corps repaid her by turning her into a spy and erasing her personality." As she spoke, Julia watched Ivanova's expression change, restrained anger giving way to painful loss.

Astrid actually looked at her with real sympathy, like she knew exactly how Ivanova felt. "Remember what I said about quislings that need to be rooted out and destroyed? It isn't always possible to bring the victims back, but speaking hypothetically of course, it is possible to _settle the account_."

Ivanova looked skeptical but said nothing. Julia couldn't tell if she had nothing left to say, or if she couldn't think of what to say, but her silence continued on for seconds until Julia, remembering Onaran's other mission, said, "Have you met my first officer, Ms. Bergsen? She is a Gersallian telepath trained in the Order of Swenya."

"I'm afraid I have not had the pleasure. I'll go introduce myself and let you two get back to your conversation." Astrid replied and dismissed herself, giving Ivanova one more look that was equal parts anger and sadness before she left.

Julia watched her approach Meridina, who now stood by herself, before looking back to Ivanova. "The telepath you mentioned. The one with the…"

"I'd rather not talk about it," Ivanova said, her expression rigidly stoic. "Sometimes I am reminded why we Russians are the people who understand the universe the most."

Julia blinked. "I imagined you were Russian-descended. You speak English with an American accent."

"I've had too many assignments with North Americans," she explained. "I lost my accent years ago." Ivanova offered her hand and Julia accepted it for a handshake. "It was nice to speak with you, Captain. Before the negotiations are over, I'd like to buy you a drink. It's been too long since I've been by Earhart's here on the station. They make a great Jovian sunspot."

Julia nodded. "I think I'd like that." 

* * *

Meridina was beginning to worry that she might have to be more direct - too direct to not go unnoticed - when Astrid approached her. Meridina gave the Psi Corps woman a quiet look and seemed to wait for her to exchange pleasantries. Mentally she projected a thought toward Astrid, a desire to converse privately.

"Astrid Bergsen, Psi Corps Commercial division, rating P9." Astrid said verbally _Your charmingly… ill-informed shipmate suggested I speak to you. I'm going to assume it has something to do with my actual reason for being here._

"I am Commander Meridina, First Officer of the _Starship Aurora_. I myself am a telepath. We do not rate quite the same way your people do, but I believe I would be considered a P10 in telepathic capability." _Yes. I am here to facilitate a private meeting between you and an Alliance officer and member of the Mha'dorn._

"Ah, a pleasure to make your acquaintance then. Your reputation precedes you." _Excellent, a Dilgar would stand out, I wouldn't suppose it's my prodigal sister?_

Meridina gave a nod at the verbal remark, although it had a double meaning. "I have not dealt with the commercial side of Psi Corps before," Meridina admitted aloud. "I am told your work is the same as some of the professional telepaths in the _Farisa Genut_." _Commander Elia Saumarez, yes. You can understand why she could not come herself. I believe she is still officially wanted as a rogue in Earth space?_

 _Absolutely yes. By the mundanes, not by us. Speaking of wanted people Commander, I would like to extend the apologies of the Psi Corps for… well...Bester. Black Sheep would be a good term to use for him._ "It is similar for most, yes. My specialty is somewhat different. Corporate counterintelligence, which puts me on the front lines when some mega-corp or another decides to use unregistered" _usually enslaved_ "telepaths for corporate espionage."

Meridina frowned over the verbal remark and the telepathic data added by Astrid. "Gersal does not have these 'megacorps' you speak of, but I have heard of them. That their activities require them to employ intelligence operatives is quite… disconcerting." _Bester did not harm us in the end, although he did provide rather an annoyance to our mission._

"I sense an opportunity for cultural exchange. I can get you a copy of the works of a 20th century author by the name of Ayn Rand. Her writings on 'ethics' are taken to heart by many capitalists within the Earth Alliance. They steal each other's work, try to illegally influence negotiations, whole nine yards." _The fact that he tried matters. It wasn't acceptable. But he's family. I don't know if you have racist uncles on Gersal but it's a similar dynamic; complete with the rest of us having to clean up the mess._

"That sort of behavior in Humanity is despairing," Meridina sighed. "It led to the fate of Humanity in my home universe. We are very grateful the legacy of the Darglan was found by worthier Humans." _Leonard once remarked on such beings. Older relatives with socially awkward beliefs and habits._

 _It's just like that, albeit they usually don't have a power base or the ability to rip out someone's personality._ Astrid's mental expression was somewhat sheepish, even if it didn't show on her face. "So are we, bluntly." _Speaking for the Corps, not humanity in general in this universe._

Meridina considered both remarks. _My people do not believe in using our telepathic talents in that fashion. It is…_ Meridina glyphed the rest of the information, using personal memory association with all of the lessons her mother Drentiya had taught her growing up, plus the way that Gersallians viewed the universe. To destroy another's mind or forcibly rewrite their personality was an act of darkness, a violation of another being's self. It was one thing to use her _swevyra_ \- the concept of such was integral to the glyph - to temporarily assert will over another being to convince them to do something small, like ignore her presence or lower a weapon, but that sort of permanent alteration… it was entirely outside of acceptable behavior. Even entering the mind of another was frowned upon.

Astrid contemplated that, and nodded in understanding. _It's a grim necessity for us. Many of us will go our whole lives without having to do it, but… For us, telepathy is an active sense like touch. It can be used to create or destroy. In the name of better relations I'll be honest with you. We've been fighting for our survival as a people for a hundred and fifty years. We've had to get our hands dirty. Some can do it and remain decent people. Some can't._

Meridina mentally nodded at that. _Such an act can be corruptive. It leads into darkness, in the understanding of my people._ She noticed that they were getting some attention, and that at any moment someone might interrupt. _The gardens of the station are quite expansive and easy to hide in, from what I recall of_ Babylon-5. _Will they suffice as a meeting place for you?_

 _Thank God you didn't ask about Down Below… a mundane probably would have. I've been here before on business; they are lovely gardens and I know of a good spot._ Astrid glyphed a location in an out of the way place near the interface between Green and Red Sector.

 _The negotiation meeting will come first, but I will bring Elia aboard - in disguise - two hours after we adjourn._

 _I'll be there. Be careful about being tailed. There's no guarantee this meeting is entirely on the level, and the negotiators might not know._

Meridina smiled at that. _I was trained as a_ swevyra'se _, what your people might call a Knight of Life_. _I know when I am being followed_.

 _Hmm. From what I've heard Wizard might be better than Knight in some respects... But I trust your judgement._

This was the final exchange they had before Meridina separated from Astrid, moving toward Julia and Lantze. "Minister, this is my First Officer Commander Meridina," Julia said.

"Minister, a pleasure," Meridina said, bowing her head politely. _Contact has been made_ , Meridina directed into Julia's mind.

 _Good._

* * *

With Julia and Meridina on the station, Jarod was left in command on the bridge for the rest of the watch period. He spent the quiet watch thinking on matters. Thoughts that had been in his head these past two days.

As soon as Locarno arrived to relieve him, Jarod went to the lift. "Deck 4," he said initially. As the lift arrived at the halfway point he suddenly revised the order. "Deck 6." The lift immediately changed to its new destination. "Computer, is there a location on Commander Saumarez?"

" _Commander Saumarez is in her assigned quarters,_ " answered the computer. It normally would not have shared such, but as the _Aurora_ Operations Officer Jarod was one of a few command officers with authorization for such location requests.

Jarod quickly consulted his omnitool for the room Tra'dur assigned Elia. Finding it, he walked down the corridors of Deck 6 until he arrived at the appropriate guest quarters.

When the door chimed, Elia pulled herself up. She refastened her uniform jacket, tightened it, adjusted the rank tabs and Mha'dorn pin, pulled her gloves on, quickly drew her hair back with a couple of clips, and presented herself at the door. "Commander Saumarez…" She said as the door swished open, only one minute after the chime sounded the first time, and shortly after the second. The end result of the small delay was her perfect presentation, as if she had been in a conference rather than private. "...Commander Jarod, greetings. What do you need?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk with you," he replied. His surface thoughts were still considering the similarities he was dwelling on, but he spoke them aloud regardless. "About some of the things you said during the conference on the _Huáscar_."

"Come in and have a seat," she answered after a moment, her eyes admitting her hesitation, but only for a moment.

"Thank you," he said, following her in only after she was out of the doorway. Her quarters on the _Aurora_ were one of the nicer ones available, although Onaran had his team had taken up the best rooms already. Like all guest quarters they gave the sense of a hotel room; cozy, but the furnishings lacked the individual touch of a permanent resident. "I…" He stopped and sighed. "Well, even after the years I've spent with Julia and the others, I'm afraid my social skills are still occasionally lacking." In his thoughts he was clearly trying to think of a way to speak with her that wouldn't come across as patronizing her for Elia's obvious unease with the situation, both being pulled from her ship as it was still getting organized and feelings about her mission. For all of the related occupations he'd filled over his life since leaving the Centre…

And then he figured out the best way to approach it. He put himself into Elia's shoes, aided by the time he'd spent living with Meridina, to communicate in a way a telepath might feel more at ease with. With no words that might work, he simply bared his thoughts as openly, yet as gently, as he could.

"You don't need to worry. I could understand your intent. But thank you for making it plain, Jarod." Unlike Meridina, she abstained from answering telepathically. "On my Earth, you know, telepaths _never_ communicate with mundanes telepathically. It's a trap to be accused of violating their rights. It would be a very hard barrier for me to do so with a mundane-something I've only overcome with the closest of my friends." She looked wryly at him, and reached up to undo her hair with a sigh. "This Centre you're thinking of. Why'd it do that to you?"

"For money, power," Jarod replied. "They used my mind to invent new technologies or methods. To figure out secrets that they could use to blackmail or manipulate with. They didn't care about the morality of any of it either. I'm not sure how many lives they destroyed with the things I thought up while under their control." An old pain showed on his face. While he never doubted that serving on the _Aurora_ , with the Alliance, was helping to make up for the evil the Centre did with his gifts in ways beyond what he'd done while a fugitive, he sometimes found himself wondering if he could ever get away from the feeling of it never being enough. "They did this for thirty years. I've only been free for seven, eight years now. And when you described how the telepaths would get used without the Corps, well, I've spent the time since thinking about the Centre."

"I can understand why. It's essentially the same thing," Elia answered. "You _do_ have the right of it. The Corps is like a medieval guild; it's a home, a way of life-and also a collective bargaining mechanism. And, of course, it's a monopoly that can get persnickety about its turf. But it does that because the alternative is the Centre. I've _read_ what one of the Senators have proposed in place of Crawford-Tokash. Irregular, random, involuntary deep scans by anonymous enforcement personnel to make sure you haven't committed any crimes with your abilities."

Jarod shook his head at that. It wasn't hard to imagine how that system might get abused. "It's wrong," he agreed. "I'll admit I didn't see the Corps in the best light when I first learned about them. The reputation of your Psi Cops and Bloodhounds reminded me of…" He let the sentence trail off with thoughts. Of all of his close calls over the years with Miss Parker and her team of hunters, tracking him across the continent to drag him back to the Centre. "That seems to be our problem," he admitted. "The Corps has to protect telepaths while hunting the ones who run. It'd be easier if Earth had their own security agencies responsible for it."

"Self-enforcement grew out of Crawford's antebellum ideology. Psi-Cops are the Overseer slaves on the plantation in _his_ mind. To us, they're heroes. They have the life expectancy of a medieval peasant, you know, Jarod. They burn themselves out trying to manage the contradictions. Bester's the only old Psi-Cop I can even think of."

Bester's name carried a weight that Elia could easily see. He'd tried to carry off Robert and Meridina. Jarod said nothing more about that, since there was no point. Instead his mind quickly worked to consider the perspective of a Psi Cop. Without being made a telepath he could never actually pull a Pretend as a Psi Cop, but he could do so mentally. His mind took in the facts of their job, position, and circumstances just as he had many other occupations.

It was not a pleasant one.

The Psi Cops - "Metasensory Police" or MetaPol in actuality - were caught in the tension created when Earth turned them into the enforcement of the draconian laws against telepaths. He considered the cause of that tension. Forced to hunt your own people by the masters oppressing you both, holding back as much as possible so you don't kill them when they're fighting to do the same to you. Becoming a symbol of oppression and fear because of the laws your masters imposed, dealing with the same master class and having to put up with their own hate and fear of what you could do…

Quickly Jarod understood how easy it was to fall into that trap. To become the mask and make it what you were; cold, ruthless, and relentless, not caring about whom you hurt so long as you caught your prey and enforced the law. Even if you still hated that law.

Did that explain Bester? He'd survived this long for a reason, and the more Jarod let himself slip into the Pretend, the more he felt it the only way he could survive that long mentally. Become the mask. Lose your soul to it. Internalize all of the jealousy and fear of the mundanes who oppressed you and decide they were right to fear you, because you _are_ superior to them. You are the true next stop on the evolutionary road, and are destined to leave them behind. Nothing done to promote that end is wrong. Everything, _everything_ , is permissible as long as it advances the Cause.

The things that sense of superiority could lead one to do, not just to the master class but to those of your own people who fail to measure up to their superiority…

"I wouldn't recommend going further down that road, Jarod. It will do unpleasant things to your psyche even to contemplate. I am also sitting here mildly amazed, wondering if you actually _could_ Pretend a Psi-Cop by taking Dust. I don't recommend trying, but your own abilities might give you the control most Dust users lack." She was quiet for a Moment as her words pulled Jarod out of his mental Pretend. "There's another aspect, too. Most work Psi-Cops do is sincerely to protect people. They're the only telepaths who can fight back against Mundanes. They protect us from Mundanes-that's why they're heroes. Imagine the peril of being both saviour and enforcer. It makes the complex worse."

A shiver went through Jarod at the thought. That much tension between roles? He felt worried that she was right, that if he delved back into the Pretend with that idea, it would be damaging. "It wouldn't be the first time my psyche's been through the wringer from a bad Pretend," he confessed. "And every P12 is expected to become a Psi Cop?"

"To try. You can wash out into something else," Elia answered. "I _should_ have been a bloodhound myself-such an ineffably demeaning term, I'm not a dog, my biological family _bred_ dogs, but not me-but the rating assessment fell more or less right on the boundary between P9/P10. To try and minimise the stigma of the classifications, the slash and the second rating get put in your personnel file when you're a case like that. Our society has become hierarchal in ways we _try_ to avoid from cementing into a caste system. But the mundanes would like it if we developed a caste system. At any rate, I was sent to Military, instead. My classmates sent me their sympathy, but I stiffened up my gut and resolved to be the best I could. Anything else would let the family down, you know. I wasn't afraid of war, I read Aubrey-Maturin and Hornblower growing up."

A thin smile touched her lips. "My biological family, by the way, did things the very tidy English way. When they found out I had the telepath genes and was showing signs of a young childhood manifest, they tidily went to court, had legal custody formally transferred to Psi-Corps, had the driver and the family huntsman-he said to the Psi-Corps nurse who took custody that the nursemaid had refused to be near me when she found out, so being a family man he volunteered-take me to Geneva. Very few new telepaths arrive in a Bentley in a cradle. The transfer of custody included a twenty million pound investment account under a very quiet old London firm-Telepaths can't own stocks, but a _Trust_ for a telepath can-with instructions that I was to be disbursed after age twenty-one up to a million pounds a year on the sole condition I never contact my birth family for any reason whatsoever. And they didn't try to take my family name from me, so I'm a Saumarez. The rest was really rather boring until Tira, except for all the cricket championship trophies. I am an extremely lucky woman."

Jarod had knowledge of how the English upper classes worked. Undoubtedly her family considered that the best way to balance their status with the needs of one of their own, though for him it struck a nerve. "Your biological family gave you up," he said. "I was stolen from mine. The difference between us, if I understand the culture correctly, is that you found a replacement family. I…" He almost said he didn't, but he stopped. It wasn't quite true. For most of his life Sydney was his only family, or at least the closest he had to family, to a father. Even if Sydney was only meant to be Jarod's handler for the Centre, had indeed tried to stop Jarod from seeing him as a father, a bond had formed between them that still existed. And there had been Kyle, his brother, though they hadn't learned that until they were adults, long after the Centre separated them. "...well, I made do as best as I could," he finally admitted.

"I'm sorry. You were treated basely, you lacked that connection, because you … Were denied any association with others like yourself. Psi-Corps became more than a government agency precisely because it was that association. It was the only association. It's not that Captain Andreys is _wrong_ … Originally, in what Crawford _intended._ It's that we were not powerless to change our own destinies, and we have been altering them ever since. Surely you understand? I think you do."

To that Jarod nodded. "I do. And I'm not sure you might have done any better in the circumstances. It's the matter of choice that's been at issue between the Corps and the Alliance. Given time and a chance to understand the situation, well, I suppose that's a might-have-been now." He sighed. "I can see that from the reports. So I'm going to try to help you with the others. They understand what I went through. They gave me a home when I never thought I'd have one. I'm sure I can get them to understand." Left unsaid was Jarod's sentiment, one Elia could see. That even if it had limited his choices as much as her's had been limited, even if it meant being a second class citizen…

...well, he loved Sydney as a father figure, and he didn't regret a moment of his time with Julia and Robert and the others, but from the eyes of the boy he'd been, the boy taken from his family and made into a corporate tool... why wouldn't he have wanted a family of people just as intelligent as he was? Brothers and sisters like Kyle, but without a diabolical Mr. Raines to split them up and break Kyle as a person? People that could have protected him from the Centre.

"I'm glad you've finally found a family, Jarod," Elia said very softly. "And thank you for trying to understand mine. Here, with my career, my civil rights, by loyalty to Dilgar and Union and the Alliance principles, what's left in Psi-Corps for me is simple: It's my family."

Jarod nodded in understanding. "And you do what you have to when it comes to protecting family." 

* * *

After the reception, everyone moved on to one of the station's conference lounges. The table was long enough to accommodate both teams, one per side. Onaran and Lantze sat in the middle chairs facing each other. Julia and Ivanova were two seats to the right of their respective team leads, although this meant neither faced the other. Meridina and Astrid were on the far ends of the table, allowing either to act to protect their people from telepathic attack while giving them an open view of all participants. Meridina, upon taking her seat, felt annoyance at the unrelenting paranoia coming from most of Lantze's subordinates over the presence of three telepaths.

"Now that we are set to begin, I will state the Alliance's goals for these talks, Minister Lantze," Onaran said pleasantly. The Dorei man set his hands, the skin on them the same rich ocean blue as his face, on the table. "It is the position of the United Alliance of Systems that the issue at hand is a result of the Earth Alliance's repressive laws against your telepath minority. These laws inspire telepaths to turn to violent means to resist them and that has led to these unfortunate incidents. While we recognize that insisting on the repeal of said laws would be interpreted as an attempt to interfere in the internal affairs of the Earth Alliance, we do urge you to consider that course. At the very least, a repeal of the statutes banning legal emigration of telepaths to other jurisdictions should be considered, and the Alliance is willing to provide assistance and concessions to create such a legal avenue for the dissenting members of the telepath population. This would reduce dependence upon sleepers and eliminate a major source of strife in the telepath community."

Julia noticed that with the exception of Deng Jiang, identified as the Earth team's intelligence advisor, the response was quite negative. Lantze seemed not so much negative as resigned. She wondered if he held similar views, or at least believed it a reasonable idea, but was forced by his government to dismiss the idea.

"And these are the totality of your views, Mister Secretary?" Lantze asked. "What of the Free Colony itself?"

"The Free Colony concurs with the views of the Allied Systems on the matter of emigration, and the root of the problem involving terrorists." Travada ignored the woman across from him - an Earth Alliance Security vice-director named Bethany Taggart - rolling her eyes at him. Just as he ignored the surface thought of _Why did I have to sit across from the mindfreak?_

"You misunderstand me, sir," Lantze said. "I was not speaking of your position, Minister Travada. I was requesting the Alliance's position on the Free Colony."

Onaran folded his hands on the table. "The Free Colony is considered a free, affiliated state of the Allied Systems, regardless of their current small size. We also consider them a legitimate expression of national aspiration for the E5B1 Human Telepath population."

Meridina marveled at the raw, seething anger that rippled on the other side, save in Minister Lantze himself, Captain Ivanova, and Deng Jiang. She glanced toward Astrid whose outward expression didn't change, but Meridina felt her take notice of the use of "a" instead of "the".

"I see," said Lantze. "Very well. And the matter of Darglan space?"

"It was what law regards as _spatium nullius_ when the Alliance arrived in this universe," Onaran stated. "We laid claim to it in a fashion consistent with known practices of interstellar law, including that of your own universe."

Lantze jotted a note down and nodded. "I see. Thank you, Mister Secretary."

"And you, Mister Lantze?" Onaran kept his eyes on the Earth official. "What is Earth's positions on these matters?"

Julia could tell this was not going to go well when Lantze drew in a breath and glanced again to the rest of his team. "For one thing, we do concur on the matter of our laws. The Earth Alliance will not and cannot tolerate any power attempting to intervene in our domestic institutions, including the Crawford-Tokash Act and all related laws regulating telepaths. On that subject there will be no negotiation. The laws will not be changed on the word of an alien power."

Ivanova breathed out a little sigh. Deng Jiang's expression twitched slightly, showing displeasure. Astrid remained tightly controlled and absolutely stone-faced, but Julia thought she caught a twitch from her right thumb like she was suppressing an angry fist.

"And there is no chance of negotiation to persuade you?"

"I am afraid not, Mister Secretary," Lantze said. "EarthGov's instructions are quite clear. There will be no negotiation on our internal affairs." After Onaran merely nodded in understanding of the point, Lantze continued. "It is the position of the Earth Alliance that the United Alliance of Systems must bear at least a share of responsibility for the terrorist violence against Earth agencies. especially the Psi Corps. Your reckless support of a colony of rogue telepaths provides expectation of assistance in their radical agenda, whatever protests you issue to the contrary, and the Free Colony itself is suspected of providing aid to the Underground in these attacks. We insist and indeed expect that the Allied Systems immediately revoke its agreements with the Colony, dissolve its independent charter, and begin extradition to Earth of its leadership and all individuals listed by Earth security agencies as known terrorist sympathizers." Given the looks from the others, it was obvious that included Travada. Lantze kept attention as he pressed on. "Indeed, it is Earth's sincerest hope that the Allied Systems will do the responsible thing to restore peace to our society by immediately repatriating to Earth all telepaths born in the Earth Alliance or to parents from the Earth Alliance. By such an action you would prove your strong friendship to Earth and deal a blow to the outlandish desires of the Underground."

As he spoke those words, Julia found them lacking. Not just in reasonability but in passion. They were not being delivered by a man who believed in them. It was not just that Lantze did not believe this term attainable; it was that he personally had no desire to even ask it. He was speaking with the voice or voices of others, not his own.

"And you have no leeway for negotiation on this matter either?" asked Onaran calmly. Beside him Travada remained calm, but it hid great apprehension, Meridina felt.

"There is some," Lantze admitted. "But I must be blunt on these matters, Mister Secretary. EarthGov cannot and will not permit the repeal of any of the laws regarding telepaths, nor can we tolerate attempts to undermine them. They are for the safety and security of the non-telepath majority and for all of Earth."

Julia forced herself not to snort. _Because if you give them the chance, you're worried all of the telepaths will run for somewhere they won't be treated like crap, and then how would you deal with those scary_ alien _telepaths?_

 _They're also concerned we might run with any political or personal freedoms we attain and use them to take over their government, and avenge ourselves upon them for a century and a half of oppression and death._ Astrid sent to Meridina. _Feel free to share that with Captain Andreys.  
She isn't wrong._ Travada concurred.

Meridina glyphed an acknowledgement, but did not pass the information on just yet. Lantze was resuming.

"As a consequence of this, neither can we accept the continued existence of the Free Colony. Especially not as it is currently constituted," said Lantze. "I can negotiate particulars and specific details, but the Free Colony's ability to rally support against EarthGov and its policies must be removed."

"We are a free and independent people," Travada insisted. "And we will not be chased from our new homes or _ethnically cleansed_ from territory that isn't even yours."

"You're a bunch of terrorists and rogues and the fact you're allowed to sit here is a sick joke," Taggart retorted in a Scots brogue. Travada would have responded but Onaran cut him off before he could.

"If your subordinate cannot behave with proper respect toward the representative of one of our affiliates, then she has no place at this table," Onaran said to Lantze.

Lantze gave Taggart a hard look. She said nothing. Finally he sighed and said, "On behalf of my subordinate and EarthGov, I apologize for the outburst. It was unbecoming."

The fact Lantze couldn't compel his lieutenant to apologize herself spoke volumes to Julia. _He's not really in control. The way it looks, Earth's not even really interested in an agreement. They're here to posture._

"As for the issue of Darglan space, Earth renews her protest at the Allied Systems' unilateral annexation of such a large area of space so near to Earth's frontiers," Lantze said. "Particularly the refusal of the Allied Systems to permit innocent xenoarchaeological expeditions onto former Darglan worlds."

 _Translation: We won't let IPX loot the Darglan worlds bare_ , Julia thought at Meridina. Meridina flashed a small smile her way in reply.

"We have reasons for restricting such activity," Tanapa remarked. "Among them being that some of those involved in it once shot down a Ranger vessel over their so-called 'archaeological' efforts."

"Anyone might have performed that deed," said Mr. Thomas, the man between Deng Jiang and Lantze. The same who, earlier, had compelled Lantze to attempt to bar Travada from the table. "Just as anyone might have been behind the attack on an IPX ship two years ago. The _Pedicarus_ was raided in the Venir star system. People died."

Julia said nothing but thought, _Given Bester knew, what's his game?_

"So Earth will continue to demand access to Darglan space?" Onaran asked.

"We must, yes," Lantze replied.

Onaran seemed to consider that for a moment. "I am sorry, Minister Lantze, but this does not feel like a negotiation," he finally said. "You appear to have nothing but demands. I came here to find middle ground, not permit posturing for Earth's media. I am willing to negotiate a number of points, including providing security relating to the Telepath Underground attempting to use Alliance space as a base. But under no conditions will we betray the Free Colony."

Lantze sighed and nodded. "I understand, Mister Secretary. Perhaps if we were to discuss further the needs of our governments, a solution will reveal itself."

Julia's only mental response to that was her growing skepticism that they would get anything done. _Which makes the meeting you're setting up all the more important, Meridina_.

 _Noted_ , was the wry mental reply. 

* * *

By the time the first round of talks ended in utter stalemate, Elia was ready, with dyed hair and false contacts to change her visible eye color. She would be masquerading as another Alliance officer, complete with an authentic ID attached to her fake name - courtesy of Jarod - to get through station customs.

More importantly, at least to her sensibilities, was the need to leave her hands bare.

Meridina picked up on that when they met in Transporter Station Two. She had swapped out her dress uniform for a standard one, which was far less likely to draw attention. To avoid issues with the station's regulations on personal weapons Meridina had tucked her lightsaber into her uniform jacket where it was unlikely to trigger the sensors. Wordlessly the two women stepped onto the pad and allowed the Alakin transporter operator to send them over.

The transporter deposited them in the section of the customs entry area. While the station had not been built with the technology in mind, the growing use of it ensured that station operations adjusted, with areas set aside for incoming transports while the rest of the station was protected by an anti-beaming field to prevent unauthorized transporting.

Without a word Meridina and the disguised Elia joined the line of new arrivals to pass through station customs. To the normal passerby they seemed like naval officers taking a shore leave who just happened to disembark together. Elia went first through security. A female Narn processed her real-yet-fake ID and made the usual queries. Within twenty seconds she was through.

Meridina followed through the line behind her, repeating the process. By the time she was through, Elia was already entering the station proper. Meridina followed from a slight distance, casting her glance around to take in the varied species milling about the station. A Gl'mulli slipped around her. To the side, a visiting Turian was disputing something with an Alakin, forcing a party of visiting Yolu to walk around them.

A group of Pak'ma'ra briefly obscured Meridina's sight of Elia. Meridina let the visual contact be broken; she still sensed Elia's presence through the Flow of Life, and she used that to follow Elia into the heart of the space station.


	78. Episode 3-14-3 Values Judgement

Note: Some of this material was written by Tomyris and another writer, Alyrium aka ComradeTortoise.

* * *

The gardens in Babylon 5's central shaft were absolutely vast and easy to get lost in, but they were also safe and it was relatively easy to find a quiet bench out of the way and out of line of sight of any recording equipment or human eyes. Elia found Astrid in one of those gardens next to a grove of coffee trees that had to be illicit given their water requirements, sitting on a bench, still wearing her badge and gloves.

Astrid looked toward the apparent stranger looking a bit startled "Hello! I'm sorry, I came here to get away from everything. So many minds on this station, they're hard to block out. I can find somewhere else to sit if you like." she said, sounding a bit sheepish.

 _The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father. Commander Saumarez…Sister. It's good to see you doing so well. Sit, please. We have a great deal to discuss, I suspect._

"It's fine. I can trust you to be quiet, and I like the sound of silence myself," Elia answered after a moment. _Dye job, fake ID that isn't fake because a real Alliance ID machine made it, a little misdirection at the port of entry, and the absolutely revolting feeling of wandering around naked, but I'm here._

"Excellent" Astrid replied "This spot really does have a lovely view. It's surprising, but I suppose it shouldn't be. This garden is vast enough to generate weather. The station uses it for water reclamation" _I know the feeling. I've had to do those ops before. The only reason I didn't this time is that my cover requires my being known to be on the station. Of course, I'm only nominally with Commercial division these days._

"It's quite amazing," Elia agreed pleasantly. But even her full response to that, she kept to a more comfortable mode of communication. _I've heard there are universes like the one with the Symbiotic Amazons that actually went and built full-sized O'Neil cylinders, which is just amazing. Babylon 5 is close enough for EarthGov work, though, let's be honest. And yes, I understand._

"Not sure who these coffee plants belong to though. They're not tagged…" Astrid did actually indicate for the benefit of anyone watching that this particular set of plants was indeed illegal. _Transport division Intelligence. Ever since Omega VII was evacuated._

"Someone has a really nice stash of coffee, then. Of course, we have replicators on Alliance ships, but many people insist it isn't the same thing." _Transport division intelligence. So you're working for the fleet we encountered. Got it. All right, you're going to love this. They sent me here to contact you._

"Oh yeah, someone's taken good care of them too. They're so lovingly trimmed." _Oh God, it's an espionage comedy._ Astrid grinned inside her head _I take it the Union kept Mha'dorn contact with the Corps compartmentalized for opsec purposes? In fairness, we only recently found out about that ourselves. Metapol plays things close to the chest. They have to. Loose neurons and all that, and they're being observed._

 _I admit, I always preferred the capers to the outright comedies. Someday there will be a movie night and I will break out my copy of_ Night Train to Munich. _But yes, the Union understands very precisely that sometimes our political objectives and the Alliance's are not in lockstep. Sync, yes, but not lockstep._

Astrid got a disquieted look on her face and in her mind at Elia's use of the concept 'our'. _Elia, no matter what, you're still our sister. As far as we're concerned, you've never left the Corps. I've been authorized to pass information on the current sociopolitical situation to the Alliance, but I can pass along military information to the Mha'dorn._ by which she meant Elia _From there, we trust the Mha'dorn to put it in the right hands at the right time._

 _Then any military matters we discuss are for War Captain Era'jhi's mind only._ She had caught the look, the feel from Astrid. _Astrid, I've gestalted with Dilgar without going insane. When I say Our, I really mean the Mha'dorn._

Astrid smiled faintly, and shook her head, not in denial, but the strangeness of everything. "The lengths people will go to for a good light roast I suppose, especially when their other options are probably institutional swill. If you ask me, our brave men and women in Earth Force deserve better." _That is agreeable. And I assumed such was the case, it's just odd to p'hear you speak that way. There's nothing for it, though. The damned charter saw to that. Transport is slightly annoyed that the Mha'dorn poached you, by the way. Not that we hold it against or blame them, given the circumstances. That they've done right by you speaks volumes._

"Considering military life flows straight out of coffee, I'm surprised there aren't mutinies." A cheery, but soft laugh. _When I break a mundane rule, I like to turn it into confetti. In all seriousness, thank you. The Mha'dorn connection was … Unexpected, but not unwelcome. They're probably the closest alien telepath org to us that exists._

"Shh! Don't say the word! This station has already declared independence once, one more time and underwriters will start putting Babylon 5 exclusions into insurance policies." Astrid laughed both internally and externally. One for show at her own joke, the other genuinely regarding confetti. _You're welcome. I imagine the whole thing was rather unexpected. Some might disagree with me, but I'm glad to have the Dilgar around again. No species should be consigned to oblivion like that. And they were always… more like humans than most would be comfortable admitting. It makes sense that their telepaths would be similar._

 _And they are. And Jha'dur of all people arranged evacuation transports to favour Mha'dorn, so they're an order of magnitude more common in Dilgar than we are in humans._ She paused for a moment. _That'll probably scare some Mundanes later, but they scare easy._

 _Hmm, then it's just a matter of what scares the mundanes more. Dilgar telepaths, or human telepaths crewing the_ PCS Sandoval BeyAstrid glyphed Elia an image of a nearly-completed Warlock-class Dreadnought being built in a reclaimed Markab shipyard.

 _...I'm going with the_ Sandoval Bey _. I think the only Dilgar trump card is a redhead with a rap sheet longer than an Administration accident report form._

Astrid's mind went from 'Mother of God' at Administration's accident report forms to a mental exclamation mark when she put two and two together and came up with five because _She_ was supposed to be very dead. _You don't mean…?_

 _Look how effective that is. I mean you could have directly seen that I was just making a joke in admitting the_ Sandoval Bey _is scary awesome. But the psychosocial history of Jha'dur is like no other. She's dead. They're not hiding her. Shai'jhur's too sincere about democracy. She has at least six living relatives, though, and I think they're closer relations than anyone lets on. Probably for the best to keep that one quiet, though._

Astrid kept her external expression completely passive as she visibly contemplated the artificial clouds being sucked through a negative pressure system at both ends of the garden, kilometers away. Inwardly, she laughed. _You had me pretty good there, I should have gotten that. I figure she just cheated death and retired to private life or something, I don't think the Varm-the Clan of Var would be… a thing, if she was the secret head of state or if Shai'jhur were insincere. Also, that little secret is safe with me. Jha'dur was completely mad, but her relatives don't deserve the fallout from that._

 _I appreciate that. But we should probably get to business, under different circumstances I wouldn't mind just spending the day with you but the longer we stay here the longer we risk being discovered. What have you got?_ Elia asked.

Astrid sighed, externally it was more of a wistful relaxed thing. Internally it was frustrated and sad; even angry. Not at Elia, but at the situation in Earth Alliance space. _In this datacrystal, you'll find what I can share with the Alliance. As for the rest, drop your blocks and touch my wrist._ Astrid told her, and changed the position of her arm just enough to expose a strip of skin that wasn't covered by clothing.

Elia took the datacrystal, but hesitated. She felt naked and vulnerable enough without her gloves, let alone touching someone else with naked hands, even if just a finger. On the other hand, skin-to-skin contact was also secure from interception and eavesdropping. She did it, reluctantly, but she did it. Information swam into her mind, some direct experiential memories, some in the form of reports of operational readiness figures she could recall and reproduce, contacts within the Transport fleet, even strategic contingency scenarios.

 _That,_ Elia remarked _is a lot of trust._

 _We're family. Plus our best profiler cleared it, we're not running on rainbows and hope here._ Astrid remarked with a twitch of a smirk and a shrug glyphed into Elia's mind. _The blunt reality is, we have to trust someone or we're fucked. Our entire strategy for the last century has been playing the long game to overcome the numerical disadvantage. The Earth-Minbari War proved we needed to pick up the pace, but the aftermath of both recent wars and whatever the hell the Vorlons did to Lyta is going to force our hand before we're really ready. Without help, it's going to be a bloodbath._

Elia took that in soberly, and maintaining her composure and wishing she had a cup of tea. She tried not to dwell on the quiet desperation her family must be feeling but she could see it in her mind. Telepaths getting up and doing their jobs every day despite not knowing if that would be the day their world imploded, House-Parents in the cadres doing their level best to make sure their charges didn't know that the evacuation drill might be more than a drill the next time. _Alright, I'll make sure this gets to the right people, and I'll keep in touch._

 _Thank you._ Astrid replied, and without changing her outward expression in the slightest gently knocked on the door of Elia's mind. Elia knew Astrid was asking if she needed a hug. In answer, all she did was drop her blocks and let Astrid in, filling her mind with warmth and stimulating her nervous system so she could feel the other woman's embrace without ever needing to physically touch. For just a moment her frustration and anger vanished, replaced by a filial love that was unconditional and hers, just for the asking. Elia sensed that Astrid had to hold her tongue dealing with Captain Ivanova earlier that day. If Zhen'var's experiences with her were any indication, it must have been immensely frustrating; so Elia took that affection and reflected it back, feeling the tension and weariness in Astrid's own mind and soul slacken and ease.

When it was over, Astrid stood up and spoke verbally. "It's been nice sharing a bench with you, but I have work to get back to. Be well." Then she disappeared into Babylon 5's sprawling gardens. 

* * *

Not very far from where they were, beside the Zen garden of B5, a simple structure rose the equivalent of four stories. At the top one could look out at the station and take in the view of its expansive interior. With a five mile length, the inside allowed for numerous structures, not to mention the garden around them, and even some farmland to give the station some capacity to grow its own food.

Julia looked over the sight and drew in a little sigh. She wanted to enjoy the view, as she had two years before. But she found she couldn't. For one thing, the negotiations were not looking good. It was clear Earth had no intention of amicable compromise. They were calculating that the Alliance, war-weary and facing the Dominion threat, would bend to their demands to keep the peace in E5B1.

It was more than that, though. The last time she was here, she'd been with someone, a comrade and a friend. Someone who'd saved the lives of the people she loved and would do so again and again. Even now Julia could imagine Jen Shepard standing beside her, in the uniform of the Systems Alliance, red hair brushed into place and green eyes staring out at the station. It was a memory, and that was all she'd have of the woman who became the M4P2 galaxy's first Human Spectre operative and saved them all from the Reapers.

Julia felt tears go down her cheeks as she thought about the loss of Shepard in the Traverse the prior month. Shepard had died as she lived, saving the people who were trusting her with their lives. There'd been no sign of the unknown attackers when the _Koenig_ arrived, responding to the _Normandy_ 's distress signal. Just the remains of the ship plunging into the atmosphere of the planet below and a collection of escape pods with the survivors of the _Normandy_ crew aboard. Even Shepard herself was gone, her body reportedly drifting into re-entry.

 _I swear, if we ever find out who attacked the_ Normandy, _we'll…_

"Captain."

Julia turned toward the staircase, where Captain Lochley was now standing in Earthforce uniform. An older woman, with brown hair and a dusky complexion, Lochley kept the look of a model officer. She was entering the final quarter of her third year as B5's commanding officer. "Captain," she replied.

"Congratulations on the promotion. Although I know I'm long overdue." Lochley approached her with even steps. Julia knew Lochley had to notice the tears flowing down her face, but Lochley said nothing on them. "How are the negotiations going?"

"Terribly," Julia replied. "Your government and ours… we don't see eye to eye, you might say."

Lochley sighed and nodded. "I was afraid of that. Given the attack on Mars and the other attacks Lyta's people have launched, people are angry. They won't let Luchenko come to an agreement easily."

"We just finished one war, we don't want another. But EarthGov could end up pushing us into one," Julia said. "Their terms are completely unacceptable."

"Just between you and me? I agree. Someone is playing politics back at EarthDome." Lochley peered out at the interior of the station she commanded. "The Free Colony is a done deal and your people will never remove it. And I don't think you should. The telepath situation would be a lot more peaceful if they had somewhere to go."

"You dealt with Byron, didn't you?" Julia asked.

Lochley frowned at the name. "More like I had to clean up after him. He was… well, if you ask me, it's a little insulting that the Free Colony is named for him. He doesn't deserve it. He was little better than a cult leader. He played the pacifist martyr well enough, though. We still get people leaving flowers at the blast site. Sometimes more than flowers."

Julia shook her head. "He's a symbol, I suppose. For telepaths who don't want to be in the Corps." After a moment's pause she asked, "What do you think about them?"

"Who? The Psi Corps?"

"Yes."

Lochley considered the question. "I think they've got a raw deal, but I would be lying if I claimed they didn't scare the hell out of me sometimes. Normals put them in the Corps, but they've made it something we didn't expect. Given what telepaths can do, it can be frightening to think about it."

"That they might want revenge?"

Lochley nodded. "And maybe they deserve it. In the end, the best thing might be to give them a homeworld of their own outside of Earthspace. Let them build their own society."

"But telepaths are still being born in your population, right? What would happen to the newborn telepaths if your current population left?'

Lochley had no answer to that. And she said so. "I'm not sure. Maybe we would start over again. Find a different way to balance the rights of telepaths with the rights of normals."

"Or maybe you'd treat them even worse."

"Maybe. I just know we need to find a solution. The Multiverse made it impossible to keep the status quo." Lochley's eyes focused on Julia's face. "Thinking of Shepard?"

Julia nodded. "The last time I was up here, she came too."

"And I gave you both a tour of the station," Lochley said. She nodded. "Commander Shepard was an impressive woman, a real hero. They don't make many like her. She'll be missed."

"We still don't know who attacked her ship," Julia said. "If we ever find out, I hope the _Aurora_ is there to put them down."

"If I were in your place, Captain, I'd feel the same way," Lochley admitted. "And…"

Before she could finish her link - placed on the back of her right hand - beeped. She tapped the device. "Lochley here."

" _Captain, Ms. Connolly just called. That meeting with the Dockworkers' Guild needs to be moved up and she'd like to see you immediately._ "

Julia watched Lochley breathe out a sigh. "Tell her I'll be there shortly." After lowering her hand Lochley showed a moment of exasperation. "Running this place can be a pain sometimes," she admitted to Julia.

"But it's worth it?"

Lochley looked back toward the sight around them. A twinkle formed in her eyes. "Yeah, it is," she admitted. "I'll see you around, Captain."

"See you around, Captain," Julia replied. 

* * *

Given his rank, it was no surprise Secretary Onaran had the largest guest suite on Deck 6. It was an interior suite without any viewing windows and was the largest individual suite on the ship - even Julia's quarters were about twenty square meters smaller. Intended for diplomatic visitors as well as for people of Onaran's rank, the suite was as luxurious as it could get on a starship that was not a dedicated starliner or yacht. Elia could imagine Earthforce officers burning with envy at the thought of it on an Earthforce ship (and then defensively scoffing at the Alliance wasting the valuable volume).

Seated at the work desk of the suite, Onaran himself was out of his formal suit and in more casual business wear, a full-sleeved vest and shirt of green and cyan with leggings of dark red. His teal hair, pale in color, was still in its formal braid. A glass of fine Daxai brandy - made of fermented _seemai_ \- was to his side, as well as a digital reader. He looked slightly worn and even with what both considered an alien mind, Elia and Meridina sensed his frustration and his concerns. "The meeting went well?"

"It did." Elia replied neutrally. "Is this room secure?" She asked. She knew Alliance security protocols, but it was a due-diligence matter that she didn't think should ever be overlooked, particularly with high-stakes.

"Commander Richmond was quite thorough," Meridina assured Elia. "And since we cannot dock to _Babylon-5_ , there is much a reduced risk of an intruder being aboard."

"Good." Elia replied tightly. "My contact provided me with a data crystal. I've had some time to digest the contents and I can give you an executive summary if you wish." Elia set the crystal down on Onaran's desk.

Onaran took it and considered the crystal. It was not unlike some of the data storage mediums used in Dorei space, and he had an adapter to plug the crystal into his secured workstation was it was. He did so and nodded to Elia. "Please, do so, Commander."

"To be blunt Mr. Secretary, the sociopolitical situation the Psi Corps finds itself in is getting desperate. Many colonies are using the rights they won at the end of the Civil War to eject the Corps, and many are not bothering to put an alternative system in place while maintaining Crawford-Tokash. The net result are telepaths cast out from their families or expelled from school with nowhere to go. They're not being trained and inevitably are either perceived to or accidentally do scan mundanes, leading to increased anti-telepath violence. They also become incredibly vulnerable to slavers."

Elia managed to keep her tone neutral, betraying nothing of the white-hot anger building inside her just speaking about it. "There is also an unknown group taking over that slave trade. They seem to have an insatiable demand and the prices are commensurate. It's gotten to the point that even Psi Corps membership is no defense, and telepaths in the Corps are being kidnapped off the streets in some of the less-secure colonies. Extensive collaboration with the local governments and even Earth Force is suspected in either case." Elia waited a moment for questions and to let that sink in. She had to clasp her hands behind her back to stop them from shaking.

Onaran listened quietly, but there was a clear hardening to his expression as Elia went on. Especially on the issue of a slave trade. When she was done he quietly took a drink and held up a glass. "Would you like some, Commander?" he asked simply.

"Just a small one Mr. Secretary." It would be rude to refuse such hospitality, and she did desperately need one. If not tea, then a small amount of alcohol.

Onaran nodded and poured a small amount into the second glass before presenting it to her. As Elia took the glass he asked, in a low voice, "How much do you know about the history of my species, Commander?"

"There are a great many species, Mr. Secretary, I've spent most of my time acquainting myself with the Dilgar."

Onaran nodded. "You can look up the finer details later. To put it bluntly, my people were once as divided as most Earths have been. When we formed our first planetary government, it was a century after our first contact with an alien species. The Gersallians were good neighbors. The Jeaxians… were _not_." His purple eyes glistened. "In those days the Coserian Empire was at its height, and the Jeaxians were loyal followers. They saw our people as slaves to be acquired and often raided our first colonies. Even Doreia itself. They were the ones who made the vicious old autocrats of the Sindai continent willing to plunge our world into war to shatter our global federation, all so they could weaken us and turn more of our people into slaves. The Gersallians stood with us, however, and ultimately the power of those terrible old monarchs was broken, our people unified, and the Jeaxians and their masters pushed back. Today the Coserians are a declining empire, more interested in fighting over what they have left than trying to expand. And the Jeaxians… well, they still raid for slaves, but they attack weaker species only. As for my people?" The hard look intensified. "Many believe we only joined the Allied Systems because the Gersallians did. This has some justice. But we saw something in the Alliance proposal, and in the character of those making it. Even the most profit-seeking merchant of Daxai hates slavery to the core of their soul, Commander. The Alliance is built to stand against that evil. So let me assure you, whatever difficulties may arise with Earth or the Psi Corps, these slavers will not be tolerated. We will do whatever is in our power to smash them and bring them to justice."

"Thank you for that, Mr. Secretary." Elia replied. She did believe him, he hated slavery with a passion and so did the rest of the Alliance. "There is, I am afraid, more. Concerning the Earth Alliance itself. I suspect it will be somewhat telling to you."

"There is little I expect from EarthDome. Nothing truly constructive, as it is." Onaran frowned. With a tap of a key at his workstation he activated the crystal's contents. "I will relay this information to the President. Much will have to be decided." Seeing that Elia was finished, Onaran stated, "I have nothing further to ask of you right now, Commander. I have a meeting with Minister Travada and Captain Andreys in three hours. I would like to see you there."

"I will be Mr. Secretary. In the interim, I think I'll get some rack-time. Or perhaps some tea. The day has been… trying, and promises to continue as such."

Meridina departed with Elia. Her own quarters were on the same deck, in the next section over, a walk of several moments. As they turned into a cross-section corridor that curved through the deck, Meridina gently glyphed her recognition of Elia's deepening sense of despair.

Elia tried to keep it hidden, away, but she needed to talk to someone, even for just a moment. Everything about this mission was wrong, that the Alliance was even considering some sort of agreement with EarthGov was ridiculous to her. _They're my family, Commander. All twelve million._ She glyphed Meridina a flash of growing up communally in a cadre, children playing under the watchful eyes of a kindly older woman.

Meridina considered what she saw. It was not entirely unlike Gersallian child-raising. _My parents secured an arcology home in Jantarihal when my mother was carrying me. While I lived with my biological family there, child care was a communal duty for all residents of the arcology, and we often spent time in the arcology's child care section._ Meridina glyphed memories of such, first as a young child, then as she grew older becoming more responsible for her younger neighbors and siblings, all until the day she left to become an initiate at the Great Temple and develop her talents.

 _Communal child-care is where the similarity ends. EarthGov mandated that the state by way of the Psi Corps have legal and physical custody of our children. We made it ours. For us, the whole Corps is family. Literally._

Meridina nodded in understanding. _I can sense that in your feelings. The way that_ farisa _are treated in the Humanity of this Earth is depraved. With you, I can see why our efforts to persuade telepaths to come to Gersal have not been as successful as we believed they would be. Your bonds to one another, the strength of your community despite the oppressive elements, we had little idea of such. Some of it is undoubtedly my people allowing our certainty as to our ways to become arrogance. I am… unhappily familiar with how our people can be led astray by that certainty._ Meridina smiled thinly. _I admit I myself wanted to try and convince you to join us at Tira. It was not to be, and that is a good thing._

 _You've seen what Nazis do to '_ untermenschen _', yes? Not in the Reich, but in their early history?_

Meridina nodded. _I am familiar with such. After our first contact with the Reich, Robert and the others familiarized me with the darkness of the movement._

 _Then I might recommend some reading for you. Think of them as companion pieces._ The History of the Psi Corps by J. Gregory Keyes _, and Gregory Stanton's_ Eight Stages of Genocide _. In the Earth Alliance, pay special attention to how telepaths get blamed for our own persecution, and how we are forced to enforce oppressive laws against our own people. I suspect you will notice some similarities._

That there could be such similarities sent revulsion through Meridina that Elia could sense. _Your Earth has such darkness clouding it._

 _You can sense that more acutely than I can. From what I remember, your spiritual beliefs? Philosophy? They stipulate that the Flow of Life is put in balance by positive emotions, yes?_

 _Yes, that is one way to put it. The Flow of Life is strengthened by positive feelings and emotion. There will always be negative sentiments, of course. But Life instinctively seeks the better ones. Love, compassion, joy, the 'feel-good stuff' as Lieutenant Barnes once said. Those things that warm the soul and provide contentment, they are the Light of Life. Some negative sentiment does not overwhelm the Light. But suffering, despair, fear, hatred, if such feelings become widespread, they restrict the Flow of Life. The Light is dimmed, Darkness intensifies, a cold in the being that fuels further dark feelings. It can be powerful in its own right, especially for beings like myself that can reach into the Flow of Life, but it is an intoxicating influence, corruptive of the spirit. To succumb to darkness is a terrible fate._ Meridina felt a small shiver of remembrance for her own brushes with darkness, first from her body being hijacked by the Goa'uld Amaunet and then her own inability to deal with the anger and pain that possession had caused her.

 _You'll forgive me Commander, but it is difficult to not feel despair when there's a good chance I'm going to watch my entire family snuff it, and that the Alliance might well, in ignorance or for lack of political will, help it happen._

Meridina nodded. There was no mistaking her concern. _That is why Swenya formed the Order. To teach us to be_ swevyra'se _, to strengthen the Flow of Life, by protecting those such as your people even if it meant our own deaths. We will not stand idly by and watch such a culling, even if the Alliance does nothing._ A bitter sense came to her. _This is why we have worked to help telepaths flee to the Free Colony. Now, having met you and Astrid Bergsen, I cannot help but wonder if we have been in error on the source of darkness in the Earth Alliance_.

 _You have been. Commander, the Psi Corps considers sleepers to be abominations that we're forced at gunpoint to administer. The same for the camps. If the Corps had it's way the formula for that poison would be erased from history and the camps would be evacuated and glassed from orbit._

 _Then we must work for that day._ They stepped up to the door of Elia's assigned quarters. _Whenever you are ready to arrange another meeting with Ms. Bergsen, please inform me, I will forward the request at the negotiation sessions. Please rest well_.

 _I will._ "Thank you for the company Commander." Elia said verbally, and entered her quarters.

* * *

With the _Aurora_ not at warp or in a combat situation, Engineering was in a state of quiet activity. Personnel were observing the naqia reactors on standby mode, waiting to be brought back online to provide the necessary power for an interuniversal jump or the activation of the warp drive. The large Master Systems Display was showing a ship that was running as smoothly as she ever had, much to the satisfaction of the man responsible for ensuring that.

Montgomery Scott often eschewed the normal duty uniforms for an engineer's vest and white turtleneck, just as he had now. His gray hair and mustache set him apart from his younger staff. "Well, now. Wid ye look at that?" he asked aloud.

Tom, also on engineering watch, looking up from a digital reader and reports on systems checks for the ship's sensors. He noticed Scott looking over the warp nacelle readings. While they were not in operation, it was standard practice to keep them ready for use whenever the ship was not in dock, necessitating teams to be assigned to maintain the nacelles' readiness. Tom noted the readouts from all four and nodded. "Ninety nine point eight percent on the field harmonics," he noted. "Damn good."

"Aye lad, that it is." The old Starfleet engineer beamed with pride. "We've put together an excellent engineerin' team on this ship. I cudnae be prouder." He clapped Tom on the shoulder. "An' ye deserve some of that credit, Tom."

"Eh, I had an excellent teacher."

"So, th' new arm's workin' well?"

"Yeah." He scratched at his forearm. "At least I can deal with the phantom limb stuff now." He held the arm up. "Although there's a lot more that can be done with this thing, if you ask me. From what Rob's said, Kane actually got arms with freaking pulse guns built into them."

Scott chortled at that. "Did he now? An' what did ye have in mind?"

"Well, I figured I can build something. Maybe a built-in plasma torch. Or an autospanner. An extendable one for all of those hard-to-reach parts." Tom shrugged. "Something to make things faster, I guess. I mean, we came pretty close to losing the ship over Germania."

"Lad, dinnae worry yourself about it," Scott said softly. "Ye did well enough. Ye dinnae need t' prove somethin' by buildin' some special arm."

"I was just thinking it'd be cool…" Tom stopped and sighed. "Yeah. It would be a waste of time, I guess."

"What's really botherin' ye, Tom?"

"I just…" He shrugged. "It's not so much that I almost died, it's that… what if I hadn't been able to free myself? We'd have lost the ship. And what if it happens again?"

For a moment Scott remained quiet. "Ah lad. I know how easy it is t' worry about such things. I've had more close calls in my life than even I can remember, an' ye always wonder if th' next one will be th' one that gets ye." He put a hand on Tom's shoulder and prompted his protege to face him. "Tom, ye've come a long way from th' day I met ye. Ye've learned a lot. But one thing we all have trouble with is learnin' t' accept when we dinnae have control over somethin'. Dinnae worry yerself about that or think ye need t' make some fancy arm for yeself."

Tom processed the advice for several seconds. "Alright," he said. A small smile came to his face. "But I still think a plasma welder arm would be _cool_."

To that, Scott chuckled. 

* * *

The conference lounge was selected for the private briefing to the others on Elia's contact with Psi Corps. Onaran only brought Travada while Julia, Meridina, and Jarod attended as well. An evening repast was provided by the Lookout staff, mostly finger foods given the late time, should anyone want something to supplement dinner (or lack thereof).

At Onaran's request, Elia provided the information in brief. Repeating the information about the Earth colonies ejecting Psi Corps and the rise in the slave trade, Elia moved on to other material.

"What is worse, in a political sense at least, has been EarthGov's response. Instead of increasing intelligence-sharing and providing additional patrols, they've actually curtailed both. At the same time, EarthDome has been demanding that Metapol 'do more' about Lyta's attacks, They've threatened to cut the Psi Corps budget over that particular issue. With their ships at best hesitant to answer calls for assistance and the mundane intelligence services being unwilling to share information, they're hampering the efforts of the Corps in that respect as well. You all saw the results on Mars, and the aftermath. An aftermath that is entirely predictable and would have been easily foreseen by EarthGov."

"At the same time, ISN, which is an arm of the state in all but name belonging to the Anti-Clarkist faction this year, has been perfectly happy to take every opportunity possible opportunity to attack the Psi Corps, up to and including distorting and in some cases outright fabricating facts. It got to the point on Omega VII last year that they were openly slandering the local Psi Cops. The Corps managed to effectively declare them _factio non grata_ on that planet and commercial telepaths refused to contract with them or any of their business partners, but the same cannot be said everywhere, EarthGov didn't let that stand for long either."

Julia listened quietly and said nothing, considering what was being said. She'd seen little of ISN herself. She glanced toward Jarod, whom she knew researched such things.

"ISN makes pretenses to being an independent news channel, but they get preferential treatment on the interstellar communications network and tax breaks," Jarod revealed. "Generally speaking, the owners seem to give editorial freedom except on some issues considered vital to whichever faction of Earth's government they're in alignment with."

"And the charge of stealing children?" asked Julia.

Jarod shook his head. "I researched it myself. They were teenagers freed from literal slavery. They'd bonded mentally to the point that taking even one away would have been of immense psychological harm." He frowned. "Unfortunately, one set of parents, the ones who went to ISN, were anti-telepath bigots who wanted to put their son on sleepers. They were the ones who screamed kidnapping when he refused to consent."

"It is clear that the situation in Earthspace is worsening," Onaran stated. "And we cannot discount the possibility that they will refuse reasonable terms. Given the survival of Clarkist elements, President Luchenko cannot afford to seem too accommodating."

"Hating telepaths and the Psi Corps is a bipartisan consensus, Mr. Secretary." Elia replied.

"Throw in the people who are pro-telepath but anti-Corps, and it's a mess," Jarod added.

"Wait, hold on. I've been out of the Earth Alliance for some time, but I was in the Corps during the Clarkist regime. They always seemed more than happy with the Psi Corps. What changed? The slavers have always been a problem, a large number of ships we expected to arrive at the Free Colony have failed to show up and we've fear the worst there, but seriously?" Travada said.

"You can hate telepaths and the Psi Corps and still use them." Elia replied in clipped tones "Just look at the Earth-Minbari War. What does one do with a tool that is no longer of use?"

Jarod nodded. "Another factor is that with Clark out of power and his abuses publicly revealed, those now in power may see the Psi Corps as more of a threat. York is the one known committed Clarkist to have kept his position."

"Which only contributes to this problem. It is a severe enough difficulty that the Underground attacks are stepping up in a period of increased anti-telepath sentiments," Meridina said. "That this is occurring while an unknown party is creating a great demand for telepaths in the slave trade makes our difficulties all the greater. Slavers such as these thrive on political instability as much as they do upon corruption."

"There's not much we can do to stop it inside of Earth space," Julia noted. "And even in neutral space, there would be holes. The Alliance fleet doesn't operate in hyperspace, and it would take months to refit enough ships to create a working hyperspace-capable patrol fleet given the spaces we'd have to cover."

"There is the _White Star_ fleet," Meridina proposed. "And G'Kar would contribute ships as well."

"No." Elia said in flat tones that could only be a suppressed snarl before she calmed herself down with her own iron-discipline. "Sheridan uses and discards telepaths like toilet paper. I will also relay what Captain Zhen'var told me: when he was stationed on Io, he covered up the fact that then-lieutenant Ivanova defenestrated a commercial telepath. Three stories up, head first. It didn't matter that there was a pool, he's confined to a wheelchair now. Sheridan is not to be considered reliable."

Julia felt an instinctive need to defend Sheridan, who always struck her as a good man who'd personally suffered to stop a cruel regime. Meridina spoke into her mind before Julia could voice it, carefully shielding the thought to keep it private. _Lyta Alexander voiced a similar sentiment when we met her last year. Although she did not confine it to telepaths._

Elia p'heard Julia's thoughts, despite her habitual blocks, it was so strong and reflexive that she couldn't help but pick it up, and yet there it was. "I will note, Captain, that the man who wrote the American Declaration of Independence was himself a slave-owner. He did not manumit the mother of his children."

There was a small frown on Julia's face at that, not from what Elia said but the facts behind it. She didn't want to be wrong about someone she'd looked up to. She could still remember Sheridan shaking her hand after the talks at Rohric, congratulating her for her handling of the Tira Crisis and her stand against the genocide of the Dilgar survivors there. The recognition from someone of that reputation was treasured by her. To hear him being slandered...

"My government largely concurs with Commander Saumarez. President Sheridan stands up for the rights of every sapient being in the the galaxy, except for the ones he's been raised his entire life to unconsciously think of as tools." Travada replied "During the Shadow War, he put out the call to rogue telepaths the Underground Railroad got out of Earth Alliance space with the promise of paying work. They found themselves on Minbari ships as jamming devices. Some knew what was being asked of them, some didn't. They got cut loose when the war ended without so much as a by your leave. And I need not point out his betrayal of both Byron Gordon and Lyta Alexander. Byron was a cult leader, I'll admit that here; but the reason Lyta was susceptible was because Sheridan and almost his entire staff treated her like useful garbage for years."

Julia said nothing. It was one thing for the involuntarily exiled Elia to say these things. She wore her continued loyalty to Psi Corps on her hands. Travada, she knew to lack the same. If even he was bitter toward Sheridan…

"Great beings are never perfect ones," Meridina said. "And while I understand your distrust, even if Sheridan has no sympathies for telepaths, his InterStellar Alliance cannot afford to seem incapable of stopping such conduct. And I am quite confident that G'Kar will be just as willing to see these forces stopped. We cannot rule out some aid from that quarter."

"G'Kar is generally reliable, yes. If nothing else he can browbeat Sheridan into doing the right thing." Elia replied.

Having listened quietly to the conversation and the back-and-forth, Onaran returned to the discussion by saying, "Whatever the prejudices of Sheridan and the other leaders are, the Alliance is founded on opposition to sapient slavery, and we will make clear our insistence on the ISA's cooperation against slaver forces." He looked to Elia. "I am consulting with Portland on some of the issues raised in this communique from the Corps. Do you have another meeting planned with Miss Bergsen?"

"I do."

"I need only arrange a time with Miss Bergsen, preferably during a negotiation session," added Meridina.

"Then I will endeavor to have a reply to send with you," said Onaran. "I can already give this guarantee: the United Alliance of Systems will accept the aid of any group seeking to put down slavery and the slave trade. If Psi Corps is fighting slavers, they will have our support, and we request theirs in kind on the matter. Other matters we will negotiate over."

"That is something that the Psi Corps will doubtlessly appreciate, Mr. Secretary." Elia said, a certain tension visibly lifting from her shoulders.

"Then our business for the day is concluded. Please rest well, Commander." Onaran stood and nodded once to her respectfully. "We will know more tomorrow."


	79. Episode 3-14-4 Values Judgement

With the day's diplomatic meetings ended and both sides awaiting further instructions, Julia returned to her quarters to bring the day to a close. After a quiet dinner she went through _t'ai chi_ and _mokbara_ forms a little longer than usual, working out the frustrations of the day. Then it was off to the shower and, afterward, a half hour of reading through the rest of the day's reports in her bathrobe before attending to her hair.

She'd just swapped into her silver nightgown when the door chime went off. Julia called out, "A moment" while reaching for her blue nightrobe. As soon as she finished pulling it on and tied it close, she went to the door and tapped the key to open it.

"Mind if I have a moment?" asked Jarod, standing in the corridor. He was still in duty uniform.

"Sure." She led him in and gestured toward the chairs. They weren't top of the line recliners, but they were rather comfortable replicated models, both green in coloring. "What can I do for you?"

"Since our briefing on the _Huáscar_ , I've been thinking about what Elia - Commander Saumarez - said. About what would happen without Psi Corps."

"You mean that telepaths would be reduced to slaves for the megacorporations?" Julia asked.

"Exactly. You can guess why I'm thinking of it."

"Yeah, I can," Julia said. "It reminds you of what happened to you, doesn't it?"

Jarod replied with a nod. "It's why I've been thinking about this whole problem from another angle."

"Commander Saumarez isn't the most objective observer," Julia pointed out. "She's still loyal to the Corps. To what she thinks they are, not what they might actually be."

"And you think she's wrong?"

"I think…" Julia stopped there. She could see Jarod's intent look. "...I think she wants her family, or those she considers her family, to be what she imagines them to be. That anything bad they do has a good reason, or is something they're forced to do. She doesn't want to accept that the Psi Corps might be wrong."

"And you think they are?" Jarod asked.

"I don't know, I..." Julia sighed. "Jarod, they tried to carry Rob and Meridina away to turn them into lab experiments. They were going to do the same thing to Lucy, given what she reported from the encounter at Venir. They shot you. They would definitely have hurt Cat. And they were doing that to protect the people who shot down a _White Star_ to cover up their activities. These people are not angels. Maybe they're the best thing telepaths have in the Earth Alliance, but that doesn't mean there isn't something better. All of these telepaths struggling to escape them, to get out of Earth space… there's a reason for it."

"Julia, I'm not saying the Corps is innocent of everything," Jarod said. "But I've… I took the time to Pretend to be a Psi Cop, in my head."

Julia folded her arms and nodded. She knew what he was meaning. "Since you're not a telepath, that's the best you can do, I'd think."

"It is. And what they go through… I think their behavior, their attitude, it's a psychological defense mechanism," he said. "They're required by Earth law to hunt their own kind, Julia. They have to hunt them, subdue them, and if they won't join the Corps, they throw them into camps or force them to take drugs that dull the world so badly many of them commit suicide to escape. And they do this for the protection of non-telepaths who still hate and fear them. On top of that, they protect their own people, as expected, and are seen as heroes for it. But there are so many inherent contradictions in those roles, especially being both a hunter and protector of telepaths, that the tension will tear down any psyche. Imagine having to chase people convinced you're out to hurt them, to enslave and destroy them, not wanting to hurt them when they're very likely to kill you if they get the chance." Jarod's face twisted into a grimace, showing he was imagining it. "These people are your kin. Your family. They're out there causing themselves and others harm, maybe not even intentionally, but just by running they provoke fear of telepaths. They could get themselves hurt or killed trying to run. So you're trying to save them by bringing them in, even while they're fighting you. And if you do end up hurting them, killing them… the people who force you to hunt them pat you on the back and congratulate you. They see you killing your own people as protecting _them_ , they hate and fear you so much."

Julia nodded wordlessly.

"I looked at the statistics, what few Earth allows to be publicly published. Most Psi Cops burn out from their jobs. They don't make it past their 40s. Some commit suicide, or they transfer to teaching because there's nothing else they can do. They're not allowed to speak out against what Earth law forces them to do. The ones that don't quit, well… short of a solid, emotional anchor, the only way they can survive the strain is to shut down their emotions. Ignore the tension between their roles, or reconceive them to reduce that tension. Even if it actually turns you into a monster in the end." Jarod stopped for a moment, to consider what he was going to say. "For a long time I couldn't understand why they hunted their own people, and it's why I didn't think much of the Corps either. But the facts are there. They're not the villains that we thought they were. They're just… people trying to survive. Trying to survive in a society that hates and fears them, trying to protect themselves and those like them. And I don't want us to be culpable in destroying the only thing between telepath children and people like Raines."

As Jarod spoke his voice grew more heated, although not louder. She considered what he said, along with what Elia had said, and Travada, and Astrid Bergsen. Given how unjust Earth laws were, it all made sense. She couldn't just deny these arguments, dismiss them.

And yet she wanted to. At least a part of her did. A part that screamed in her head, _They tried to take Robby! They tried to take him away from you! To hurt him! To hell with them!_

The very thought brought some anger to her expression. Jarod noticed it. "It's instinctive, isn't it?" he asked.

"What is?"

"That feeling you have. About Bester hunting down Robert and Meridina last year," Jarod said. "If he'd just been after Lyta, and they'd been in the way, that's one thing. But he hunted them. To turn them into experiments."

"He did. Ms. Bergsen apologized for that, actually."

"But you don't trust it. You can't let yourself."

"Not with his safety."

"Which is part of the point here, really. You're worried about Robert. And now you're thinking about that, and it's affecting your judgement."

"Maybe it is. Maybe I'm the wrong one, and you and Saumarez and Zhen'var and Bergsen are all right," Julia said. "But I can't just turn those feelings off. You _know_ how much Rob means to me."

"You love him. And he loves you."

"It's more than just love. We've been together for so long. We've been a part of one another's lives since the time we could remember. The thought of losing him…" Her nostrils flared. "If that son of a bitch Bester had actually taken Robert last year, Jarod, I would have happily burnt down the entire Psi Corps to get him back."

"I know. And you'll always be worried about him," Jarod said. "But you can't let that interfere with your judgement."

"No, I can't." Julia rubbed her forehead with her left hand. "Which is why I'll continue supporting this mission. Which is why I should be getting to bed for the talks in the morning so I don't commit a career-destroying, war-provoking _faux pas_."

"That's good enough reason for me," Jarod remarked jovially. He grinned and stood. "Thank you for hearing me out."

"Thank you for giving me the opportunity," she replied.

* * *

With the aid of a good night's rest and a good breakfast courtesy of Hargert, Julia managed to get through the whole session without destroying her career.

Not that she didn't want to bounce "Mr. Thomas"' head off the table a few times by the end of it.

To call the session unproductive would be inaccurate. It seemed more counter-productive than anything. Onaran offered numerous suggestions on compromises, everything from Minbari or Starfleet observers for the Free Colony to Alliance guarantees of aid in fighting Lyta's underground, backed by Travada's assurances of assistance. Even Earth Alliance representatives to some of the dig sites in Darglan space. Nothing was good enough. Lantze would seem to agree just to have Mr. Thomas or Bethany Taggart whisper in his ear, resulting in a term's rejection. Earth, for its part, never offered anything of a compromise. They insisted they would not be satisfied with anything less than the extradition of the Free Colony's leadership and all telepaths on a "security threats" list, the termination of the Colony's affiliate status and independence, and independent Earth access to dig sites in Darglan space.

By the end of it Julia didn't know who aggravated her more: Mr. Thomas and his crushing of all possible compromise, or Taggart and her blatant bigotry toward Astrid and Travada alike. Lantze's inability to control either also qualified him for her "list of people I want to punch right now", albeit at a lower priority.

When the meeting was finally, mercifully over, Julia was about to go to the door when Ivanova intercepted her. "Well, another wasted morning," Ivanova said. "I haven't had that much wasted time attempting diplomacy since the Drazi drew colored ribbons and started beating the crap out of one another."

"Didn't they start doing that just a few months ago?" asked Julia.

"Yeah, a couple of months before Tira. Which was the only reason they stopped for a while. They do it every five years. I had to deal with it the last time. I still have the Green Leader sash somewhere." They walked out of the conference room together. "Although they did finally get the rule change barring aliens through committee, so it's no use these days." Ivanova stopped, prompting Julia to turn and face her. "I'd like to offer you that dinner I talked about. How about tonight, at Earhart's? Around 20 hundred Earth Central?"

Julia did the mental conversion. That would be about 1700 _Aurora_ time. "Alright," she said. "I'm up for it."

"Good. I'll meet you there. Ordinarily it's Earthforce only, but I'll let them know you're coming so there shouldn't be any problems. See you then."

Ivanova left, leaving Julia to rejoin Onaran and the others. 

* * *

Onaran was in his quarters when Meridina and Elia arrived together. "Commanders, thank you for coming so quickly," he said. "We have little time before I am due back at the negotiation table."

"It does appear that the Earth Alliance is not, in strictest terms, negotiating in good faith, Mr. Secretary." Elia didn't think they ever actually would, but she kept her feelings of vindication with respect to simply conquering her former government to herself.

"No, I do not think it is. Regardless, the attempt must be made. We have had two months of peace and much remains to be settled. But there is another matter." He picked up an E5B1-model data crystal and held it out to Elia. "I have consulted with the Cabinet. They are still reviewing the finer details of the Corps' information, but based on our existing intelligence, we are ready to begin establishment of the communications channel. The Alliance Intelligence Service and the Foreign Office will cooperate on establishing our end of the channel through our consulate here on _Babylon-5_. The relevant information is in here. Additionally, any new intelligence we receive on the growing slaver threat will be shared with Psi Corps, as will information regarding Earth's policy toward the telepath population. Should we receive warning signs of an imminent genocide or other form of attack, we will share them with the Corps."

Elia considered that definite good news, but she kept herself from expressing it. It was a small step, and the reality was the United Alliance of Systems was still bothering to negotiate with the Earth Alliance, which meant they were still willing to offer concessions, even to someone they knew was not negotiating honestly and was trying to strong-arm them. "Thank you Mr. Secretary, I will get this to Ms. Bergsen as soon as possible."

"I will arrange another meeting time with Ms. Bergsen at the next session," Meridina said.

"Please do." A distasteful look came to Onaran's face. "I must deal with Minister Lantze and his handlers." That expression made clear Onaran's own approximation of his opposite on the Earth government. "It would be preferable if we did not have to endure their inflexibility, but our people are weary of conflict and another is already brewing in S5T3."

"I am told that it is not uncommon in history for a smaller, more aggressive power to win concessions against a stronger foe with other concerns," Meridina noted. "There are those who categorize early relations between Gersal and the Coserian Emperor as such, before the Empire's decisive defeat at Ji'Doreia."

Elia knew a great deal of the evils that could result from a stronger power granting concessions to a weaker and more aggressive one due to war-weariness. The fate of Poland in the 1940s and subsequent catastrophic global war, holocaust, and the decimation of Russia served as a convenient object lesson. One that evidently wasn't going to be heeded despite having fought a war with the space-conquering result in another universe. Instead of saying it though, she simply gave Secretary Onaron a look that carried with it the expression 'you know better'.

Onaran met the look without saying anything. "I will see you at the Transporter Station, Commander Meridina," he said. "Please excuse me, I must finish my preparations."

Once they were out of the quarters, Meridina glanced toward Elia before mentally connecting to her. _I can sense your disapproval of this course. You still advocate a military suppression of EarthGov and the imposition of telepath civil rights?_

 _I do. In the long-run, it's best for everyone that way. The Alliance, my own people, bluntly even the Earth Alliance itself. What's going to happen now is that they're going to extract technological concessions. Eventually, they're going to push the Alliance into war, because they're going to start a genocide. Would you rather fight them now when they are technologically inferior and not mobilized for war, or later when neither of those are true?_ Elia replied.

 _A stark choice. I cannot argue against the possibility. At the same time, the Alliance itself was strained by the war. The bonds to forge it more closely were left half-completed, and while the war may have strengthened some, it has frayed others. I can understand the Secretary's position of making an agreement if it is feasible._ Meridina's expression remained solid. _We can still prevail in the end, and I have faith we will_.

 _Commander, you're a good person, and I can't help but respect you. However, there is a human saying. God helps those who help themselves. Short of invading the Earth Alliance, the best course of action is to simply walk out and not reward their tactics._

Meridina nodded in acceptance of the point. _Swenya once said that the Light acts through us, so we too must act if it is to prevail._ She glyphed reassurance and understanding to Elia. _I know you fear for your family. Whatever the differences, I sympathize with that, and I too wish we could simply walk away._

 _It is what it is_ Elia thought, but she kept the fact that she didn't really believe that behind her own mental barriers. _We'll find out in the fullness of time exactly how telepaths are going to be screwed in this fracas. Because that, I guarantee you, is going to happen._

Meridina nodded. She could sense Elia was holding thoughts from her, but said or thought nothing of that. She knew there was nothing she could say or think to alleviate Elia's worry. 

* * *

The resumption of negotiations provided no reprieve from the deadlock. Earth would not budge. The Alliance would not either.

"You must think very little of us to assume we will just bend with no concessions," Onaran was stating.

"I admit I'm starting to," Taggart grumbled. "You bloody lot are ruining a hundred years of peace between normals and telepaths."

"I am afraid I cannot consider such to be peace," said Tanapa. "You treat your mindwalkers abysmally."

"I'd expect that from a society that lets them root around in people's heads," Taggart retorted. "We have a right to the privacy of our thoughts. Our laws are made to keep telepaths from violating those rights."

"Do you also force all of those with high intelligence into a similar institution, on pain of imprisonment or drugging?" Tapana asked calmly, but with a point to her voice. "Clearly the more intelligent might violate any number of rights for those less intelligent through trickery and deception."

"It's not the bloody same. An intelligent person can't tear your mind apart or steal your whole life just by looking at you!"

"Minister Lantze, we cannot continue to circle ourselves like this," said Onaran. "There is no room for compromise with your government's requirements, so I am unsure of how we can ever negotiate them. You have received no instruction or guidance from Earth on our positions?"

"I am afraid Earth's position on these matters is dictated by right and necessity, Mister Secretary," Lantze replied. "The Allied Systems' support of the rogue telepaths has destabilized our society. Your seizing of former Darglan space on our frontier seems nothing but a deliberate attempt to deny Earth natural expansion and to sustain your monopoly on Darglan technology."

"We have done no such thing. The protection of the Darglan Homeworld and adjoining space is to ensure that only responsible parties gain access to them," Karbarov retorted.

"Responsible parties _you_ approve of," Deng Jiang noted. "Surely you can see our concerns."

"We are more than willing to allow Earth to join our expedition teams," said Onaran.

"You mean you'll accept a handful of picked specialists that you can control," Thomas retorted. "This is as Minister Lantze has stated. It is an act meant to sustain your monopoly on access to Darglan technology and to deny Earth the ability to keep pace with other species." He put a finger on the table. "Add your support of telepath renegades, and we can't help but wonder if the Allied Systems is trying to undermine Earth while we recover from the Civil War."

"I'm not sure I agree with you on that, Mister Thomas," Julia said. "Earth has _plenty_ of other avenues of expansion, including habitable garden planets, outside of Darglan space."

"Those worlds are not as easy to access from our current hyperspace network, Captain. And they would be less secure from attack." Thomas crossed his arms. "Minister, I think it is clear that the Allied Systems believe Earth will fold before its greater size. They think they can push us around."

"Mister Thomas, _please_ …" Lantze began.

"No, Minister. I would like to hear him out," said Onaran. "Please, continue."

"Earth requires, for its most basic security and peace, that the Alliance permit Earth access to former Darglan space," said Thomas. "Even more importantly, the Alliance must cease its support of terrorist telepaths."

"We do not support them."

"Mars says differently."

 _Does he know something we don't?_ Julia thought.

Meridina's reply came a moment later. _His thoughts are shielded. And naturally Ms. Bergsen will intervene were I to attempt more_.

 _Would I? A question for the ages..._

Meridina glyphed a reply of bemusement, but with it the sentiment that if Thomas sensed her and Astrid did nothing to stop her, he would report her failure. In turn, Astrid sent back a mental image of herself nodding in agreement. _It's unlikely a mundane would notice, but not entirely outside possibility. Even if it were just on the level of noticing a significant glance. They like to report scans that didn't happen so..._

Meanwhile the conversation continued on. "We categorically deny any involvement in the attack on Mars," said Onaran.

"The Free Colony does as well," Travada insisted.

"I'm afraid Earth can't afford to take your assurances at face value, gentlemen," Thomas said. "We have to look to our own security. And we will. President Luchenko is prepared to deploy Earth's fleet into neutral space. They will be operating under her full authority to secure our borders. All Alliance vessels heading to or from Earthspace will be subject to immediate search. Any ship found carrying contraband, including rogue telepaths, will be seized and their crews arrested."

"Earth has no jurisdiction in that space," Karbarov retorted. "You have no authority!"

"Earth has every right to protect itself from terrorists!" Thomas shot back. "Our jurisdiction on that matter is universal. Much like your own when you seized Earth Alliance citizens from Mars!"

"You mean the slavers attempting to abduct children?" Julia asked.

"I mean Earth citizens who have not yet been given a fair trial in court," Thomas replied. He returned his attention to Onaran. "We came here hoping to convince the Alliance of the gravity of Earth's predicament, and to urge you to take steps to reassure Earth. If you will not, Earth will act on its own, if we must, in order to protect ourselves."

"And we must act to defend our rights," Onaran replied. "If Earth does act in this fashion, we will match Earth ship for ship, and any attempt to seize an Alliance vessel in neutral space will be resisted."

"Then we'll fight," Taggart declared.

"Gentlebeings, please," Lantze pleaded. "We came to make peace. This is really getting out of hand."

"Minister Lantze, I do believe you are sincere," said Onaran. "But we will not seek a peace based on surrender of our rights or our principles. The Allied Systems will _not_ forsake the Free Colony nor its leadership, neither will we repudiate our stance on the issue of civil and sentient rights for telepaths being upheld. We are willing to negotiate Earth's access to Darglan space and, I again stress, make guarantees to your security regarding the telepath situation. Including providing you the means to verify the Free Colony is not providing aid to Lyta Alexander and her terrorists. If you cannot construct an agreement based on these lines, then I see no point in continuing this deliberation." Onaran stood. "I urge you, Minister Lantze, to prevail upon your government to determine if it is truly willing to gamble on escalation. The preservation of peace is in your hands. I will await your answer." He nodded to Tapana and then to Karbarov, who both stood. Travada did as well, as did the others.

As Meridina did so, she looked briefly to Astrid. _Another meeting, in two hours' time_ , she glyphed to the Psi Corps woman. _Your sister has news to share_.

 _Excellent. There is a hedge maze not terribly far from the Zen Garden, any station map should permit you to locate it. I'll meet Elia in the center in two hours._ Astrid replied.

With this done, the Alliance team filed out of the room. 

* * *

Given the direction of the negotiations, a part of Julia just wanted to return to the _Aurora_ , finish her paperwork, and bring the day to an end. Ultimately, though, the chance to have a meal and a sit-down with Susan Ivanova, a legitimate war hero in the fight against the Shadows and President Clark, was too great a chance to pass on.

Earhart's was in Red Sector, the top floor of its own tower with a lift leading up. Julia went in uniform and took the lift leading to the entrance. She was immediately met by one of the staff, a man of Mediterranean complexion and appearance. "Ma'am, I'm afraid Earhart's is for Earthforce personnel only," he said. "I'm going to have…" He stopped himself and Julia watched his eyes go to the rank insignia on her collar. "Captain Andreys?"

"That would be me, yes," Julia replied amiably.

A bit of pink appeared in his cheeks. "My apologies, ma'am. I, well…" Now he seemed sheepish. "...I guess you looked a little younger than I imagined. You're here with Captain Ivanova, right?"

"She invited me, yes."

"Follow me, please."

The man, a busboy Julia guessed, escorted Julia to a window seat. Ivanova was sitting there by herself. She looked up and smiled amiably. "Captain, welcome to Earhart's."

Julia allowed her impromptu usher to pull a seat for her across from Ivanova before sitting down. "Thank you," she said to him while settling in her seat. "Earhart's? As in Amelia Earhart?"

"Exactly. Who else would it be?"

"Well, I wasn't sure," Julia admitted. "But since it's been over three hundred years since she was around, at least in your history, I imagined some other Earhart might have popped up."

"Not to my knowledge," Susan replied. "So, I promised you a Jovian sunspot, and it will be delivered soon. As for food, I really recommend the prime rib. They bring it in straight from Earth."

"That must be really expensive," Julia said. "I mean, given my experience with space stations, and how all of the food has to be imported. Unless you have replicators."

"I've heard good and bad about those. They never get food right."

"It depends on how well maintained they are, and who built them," Julia replied. "Although even the best ones are always a _little_ off." She smiled. "Hargert only uses replicated materials in his meals as a last resort, and he always apologizes."

"Hargert?" asked Ivanova.

"He runs our crew lounge on the _Aurora_ ," Julia replied. "It's sort of like, well, Earhart's."

"But on the ship."

"Yes. They're standard on our star cruisers in the fleet," Julia explained. "Although they can vary by ship."

Ivanova chuckled, grinning as she did. "Wow. I never imagined anyone doing that. The best we can hope for on an Earthforce ship is that the galley cooks don't spit in the food. Do you even have a galley?"

"We do have mess halls on a lot of ships, but for the most part they use replicators," Julia explained.

"Great," said Ivanova, quite sardonically in tone. "I'm in the wrong fleet."

A server came up with a pair of glasses, each filled with an orange fluid that was reddish at the bottom. "Here we go." Ivanova accepted hers and waited for Julia to have her's in hand before saying, "I helped come up with this back when I was stationed on Io. I recommended the bartender add the vodka."

Given the way the day had gone, Julia didn't protest the idea of a drink. She took a modest one and considered the flavors before swallowing. "It's like a screwdriver, but…"

"Not just a screwdriver." Ivanova took a drink herself. "It also has cranberry-apple juice and cream of coconut."

"I'll have to share that with the others," Julia said.

The waiter came and took their orders at that point. Once they were given Ivanova took another drink and asked, "So, I've read some of the reports and heard the rumors. You're considered one of the Alliance founders, as in you actually, what, negotiated it?"

"I was involved, yes," Julia said. "Back in the Facility days, before they moved the venue for the negotiation to New Liberty. Which I also helped found. I hear you played a similar role for the ISA."

"Oh, maybe a teensy one," Ivanova replied. "That was mostly John, Delenn, and G'Kar. It was my job to make the diplomats prefer John and the others. Among other things. So, is that why you're out here? Working for this Alliance you've helped to build?"

"It is," Julia said. "The Alliance… it's something that can change the Multiverse. It already has, in fact. And for the better."

"You overthrew a space-faring Third Reich. I'd definitely call that an improvement."

Julia replied with a nod of agreement before she continued. "I'll admit that I like where I am, too. I always thought I could do more, be more. Take responsible positions and prove I could accomplish things with them."

"To prove you could be a good leader," suggested Ivanova.

"Yeah. And so here I am."

"Well, you've proven quite a lot. Tira and Germania. And when I was checking the records, you were the one who averted a war with those symbiote-infected Amazons in… what was it? Universe A6N2?"

"A2M6," Julia corrected. "And yes." After taking another drink she asked, "What about you?"

"Same here," Ivanova said. "I've been a career officer my whole life. Made Captain a little early, thanks to how things settled back home after Clark killed himself. I've never bothered much with family."

"I consider many of my friends and comrades to be my family," Julia said.

"They can be, in the right circumstances," Ivanova agreed. She looked to Julia. "Siblings? Parents?"

"They died years ago. Before Robert found the Facility. Back when we were just a circle of friends in flat, boring Kansas."

"I've never been there myself. The reputation reminds me of the Ukraine. We lived there once. For a little while."

Julia heard a bit of sadness in her voice and asked, "What about your family?"

"Gone. My father died a few years ago, not long after I was assigned to B5," Ivanova explained. "Ganya, my older brother, was killed flying against the Minbari. And my mother…" A distant, pained look came to Ivanova's face. "Well, what happened to her… that's relevant to what's going on now, I suppose."

"Oh?"

"My mother was an unregistered telepath," Ivanova said. Seeing Julia's surprised look Ivanova nodded. "She wasn't very strong. Probably a P4, maybe a P3. Just powerful enough to ruin her life. She was able to hide her talents until my brother and I were born. The Psi Corps caught up to her when I was just a child."

"What happened?"

"She got the choice. Join the Corps, go to prison, or take sleepers. She chose the last." After taking another drink, Ivanova continued, "For ten years they came once a week to inject her. And all that time, we watched the light in her eyes go out bit by bit. Eventually she couldn't live with what the drugs were doing to her and she took her own life." Pain was joined by bitterness. "The Psi Corps killed my mother by centimeters."

"I'm… I'm sorry." Julia put her glass down. "I knew that Earth law forced telepaths to take drugs if they wouldn't join. And I've heard they do things to people…"

"Nobody knows the statistics for sure. They can't agree on them," Ivanova said. "And EarthGov would rather nobody did. They don't want to make the voters squeamish about it."

"They don't have to take it anyway. Nobody does except telepaths."

"Exactly. Not usually, anyway. The Telepath Resistance blew up a chemical factory producing them once. Many, many decades ago. They exposed most of Seattle to a dose." A bitter smile crossed Ivanova's lips. "I suppose there's some justice in that."

Julia nodded. "That's why you hate Psi Corps?"

"Among other reasons. Why?"

"I, well… whatever they are, this is still the fault of the Earth Alliance, from what I can see," Julia said. "They wrote the laws. Your people voted them into office to keep them in place. Does Psi Corps even have a choice?"

"I suppose not. But that doesn't stop them from doing it, and being very eager to do it," Ivanova said. "After all, they benefit from the sleepers. Some telepaths give up and join the Corps just to get off of them. And the Corps gains more tools for whatever their agenda is. Tools to use and throw away when it suits them."

There was something in the way Ivanova said that which made Julia think back to their first meeting. "You said you had a friend who was a telepath in the Corps. That they killed her?"

"Talia Winters. Yes. She was the Commercial telepath that Psi Corps assigned to B5. She grew up in the Corps. She loved the Corps." A fury built in Ivanova's voice. "And the Corps took her and implanted a sleeper personality in her brain to spy on the rest of us. Once the personality came out, it erased the Talia I knew. It basically killed her, even if the body was still alive."

Julia swallowed. Her own sympathy mingled with her lingering distrust of the Corps, intensifying it. "You and Talia, you were close?"

Ivanova nodded very stiffly. "Yes," she answered, in a way that told Julia that her acquaintance couldn't bring herself to talk about it any more. And yet she added, "We were very close near the end."

Julia thought she knew what Ivanova meant, although she couldn't be certain. The pain in Ivanova's voice made it hard to consider anything else. "I'd hate them too," she admitted. "I'd hate them to the end if they took someone like that from me." _If they took Robert._

"I'm sure Miss Bergsen would insist otherwise, but the Corps isn't good for telepaths. Whatever they do for them, in the end the Corps is still just a cage." Ivanova leaned forward. "Which is why I'd like to talk to you about something." Her voice lowered a little, although not by much. She didn't need to speak too lowly given there weren't many people around them.

"Oh?" Julia tried not to lean in too, just in case it looked suspicious. "What?"

"The Alliance is the best hope for our telepaths to be free of the Corps," Ivanova said. "If we end up with Earthforce watching every ship leaving Earthspace, that hope goes away. But I think we can find a way to make these talks work. It won't be easy, but you'll be able to get more telepaths out of Earthspace than you ever have."

Julia set her glass down after taking a sip. "I'm listening," she said. 

* * *

Meridina and Elia returned to _Babylon-5_ and again made their way through customs and into the station. As they moved along, Meridina felt nothing in terms of immediate danger, but she was not so certain none would be coming. There was a different feel around her now, as if there was a lingering presence. Not something following, but always on the periphery, waiting and curious. She glanced toward Elia and glyphed that feeling.

Elia reached out with her mind, questing, searching for the source of what Meridina felt, but when she didn't get anything she shook her head.

With Elia's decision, Meridina followed her into the garden area. They worked their way through the plants until they arrived at the meeting area Astrid had specified, this time near the Zen garden in a line of short trees at the edge of the hedge maze. The entrance was nearby. As they approached the entrance Meridina stopped. _I shall guard the approach to this place_ , she glyphed to Elia.

 _Alright. I'll meet you back here when we're done._ Elia replied, and entered the hedge maze. It was lovely for breaking lines of sight, and Elia was impressed that Astrid had pegged onto it. She made her way through using the left-turn rule until she reached the center and found Astrid sitting at a fountain in the center.

"Fancy running into you again. What are the odds?" Astrid asked. _I should warn you, I was tailed. I'm pretty sure I shook them in Brown Sector. Pretty sure they were telepaths. Not sure how strong._

"Not high I imagine, but the universe seems to exist on Small World rules." Elia replied. _Then we should be quick. I'm afraid the Alliance's spine got a bit mushy fighting Nazis and they're going to make concessions, but the United Alliance of Systems will be entering into intelligence sharing with the Corps. They'll operate out of Babylon 5, it shouldn't be too difficult to slip agents delivering and receiving intelligence in and out._

"Well, unfortunately I don't have the time to chat at the moment, though I do enjoy your company. Work beckons, and all that." Astrid said, standing up. _That is… unfortunate, but not unexpected. The war with Nazis - Jesus Christ that's a thing, I never thought I'd say that - bled them pretty dry. But thank you. Hopefully the next result is positive._

That's when two other people stepped into the center of the hedge maze. One black man, the other a woman of vaguely mediterranean features. Neither of them had Psi Corps pins but they were both wearing black gloves and seemed surprised to see two people there instead of one. 

* * *

Outside of the hedge maze, Meridina took on the air of admiring the local vegetation, which was not hard. The Zen Garden reminded her of home to a degree. If she could, she would return and spend time meditating here. She had much to meditate over. The stress of her current work was one thing, but the wider situation was another. The Alliance's peace was unlikely to last given the forces at play against it. Conflict against a common aggressor might further many bonds, but the strains of war could yet splinter them. Especially when aided by the existence of factions in the Alliance government.

Meridina did not let these considerations distract her too greatly, which was good. It meant she was ready for the attack when it came.

The attack was not physical. She sensed danger a moment before a presence slammed into the defenses she'd raised around her mind. The attack was powerful, indicating a telepath of her strength, and the way the attack came told her that her foe was capable of techniques she never sought to learn. He - she was sure the attacker was male - had attempted a single knock-out blow, an attack probe to shut her mind down. Now that her defenses had stopped it, he was adjusting. She sensed the slight desperation in him, coupled with a willingness to do anything.

Including rip her mind to pieces.


	80. Episode 3-14-5 Values Judgement

Telepathic combat was something that non-telepaths could sometimes have trouble imagining. Terminology could be similar, thoughts of "flanking defenses" or "direct attacks", but in function, it was entirely different. It was a combat of imagery and concept. An idle thought could be a distraction meant to lure enemy attention, or could provide an attacker a way to slip into the mind if the defender was not careful.

Meridina learned mental defense from her mother. Drentiya of the Lumantala was one of the strongest telepaths on Gersal, and given her daughter's choice of occupation in life, she didn't let Meridina go to the Order without ensuring she could use her own considerable mental talents in defense. The imagery Meridina used now reflected her current life. She imagined her mind surrounded by powerful deflector shields guarding against an enemy assault, supported by her own ideology, one that didn't value meeting force with force, but in turning an attack against an attacker, or at least redirecting it away from her mind. She felt her foe strike at this defense. He was strong, easily as powerful as her mentally, but his attacks were more than she'd ever experienced in her life. Denied the chance at defeating her with his first attack, he attempted a series of direct probes against her defenses. She deflected them away from herself, catching him with at least one that made her opponent's legs give out from under him.

The next series of attacks were more subtle. They were disguised as suggestions and idle thoughts. Curiosity about her attacker and his motives. Meridina recognized what they were and refused to let the thoughts distract her from her protection.

Before her opponent could strike again, Meridina attempted her own mental attack, imagining it as a plasma beam striking out at her attacker. It sloughed along the mental wall of his defenses as if it had been a mild probe. Meridina staggered slightly, but only slightly. She hadn't felt a mental defense that sophisticated since her last training session with her mother. Her attacker was not as powerful as Drentiya, but his defenses were well-crafted. She tried several more attacks, testing them, and found her efforts easily defeated.

A sense of warning filled her and she returned to her defensive focus, and just in time. Her opponent threw forward a series of attacks on her, direct and subtle, trying to seize advantage of her brief switch to offensive maneuvers. Meridina's forewarning allowed her to deflect these attacks as she had before. She sensed the growing frustration in her foe; he had not expected her to be this powerful, and through the Flow of Life, she felt his fear of what might happen if he failed. That fear drove his attack on relentlessly, heedless of his own health, desperate to overwhelm her. Yet he could not. Nor could she get through his defenses, leaving them trapped in a defensive combat.

Until the game changed. Two other minds appeared in the space between Meridina and her unnamed foe, or maybe it was one. It took a moment for Meridina to recognize the structure not of two separate minds, but of a telepathic gestalt. That combined-consciousness attacked, blind-siding Meridina's attacker with a probe designed not to directly penetrate his defenses, but to wear down the very source of his fear. They attacked him with the knowledge that whatever thing drove him to attack, whatever it was he was afraid of, they would fix it. They would make it better. They clamped down on his defenses with that assurance like the teeth of a vice and slowly started ratcheting it tighter and tighter. He tried to strike out, to attack them in return with abstract concepts. In desperation he tried to confuse Astrid and Elia's gestalted minds with the idea of the color blue being missing; but it was a simple thing for them to shrug off, constructing a barrier between themselves and the attack-probe out of their surety in an ordered universe.

It didn't take long for his defenses to crack after that, and for Astrid's mind to break off, sifting through his memories while Elia stopped. Her mind shifted back inside her own brain and mostly-receded from Meridina's awareness behind her own habitual blocks.

With the mental siege lifted Meridina was able to turn. Her attacker was nearby, on his knees, a young man of brown coloration a shade darker than that of Cat or Angel's, wearing dark, plain clothing. His hands were covered by gloves. Blood was pouring from his nose and eyes from burst capillaries. Meridina felt a wetness on her face and realized she too was bleeding from the nose. She used the cuff of her uniform to dab it away, relying on the dark material to obscure the bloodstain from casual observation. She watched Astrid approach the man, still intent on him. He seemed young, younger even than Caterina. When she sensed Elia standing beside her she said, "It seems we did not go unnoticed as was hoped."

"We did. They were here to keep track of Astrid and maybe try to snatch Travada if the opportunity presented itself.. This one spotted you, he didn't spot me." Elia replied. "The two who tried to take Astrid were loyal to the Director. There's always someone willing to sell out." She spat those last two words. "This one… might not be."

Meridina nodded. Before she said a word, there was the sound of a thud behind them. All three turned to see Jarod now present, dropping a second unconscious figure to the floor. One was a woman of mixed East Asian and African ancestry, the other was a male with tanned light skin and dark hair. Jarod, dressed in civilian clothes - a black leather jacket over a gray shirt and black trousers - took the PPG from his hand and wiped it before returning it, still held by the hand with the cloth, to the holster on the man's hip. "Your friends had a backup team," he said.

Astrid was still scanning the fallen telepath, but Elia replied "How did you know?"

Jarod grinned slightly. "I _may_ have Pretended to be the Psi Corps Director," he admitted. "Not the most perfect I've ever done, but enough to tell me that if I'm the last Clarkist in EarthDome and my power relies on keeping the Psi Corps firmly in line, I'd better make sure that a telepath experienced in commercial espionage isn't branching out."

"Good job." Elia offered him a very real but small smile. It did reach her eyes.

Meridina nodded in agreement. "Your particular gifts have served us well here, Jarod. I am surprised that Naval Intelligence has not, how is it put? Poached you?"

"That is the term, yes." Elia clarified "And yeah, I'm surprised at that too, honestly."

"Consider who runs Naval Intelligence," Jarod reminded them, his tone a little darker. "Or rather, who _really_ runs it."

"The esteemed Admiral Davies," Meridina noted. Technically Naval Intelligence was supposed to be under Vice Admiral Carsters, but Carsters was from the same service as Davies, and had served with him in the pre-Interuniversal era.

"Although this is a bit much for a surveillance team," Jarod said. "Like I said, my Pretend wasn't the best. There's not a lot of material on Director York on the public nets."

"No, there isn't. Former Earth Force, that's about it." Elia confirmed. "Lots of classified missions and the data on his life got put through the laundry a few times. They were also here to snatch Travada if they could."

Jarod nodded. "Like I said, it wasn't perfect. If I'd known it was a potential snatch team, I would have invited Angel." He rubbed at the knuckles on his left hand, two of which were showing signs of bruising. "You know how she loves to punch things."

Meridina replied with a grin, knowing that Angel would indeed have enjoyed the opportunity to exercise her talents for personal combat.

"Close enough for corporate work." Astrid replied to him, standing up. "This poor bastard…" she looked down at the unconscious form before her. "Mahmoud here has a twin sister, also in the Corps. The other two leveraged her safety for the help of a P10 for heavy backup. He doesn't have much information on the organizational structure but the other two will once I get them scanned."

"They are still in the maze?"

"Yes, hidden deep in a hedge and very comatose." Elia said "Hence the delay, we felt you under attack and had to do something fast."

"Thank you again for coming to my aid."

Jarod stepped up to the unconscious Mahmoud and frowned. "Given what I've experienced, York won't let this go unpunished. This kid's going to end up in trouble. His sister as well. York will make examples of them."

"No he won't" Astrid replied. "Because this never happened. I'll be giving them all new and entirely uninteresting memories. As well as medication for the headache. Then we'll get him and his sister somewhere safe."

Astrid's plan brought a small frown to Meridina's face. To change another being's memories… it was not unheard of among Gersallian telepaths, but usually only to help deal with trauma, by putting traumatic memories into memory vaults to aid in psychological recovery. To change another being's memories without their consent was entirely against the principles for mindwalkers laid out by the _Farisa Genut_ , and it made her feel tremendously uncomfortable.

"This is a cold war, Commander. If they report back, two innocents die, I can't go home, and those loyal to our people lose a valuable agent. If they don't go back, two innocents die, I can't go home… You get the picture. I could try to live among the Dilgar, but… no offense Elia, I'd rather not have to."

"None taken." Elia said, with a slight chuff of laughter.

Meridina nodded once, a bit stiffly. "I understand the necessity. Another sign of how things must change in this place, if the Light is to be strengthened."

"You'll probably need to explain a few bruises for their friends." Jarod motioned to the two people he'd subdued.

"Eh. This is _Babylon-5_. I'll direct them to go to a casino and get fresh." Astrid said with a grin "No one will know the difference. The telepaths will remember me shopping in the Zócalo and having a nice walk through a hedge maze, completely innocent and boring. Nothing to see. I'm just a good little lapdog commercial telepath."

"And it will not be difficult for them to justify no attempts made on Minister Travada," said Meridina. "He has been most careful to avoid visiting the station on his own."

"I would be too in his position, and with his particular character failings." Elia said dryly. "But he has been very careful. No opportunity is sufficient justification."

Meridina switched to mental communication for what she had to say next. _Have you concluded the business of your meeting? While there are none present at the moment, I suspect we will not go long without witnesses here._

 _We did. We've exchanged contact information. You go, I'll clean up the mess. I'm an old hand at it by now._ Astrid replied mentally.

 _Understood_. Meridina glanced to Jarod. "I think it is time we returned to the _Aurora_ , Commander. I do not wish to explain to Station Security these events."

"I wouldn't either."

 _Elia, I just want to let you know something before you go. The results of this negotiation are not likely to be good. Earth's childlike intransigence has seen to that. But we'll mitigate whatever damage there is and get through it. Keep doing what you're doing and know that we love and remember you. When it's possible and if you want to come back, you're welcome home. Never forget that._ Astrid told Elia very privately, looking directly into her eyes to deliver it. _The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father._

Elia nodded in appreciation. _The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father_ , she replied.

* * *

At the window table in Earhart's, Julia listened to Ivanova. "Earth's never been happy with the way your people swooped in and claimed all of the old Darglan systems, including their old colonies. That's always been their major problem. Multiple factions all feel that Earth's been cheated, that you're boxing us in."

"And the telepath issue?"

"That's not so clear-cut," Ivanova said. "The Corps has supporters in the Senate and in business who don't want it undermined. Director York even managed to leverage that into not losing his position after Clark's regime was overthrown. But there are a lot of people taking a long hard look at Psi Corps now. A lot of people who had loved ones imprisoned by Nightwatch and repeatedly scanned by the Corps. We may be closer to seeing Earth finally reform or dissolve the Psi Corps. Preferably before they cause any more trouble."

"So you're saying Earth might relent on the telepath issue?" Julia asked. "If we give them access to former Darglan space."

"To a degree," said Ivanova. "Lyta's campaign is scaring people. The anti-telepath bigots, the Corps supporters, even the reformers. And nobody believes the Free Colony's pleas of innocence."

"How can we convince them? Your side seems pretty locked into the idea that we have to dissolve their colony."

"Luchenko is a pragmatic woman. She'll take a deal if she can show success on the expansion issue, whatever Thomas or Taggart say about emboldening telepaths to run."

Julia nodded. A thought came to her. "What if it was a Neutrality Commission of some kind? Empowered to observe the Free Colony and ensure they're not backing Lyta's forces."

Ivanova considered the idea for a moment before nodding. "That's a good idea. We'll have to pick the head of the Commission."

"So long as its charter doesn't undermine the Colony's autonomy," Julia said. "And if Earth heads the Commission, the Alliance gets a veto on who gets the top spot."

"Fair enough."

"And the Commission comes up for review yearly," Julia continued. "And once Lyta's campaign is over, it will be dissolved." When Ivanova nodded again, Julia continued. "Then that leaves emigration."

"The really tricky part," Ivanova said. "The problem is, EarthGov can't allow public, legal emigration. It'll anger too many interests."

"But without some kind of deal, I don't think we can go for it," Julia said. "Emigration has to be permitted in some way."

"I know, and that's the rub. The more telepaths flee, the fewer telepaths there are for companies to hire. And those companies control some of the Senate votes through the Senators they support."

Julia frowned at that. "Basically, they'll bribe Senators to reject any legalization of telepath emigration."

"Yes." Ivanova took a small drink of her dwindled glass, leaving only a small amount left. "I talked this over with Lantze earlier. While official emigration is out of the question, EarthGov's willing to allow unofficial emigration."

Julia considered that wording. "Unofficial? As in, what? You look the other way?"

"To a degree. Here's my idea." Ivanova put her hands together on the table. "Psi Corps doesn't have the ships to monitor all of the traffic in the Earth Alliance. So they rely on Earthforce and other agencies with ships to assist them. EarthGov can yank that assistance. Not entirely, of course, but orders can be sent forbidding any searches of Alliance-flagged freighters and ships along one of our trading routes to your space. Your people could smuggle out any telepath they wanted through that route and it doesn't matter how much Psi Corps screams, they won't get any help from EarthGov in stopping your ships." There was an earnestness in Ivanova's voice as she said, "Your people could get hundreds, thousands, of telepaths to freedom."

Julia considered the idea. Such a route would become the easiest one in the entire Railroad. It would be as if one of the actual railroad lines between the antebellum North and South was intentionally left unchecked for runaway slaves. An entire trade route along which Earth would leave alone Alliance vessels, eliminating all risk for anyone wanting to smuggle telepaths to the Alliance and freedom.

Eliminating all risk… A terrible thought came to Julia, a very terrible one indeed. "Or it could be used by slavers," Julia pointed out in a quiet voice. "I've read the reports. They're getting bolder. It wouldn't take much for them to fake Alliance registries, maybe even use legitimate registries. They could use the railroad to slip out abductees right along our refugees."

"Psi Corps makes those reports," Ivanova countered. "I don't trust them. It's just the kind of trick they'd pull to scare telepaths into staying in the Corps, into being enslaved to them instead."

"It's not all the Corps," Julia said. "Our people found the evidence on Mars."

"Evidence found by the crew of a Corps sympathizer," Ivanova said hotly.

Julia well remembered the looks she'd gotten on the _Huascar_ at her own statements against the Corps. She knew that Captain Varma - _Zhen'var_ , she corrected herself immediately - was indeed pro-Corps. But she was also the woman who risked her life to stop the genocide at Tira. She was a fellow Captain of the Alliance and she'd yet to give Julia any sign that she didn't deserve the trust that distinction demanded of a fellow Captain. _Admiral Maran gave her the_ Huascar. _Just as he gave us the_ Aurora _, gave_ me _the_ Aurora. _Whatever I think of her views, of her attitude…_ With this in mind, Julia felt a frown come to her lips, and when she spoke, it was with an icy tone. "Captain Zhen'var may sympathize with Psi Corps, and I understand how you resent that, but she is also a Captain of the Alliance. She stood with me and my crew at Tira to resist genocide. She fought at our side over Germania. Unless you can prove she's lying, and I mean really prove it, I don't want to hear another word against her."

For a moment Julia wondered how Ivanova would react. She thought she saw a flare of anger in Ivanova's eyes. A little movement of her lips, as if Ivanova was preparing to fire a retort. The _Titans_ ' Captain's fist visibly clenched on the table. After several seconds, it relaxed. "I understand," Ivanova said finally. "My apologies. I was out of line."

Julia considered those words and decided to accept them with a nod. "Apology accepted, Captain."

"Alright." Ivanova took her last drink from her glass. "Back to business. I understand your concerns. But this is the best we can do. Earth will not go for a legitimate channel. We simply won't."

"What about special visas, on starliner flights straight to non-Earth territory?" Julia asked. "Maybe even let us issue the visas."

"An Alliance-issue visa isn't going to stop the Corps. And to allow Earth telepaths to get them, well, it would violate the spirit of the law at least."

"But maybe not the wording," said Julia. "So why not that instead? Let them come to us for entry visas. The Alliance consulates and Embassy verify they're telepaths and approve special visas on those grounds. Then we put them on starliners to Alliance space, through, say, Gamma Orionis and Reynar. Earth refuses to help Psi Corps board them."

"I can ask," Ivanova said. "I'm not sure they'll go for it."

"Sell it, however you can."

"And if I can't?"

Julia considered that question for several moments. "Well, in the end, I suppose it's not my call. We'll just have to see." The tone of her voice made it clear she still had doubts.

At that moment a waiter came up, bearing their dinners and a pair of new Jovian sunspots to consume. The two women turned their attention from the weighty matters they'd been discussing to their meals and the quality thereof.

* * *

Julia had little time to digest her meal when she returned to the _Aurora_. Secretary Onaran wished her presence immediately in Conference Room 2. When she arrived, she found Jarod, Meridina, Elia, and Travada present as well. "Captain, thank you for coming," said Onaran. "I am afraid we have much to discuss."

"It's alright," she said. "Captain Ivanova and I had something of a business dinner. I've got something to discuss too." She took her seat.

"..." Elia's silence was pointed. Her gloves creaked, they were soft supple leather they were not supposed to creak, but they did. Travada looked over at her and looked like he might be getting ready to duck for cover, but he held his peace and his position. When Elia did speak, it was flat and expressionless.

"In the name of full disclosure, Meridina, Astrid, and myself were attacked by a trio of telepaths. Two loyal to the Directors office, one coerced into collaboration." Her use of the term collaboration was deliberate. "We dealt with them, and their memories have been modified. The Corps will ensure that the one who was forced is safe and his sister secured from harm."

"My thanks to you for performing your duty in such a trying circumstance," Onaran said to her.

"Commander Jarod assisted by knocking out their backup unit of non-telepaths," Meridina noted.

Onaran looked to Jarod, who nodded. "I started thinking like the Director of Psi Corps," he said. "It made certain things sound likely, so I checked up myself." He looked at Travada. "Among other things, your record made it likely York would send a team to snatch you, if it was feasible. Even if it disrupted our negotiations, well, the man is a Clarkist. I doubt he would lose any sleep for ruining the talks."

"There's a reason I never left the ship except under heavy guard…" Travada noted. "That was always a risk."

"That having been said, our communication channel has been established. The Corps will endeavor to get agents to _Babylon-5_ for information exchange, and set up secure communications channels." Elia confirmed, her voice still completely free of inflection, staring at Julia across the table without any expression. Waiting.

"Excellent news. Well done, Commander, and thank you for your efforts." Onaran looked next to Julia. "Captain?"

Julia noted Elia's quiet look before turning her head to face Onaran. "Captain Ivanova and I discussed our current diplomatic impasse. We considered a solution that she thinks Luchenko might be able to get through the Senate." At a nod from Onaran she continued. "We would give them some access rights to Darglan space and they'll accept a Neutrality Commission that would monitor the Free Colony."

Travada gave her a look tinged with a hint of suspicion. "What is the extent of this proposed commission?"

"Observation only, and reporting on violations," Julia replied. "Earth would pick the Commission Chair and we would have a veto on it. The Commission would come up for review and renewal annually and will be dissolved when Lyta's campaign has ended."

"That could be years," Travada pointed out.

"True. And I know it might be onerous. But it won't impinge on your rights, Minister Travada. The Commission can observe and report only. Violations will be left up for the Free Colony to handle with input from our governments. Input, not dictation."

Travada took in a breath and thought a moment before nodding to Onaran. "It is the best that can be hoped for, I suppose. The Colony will accept."

Elia waited for the other shoe to drop. There was always a second shoe. The commission she could accept and she expected the Corps could accept it too. The reality was the Colony was a done deal, it would continue to exist and the Psi Corps knew it. All they could do was mitigate the damage and get through it, as Astrid had said.

Onaran calculated the issue for a moment. "I am not certain it will pass Senate scrutiny," he finally said. "Access to Darglan space for Earth, given its recent history, is a delicate matter. The emigration issue is key. If we can demonstrate a humanitarian goal…"

"That was what we debated the most," Julia said. "We each submitted a proposal."

And there it was. The shoe, not merely dropped, but thrown like in a heated Iraqi press conference. Elia moved her hands under the table so no one could see them clench, but no one would miss her entire body tense.

"Go on."

Julia couldn't help but notice Elia's body language. Meridina evinced clear concern for her, as did Jarod. Nevertheless, she answered Onaran. "Mine was that the Alliance will start issuing entry visas directly in Earthspace," Julia said. "Telepaths would be given special visas and sent on Alliance starliners servicing one of the major routes. I suggested the route that goes through Gamma Orionis to Reynar. Earth would leave our liners alone, even if the Corps requested assistance in intercepting and searching them."

"Promising," said Onaran.

"Ivanova's not certain EarthGov will accept it. That they'll judge it too close to official sanction for telepath emigration," Julia explained. "Her suggestion is to turn one of the major trade lanes between Earth and the Alliance into a hands-off zone, much as in my proposal. That along that lane, Earthforce and Earth's other agencies will refuse all requests from Psi Corps to intercept and search Alliance-registered vessels for telepaths. It would turn said lane into the safest line in the Underground Railroad."

Elia had enough. She was done. There were limits to what she could tolerate and she found them. "Permission to speak freely. It may be unpleasant." she requested in clipped tones.

"You may, Commander," said Onaran, while the others looked to her, waiting for her words..

"Like hell it will. That route will be leaked to slavers, what's worse you bloody well know it. It won't be safe, it will be a god damn gauntlet your ships will have to run. The Psi Corps is already stretched thin trying to deal with slavers, and now all they have to do is get their grubby mits on Alliance-registered ships, and you can bet that isn't all. Earthforce will use this as an excuse to not answer the Corps' call on other vessels as well. If the Alliance accepts these terms, you, personally, will be consigning telepaths to slavery and death. The Earth Alliance knows this, they're counting on the fact that the Psi Corps _will not_ accept that. They'll use Lyta's attacks as leverage against the Corps and eventually use it's 'inability to deal with a security threat' to dissolve the Corps. You've been briefed on what that would entail." Through the entire tirade, she never raised her voice, it simply came through her lips as hard as steel, sharp in rebuke like a razor blade.

No one present had yet seen Elia express that much heat and anger. Julia listened to the tirade, directed at her more than Onaran, and kept a neutral look on her face. Inwardly she felt a seething irritation, a natural one for being the target of Elia's anger, especially when Elia was stating nothing that Julia herself hadn't pointed out to Ivanova.

But before she could even conceive of an angry retort, she felt Meridina's voice in her mind. _It feels unfair, but she is terrified for family. Just as you are_.

Julia briefly wetted her lips in thought, recognizing what Meridina was saying. She was afraid for Robert, true. But this wasn't about him. She should be more considerate. She should be more understanding.

 _Not about him? They almost took him!_ raged a part of her mind. _Bester almost stole him away!_

Julia pushed the thought away. She had other matters to dwell on, even if it still popped up in her mind, still haunted her with the possibility of what might have been, if Bester had successfully taken Robert away… She felt that struggle within her and finally let out a breath. "I said the same thing to Captain Ivanova, Commander," she finally said.

"I know, and yet it is something you're willing to accept and bring before the Alliance government for consideration, all because you can't get over what one person tried to do. For that you would condemn millions." Came Elia's retort in that same tempered rage. "The Psi Corps is two things. The government agency under the dictatorial control of York; and a people with their own customs, language, art, literature, and cultural beliefs. A nation. _My family_. Unilaterally dissolving the one inflicts diaspora on the other. If you want to free telepaths, you should be helping the Psi Corps do so on its own terms. Instead you're discounting my views on the subject because of the gloves on my hands. Just like EarthGov does when they bring telepaths to a negotiation and don't let them speak. Imposing your will like a colonizing power."

Julia let Elia make her point. She thought about how the last few days had gone and reviewed her conduct. "Alright, I'll admit. I didn't come to you," Julia said. "I thought you were intentionally staying away from me and my officers, so I did the same. I didn't want to impose."

"I'll admit, I'm not the most warm and open person in the multiverse, but that's no excuse. You were looking at my gloves and ignoring me when I was in the room." was Elia's retort.

And it wasn't. "You're right." Julia nodded once at her, conceding the point. "After the meeting on the _Huascar_ , well, if we're being candid, I didn't think you were entirely objective on the matter. The Corps is your family, and you love them, and you want them to be in the right even if they might not be. You're telling us how the Corps as an organization can be different from the Corps as a culture, a society. Fine. You should be at the table. I think it's wrong that you're not, that Ms. Bergsen is only there to keep Meridina and Travada out of their brains. But that doesn't mean the Corps gets a free pass on the people who've been harmed."

Elia forced herself to remember that Julia was only human, and not entirely objective either. She was also a mundane and had absolutely no idea what she was stepping into. "Of course I'm not objective, but it's not due to wishful thinking, it's because I've lived this my whole life. You're forming opinions in _abject ignorance_ and then projecting your motives onto me. I'll give you a history lesson if you want. It doesn't need to be now."

"Alright. We can do that. You haven't been to the Lookout, have you?"

"I have not, no."

"Then I'll meet you there," Julia offered. "And we'll finish this discussion."

"Good. Thank you. I do apologize for my outburst as well. I could have been more… polite."

Julia considered waving it off, but dismissed that. It would sound patronizing, she feared. "Thank you. And I apologize as well that I didn't come to you. Whatever I felt about your objectivity, I should have given you a chance to speak to me about things." She looked to Onaran. "My apologies to you as well, Mister Secretary, for hijacking our meeting."

"Apologies accepted," the Secretary said. It was clear he was not entirely pleased, but he was diplomat enough to say nothing further. He glanced to Travada. "Minister, what is your opinion on the rival concepts of Captain Andreys and Captain Ivanova?"

"Speaking personally, Commander Saumarez is correct that Earth will use either proposal as leverage against the Psi Corps. We differ in that my government and myself believe that there isn't a viable future for telepaths in Earth Alliance space, irrespective of what the efforts of the Corps are. It's best to rip the bandaid off. I don't think the Earth Alliance will accept the visa proposal, however."

"Captain Ivanova said the same thing. But as Commander Saumarez said, her proposal is too easy for Earth to abuse."

"It is a solid argument." Onaran rubbed at one of his long, pointed ears, a frustrated tic Julia had noticed only a few times before. "I will inform President Morgan and the Cabinet on the idea. We will see what Minister Lantze and his team say about it in the morning."

"If they will only go for Ivanova's proposal, why don't we just drop it?" Jarod asked. "Just accept only the Neutrality Commission in exchange for, say, observed access to Darglan space?"

"Access will mandate observation anyway as a matter of course. We are not giving up control, simply sharing access," Onaran observed. "And as for that… it is remotely feasible, but unlikely. Earth's reputation in the field of xenoarchaeology is unsavory, and many Senators know that, or will be happily informed by their peers on the matter. And allowing Earth a Neutrality Commission to oversee a free affiliate will not seem a compromise so much as a lesser concession. Without some form of concession from Earth on a matter judged sufficiently important, it is unlikely any agreement will pass the Senate."

"Opening a door for slavers is hardly something I'd want to be responsible for," Julia murmured.

"Indeed not. But neither do we need a war with Earth, particularly with the risk that Earth might successfully bring the InterStellar Alliance against us," noted Onaran. He stood. "That is all for today. I must meet with the Cabinet shortly. I will ensure your efforts, Commander Saumarez, are recognized."

"Thank you, Mr. Secretary." she breathed in deep, and exhaled slowly, shaking her head in dismay. _I don't know how the Corps going to clean this up_ , she thought privately.

* * *

Julia took the time to change into civilian clothes, a teal blouse and blue jeans. On her way to the Lookout she occasionally noticed bewildered looks from the crew she passed. It was rare that she went out of her quarters wearing civilian clothes. She'd always felt it looked better on her to be in uniform unless she was exercising. But given her purpose, looking more casual seemed the best.

She arrived in the Lookout via its port door. It was currently 2200 hours ship time, so Gamma Shift was just about to assume their first watch, Alpha Shift was heading to bed, and Beta Shift would be getting off duty for the rest of the day. The Lookout was thus full of Gamma Shift personnel having breakfast and those Beta Shift personnel off-watch grabbing dinner. There were open stools at the bar, however, which is where Elia was seated.

Elia was also in civilian clothes, but there wasn't much difference between a uniform and civilian attire for her. The biggest difference was the lack of rank insignia. She had a cup of strong tea in front of her when Julia approached. "Enjoying yourself?" Julia asked amiably, taking a seat.

"That would depend on your definitions. I find the tea to be calming, at least." Elia replied. "We'll see how effective it is when the negotiations are done."

At that point Albert stepped up. The young German man asked, "What would you like, Captain?"

"Just a drink. Nothing that will keep me awake," Julia replied.

"Of course." Albert went off to get such a drink, something with no caffeine.

"I thought about what you said," Julia remarked. "About just gathering the fleet and overrunning the Earth Alliance. Imposing telepath civil rights on them at the barrel of a gun." She shifted slightly on the stool to better balance herself. "There's a certain appeal to it, I admit. Just deal with the problem directly and forcefully."

"It's going to have to happen one way or another, eventually. Might as well be now when they're in a peace posture and still rebuilding. Weak. Giving them access to Darglan technology and time to rebuild is a mistake."

"I suppose if we hadn't taken so many losses in the final push on Germania…" Julia let out a sigh. "I suppose it's too much to ask for Earth to settle its own problems internally, without causing another conflict. I've seen enough dying since I came out into space." Albert came up and offered her a drink, a glass of flavored water. Julia took a drink of it.

"It's always too much to ask." Elia replied bitterly. "Especially when the victims aren't even allowed to ask. I promised you a history lesson, didn't I?" Elia sipped her tea.

"Yeah."

"Very well, this should prove enlightening for you. While Lee Crawford was the first director of the Psi Corps, he was assassinated by factors unknown early in his term, the underground was blamed but given who he was it may well have been the Corps itself. His long-time aid Kevin Vacit took over the reigns after that. He… might have been one of us. Maybe. We're not sure. If he was he was higher than a P12 and tested negative for telepathy. What we do know is that within the bounds of the Law, he let us self-govern. Develop a culture of our own, select for ourselves who went into what position. He wasn't perfect, not by any stretch; he was hesitant to crush the original rogue underground for a couple decades. We don't know why. Overall though, his tenure as a director was good." Elia took a sip of her tea. She wasn't anywhere near old enough to remember those years, but she'd grown up raised by people who were.

"There was a Psi Cop in those days named Sandoval Bey. He was a Later, came into the Corps when he was sixteen and went native. He out Psi Corps'd the Psi Corps. He taught generations within Metapol to anchor themselves in their communities, to love even the rogues they hunted. Sometimes they died but they didn't break or become brutes. They were able to bring in a lot of blips willingly so they could avoid the camps." Elia could talk about the camps, at length, but that would be a massive tangent she didn't want to indulge in.

"After Vacit _disappeared_ in his nineties, Director Johnson took over and things… changed. Johnson had Dr. Bey killed for treason ten years later, or forced him to suicide to protect those he cared about. We still don't know which." Elia paused to permit Julia to ask any questions she might have.

"I suppose it would depend on what Johnson's goals were," Julia mused idly.

"His goal was the complete subjugation of telepaths. Over the course of several decades, he _removed_ those telepaths who were in their positions because we wanted them there, and put in place his hand-picked creatures."

"Even though they were telepaths themselves."

"Yes. You can always find people like that. People willing to sell out for personal gain, sociopaths. True believers too. The LGBTQ community has long known of those; men and women who hate themselves and work against their own interests due to religious or political conviction. Those people instituted a lot of black projects, as well as a reign of terror. The Psi Corps has been waging a cold war against itself ever since, hidden from most of its own people. The average commercial telepath doesn't know, because if some of what's happened came out in public the outrage would be so great that a revolution would self-trigger before the Corps is ready to win it. What do you think that ship we encountered near Mars was for?"

Julia finished swallowing another gulp as Elia finished speaking. "And which side is Mr. Bester on? He had a ship too, one I'm sure EarthGov doesn't know about."

"Bester is… interesting. I don't know him personally Captain but he's a bit legendary. He's loyal to the Corps, the real one, but…" she trailed off, trying to figure out a way to word things. "His life-experiences have made him brutal. Scuttlebut is, Bey was the closest thing he had to a father and when he died Bester quietly lost it and never _really_ trusted anyone again. Most of the people working toward the liberation of the Psi Corps are more like Astrid. Alfred Bester is a problem they'll deal with once the threat to our existence is done. Right now, well… he's too good at what he does to put out to pasture, and the Corps still holds out hope for him as a person."

"I suppose I can understand that." Julia was being honest when she said it, even with the part of her smoldering over what happened. _Jarod's right. I can't let it affect my judgement._ "I can understand hoping that wayward family works out for the best." She sipped at the water after speaking.

"Yeah. When the Corps has a choice, Captain, it rejects what people have done, but will never reject _them_. The Corps will punish, but there is always forgiveness. Always. Even if it has to be post-mortem to protect everyone else."

Julia nodded silently. "Forgiveness is good. It's something I was raised to believe in. It's never easy though. Having seen the anger in her, I don't know if Ivanova will ever forgive the Corps for her mother, or for her friend." _More than friend, I think_ , Julia thought. "Honestly, I'm not sure I've seen that much anger since I had Hawk in the brig."

"Likely not. But her anger is also misplaced. I've known telepaths in Education division responsible for administering the sleepers. I don't know of any who don't find marginally legal ways to _beg_ the people on them to get off. From what they tell me, people stay on sleepers because they're afraid. They're afraid of their lives changing, they're afraid of losing everything, afraid of losing their privilege. I can't speak for what happened to her friend." Elia shrugged.

Julia nodded at that. "I admit that if I were in their place, I might prefer the sleepers too. If just to keep some degree of independence. And I'd jump at the chance to leave the Earth Alliance behind regardless." She looked to Elia. "I mean, I understand you see the Corps as family, but it's still a ghetto for telepaths. It's a cage and a trap. I can't see myself being happy living there. It might just be from how I grew up, the kind of society I was in, but I see those gloves you're wearing, and it looks like a symbol of restraint to me. Imprisonment. I'd want them off as soon as I could get them off."

"The symbols of oppression can be taken from the oppressors and used for something else Captain. They were meant as a symbol of isolation and restraint. A cage, just as you say. Now… " She waggled her fingers. "Solidarity and adulthood. As well as an entirely different kind of restraint. One day, we'll take them off. Metaphorically speaking. The physical gloves will likely stay."

"The day you're free," Julia noted, holding her glass and the remaining contents a couple of centimeters off the bar. Elia did the same. "To freedom then?"

"On our terms." Elia agreed.

Julia nodded in agreement as they clinked glasses.

* * *

When the second day of talks began, there was a marked change in the atmosphere. Lantze opened the door by proposing that the Alliance assemble a Neutrality Commission with Earth to enforce the Free Colony's separation from Lyta. He even offered the Alliance a veto on the Earth-appointed Commission Chair. Onaran graciously accepted, without a murmur of dissent from Taggart or Thomas. Deng Jiang seemed fairly pleased and exchanged a friendly look with Ivanova. _So she's not alone in this_ , thought Julia.

Onaran made the next move by proposing more open terms for Earth in terms of Darglan space, including promoting the construction of jump gates that would let Earth expand into nearby neutral space if it so desired. It was not unfettered access, but it would give Earth a part in studying remaining ruins of the Darglan civilization and the possibility of finding Darglan technology in their own right.

"As for other matters…" Lantze was clearly enjoying the sudden breakthrough. "EarthGov is aware that the Alliance is interested in making it easier for Earth citizens to travel to the Alliance. A visa program of some kind?"

Onaran smiled amiably. "Yes," he said. "The Alliance would happily provide visas to Earth citizens through our consulates and aid with the relevant security checks. With the aid of Earth authorities, travel between our worlds can be made vastly easier."

"It is an idea worth considering, I believe," Lantze remarked. "I will gladly ask EarthGov…"

At that moment that Mr. Thomas leaned in and whispered something into Lantze's ear. Lantze's smile froze in place. "Pardon me, gentlemen and ladies," he said. "I must consult with Mr. Thomas."

Julia forced herself not to sigh as she joined the others of Onaran's team in filing out, leaving the Earth team to discuss matters. Moments later, Astrid emerged, having also been asked to leave them, and looking fairly irritated about it. She gave Julia a searching look, then the same to Meridina.

 _They're not going for it_ , Julia thought. _Dammit…_

When Ivanova asked them to return they filed back in. Lantze seemed almost apologetic and Deng Jiang was looking at nothing. Taggart, on the other hand, seemed more pleased. "I am afraid that on the question of visas, we must decline," Lantze said. "EarthGov fears that such an Alliance program might be abused by unregistered telepaths. As I have stated, Earth cannot accept telepath emigration. We are prepared to assist the Alliance in smoothing its recent difficulties with onerous inspections by Earth security agencies. We can instruct our inspectors to show more trust toward Alliance vessels, particularly those on main routes where our port security will already be providing sufficient guarantees against contraband."

Onaran kept what Julia saw as a poker face. She forced herself to do the same. They were going to insist on Ivanova's offer. "We will have to discuss particulars," Onaran remarked. "Clarify terms."

"Of course," Lantze reacted. "We are prepared, Mister Secretary, to do just that."

* * *

During a break in the negotiations, Julia decided to check out the Zócalo. She found herself at a place called the Eclipse Cafe, where she ordered a small lunch and a non-alcoholic drink. She was partway through when she noticed the shadow move nearby. Ivanova sat beside her. "I tried," she said. "Thomas and Taggart shot it down."

"Why did they even send Lantze if he has no authority?" Julia asked.

"Appearances' sake. Luchenko gave him his post because he promotes peace and rejected Clark's declaration of martial law. Which was about the only time he's shown the merest hint of a spine."

"I'm not sure we can take this agreement in the end," Julia said. "There's too much potential for it to be used by the wrong people. These slavers are aggressive enough they might even attack our ships in the hopes of catching telepaths."

"It's the best you're going to get," Ivanova said.

Julia went to reply, but she noticed Ivanova was watching a nearby vidscreen. She did too. ISN was on, airing a segment labeled "Telepath Terrorist Crisis". It flipped away from images of a bombing to a scene of crystal structures Julia recognized as Minbar. Since she couldn't easily hear it from where she was, Julia activated her omnitool and used it to load the feed, replicating the larger image on the hardlight viewer her omnitool projected. It showed footage of a press conference with a handful of ISA race representatives led by a Drazi. " _...stated support for Earth in the ongoing telepath crisis_ ," stated the ISN reporter.

" _The Drazi people have been allied to Earth for many cycles_ ," stated the Drazi representative on the screen. " _We will not leave them alone to face a greater power. We believe the United Systems should carefully reconsider its behavior toward Earth in these talks_ …"

"There we go," Ivanova sighed. "Now they're being opportunists. They fought on our side in the Shadow War, and I'll always give them that. But the Drazi have a way of disappointing you again and again."

"... _Alliance should remember that Darglan space is in this galaxy, and the species of this galaxy have the strongest claim_ …"

Julia switched the feed off, disgusted and resigned. She paid for her meal, unfinished, and left for the lift to return to the others.

* * *

Everyone was back at the table. "I have received news from EarthDome," said Lantze. "The Cabinet is ready to accept the general terms we have laid out."

Onaran nodded. Beside him, Travada sat stone-faced. "President Morgan has informed me that our Cabinet has also concurred. We believe these terms have the best chance of passing ratification."

"Then let us begin to discuss the particulars…"

* * *

Word reached the _Aurora_ quickly. When Julia and Meridina returned from the talks, they were met in the Transporter Station by Jarod. "We all saw the ISN broadcast," he said.

"About the Drazi?"

"Not just that." Jarod used his omnitool to cue ISN. A Caucasian anchorwoman was seated at the desk. "... _sources say that after difficult negotiations, Foreign Minister Frederick Lantze and Allied Systems Foreign Secretary Lentiro Onaran have achieved a breakthrough in the talks on_ Babylon-5. _EarthDome officials refuse to comment on any terms, but one source states the arrangement will see to Earth's security concerns and strengthen trade relations between Earth and the Allied Systems. We have yet to receive any comment from authorities in the Allied Systems…_ " Jarod shut down the feed. "I knew you'd have to agree as soon as the reports from Tuzanor came."

"It was either that or let the crisis escalate, I suppose," Julia said, frowning.

"There are ways to deal with this," Jarod said. "We could shut down the Railroad until we can better secure it, for one thing."

"I have forwarded what I am permitted to my mother," Meridina said. "They may choose such an avenue. But when it becomes clear Earth is ignoring ships in this new zone, the slavers will take advantage. Shutting down our lines will not stop it. It will simply eliminate an actual route to safety."

Julia felt tears of frustration well in her eyes. "I should have ignored it," she said. "I shouldn't have passed on Ivanova's idea."

"You were performing your duty," Meridina pointed out.

"If you hadn't, they would have found another way to introduce it," Jarod added.

"Maybe. But then it wouldn't have been _me_." With fists clenched and her mind wondering how many people would be hurt by what just happened, Julia left the Transporter Station in a hurry, determined to not let her crew see her doubt.

* * *

Astrid didn't have proper quarters on the _EAS Titans_. She'd come separately and as a result was staying in some of _Babylon-5_ 's guest quarters in Red Sector. The little studio apartment wasn't a squalid hole in the wall like the ones in Brown Sector, but they weren't exactly luxurious either. Single room, no partition except for a bathroom, a kitchen barely worth the word. But the bed was reasonably comfortable and the room was clean, no cockroaches or rodent infestations. Also no bugs, she'd made sure of that. Astrid was lying in bed, curled up with a brand new copy of _The Demolished Man_ , the author of which a certain Psi Cop was named after.

"Fucking hell, Lee Crawford really loved his science fiction, didn't he?" She muttered to herself, thinking about the parallels between the Psi Corps and the Esper Guild, when the door chimed. Instantly, a PPG she kept under her pillow came out, and she was looking at the camera display that showed her who was on the other side. Astrid saw a familiar face. A white guy in his late thirties with brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in a nice button up shirt and sweater vest; the badge and gloves of the Psi Corps openly displayed. Astrid opened the door and yanked him inside.

"Rob, what the hell are you doing here? Were you followed?" Astrid practically hissed. Robert Irvine was only a P7, he was somewhat more vulnerable than she was and didn't normally do fieldcraft. Most of his actual work was a lot more passive.

"Officially, I'm here for a mining contract negotiation and no, I wasn't… do they have people watching you?" Rob asked in his Australian accent.

"They _did_ , but not anymore. What are you unofficially here for?"

"To see how you're doing, and to pass on some news…" he trailed off, and Astrid didn't need to be a telepath to know something was seriously bothering him.

"Well, things are going… about as can be expected. It's going to be a process to get the Alliance on our side, but it's going, their agreement with the Earth Alliance notwithstanding I think we can find a way to mitigate it. We're establishing a line of communication through this station. Clandestine of course."

"Good to hear, but…" Rob trailed off trying to think of how to say what he was going to say, and Astrid immediately got very worried. "You might want to sit down." Astrid felt like her heart was in her throat trying to escape. Whatever it was she could feel Rob's anxiety and knew it was bad. She walked the few steps and sat down on her bed. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"What is it?" she asked, probing gently at his blocks, but he kept her out.

"There was an attack on Tau Atrea. The _PCS Sinbad_ is on site but they haven't reported back any news yet."

 _No no no…_ Astrid sobbed, shaking in place.

* * *

  
 **Tag**

The next morning Julia awoke to a new set of orders. While the two sides were still deliberating specific details, Earthforce and the Stellar Navy had agreed to mutually withdraw the _Titans_ and _Aurora_ from _Babylon-5_. She was being ordered to bring the _Aurora_ back to She'teyal to return Commander Saumarez to her ship and relieve the _Huascar_ from the She'teyal observation mission. The _Aurora_ would be spending a week overseeing the ongoing archaeological excavations of the dead Darglan homeworld.

Julia immediately relayed the orders to prepare for departure and returned to her morning routine. By the time she got on the bridge, Meridina had already relieved Lieutenant Takawira. "We are still recovering the last of our crew that were on liberty," Meridina explained.

"Let me know when we're done. We're due to depart by 1000 hours," Julia said.

"Of course."

With that she entered her ready office and began looking over the Gamma Shift logs and the morning's fleet dispatches. She noted that the Earth Confederacy heavy cruiser _Shiloh,_ on assignment to overall Alliance command, had been called from its patrol route to attend to a distress call from the Tau Atrea system, on the edge of the Alliance's space and not far from Earthspace either.

The omnitool on her left arm activated, displaying a blue light over the back of her hand. Since she was in her ready office, she reached to a key on her desk. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, incoming signal from the_ Titans," Meridina informed her.

"I'm ready in here for it."

After several moments the screen shifted to show Ivanova. " _Good morning, Captain. It_ is _morning for you, right?_ "

"It is," Julia replied. "I take it you're waiting to depart too?"

" _We're getting our last shuttle full of crew back from the station right now_ ," she replied.

"What, no transporters yet?"

" _Most Earthforce crew don't quite trust them yet_ ," Ivanova explained. " _I can't say I blame them. I don't like the idea of having my atoms scrambled either. Or being shot through a subspace tunnel._ "

"You get used to it," Julia replied.

Ivanova nodded. She seemed thoughtful for a moment. " _I'm sorry things didn't work out as well as they could have. Your proposal would have been the better one. But we couldn't get Earth Central to agree._ "

"I understand," Julia said.

" _This approach will help, though. It'll give telepaths a safe route out of Earth space_ ," Ivanova insisted. " _We can deal with the expanded slaver problem. If I catch any of them, I intend to walk them out of the nearest airlock myself_."

It was a grisly fate to consider, but given what happened to slaves usually, Julia found that her qualms on such an outcome were very anemic. "So Earth is aware of the problem?"

" _More or less_." Ivanova frowned. " _It's not being spoken outright, but the evidence is there for anyone looking. I'll be sharing it with other captains in Earthforce. Even if Earth Central is overlooking the problem, we won't be._ "

Julia nodded. "Thank you. And on that note, good hunting."

" _Good luck, Captain. It was a pleasure meeting you. Ivanova out_."

Once Ivanova's image disappeared from the screen, Julia turned in her chair and looked out at B5. By the standards of space, the little spinning canister with a quarter of a million beings aboard was little more than a needle in an empty field. But there was no denying the place's history. It was an interesting contradiction: the same Earth that was bedeviled by bigotry, that had even fallen into the sway of a fascist dictator, had built a space station dedicated to the idea of peaceful co-existence between different species and cultures. It existed for the same purpose that the Alliance did, had indeed provided the formation of a similar institution.

And yet, these events proved they all had so much further to go.

Her comm went off again. Standing away from her desk, Julia tapped the blue light over the back of her hand. "Andreys here," she said.

" _All crewmembers have returned from B5_ ," noted Meridina. " _We are prepared to depart_."

"Set a course through neutral space for She'teyal, standard warp," Julia replied. "I'll be out shortly."

From where she was standing, Julia watched as the station slid away to the left, briefly letting her see the _Titans_ as she burned for the jump gate before that view also disappeared. There was a sense of acceleration and a flicker of distorted light and energy before the familiar streaks of warp travel appeared in her window. After several moments of considering the view, Julia departed her ready office for the bridge.

* * *

A day out from B5, the _Aurora_ was in neutral space near the Minbari frontier, approaching Alliance-held territory. Julia was quietly observing everything from her command chair. Meridina sat beside her, observing the quiet look on Julia's face. "You are still troubled by the outcome of the negotiations?"

"Yes."

"I understand. But that is not all, is it? You are worried about Robert."

"It's something I'll have to get used to," said Julia. "This won't be the first time he…"

"Speak of the devil," Jarod remarked, interrupting her. "Or not, in this case. We have an incoming hail using the identity codes of Robert's new ship."

"Put him on," Julia insisted.

The holo-viewer changed to show Robert in the cockpit of his infiltrator. Lucy and Talara were visible behind him. All three looked fatigued. "Aurora _, it's good to see you._ "

Julia didn't hide her relief. "Not as good as it is for us to see you."

Robert nodded. " _We're not far from you. Can you briefly divert to rendezvous? We need assistance. Please have Leo standing by with some of his medical people._ "

Julia wondered what he meant by that given they didn't seem hurt. "Change course, Mister Locarno," she said. "We'll meet them as soon as possible."

"Yes ma'am," Locarno said.

* * *

It was the start of Beta Shift's first watch when the rendezvous was made. Julia journeyed to the bottom of her ship and the secondary shuttle bay built into Deck 34's stern. Meridina met her there as Robert's new infiltrator was entering the atmospheric forcefield. It was a winged ship of Dorei construction, with the cockpit at the front of the main body shaped like bird's head. The hull was colored a dark gray and had no discerning markings.

The ship turned in place and landed, now presenting its rear side to them. Four engine ports lined up at the back of the ship's rear body, with a cargo bay door below the port-side engines. The bay door opened, turning into a ramp.

Inside of the cargo bay - which was more of an armory in this case - were a dozen people wearing basic replicated clothing. Half were children or adolescents. Julia stared in astonishment at them while they did the same, some anxiety and fear clear in their expressions even as Leo and some of his people stepped up.

 _Captain… they are telepaths. Every single one of them_ , Meridina said to her mentally.

Robert approached and Julia couldn't stop herself from hugging him. He winced. "Woh, watch the ribs," he pleaded.

As soon as the hug finished Julia asked, "What is this? What happened to a simple recon mission?"

Robert smiled at her. His tone was sheepish as he said, "Well, that's a long story…"


	81. Episode 3-15-1 A Certain Point of View

**Teaser**

 _Personal Log: Robert Dale; 22 September 2643 AST. The_ Aurora _has returned from the Tanatis Frontier Sector in Universe A7R6, having completed a four week survey of several star systems. While I did not personally have any official duties involving this exploration mission, I am happy to have aided in our first contact efforts with the Dynielil and the Trenap while devoting the rest of the time to training myself._

All in all, given the year we've had, it was a welcome change to engage in a peaceful mission instead of dealing with another violent situation.

I am also happy to report that upon our arrival at Fleet Base Skret Tel, the Alakin had my personal operations vessel waiting for me, freshly delivered from the factory. I look forward to seeing the Paladin Special Operations Vessel in person.

The _Aurora_ had two shuttle bays for its small flotilla of shuttlecraft and runabouts. The main shuttle bay was located at the rear of the ship's primary hull, about halfway down the ship's length from the bow. Just below was the dock for the support ship - in this case the _ASV Koenig_ \- and below there, on the top deck of the drive hull, were the flight and launch decks for the ship's wing of Mongoose starfighters.

The secondary shuttle bay sat by itself, on Deck 34 near the bottom of the ship toward the stern. The craft here were less numerous but included the specialized shuttles and runabout for the ship's Marine contingent.

And, now, one other vessel.

The ship was a re-purposed Dorei design of the Henjan-Kimati Shipbuilding company. Robert recognized it as resembling the armed courier _Keyeri_ co-owned by the Minbari ex-Ranger Lennier and Druni Jestani, a Dorei formerly from one of their metaphysical orders. He'd traveled on their vessel for several weeks earlier in the year, after he departed Gersal. Now he had one of his own.

For one thing, the ship had to be in the secondary shuttle bay. There wasn't enough space for it in any of the other locations, and the air boss NCOs had with much grumbling re-assigned two of the shuttles to ensure this bay had the room for his new ship. It was larger than a runabout with a length of forty meters and a maximum wingspan of eighteen, shaped like a bird with its wings swept back in dark gray coloring. Darglan-tech pulse plasma cannons were built into the forward wings and warp nacelles were at the tips of said downswept wings; ball turrets with pulse guns were built into the top and bottom of the ship as well, four in total, in pairs arranged side by side. Its armament would let it pose at least some threat to larger ships like corvettes.

Beside him, Lucy Lucero was looking over the ship. Like Robert she was in a field uniform of the Alliance Stellar Navy, black with the intelligence branch color of silver for the trim, and a single aiguillette to mark her a staff officer. In this her uniform mirrored Robert's.

But neither was a staff officer. In truth Robert was one of twelve Paladins of the Alliance, a special operative given missions directly from President Morgan and his immediate subordinate Admiral Maran, the chairman of the Defense Command Staff. Lucy was the first member of his operations team. "They even fit a cloaking device on her," Lucy remarked. "A new topline model too. And a sensor suite better than any of our runabouts have. I'd almost call it starship grade."

"And the engine is badass." That remark came from the third figure with them. Lieutenant Thomas Barnes wore the beige branch color of engineering/operations and served as the ship's Assistant Chief Engineer under the Starfleet veteran Montgomery Scott, his mentor. "Warp 6. She can't sprint like a full-sized starship, but she'll get you places nice and fast. And the impulsors are the best I've seen in this weight class. You won't out-maneuver a starfighter, but just about everything else."

"I'm not surprised you couldn't resist giving my ship the once-over, Tom," Robert replied. He felt a bit of happiness to see Tom holding his right hand up to touch the surface of the nacelle. If anything it meant the replacement for his lost right arm was working, bringing his friend back to normal after losing his arm in the battle over _Welthauptstadt Germania_.

"Maybe I need to become a Paladin, man," Tom said. "This is a sexy, sexy beast of a ship."

"She's meant to be a quiet beast," noted Robert. "To get me into places people would rather I not be."

"Yeah, yeah…"

They approached the front of the ship and the cockpit area on what would be the "head" of the bird. "They spared no expense," Lucy said. "This thing has the best equipment the Alliance has developed in virtually every regard. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't try to jam an interuniversal drive in her."

"Given the places she might go, that would have been unwise," said Robert. "Anyway, now that…"

His voice trailed off as they rounded the cockpit and approached the starboard side of the ship. Robert's eyes followed the contours of the dark hull… until they were broken up by light paint. On the side of his new infiltrator, someone had painted, in bright and bold blue Gothic lettering with white outlines, the words " _Noble Steed_ ". A small decal of a white-armored knight on a similarly-armored charger was placed beside the name.

The others saw it a moment later. Lucy broke out giggling, but Robert felt the surprise that told him she knew nothing of it. As it turned out, he didn't need his life force - the " _swevyra_ " he possessed, as the Gersallians called it - to know the culprit. The way Tom's burst of chortling quickly escalated to almost maniacal laughter was more than enough of a giveaway.

There was something infectious about the laughter, too, such that even Robert had to start chuckling at the prank. "Very funny, Tom, very cute," he said, grinning. He faced his friend, who was still laughing hard. "You got me."

"Ye-eah, yeah I did… _Sir_ Robert!" Tom managed that before continuing to laugh.

"This is for all of the damage my training did to Holodeck 3, isn't it?" Robert felt a brief suspicion and looked up and around. "Okay, I'm sure someone's watching and enjoying this tease at the expense of my sense of right and wrong."

The shuttlebay intercom chirped to life. " _Nope_ ," said Commander Zachary Carrey, another friend and commander of the _Koenig_. " _Not at all._ "

" _Not us!_ " added an enthusiastic feminine, almost soprano voice. Robert could tell Caterina Delgado, a Lieutenant Commander and the ship's science officer, was fighting a fit of giggling in order to say those words.

" _We're just figments of your imagination, noble Paladin_ ," added her sister Angela, the ship's tactical officer, ranked a Lieutenant.

" _But you have to admit it_ is _fitting_ ," added Doctor Leonard Gillam, the _Aurora_ 's Chief Medical Officer.

Robert leveled a look at Tom. "Just who else is in on this?"

He stopped laughing long enough to answer, "Nick, Jarod, Nasri, your cousin…"

Robert blinked. "What does Beth have to do with this?"

"Zack told her about it, we promised to get her video," Tom laughed.

"But you didn't tell me?" Lucy asked, sounding almost offended.

"You've got that same life force woo woo stuff," Tom pointed out. "He might have picked it up."

"Ha, he could _try_ ," Lucy declared, grinning wryly at Robert.

Robert sighed, but he was still smiling. "Alright everyone, yeah, the joke's on me," he said. "But I will need to give this ship a proper…"

His omnitool activated with the tone of an incoming comm. He hit the glowing blue button that lit up over the back of his left hand to answer. "Dale here."

" _We have an incoming message from Admiral Maran_ ," answered Julia, undoubtedly up in her ready office off of the main bridge. " _I'm afraid you'll need to stop admiring your noble steed, Admiral Maran is on comms for us._ "

While her voice was all business, Robert thought there was a hint of amusement in Julia's tone. "You knew?" he asked.

" _I'm the Captain_ ," Julia replied. " _Of course I knew. Now get your butt going, Sir Robert. Thy noble lord is awaiting thee to give thee a quest, O Paladin_."

Tom and Lucy started laughing again. Robert let out a chuckle and departed.

* * *

After his trip across the _Aurora_ , Robert stepped into the conference lounge from the bridge and approached the table. Julia was in Meridina's usual seat, to the right hand side of her usual seat at the head of the table. Robert took Jarod's on the left hand side and both faced the viewscreen built into the wall. On the screen Admiral Maran appeared. While always reserved and stoical, Robert was certain that the Gersallian man was happier than he'd been in years, relieved of the burden from fighting the Reich. To someone without a scanner Maran looked completely Human, like the rest of his people. His dark hair, including the beard and mustache, were fringed with gray, reflecting his age.

" _Captain, I have reviewed some of your reports from the Tanatis Frontier. You've done well. High Minister Brepk and Regent Nalena have been quite fulsome in their thanks for your part in the expedition. We have high hopes for our future relations with the Trenap and the Dynielil. Both show promise as prospective Alliance partners, perhaps even members._ "

"Commander Delgado is really eager to visit Agynnielil," Julia said. Robert thought she looked brighter as well. She'd enjoyed their peaceful exploration cruise as much as anyone. "The Dynielil we met during the first contact have indicated their species isn't native to the planet and are likely transplants. Given the timing alluded to in their written histories, it may indicate the Darglan transplanted them to Agynnielil."

" _Perhaps we should introduce them to the Miqo'te_ ," Maran noted. " _Captain Dale, I trust you've been keeping busy?_ "

"Yes sir," Robert answered. "While assisting the _Aurora_ crew with their scientific and diplomatic endeavors isn't the kind of duty most people expect from Paladins, I actually enjoyed the chance for a peaceful exploration cruise and was pleased to assist in the first contacts." He thought about those first contacts. The Trenap had been the trickier one; they were a species of what were essentially molluscoids with an entirely different oral structure, and as such tremendous effort had been required to even begin to translate their language into something understandable. In contrast the Dynielil were humanoids, of varying blue or reddish coloration (although one national group had a lighter, Human-like complexion), and on average taller and bulkier than Humans and other similar species.

" _I'm glad to hear it. But I'm afraid that cruise is now over._ " Maran's expression, while always stoic, shifted to show the weight of the situation. " _Are you aware of the attack on Mars in E5B1 ten days ago?_ "

"I noticed a report on something to the effect," Robert said. He sensed Julia tense a little. Clearly Maran was intending something less peaceful than another exploration cruise. "Terrorism was suspected."

" _And confirmed. Unfortunately, the culprits may be laid on our doorstep, given the evidence._ "

"What do you mean, Admiral?" asked Julia.

" _Investigations have confirmed that the primary target was a Psi Corps facility on Mars_ ," Maran said. " _And the attack the responsibility of the Telepath Underground._ "

Robert and Julia exchanged concerned looks. "Lyta Alexander," Robert sighed.

" _Yes. And you can imagine how EarthGov is spinning this._ "

"The Free Colony," Julia said. "They're using its existence to accuse us of being involved, or allowing it to happen?"

" _That is a common view in Earthspace, yes. And it has led to violent incidents against Alliance citizens. The Foreign Office is already advising against travel to the Earth Alliance until the situation is resolved. And that's where you come in. Because of the tense situation, President Luchenko has agreed…_ "

Robert listened as Maran laid out the _Aurora_ 's mission. The idea of negotiating the problem was good, but he wondered how it would turn out for them.

"Understood, Admiral," Julia said, nodding. "Let me know where the rendezvous is and I'll get the ship underway."

" _They'll be traveling aboard the_ Shenzhou. _You'll be meeting them at the Darglan Homeworld._ "

That part didn't make sense to Robert, given the astrographical layout of the galaxy and the political boundaries. She'teyal, the Darglan Homeworld, was Rimward of Earth, but B5 was in the Epsilon Eridani system, which was more Coreward. "Isn't that in the opposite direction from B5? Or is the Secretary not on Earth?"

Maran nodded. " _He departed this morning, actually, but the stop at She'teyal is important. The_ Aurora _and the_ Shenzhou _will rendezvous with the_ Huáscar _there. Captain Zhen'var and members of her staff will be personally briefing you and Secretary Onaran's team on what happened at Mars._ "

To that Julia asked, "I thought the _Huáscar_ was still on her working up cruise?"

" _They were, but circumstances intervened. They were there for the post-attack cleanup and investigation and they have critical information on the attack that may be relevant to the talks_." Maran leaned in slightly. " _After you've picked up Secretary Onaran and his team, head to B5 to begin the negotiations._ " He put his hands together on the desk before him. Robert listened as he explained the Alliance government's hope to persuade Earth to relax its laws regarding telepaths, including the laws that established the Psi Corps as responsible for all telepaths, with membership mandated in its ranks.

"If there's no Psi Corps to chase rogues, then the Underground won't feel a need to lash out?" Robert suggested.

Maran nodded once. " _That is one way of putting it. And that brings me to the other issue at hand…_ " The way his eyes moved indicated he was looking to Julia. " _Captain, I must now discuss Paladin business with Captain Dale. Given you will soon be in personal contact with representatives of EarthGov, including a member of Psi Corps, I'm afraid I must insist on secrecy._ "

Robert glanced apologetically to Julia, but she nodded once and stood. "I understand, Admiral. I'll order a jump to E5B1 immediately. Permission to be dismissed?"

" _Granted_."

Julia nodded in understanding to Robert and left the lounge. After she was gone Robert called out, "Computer, initiate secure lockdown of conference lounge in accordance with Paladin security protocols, authorization code Dale Gamma-Tau-Epsilon-40."

A moment later the systems beeped in acknowledgement. " _Lockdown and containment protocols confirmed. Security measures in place._ " By this the computer confirmed that the lift entrance and the door entrance to the lounge were locked down to prevent entry. An electronic field and a matching sonic isolation field to prevent any listening devices or other spy equipment from functioning was also enabled. Robert doubted the measures necessary, but it was part and parcel of his new job. Leaks could get him killed. "We're secure, Admiral," Robert confirmed.

" _I'm initiating signal encryption now._ " After a momentary flicker, representing the _Aurora_ 's computers adjusting to the encryption, the image stabilized. " _Confirm?_ "

Robert used the conference table controls for a moment. "Encryption in place." He looked to Maran again. "I'm listening, Admiral."

" _We need you to take your new infiltrator and launch a covert investigation of a possibly-hostile facility_ ," Maran said. With no further prompting he launched into an explanation. " _Long range scans at the edge of Alliance space in E5B1 recently detected what might have been a hyperspace jump point near an uninhabited garden world in neutral space, in the Tau Atrea System. Apparently it was once an Earth Alliance colony site, but it was abandoned during the Minbari War and never re-settled afterward. Our own settlement plans have been on hold to avoid provoking trouble with Earth._ "

"And now someone's re-settled it?" Robert asked.

Maran replied with a slight nod. " _When we confirmed the reading we sent observation probes. After days of careful scanning we didn't detect any electronic signals, nor any signs of life forms. When our probes were about to enter the inner system, their proximity alarms went off and kept them in the outer system. Observe_."

With a press of a key Maran dispatched a video file to the _Aurora_ conference lounge. Robert directed it to the holo-projector built into the conference table and activated it. The video showed a far shot of a pleasant-looking garden planet.

The empty orbital space was suddenly not so empty, as a blink of blue light expanded into a blue vortex. A large vessel emerged, an E5B1 Human-designed spaceliner from the looks of it. " _Asimov_ -type passenger liner," Robert noted aloud. "But are those weapons arrays?"

Maran didn't answered. The video zoomed in, to get a better look at the vessel's detail. Robert could make out definite signs of modification, turning a civilian ship into what was at least an armed transport. But he soon realized the most important detail was on the spinning drum that provided gravity.

On said drum was a shield insignia, black in color, over which was laid a silver symbol. He easily recognized the Greek letter.

 _Psi_.

"Psi Corps," he said. "On a world on the edge of Alliance space. What are they doing there?"

" _That, Captain, is precisely what we want you to find out_ ," said Maran.

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"A Certain Point of View"_**

(Note: Episode co-written with ComradeTortoise)

The inside of the infiltrator had that kind of factory-fresh "newness" that many species could recognize. There were no indications of prior habitation, no smells or marks or anything to indicate past use. The inside of the ship had a pleasant blue color to it, contrasting with the dark gray exterior. Robert recognized that the internal design borrowed heavily from the armed couriers like the _Keyeri_. The cockpit was in the front in the "head" of the main body, with the pilot seat at the very front of the cockpit while the operations and weapons stations were behind and to the sides of the piloting station. Behind the cockpit was the ship's main access corridor. To either side of it were the personal living quarters, four rooms in total, each one fairly small but just roomy enough to include a small bathroom with a commode and shower.

Beyond the main quarters was the port-side access airlock to the ship. Further astern was the starboard access to the small kitchen and dining area with a table, chairs, a replicator, a two burner stove, and a pantry. To port of the kitchen was the entry to the cargo area and the ship's transporter, all at the lower half-deck level below the ship's main deck.

At the far end of the main access corridor was the ship's engineering space, where the bank of twin naqia reactors powered the ship. Access hatches led to the half-deck below that could be used to access the nacelle plasma feed lines, the plasma reservoir, the heat exchanger, and other vital systems.

The cargo area had a cargo bay ramp exit, and it was through this that Robert entered with Lucy. The cargo area was, at least on a Paladin's ship, the armory and outfitting station. A small industrial replicator allowed for part fabrication, and the wall mounts, bins, and racks had several firearms spread among them along with other equipment ranging from climbing gear to extreme environment suits to personal cloaking devices. "It's like they weren't sure what to do with all of the space, so they just gave you a bit of everything," she noted while closing the ramp door. It made a thunking noise as it shut and sealed. "This must be a hint to assemble your own squad of badasses."

"There's no telling what kind of missions I may need to do," Robert pointed out. "It's no wonder they gave me this much hardware."

"Speaking of missions, just what does Maran have you doing now?" asked Lucy.

"Psi Corps may be establishing a base on the frontier of Alliance space," Robert explained. "I need to investigate."

Lucy gave him a concerned look. "Are your mental defenses ready?"

"I've spent months refining them," Robert said. "It'll have to be enough."

"I'd think a telepath Paladin would've been chosen," Lucy said.

"There are only two, and they're both on long-term operations right now." Robert shook his head. "This is on me. Anyway…"

The two went up the steps to the main access corridor and ventured into the engineering space. "I half-expected Tom to mark his territory," Robert joked.

"Now now, he knows better than to mess with your _Noble Steed_ ," Lucy teased.

"You do know I'm not calling it that, right?"

"Yeah, I figured." She gave Robert a look that warned of further teasing to come. "If you're looking for a name, you could always go for _Rocinante_."

Robert blinked. "And that means?"

"Oh, nothing," Lucy said, although her grin said otherwise. She walked over to where the twin naqia reactors were located. Both were on standby, ready to energize and provide the ship with the bulk of its power. "Well, let me get the system checks started. I'll get your baby, whatever you want to call it, ready for her maiden voyage."

"There's something else I want to ask," said Robert. "What do you feel about Talara coming along?"

For a moment Lucy thought on it, hard. "Bringing her with us to Germania… she saved lives, and I'm proud of her, but she wasn't ready for sensing that kind of darkness. And all of the violence. Noveria and the Citadel were bad enough…"

"I understand," said Robert. "So you want to leave her behind?"

"No, I'm more concerned with having to do that sometimes," Lucy said. "Right now I'm focusing her training on her connection to the Flow of Life, not combat. I'd rather be around to make sure she continues to heal."

"Well, this time at least, go ahead and bring her," Robert said. "I'll clear it with Julia."

"Thank you," said Lucy. "I still have a lot to show her."

"I know," he answered. "And it'll be something for you to do while waiting with the ship."

"You're not taking me with you?"

He shook his head. "This is just a brief stealth recon run. The fewer we are, the least likely we are to get detected. And if things go south I'll want you on the transporter controls to bring me back."

Lucy nodded. "I've got you. Now…" She leaned over one console. "Let's bring this baby to life."

* * *

After completing a full inventory of his infiltrator's gear and getting some of his things transferred to one of the small rooms on the ship, Robert made his way up to the bridge deck. The _Aurora_ was under way for B5 now, having completed her rendezvous. Word was that they'd brought aboard one of the _Huáscar_ 's officers for the assignment. But given his own mission, he knew not to pry.

He stepped onto the bridge and gave it a glance. He was used to not being the captain of the _Aurora_ , so there was no instinctive reaction to head to the center chair or ask for reports. He noted Cat happily scanning away at things from her station while Angel was undoubtedly running tactical simulations of some kind. Jarod and Locarno were at their stations as well, their jobs quite important while the ship was at warp.

"So, how's your noble steed?" Locarno asked aloud.

"I'm not calling it that," Robert said immediately.

"Well, there's always _Rocinante_ ," Jarod remarked.

"Just what does that mean anyway?" Robert asked. "Lucy used it too."

At that Cat giggled and Angel joined in with an amused snort. When he shot them playful glares, it was Angel who looked up at him with a wide grin to reply, "It's the name of Don Quixote's horse."

"Oh. So you're saying I'm like Don Quixote."

"Yes and no," Jarod remarked. "After all, windmills don't really fight back. Your targets do."

"But there is something to the comparison," said Locarno.

In the command chair Meridina was listening in without commenting. Now, however, she finally asked, "Who is this 'Don Quixote', and why should Robert name his infiltrator for Quixote's horse?"

"I'll explain it later," Jarod promised. He glanced toward Robert as he approached the front of the bridge. "The Captain is in her ready office if you need to speak with her."

"Thank you," Robert said. He headed to the door and touched the chime key beside it, ignoring Cat's continued giggling from her station as he was admitted.

He found Julia at her office desk. As always, she was doing the paperwork, and with greater relish than Robert had ever felt for the same work. "Ready to go?" Julia asked.

"I am," he said. A little frown formed on his face. "I know you're upset that I can't tell you where, though."

"I understand it's part of the job," Julia replied. Robert could see she was upset at failing to hide her irritation with the situation, she knew it would just make him feel worse. "I just… well, Rob, I'm worried. For this to be top secret…"

"...it could be dangerous, yeah," Robert conceded. "And it probably won't be the last." _This is what I signed up for, after all_.

"It's not even the first," Julia pointed out. "But I know what you mean. Honestly I suppose I should be used to it. You spent nearly two months on the _Normandy_ …"

"But at least you could talk to me when I was there," Robert said in reply. "And I was with Shepard and a team. Now it's just me and Lucy and, if you don't disapprove, Talara." He let the request stand on its own.

"I'll let Locarno know to circulate someone else into the helm watches. Do you want more support?" asked Julia. "Your ship has room for more."

Robert shook his head. "It won't be necessary with this mission. Really, it's just a quick reconnaissance," Robert assured her. "I may even link up with you at B5 if I get done quickly." He said that knowing he would probably not be that lucky, but hopeful nevertheless.

"Hopefully so," she said. Julia got up from her chair and rounded her desk so that she could pull him close for a hug. Robert felt her concern and happily accepted the embrace. "Just be careful out there, okay?"

"Yes, mom." That won him a sarcastic glare. He smiled and replied, "Turnabout's fair play, you know."

"I suppose it is," she said. "Now get thee to thy noble steed, Paladin."

"Right away, my noble lady." Grinning, Robert took her hand and pulled it to his mouth, looking to kiss the knuckles in knightly fashion.

His lips had barely brushed her skin before she yanked the hand from his grasp. "No kissing of the hand unless you shave," Julia insisted.

"Well, I suppose I do have an incentive to shave after all," Robert jokingly said before turning away and leaving the ready office. He enjoyed the warm feeling their teasing was causing within him and her as well. What they shared… he sometimes wondered if "love" was sufficient to describe it. All he knew for certain was that he would fight through Hell itself to come back rather than leave her behind.

 _Just a reconnaissance_ , he reassured himself.

* * *

Robert stepped into the cockpit of his unnamed Infiltrator - the " _Noble Steed_ " lettering and icon had been removed, at least - and found Lucy and Talara waiting for him. Lucy was at the operations station and Talara at weapons. "I figured you'd like to do the honors," Lucy said to him, grinning. "Even if we both know I'll be flying this thing if things get dicey."

"I happen to be a perfectly good pilot, thank you," Robert said while easing into the piloting seat. Unlike the _Keyeri_ , the helm controls were Stellar Navy standard. He brought his fingers up to begin the pre-launch systems checks. One by one the ship's onboard computer verified all flight systems. "Pre-launch checks are fine. Now, what's this button do…"

" _Robert_ …"

Mentally he transmitted to Lucy an image of his tongue sticking out at her, which was her usual gesture when someone commented on her own mischief whenever it came up. Talara picked it up and giggled slightly. She'd been around Humans long enough to pick up the connotations of "giving the raspberry". Aloud Robert said, "Preparing to trigger thrusters."

" _Paladin vessel, this is the Bridge,_ " said Meridina. " _Your launch readiness is confirmed. We are decelerating from warp for launch. Standby_."

A few moments later the _Aurora_ dropped from warp. As soon as he confirmed this, Robert triggered the thrusters. The Infiltrator lifted from the shuttle bay deck and, with a key press, moved to the open bay door. The atmospheric forcefield yielded before it, allowing the ship to depart in a cloud of blue light. Once it was in the void the shuttle bay door began to close. Robert flew their vessel away from the _Aurora_ , triggering his ship's impulsors and gradually swinging them around. He did just in time to bring up the view of the _Aurora_ 's stern. A moment later her four warp nacelles surged with light and she zipped away in a flash, returning to warp velocity. "Alright," he said. "Engage cloaking device."

"Engaging," Lucy said. She checked her screens. "Cloak is engaged and all systems still functioning as intended."

"Alright then," he said, tapping his fingers across the astrogation system. "Setting course for Tau Atrea."

Moments later, they too made the jump to warp speed.

* * *

The warp speed chart was logarithmic, not linear, which meant that as numbers got higher, the speed difference grew between a set series. As a result, while Warp 6 was fairly faster than Warp 3, Warp 9 was even faster by comparison to Warp 6.

During the following trip, it occurred to all concerned that they were spoiled by the _Aurora_ 's powerful, fast drives. Getting to Tau Atrea would have been far quicker had the _Aurora_ come this way. But it hadn't, and with Warp 6 as their best speed and the cruise speed being closer to Warp 5.8, it took days to make the trip. It was September 24th before they arrived at their destination, giving the three plenty of time for training Robert's mental defenses further and cataloguing all of the gear.

Tau Atrea was a G sequence star, a G4 to be precise, sharing a similar but not identical color and luminosity to Sol. The system had just five planets but two asteroid belts, indicating two potential planets had been lost in the system's primordial formation.

"There may also be a gravitational influence with the outer belt's formation," Talara was explaining as the infiltrator approached Tau Atrea 3, the one garden planet in the system.

"I'm sure Cat will be happy to discuss it when we get back," Robert said. He continued to look over the surface of the planet with the ship's sensors. There were still no life signs, no electronic emissions, but Robert was certain this was from electronic jamming of some sort. He could feel sentient life on the surface. He couldn't make out individual minds, not from here, but he knew there were people down there, at the old colony site.

"We should make as shallow a re-entry angle as possible," Lucy said. "To minimize friction. At our mass I'm not sure even the cloak will hide reentry friction completely. If we do it over the horizon, they'll only pick us up if they've got a wide sensor net, and I'm not seeing signs of that."

Talara nodded. "Do we fly to the settlement then?"

"No," Robert said. "That's too direct. I'll take the camping gear and you can drop me off a safe distance away." He brought up a map of the area and indicated a an area over the horizon from the colony. "I'll hike the rest of the available daylight and get there tomorrow."

"Really roughing it, huh?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, I'll hate it," Robert admitted. "Looking at the local environment it's pretty cool at that latitude and season. But taking us any closer risks putting the ship in line of sight. They might sense us. _Especially_ us, given our talents." He shook his head. "No, I'll go in on foot."

"Your blisters," Lucy said. "And we'll be…?"

"Take the ship further in-system and monitor for incoming ships or communications activity," Robert replied. "I'll signal if I need pick up. And if you see something wrong…"

"Come pick you up," Lucy finished for him.

"Exactly."

"Huh." She gave him a wicked smile. "I dunno. With a sweet ride like this, I _could_ just go off and become a pirate queen."

When that got her a bemused look from Robert, she stuck her tongue out.

* * *

The day of hiking and a night in a heated sleeping bag reminded Robert that when all was said and done, he very much preferred living with at least the option of some climate control… and preferably on windswept prairies, not alpine forest.

The planet's colors were mostly like Earth's, save a bit of a bluish tint to some of the leaves and the undergrowth and grass around him. At night the temperature had hovered at about four or five degrees Celsius, and as daylight broke on the morning after his arrival Robert enjoyed the warmth of the system's star where it managed to poke through the canopy of the forest. He packed up his camp, pulled his pack up on his back, and re-donned his traveling robe before he continued onward. He still sensed life, sentient thinking life, but did not reach for it should it give him away. It was still a distance away.

And then… it wasn't.

Robert kept walking. Under the folds of his robe he quietly removed his lightsaber from his belt. He didn't activate it yet, waiting to see what would happen.

When the attack came, it was not physical but mental. He felt a presence stab at his mind. Without the warning he'd sensed he would have likely gone down right there, put asleep by a strong command to his brain. Instead the presence struck at his mental blocks, reinforced by his life energy, the psionic blow skittering off of them.

Robert sensed the presence of his attacker through that blow and sent a wave of invisible force in that direction. There was a thump of impact against a tree nearby. Leaves scattered on the ground.

"I can sense you," Robert said. "There's no point in hiding…" He narrowed his eyes as frustration and a little reflexive anger washed over him. His finger found his weapon's activation key. The snap-hiss filled the air and his blade flashed to life with green light.

He brought it up in time for unseen weapons to slam into it. He responded by generating another wave of force that threw his attacker back. This time there was no thud against a tree, only against the ground.

While the first presence was still there, recovering, he felt another one move up between them. It vibrated with anger, an anger far more prevalent than in his attacker. It also felt familiar, if not immediately so.

A voice came from the apparent empty space ahead of him, and it kindled memory as well. "Damn metaphysical bullcrap." A human form appeared in front of him, wearing a dark-colored combat suit and protective helmet. Angry brown eyes stared through the faceplate at Robert.

Robert let out a breath. "Hawk," he said.


	82. Episode 3-15-2 A Certain Point of View

Distant avians native to Tau Atrea 3 were the only sound that could be heard above the breathing of the two men. Robert held his lightsaber in a defensive position and focused on his foe, using his free arm to unlatch his pack and let it drop, lightening his weight. Roiling, undirected anger filled his opponent, unsurprising given his reputation.

James Hawk was, like Robert, 21st Century North American. His appearance was primarily Caucasian, with a hint of the Pacific Northwest native tribes in some of his facial structure. His helmet covered what Robert knew to be a head of brown hair shades lighter than his own. They had similar height and fairly similar build.

But any being that could peek into their minds, their beings, could never think them alike. Robert was keeping his calm at the sight of the interuniversal renegade, who like Robert was a beneficiary of the Darglans' remaining legacy, despite Hawk's bloody record as it was currently known in the Alliance. Hawk, on the other hand, seemed ready to burst with angry energy. A scowl crossed his face under the helmet. Silvery metal flowed down from the back of each wrist, hardening into metal blades with a quick shriek. Robert sensed Hawk's wariness, and more importantly, the possibility he might strike just to end the standoff.

Behind him, another form shimmered into view, a Human-looking woman in her mid to late 20s. Her skin was a darkened olive complexion, the kind of tan you found in people from the Middle East. Brown eyes focused on Robert and Hawk. Her dark hair, cut short, was disheveled. She was a little on the short side and had a build that made Robert think of Lucy. Twin blades, the same as Hawk's, were jutting from her wrists. She didn't match any of the profiles of Hawk's known crew. Robert sensed the instinctive anger from before fade, replaced by quiet, and the sense that came from a telepath of fair ability. She wasn't at Meridina's power, but she did have some.

"What are you doing on an uninhabited world at the edge of Alliance space?" Robert asked.

"Same thing you are, I imagine," Hawk answered.

Robert knew from the reports Hawk's mind had newfound defenses against telepathy, but that was against "physical" telepathy. Through his life energy and the Flow of Life, Robert could sense something of Hawk's thoughts and his emotions. Anger rumbled around Hawk's being, making it difficult to sense anything else… but Robert could feel his intentions through that shell of anger. "Let's put our cards on the table," he said. "I'm here to investigate a suspected Psi Corps site."

"It's not suspected," Hawk said. "I know they're here."

"And how would you know that?" Robert asked.

Hawk smiled. "While your Alliance is off playing footsies with eugenicist warlords and feudal tyrants, my people are dealing with the bastards of the Multiverse. That includes Psi Corps and those damned telepath camps they operate."

Robert blinked. "You hit one of the Earth Alliance's re-education camps?!" he couldn't help but demand. _Christ, if they think the_ Avenger _was one of our ships…_

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Dale," Hawk laughed. "Our ship wasn't involved. They've got plenty of suspects."

Robert had to admit he had few qualms about freeing telepath prisoners who were only held for refusing to join the Corps or go on sense-deadening drugs. But he didn't consider Hawk and his people the best forces for that kind of work. "And now you're here… doing what?"

"Reconnaissance," Hawk said. "I like to get my hands dirty sometimes."

 _And bloody_ , Robert thought, suspecting the telepath heard him given her look at him sharpened a little.

"Besides, it's a good training mission for one of my new agents needing evaluation." He gestured back to the woman. "This is Rebekah bat Gurion. She's from an Earth your Alliance hasn't encountered yet. And as you can tell, she's a telepath, and a pretty good one."

Robert nodded to her. "Is there a reason you attacked me?"

"I didn't intend to kill you," she replied. There was some Hebrew in her accent, but she sounded more English than Israeli. "I wanted to see why you were here. I was going to put you to sleep and probe your mind."

"And it's good practice to test you metaphysicals out," Hawk added.

"Thank you for not planning to murder me," Robert said drolly. While Hawk seemed the same simmering bundle of rage as before, he found Hawk's partner in this mission more interesting. She lacked the clear mental issues most of his other operatives had evinced. On the other hand, he felt a deep pain within her. Pain and guilt.

Of course, there was the reason they were present on Tau Atrea. "So you're telling me you came _alone_ , just two of you, to a planet with telepaths that might attack you mentally? I doubt your defenses are that strong. And if they have even one Psi Cop, or something close, your friend here wouldn't be enough to stop them. At best the Corps will kill you with a stroke. At worst…" _At worst they send you back to your group as infiltrators mentally-reprogrammed to give them access to Darglan technology. Including the IU drive._

Hawk grinned at that. "They won't live long if they do."

"Oh?"

"We've set our nanites' systems to a neural deadman's switch of sort," Hawk explained. "If either of our bodies are compromised in any way by telepathic attack, the nanites will engage combat mode, take control of the host's nervous system, and start killing any target within a two mile radius before working outward. They'll only stop if the affected brain is restored."

Robert frowned. "And God help anyone innocent in the area?"

"I'm not saying I want it to happen, Dale," Hawk replied. "But I do what I have to. These people don't play around. And if the Corps wants to play dirty with the telepathy, I'll do the same with my nanites. If they don't want to die, they can leave my mind alone. The same with Becca's"

Robert considered his point. _I'd say he's insane, but it is a… not completely unreasonable failsafe, from his point of view. I suppose_.

"So, give me a reason not to kill you," Hawk said suddenly, his voice angry. Rebekah - or "Becca" as he'd called her - gave Hawk a worried look.

Robert sensed the threat wasn't much of a threat. Hawk's intentions weren't immediately violent, not yet anyway, and his ally seemed completely taken aback by the threat. So he responded with a quizzical look. "Well, for starters, you've repeatedly claimed you only kill bad guys," Robert said. "And even by your standards, I'm not one of those 'bastards of the Multiverse'. So why would you want me dead?"

"Easy. Your people killed some of mine," Hawk snarled. "At Tira. We lost a lot of good people. And you and your precious crew are Goddamned responsible."

Although he hadn't been there, Robert was fully familiar with the Tira Crisis. "You mean you lost good people after you tried to support an attempted genocide," he pointed out. "Your people _attacked_ mine, remember? So you're talking about killing me out of, what, petty revenge? I mean, I wasn't even at Tira. But I've read a lot about it." Robert frowned at him. "You tried to kill a foreign leader struggling to save her people from genocide based on a single report accusing her of rape, then your crew openly joined the group plotting that genocide and used a diplomatic meeting as a cover to launch an attack on our people. You nearly got _my_ friends killed. So maybe I should be the one asking why I shouldn't try to take you in right now."

Hawk answered with a scowl, Becca with a frown that didn't seem aimed at anyone in particular. Robert sensed he'd scored a point and a tender one at that. He also sensed lingering pain. Hawk had lost people he considered allies, friends, when the _Avenger_ was nearly destroyed over Tira. And there was perhaps a little guilt in there, as the _Avenger_ crew had exposed their ship in rescuing Hawk and his girlfriend/partner Helen from the _Aurora_ 's brig, leading to much of the damage they'd suffered.

"Tira was our mistake, yeah." It was an admission that didn't come easily, Robert could see. "I thought I could get the Drazi to back off if we helped the Brakiri take over Tira," Hawk confessed. "And the Brakiri weren't talking about genocide, just securing war criminals still at large and replacing the Tiran government. And after we were captured, Tina and the others… they only cared about getting me and Helen out. Tarinak and Tabir insisted the only way was to attack." A bitter look came to his face. "I'll admit we were in the wrong. They lied to us about the situation with Tira and manipulated my friends' loyalty to us. My friends didn't want to see me and Helen in an Alliance prison cell for the rest of our lives."

 _No matter how richly you deserve it_. Robert sensed no deception in Hawk's words regardless. From what he'd read, the Drazi and Brakiri commanders Hawk mentioned were quite capable of what Hawk accused them of.

He felt a thought not his own enter his mind, a voice. _James is not the evil man you believe him to be. He has sacrificed much to help people_. Robert's eyes briefly glimpsed Rebekah, who was looking intently at him. _Please, we are here for a good purpose, do not stop us. We only want to help the telepaths held here._

"We're burning daylight here, and the more time we waste, the more likely those Corps bastards spot us," Hawk remarked. "So how do you want to handle this? Your Alliance wants my head, and you're a big time agent for them now, I hear."

Robert thought on the matter. Hawk was right about the Alliance wanting his head. The Dilgar wanted Hawk's head too, and Robert had the feeling that Warmaster Shai'jhur didn't much care if his neck was still attached to it. By all rights, he _should_ be trying to take Hawk down. Earth C1P2 deserved justice.

But there was the matter of his mission. Given the problems in Earthspace, the Psi Corps putting _anything_ near Alliance space was a potential problem that needed to be seen to. And while Robert had little desire to work with Hawk, and suspected it could be argued a violation of all sorts of laws, he knew he couldn't easily subdue both Hawk and Rebekah and still fulfill his mission. They wouldn't go down quietly and any fight was bound to get noticed, especially with Becca's telepathic abilities being employed. Nor could he let them go about on their merry way. There was no telling what Hawk would do, and how it might complicate Robert's mission.

Whatever his personal desires, Robert knew how he'd have to handle this, while earnestly wishing he'd brought Lucy after all.

"How about this?" Robert began. "Let's have a truce between us. Neither side will attack, subdue, or otherwise do any harm to the other, through action or inaction, until we have _both_ departed this star system. And you will make a promise."

Hawk narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

"You and your friend don't kill anyone outside of legitimate self-defense," Robert insisted. "I'm not going to be responsible for you killing people simply because you have anger management problems."

"Ah. So much for that license to kill, Agent Double-Oh-Pansyass," Hawk remarked. "I suppose you're going to tuck the Psi Corps prison guards into bed too? Give them a sweet good night's kiss on their foreheads so they don't have nightmares about all of the people suffering in their camp?"

Robert ignored the mockery. "Take it or leave it, Hawk."

"Fine, Dale," Hawk answered. "I promise not to kill anyone unless I'm defending myself, Becca, or you." He smiled. "Although knowing the Corps, they'll give us _plenty_ of reasons for self-defense. And that leads to _my_ term." When Robert nodded, Hawk's smile slid away and he said, "If this is a prison camp or an experimentation center, it gets put down. No 'if's, 'and's, or 'but's. We kill everyone involved, get any captives out, and salt the earth on the way out. If you're too squeamish about the killing, I'll let you get the captives while we put down the bastards running the place."

It was an understandable term, at least in terms of shutting down a black site prison or experimentation lab, but Robert didn't trust Hawk's judgement on the killing part. "I'll agree, if that killing doesn't include people who had nothing to do with it. I'm not going to let you murder the janitors or the filing clerks because you feel like it." Robert said, scowling as he did. "And we only deal with the place if we can feasibly do so on our own. I've got a mission, and it doesn't involve suicide." Sensing Hawk's imminent protest, Robert added, "If it is something like a prison camp or experimentation black site, I'll call and the Alliance will send the Marines in."

Hawk spent several seconds weighing that reservation before nodding. His blades returned to semi-liquid state and flowed back into his wrists. Becca followed suit "Fine." Hawk walked up and offered his hand. "Alright Dale, it's a truce then."

"I'll hold you to it," Robert said. He raised his hand and tried to hold back revulsion at taking Hawk's. There was a lot of blood on that hand.

"The sentiment is mutual," Hawk replied, shaking hands with him. "Now, let's see what the Corps is up to." 

* * *

In the as-yet-unnamed infiltrator's equipment and cargo bay, Lucy and Talara sat across from each other, wearing nearly-sleeveless cream-white vests under sleeveless brown tunics with loose, cream-white trousers. Their eyes were closed and each was in a state of meditation, allowing their minds to settle and the life energies within them to connect to the Flow of Life. Lucy sensed Robert a distance away and could tell he was irritated beyond words. She refrained from trying to reach him, just in case something of such a connection might be detectable to telepaths.

Of more importance was Talara. Her energy still felt off-balance. Lucy could feel remnant anguish in her. The sounds from the battle for Germania echoed in Talara's mind. Lucy reached for that anguish and did what she could to soothe it. _That is the past, Talara_ , she thought gently. _You can let it go_.

 _There was so much death_ , her student replied. _So much suffering. And that place had so much darkness…_

 _I know._ Lucy felt a pang of guilt. _I am sorry, Talara. Whatever reasons or justifications I might have for having brought you with us, I caused you injury. I can feel the wound on your mind, the shadow of the stress of that place._

Talara's reply was not in words, thoughts or spoken, but in the longing within her. She wished for the peace of Fala again. The gentle sound of the birds in the Royal Gardens of the Regent's Palace, the laughing children in the great parks of Kelana, the capital of the planet. The soothing roar of the Coran Falls...

Lucy had to agree that the Falls were lovely. That they were named after the fussy man working for Princess Allura? The juxtaposition was hilarious.

 _I have a duty_. Those words filled Talara's mind, trying to push away that longing.

 _Including to yourself, Talara_ , Lucy responded. _To master these arts and be the Knight you wish to be, you must understand your own needs. Including the need to be at peace within yourself._

 _My teacher, that is odd for you to say. You never seem to be at peace_.

Lucy smiled at that, her eyes still closed. _Peace is different for all of us. Right now I am quite at peace._ She projected that idea to Talara. _Peace is a state of being. For you, it can be found enjoying the beauty of living things. For me, it can be from the satisfaction in a technical problem solved. And I know you enjoy alleviating the suffering of others as much as I do_. Quietly Lucy projected to Talara the sentiment she'd felt the last day of fighting on Germania, when Talara had tried to use her nascent abilities to aid the wounded. Lucy had to admit Talara had more of a gift for healing with the Flow of Life than she did. And it was clear she enjoyed it. _We both get peace from this._

The recalled sentiment did settle Talara somewhat. _I believe I understand_. A moment passed. _Lucy, our training lately… you have only rarely trained me with the blade for several weeks. Is this because you do not think me capable of learning to use a lightsaber?_

 _On the contrary, Talara. You show potential_. A wry smile came to Lucy's face. _More than Robert, in fact. But I wanted to ground your training in ways to make you heal from the scars to your spirit. You're pretty sensitive to the feelings of others, and Germania left wounds that weren't the least bit physical. Your healing is the priority, so meditation and sensing the Flow of Life is our focus for now_.

From Talara came understanding. They both went silent afterwards, allowing them to focus entirely on the serenity they sensed within the Flow of Life.

* * *

The truce held through the crucial initial hour as the group continued on through the forest, moving around trees and other obstacles as needed. The air was still cool but growing warmer. It wouldn't be beach weather, certainly, but it would be comfortable.

Robert thought on the differences between his two erstwhile allies. He sensed the brimming, endless anger around Hawk with ease. That anger seemed to behave as a shield, keeping Robert from easily determining other emotions or feelings buried within.

His compatriot… was not so. He did feel some remnant anger from her, but it wasn't hard to guess the origin of it. Not with the pain he felt as well. As they walked along he finally turned his head and asked, "So, what kind of Earth are you from? Space-faring?"

"Interplanetary only," she replied. "22nd Century."

"Hrm. No superluminal drives yet?"

She shook her head.

"I'm guessing you're Israeli?" When she said nothing he remarked, "You look that way, I mean. And your name is classic Hebrew. 'Rebekah, daughter of Gurion'."

Again, there was no response. Robert detected no frustration at his questions, simply a decision to not speak.

"Leave her alone, Dale," Hawk said. "She's been through enough crap in her life, she doesn't need you bugging her."

"I'm just trying to make conversation. I could ask the same of you, really," Robert pointed out. "Our analysis indicated you're from a late 20th or early 21st Century Earth, the same as I am."

"It doesn't matter," Hawk insisted. "I'm not interested in conversation or getting to know you, Dale. Let's stick to the job and get it done."

Robert considered a few witty or amusing things to say, but he didn't. They did have work to do, after all, and angering his erstwhile allies wouldn't accomplish anything toward that.

As the three approached the compound, they activated their respective personal cloaks, shimmering from view. Even if an unseen camera were to point toward them, nothing would be visible to any watcher.

At least, in theory.

A distance away, in a monitor room, two bored individuals were staring at fiber optic camera feeds of the nearby forest. It was the easiest job in the compound, but also the hardest; no physical labor, just the need to constantly watch nothing and make sure that said nothing did not become a something.

The catch was that the two watchers were telepaths, and their idea of watching was not quite the same as a non-telepath.

"Don't you feel that Samara?" asked one.

"Jordan, you're just being jumpy."

"I'm telling you, there are minds there. Shielded."

An exasperated sigh was the instinctive response, but given the genuine nature of the first speaker's feelings, the second glanced toward the monitor too. After a moment of concentration she nodded, she was the stronger of the two and now that she knew what to look for... "Damn, you're right. There are people out there, including one of ours." A hand went to a comm link. "Doctor, we need you. There's someone in sector three." 

* * *

Approaching under cloak was something Marines and security teams trained hard at, since visual gear that allowed for seeing cloaked allies might be rendered unavailable. The necessity was obvious: if you couldn't see your ally, you might walk or run into them, trip them, or some other thing that would complicate your ability to function. In this case, the lack of training together was off-set by the trios' special talents. Robert knew where Hawk and Becca were from his expanded senses while Becca seemed to be at least somewhat aware of Robert's position and provided it telepathically to Hawk as they moved along through the alpine forest.

The compound itself was in a large, wide clearing, easily large enough to accommodate a town of thousands in the middle of a wide river valley. One of the large secondary rivers of said valley ran along the eastern edge of the compound, providing a source of natural water. They approached from the western edge. Some logging equipment was around, indicating a minor operation that probably only cut down a few trees a day. The gravel footpath linking it to the compound provided them an avenue right up to the gate.

Robert surveyed the wall itself with his omnitool. It was made of a gray-surfaced metallic material, a specialized alloy according to his sensors, consistent with materials used in Earth Alliance construction. But it was immediately evident this was not a prison camp wall. There were no guard towers, no weapon emplacements. It seemed to be more of a colonial fort, the walls meant for protecting the settlement within from wildlife.

"This doesn't look like a prison," he said in a whisper. At the mention of the word he felt a shudder of revulsion and pain in Rebekah, enough to tell him what he would likely find in her personal history.

He sensed trepidation and a hint of uncertainty from Hawk. "Yeah," came the whispered reply. "It's nothing like that camp we hit." He started to move. "Let's go see what we're dealing with."

Robert considered the idea for a moment. Could he get what he needed without risking an entry? The answer quickly came to him: no, no he could not. They needed to see what was inside. And he was still not certain he could trust the renegade to keep his temper in check, nor that Hawk's ally would be able to do it, so he needed to follow if just to make sure Hawk didn't harm anyone.

As he walked forward toward the gate, he had a small sense within himself, as if he were being watched. He stopped long enough to assure himself there was no danger present before continuing on. 

* * *

Gene Hendriks removed himself from the eyepiece of a fiberoptic periscope and grimaced. "They have a mutual-defense pact. Or more of an armed truce. Almost worse, he brought a telepath with him and she's been… enhanced." Gene was most displeased. The arrival of James Hawk had seriously complicated matters.

"What do you mean by enhanced?" Colin Meier asked. "Like, Vorlon enhanced, or cybernetic limbs enhanced?"

"Like Hawk is; combat nanites. Captain Dale is one thing, he'll listen to reason, but Hawk is a fucking maniac. He could go off the rails at any time. I think Becca or Rebekah is the telepath's name, and she seems like...well I don't know what she's doing with him but she seems like a kind person at heart. Don't know how long that will last inside Hawk's crew though."

The other Psi Cop gave Gene a wry smirk and spoke. "Is that your professional opinion?"

"Yeah yeah I know. You wrote the white papers on both of them." Gene replied in a long-suffering tone that didn't have any actual resentment in it. Colin didn't earn his PhD by doing underwater basket-weaving.

"And you were reading through my eyes as I did it. Hawk is a maniac, but he's a madman with a purpose. He can be reasoned with, or at least it's worth trying. Besides, if we kill him, the adults in the room might become somewhat problematic, and in either case their allies would investigate and wouldn't give us the benefit of the doubt. Hawk's allies in particular are…" Colin paused to find a word and chose two. "...volatile and unhinged. We'd have to leave, and quickly."

"Alright, you still want Max along for this one?" Gene asked, uncertainty on his voice and upon his mind.

"Yes. It's about the only way we can guarantee getting through to Mr. Hawk. I'll go get him and meet you at the blast door." Colin replied, before reaching out to take both of Gene's black-gloved hands in his. "We'll get through this. We always have before and if Hawk attacks without provocation, I'm pretty sure Captain Dale would help us deal with him on principal." Gene managed a chuckle.

"Yeah. He'd definitely rather be slapping Hawk in irons and hauling him back to Alliance space for trial right now."

* * *

The trio approached the compound gate carefully. There were still no life signs. Robert didn't sense anyone nearby, but he could feel life here. Human life. "You're good with electronics, as I recall," he said to Hawk.

Although Robert couldn't actually see it, a bemused look crossed the other man's face. "Maybe," he said, "but it's not my training mission. Becca, this is all yours."

She walked up and brought her gloved hand up to nearly touch it. Silvery, almost liquid material flowed from the small gap between Rebekah's glove and her suit, composed of the nanites that filled her body. Becca's nanites covered the control beside the hand scanner on the panel, seeping inside and taking control mechanically. Visually, given her cloaking device was active, the control panel simply seemed to become covered in silver material. Through her neural link she directly accessed the functions of the gate. Overriding the security systems took her time, more than she'd intended, but finally she finished her work and the gate opened. The silvery material flowed back into Becca's suit and body.

On the inside was the old colonial compound. It showed signs of abandonment and being left to the elements, but only some; it was clear that efforts were being made to restore it. Rust had been cleared, paint refreshed. There was a feeling of rejuvenation about the place.

Robert consulted his omnitool. "Still no life signs. There is an underground element to the complex, near the center."

"Underground prison?" Hawk speculated.

"It doesn't seem big enough," Robert answered.

"Unless it's for just a few prisoners."

"Then why refurbish the whole colony? This place… it's got too much life to be a black site prison for just a few high profile captives." Robert breathed in and considered the spirit here. He did feel anxiety, some fear, but also a sentiment of… perhaps not hope, but determination. "It feels like something else is going on here."

"Let's find the entrance then."

The three started walking toward the center of the complex along a paved footpath, flanked by buildings in various stages of construction or refurbishment. To the naked eye nothing was there given their cloaks were engaged. There was, however, nobody to see them, it seemed. No life signs, no…

Robert stopped as they approached the central structure. It was only one storey high and, unlike the other structures, made of metal and not quite at the center of the settlement. He could feel them now. Minds, on the other end of the blast door ahead. Hawk glanced his way. "Trouble?"

"I don't think so," he said. "No hostility. Worry, though. And..." He felt it, like a great mental exhaling. A choice, resignation to its outcome, readiness for the worst.

 _They have made a choice_ , Rebekah stated to everyone else

Just as Robert said, "Here they come," the door slid open. The space inside was well-lit, backlighting three figures as they emerged, two side-by-side in unison, another slightly behind and seemingly being shielded by the other two. As they stepped out from under the shelter of the entryway, three men came into easy view. The one on the left was slightly shorter, with an athletic build and black hair. The other was slightly taller, slightly larger, with a close-crop of something that could be a sandy blonde. The individual in the back was older with hair the color of steel partially covered by a kippah. All three of them wore black, with black gloves and the silver-on-copper badges of the Psi Corps, though the two in front wore the unmistakable uniforms of Metapol. They were Psi Cops, both carrying side-arms, but with hands clearly visible and pointedly away from their weapons.

Robert heard the metallic shriek of Hawk's nanite blades and held an arm up. "No," he insisted in a whisper. "They have no hostile intent."

Hawk gave him a skeptical look. _He is correct_ , Becca assured him mentally behind her shields. With her support Hawk relented. His blades slid back into the back of his wrists.

"Captain Dale is correct. We really would rather not fight you. But if you make us, we won't shrink from it. I'm Dr. Colin Meier, a forensic psychologist with Metapol. We can all sense your minds, we could fight you hand to hand if we had to even cloaked. You might as well be visible." Colin spoke in an accent that was vaguely european, hints of German, French, and something Slavic touched various syllables. As if to prove his point, he changed position, closing off a possible avenue of approach to the older gentleman behind him. His diction was clipped, he was trying very hard to remain calm.

Robert considered the greeting. He reached a hand to his belt and disengaged his personal cloak, wavering into view. "Doctor Meier," he said politely, after which he glanced to the empty space where he knew Hawk was standing. "He's right, you know."

A moment later Hawk wavered into view. Becca did as well.

"Thank you. I would first like to assure you that this place is not a prison camp or an experimental facility. It is something else entirely, and not a threat to your Alliance or, I hope, it's interests."

"Then what are you hiding in a place like this?" Hawk demanded.

"A refugee camp."

The cool mid-morning air was broken by the sound of laughter. Robert glanced back to Hawk with a look of some confusion, while Hawk smiled and continued laughing for a moment. Finally it ended with him asking, "You came out here, all the way to the edge of Alliance space, and brought all of this stuff just to build a _refugee camp?_ " Incredulousness was thick in his voice and words.

Robert took a moment to consider what he felt before insisting, "There's no deception from them. He's telling the truth, or at least what he thinks is the truth."

Hawk turned to Becca. "They're stronger than me," she said, "but their blocks aren't hiding intent. Captain Dale is correct."

"Hmph," was the only reply Hawk would give.

"Clearly, one is supposed to build a refugee camp in the middle of hostile territory where non-combatants will be under threat from the the enemy, and with no provisions for long-term habitation whatsoever." Colin replied, dripping with derisive sarcasm.

"Besides, if this were really a black-ops site, we would have already fragged your minds," the other one said on Colin's heels in an accent that sounded like it was from the Northwest or Pacific Northwestern United States.

Robert felt the anger spike at the apparent threat. Hawk's wrist blades came back out in silvery streaks. "Try it," he said, voice heated and in clear challenge. "Touch my brain and everybody in this compound dies."

Robert felt the thoughts surge to the top of Hawk's being, the thought of the "failsafe" setting of his nanites. Those were thoughts that the Psi Corps members couldn't help but pick up on.

Colin looked at his partner with an affectionate version of a 'not helping' expression. The other man returned it with a sheepish look. _Sorry. I really don't like him._

 _I know… but right now I'd rather not risk the capability of that failsafe…_

Robert whirled on Hawk. "Stand down," he demanded, his expression determined and his eyes glaring at his "partner". "This isn't self-defense, and I don't have to remind you of our terms."

Hawk returned the glare before the blades once again became silvery fluid that seeped back into his wrists.

Neither telepath moved through the entire exchange, but their eyes narrowed on Hawk, and Robert could feel something, like a hammer poised to strike. He turned his attention back to them. He eschewed his physical senses for the senses gained from his connection to the Flow of Life. He felt the presences of the telepaths there, especially that of the two Psi Cops. They flowed about and around each other, thoroughly intertwined. Robert nodded once. "Would you mind introducing your spouse, Doctor Meier?" he asked.

Hawk raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Ah, yes! My apologies. That was rude of me. This is my partner Gene Hendriks, yes, both senses of the term."

"Hello. I didn't actually intend to make you feel threatened Mr. Hawk, I meant that comment literally. We've been using optical means to observe you for a while. We could have killed you with no risk of your failsafe." Gene followed up, but he still had a psionic Sword of Damocles ready in case Hawk suddenly snapped.

 _Which is why I felt like I was being watched_ , Robert thought. "I thought someone was watching, but you've done very well to hide your presence," he said. _And with no hostile intent, so it didn't make me feel like I was in danger_ he added mentally, not particularly worried about hiding the thought from them.

 _Of course not. Though I admit we seriously considered killing Mr. Hawk. But that would have caused problems so, here we are._ Colin said into Robert's mind. _He might still make us. We'll find out._

"The Corps allows gay men to marry?" Hawk asked, sounding bewildered. "What about that eugenics program you people have going on? Breeding more powerful telepaths for the glory of the Corps?"

"Those laws are _inflicted_ on us by mundanes." Colin answered with particular loathing. "We had to internalize it somehow in a century and a half. As for us, the law specifies that any pregnancies must have a substantial likelihood of producing children of at least the rating of the strongest parent."

"We're a loophole. No pregnancy, no problem." Gene finished for Colin "Though we do both contribute to the next generation through sperm donation."

"Given how paranoid the Earthers of this universe are about telepaths, I'm surprised they _want_ stronger ones," Robert remarked. He looked past them to the older gentleman in the kippah. " _Shabbat shalom_ ," he said to him. Becca, for her part, merely said, " _Shalom_."

" _Shabbat shalom_ " the older man replied. "I'm Max Cohen, Psi Corps Legal Division, attached to Metapol. You're in luck, it actually is a Friday here. Otherwise I'd have to correct you and that would be awkward."

"Rabbi Soloveitchik always warned me to be careful about that," Robert said amiably. "Any correction would have been gladly accepted."

"I imagine it gets difficult to keep track of with so many universes. Holidays must be completely _mishegas_." Max rejoined cheerfully.

Robert chuckled in reply to that. "It's something we've all been getting used to. It's not easy to have 19th Century people living on a planet at the start of the 21st, then everyone swaps over to the 27th for the official Alliance calendar."

"So much for the lunisolar calendar...To answer your question, it isn't so much that they want stronger telepaths as we're just too useful to have otherwise. The Earth Alliance was born in a global war, it doesn't forget its roots." Max supplied, and nobody could miss Becca's instinctive revulsion of the term "global war". "Plus, we found our own reasons." Robert felt a deeper passion in what Max was saying, a zeal for his mission and cause.

Robert glared toward Hawk a moment before Hawk could say what he was thinking, a thought about the rogues who didn't want to be compelled into a breeding program. "I understand the thought, but have you ever heard of diplomacy?"

"Get out of my head, Dale," Hawk said. "And diplomacy, isn't that where you sell a bunch of worlds down river to eugenicist warlords? Maybe now you want to have tea with your new Psi Corps buddies instead of working."

A look of resignation crossed Robert's face. He looked back to Max and the others. "As you can imagine, I've been sent to find out the nature of this place," he said to them. "Mister Hawk here is apparently doing the same."

"We know." Colin said. "Come on in, we'll show you around. We don't have anything to hide here."

The three men led Robert, Hawk, and Becca through the blast door. The top level of wherever this was seemed to be a combination of an office area and a control room for their protective surveillance center. A Psi Corps sigil was on a couple of the walls and etched onto one of the larger chairs, but other than that it seemed like a fairly normal work area.

A trip down a side corridor led them to a reinforced alloy blast door of even greater thickness. Beyond this were a set of stairs that led to an armored hatch that reminded Robert of images of nuclear bunkers. He sensed the recognition flicker through Becca at the sight of the hatch. Colin triggered the hatch to open, revealing metal stairs beneath.

By this time Robert could feel the lives below. The senses he'd felt before, anxiety, a little fear, determination, all were present, as was some curiosity. As they descended the stairs he felt Hawk tense. He was still considering this a likely trap, though there wasn't one.

The stairs led to a clearing room. Beyond was an obvious mess hall, with tables and plastic chairs and the lunch line. Robert spied replicators built into the wall opposite the lunch line.

"Ferengi." All three telepaths said in synchrony before Robert could say it.

"And they wonder why we won't sell them the IU drive plans," Robert said.

"We don't. Our agent who dealt with Quark happens to be a woman. I'm told the rest of his species is… worse." Colin remarked.

 _So much Male Gaze._ Gene thought, rolling his eyes in disgust. _Our agent took shameless advantage of it of course, but I'm told she burned the dress afterward._

Robert blinked at the name. _The bartender from DS9? I wonder how he got mixed up with extrauniversal trading_.

"His cousin is a weapons dealer. Owns his own moon." Gene said. In addition to the replicators, posters lined the walls. Some of them were distinctly martial or patriotic. One of them had a man, an older gentleman with Turkic features in a black suit wearing the badge and gloves of the Corps. He was pointing leftward. In the background was another man this time more stylized and in partial silhouette holding a torch against a background of stars. It read "The Future is Our Liberation!" Another poster was almost large enough in length to be a mural and had many people of all colors and a kaleidoscope of modes of dress, all holding hands on a background of a flags with the greek letter Psi. Its text read "We Are Stronger Together!" in a multitude of languages. A third depicted a telepath cowering before the raised fists of a mundane, with another telepath interposed herself, a shining pulse of light rising from her head. "What Hurts One Hurts All. You Are Your Brother's Keeper."

The posters over by the lunch line were far more prosaic. One of them showed a young telepath resolutely turning aside an offered extra serving of cake in favor of brussels sprouts "A Healthy Body Keeps a Strong Mind!". A second encouraged telepaths to exercise through a pleasant montage of fun activities painted in vivid but slightly abstract watercolors.

"No room for the 'Big Brother is Watching' posters?" Hawk asked pointedly.

"They're at least more interesting than the kind of posters I saw in public school," Robert said. "Although they do look familiar." He also got the impression that they were far more important to the three telepaths than their mere meaning. Just looking at them made all three both happy and sad, like a bittersweet memory.

 _The artist was a friend._ Was all Colin said. But friend didn't exactly convey the full meaning. The look on Becca's face was particularly pained. She knew full well what drove those bittersweet feelings, and it brought up memories of loss for herself.

"There's no need for those." Gene replied to Hawk in irritated tones. "The art style is flagrantly stolen from the former Warsaw Pact nations. We're commonly thought of as _fascists_ ," he practically spat the word like it left a vile taste in his mouth, "but we're actually syndicalists in practice. The posters are part social messaging, part century-old in-joke, and at this point they're something of a cultural thing. It's just what we do."

"You should see the sculpture…" Colin remarked "It's magical. We prefer bronze or copper, obviously."

"Communists instead of Fascists. I feel so much better already," Hawk muttered sarcastically.

"Syndicalists, different thing." Max corrected him "The Corps is basically one giant cradle-to-grave union. We modeled ourselves off Israeli _Kibbutzim_."

The three Corps telepaths felt the rush of thought and memory from Becca at the term, glimpses of a happy place and childhood memories. Robert felt loss and pain ripple through her being, even if facially she was keeping a neutral expression.

They moved past the mess hall into the rest of the bunker. Robert could make out rooms with desks, although not many, that made him think of classrooms. Another area had beds and medical equipment - an infirmary - and there were storage rooms as well.

The big double doors ahead opened as Colin stepped up to them. Beyond the doors was an upper level, a balcony floor overlooking a large, fully lit chamber.

Inquisitiveness, curiosity, anxiety, fear, it all hit Robert as he approached the railing where Colin was standing. He looked below to see neat lines of bunk beds, three high, of plastic frames with dark comforters and white sheets. Across the chamber, groups of people were gathered, in great or small concentrations, with children milling about with frustrated energy. All the colors possible to Humanity were represented in the crowd below. Heads turned toward them, some looking at the new arrivals continually while others eventually returned to whatever business they were doing. Robert felt their emotions just as he felt Hawk's surprise. _This is… not what I expected_.

 _It's alright. You're safe._ Colin said to the lot of them non-verbally.

 _Captain Dale, if you let Hawk make a liar out of my husband, I will kill you just after Hawk._ Gene said.

Robert glanced to Gene at that and nodded. _If I let him hurt these people without dying first, I'd deserve it._

 _You do not need to worry_ , Rebekah responded. _James will not harm civilians._

It took a bit of will for Robert to not remind her of what happened to the civilians on Earth C1P2, but he bit back the remark. The awkward expression that came to her face told him she'd still sensed the remark as a thought.

"We had to evacuate the entire population of Omega VII, plus a few high-risk individuals from other worlds. We did a bit too well making Omega VII a decent place to live after the Civil War." Colin said. "Dealt with a serial killer, a slavery ring. Started rebuilding schools that got expropriated after we got kicked off planet. We found every blip who needed help and got them food, training… safety. Every child. I mean _every_ child off Sleepers. Then rogue telepaths started hitting us. We could stop them at first but… with EarthGov actively hindering intelligence gathering it was impossible to stop them forever and we had to leave our home."

Robert nodded. _Damn you Lyta_ , he thought. _Why couldn't you have just gone to the Free Colony and lived in peace like I asked?_

 _Because she's fucking insane. To use a professional term._ Colin thought back. _The really sad part is that when I knew her, she was always so kind…_ A mental image flashed into Robert's mind of a small child around the age of six or seven being pushed on a swing by an older girl with fiery red hair.

"I'll be damned," Hawk muttered.

Robert refrained from echoing a sentiment that the likelihood was good Hawk already was damned. "You clearly didn't want anyone to find you," he said. "That's the only reason I'm down here, isn't it? Better me than a military force coming down."

"Basically. You we can reason with, but the two of us can't stay here forever. We're here to get the defenses set up, and get everyone trained in community defense. Then..." Gene paused, considering. "Your Alliance already knows about the fleet so fuck it. We're joining up with our ground forces. Most of our old support staff is already with the fleet in some capacity."

Robert felt a certain feeling in Colin as he spoke, echoed in Gene, a common concern inside of them. The reference to ground forces made him look to Colin. "This place… it's big enough for a larger population than this," he noted. "The compound too. You can house over three times the telepaths you have now if you needed to. If you've got replicators, you could even expand the compound. These aren't the only people who are coming, are they?"

"No. It's not. We're getting more ourselves. And there are others, but that information is compartmentalized. I don't know where they all are. None of us do. That way, if one is compromised, we don't lose everyone."

"A system of redoubts," Hawk said. "Fortresses for your civilians. Over a few bombings? I didn't think you Corps types scared so easy."

Robert knew he had a point, but he let their hosts answer.

"No," Max replied angrily. "The bombings we could handle even if the recent one on Mars killed twenty thousand innocent people. We haven't seen an organized terrorist underground like this since 2189, but we know how to deal with it. What we're moving our civilians for is _worse_ "

Robert felt sick as he picked up the thought coming from Max. The word in it. The related imagery, which felt exceptionally strong in Max's mind as if he'd lived it himself. "That's what this is all for, isn't it?" he asked. "What you're facing now."

"Genocide, yes." Max replied. " _Again._ "

Becca paled at the word. Robert sensed guilt and fear inside of her.

For a moment Robert gave no reaction to Max confirming his thoughts. The instinctive one was a mental denial that it would be permitted to happen. _The Alliance won't stand for it. Sheridan won't either. We'll move in, we'll stop it…_

 _...unless Sheridan allows his distrust of the Corps to hold him back too long. Unless Pensley screams about military radicals provoking wars of intervention and Davies and Hawthorne howl about Earth's populace "defending itself" from telepathic tyrants, and they delay our efforts… and any delay could kill millions..._

Another's voice came into Robert's mind. _We have no faith in Sheridan, he's a bigot and a god-damned war-criminal. Metapol fought with him in the Shadow War, he helped us rescue a hundred telepaths who were rigged into a mind-machine interface to become CPUs in Shadow ships. During the Civil War, they smuggled thirty those same telepaths - medical patients - onto Loyalist ships over Mars. They disrupted ship systems, allowing Sheridan to bypass that fleet. Every last innocent telepath died._ Colin mindcast back at Robert.

 _Lyta said about the same thing, but she didn't mention that_ , Robert thought. _Did they consent, could he…_

 _No_ was the only response he got back, replete with disgust. _And Lyra collaborated._

Robert thought about Lyta's comment to him, how Sheridan had used her and thrown her away. The comparison of Sheridan to Maran he'd held in his head cracked slightly. _Maran would never do something like this_. _Never._

 _Telepaths as weapons…_ A cold anger came from Becca, an anger that had to come from personal experience.

Hawk gave her an intent look although, unlike her, he was not privy to this telepathic conversation. There was clear sympathy in it. Next he looked at Max with utter bewilderment. "What in the hell are you talking about?" Hawk demanded. "Are you telling me you believe Earth's actually going to genocide its telepath population?"

"They have before. What the hell do you think these badges are?" Max replied dryly.

"A marker to say you're a good little Psi Corps drone," Hawk replied immediately and quite sarcastically. A little too immediately, Robert felt, as if he wanted to avoid the question. Or as if he already knew the answer.

All three telepaths stared at Hawk, dumbfounded. Colin glyphed a mental image to Robert of a man dodging bullets labeled 'the point' by bending over backwards underneath their arcs in slow-motion.

"You know what he's saying, James," Becca said in a hollow voice.

"They're yellow stars," Robert said, beating Max to the punch. "Yellow Stars of David, just like the Nazis forced Jews to wear." He gave a cautious look to the still-pale Becca. "So that the group you're persecuting 'can't hide'. To Otherize them, make them easier to hate." _And then the Nazis exterminated them. Almost completely in one universe_. Robert had the random thought about how Arik Shaham would respond to this when they next spoke to each other.

There was a moment when Hawk nearly argued about it. But beneath the roiling anger that seemed to permeate his being, Robert felt his mind process those facts and come to the same conclusion. His expression turned dour. "Great, more evil bastards to kill," he muttered.

Max sighed. "Look, our relationship with mundanes has always been… very bad. However, when the director of the Psi Corps endorsed Clark in the 2258 election, in our name, it broke the charter. Our social contract with mundanes that secured our existence after the last paroxysm of mass killing."

Robert nodded. "They started seeing the Corps as part of a fascist government, reinforcing stereotypes."

"Well, the Corps endorsed Clark," Hawk remarked. "Given what he did, I can see why people are pissed off about it."

"No" Colin fired back. "First of all, by that point they were already voting in a fascist vice president for a second term. It was the mere perception of our engagement in politics that did it. Under the charter, we must be politically neutral. No political speech, we can't even vote."

 _Just like_ … Robert sensed Becca cut off the thought before she could complete it.

"The director isn't a telepath. He's a mundane. York was appointed for life by the Senate and he's a dictator in his own right. He can have any one of us killed without due process of any kind." Max added. "He endorsed Clark in our name, without consultation, knowing what that meant."

"You're a ghetto as much as an institution," Robert said. "And he's the SS officer assigned to watch over you."

 _Not an exact analogy. Every incarnation of fascism has its own national flavor, but it's close enough for corporate work._ Max replied in Robert's mind.

Hawk said nothing, but Robert felt remaining skepticism. He could, to a degree, understand it. Hawk had seen Psi Corps as its worst, and at its most powerful, the operators of what was essentially a part-concentration camp, part-re-education camp for telepaths who resisted the laws, who refused to join the Corps. To think that the same people operating said camps were themselves the targets of an imminent genocide?

"We've been planning a revolution for a while, Mr. Hawk. In secret, even from most of us, ever since the charter was signed. It's one of the reasons we've accepted the eugenics program. The price for our lives has been every right of sapient beings. We just haven't been ready. We still aren't. I can show you what happened last time, if you'll let me."

Robert nodded in consent, feeling the honesty in Max. Hawk was clearly mulling the offer over for a moment before nodded quietly. There was a confidence in him; if anything, he was certain the Psi Cops wouldn't risk the lives of their charges by trying to attack him mentally. Not with Becca ready to protect him and the failsafe a threat. When Max looked to her, she shook her head, as if she already knew something of what he would show her.

Max closed his eyes, and projected memories into both of their minds, memories that were every bit as real to him as his own. In one, a six year old girl was shot in the abdomen and thrown into a shallow pit after p'hearing the mindscreams of her own mother and brother's deaths, the nauseating open-and-shut sensation of souls departing the mortal coil. Somehow, she managed to dig herself out and crawl to the shelter of a nearby Catholic church where the priest dragged her inside.

In another memory, a mother watched and experienced-by-proxy her own children being torn apart by dogs.

In yet another, a young man who'd managed to escape watched from a treeline as telepaths held at gunpoint were tied together and thrown into the the Danube River weighed down by a concrete slab. He felt their minds in panic, then slowly, one by one, he felt them subside; punctuated by that mindscream and open-shut sensation.

Memory after memory, over and over again. There were dozens of them, every last one of them telepaths and almost all of them Jews. But there was one more he added at the end. One Colin had transferred to him. A pair of _Hyperion-_ class heavy cruisers in Psi Corps colors; the _PCS Fenrir_ and its sister ship the _PCS Sleipnir_. He showed them the associated memories too, of Psi Corps ships seizing a slaver vessel, rescuing those inside, and throwing the perpetrators out airlocks. Of those same ships crippling and boarding a Narn _G'Quan_ -class heavy cruiser to interrogate and then execute the crew and find where those same telepaths were to be taken. Then, finally, finding the experimental station and liberating every telepath from Omega VII who was still alive when they got there. The collective grief of two Psi Cops and forty marines, mourning the ones they couldn't save, whose souls they could still feel traces of in the lab equipment and box of human ashes they retrieved for burial. None of the victims had even been twenty years old.

Memory by memory, and they added to those Robert already had of evil and depravity. The concentration camps in Nazi space, the mass graves, all of the horrors he'd seen during those early years in the Facility. They were, if anything, a reminder of why he'd taken up this life, why he'd agreed to this duty and all of its dangers. He could even understand the fury that led to the spacing of the slavers, though he likely would not have done it himself.

"You're a repository," he said to Max, his green eyes shining with tears. "You chose to carry these memories as if they were your own."

"Yes. It's something particular to the Jewish community within the Corps, though I know of a few others who've done it along family lines and I suspect other despised ethnic groups have as well. We volunteer for it, even though it gives us PTSD. We don't all do it, not even most… but we make sure that there are enough that it can't ever be forgotten. I added those last ones because… well, we have been planning that revolution for a long time."

"After a hundred and fifty years of hatred, oppression, and death; we're better prepared than we've ever been but we're still outnumbered a thousand to one." Colin followed up, and reached down to grip Gene's hand.

"We're not dying on our knees. Not this time." Gene's voice was as hard as steel.

Robert nodded in understanding, fully comprehending the scope of Max's sacrifice to be a living witness to past horrors. Beside him, Becca's eyes were focused on Max with admiration.

Robert's attention to Max was drawn away by a sudden feeling he felt nearby. A powerful, overwhelming source of raw empathy for suffering. Robert turned his head and faced Hawk. He stared in astonishment.

Hawk… was weeping.

He wasn't sobbing or crying. No sounds came from his throat. But his tears streamed steadily down his face, following the curvature of his cheeks and the ends of his mouth before disappearing from view where his faceplate ended just above his chin. From within the constant din of anger that Robert always felt around Hawk, empathy and sorrow were flowing out, as if the memories Max shared with them had broken open an emotional dam around the man's soul. It was astonishing to think of a man who seemed half-mad with rage, constantly ready and eager for violence, suddenly moved to quiet tears from seeing the suffering of others.

But it was there. It was genuine. Whatever his crimes, whatever his behavior… Hawk _cared_. He cared about the pain of others, and he wanted to stop it, any way that he could.

Just like Robert felt.

It was astonishing to think they had that in common.

 _The irony is_ Colin remarked mentally, _As much as Mr. Hawk makes us nervous, we can sympathize with that rage. We've had to stop each other from indulging it more than once. But Friedrich Nietzsche had some things to say about that… Hawk… he needs to turn away from the abyss. Right now._

Colin took a small communication device out of one of his pockets, tapped it awake and entered a code; then slid a touch-screen slider from a deep blue up the visible spectrum to orange. "I've reduced our alert level. Now our little settlement can come to life again."

Around the bunker people began to move as the change in the alert level was announced by designated members of the community broadcasting a telepathic all-clear. Some made their way to the doors leading out of the bunker sleeping area. Others remained, either still in conversation or waiting for the others to go first, and some of the children still seemed more interested in whatever games they were playing than leaving.

"If you want, stay for a while; get to know us, all of us. I understand that Bester was the first Psi Cop you met, right?" Colin asked.

"He is," Robert answered. "And you might say he left an… _impression_."

Colin winced and rubbed the back of his neck in an uncomfortable gesture. "Yeah, I could give you a detailed breakdown of his psychology but suffice to say, he isn't the best man for 'first impressions'."

 _Understatement of the year…_ Gene remarked.

Feeling Gene's sentiment as well as hearing Colin's remark, Robert laughed.

* * *

Life was returning to normal for the new residents of the formerly-abandoned Earth compound. Many went to work on the refurbishment project, restoring the buildings abandoned two decades before by the failed colonists, or to working on the settlement's farm plots along the river.

Watching the latter was Becca, seated on one of the rest benches provided for those doing the work of sowing. The view of people working together to plow and sow brought back memories of her childhood in the telepath _kibbutz_. Those had been happy memories.

Unfortunately, not all of those memories were happy. The _kibbutz_ was gone. She remembered the day the end came. The alarms, the children rushed to evacuation hoppers, the view from the windows as flames consumed all that she'd loved in her childhood….

She heard footsteps behind her, not approaching with any stealth, if anything they were overly loud precisely so as not to startle her. The mind behind the footsteps wasn't shielding itself as much as it could have either and she recognized it as Colin Meier, who sat down next to her.

"This brings back memories, for you, doesn't it?" he asked.

She nodded quietly. "Yes," she said. "On my homeworld, the telepaths in Israel had their own _kibbutz_ , not far from the coast. That was where I grew up."

"Our Jewish telepaths have some of their own, mostly in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Max was raised in one. I take it things didn't turn out well?"

"United Earth collapsed. Israel was on the side of the Reformists. Some of our neighbors were not. They attacked first. My people fought to the bitter end to ensure the children of Israel could escape to Europe and America."

Colin winced and she could feel his genuine grief for her and her people, who he considered his own. "I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. The Earth Alliance made first contact with the Centauri just before it collapsed in the same way. We were unspeakably lucky." he considered something then spoke after a brief pause. "Is that how you ended up with Mr. Hawk?"

Becca laughed bitterly and shook her head. "No. Not exactly. That came many years later. I was just a child when I saw the _kibbutz_ for the last time. Burning." Becca kept some of her mental blocks up, she had to, but it was not as easy as she thought it would be. Whatever that camp had been like, this place reminded her so much of her childhood that she found herself longing to just lower everything and let all of these minds in. "Everything seems to burn with me around, honestly."

"That isn't your fault Becca, none of it was. You didn't start the war. You were a child, and whatever happened later, it wasn't as if you were the one giving the orders to commit mass murder, was it?"

"Everyone says that. The rabbis, the counselors, my foster parents. The army therapists when I was conscripted into the United Earth army." Becca breathed out. "They were all very kind. Even the army people, to whom I was a useful weapon more than I was a person."

"They all say it because they're right, I know strictly speaking that's a logical fallacy, but in this case it happens to also be true. What could you have done, Becca? Is there anything you could have done that would have stopped it?"

"Undoubtedly nothing, unless I am cursed. Then not being born would have helped." She laughed bitterly. "It is the humor of the Almighty, I suppose, that your world's telepaths have fared better as legal recording devices than my own. On my world telepaths were either deviant threats to be killed, weapons to be used, and for some, human beings. But only some. Israel was but one of a few nations to pass telepath civil rights legislation before the War. There are those who said they only did it so we would be fully eligible for conscription, but that is unkind. If still possibly true."

"It may be." Colin replied. "I don't know how history differed between our respective Earths. In ours, Israel and Germany, New Zealand, and a few other nations resisted the laws that oppress us. At least for a while. The governments also tried to suppress the killings. That said, I don't believe for a second that you're cursed and… if you want, you're welcome to stay. I won't force you, but we consider all telepaths to be family. That includes you."

"If you knew more about my life, you might reconsider," Becca replied.

"No. I wouldn't. No matter what your life has been, no matter what you've had to do. I, and we, might reject the things you've done but we'll never reject you. Not any telepath." Colin dropped his mental defenses to nothing but the bare minimum to let her know his thoughts; and Becca knew he was being absolutely sincere.

It had been so long since Becca had a peaceful connection to another telepath that she was tempted, sorely tempted, to open her mind as well, as a cold fugitive in a snowstorm might be drawn to a cabin emanating a warm glow. But in the end she denied herself that comfort. She knew things about the _Avenger_ 's operations that she couldn't risk being exposed, even with Colin being sincere. And if the nanites registered his mental presence as a trigger for the failsafe...

Colin caught the hesitation and nodded. "It's alright. I won't press. I'll admit, I'm professionally curious, but I'm not here to gather intelligence. If you don't feel comfortable I'll respect those boundaries. I just wanted to let you know the option was there, and it stands."

"Thank you for your offer. But aside from everything else… I have obligations."

"I can understand those." Colin agreed "I have a large number myself. Still, try not to let them consume you. From what I've seen of one James Hawk, that is a...concern."

"Earth C1P2 was… not planned," Becca said. "I was not there, but I know this. Because of it, nobody understands what he is. The good that he's done. They call him a war criminal without knowing the many he's saved."

"I can empathize with that, really. I mean, I do live inside a community that is similarly reviled, and undeservedly. But I'm not talking about that. Not what he's done. I'm talking about him. He's...well without going into the anatomical details, he's burning himself at both ends and it's damaging him. Badly."

"You don't say," said Hawk. He approached them from the wall of the compound. His eyes went from a hard look at Colin to a softer one for Becca. Still, both telepaths could feel the simmering anger that permeated his mind. "He's not bothering you, is he?"

"He is not, James," she replied softly. "He is trying to be kind."

"Yeah. He's the kind type, I'll grant him that." Hawk turned his attention back to Colin. "So, you're sharing something with the class?"

"I feel like I should, yes. Mr. Hawk, I should preface this. My specialty is analyzing brain damage to determine the effects of that damage on the mind of a victim and then to determine why the person who caused the damage chose that particular line of attack." Colin said. "Would you care to sit?" He scooted over on the seat enough to let Hawk sit down if he wanted.

"I think I'll stand," Hawk answered.

"He's not going to hurt you, James," Becca said. "I can tell that much."

Hawk seemed to consider that for several seconds before sighing and taking the accepted seat. He crossed his arms in mock expectation. "I'm guessing you're about to tell me I have _brain damage_." He said the latter term in what seemed an attempt at comedic pronunciation, invoking Cosby.

Colin ignored his flippancy. "So you've been told before… Mr. Hawk, you have headaches, all the time. Sometimes a dull ache, sometimes full cluster-headaches. You also experience extremes of emotion that swing rapidly sometimes within minutes or even seconds, triggered even by relatively slight emotional stimuli."

Becca said nothing. She didn't need to. The sorrow in her brown eyes turned to worry as she looked to Hawk.

The symptoms couldn't be denied honestly. "The doctor on the _Aurora_ showed me a light show of my brain once. He said similar things," Hawk admitted.

While Hawk didn't say anything further, Becca was already thinking of the same thing. The brainwave infusion technology the Darglan had developed as a teaching tool. It was clear said tech was only meant to quickly teach basic information, allowing training to focus on advanced use of the concepts imparted, but Becca was well aware that Hawk and the others used it for more. And fairly often. She'd had two herself.

"As well he should have." Colin replied, concern evident in his voice. "If he hadn't tried, I would be making a formal complaint to the Alliance's medical licensing board. Mr. Hawk, will projecting an image into your mind trigger the nanites?"

"No," Becca answered, following several moments of silence.

"With your permission?" Colin asked, at this point he was treating James Hawk like a patient and not as a potentially hostile maniac. "I can show you perhaps a bit better than a ship's medical officer."

It was clear Hawk's initial reaction was refusal. But Becca prodded him mentally and he exchanged a look with her. Finally he rolled his eyes and nodded. "Fine. You can project images safely. Just don't try to override my visual senses, that might set off the failsafe."

"I won't. It'll be an overlay on your visual field, a bit like augmented reality. Additional stimuli, not a takeover." Colin said, and Hawk saw something that looked a lot like a hologram. Not of his brain, but as a diagram of his emotional regulation processes. Boxes were labeled as parts of his brain like 'prefrontal cortex', 'hypothalamus', and 'amygdala'. Each one had bands that crisscrossed back and forth between them. The part labeled as the prefrontal cortex looked like it was beaten to hell, and the outgoing ribbons looked frayed.

"This is the system that regulates your emotions. Emotions like fear and sadness are generated in the amygdala." The amygdala box flashed. "Rage in the hypothalamus. Other emotions are generated by both, and happiness…" Another little box labeled the precuneus flashed. "All of those are fine. The problem is, while they are generated there, the prefrontal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex regulate them, and those… those are being damaged, as are their outgoing projections into the rest of the brain. Without them functioning properly, your emotions run unchecked. The rest of your brain doesn't get the signal to calm down, to not be afraid, to not be angry, to let you function through sadness."

"And what does that have to do with a machine downloading information into my brain?" asked Hawk.

"If I had to guess, that machine is the cause. I'm no expert in Darglan tech, but presumably the _Aurora's_ doctor is." Colin shrugged. "I would defer to their judgement. What I can tell you is that whatever it is, this is progressive. It's not so bad that telepathic psychosurgery can't help. We can reroute around the damage and restore some function. But if you wait too long, the damage won't be reversible. I'm not saying it has to be me or anyone here if you don't trust me; but you should find a telepath you trust and who is skilled in those techniques. Soon."

"Huh." He glanced toward Becca.

"I'm not strong enough," she said. "I'm just a strong Tier 6. You'd need a Tier 9, probably a 10." For Colin's benefit she mentally glyphed a comparison of the Psi scale her world had used to his own. She was, to him, a strong P7 nearly to P8. T10s were P12 equivalent, 9s were P10 and P11, 8s were P9s and 7s P8s.

"Becca is right." Colin agreed. "It's delicate work that requires a lot of control and fine-scale resolution only particularly powerful telepaths can manage. You might be able to get away with a particularly skilled P9, on our scale. No one else will risk it if they have any professional and ethical judgement."

Hawk was silent. Instead of responding, he stood up. It was clear to both that he didn't want to hear this. That he was, in fact, terrified that they were right, as even now a severe headache was hammering away at him.

"James, he's not wrong," she said. "I can see enough. Every time you've used that machine…"

"We need to," he said. "You know why." With no further words, he walked away.

Colin was horrified. He'd just laid out how Hawk was slowly not just killing himself, but erasing his own ability to be a person, and Hawk had just...dismissed it like it didn't matter. Colin was ready to die for what he believed in, for the people he cared about, for twelve million others; but he wasn't willing to put who he was on a sacrificial altar. It was madness.

"He heard you," Becca said quietly. "And he is afraid you are right. But he doesn't want you to be. He…" She drew in a breath. "The Multiverse is full of injustice. He and the others fight to stop it. They want to avenge those harmed by the unjust. The infusions… they help us keep an edge over some of the more powerful forces we've been fighting."

"Becca, you're not going to help anyone if you destroy yourselves trying. Dying is one thing, but that… it's actively counterproductive. He's going to go off half-cocked like he did at Tira because he physically won't be able to do fact checking before flying off the handle. It's already started. He'll cause more injustice than he solves. If you're doing those infusions as well, you need to stop. Please. For your own sake if nothing else." Colin was completely earnest and visibly worried not just for the people of the multiverse, but Becca personally. It was written all over his face and his thoughts he wasn't bothering to shield.

She felt those thoughts and smiled sadly. Slowly tears formed in her eyes. "It is kind of you to worry about me. But I do not believe I deserve it." While keeping her mental blocks over the vital things, memories came to the surface. Memories of brutal battles, of shredding minds in self-defense, of telepaths she'd been forced to kill… and that horrible feeling that she didn't deserve to survive where so many of those she grew up with didn't.

P'seeing those memories, it was Colin's turn to weep. She'd been through what no living telepath had, except in transferred memories. How Max kept going with those he'd never know. He'd gotten Zara treated for things for survivors guilt, but that was still in the early stages before everything set in for her. There was one thing he did know with absolute certainty: Becca did deserve to live. Every telepath did.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of in living Becca. As I recall, it's the first unwritten commandment of Judaism. Live."

Her reply was a simple nod before she stood. She said nothing, glyphed nothing, but her intent was clear; to see more of this place, and to have a chance to think on what he'd said. Colin watched her go. He only hoped she'd take things under advisement.

 _Think she'll be okay?_ Gene asked from somewhere unseen.

 _I hope so. I'm afraid Mr. Hawk might just have doomed himself though._ Colin replied. 

* * *

The population of the re-colonized compound returned to their daily business as if they'd barely been interrupted. Robert walked along the footpaths of the compound and observed as they went about their work for the day. Some were busy refurbishing and restoring the old colonial buildings from the initial colony, others were putting up new structures using a combination of Earth and extrauniversal materials and practice. Since he was not an actual telepath Robert sensed their emotions, their feelings, more than their thoughts. Some were upset, some were simply getting on with things, and some… were actually enjoying themselves. He noticed one Indian woman in a Psi Corps suit with a sari who seemed rather happy with whatever duty was leading her to move along the footpath perpendicular to his. She noticed his attention and he nodded to her amiably. She nodded back with the same intent.

He continued on and nearly ran into a familiar-looking orb rushing through the air before turning a corner. It took him a moment to recognize it as similar to the one Lucy gave him for practicing deflection with his lightsaber. Moments later children ran up, giggling, in hot pursuit of the floating orb. As they passed, however, they all directed their attention to him, as if his presence was more interesting than their pursuit. He felt their curiosity acutely, and he certainly didn't need abilities to notice their eyes starting to focus on his belt and the lightsaber hilt dangling there. He felt a thought ripple through them and they ran on, eager to resume searching for their mechanical quarry. It was almost like a game of hide and seek mixed with tag, if one had a toy to do the hiding part.

 _Telepaths playing hide and seek… it must be completely different from how things worked back home_. Of course, living on a farm meant most games of hide and seek devolved to hiding in the barn or the house, maybe under a car. He thought of the time Susanna hid under the combine and freaked their parents out. A small, sad smile came to his face.

And then… he felt something peculiar. His head turned in time to see a jet-black bird that looked like it might be a common crow, and definitely not native fauna, perched on the roof of a house still under construction. The creature was staring at him intently. He focused ever so slightly and sensed a presence through the Flow of Life, intermeshed with the bird. Not like Colin's and Gene's essences had been, but rather as if someone were gently directing the bird remotely through a connection.

Of course, now that he'd sensed this control, it was easy to follow it back to the controller. He turned and walked down a different footpath, finding himself approaching one of the refurbished structures. It had a Psi Corps emblem on it marked with the words Cadre Administration and Classroom Support. Inside a man was looking over a digital reader, a lesson planner.

He turned from that building and approached the corner of the next, another house, feeling the essence of his watcher even as, yes, the bird was in flight and following him. He smiled and said, aloud, "I know you're there."

"Drat. Markus, you're not living up to your namesake… We need to work on your field-craft." came the high-pitched voice of a little girl as she stepped out from around the corner. She looked up at the crow who had since landed on a windowsill. "In fairness to you, Markus Wolf has big shoes to fill."

Her apparent age was hard to gauge, but she wasn't yet a teenager. Robert guessed at somewhere between ten and twelve, of Southeast Asian extraction with fine black hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a black turtleneck and a functional dress of black denim, but unlike many of the other children her age, wore black gloves in addition to the badge.

"Hi!" She greeted Robert cheerfully. "I'm Zara, you must be Captain Robert Dale, you seem saner than the other one."

"Well, I don't have a severe anger management problem, for one, although I am often told I have an unhealthy fixation on heroism," Robert answered, smiling. "So do you spy on people with crows for fun or…?"

"Yes and no. I mean, I do spy on people with crows for fun, but this time it's business. They didn't ask, but I figured my dads might want someone to keep an eye on you and make sure you didn't get into or cause any trouble."

"Ah. So you're an adopted daughter of Dr. Meier and Mr. Hendriks."

"Yep!" She confirmed "Last year they cleaned out a slaver ring on Omega VII. They found me. My biological parents…" she trailed off, leaving that part unspoken but Robert could feel the hurt and sense of betrayal even though she kept her actual thoughts locked behind mental barriers. "It took a few weeks for the Corps to arrange transport to Geneva and by then, well… I had new _better_ parents."

 _Both them, and the Corps. Objectively I came out ahead on that score..._

Robert got down on one knee, given their height difference. His eyes lowered. "I've seen that sort of thing enough in my life," he confessed, remembering every time he and his friends had found children held as slaves or captives for one reason or another.. "I'm sorry you went through that, and happy that you found something better. That's all I've ever really tried to do. Help people find something better."

"It's alright. It sucked then, and I mean really sucked, I was in therapy for a long time but in the end analysis I'm better off than I ever would have been otherwise. Well, except for the whole 'mundanes have engineered a telepath-killing virus to enslave us with dependence on the treatment' thing. That got put down with extreme prejudice, again, late last year." Zara's tone was that of a child, but underneath that, she was a kid but most emphatically not a child. It wasn't her intellect, which Robert could tell from her behavior and through the Flow of Life was razor sharp, but from life experiences that no one went through with their innocence intact.

Robert's brow furrowed at that. "Now that I didn't hear about."

"You wouldn't have. If that got spread widely the revolution would have kicked off last year. Every month of delay increases our readiness state and improves our odds."

"You know an awful lot about this for someone your age," Robert noted. "But I can see why." _Did Meier and Hendriks tell her this? Someone else? No… no, I think she figured it out for herself at first._ At least, that was what his senses were telling him. _She hasn't had a proper childhood at all. Not that I blame her Dads. Christ, things here are messed up._

"Your instincts are… accurate. My dads don't believe in withholding information from someone old enough to ask the question. Not unless their safety or that of others is at stake. Neither does my uncle. I… kinda forced my uncle's hand while I was still in Geneva. Figured out the broad strokes on my own."

Robert chuckled at that. "You are a bright girl. Although you can probably tell how much it disturbs me that you're not getting to enjoy anything like a normal childhood."

"Yeah…" She confirmed regretfully "It's funny, because I am still a kid. I still make-believe and do all the normal things. Granted the bedtime stories are a little bit different for me because I read at a collegiate level. But then, well..." She actually transitioned her facial expression into a thousand-yard stare intentionally "I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate…"

" _Blade Runner_ ," Robert said. "My friend Tom's favorite movie growing up." He smiled wryly. "Mostly, I think, because of the girl with the snake."

"I prefer _Scanners_ for fun, but _Blade Runner_ speaks to me and has better quotes. Though the sequel... it's almost too close to reality on an emotional level." Zara replied with a wan smile.

"I never saw the sequel. Actually, I don't even remember one coming out," Robert replied. "But it might not have happened on my Earth yet. It might never, now that the Multiverse is around…"

A bell started ringing nearby, drawing their attention. The direction was clearly from the school.

"Looks like Mrs. Saunders is ready for classes to start up again. Nothing cancels classes. _Nothing_." Zara declared, and she definitely approved of the dedication to education shown by the Education division. "I'll get you a copy of the _Blade Runner_ sequel, but before I go… Please don't let Earth find out about this place. EarthGov is corrupt enough that even if they don't come in force, someone will."

Robert couldn't help but feel the fear in that statement, and it was an earned one. He tried to give her reassurance with a small smile. "We're not exactly on the best of terms with EarthGov ourselves these days. Partly for the same reason the Corps' not happy with us, I admit. But you don't have to worry. I'll make sure of it."

"Thanks!" and there, the tone was definitely that of a happy kid. Zara turned to leave but as she did, she glanced back at Robert.

 _The Psi Corps isn't mad at the Alliance just… disappointed. We know your intentions are good you just... didn't get the full picture._ Zara paused inside her head. _I might have peaked at a white paper or four._

He gave a slight nod and watched her go. As she stepped into the classroom with other children, he quietly thought to himself. _There was more to this telepath issue than we thought… Bester, is this what drove you to be such a cold bastard? The weight of this? Or is it an excuse for you and those like you?_

Uncertain of the answer, Robert started walking again. Whatever the issue with the telepaths, he had another matter to deal with.

Hawk.


	83. Episode 3-15-3 A Certain Point of View

Not far from the entry gate of the Tau Atrea civilian compound, Hawk was sitting up on the wall and watching the compound return to normal. His helmet, formed by the nanites in his body, was gone. Those same nanites enhanced his eyesight and, at a command, formed augmented contact lenses over his eyes that let him see as if through a scope or a set of binoculars.

Everything about this place seemed legit. There wasn't even a jail from what he could tell. On deeper consideration that wasn't too surprising, since with two Psi Cops and everyone else a telepath, they could likely mentally program a criminal to stay put. _Or do something else to one…_

That was the one thing that creeped out Hawk the most about the entire concept of telepaths. The very idea of telepathy, the ability to enter minds, to take control of them, acted against the basic concept of individuality. Who could be an individual when your thoughts could be read and your mind altered against your will?

Not that it was fair to blame telepaths for this. They didn't ask to be born that way, and from what Hawk had seen so far, you couldn't exactly turn telepathy off. Not without screwing someone up. And that wasn't right. But, of course, that's precisely what the Earth's government - and populace - _did_.

The fact that the governments on Becca's home Earth were still mostly _worse_ … well, they'd have to do something about this Earth too, he supposed.

 _Why is this universe so full of bastards? The Feddies over in S5T3 might be naive idiots about a lot of things, and complete cowards with that precious Prime Directive of theirs, but at least they're mostly good people._

Granted, he'd thought the same thing about the Alliance, up until the Allied Systems started getting friendly with states like the Draconis Combine and the Clans. _When we're done here, we're really due for a visit to Clan space._ He amused himself with the thought of using their precious genetic material repositories as urinal cakes.

But that amusement faded. The anger came back. It always came back, as did those damn headaches. And then he got more angry as he thought about what Dr. Meier had said, and what it meant for himself and the people he cared for. For the entire cause they'd taken up.

While the anger simmered, he heard laughter and looked down. Children came running by, laughing and squealing, then briefly stopping to look up at him. The laughter stopped. They said nothing as they looked up at him in bewilderment.

"Why are you so angry?" a boy asked. Some of the other children gave him bewildered looks, as if he'd just broken a playground rule.

"Why the hell are you peeking in my head, kid?" Hawk retorted in challenge.

"I'm not peeking," the boy replied, his tone defensive. "We all feel it. You're just… angry. So angry our mental shields can't keep it out."

Hawk made a "hmph" at that. _At least the kid's probably not messing with my head… and if you hear this kids, don't even think about it. You'll just make things bad for everyone._ Aloud, he gave them an answer. "Because the world, the whole damned Multiverse, makes me angry."

"But you're a mundane," one of the other children, a girl, said. "What do you have to be angry about? You get to make the rules."

"Yeah, and most of the rules we 'mundanes' make are bullsh… are bad." Hawk forced himself to bite back the curse word. "So I make my own. I kill bad guys and help the people they hurt."

"Hey."

Hawk and the kids turned their heads to see the new arrival. Hawk sighed in resignation at the sight of his other "partner" on this mission. Robert walked up, looking like some ridiculous hermit out of a kung fu movie, with his long hair and bearded face and that ridiculous robe around armor that at least looked functional. He focused his attention on the kids. "A Mrs. Saunders is starting class. You might not want to be caught playing hooky."

The children acknowledged him and after a moment of mental coordination, they headed off to class.

Watching them go, Hawk smirked. "Let me guess. You were always that law-abiding Boy Scout who volunteered to be hall monitor and ensure everyone's being a good little boy or girl."

Robert looked up toward Hawk. Again his essence seemed permeated with anger. "I was never a Scout, actually," Robert said. "I preferred the farm."

"Ha. Farmboy." Hawk jumped down from the wall to face him.

The two men, from the moment they encountered each other, suspected this conversation was going to come. Now that it had, each was pondering what to say and how to say it.

"I was surprised," Robert admitted aloud, finally breaking the silence.

"At what?"

"You." Robert met Hawk's curious look with a contemplative one. "When Max shared those memories with us, I didn't expect that reaction from you. Real, genuine empathy for the suffering of others, from a man who seems devoted to violence and killing."

The anger in Hawk kicked up a notch. "I kill people who _deserve_ it," he insisted.

"Warmaster Shai'jhur shows otherwise," Robert replied. "You would have killed her right then and there if she hadn't been wearing an anti-disruptor mesh. And she didn't do anything to deserve that. You admit that yourself."

"Maybe if her girlfriend hadn't lied about what happened between them, I wouldn't have tried," Hawk retorted. "Kaveri Varma let everyone in Earthforce think Shai'jhur raped her, just to protect her career. And it nearly got her girlfriend killed."

"That excuse makes it feel easier, doesn't it?" Robert asked, his tone searching. His eyes locked onto Hawk's. "It makes it feel easier to deal with the fact you nearly killed an innocent woman, one trying to save her people from _genocide_ , because of your haste."

Unsurprisingly for someone with Hawk's passions, he responded to an attack with an attack. "And what kind of excuses do you use to make it easier, Dale? To excuse what you've become?"

"What I've become?" Robert asked. "Enlighten me."

"I guess that answers my question," Hawk said, sneering. "You and I apparently started out the same, but we're different. I'm still out there fighting to stop atrocities while you've become a Goddamned sell out."

Robert laughed at that. "A sell out? That's what you think of me?"

"Yeah. That's what I think," Hawk growled. "You're a damn sellout. You decided to become a part of the system. A good little soldier boy obeying the orders of politicians and bureaucrats instead of fighting the people who need to be fought. Hell, how many bad people get away with it because it's in your bosses' interest to let them off?"

"The Alliance isn't like that."

"Tell that to all of the worlds in the Clan Occupation Zone," Hawk hissed. "Tell that to the people on Turtle Bay who had their entire city vaped. Or all of the Rasalhaguans who had their country smashed into a pitiful little remnant by the Clans. You shouldn't have negotiated with the Clans, you should have _crushed them_. The Draconis Combine too! But instead you let them join your war and gave them more planets to conquer!"

"What were we supposed to do, go to war with them too?"

"You could have saved them for later!"

"What you're talking about is unending war," Robert said. "Nobody can just keep fighting like that. Nobody _sane_ anyway." The emphasis made clear just how little sanity Robert attributed Hawk with. "And I didn't see you fighting the Nazis, Hawk, so who are you to judge us for what we had to do in the war?"

"Goringwelt," replied Hawk, his tone harsh. "New Saxony. New Baden. Hesperus. Concentration and labor camps on all of them, and we hit them. We hit them _hard_."

Robert narrowed his eyes at that. He could recall reports from intelligence about attacks on those worlds, but he'd always imagined they were covert operations, either Alliance ops or from the Citadel Council races. That it was Hawk and his crew… "You're telling me you plunged into the heart of Reich space _on your own_? You _idiot_." He felt Hawk's anger grow at that and didn't care. "After New Austria the Reich kept fleet units near all of its critical systems. You idiots could've easily gotten yourselves overrun! You could have given them the IU drive, your tech…!"

"We're not idiots, Dale, we know what the hell we're doing!" Hawk pressed a finger to Robert's chest. "And at least we're doing it! We're dealing with the scum of the Multiverse. You? You're dealing with petty crap when you should be out there hunting the bad guys! Dealing with the pirates and the slavers and the war criminals!"

To Hawk's anger and surprise, the response of Robert was literally to laugh in his face. "What's so damn funny?!" he demanded as Robert continued to laugh.

"You are… Abe would call it _chutzpah_ ," Robert said, managing to get his laughter under control. " _You_ of all people are going to lecture me to start devoting all of my time to pursuing war criminals?"

"Someone should!"

"Fine!" Robert got up in his face and the smile disappeared. "Then I should start with _you_."

Hawk's nostrils flared at that.

"You heard me," Robert said, his face now contorted into an angry look. "If you're right, and I'm not doing enough to stop the, what did you call them, the 'bastards of the Multiverse', then I should start with the Butcher of Earth C1P2, James Hawk himself!" Robert felt his own anger increase, as he thought of that burning world, its wrecked cities, all of those plasma-burnt people in the _Aurora_ medbay. "James Hawk," he repeated. "The so-called commander of the vessel responsible for the killings of _millions_ of innocent civilians! Who scoured entire cities with plasma fire from orbit, incinerating men, women, and children! The man responsible for the _dozens_ of wars since, wars that have killed thousands, maybe millions _more_ on that poor planet!" Robert's voice picked up in volume as he spoke. "James Hawk, the war criminal with the blood of _millions_ on his hands, still at large in the Multiverse, still causing unknown amounts of havoc! Yes, maybe I should begin my rampage across the Multiverse by bringing him to justice, or simply striking him down as another ' _bastard of the Multiverse_ ' _who needs killing!_ "

As Robert's tirade continued, he felt Hawk's anger grow even as he vented his own, and this was not surprising.

What did surprise him was where that anger, formerly defiant fury, was flowing. He'd expected to be the source and target of that anger, given he was throwing Hawk's bloody sins in his self-righteous face.

But Hawk wasn't angry at Robert. He was angry at himself.

Indeed, as furious as that anger was flowing now, Robert felt he sensed the source of it, more clearly than ever before, and it wasn't some old wound that could never be healed, not a sense of being wronged that demanded to be righted. Not even the selfish need to justify his violent urges. What Robert felt instead… was _guilt_.

Deep, immeasurable _guilt_.

In that moment, the contradiction Robert had felt before was gone. There was no contradiction between Hawk's empathy and his violent rage. His empathy helped to fuel it, by presenting him with wrongs that needed to be righted, and which made him furious when they were not.

Including his own wrongs. His own perceived failures to prevent them. To prevent the deaths at Earth C1P2. To prevent the deaths that had left Rebekah bat Gurion so emotionally devastated. Wrongs that he could only repay by devoting himself to stopping other wrongs, at all costs.

While he was not a telepath that could sense the memories of others as a physical sense, through the Flow of Life Robert could sometimes feel the memories of others, if they were powerful enough, focal enough, to that being, or if he were connected to them in some way. At this moment, his understanding of Hawk provided that necessary connection.

He could see Hawk rising from his bed, confusion turning to horror as he looked out the window of his quarters… and beheld the sapphire fury of the _Avenger_ 's weapons scouring the Earth. He could feel the desperation that fueled Hawk's race through the halls of his ship and to the lift. His arrival in the secondary bridge, deep in the _Avenger_ 's heart, the locked door that required precious minutes to hack through with his nanites. The sight of another man his age, someone he considered a friend, a member of his family, hunched over the tactical console, face full of hideous rage as his fingers triggered the targeting systems and firing mechanism again and again. He could feel the impact of Hawk's fist on Andy's face, knocking him away from the controls, ending the killing, the words they shared...

" _What the Hell, Andy?! What have you done?!_ "

" _They were never going to listen! They were mocking us! And now they're dead! Every one of those imperialist, racist, bigoted bastards is dead!_ "

" _Christ, Andy, how many people did you just kill?!_ "

There was no answer to that, just Andy's wide, contented smile at a job he considered well done. Defiant at even his friend's horror for his actions.

"Get out of my head," Hawk demanded, his voice lacking the heat from before. Now he just sounded… tired.

Robert returned his focus to the here and now. He took in a breath, stunned by what he'd just seen. Hawk knew he'd seen it too. "It wasn't you," Robert said softly. "You… you weren't responsible."

"I was," Hawk answered hoarsely. "My ship. My friends. My cause."

"Andy Luttrell is the man responsible," Robert said in disagreement. He recalled the man's face from the Tira Crisis materials. Andy had been the member of the _Avenger_ crew sent to the Minbari Warcruiser _Orsala_ for the fake negotiations. According to the notes he'd behaved like a fanatic more than a talker. "Why…"

"We gave an ultimatum to the governments of that Earth," Hawk said. "No more slavery. No more empires. No more autocracies. No more bigotry over racial or gender or sexual differences."

"They'd never go for it," Robert said. "You were demanding they dismantle their entire world, to change the very way they thought. Even the people we rescued from that world took months, sometimes years, to accept our way of thinking, especially toward LGBT people. I think some still haven't."

"They could change the laws. It'd be a start." Hawk's eyes grew distant. "Although I wish we'd never gone to that planet."

"Why did he…?"

"He was impatient. And they were dragging their feet. One of them got a little mocking, insulting. Andy lost it."

"He's the one." Robert shook his head. "My God, Hawk, he… what did you do about it?"

"What I could. I made sure he'll never do it again. He's banned from tactical control. The weapons won't work for him anymore."

Robert almost laughed in sheer incomprehension. "For that… Hawk, he butchered _millions of people_. You're telling me his punishment for that is to _lose his job_?!"

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Hawk demanded.

"Turn him in!" Robert answered. "Surrender him to the Alliance along with the records proving his actions! Give testimony!"

"So you can throw him in a prison cell?!"

"So he can stand trial! So justice can be done!"

" _I'm responsible!_ " Hawk roared. Robert saw tears of frustration glisten in his eyes. " _I brought him along!_ Andy, he… he didn't even want to _hold a gun_ when we started. He didn't have a violent bone in his body! I pushed him into it, insisted it had to happen, and… and then…" Hawk stopped and, for a moment, a sob escaped from him before he could hold it back. "I ruined him," Hawk confessed, tears streaming down his eyes. "He shouldn't be punished for what I turned him into."

"Someone has to answer," Robert insisted. "Someone has to answer for what happened."

Just as he finished speaking, Robert felt the shift inside Hawk. Perhaps he'd pushed Hawk far enough, or perhaps it was Hawk's way to escape the feelings of guilt within him. Either way his anger built back up, and this time it turned external. He glared his eyes toward Robert and demanded, "And when are _you_ going to answer, Dale?"

"For?"

"Well, for starters, your bungling started a war with the Nazis before your Alliance was ready," Hawk said accusingly. "Yeah, I know about 33LA. That was on your head. How many people died because the Alliance wasn't ready to fight the Reich?"

The honest answer was that Robert didn't know. He couldn't. There was, even now, uncertainty about whether 33LA provoked the Nazis to strike at Krellan Nebula when they did. If they'd planned something longer-term, even a month would have meant more Alliance ships ready to fight. Thousands of civilians and ship crew would still be alive.

"Right. I thought so," said Hawk. "And are you going to always use the Nazis as an excuse for why you're hooking up with people like the _Goddamned Clans_. The people behind the bombardment of Edo on Turtle Bay, who consider civilians and prisoners-of-war as, what do they call it again? _Bondsmen_ , right. But let's face it, the proper word is _slave_." Hawk's eyes flared angrily. "How can you justify working with people like that?! They're little better than Nazis themselves!"

"The Nazis were the greater threat," Robert said. "As it was, we barely defeated them in time to keep them from acquiring the IU drive!"

"Maybe they wouldn't have gotten so close if you hadn't bungled everything from the start! And I'm sure that's a real Goddamned comfort to the civilians having those damn bondcords wrapped around their wrists! You should be telling the Clans hands off! Hell, don't tell them crap, put the eugenicist bastards down!"

"So that's what you want? Another war?!"

"I'd rather fight than be a Goddamned appeaser! You don't compromise with people like that! _You_ ** _kill_** _them!_ "

"And where do you draw the line, Hawk?!"

"Anyone who turns people into slaves! Anyone who harms others!" Hawk raged. Robert felt the full force of Hawk's anger, his need to lash out against those he judged evil, and felt a horror at how unbalanced it was. "You should be going after them. You've got the fleet to wreck the Clans completely, do it! Pulverize their ships and wreck their walking tanks from orbit. Liberate the people of Tamar and Rasalhague, of all the worlds that they've put the boot on!"

"And I suppose you think we should attack the Cardassians too, and the Dominion?!" Robert yelled back. "And NEUROM and the Bragulans and the Draconians…!"

"Yes, dammit! Gather your allies and go after the states that abuse and enslave!"

"You're talking about a Multiverse constantly at war!" Robert retorted. "Constant bloodshed! Never-ending, never-ceasing! You can't fight wars that long, not without corrupting everything else! You're a lunatic if you think you can keep fighting forever!"

"And you're a hypocritical Goddamned coward," Hawk shot back. "Playing hero, but it's just playacting. You won't go out and devote yourself to the fight against evil. Because that's what you should be doing! Find evil and stop it! Find the people causing massacres and slavery and misery, and _put them down_. That's the only thing you should be worried about!"

"There's more to existence than violence and killing, dammit!" Robert felt his head hurt and tried to contain the anger he felt building inside of him. Whether it was some kind of sympathetic reaction to Hawk's anger and pain or simply his frustrations with the man, Robert wasn't sure. "When will you understand that? Look at what you did with the Darglans' legacy, Hawk! They created that technology to explore the wonders of the Multiverse! They acted to guide species, to protect them, they even transplanted them to other worlds to give them a chance to survive! They didn't destroy, they _built_." He waved his arm around the compound. "This is what you should be doing! Build homes for people to have better lives! Build communities! That's what I learned from my Facility, and look at what we've accomplished. New Liberty has a population of over four hundred thousand beings now, and it's just five years old! The Alliance is one of the most powerful governments in the Multiverse, respected for standing for the rights of sentient beings everywhere, and it's even younger than that!" Before Hawk could protest the needs of politics, Robert added, "Yes, it's not perfect. People disagree. And sometimes compromise means we have to pick our fights and deal with people we'd rather not, but just by _existing_ , we can show people a better path. Including our enemies."

"And yet people are still suffering," Hawk spat back. "While you build your Alliance, entire worlds are being enslaved. People are being slaughtered. Even as we're speaking here, somewhere in the Multiverse someone is being abused, someone is suffering, someone is dying, and they've got nobody to stand up for them! Nobody to save them. _Except me!_ "

A part of Robert wanted to laugh at the irony. "Hawk, I used to think that way," he said. "That I couldn't stop, couldn't rest, because someone somewhere was suffering and I had to save them. I spent the first months with the Facility running non-stop, trying to save everyone. All it got me were the deaths of good people and a ship in need of repair. You have to accept that we're just human, Hawk. Mortal human beings. For our own sanity, we _have_ to stop sometime, we have to care for ourselves, or we'll go _mad_ , and then we'll help _nobody_."

Hawk simply frowned at him, but he didn't seem to have words. He'd spoken everything he intended to.

"And whatever else, Hawk, your methods are counter-productive to your aims. You're not going to make things better by just rushing in and killing things, it's not that easy! And you won't help anyone becoming this… this brain-damaged rage monster you've become!"

"Brain damaged? More of that?" Hawk guffawed, though Robert sensed that was more bravado than conviction.

"Yes, more of that, because it's the damned truth!" Robert insisted. "You and your friends are overusing the infusers. You're downloading too much information into your mind too frequently! _You're killing yourselves, Hawk!_ For God's sake, man, stop and think! Stop pushing your crusade at the expense of everything else!"

There was a silence from Hawk, a change from the usual instinctive retorts fueled by his anger. Robert realized he was coming to accept the warnings. But yet… he sensed no intent to cease. "I can't stop," Hawk insisted. "We can't."

"You _have to_ ," Robert pleaded. "If you keep going this way, whatever good you've done, it'll be for nothing."

Robert knew immediately that the plea hadn't worked. He felt Hawk's mind shift back toward anger, not quite as strongly as before. "Ah, to hell with it." Hawk made a frustrated gesture by lifting his arms and dropping them. "I'm going to find Becca, then we're out of here. And don't worry about me leaking this place, Dale," Hawk added. "I don't work with EarthGov. As far as I'm concerned, EarthDome will make good target practice if they push it. I won't betray the compound so long as they don't start storing prisoners here." He glanced back briefly. "Truce is still on, by the way. I'll leave you alone until we're both out of the system, but afterward, if you get in my way, all bets are off."

Robert felt him go. A part of him wondered still if he shouldn't have agreed to such a truce. How much more damage would Hawk do in the name of killing "bad guys"? By not stopping him here, had Robert guaranteed another Earth C1P2?

The whole thing made him feel unsettled.

Worse, it gave him a Goddamn headache.

* * *

The 5 and 6 year-olds were released from their classes for playtime. They retrieved the anti-grav orb from where it was left by the older kids and activated it. The children were so enthralled by the resulting chase that they paid little heed to Becca watching them from the distance, smiling despite the ache she felt. Such a toy hadn't existed when she was a child, not on her Earth, but there had been similar games among the children of the _kibbutz_. They'd continued playing them even after their relocation to northern England. Until she was sent to the military school...

Thinking of her lost childhood was painful. Of those she had lost, that was a pain she endured every day.

Becca heard another set of footsteps, these somewhat more tentative than Colin's sure strides, older. Then an older voice spoke in an accent that was almost German-cast Hebrew and when he spoke, it was in that language.

 _"Let their memory be a blessing."_ Max said in consoling tones.

She looked to the older man. " _Shabbat shalom_ ," she said in respect, recalling how Max had earlier greeted Captain Dale. Genuine respect filled her voice at this gentleman, who had taken such a terrible burden upon himself. "An interesting choice of words, Mister Cohen. You and I both know memories that are far from blessings."

Max chuckled a bit at that. "It depends on your perspective I think. Carrying their lives with me allows me to… I don't know how to describe it… " He paused thinking about it. "So long as their memories live in me, are they really that dead? Can I not show them the beginnings of a better future, and that their suffering ultimately had meaning? It may be a bit different for you, but I've carried them almost forty years. I get maudlin about it in my dotage."

The idea of living that long with her memories was bitter for Becca. So many of those she loved growing up didn't have that choice. So many…

"What happened?" Max asked "You don't have to share, but it seems like something you might need to talk about."

Becca sighed and sat on the nearby bench. She didn't want to talk about it, but since the memories were there anyway, she let them through her blocks. Her Earth had seen a terrible Third World War. The response, in the end, was the formation of United Earth, an attempt to "get right" what the prior World Wars had failed. But United Earth was a struggling concept. The discovery of telepaths helped destroy it from the inability of the government to deal with the panic caused.

The world fell into three camps. The side who were the most anti-telepath were the Dissolutionists, opponents of the entire idea of the global government. Their hostility to telepaths was palpable, to the extent that the leadership were openly supportive of telepath extermination. The other side of the war, Restorationists, were willing to grant some civil rights… but coupled with conscription, and the broad attitude that telepaths were weapons of the state.

Israel, a Reformist state with telepath civil rights, was invaded by the Dissolutionists. Her parents and two-thirds of Israel's telepaths were outright slaughtered by the enemy. Her last memory of the telepath _kibbutz_ was of sitting in the evac hopper, watching the burning fields and homes after the bombers hit. From there it was England and a refugee camp, then English telepaths as foster parents. And then at age 11, it was off to the Continent for military training camp…

Sensing an instinctive revulsion from Max at the idea, Becca glyphed agreement, coupled with a thought. _To the global government, we were weapons foremost. We would fight and die and they would not allow us to be subjected to hate crimes_.

To Max, that attitude among mundanes was all too familiar, because the Earth Alliance was largely similar. The only difference was the existence of the Psi Corps that let telepaths form their own community, and the use of most telepaths in commercial applications. The Earth Alliance had still conscripted telepaths to fight in their wars, without any civil rights guarantees or protections. And when the Minbari War happened, being left off the evacuation lottery. Mercifully, the Minbari ceased their attack before orbital bombardment.

 _It…could have been worse._ He thought. Not about her world, but his own.

Having felt his thoughts, Becca agreed. _I was made a psi-hunter at 14. I was a strong T6 and they were needed. The Dissolutionists… they exploited the refugees to slip suicide psi-bombers into other countries. In Dissolutionist-held territory, the only way to avoid execution for a telepath and their family was to become one. To go into another nation and slaughter people in a public terrorist attack using their minds. If they didn't die of a stroke first from the drugs to enhance their powers for the attack._

Just thinking about that caused Max pain, deep in his soul. It was an offense against everything he believed in, everything he was, everything his God commanded and all that was good in the world. It was an abomination, and the idea that his branch of their people could have suffered that same fate without contact with the Centauri shook him to the core.

 _I was fifteen years old when I killed my first psi-bomber_ , Becca confided. Memories flooded through her blocks. The girl had been a Taureg two years younger than her, a T5 telepath taught to kill to save her family. Max saw more faces, some generic, barely remembered, others with crystal clarity, twenty in all.

Then came the army and combat service. Automated drones raining rockets down, tanks roaring across fields, chemical and electromagnetic firearms spitting their lethal bits of metal with enough force and speed to mutilate and demolish a human body. The dying minds crying out for their mothers, begging to live, the continuous mindscreams all around her, telepath and non-telepath alike.

Max shuddered. He had plenty of memories of combat, some of them brutal, but none of it was modern or even modern-approaching warfare. The mental screams of the wounded and dying would wreak havoc for a telepath.

There was some happiness to be found. At twenty-two she'd been a founding member of an all-telepath regiment. Telepaths from across Europe and Russia and parts of North America, plus refugees from the other parts of the world. Many of the surviving members of her _kibbutz_ were in her platoon: childhood friends like Avital and Moshe and Haim and Sara. They combined infantry tactics with telepathic capabilities, and won many victories, although all were painful from those lost in the fighting. At least she had the bonds from outside of combat, when the unit was alone in the barracks or field camps, and all of their blocks came down.

That happiness ended in the ruins of the Turkish city of Zonguldak. Their own side used them as a distraction, knowing how much the enemy wanted them destroyed. They fought for weeks, cut off, isolated, scrounging for supplies on the ruined Black Sea coast. Hoppers and boats got only a few out; for the rest it was death or captivity when they were inevitably overrun without any help from high command. They were sacrificed to enable a successful offensive elsewhere. They were, after all, weapons in the cause of restoring United Earth. A few hundred dead and captured telepaths was a small price to pay to crush thousands of enemy soldiers elsewhere.

She remembered the savage beatings. The petty acts of torture. And the drugs. _The drugs_.

They took away the world. Everything became flat and colorless. Food tasted like ash. It was like living death. It was enough to make someone wish to just die, but your body could barely move. She remembered endless days on the hard concrete slab of her confined cell, unable to move, unable to _think_. She could barely remember seeing the others taken. Moshe, then Haim, Avital, Deborah...

That clinched it for Max. He'd been wondering exactly how there were human telepaths in a universe without the Vorlons, but somehow someone had gotten their hands on the genes necessary and created telepaths elsewhere, it wasn't something independent. If the Sleepers worked, the physiology was the same; and he knew what Sleepers were like, he had his own memories of them, especially the early-versions that didn't even let a telepath kill themselves to escape because they were literally too sick to do so. He shook, in grief and anger vibrating in place. He wanted to take the fleet and lead it across the gulf of space and time and liberate his people - and he did consider her people to be his - from that nightmare. But he couldn't.

 _Thank you_ was her response to that sentiment. And then the images continued. One by one, her comrades were being taken. Their guards occasionally laughed about it. It was an open secret that they were being taken to be subjects for researchers looking for the "cure", a way to permanently shut down the unique brain structures in a telepath. The enemy wouldn't care if it left the telepath alive or dead, they simply wanted telepaths eliminated, as a threat to the minds of the "normal" humans. Those sent to the labs never returned.

There was a change. A young man half her age was assigned to inject the drugs weekly. His name was Abdullah, a Palestinian boy conscripted for camp duty. For the first month he obeyed, watched by an overseer. Then the day came when he entered alone and triggered the injector before sticking the needle in. He carefully sopped up the hated drugs with a napkin which he flushed down her commode. The days passed and her senses improved, her health as well, but she made sure to continue to act sick. To not let the enemy suspect.

The next week he returned. Again he injected the poison on her arm instead of in it. She'd regained enough strength to ask "Why?" To her surprise, his reply was a glyph. Solidarity. Sympathy. Abdullah was a telepath hiding his talents to avoid being sent as a psi-bomber.

 _The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father_ was the only thing Max could think of to say, it meant largely the same thing and he made sure that Becca grasped it's full meaning. Then he thought of something else because he had an idea what was coming. _Let his memory be a blessing._

She swallowed in reply. The tears already flowing were joined by a sniffle and a low sob as the thought of what Max meant filled her. She thought back to the camp. Mimicking sickness, which was not hard as she distantly felt her fellows suffering under the drugs. She was the only telepath he could spare; the camera angle for her cell was the only one that let him do so. For two weeks she yearned for the day he came to pretend to inject her, if only to connect to Abdullah's mind, to share his memories, his love for his parents and smaller siblings, two of whom were also manifesting telepathy. He was scared for them. It was why he didn't dare risk sparing the others. And she, selfishly, still wanted him to come by, even if it meant the continued suffering of her comrades.

Then he came two days early, in a panic. Enemy forces were rumored near. The camp leadership was evacuating and there were rumors that the camp would be destroyed and the prisoners slaughtered. Abdullah opened her cell and bade her to run while he distracted the guards. She didn't want to. The others were still there… but they had the drugs in their bodies. They wouldn't be able to move. Abdullah swore he would protect them as much as he could, that he knew where to get the counter-agent that had to be used in the experiments. He glyphed his desire to save at least one fellow telepath, so he could face divine judgement without flinching.

And so Becca ran. In the chaos of the camp and with her abilities her escape went undetected. She ran for the nearby hills, rushing up and up, her body straining, her stomach growling in hunger, muscles protesting, trying _to get away_ , praying Abdullah and the others made it.

It was as she topped a hill over the camp that she heard the roar. She looked up in time to see the drone ships. She watched the bombs fall. Incendiaries, which smothered the camp in burning chemicals. Even from the distance she could feel Abdullah's mind, his screams of agony as the fires claimed everything and everyone in the camp, friend and enemy alike. She felt them all _burn_ , burn alive, and heard their mindscreams as they were consumed. And that horrible door again, open and shut and open and shut _over and over again_. Finally she _screamed_ …

And Becca did scream. The pain of the memory was too much. She wailed at it, drawing the attention of passing residents.

Max couldn't stop himself even if he wanted to, as he cried with her he wrapped her in a comforting hug and wept with her, projecting love and warmth into her mind, and everyone in line of sight did the same. They didn't need to know why, only that she was in pain and deserved nothing less.

Becca's blocks melted away. It had been so long since she felt such warmth from other minds. Not since the days before Zonguldak, the last time the regiment was together in peace. Now she couldn't resist it. She let that unconditional love and warmth fill her, let it begin to push away the horrible memories, to suppress the pain…

...and then, in a panic, she pushed it all away, as she felt the nanites begin to trigger. _The failsafe!_ Silver material flowed from her wrists and ankles for a second, nearly enveloping her limbs before stopping at her assertion of self-control.

Max and the others broke off mental contact immediately, not wanting to risk themselves to that, but also not wanting Becca to have to live with the consequences of that failsafe triggering by accident. But Max didn't let her go either. "Save one life, and you save an entire world… I never thought it would be so literal Becca. I know it doesn't feel like it, but He saved you for a reason. I don't know what, but it wasn't random." He couldn't help but think about what the name Abdullah meant in Arabic, literally 'servant of God'. It smacked him in the face. Colin and Gene both would say it was a coincidence and that it's a common name, but he didn't buy that.

She heard his words. She understood what he was saying. But it didn't work. She knew in her heart she should have died that day. She had the blood of fellow telepaths on her hands, and she'd killed so many, telepath and non-telepath, even banals ( _Mundanes_ was the definition for Max)… why should she get to live? Why didn't Abdullah live? Or sweet Avital?

There was the sound of running footsteps. Becca and Max turned to see Hawk running toward them. She noticed he was tense, felt readiness in his anger, and jumped up from the bench. "It's fine!" she insisted, loudly.

"I got a warning," he said. "Your failsafe activated. Did they…?!"

She shook her head. "They were… they were trying to make me feel better, James, that's all. They were filling my mind with affection and love and suppressing my emotional pain. The nanites registered it as an attempt to alter my brain and triggered. But it's fine, everything is fine."

There was a suspicious look in Hawk's face as he glared toward Max for a moment. But he stopped. "I think it's time to go," he said to her. "The mission is accomplished."

"You don't have to go Becca, you know that. You've seen enough death, you deserve to have a life." Max said.

The sad look Becca gave him was enough to tell Max she didn't agree. Even if she longed for that kind of contact again, she didn't believe him on deserving it.

"A lot of people deserve to have a life," said Hawk. There was a challenging tone to his voice. "Including the people in all of those re-education camps your Corps runs. But you didn't seem so worried about whether the telepaths kept on Sirius Major were happy or had good lives."

"We don't run them." Max said in a hard tone. "We're just held at population-scale gunpoint and forced to provide security. Remember that the next time you start slaughtering people. Not all of them are in your path by choice. Sometimes their families are held hostage. Are you going to start going after our ships and marine corps because the mundanes feed you a line of bull like the Drazi did at Tira as well?"

"James, please…"

Hawk was frowning, and he clenched his jaw. Max had indeed scored a point by referencing Tira, and on a sore spot. He had no argument on that. But she could tell he was still suspicious of the Corps, of whether it would lead to telepath liberation, or continue to force all telepaths to toe the line. "We'll see how this little revolution of yours goes," he said. "You people stay righteous, you give telepaths a choice, and you won't have problems from me." His eyes met Becca's again. "Let's go, Becca. We have work elsewhere." He started to walk away. Becca moved to follow.

 _I have to ask Becca, why are you working with him of all people?_ Max asked.

Becca stopped and turned back to Max. She gave him a sad look. And then she showed him the memories, painful as they were. Of her after the fire-bombing, so damaged by the stress of experiencing the horrific deaths below that she nearly shut down. She stumbled away.

Then pain shot through her leg from the slug that ripped through her femur, shattering the bone. She screamed and fell. Enemy soldiers approached, vicious, hateful. One kicked her in the face, shrieking "Witch!" Another kicked her in the stomach. They debated on what to do to her, to kill or drag her away to another camp, more drugs, experimentation, and considered what they might do to her either way. The filthy, terrible fantasies a few had regarding her, the desire to violate and degrade.

And then one vanished in a cloud of blue. The others turned as more bolts came from nothingness, vaporizing the patrol one soldier at a time. The leader turned toward her and leveled his gun, intent on killing her. She saw the hate in his eyes, the barrel of his gun pointed toward her forehead, closed her eyes and waited for the merciful end… and then the sound of flesh being ripped, a shriek of pain, and hot blood on her face. When she opened her eyes her would-be killer stood over her with a silver spike sticking through his throat, thrown by the unseen attacker. The enemy collapsed, dead, joined by the last of his comrades in the following seconds. A presence approached, a man rippled into view before her...

"Are you okay?" asked (and thought) James Hawk. Anger and guilt from his mind echoed in hers. She knew he'd come to save the camp, but had come too late. He blamed himself just as she blamed herself.

He took her away then. To his ship, to the medical technology beyond anything she could imagine, the medical nanites that rebuilt her shattered bone, the replicators that seemed to make nourishing food and drink from thin air. Some other telepaths were there, freed from the camps and eager to go home. They did.

But Becca didn't. She stayed on the _Avenger_ and watched as Hawk ended that brutal war in a night, as the Dissolutionist armies and navies and air forces fell to the weapons of the Darglan-built battlecruiser, as the war criminals who had each butchered hundreds, thousands of innocent people - including telepaths - met their deaths at the hands of Hawk and his friends. All of those she lost, avenged by the man who saved her life.

If she truly deserved to live, this was how she would prove it. She would fight at his side. She would serve his cause however he asked. She would tear through the minds of slavers and pirates and war criminals to learn their secrets. She would volunteer to have the information she needed to serve downloaded into her brain, whatever headaches it might cause. She would, in the end, agree to become one of his agents, to have her body augmented with the Darglan combat nanites.

It was the least she could do for the man who saved her life and stopped that horrible war.

Max sighed and lowered his head, shaking it. He understood, even if he thought she didn't need to prove she deserved life. _Alright. I get it. But...if it ever gets to be too much, if your conscience can't bear it anymore. You'll always have a home to come back to, provided we survive the next couple of years._

Becca's reply was a glyph of hope that they did survive, and gratitude for the offer. But there was no sense it was one she intended to take up. With a nod of her head, Becca turned and followed Hawk down the footpath and out of sight. 

* * *

With his headache and the general frustration caused by Hawk's inability to see past his own anger, Robert needed a quiet place to re-center himself. He found it at the far corner of the courtyard in what looked like the storage room for the nearby machine shop. After setting his backpack down near the door he found a space in the side of the room and sat down, crossing his legs and setting his hands on his knees, his robe settled behind him so that he could stand easily if he needed to. Once he was in position, he closed his eyes and settled his thoughts. He pushed away his own anger and irritation at the encounter and focused on the warm energy inside of him. The energy of his _swevyra_ , his life, and of the Flow of Life he could feel through it.

The life of this place was not like that of a city, it lacked the numbers, but it was no worse than being on a ship. The Flow moved freely here and its golden warmth soothed the frustration he felt from the encounter with Hawk. It was invigorating to simply immerse his thoughts into it and enjoy the warm feelings in this place.

He lost track of the time in this state. So he wasn't sure how long he'd been meditating when he felt presences around him. Curious, eager thoughts and feelings. It wasn't hard to figure them out, especially when one of the presences was newly familiar. Without opening his eyes he said, "I can sense you, you know." He opened his eyes a moment later.

"He's friendly, I promise." Zara said encouragingly to three other younger kids, one girl and two younger boys. Robert recognized them from the group he'd seen playing hide and seek earlier in the day. One of them, a little brown-haired blue-eyed boy of around eight years old had a question he couldn't contain anymore.

"What are you? You're not a mundane, but… you're not a telepath either?" he said

"There's no word in any Human language I know that fits with the term typically used for what I am," Robert replied. "The closest would probably be 'life force user'. My name is Robert. Your's?" His voice remained gentle. He sensed a slight trace of anxiety, save in Zara, but it was the kind many kids would feel toward a stranger.

"Lucas. Lucas Dixon."

Another one of them, the little girl who was a little younger and of middle eastern stock piped up. "Husn Mira."

"And I'm Maina Botha." said the last one who was of African descent.

Robert nodded. _Lucas, Husn, Maina_ , he thought back, knowing the children would p'hear him.

"Huh. So you're a wizard?" Lucas asked, while the others looked over at him like he'd said something insane but they weren't sure the question was totally off-base.

Robert chuckled at that. "I saw it like that myself when I first witnessed it being used. I suppose there's some justice in the title, but no, we generally don't use it. The Gersallians would use the word _swevyra'se_." Years of practice had made the pronunciation as close to the proper term as he'd ever get.

"Swev-ee-ra-say…" Husn sounded it out.

"If you don't want to go around tongue-twisting yourselves trying to pronounce Gersallian, their choice for translating _swevyra'se_ once they knew of English is 'Knight of Life'."

"It's pretty easy compared to Arabic... So, how does it work?" Husn followed up on the explanation.

 _Or French_ Lucas mentally added.

 _Ich spreche auch Deutsch_ , Robert responded. After that he turned his attention to Husn's question. "There are individuals across the Multiverse who have a… special connection to the universe or cosmos, whichever you prefer," Robert explained. "The Gersallians refer to this as having _swevyra_ , or rather a connected _swevyra_. It means one's life energies are linked to the world and universe around them. We can sense the Flow of Life that moves through all things, binding all life together."

"That almost sounds like something the Minbari might say." Maina remarked "They believe that the universe itself is almost conscious and that life is the universe trying to know itself."

"That's entirely possible." Robert thought back, briefly, to his time in the coma, and the world the Flow of Life had constructed around his mind to save him from the Time Vortex's maddening effects.

"You've been through... a lot of weird, haven't you?" Maina asked.

"He travels between universes. One is weird enough. Imagine lots." Lucas replied.

"I have seen quite a few weird things, yes," Robert said. "And being a space traveler was something I never imagined growing up. My Earth is only in the first decades of the 21st Century. When I was growing up just making orbit was a feat, and it was a big deal that a small space station was being put into orbit. Interuniversal jump drives, warp drive, hyperspace engines… that was all something for science fiction." _I'm basically living a science fiction series now_.

"Are you are least Genre Savvy?" Zara asked with a wry grin.

"Well, I know better than to challenge the harmless looking old man if I meet one, at least," Robert replied, smiling.

Everyone but Zara giggled, she belly-laughed. They'd all seen those, though mostly in fantasy stories.

"So, you don't carry a gun? Not even the Psi Cops go anywhere without a backup weapon." Maina asked Robert.

"I used to carry guns, but with my abilities, this is more useful," Robert explained, taking his lightsaber from its place on his belt. "It's based on an old Gersallian weapon from thousands of years ago, during the last interuniversal era when the Darglan were exploring. The method to build them was rediscovered by my friend Lucy. She calls it a lightsaber."

"Is that like, some kind of laser-sword?" Lucas asked "Or is it plasma?"

"Does it go on forever when activated?" Maina added

"How do you not dry-roast yourself?" Husn brought up the rear of the inquisitiveness train.

"It's… basically a light beam with an inflection point," Robert replied. "Or so Lucy said when I asked. But she's more technically minded than I am, so I'm not sure why I don't dry-roast myself."

 _The math describing the physics has got to be interesting…_ Zara thought.

"Coooool" was the collective response. All of them were happy that there were still mysteries in the universe, because he had a laser that curved in on itself and that shouldn't be possible but apparently was. Lucas was about to ask him to activate it but Husn had another question and beat him to it.

"Are the armor and robes some sort of uniform? I know we have armored uniforms now."

"They're not a conventional Alliance uniform," he answered, returning his weapon to its place. "The armor is based on the armor used by the Order of Swenya's Knights, and the robes were a gift to me from _Mastrash_ Kilaba, the abbess of one of their monasteries."

Robert felt the children instinctively recoil from the Order's name. "The Order of Swenya? We've heard of them. They take telepaths out of Earth Alliance space. You're not here to take us, are you?" Lucas asked, eyeing Robert but carefully suspending judgement.

 _Ah, here we go. And here I thought I'd be having this conversation with Zara's dads_. Robert felt the caution in Lucas and went for a reassuring look. "Do you want me to?" he asked calmly.

"NO!" _NO!_ From all of them.

There was real ferocity in that response. Robert refrained from matching it, instead only shaking his head. "Then I won't." He gave them each a gentle look and made sure they understood his sincerity. "What I want, and what the Order wants, is to make sure all telepaths get to have a choice. If you choose the Corps, that's fine. We just think it should be _your_ choice, not anyone else's."

"Why would we want to leave our Mother and Father? That doesn't make any sense." Husn asked, gobstruck by the notion.

"Well, they should have the choice too," Robert answered. The three younger children raised eyebrows at him like he'd just said that circles had right angles.

"I think you're confused." Lucas said in a voice that almost sounded patronizing. "The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father."

Robert blinked at that. "Is that how you see it? That's…" He considered his thoughts on it. There was something… almost cultish about the use of the term. Authoritarian. The kind of thing you'd use to alienate new members, especially children, from their families. Thoughts of David Koresh and the like came to mind through word and idea association. He couldn't keep the discomfort at these thoughts from his head, so he knew it was obvious to them. "As you can sense, I find it too much like cults I've heard and read about during my life. But maybe I'm just not understanding something about it at the moment."

"Yeah. You're confused." Lucas replied, nodding sagely, but he was having a hard time putting it into words and looked up at Zara for help.

"Mother and Father, Mom and Dad, they don't mean the same thing like they do to mundanes." Zara said. "The Psi Corps teaches us, feeds us, and protects us. Like parents are _supposed_ to do." That last part was bitter again. "Mom and Dad, or in my case Dads, when we have them because sometimes we don't, do the supportive nurturing things." Lucas, Husn, and Maina nodded in agreement.

"I see." Robert nodded. A shielded thought considered how much was Column A and how much was Column B, between Zara's view and what he'd thought. _It probably depends on the internal issues… or Earth. I'm sure Clark was fine with Column B._

"Yeah. My mundane family is Mormon, well, not so mundane anymore. I have six brothers and sisters and four of them are telepaths. I thought that was big. Now I have twelve million."

 _There's more to it than the literal meaning._ Zara informed him. _It's also a promise but they're a bit too...young, to understand it yet._ Zara left it at that. After a brief pause while he considered how to ask, Lucas spoke up again. "Do you have a family Captain?"

Robert considered the meaning the question and nodded.

"I don't think mundanes can have a family like we do Lucas." Maina said aloud. It was blunt, but he was only seven. He had yet to learn tact.

Robert smiled thinly at that. "Oh, we can have family in that way. I do. It isn't as big, though."

"What does that mean for you?" Maina asked "I was born in the Corps, I don't know what that looks like."

Robert considered how he could answer. What kind of words he should use. From the life energy within him came an answer that was quite obvious. No words were needed. "How about this? I can show you," he said. "You can see my memories of family and how they make me feel, and then understand what I'm talking about."

"That could work but, we're kinda new at that. Mrs. Sanders says it can be dangerous because we're not trained yet." Maina replied timorously, but Zara stepped in.

"I have been. I can guide you and keep Captain Dale safe."

Robert nodded to her. "It'll be okay," he said to the kids. And with that, he breathed in and prepared his thoughts for them, using the training he'd received to isolate certain thoughts young children should probably not know.

"Okay, take each other's hands, and one of you take mine." Zara suggested and the kids did it. She reached her free hand, still in it's glove, over to Robert. "You too."

He nodded and reached over, taking Zara's hand in his own.

With that, she knit the minds of the other kids together with her own, guiding them toward a single common thought that would permit a meeting of minds. A powerful emotion they all shared: hope for a future. Robert felt their minds become something greater than the mere sum of their parts, but also that Zara was the one in control of the gestalt consciousness. They were no longer strictly speaking multiple individuals but they weren't entirely a single mind either. They reached out with their thoughts and brushed against Robert's mind, Zara carefully holding them back so they didn't accidentally initiate a deep scan that could hurt him.

With the mental contact made, Robert brought the memories to the fore of his mind. It wasn't hard; the youth he sensed in the children made the association easy. The thoughts formed a progression, starting with one of his earliest memories, somewhat incomplete given his age, when he was just about three years old. He remembered his mother introducing him to the Andreys family. Most of that was a blur of some kind, but one memory stood out: a little girl with a little ponytail of golden blond hair, her aquamarine eyes glittering like tiny stars, who was eager to have a playmate. And that was how he met Julia.

The memories became more solid as their ages progressed, a collage of birthday parties and playgrounds at school, as well as playing on the farm. Eventually another boy appeared, and his name was easily detected by the children in their collective mind: Zack. More memories passed, memories of happy times with those that went from friends to close family.

Robert let the progression continue, smiling in happy recollection as he did, as the trio expanded over their adolescence. Shy, nerdy, and ever so lonely Tom, picked on at school until Zack stepped in. The loneliness and shyness went away, leaving the group hellion, always the first to try out new curse words or get in trouble. Then came the Hispanic girl in Julia's martial arts class, built tough, but with a warm heart: Angela.

The association there was tricky. Robert's more personal memories of Angel threatened to come up, enough that at least one element of the gestalt reached for it out of curiosity. Robert quietly nudged the memory away with the thought "for grownups". He thought he felt Zara help the nudging.

With Angel came her "crazy little sister", Caterina. Always small for her age, always reading books, and with a curiosity that was insatiable. She asked questions all the time, on top of being utterly devoted to her big sister, just as Angel was completely devoted to Cat's welfare.

Last but certainly not least, Leo arrived, the lonely black child in an area that was majority white. Briefly the memory of the death of Zack's mother came with it; Leo's mother, a psychiatrist at the hospital that acted as a grief counselor, introduced her son to the bereaved Zack.

The memories continued through teenage years into adulthood. Sports glory for Julia and Zack, academic for Tom and for Leo, everything else for the others. Fun parties, nights roaming the Kansas prairies looking for things to do, even that brawl that once got them all arrested… they were virtually inseparable. Losing even one - such as Leo going off to medical school - made the others feel somehow less whole.

That was what he meant by family.

Of course, that was just the oldest segment of the family. Robert's discovery of the old Darglan-made Facility came, and with it new members. Lucy Lucero, once just a girl they knew in school, became a part of it. Gabriel - Gabe - who helped them with their Spanish and supported them in their humanitarian goals, even if it meant violence or danger. And then Jarod, and Nick, and Scotty, and Meridina… Robert felt his connections to them warmly, connections shared among them all that made them into something more than friends, more than fellow officers…

What came next wasn't intended, but it was unavoidable. The fact was, simply considering the Facility also required considering what led to that day above all days, when Robert's discovery changed everything. That discovery hadn't just been an accident of circumstance; it was brought about by deep grief and loss. Just as much, the memories Robert was sharing with the children couldn't be excised of the other people he loved that were part of those memories. All of those years of playing on the farm with Julia and Zack… many of those memories had his little sister Susanna playing along with them. His grandmother's cooking had fed them. His grandfather had entertained them with folk tales and family legends stretching back to the Dale boys who settled in the area and became Jayhawkers in the days of Bleeding Kansas. His parents had given rides to those same friends. Later in life they attended sports games, supported him when he needed it, encouraged him often…

Thinking about those family members made the pain of their loss impossible for Robert to avoid. He simply tried to push it away. He might have, if not for the link.

Initially, Zara saw memories of a happy biological family and Robert could feel her mental grimace, the pain of knowing that it could be conditional, or a lie. That pain and sense of loss looped back in on Robert, making him feel the pain of his own loss more acutely. The painful memories breached the protective wall he kept them in, echoing in his mind and through the connection. Memories of sight and sound filled him and the link.

Robert as an eight year old boy beside a deathbed, the first he'd ever known, pleading to his Grandma Anna. " _Oma! Oma, wach auf! Oma, wach auf bitte! Oma!_ "

Years later, Grandpa Allen in a hospital gown, eyes closed, face contorted with pain, every breath one of agony until finally they stopped...

And then, a decade later… the phone call. The sheriff's deputies, the quiet ride through the Kansas night to the county ME's office. Those sterile halls, bright with fluorescent light, the chemical smell of cleaners. The window into the room of metal slabs. An old man with an emotionless face pulls back the sheets, revealing beloved parents and dear little sister, mangled and broken. Eyes dull with death.

Another thought came. _I had them again. Had them and let them go!_ The image of his family together again, in defiance of death, joined that of a little boy with his face and Julia's eyes and hair, pleading "Daddy, please don't go!" The son he never knew he'd wanted until then, joined by the family his heart yearned to see again. And they were all gone now, a dream that had popped like a bubble when he returned to the real world.

From all of this the wound in his heart, his very being, reopened. The pain came on fresh, as if it had just happened, and Robert couldn't fight it. He let out a low, agonized sob as tears poured down his cheeks.

The three younger children rejected that emotional pain entirely. They worked with Zara to find the memory associations cascading through Robert's brain and like a finger plugging a hole they stopped it, and poured unconditional love and acceptance into Robert's mind.

Then Zara transitioned to sharing a few of her own happier memories. Waking up with Gene wrapped around her like a protective blanket and Colin's cooking. She shared the surprise visit in Teeptown from her dads, when she learned how to walk like a panther and fly Kites - the raptor not the toy - by Lake Geneva. Gene conspired with her to propose to Colin by an oak tree in front of her cadre house; the same house that had also been Colin's. Then their wedding, with everyone from their home, and a lot of other places besides crammed into a Jewish community center. Lucas shared the happiest moment of his life, when he could feel _anything_ again; when Mrs. Saunders, the same Mrs. Saunders who ran the schools of the camp, came to his house and convinced his parents to take him off Sleepers and administer the counter-agent. It was like waking up from a living death. Maina shared other memories, he was too young to have anything profound or particularly resonant, but he did have Birthday in his old Cadre. Husn had another, of her parents coming to visit on Omega VII on Sundays and taking her to the Mosque, hearing the Adhan and all the thoughts and emotions that accompanied the worship of Allah.

Robert felt those thoughts and the warm associations with them. His sobbing receded and, smothered in love and acceptance, a smile came to him. It occurred to him that this was why so many telepaths remained loyal to the Psi Corps, regardless of any dark side it had or the promise of greater personal freedom elsewhere. A childhood of knowing that love and acceptance awaited anyone suffering, of this kind of feeling… who needed brainwashing and mental reprogramming to enforce loyalty when they had this to offer? This was something real, something special.

So he would have to return the favor and show them something just as special. Something that they would never get to experience otherwise.

Thanks to the children Robert's emotions were re-balanced, though his face was still wet with shed tears. He used that balance to reach for the energy within himself. He felt for his _swevyra_ , the life energy-fueled connection within him, with the children along for the ride, and from there opened himself to the Flow of Life. Not just as he felt it here, but through memory association he shared it as he had felt it in so many other places: New Avalon, the Citadel, Solaris, Portland, New Liberty.

Golden warmth filled him and, through him, them. It was not the thermal meaning of warmth, but rather a warmth of the spirit, of the soul. It was the warmth of joining one's friends for a cup of warm cocoa after working on a cold day. The warmth of a family cuddling together on a couch to watch a favored program. The warmth of watching children playing happily without a care in the world. It was this, but magnified, deeper, soothing and serene. It was the Light of Life, the positive feelings of living beings everywhere, bound together through the Flow of Life.

It was so big and inconceivable that Lucas and Maina could only respond with awestruck wonder. They could feel the minds in a room, but the Life of the cosmos, not just their universal everywhere but everywhere that was everywhere was almost too much for their minds to take in, to even begin to comprehend. Zara tried, she attempted to analyze it and examine it, but couldn't. Truly knowing it was beyond her and it kept slipping from her grasp. Husn however could reach out, touch it, make little ripples in it, and felt like she was touching what God might actually be.

Husn's reaction wasn't lost on Robert. He opened his eyes and looked at the girl, recognizing immediately what she was doing. _Just like Meridina_ , he thought, recognizing Husn as both telepath and sensitive. One by one the children opened their eyes as well.

"Woah." Lucas intoned, and Zara perked her head up, noticing the others. Colin, Gene, Max, Mrs. Saunders, Indiri, Doctors Petrovich and Hegebe, several others. They'd approached to a respectful distance and stopped.

"I see you've been keeping Captain Dale out of trouble…" Colin said with an affectionate grin as he walked up, only to kneel down and kiss her on the forehead. Gene came in close behind and gave her a hug. Not for any real reason, he just wanted to.

"What was that?" Gene asked.

"Apparently _swevyra,"_ Zara replied and let Robert actually explain things as she enthusiastically returned the hug.

"That's what that was?" Husn asked, still trying to wrap her head around it.

"I was showing the children the Flow of Life," Robert explained. He shifted a leg to begin the process of standing up. "I'm sorry if we caused any problems. It wouldn't be the first time I've accidentally amplified a telepathic connection like that. Although last time it was… less desirable." His mind flashed back to the attempt, well over two years ago, to help Meridina cope with her remote telepathic sensing of two Maquis being tortured by Cardassians. Despite the fact that he had not yet begun to imagine he had such powers, the resulting interaction had not only intensified their experiencing of the torture, it had caused about every psionically-sensitive being within a ten kilometer radius to feel it, including Counselor Troi on the Federation _Starship Enterprise_.

"I'm pretty sure everyone felt that…much better subject this time, thankfully." Colin remarked "And that range is tremendous. You don't need line of sight or even a semblance of it?"

"Not with my abilities," Robert said. "I mean, line of sight can be _useful_ , yes, it gives us something to focus on. But with time and practice we can influence things without having to see them." He looked to the children, most especially to Husn. "I suppose that's the reason the interaction can travel so far."

"Yeah." Zara agreed. "We can cheat sometimes, but unless we can see something it's hard to sort things out from the background."

Husn knew she felt something the others didn't and looked at Robert, projecting a pointed question mark into his mind like she was pointing at herself with it.

Robert looked to her and nodded. At that moment a tone filled the room. The back of Robert's left hand lit up with blue light, forming a circle, or rather, an obvious button. Robert pressed it. "I'm here."

" _Do your hosts know about the ship approaching the system in hyperspace? And not the local band either. Going by the sensors, they're using an S0T5-style hyperdrive._ "

Robert glanced toward Colin and Gene. He sensed immediate concern and uncertainty and knew what it meant: as far as either knew, the Corps had no ships with that kind of drive system.

"Lucy, would you be of the opinion that such a hyperdrive is the perfect FTL system to use in this universe if you're looking to sneak up on unsuspecting colonies and settlements?" he asked cautiously.

" _Given how local scanning systems work? Yeah, I'd say so. The only reason we see it is because this ship has Darglan sensor technology. Even most subspace scanners would have trouble finding it._ "

As she spoke Robert felt a terrible little feeling in his gut. He gave the assembled telepaths a worried look.

"Pirates or slavers, and they're not here at random. Someone leaked this location." Gene concluded, while Colin pulled out his own comm device, tapped a code into its touch screen and slid the little slider from yellow all the way over past the visual spectrum to X-ray for Pogrom/Slave Raid. Every communications device in the entire compound blared out a warning klaxon specifically coded for that particular alarm, and Robert felt a surge of both fear and determination as everyone retreated in as orderly a fashion as they could toward the bunker. Psionic pings called out everyone's location beyond vocal range or line of sight as everyone was accounted for. Not one telepath would be left behind.


	84. Episode 3-15-4 A Certain Point of View

In neat, careful lines, the telepaths of the Tau Atrea settlement were re-entering the bunker they had vacated mere hours ago. Robert sensed apprehension and fear mixed with grim determination to resist. This was true even with the children, as he watched Husn and Maina guide even smaller and very scared children toward the door, quietly nudging their younger charges with love and affection, keeping them calm.

He turned back as Colin and Gene monitored the mobilization from their command center. "What kind of defenses do you have?" he asked.

"Not much. We have a ship carrying supplies and our primary defensive systems and it's due in a few hours. All we have right now are some small arms, an anti-beaming field generator, and a deflector shield for the bunker...We also have a telescope attached to a tracking system." Colin said, contemplating a large closet at the back of the room while pulling a pair of heavy assault rifles from the weapons locker by the control panel, handing one to Gene.

 _You thinking what I'm thinking?_ Gene asked his husband. Not that he needed to.

 _I did it before in '48. I see no reason why it can't work a second time._ Colin confirmed.

Robert nodded and re-opened his commlink to Lucy. "Lucy, what's the status of that ship?"

" _Still on approach_."

"Can you tell us what kind of ship it is? Profile? Mass?"

" _It's probably at least cruiser sized, going by the wake of its hyperspace signature, although I can't tell you anything more. It could be an actual cruiser, a carrier, a really big armed transport…_ "

"Can you get me the nearest Alliance ship?"

" _The Earth Confederacy cruiser_ Shiloh _. But she's at least eight hours away at her best warp speed._ "

"Summon them anyway. Use my command codes if they resist. And keep me informed. I want to know what it is the moment that ship arrives." Robert lowered his arm. 

* * *

Talara responded as soon as the text showed on her screen. "The _Shiloh_ is responding. ETA is 8 hours, thirty-five minutes." As Talara spoke Lucy felt her discomfort. "They won't be here nearly fast enough. With everything they've put on this ship, why didn't it get equipped with a jump anchor?"

"That kind of tech can't be risked on missions like ours," said Lucy. "Not regularly anyway." She triple-checked her course and speed information. "We won't make orbit until that ship does. Think you can handle the weapon controls too?"

"I can try."

Lucy turned the chair and reached over to take Talara's arm. "It'll be okay," she assured her student.

"Will it? There is something dark coming," Talara said. "I can feel it. Suffering and terror."

"I do too." Lucy felt Talara's worry and projected her own confidence. "And we can face it together. Remember your training."

"I… I do. It's just…" Talara shook her head. "I'm worried I'll let you down, Lucy. That I'm too weak. I failed on Germania. I couldn't hold that cannon long enough. Tra'dur had to be saved by another."

Lucy responded with a reassuring smile. "Honestly, Talara, back when I'd only been in training for a month, I'm not sure I could have held that gun so long either. Don't let what happened undermine your confidence. You can do this. In your heart, in your _swevyra_ , you _know_ this."

Talara closed her eyes. Her face slowly changed to show determination. "I can do this," she said. "I can do this." Her uncertainty faded, pushed away. "I _can_ do this."

"That's the spirit," Lucy assured her. 

* * *

The evacuation into the bunker was complete. The outer blast door was ready to be sealed and locked with the press of a key, turning the entire bunker into an isolated atmosphere. Robert looked to Colin. "And when is your ship scheduled to arrive?"

"Four hours too late. We need it here in minutes." He flipped a switch on the control panel and opened up a channel to every comm device in the bunker. "I need every adult with a rating of P8 or greater to meet just outside this bunker. We're going to play an old trick."

"Dad, let me help!" came Zara's voice both over the comms and from just out of sight down the short corridor to the inner blast door. Colin mentally cursed himself for not feeling her, but she knew how to mask herself and he had other things on his mind. She was already pitter-pattering down the hall and Gene intercepted her.

"Zara, I can't let you outside." Gene told her in no uncertain terms. "If anything happens to us, we need a mindshredder inside to protect everyone else. That means you."

"But!" she protested but Colin cut her off by wrapping his arms around her. In this, she was just like any other kid. She was terrified of losing the people she loved and wanted to make sure it didn't happen. They were terrified of losing her, of risking her being consigned to slavery _again_ if they couldn't fight off whatever was coming.

"I know. I love you too. More than anything in any world. But we have to keep you safe, and these guys could be bad. We don't know what they have with them." Tears were running down both their cheeks and Gene had joined them in a family hug. Adults were already coming up the stairs from deeper inside. All of them armed.

"Get downstairs. We'll move heaven and earth to get back. We'll become telekinetic gods if we have to. Go." With one final kiss from both of them Zara reluctantly, painfully, retreated deeper inside the bunker.

As this discussion finished, Lucy's voice came over the comm. " _Robert, what are your orders?_ "

"Be ready to engage if at all feasible, if not standby and wait for the _Shiloh_ or a chance to intervene. There are civilians down here, if the worst comes to it, you evacuate as many as you can. Dale out."

Everyone's attention turned to the sensor data that Lucy was relaying to them. Robert felt a sentiment from Gene, a suspicious consideration that these were Hawk's people. Robert shook his head at that. _No, I don't think so. Although I am always prepared to be disappointed…_

Two things happened in quick succession. One, the sensor data showed the ship emerge from hyperspace. Then, almost immediately, the signal from Lucy cut. Robert consulted his omnitool. "They're jamming us. Complete comm blackout on about every channel."

"Of course they are." Colin croaked, still holding Gene's hand as they let their minds intermingle and calm the other's fear and despair.

A light activated on one of the stations. Gene reached over and pressed a key. On one of the screens the image shifted to show a Human male. His hair was perfectly dark and immaculately kept. Fine dark garments were visible on his shoulders. His skin was nearly marble in its white tone. His eyes were not normal Human coloration. They glittered like twin carnelian stones, part of the haughty look on the being's face. The voice spoke English in an unfamiliar accent. " _To the psions dwelling on Tau Atrea 3. I have a proposition to make to you_."

"We're listening." Colin replied, his voice had turned hard, not showing an iota of fear.

The figure smiled. " _I am not an unreasonable man. I make you this offer. Give to me one third of your adults and children, and I will allow the rest of you to live in peace. I am certain they will prove quite sufficient profit to justify my expenses for the journey._ "

 _Slavers don't work that way. They'll keep coming back again, and again. Like fucking bed bugs, or Herpes. Not one. Not one single solitary soul._ It wasn't Colin, or Gene, but both in consensus.

"I'll make you a counter-offer. Leave orbit now, or I'll plant a nightmare inside your mind so terrible and so deep that the only way you'll ever find peace is by clawing out your own _fucking eyes before castrating yourself with your teeth_."

The figure sighed. " _Oh well. I tried to be reasonable. I will take you all, then. And you, psion, I think I will keep you for my personal use. I look forward to breaking you._ "

"I'm Robert Dale, a Paladin of the Alliance," Robert spoke up. "You heard them. Get out of here or face the Alliance fleet when they get here."

The figure's red eyes glistened with interest. " _The Alliance founder. I have heard of you._ " His lips curled into a smile. " _An interesting bluff, but I am quite aware of your fleet's deployments. We will have our cargo and be gone before your ships arrive._ " The smile grew. " _And I do wonder how much_ you _will fetch on the markets. We have contacts who would pay handsomely..._ "

At that point, Gene cut the line in disgust.

The sensors for the compound shifted. Robert looked at the display and noted, "It looks like they're launching landing craft. Dropships of some kind. Company's on its way."

The two Psi Cops minds were in sync as they rushed toward a closet. Colin opened it and they both started maneuvering an object through its door. A large telescope, top-of-the-line civilian grade. Robert was no expert, but he figured it could spot ships in lunar orbit.

"You'd be right!" Colin replied with forced cheer. "Materials are upgraded, but with enough telepaths…"

"We'll have a ground-to-orbit battery." Gene finished for him.

Given what he'd just experienced with the minds of four telepath children, it wasn't hard for Robert to guess what the plan was. But the idea of it, that seemed ambitious. Yet he sensed confidence in Colin, the confidence of someone who was repeating a prior accomplishment.

"Battle of the Line." Colin informed him as he and Gene reached the door. "My brother, myself, and fifty other telepaths took out a Minbari ship from TeepTown with a 'scope just like this one. We weren't the only ones. Military division and Metapol seized control of several observatories."

Robert followed them, as did a line of telepaths led by Max. They stepped out into the cooling air of the early evening.

"Alright everyone, we've drilled for this." Gene told the assembled crowd of telepaths that included Max, two doctors still in scrubs, a very worried looking teacher backslash social worker Robert knew as Mrs. Saunders, and twenty other adults. They all linked hands while Colin connected to the tracking system on the telescope to the bunker's sensor array. When he was done, he took position at the eyepiece with his hands on the controls. Gene formed the bridge between the rest of the assembled telepaths and his husband, and their minds snapped together like clickbricks forming a Great Gestalt.

Robert could feel their minds coalescing. There was a ripple through the Flow of Life, like a stone thrown into a river sending ripples across the surface of the water. The psionic power they were gathering was incredible and quite terrifying. He actually swallowed with the recognition that if the place had been hostile, they would have easily shredded his mind or given his brain a massive stroke while he was still in a distant orbit had he gone in uncloaked.

The telescope adjusted position to point directly at the cruiser, and the collective consciousness found a point between serenity and incandescent rage. Gazing through the telescope's optics with a singular will they reached outward, past the atmosphere and through the Van Allen Belt into the void of space like a grasping hand.

They found their target on the cruiser-mothership, all they had to do was find a wellspring of godlike arrogance, pride, and sadism. Merely touching that mind _hurt_ and they all collectively recoiled from it in pain and surprise. This was not an undefended mind, but one not entirely unlike their own; and powerful. They noticed something else, their discomfort and pain caused him immense sexual pleasure and gratification. Robert felt their collective exclamation mark as they all realized what he might have planned; whatever transcendent joy they had in their mental joining disappeared in favor of wrath and they redoubled their assault.

The slaver didn't fight back, he couldn't fight back, but he could and did try to keep them out. He threw up barrier after barrier in a multilayered defense that was difficult but not terribly time consuming to breach. Robert saw telepaths bleeding from their nose and the small capillaries in their eyes as they strained to breach his defenses, their own stress and pain fed back into the _intense_ pleasure their enemy felt so much that it distracted him from defending himself just enough that they could break through. It took about thirty seconds and his third orgasm to scan him but when they did they knew what he was, where he was from, what he planned to do, what he had done before. Also who gave him the location.

In that moment, all two dozen telepaths understood the meaning of the word "Jihad", and waged holy war upon his very being, against the concept of his existence.

The first thing they did was burn out the pleasure centers of his brain, hyperstimulating them until the neurons died. Then they slowed his subjective perception of time so that seconds would feel like weeks, and seized control of his motor cortex and forced it to contract every skeletal muscle in his body at full force. Muscles tore, tendons snapped, ligaments gave way. Bones subjected to shearing stresses shattered at their growth plates, his diaphragm contracted so hard it broke ribs. It wasn't enough. Not for a lifetime of pleasuring himself by torturing telepaths. Colin directed them toward every part of his brain responsible for the processing and perception of pain, and they stimulated those neurons to the edge of cell-death, and kept them there. Then, it was enough. Only then did someone in the Gestalt suggest they could possibly go too far, and the other others listened. They ended it through the quick and simple expedient of ripping his consciousness to pieces like a school of piranha, then pulled out just before the door opened. From the time they breached his defenses to his death only ten seconds had elapsed.

Colin's fingers retrained the telescope again, and found another target in the pilot of one of dropships, but their scan hit null-space. It was as if his mind was largely void, with parts missing. Yet, clearly the mind was conscious and sapient, capable of moving and thinking of its own will, albeit perhaps a heavily straightjacketed will. It took them time to find a route in to do what they needed to do, precious time. When they did it was with a spastic motion to the left that sent the dropship careening into another. Shields already strained by atmospheric entry were taxed beyond their capacity and the hulls touched, stresses beyond safe limits tore both apart and they exploded in the upper atmosphere.

Colin's efforts to locate another with the telescope proved unnecessary. The dropships were becoming visible to the naked eye. They were blocky craft, made for hovering in atmosphere and relying on power to achieve flight in the same. Each was a dull brown color and had a worn appearance, one even being dented along the side.

While the gestalt attempted to find another way to attack the brains of their operators, Robert focused his own powers on the lead dropship. There was crew aboard and he felt the presence of life, but it was a dull presence. The life was barely a candle compared to the usual light from a sapient being. Robert shuddered at the last time he'd felt such a thing, the sensation leading to memories of the Cybermen tromping about Canary Wharf.

With just enough time to take down one, Robert quieted his emotions and focused his power around him. Recalling Druni's example and explanation for her technique, he clenched his fists and then extended his middle and index fingers forward, as if making a miniature gun gesture in each hand. His will reached into the air and began separating the latent electrical charge around him, splitting the positive from the negative charges. Crackling lightning formed around his hands as he circled them around, splitting more and more positive and negative energy.

As the dropship came over the horizon, Robert felt an instinctive pull that guided his right hand in the moment before he finally released his will. The two separated charges crashed together under his guidance. A bolt of cerulean lightning erupted from the fingertips he was pointing skyward. It crackled across the distance and savaged one of the dropships, easily overwhelming its anti-small arms shields and destroying the things aboard it. The burning craft crashed to the ground outside of the compound.

And like that the dropships were over the compound. One approached from each cardinal direction. They had no external armament, presumably to more easily pass as cargo haulers. Even before they switched to hovering, the doors along the sides were opening. Forms dropped from them, falling thirty, even forty meters to the ground without the aid of a zip line. Robert pulled his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it, the green blade shining in readiness at his foes.

Which he recognized. The gestalt could feel that recognition, and his small sliver of brief uncertainty before discipline and necessity drove that doubt away.

The figures were not felinoid, like a Dilgar or Rr'timm or Caitian, but they looked like they could be feline, with slender, muscled bodies that promised speed and agility. Their skin made one think of Turians with its scaly look and the ash gray color of it. Eyes that were blue and yellow in coloration stared dully ahead, save where they were covered by visors or replaced by ocular implants, with their heads leaner than the heads of Humans and similar species. The tops of their heads were covered in metal, not simply helmets but plates grafted onto their skulls. They had armored suits of black and dark blue, some still marked with a beige four-fingered claw much like the ones on the ends of their two arms. Some had clawed prosthetics, others had entire arms replaced. The same was true of their legs.

Robert knew what they were… because they were made to counter people like him, in the name of their Emperor, whether they wanted to or not.

 _Coserian cybertroopers_ , he thought, for the benefit of the telepaths behind him. _Combat cyborgs made by the Coserian Empire to fight the metaphysically-gifted._ He brought his knowledge to the forefront of his thoughts, of a decadent, authoritarian empire that expanded, conquering and enslaving species until it was finally held back by the Gersallian Interdependency and their allies, the Dorei, brought low and driven back from their conquests decade by decade until they arrived at the point they were now, an Empire divided by civil conflict and factionalism.

The cyborgs raised their weapons toward them as they took positions to surround and contain the group. One of the dropships hovered ominously over the bunker entrance building, its troops landing to cut off their retreat.

At that point, chaos erupted.

Brilliant sapphire energy struck the dropship, pulses that chewed into the craft and opened it up, destroying some of the cybertroopers within. Moments later an azure-sheened shuttle slammed into the same dropship. Both vessels went flying into the far perimeter wall, which they destroyed upon impact.

Three of the cybertroopers had already landed in front of the bunker, blocking their retreat. But just as the shuttle started its attack run, one of the troopers let out a loud screech as fluid seeped from a sudden, violent wound in its chest. The other two reacted with superhuman speed, just for another to have an unseen force cleave through its arms, dismembering it. The last fired blindly as a voice reached into their minds. _Get to the bunker!_

The gestalt was breaking up as the command came from Becca. Telepaths, again independent, took cover and began pouring fire into the cybertroopers with a variety of weapons, all of them throwing hard slugs; everything from newer H&K assault rifles to Gene's M-96 Mattock and Colin's M-15 Vindicator. The Psi Cops, slipped in and out of a combined state without even needing physical contact, and with such close proximity a pair of P12s didn't need to target a mind or use a weapon to kill a cyborg. They switched between firing and reinforcing each other's minds to blow out ocular implants or disable delicate circuitry in cognitive processors. The others put their own bodies between the medical telepaths and harm, and began a disciplined withdrawal toward their own bunker.

At the same moment they engaged the nearest cybertroopers, Robert turned to his left. He couldn't deflect fire from each and every enemy, so he went on the attack. With little time to prepare himself he threw as large a wave of invisible force as he could manage without harming the others. The lack of preparation meant there was no focusing it, no controlling what it hit and what it didn't, save keeping it from spreading beyond the arc he'd already chosen, roughly 170 degrees or so ahead of him and thus away from the telepaths. The wave of raw force generated from the Flow of Life slammed into the troopers, sending them flying meters away, and kept going. Some of the un-repaired or unfinished structures collapsed like they'd been struck by a blast wave, and even those structurally sound still took visible damage. This was, needless to say, _not_ his intention, but the attack had been wild and in the time he had that couldn't be helped.

Even as his wave of force did its work, a solid bolt of blue light slammed into the ground among the remaining cybertroopers to Robert's right. It detonated with the force of a grenade. It killed the cybertrooper it detonated under; others around it were thrown off their feet, damaged or partly disabled. A second later another shot of the same kind landed among the enemy, destroying or damaging more of their number. Robert felt that now-familiar anger: Hawk was nearby.

All of this happened in the space of maybe five seconds, a rapid series of actions that bought valuable space for the defenders. The cybertroopers not damaged or destroyed by the sudden attack were returning fire in earnest now. Robert's lightsaber became a green blur, catching incoming bolts of blue light. But he could deflect only so many and some of the fire struck the telepaths around him. It did not kill, however, but immobilized; Robert and the others immediately realized the enemy was out to capture, not kill.

The telepaths continued to return fire, the medical telepaths working to aid comrades back to their feet. From his perch on a nearby building, Hawk opened fire again, this time with his weapon set to rifle fire. Streams of blue pulses rained down on the cybertroopers. Robert already knew where Hawk was firing from - the top of what was going to be the community center - and turned his attention to the cybertroopers directing their focus that way.

Behind him, the telepaths formed a cordon around the bunker, assuming a defensive position and keeping up fire while the medical telepaths brought the stunned and wounded through the blast door. Robert moved to his right, putting himself in a position to intercept fire from the thickest remaining group of cybertroopers.

The sudden attack by Hawk and Becca may have saved them from being encircled and taken down immediately, but even then they didn't have a lot of time. The cybertroopers were recovering. Their combat systems were re-calculating threat assessment and their repair systems were bringing damaged portions of their bodies back online. Those he had blasted away with the wave were recovering and moving back toward the bunker. That was the entire purpose of their design: superhuman resilience and speed, not to mention accuracy.

Robert's lightsaber spun in the air, intercepting incoming fire that was starting to become overwhelming. He sent one of the plasma bolts right back to the shooter, damaging its weapon and arm. A wave of force, far less powerful this time, briefly knocked over others. He backed up until he could deflect the incoming fire, at least from the right side of the blast door. The left side was another matter.

Hawk's fire stopped just as enemy fire seemed to converge on his location. Moments later a cybertrooper at the base of the building fell back, as if knocked down by something landing on it, blood and fluid pouring from wounds thanks to Hawk's nanite blades. A nearby cybertrooper lost an arm, a third one a leg. Their fire started to converge around them, drawing away shots that were threatening to overwhelm the retreating telepaths. But there was no indication they hit him.

Behind Robert, he felt a sudden instinctive panic from a familiar mind. A curse in Yiddish went through his mind, telling him Max had been hit. Two more telepaths went down in the following second, stunned, with fire increasing to their left.

Becca materialized beside Robert, a pulse pistol in one hand while the other had silver material flowing out from her wrist, forming a tower shield that was blocking incoming fire. This enabled her to protect the telepaths behind them. Her pistol barked again and again, hitting some cybertroopers but missing others as they swiftly shifted their positions to evade.

The medical telepaths emerged from the bunker, rushing to the aid of Max and the remaining fallen. Robert and Becca were joined by Hawk, who materialized between the two and generated an even larger shield with the nanites streaming from both arms. "Get your asses going, people!" he shouted. "There's more coming!"

And indeed there was. Robert could feel them, more of those flickering candles of minimal life. The slavers had launched more dropships and they were almost to the compound.

The encouragement proved unnecessary. The final stunned telepath was brought in, leaving just those three and the Psi Cops. _Get in!_ Colin urged them mentally.

One by one they fell back toward the door. As they slipped in, Colin and Gene provided the cover fire. Gene aimed and fired in short three round bursts from just inside the door, taking one cybertrooper in the throat and face with hypervelocity projectiles. Colin was a bit less practiced with a gun, and managed to hit center mass of one, knocking it over but he wasn't sure if he killed it.

Becca went through first, at Hawk's urging. Hawk fell back second, continuing to spray fire with the Psi Cops. Robert's lightsaber continued to intercept the incoming fire until he was at the door.

Before he could step back into it, a bolt of plasma struck him in the right foot. This was not a stun shot - evidently the troopers firing on him hadn't bothered - and the hit sent pain rippling through the extremity of his limb. The pain and shock of the hit caused him to trip backwards into the bunker, but his lower legs and feet were still on the outside.

Hawk turned and opened fire with his rifle right inside the doorway, providing the necessary cover fire for Colin to reach down to grab Robert.

A bolt of plasma smashed into Hawk's shoulder, sending him falling back with a pained cry. The shot was full-powered and fried the entire joint. It also meant the door, aside from Colin, was now open, and several cybertroopers rushed toward it with inhuman speed.

Becca stepped up into the portal, pistol firing rapidly. Cybertrooper after cybertrooper went down from damage, their shots hitting her tower shield. Her act gave the necessary time for one of the telepaths in the bunker to engage the structure's deflector shield.

Colin got Robert past the threshold of the blast door as the leading cybertrooper _leaped_ forward, a blade emerging from its forearm as it did, clearing the deflector just before it snapped into place. Becca shot it in the head.

But physics were physics. It still flew onward until the blade struck home, smashing through the nanite shield and impaling Becca at the edge of a lung. She made a little gasp as pain shot through her body. The blade exited her back, spewing blood into the bunker receiving area. The momentum of the impacting trooper knocked her back until both fell within the bunker, the cybertrooper's feet at the edge.

Now fully inside, Robert made a motion with his hand, pulling the remains of the attacker inside so that Gene could slam the blast door shut. With the day saved Robert grimaced and looked down at his foot. The armored boot had absorbed much of the damage, but a small hole showed where enough of the energy from the bolt had drilled through to damage the area just forward of his ankle. As wounds went, it was hardly life-threatening, but it was still mildly painful and, for the moment, debilitating.

Both Becca and Hawk were a different story. Hawk's shoulder would likely need surgery but it wasn't immediately life-threatening, Becca's stab wound was. Judging from its position it had nicked her lung, and he internally debated what to do about the cybertrooper still on top of her.

"I'll get Mr. Hawk wrapped up, you're better with medicine than I am." Gene told his husband as he got the medical kits out and passed one to Colin. His only real concern was to prevent infection.

Before Gene could approach Hawk held a hand up. "No need." As he spoke, the burn on his skin seemed to recede, replaced by pinkish flesh. He rotated the arm once before kneeling down beside Becca. She coughed up blood and started pushing at the dead cyborg on top of her. Hawk grabbed it and helped pull it off. Becca screamed as the blade in her chest was pulled free, ripping through her as it did.

"The hell!?" Colin protested, removing the blade was the worst thing you could do until you were in a surgical theater. He was going to cut the hand off at the wrist and leave it in, and put in a one-way valve for the pneumothorax.

"Getting the blade out immediately is what we needed," Hawk insisted, and it was clear why. The blood flow was already receding from the wounds. "Now the nanites can seal the injuries. Still, we need to get her patched up. With that much damage it's going to take them a bit to completely heal her."

"Alright then…" Colin agreed, adapting. "Her lung is the biggest concern, with the external wounds closing, the lungs will leak air into the pleural cavity…"

She coughed. There was more blood, but she seemed slightly stronger. After a moment's consideration she concentrated and winced. Silver material punched through her flesh near the lung and formed a hollow tube. "There," she said hoarsely.

Gene looked over at the nanite chest tube while Colin picked his jaw up off the floor. "Well that's just handy…"

"It's Darglan tech for you," Robert said, familiar with how well their nanites worked. He looked down at his injured foot. "And it's better than what we found back in the day. Makes me wish we had them."

Hawk smiled wolfishly at him. "I bet you do, Alliance man."

Gene turned his attention to Robert. "Ouch. Plasma burn. I know all about those." Robert got the impression he knew them too well. "Those guns aren't too dissimilar to our PPGs," Gene remarked. "Colin is cross-trained in medical… our surgeons are working on our wounded, but we should be able to do something about the hit to mobility." He closed his eyes and sent a telepathic message.

"There are worse places to be shot," Robert said, smiling despite the need to hobble over to a chair helpfully provided by another of the telepaths. Nearby Max was starting to move again, gingerly. As he sat in it, he said, "It's better than being shot in the ass."

"How the hell did you even manage to deflect those shots? We can sense electromagnetic fields, that thing doesn't emit them." Colin asked while he took off Roberts boot. An EMT who looked like he was of Japanese extraction came up from the lower levels to assist.

"That's a good thing. If I'd had a Gersallian _lakesh_ or similar weapon, which does use an EM field, I'd have never been able to deflect their fire," Robert said. "Their bolts explode when subjected to EM fields. But they didn't expect something like the lightsaber. Lightsaber deflection works differently." The thought made him think of Lucy, since she'd know more on how to explain it. He checked his omnitool while Colin and the EMT finished getting to his wounded foot. "Still being jammed," he said. "But they can't jam me." He focused inwardly for the Flow of Life, and through it sought out the familiar sense of Lucy's presence in it.

 _There you are_ , he sensed Lucy reply. _Whoever these people are, they're employing jamming even the_ Aurora _would be hard-pressed to deal with._

 _Yeah. We're all fine here. Everyone's in the bunker and the deflector shield is up. All we have to do is wait until their reinforcements show up._

He felt a tinge of worry from Lucy. _And they're okay with you…?_

 _They are._

 _You feel hurt_.

 _Plasma bolt to the foot. Coserian cybertroopers_.

 _Crap_. Lucy's sentiment was loud and clear on that. _Better than a plasma bolt to the ass, I guess. What do you want me to do?_

 _Stay in orbit and monitor the situation. That ship could outgun the infiltrator, so I'd rather not risk it. But do what you think is right_ , Robert answered her.

 _Roger that. Keep in touch_.

Robert let the connection go.

"I would like to take this moment to thank you all." Colin said.

"Yeah. Mr. Hawk, I'm afraid I owe you an apology as well. I've thought some uncharitable things, but you came back when it counted and I think we'd have a lot more dead siblings if you hadn't." Gene followed up soberly.

Hawk glanced up from where he was looking over his rifle and grunted an acknowledgement. His shoulder was still healing, but it looked almost completely restored. Robert recognized Hawk's weapon as the same model of rifle they'd recovered from his campsite at Earth C1P2 during their first encounter.

 _Don't get us wrong, there's a good chance we'll have to kill him. Just not today._ Gene 'cast over to Robert, and it was clear 'we' was the Psi Corps.

 _You're right about the brain damage and it's worse than you think. At the rate he's going, he'll stop being a person long before he dies. Long before he can't use technology anymore. At that point, even we won't be able to reconstruct him and justice won't be relevant anymore. The only ethical thing will be…_ At that, Colin glyphed a mental image of a labrador retriever and a shed.

 _If it does come to that, and you can't do it… we will. We owe him that, at this point._ Gene concluded, not meaning the Psi Corps, but himself and Colin personally.

Robert nodded quietly at that. He sensed a slight presence at the edge of his mind and looked toward Becca. She was frowning at him, and then toward them as well. Robert could tell she'd realized what they proposed, and the prospect was making her upset.

 _You were there for that conversation Becca._ Colin told her.

She glyphed back acknowledgement. Unhappy acknowledgement.

"I thought you were leaving," Robert said, looking at Hawk after the quick telepathic exchange.

"That was my plan," Hawk said. "We'd just gotten back to the shuttle and were preparing to launch when I picked up that incoming ship. So we stuck around. Glad we did, and just as glad that asshole in orbit made it so easy to listen in on your conversation." His eyes flashed with anger, but there was a sly grin on his face. "Killing slavers is like killing Nazis. It never gets old. And I'm personally going to ram my blades into that red-eyed bastard's guts and slice him in half."

"That'll be a little difficult. He's very very dead." Gene replied with a satisfied grin.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. "What, you mind-scragged him from here?"

"Catch that telescope outside? That's why there were so many of us out there. We can extend our range and don't strictly need line of sight that way. Came in handy when the Minbari were going to bombard Earth into oblivion, figured we'd give it a second shot." Colin explained.

Robert didn't need telepathy or his own talents to notice the brief wince on Hawk's face. He'd perhaps heard things about this ability, but Robert suspected he was just now realizing that Gene's earlier observation that they would have received lobotomies if this place were a black site was no idle boast.

"In fairness, you need at least one person who's trained very well in attack probes to get the best work out of it, and a sensor system...or a sky full of enemy ships so thick they could block out the sun."

Hawk grunted. "Thanks for sharing," he said. He gave another look at his rifle's display. "Fifty percent. I told Ken we needed to improve the charge cell," he grumbled.

Becca smiled slightly. "And he told you that the Darglan already pushed the technology to its limit." To that, she was answered with a "harumph".

"How do the deflectors look?" Robert asked. Gene got up and looked at the display of their shielding system.

"They haven't been bombarded yet. Don't know how long they'll last if I don't know the energy yield of their weapons though, and a bombardment carries other issues."

"I doubt they'll hit us with anything that might kill us all on accident," Hawk observed acidly. "They want slaves, not Kentucky fried telepaths."

"No, but they could take the shield down and cut through the blast door. I wouldn't want to fight those things in close quarters. We're both fencers, we have monomolecular rapiers, but against cyborgs..." he paused and realized what he'd just said. "Christ, I'm living in a science fiction now." Gene grumbled.

"In close quarters those things are monsters," Robert said. He remembered how Druni described her fight with just one, albeit one of the "officer" cybertroopers. In the end she only survived by splitting the energy in the air to create lightning, the same technique that got her thrown out of the Order of the Silver Moon. The same technique he had just used to shoot down a dropship.

"They threw her out of her order for that?" Colin asked, wrapping up Roberts foot.

"This is what you get for remembering crap around telepaths, Dale," Hawk pointed out, chuckling.

"Our house…" Gene grinned.

Robert gave Hawk a brief look of irritation before nodding. "It has to do with the religious view many Dorei cultures have of these powers. Lightning is traditionally associated with darkness, with using the power in anger to harm or destroy. Lightning has also been used by those fallen into darkness as a means of torture." Robert showed them memories of the fight with the SS at the _Führerhaus_ , the lightning his foes channeled at him that his own power and lightsaber reflected. "Granted, that kind of lightning isn't what we use. It's channeled from the Flow of Life bent to negative, destructive intent. All I did was split positive and negative charges in the environment and cause them to come back together in a way that generates a lightning bolt."

"I approve of the religious loophole," Max butted in with a wry smile. "But there is a definite metaphysical distinction there. I take it the Dorei don't see that as relevant?"

"The Silver Moon's leadership thought it a bad sign anyway and insisted she refrain from using it. Instead Druni left the order and went out on her own. Although she's still defiantly loyal to them. Don't _ever_ bring up some of the fiction about the Order's practices around her, or she will give you a punch to the arm."

"Speaking as someone whose own family is subject to various fictions, I'll just consider them irrelevant." Colin replied. "You're all done, by the way. Bet you didn't feel the skin graft…"

Robert shook his head. "I didn't. And thank you again."

"My pleasure. But I just did the patching up, Hikaru did all the actual work…" Colin motioned toward the EMT who'd emerged earlier but hadn't actually touched him.

"Thank you, Hikaru," Robert said to the Corps EMT.

"My specialty is pain management" Hikaru said, taking distinct pride in his work. "The pleasure is mine."

"So, they're out there, we're in here. And that's not going to last forever," Hawk pointed out. "They've probably got several more dropships worth of cyborgs at least, and we took those things by surprise." He grinned. "So any plans on dealing with the problem?"

"We have a ship four hours away with enough firepower to vaporize their cruiser and a full complement of marines." Gene replied. "So unless they have something that can get through our shield, best course of action is to wait it out."

"I thought you'd say that," Hawk said.

His tone made it clear he didn't like that idea, and Robert sensed his desire to go on the offensive. "These things aren't a game, Hawk," Robert said. "You caught them by surprise, but they're fast and tough and the officers are usually trained to handle enemies with special abilities in one-on-one fights. They're more than a match for either of us in a normal fight." _Unless I'm willing to just give up controlling my power, and then this compound may not survive._

 _But if they have minds that need to be trained… they might be more vulnerable to us._ Was the dual-thought of the Psi Cops.

 _You are T10s. I would say so as well_ , added Becca. She was still in some pain, it seemed, but she was paying attention.

There was a brief thought that flitted through Hawk, more of a feeling, that they knew nothing of what he or Becca could do, neither his current allies nor the cybertroopers outside. That feeling was quickly pushed away as if it were a dangerous one beyond considering. "Well, I'm on board for waiting," Hawk said, although he didn't seem happy about it.

"And we should have an action plan in case they can breach the shield. We have armor and kinetic barriers in our armory, should be good against their weapons. I'll go break them out." Gene said and headed downstairs only to find his daughter there waiting just inside the inner door. Before Gene could even react, Zara pounced, throwing herself bodily into his chest. Had he not managed to spin around and drop down to one knee with her in his arms the impact probably would have knocked him over.

"DAD!"

"OOF!" was all he could get out as the wind was knocked out of him. Colin caught the commotion and got up to join them, creating a telepath sandwich with his daughter as the non-bread ingredients.

"Hey! Glad to see us alive, huh?" Colin asked the question he already knew the answer to. She didn't cry that time, she was too happy to cry.

"Clearly." she managed to actually say "I...felt you break that guy. Just about everyone did. You okay Dad?" Robert could tell she meant both of them. Somehow, they always knew who she was referring to but this time it was both.

"We think so?" Gene speculated.

"What the hell was he?" Zara asked.

"A monster. No, really. I don't have a word other than that for what he was. For what his people are. They enslave telepaths and feed on torturing them..." Colin shuddered.

 _What?_

"Yeah. Just touching his mind hurt. All of us. Strong defenses too. I can't really say much more it was all kind of a blur and I need to sort myself out." Colin replied to her unspoken disbelieving query.

Robert felt the anxiety coming from beneath their feet. "Is everyone alright?" he asked. "Nobody is panicking?"

"No, no panic." Zara replied. "They're just worried."

"A lot of the people here were kids on Earth during the Battle of the Line. They've got some memories of being stuck in a hole awaiting bombardment from orbit." Gene said to clarify. "But they've also been through it before. I suspect a good number will suicide before they're taken though…"

"Right." Robert frowned. "Well, we're in for the long haul. That's what sucks about being the besieged side. They act, we react. Although maybe you can thin their numbers through your cameras."

"I was just thinking that, yeah. We have the breathing room needed to assess individual weaknesses in here." Colin replied and kissed Zara on the top of the head. "Alright sweetheart, we need to get geared up properly. Body armor and barriers." He let her go with a final burst of affection that Robert could feel across the room, and Gene did the same.

"Okay dad, I'll let you go get badass. Can I stay up here for a while?"

"Might as well… unless they start burning through the door or take the shields down. Then you book it down into the bunker, got it?" Gene agreed after a brief mental back and forth with Colin. She let them both go downstairs and looked at Becca, Robert, and Hawk. Robert she knew and grinned at, but Hawk got the brunt of her penetrating gaze.

Hawk met it and then glanced at Robert. "Dale, she's all yours. I'm not a damn babysitter."

Becca gave him a bemused look. Robert sensed the reply in her mind. _Liar_. _Ken and Janice told me otherwise_. Realizing he'd sensed her thought, she looked to him and mind-cast, _James babysat his younger cousins for years while growing up. From what everyone else says, he was a big softie_.

 _And now look at him_ , Robert lamented.

"How many kids do you know who can kill with their mind?" she asked dryly with that same affected thousand-yard stare. She glyphed Becca a cheeky grin overlying that stare to let he know that she'd never actually done that.

 _Hi! Good to meet you! You know, I don't think I've ever appreciated until just now how useful being able to have two conversations at once can be._ Zara mind-cast at the other telepath.

The result was a small bemused chuckle from Becca. She glyphed a reply showing the full nature of her amusement.

While he was not privy to the conversation between his trainee and the little girl, Hawk could tell something was being exchanged. As soon as a bewildered expression appeared on his face, Robert started laughing. 

* * *

Lucy eased back on the drives as they approached orbital space of Tau Atrea 3. Ahead of them the slaver ship was keeping a geostationary orbit. Lucy tapped a key to zoom in the display of the targeted ship. It definitely looked like a custom job. Four hundred meters long and a hundred and sixty wide, the engine drives were from an S0T5 civilization - Cevaucian, Lucy thought - while the ship bore a passing resemblance to Coserian armed cargo ships. On top of the S0T5 and N2S7 pieces, the deflector shields were Arcturan knockoffs from D3R1.

But the weapons were Coserian, that was certain, and Lucy looked over the data on them. It told her what she already suspected; the infiltrator would pose no threat to the cruiser in a fight. She would have to run if they were spotted.

On the screen another group of dropships departed the cruiser's port side bays, bound for the planet. Talara gave her a bewildered look. "Shouldn't we engage?"

"Not yet," she said. "They're still under a deflector shield. More cybertroopers won't do anything about that."

"Then we will do…"

Both went quiet as they felt it. A mental cry from the ship, a being - likely a telepath - in extreme _pain_. Another cry joined it. Talara swallowed. "Someone's being hurt over there."

"Yeah." Lucy drew in a breath and focused herself inward. She couldn't stand by and allow that suffering to continue. But neither could she risk herself needlessly.

A small smile came to her face. "I know what we're going to do. Hold on."

Talara nodded, continuing to mind her station as Lucy triggered the impulsors again. The ship quickly closed the distance. 

* * *

Zara was torn. Nanites weren't unknown, she knew that Shadows used them as armor on their ships and she knew about nanotechnology generally, but these Darglan nanites could form chest tubes spontaneously. On the other hand, the Flow of Life was just… she was still trying to wrap her head around the concept.

"Captain Dale" She started. "How does sensitivity to the Flow of Life spread? I mean, we haven't had that in this entire universe until interuniversal contact. Not that I know of anyway."

"There's no known way to spread it intentionally," Robert confided. "Even heredity isn't a guarantee of sensitivity, although there seems to be fairly even odds of being sensitive if a parent or other relative is." He shrugged. "Every group I've heard of has their own theories. Most of the Dorei orders, and the Miqo'te, believe those with sensitivity are divinely chosen. Among the Zigonians of S0T5 the belief is that Creation itself is alive and chooses who has these powers. The Gersallians believe it's simply something innate that can't be guessed. The lowest born or highest, any can have it. Swenya herself was born to itinerant travelers in a poor village."

"Hmm." She considered "Interesting but not what I meant. I mean that it's new here. In this universe, as far as I know. So, would a cosmic force that crosses barriers between universes not, you know, be absent for the eons before we made contact with other realms of existence?"

"You're assuming that the Flow of Life didn't exist in this universe before we arrived," he said. "That's not how it works. The Flow of Life is generated by life, especially sapient life. It's been here all along. But even those sensitive to it often never learn how to fully use it, not unless the potential is shown to them. If I'd never met Meridina, I would likely have never begun to tap it myself. At most, I'd have had a few dreams of possible futures, maybe a few instinctive insights here and there."

"Sounds like mumbo jumbo to me," Hawk opined, running a check on his rifle.

"Given you were able to access Darglan tech, Hawk, even you might be sensitive." The reply Robert received for that observation was a snort of derision.

"I'm an empiricist." Zara replied to Hawk in a tone that made it clear she questioned who the adults in the room were. "Clearly someone who can throw lightning around and connect others to the life-force of the cosmos is doing something interesting."

"She's wicked smart." Colin remarked from the periscope with an affectionate thought in his daughter's direction. "Also sassy."

"A kid after my own heart," Hawk replied. "But whatever this stuff is, it's not for me."

"He's not the most spiritual," Becca remarked from where she was sitting nearby.

"Speaking of lightning actually, how did you do that? Moving things with your mind I can grasp, we have telekinetics even if most of them are insane but that goes a bit beyond anything I've ever seen."

"I split the positive and negative charges in the environment around me," he answered. "Then I directed the result. It's not easy, but I've practiced on the holodeck enough to get the basics." _And dealt with Tom griping about the damage to the chamber..._

Robert could sense an exclamation mark in Zara's head as she grasped an implication of that. Atomic nuclei were not heavy at all. "Hey Dad?"

"Yeah little monkey?" Colin looked back at her.

"I've had an idea. Most telekinetics are limited by the Newtons they can exert, right?" She asked. Colin could sense where she was going with it.

"I see where you're going, good idea but I'm not sure they'll have the focus and mental discipline to do it. We can look into it though, might be worth trying. Isidora might be able to manage becoming a tesla coil though…"

"It can be dangerous," Robert warned. "If the charges aren't precisely controlled, the resulting lightning could go anywhere. Even into yourself."

"I'll write her a message. Let her know to try it with static shocks and go from there." Zara said, nodding sagely in response to the danger warning. "She might be a little off, but she knows her limits."

Colin chuckled warmly, letting Gene take over on the periscope, with their minds still joined it didn't matter whose eyes they used. Colin did pause though, concentrating on something outside.

"Still frying cyborgs?" Hawk asked.

"HA! Got you, you bastard!" Gene shouted exuberantly.

Colin laughed along with him before replying. "Yes."

"Yeah, I wanted to help them out but no. They said my childhood was messed up enough without me attacking things that used to be people." Zara grumbled.

 _I agree_ , was Robert's immediate mental reaction.

"Hey, we taught you how so you could if you ever got into trouble without us there to protect you. You're not in trouble yet, and we're right here." Gene admonished her.

 _We can compartmentalize and not suffer moral injury. She would, even if they're not really sapient anymore._ Colin informed Robert and Becca. _They still have a face._

"Anyway, one more question before I start in on nanites… how do you handle the telekinesis? Ours, well, our friend Isidora is pretty sane, but it takes a toll. She can sense and affect inertia and momentum but the human brain doesn't handle it well."

"I told you how my life force is connected to the universe through the Flow of Life," Robert explained. "It responds to my will. For example…" Robert held up a hand toward her. For Zara, there was a sensation of the floor not quite being as solid as it had been. She looked down to see she was being lifted from the ground, her feet currently five centimeters above the floor. At ten centimeters the ascent stopped.

"This is so cool!" was the only thing she could think to say, but then floating there, she got a wicked grin on her face. "So basically, you're not the one doing the...heavy lifting…" Gene laughed and kissed her on the head from across the room. Colin groaned.

"No. And a good thing. I have it on good authority from Cat that the reaction force of what I can do would probably crush my brain." Robert seemed to be quietly focusing to maintain the effect. He just as gently let her down. "To be honest, two months ago I wouldn't have tried that. I didn't have enough faith in my fine control. Not everyone with sensitivity could."

"Well you're doing just fine now, and splitting charged particles takes a lot of finesse…" she encouraged him. "So… are those nanites networked? Can they be hacked?"

The question was obviously directed at Hawk. He grunted, "No."

Becca glyphed that a successful hacking of the nanites was unlikely, but that they are networked.

"Huh. Because they're smart enough to do complex things and that requires programming and communications. Earth Alliance nanites can only do the one job. But anything that communicates and has code can be compromised."

"Well, it's not like Hawk's going to admit it, is it?" Robert asked playfully.

Hawk's response was to lift his left hand, the back outward, and send a single sliver of silver material up between his inner knuckles.

"Hey! There are children present! Think of The Children!" and everyone could hear the trademark symbol in Zara's voice.

Robert chuckled at that. There was a light-hearted giggle of amusement from Becca as well. A sound that he suspected she rarely made.

"So they're smart nanites, they can be programmed, probably hacked even if you don't know how, and you don't understand the technology. This seems like a Grey Goo scenario waiting to happen, why would you agree to that? The risk seems pretty high. Useful, but… risky." Zara both asked, and commented.

"They're too useful not to use," was Hawk's reply. "The Darglan thought so too."

Robert narrowed his eyes at that. Given the more advanced nature of said nanites and Hawk's weapon, not to mention the _Avenger_ being built for war, he had a strong suspicion just what that Facility Hawk found had been used for. _The Darglan would have been desperate enough to try_ anything _to fight the Darkness.._.

"Besides, that's why we use their brainwave infusions," Hawk said. "It lets us understand the tech. My cousins have made damn sure these things won't go haywire on us."

"No, they just go haywire on other people and harm you indirectly." Max finally spoke up. "Programming is, ultimately, only as good as the programmer. Hassan taught me that much before he shipped out."

Robert wondered what he meant, but he had an idea of that when he noticed the forlorn look on Becca's face. _Please tell me you're being careful,_ he thought. _Those things shouldn't be used more than once every six months._

 _I have had two_ , she admitted. _Five months apart_.

He cringed in reply. At least it was just two, but he didn't know how soon damage would set in. _Then don't have another one for a while. Make sure_.

 _I will avoid it if at all possible_ she assured him. Although it was not the assurance he wanted.

The screens in the control area showed another series of dropships landing. The ones so far had only deployed more cybertroopers, making up for damaged or destroyed ones. But these dropships had something else being unloaded. Robert stood up, feeling confident with his injured foot, and strolled over to get a better look at the feed. They had with them a cylinder of sorts, containing the guts of what looked like a projector. Robert looked it over and a sudden, horrible realization came to him.

The other telepaths felt it. 'What's wrong?" asked Becca.

Sensing the curiosity of the others, Robert let his mind compare what he was seeing to imagery from a recording on New Caprica. While the housing was different, they were clearly the same thing. "Reich weapons," he said. "Torpedo energy projectors. Specifically the kind used in Reich shield-disrupting torpedoes."

"Great. Nazis, the gift that keeps on giving." Gene said.

Before anything further could be said, the first of the devices was set on a stable platform and activated. A beam of light connected it to the bunker's protective field, which began to flicker and distort at the impact point. Inside the building their screens showed them what was happening. Steadily the bunker's protective deflectors were losing coherency. They had maybe ten minutes before the shield fell.

Perhaps even less, as even more of the weapons came online, weakening the shield further.

"Well, I think we're going to need a new plan," Robert said, watching one of the screens show the deflector's increasing loss of strength. 

* * *

Various forms of deflector shielding existed in the Multiverse. Some could be tuned to allow things out without lowering shields, and such was true for the D3R1 deflectors. But virtually all required shields to be lowered, at least sectionally, to allow things back _in_.

As the infiltrator approached the slaver cruiser, Lucy spotted what she hoped to find, what she _knew_ she would find. A line of dropships were flying in to return to the cruiser. "Hold on," she instructed Talara, kicking the infiltrator into a high-energy maneuver that brought it toward the line of dropships.

Not just toward, but within. Talara watched with silent apprehension as Lucy nudged the ship right into the line, ensuring they would get through the small hole formed in the deflectors. There was barely a meter of clearance on either end. This was a feat no pilot could pull off with complete confidence.

No pilot, that is, save Lucy. She could feel the energy within her guiding her movements, allowing her to remain in place all the way in. At the bay the line split up, relieving them of the risk from behind, each dropship landing. A line of cybertroopers was present at each bay, awaiting embarkation. The infiltrator remained just outside of the open bay, unable to fit with the dropship ahead in place. Lucy fired lateral thrusters gently and lined them up with the middle section of the bay, facing the door directly.

"Talara, the pulse guns. Set them to automatic targeting, all dropships and cybertroopers."

"Doing so now." Talara relayed weapons control to her station and programmed the targeting systems to attack the targets Lucy listed. "Ready."

Lucy, meanwhile, used a free hand to relay plasma cannon control to her station. She targeted the dropship ahead. "Decloak and open fire… _now_."

With a stab of her finger Talara disengaged the cloaking device. Power surged into the weapons' capacitors. Half a second later every weapon fired.

The sapphire pulses from the plasma cannons utterly wrecked the dropship ahead, turning it into a fireball. The shockwave struck the cybertroopers and knocked them away. The lighter pulses from the pulse guns ripped into the other dropships, destroying their engines, before the turrets on the bottom of the ship started tracking and shooting the cybertroopers still standing.

Lucy triggered the forward plasma cannons again, vaporizing much of the carcass of the dropship ahead. This gave her room to land the infiltrator. By the time she did alarms were going off on the cruiser. She activated the ship's sentry mode and tied it to both of their omnitools before releasing her harness. Talara was already loose and running toward the rear of the ship. They went through the cargo bay, Talara grabbing a pulse rifle and grenade bandolier as they did. She pulled it on as they charged from the cargo bay. The pulse guns and the prior havoc of the infiltrator's main guns had already removed most of the cybertroopers. Talara shot one down with her rifle while Lucy threw two more out into space through the open bay door. Once they had a moment, she used her omnitool. The infiltrator cargo ramp closed behind them. "The ship is sealed," she said. "And the pulse guns should make short work of anything that threatens the ship."

"Giving us time to save any prisoners?"

"Exactly." Lucy pulled her lightsaber from her belt and ignited it. Talara admired the way her teacher looked, like a heroine of old in her purple armor, blue robe, and the blue light of her lightsaber burning bright. Her dark curly hair was left free to fall to her shoulders. _If the armor was only slightly different I could imagine she was a Paladin of Voltron, like in the legends_ , Talara thought, although having actually met a Paladin of Voltron, she knew the legends and art her people made of them were not quite accurate.

The cargo bay door was sealed by whatever alarm went off. Talara expected Lucy to cut it open with her lightsaber, but instead Lucy held her omnitool up to the controls. "Hacking app, courtesy of the Paladin Special Operations Office," she said to Talara. A moment later the door opened. They entered a hall and immediately came under fire, fire that Lucy's lightsaber began batting back at the source. Talara followed her, firing down the other end of the corridor to suppress enemies there. "This way!" Lucy shouted.


	85. Episode 3-15-5 A Certain Point of View

They didn't have time to do much else. "I'll go out," Robert said. "I can start removing this torpedoes while remaining in the shield."

"And we'll get defenses set up should the shield fail," Colin answered.

Gene went with Robert to the door and opened it for him. Robert stepped outside, alone. There was just enough space within the shield dome for him to take several steps toward the perimeter. The enemy troopers raised weapons but did not fire.

Robert noticed one approach who was not Coserian. A human male with cybernetic enhancements, with olive-toned skin, he spoke with an unrecognizable accent. "Have you come to negotiate terms?"

Robert replied by cutting his hand through the air in front of him. The gesture made focusing his will easier, and focus it he did, causing a blade of force to slice through the air and smash the nearest torpedo, breaking it to pieces. Robert turned his attention to the next and repeated the process again and again, knowing that each torpedo broken bought them more time.

But they had more than he'd imagined. Even as some beams died, others started to fire up elsewhere, in an arc surrounding the structure. Undaunted, Robert continued to smash them. 

* * *

The deflector shield strength was decreasing every moment that preparations were made for the necessary sally from the bunker. As the two Psi Cops got the teams ready with the planned equipment, Hawk leaned over where Becca was sitting. "How's the wound?"

For a moment Becca said nothing, consulting the nanites through her neural controls for them. They helpfully provided an overlay in her vision, no different than the kind Colin had used telepathically to explain Hawk's brain, that reflected the damage in question. "Internal injuries are healed," she said. "They're sealing the epidermal injuries."

"And your lung cavity?"

"Clear of air. Everything's fine."

"Still, I want you to stay in here," Hawk said. He handed her a bar from his ration pack. "Get your energy back up and finish healing."

"You're going to need everyone you can get…"

"And we'll have it," he insisted. "These Corps types are well-armed, relatively anyway." He stood and picked up his rifle. "Get your energy back up and heal up. If we need you, you'll know."

Becca watched him join the others. The bunker door slid open and the Corps telepaths went out. They'd trained for this kind of activity, and under the guidance of the two Psi Cops they set up portable energy barriers to take cover behind, creating a defensive line outside of the bunker. Hawk leveled his rifle. Most of the enemy cybertroopers were taking cover to avoid fire they couldn't retaliate to, but he picked a couple off before they could get out of sight.

As they set up Robert moved to the other side of the building, where more shield disruptors were being employed. Again and again he smashed them, even as the shield dome visibly lost strength. _This is going to be close_... 

* * *

Coserian cybertroopers in close quarters were incredibly dangerous to any foe, given their speed and resilience, and Lucy was careful in dealing with the ones ahead. Their EM-shielded blades, made of metal not dissimilar to that of Gersallian _lakesh_ es, gave them some immediate resilience against lightsabers.

But only some.

After four parries Lucy successfully cleaved through one of the blades, splitting it in half before maneuvering her weapon to slice through its wielder's neck, destroying vital circuitry and effectively killing the creature. Its partner swiped again, blade already glowing from prior contact with her weapon. Lucy dodged the swipe and retaliated with her own. The last thing the Coserian cybertrooper saw was blue light coming toward its head.

There was a sharp impact behind Lucy. Talara, fatigued but determined, threw another attacker against the far bulkhead. These were not cybertroopers but regular crew, armed but not able to resist being stunned by the impacts from Talara's efforts. She fired a stun shot that put the man down. "There are human crew too."

"Right." Lucy stepped over the two slain cybertroopers. They were basic ones, arguably already dead and nothing more than combat drones installed into mindless bodies. If she were still using a _lakesh_ the fight might've taken half an hour, if she won at all. _If the Coserians ever figure out new countermeasures against our weapons, these things will be pains in the ass_ , Lucy thought as she tried to access the door. She sensed fear on the other end of the door, fear and despair, with some smattering of hope.

This time the hacking app wasn't coming through. The security on the cargo door was enhanced to the degree that Lucy had to shut down her omnitool to keep counter-attack software from causing any damage. It was as if a dedicated AI had control of the confinement system. "Alright, the direct way," she said. She thrust her lightsaber into the heavy metal portal. The metal around her blade turned white hot and started melting, giving off heat that would have baked her hands if she weren't in her combat armor. She slowly ran the lightsaber up the door, melting away more of it. Behind her Talara fired another burst from her rifle, forcing a crewmember of the slaver ship back into cover. Both felt increasing hope from the other side of the door.

Lucy's cut went up to the level of her head and past, then over. She started a downward cut and brought it back down to about the level of her waist. "That ought to do it," she said aloud, pulling her lightsaber out. She focused her will and pushed her hand against the door, exerting force with her life energy as she did. The door, weakened by her cut, blew open.

Through the door, in a darkened chamber, were a series of cages. In each were manacled Human figures chained together, so many per cage. Some of them had clothes partly ripped away, partially baring their chests and backs and revealing wounds ranging from bruises and welts to long scarred ribbons that reminded Lucy of the old days of raiding slave plantations on Earth C1P2. Some of the imprisoned were children, quite a few were adolescents and teenagers, and there were maybe fifteen, twenty adults. Among the adults were three figures still wearing dark gloves with brass Psi pins on their chests, with one of the teenagers similarly-clad.

Talara entered behind Lucy, who stared in shock for a moment at the sight before grimly lifting her lightsaber. One by one she cut away the bars of the cages, opening gaping holes in them. Her will crushed and split the chains holding the manacles together, freeing the imprisoned. She sensed the minds of the assembled. "You're all telepaths?"

"Yes," answered one of the adults, a man who looked to be from the Indian subcontinent, one of those with a Psi Corps badge. "They captured us separately, or bought us."

"We're here to get you out," said Lucy. "We have a ship, we'll lead you back to it. Are any of you good with a rifle?"

The same man volunteered, as did a woman in another of the cages. Since the Indian man was already free, he took up the rifle. Another of the telepaths stood nearby, using her mental powers to attack the enemy crew outside in conjunction with the Psi Corps telepath. Talara, freed from being a door guard, helped Lucy free the other prisoners. In all there were fifty-three telepaths, Lucy counted. _They'll all fit in the ship at least_ she thought.

Even before Lucy cut free the woman who volunteered for rifle duty, she was speaking into Lucy's mind. _I am Antonia di Giuseppe. There are two young telepaths not with us. Fraternal twins. They were taken earlier to be… used by these monsters_.

Lucy frowned. Antonia herself certainly looked worked over. What was once a fashionable dark jacket and comfortable blue blouse had seemingly been ripped from her at some point, along with her bra, so that she was an errant wind gust away from the common perception of indecency. A bronze Psi pin glinted on the intact strip of fabric over her heart. Her visible skin, fair with a tanned tint of Mediterranean color, was marked with welts and cuts. Lucy sensed the remnant mark of horrible pain in the woman's being. She had been tortured extensively, beyond the visible injuries.

 _They feed off our pain_ , another telepath thought, sensing Lucy's bewilderment over their condition. _It gives them pleasure to feel it_. A male stepped up beside her, or rather a teenager Lucy thought, without a Psi Corps marking. He too had been worked over. _They took them…_

Lucy nodded and focused. She felt the swelling hope of liberation around her, though still marked by fear. There was also fear in the crew. Fear of capture, of failure. Frustration. Hate at the "mindfreaks" that put them in this position. And not too far away, she felt pain. Pain and fear and, with it… immense gratification and satisfaction at the same, such that Lucy's stomach twisted from how sick it felt to confirm what she was being told. "I'll get them, I promise," Lucy pledged.

"I can show you were," Antonia offered. Her English was good, but quite Italian.

"You've suffered enough." Lucy gestured to Talara, who was freeing the very last prisoner at that moment. "Everyone, go with Talara, she'll take you to our ship!"

"You will need me," Antonia insisted. "I can bring you to them. I know the way to where they were taken."

Lucy almost said no, but she sensed the desperate need in Antonia. Everything she'd gone through to this point, everything she'd suffered, was to save those two teenagers. Lucy relented with a nod. "Stay behind me," she instructed. To Talara she added, "I won't be long."

"I will secure the others," Talara affirmed.

With that Lucy departed first, her erstwhile ally behind her, deflecting shots from the crew outside until they went down, put to sleep by mental command. They moved onward through the ship.

Talara watched them go and drew in a breath. She felt unsettled here, with all of the pain and despair. But she knew she had to persevere. All of these people were counting on her. "This way," she said to the Human telepaths. With the telepath carrying her rifle beside her, Talara led them back toward the infiltrator. 

* * *

With a crash the last of the torpedo assemblies fell apart, the electronics smashed beyond repair. The last beam disrupting the deflector field around the bunker fell away. Robert completed his circuit around the building to where the sole entrance was being carefully guarded. _Deflector status?_

 _Fifteen percent_ was Colin's mental reply. Robert didn't see him looking at any displays, so he imagined Zara or Becca relayed the information. _Cohesion is almost gone_.

 _Still, the shields will regenerate now, and they don't_ …

Before he could complete the thought fire started to strike the shield. The cybertroopers, most still in cover, were letting loose. Blue plasma bolts dissipated against the deflector shield, which seemed to be exerting minimal effort to repel the fire. Hawk retaliated with his rifle on its grenade blast mode, firing big blue bolts that exploded like plasma grenades, further damaging the nearby buildings and the rubble of those already destroyed. Some of the shots dissipated against deflector barriers set up by the cybertroopers, providing them cover as well.

The dropships swooped in next. They opened up with their weapons, spraying the deflector field with rockets and plasma fire as well, and all over their heads. _They're focusing their fire to break down the shield!_ Robert raised a hand and used his will to throw one dropship into another, sending both to crash. As the others continued to fire he repeated this.

 _Thirteen percent!_ he heard a mind shout. Zara's mind. _Twelve!_

 _Go back into the inner bunker!_ Colin ordered.

Robert half-expected her to disobey, to protest, but she didn't. He sensed terror from the girl, terror at losing her dads, but she obeyed their command. She would seal the inner blast doors behind her, buying more time for the telepaths in the lower levels to get help.

There was still the matter at hand. With his power Robert smashed another dropship into the ground. But its side-mounted rocket launchers still fired its final salvos, spraying the shield in front of them with repeated blasts. The field clearly continued to degrade…

The cybertroopers rushed forward from cover, still firing, and the telepaths returned fire immediately while some of their number were packing up the portable deflectors. For the moment they had the advantage, with the deflector absorbing all return fire, allowing only them the benefit of effective fire. To add to their effectiveness Colin and Gene led the other telepaths of sufficient strength in attacking the cyborgs' cybernetic parts.

Robert brought down the second-to-last dropship with a lighting bolt, turning it into a flaming ruin. The last one's rocket launchers reloaded from internal bays and fired another salvo. He felt instinctive danger and projected force ahead of them, backing up the field, and felt the strain of the rockets striking his field.

The deflector field hadn't stopped the rockets. Its cohesion was gone. It was collapsing.

Robert felt the morale drop in the others. Their gambit to preserve the field had failed. He took the moment for a quick and dirty push against the last dropship, smashing it to the ground and crushing several cybertroopers beneath, including one of those dangerous Human ones. There was no time for further intense attacks as enemy fire was now dangerous to them. His lightsaber flashed to life in time to deflect the first shot that might have touched him. His arms moved instinctively to put the weapon wherever a bolt might have otherwise struck him.

On the opposite flank Hawk projected a shield with his nanites, making one that fit around his rifle so he could continue to fire.

From behind their cover the telepaths were returning fire as well as they could, trying to cover those retreating into the bunker. But they were still normal Humans physically, save for the parts of their brains that allowed telepathy. They had little hope of accurate fire. All they could do was lay down such a continuing barrage that being struck was certain for the enemy, buying time for their fellows to retreat back into the bunker.

The other side knew that. The Human cyborgs, and the officer Coserian ones, let the more-controlled, less-capable grunt cybertroopers take the front and the brunt of the punishment while they focused fire on an individual section of the defensive perimeter. Hiding behind their own troops wouldn't protect the Coserian commandos, and coordinated telepathic attacks decimated their ranks. Nonetheless heavy coordinated fire descended upon one of the generators, on Robert's side of the line. The field held momentarily, but as the fire on it increased it continued to degrade.

On the opposite end Hawk grunted as his rifle's charge ran out. With enemy fire chipping away at his shield almost as fast as Hawk's nanites could make repairs there would be no lowering it. He transferred his rifle to his left hand and used his right to pull another charge clip from his belt. Gripping it against his palm with his thumb, his fingers worked the slide to expose and eject the drained clip. He placed the new one in, closed the clip chamber, and restored the small port for the rifle's barrel to continue returning fire. He growled in frustration; this wasn't how he preferred to fight. He'd rather get in close and work with his blades, match these things speed for speed. But if he moved, it would expose the flank and get these people killed.

 _Here I am, holding the line for the people I thought I was coming to kill. Goddamned irony_.

One of the other telepaths casted a response back. _And here we are, trusting our lives to a homicidal maniac. How do you think we feel?_

Hawk's reply was a sharp, rich laugh. He swapped the rifle back to grenade mode and fired a burst that sent two cybertroopers flying.

On the left end of the line, a besieged section of deflector finally gave out from repeated shots. The telepaths were exposed. Single shots of deadly accuracy struck one after another in rapid succession, killing three outright. The fourth kept firing. A big woman of Middle Eastern or Central Asian extraction, she refused to flinch, firing an automatic shotgun that eviscerated a cybertrooper as it came over the disabled field generator's base. She swiveled the weapon to shoot another foe doing the same, but the cybertrooper was too fast. It thrust with its arm and drove a lengthening blade into her chest, bisecting heart and lung. She died in seconds. Though Robert didn't feel it, he knew the mindscream would impact the others just the same.

 _Hold the line!_ echoed the minds of Gene and Colin desperately, a moment after they broke the brain of one of the Human cyborgs, and drew monomolecular blades. Already the other telepaths on that side were re-directing their fields to take up the gap. Max avenged the fallen telepaths by rapid fire shots into the heads of the troopers that got through, but not before one of them stabbed another telepath through the side of the neck, severing the spine. Another mindscream rippled through the others, and Robert felt them despair.

" _We're losing one over here!_ " Hawk roared, and all knew he meant another section of the field. " _Get back to the bunker!_ "

 _The moment we fall back, those things will overrun us_ , Robert thought, deflecting a shot into the head of a rushing foe. Another cybertrooper got close enough to lash at him with its blade. He moved enough that the strike only clipped armor at his side, causing no damage, and drove his lightsaber through the creature's neck, killing it instantly. A plasma bolt seared his left arm and he grimaced before deflecting the next shot.

And then another section of the line failed. More lives winked out before the other generators compensated, pushing them to the brink. Hawk had to backpedal and swivel to avoid getting shot as their line contracted. Robert felt the surge in fear and frustration in him, fueling his anger. He knew he might die here, and had a natural fear of that; more than that, he was angry that he was losing to beings he _hated_. He wanted nothing less but to rip them all apart.

Robert knew that kind of frustration. The cybertroopers were too quick for the telepaths once it came to melee; Gene and Colin were holding their own through a combination of footwork and seamless mental coordination, but they couldn't go on the offensive. They were hard-pressed just to stay alive against one or two cybertroopers. Despite their efforts the enemy's strategy of burning out one section at a time was working. There was no winning this. Hearing a mental call for help and a cry of pain Robert visualized what was behind him: a cybertrooper loose behind the line, its blade stuck in Max's side, the trooper about to kill. He nearly acted, but didn't need to. Hawk turned and, while his left arm kept the decaying nanite shield up, his right arm whipped out. A forged blade of nanite metal slammed into the back of the cybertrooper's head, killing it before it could kill Max.

But more troopers were coming, and another section of the shield was on the verge of failure, and it all seemed so hopeless...

And that was when he felt a mental cry of desperation echo from within the bunker. 

* * *

As the battle raged outside Becca could feel the desperate courage of the telepaths start to become despair. She knew what that was like. She'd felt it before, in Zonguldak, as they were picked off platoon by platoon, squad by squad. Death or a terrible fate the only outcomes available.

And then the mindscreams began. She felt the door open and shut. Again and again, as more telepaths died. She heard Gene's demand to hold the line, the feeling from the others that it wouldn't matter. She heard James' mind, frustrated, enraged, _helpless_. She could hear Robert's mind flash with desperate thoughts, on whether he could save the situation by cutting loose, or if it'd just make things worse. She felt his mental cry from being wounded.

And Max. Just as desperate. Just as determined to protect.

 _Stop it. Stop it. Oh G-d LET IT STOP._ Becca's eyes filled with hot tears. James, Max, Captain Dale, those two Psi Cops, they were all going to die out there. While she was in here. Doing nothing. Surviving yet again.

" _NO!_ " she screamed aloud, and in her mind, in desperation. Despite the lingering pain in her side Becca stood to her feet. Her mind rang with determination as she gave the order through her neural link.

 ** _ENGAGE COMBAT MODE_.**

Every mind in the compound heard those three words. Robert felt Hawk's disbelief and horror at them. _What is she doing?!_ **_Becca, NO!_**

A fierce, desperate reply rang from her mind. **_NOT AGAIN!_**

The blast door swung open. Becca emerged through the door covered in the silver nanite material. As she took her first step out the material shifted. It started to form armor plates and material, flexible machined joints, and a new helmet. The coloring shifted to be primarily blue, with some of the joints and parts remaining silver, as did the face. Eyepieces formed on the face of the helmet, lighting up as the material completed its transformation.

Robert could see her through the eyes of Max, wounded and lying against the bunker wall. It looked like she was wearing a light power armor suit. The helmet and facemask of it even reminded him a little bit of comic book-style armor that Tom had been so enamored with growing up.

There was a roar in the air as Becca fired thrusters built into the back of the suit. She launched herself toward the nearest enemy, a cybertrooper that was about to cleave a telepath's head in two with its blade. Her blades shot through the wrists of her suit and plunged into the creature. Both flew over a disabled projector base and outside of the defensive perimeter. She jumped off her foe as they hit the ground, raising her arms in the same motion. From each palm a lance of sapphire light erupted, spearing two cybertroopers and one going on to slice through the head of a third. She cried in challenge and rushed forward, faster than ever before, to drive her blades into one of the commanding Human cyborgs while he was aiming elsewhere.

Some of Becca's desperation and defiance rubbed off on Robert, intentionally or not. He forgot caution and summoned all of his focus. When he sent out another wave, he managed to keep it focused enough to do what it needed to do. The broad blast of invisible force threw every cybertrooper ahead of him flying backward at such speeds that they took damage as they broke through the structures and rubble beyond. Freed from fighting for his life for the second, Robert turned to take in the battle. Or rather, Becca. She was busy finishing off one of the Human cyborgs when two of the normal ones shot her in the side. The impacts didn't seem to enter her armor, although she still recoiled. Her head turned toward them and her right arm raised; in rapid shots she took out both with whatever weapon was in her palm.

But there was something wrong, Robert thought. With the tenor of her desperation, the ferocity of her attacks despite her injuries, and with Hawk's horror at what she was doing. He focused on her for another moment, felt the ebbing in her being.

" _Stand down!_ " Hawk shouted over the din of the battle. "Dammit Becca, that's an order!"

 ** _I will not be the last one again!_** was the desperate reply.

 _She's killing herself_. That horrified thought came from Colin. When Robert had momentary confusion at it, Colin mindcast the information into his head. The two Psi Cops could sense her body's energy decreasing. As if the electrical energy in the body was being steadily drained away.

And then Robert understood what he was feeling. "Combat Mode" required her body's natural bioelectricity to operate, somehow. And the longer she was in it, the more would be used up.

If she didn't shut down the nanites' combat mode soon, Becca would die. 

* * *

The internal corridors of the ship changed the moment after Lucy stepped out of the manual access ladder tube and onto the higher deck. Instead of the used dark beige walls with tubing for internal systems showing sometimes in the white ceiling and ladders, there was an opulent, well-kept wall of brilliant blue. The floor wasn't basic insulated covering of dull gray, but a fine carpet of red and white. In total she felt like she'd stepped out into a luxury hotel, the kind that cost a year of her salary to stay in for a night.

Antonia stepped off the ladder behind her. She clutched a pistol taken from one of the fallen crew. _This way_ she mindcast to Lucy, who nodded and followed down the hall, igniting her lightsaber should she need it. Its hum filled the corridor, which was brightly-lit enough that the blade didn't shine off the walls as much as it had on the decks below.

They passed by a dining room with a luxurious cast to it, fine plushed dining chairs and a large wooden table with what looked like a silken table cloth over it. Lucy frowned at the thought of how much human misery had funded this elegance. She sensed agreement from Antonia, and bitter recollection.

They rounded one hall, passed by an entrance to what looked like a specialized kitchen, and approached another corridor. As Antonia stepped up to the corner Lucy felt danger and reached out. She grabbed Antonia by the arm and yanked her back.

A blast of energy slammed into the wall, passing through the space the battered woman had nearly stepped into.

"I'll handle this," Lucy said confidently. She stepped around the corner, weapon ready, and deflected the first shot fired at her into the arm of the shooter.

The members of the crew ahead were definitely not the same as those below. Each was dressed in rich clothing, uniforms of green and blue and white, and they had rifles with them, although one was clearly favoring a wounded arm. Two of the half-dozen uniformed people had eyes of reddish-brown coloring, one with tanned skin and the other with light. Among them was a towering woman of dark brown coloring, like someone from the Indian subcontinent, who had a medal arm and other clear cyborg enhancement. She cried out something in an alien language Lucy's translator didn't immediately identify and the servants opened fire.

One thing was clear; they were _bad_ at it. Lucy only had to bat a couple of shots, the rest missing. She retaliated with a wave of force that knocked all but the cyborg woman off their feet. Behind her Antonia moved up and started firing her gun. Even as she did a couple started wailing in surprise; she was seizing control of their optical nerves and shutting off the input, blinding them. They writhed on the ground in a panic.

The cyborg lifted a big damn rifle. Lucy didn't even want to consider what it would do to her and forced it upward. It fired into the ceiling, creating a blast wave that threw the cyborg back into the others, knocking down those among the uniform-clad guards who had started to stand. While Antonia continued to fire with some slight accuracy, Lucy charged ahead. The cyborg got back to its feet and rushed ahead as well, drawing a short sword that looked as lethal as it did ornamental. Lucy realized it was a monomolecular blade a moment before parrying her attacker. The cyborg was fast, just as fast as she was, and they exchanged several swings. "We're here for the kids," Lucy growled, more out of habit than any thought of communication.

"You are here to steal my masters' property," the cyborg replied, her accent unfamiliar. "For this you will die." The tone was rigid, emotionless, very matter-of-fact.

"People aren't property!" Lucy shouted as she parried another blow. The blade was getting red. A few more strikes and it would be broken.

Her opponent seemed to notice that as well. Lucy was stunned at how quickly the sidearm came up. Without time to get her lightsaber into position Lucy instinctively stepped to the side. The resulting shot tore through the side of her belly, ripping through armor and grazing her skin before going out through her robe. The flicker of pain this caused proved no distraction, and it certainly didn't keep Lucy from exploiting their new positioning. She swung the lightsaber down toward the blade, this time bringing it through the wrist of the hand holding it. The hand fell in a small shower of sparks.

The cyborg, undeterred, tracked with the gun, intent to fire again, but Lucy spun away too quickly for her. Her lightsaber came back up and made a lateral cut through the air, straight through the cyborg's neck. Head and body fell away.

Lucy turned her attention to the others, but she needn't have bothered. Each was dead or unconscious. Only some had been shot. Antonia walked up behind her, gun clutched in her hand. Given the condition of her clothes it gave her an almost feral look. "The others will wake up," she said, answering the question forming in Lucy's head. "Eventually."

"Right." Lucy turned her attention to the door ahead. It was sealed shut, and the external panel was offline. Not wanting to risk her omnitool against whatever countermeasure had nearly gotten it before, Lucy brought up her lightsaber and plunged it into the door. This door wasn't quite as thick, so she took only a few seconds to cut a hole through it. Her will knocked the cut out part inward, sending it falling to the ground, where the melted, still-hot ends scorched the fine carpet at their feet.

Standing in the middle of the room was a woman wearing what looked like a silver negligee, revealing a solid, if not athletically fit, body. Her eyes glinted red, her dark hair wild and loose, and her skin marble white in coloring. Lucy sensed Antonia react to her presence with disgust and pain.

The woman's arm was wrapped around a thin, wiry teenage girl, about sixteen or seventeen, with olive-toned skin similar to Lucy's and Antonia's, brown hair, and gray eyes. The girl was half-naked, or more accurately, nine-tenths naked with a bottom that would barely count as a bikini bottom. Her bare chest was obscured by the left arm of the red-eyed woman, her shoulders confined in place by the right arm. Against the girl's neck was a knife clasped in the woman's right hand, already drawing a steady drip of blood from the skin, which went with the remaining cuts visible on her body from a vicious whipping. Nearby, sprawled out on the floor, a young man with similar colorations save having brown eyes was looking up with terror. He too was mostly unclothed, having only something that barely passed for a speedo, and his body was covered in wounds.

Aside from the hostage situation, what was in the room was enough to make Lucy sick. The bedroom was opulent, with a big bed and fine cabinets, designed in a way that was unfamiliar to her, to a different aesthetic than those she was used to. But on the far wall were manacles hanging from dedicated fittings. A variety of whips and striking canes were near the sets of manacles. She sensed Antonia desire to rub at her wrists at the sight of them.

Those red eyes glared with haughty anger. "You will _leave_ , Alliancer," she demanded, her voice having a similar accent to the one the dead cyborg had used.

"Not without them," Lucy said, holding her lightsaber steady.

"They are mine. As is that one." The red eyes shifted enough to tell Lucy she meant Antonia. "Leave now or this one dies."

It took only a moment for Lucy to know she meant it. The girl was a disposable toy, to be thrown away when the red-eyed woman so desired. Her foe believed herself above all others save her own kind. Everyone, even Lucy, was only fit to be a slave. A treasured one, if competent, but property of their natural superiors. It was as if this woman and those like her were made to embody everything Lucy and her family on the _Aurora_ opposed.

Since any sudden movement could lead to the hostage's death, Lucy didn't move. She didn't need to. She focused her will, reached out with her life energy, and willed the knife to fly out of the woman's hand. It did so immediately, ripped from her grasp by a force the slaver hadn't seen or felt coming. It clinked against the wall beside the bed and hit the floor. With her hand suddenly empty the slaver's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped and her grip on her prisoner weakened, allowing Lucy to pull the girl free with a simple gesture.

Antonia brought the gun up. It barked once. There was a flash of energy and the back of the red-eyed woman's head exploded, spraying blood and brain over the floor and far wall. Her body collapsed to the floor.

The teenage boy went to his sister's side, holding her closely as she began to weep.

Antonia was weeping too. Not from having killed the red-eyed woman, although Lucy could tell she wasn't used to violence, but in literal sympathy with the twins. She knew what they'd suffered, she had as well. Lucy felt their minds touch. Antonia dropped to her knees and they went to her, throwing arms around her. There was intense guilt in the younger telepaths that Antonia tried to soothe. After eying the dead woman again, Lucy went over to the tools of pain on the wall and sliced them in half with her lightsaber. As she did, tears welled in her blue eyes, and old wounds flared again on her skin, which had long been healed.

She'd seen these kinds of things before, after all. In that damned room that the Duffys had locked her in. Phil Duffy had enjoyed using them on her too. She balled her fist and closed her eyes, trying to control the upswell of emotion from the memories of pain and fear and anguish, and his devilish grin as she cried out from the pain…

 _Not the time. Not when I'm on a slaver ship_ , she made herself think. After slicing the manacles from the wall she turned to the three telepaths consoling each other. "We need to go," she said to them. "Before they trap us in here."

"Agreed," Antonia said. She stood and the twins did as well. The girl kept her arms self-consciously tight over her chest.

"Back to the ladder tube, then." Lucy moved ahead of them to lead the way back to the ship and to freedom. 

* * *

The fight outside the bunker had lost its desperate tinge from before. Becca's ferocious counterattack completely disrupted the cybertroopers' assault. She continued in that attack, fighting her way toward the last of the Human cyborgs still on the field, ignoring every strike against her armor, even as it started to show the effects of damage.

The reprieve Becca provided gave the defenders an opportunity to get their wounded back into the bunker. Robert refused the medical telepath who offered him the same. Instead he tapped at his omnitool and triggered his armor's built-in medigel dispenser, dispensing the substance to his wounded arm to restore full functionality.

 _Fall back to the bunker!_ Becca urged them. They felt her pain when several cyborgs focused fire enough to knock her back. She got back up and retaliated with more blasts from the emitters in her hands.

Over the din of the continued battle, Hawk's voice roared. " _Stop it Becca! For God's sake, you're going to kill yourself!_ "

 _I know_ was her only reply.

Colin and Gene weren't about to let her do that, not on her own. With a mental command their compatriots pushed the deflector generators in front of them slightly outward, giving them a brief opening to rush out past the defenses. They relied on their kinetic barriers and body armor to protect themselves from incoming fire and surged forward; they'd worked out a way to fight cybertroopers in close-quarters. One of them would disrupt electronics and slow them down, the other would attack with his blade. They rotated who took each position, occasionally joining their minds to fry the implants of one at longer range.

They weren't alone. Still on the flank of the deflector line, Robert dashed ahead, lightsaber swishing in the air, throwing waves of force every which way to disrupt the enemy and keep them from overwhelming Gene and Colin. He felt Becca's body ready to fail and was surprised to see her find the strength to move on.

For the second time that night, a desperate mind thought **_ENGAGE COMBAT MODE_**. Now it was Hawk's body that became enveloped in the silvery fluid of nanite material. It hardened around him as it had Becca, forming a similar set of blue and silver armor. Hawk dashed forward, the thrusters on the back flaring with white-blue light, and his blades rang out as he drove them into any foe that dared get in the way.

While the four surged to her rescue, Becca was pulling the last of the officer cybertroopers off her blade, allowing her to confront the final of the Human cyborgs. He moved even faster than the best of the Coserian ones, dodging her blade strikes and punching her hard enough to send her flying. Becca righted herself in mid-air with bursts from the thruster assembly on the back of the armor, allowing her to land on her feet. She raised her hands and fired, twin blasts that struck a forcefield around the cyborg. He raised his weapon and fired in reply, peppering her with shots that sparked at the armor, chipping away at it. Even as her body became too weak to stand, sending her to her knees, she fired the palm weapons on continuous beam mode.

 _Becca, you have to stop!_ Robert urged her, even as his will batted away a trio of cybertroopers turning to engage her from behind. His lightsaber flashed in the air and halfway severed the head of another. _Please!_

She didn't stop. But the beams were growing visibly weaker. All present could feel her body shutting down. The cyborg was already more interested in firing at Gene and Colin, then swapping attention to Robert as he seemed to draw closer. Robert's lightsaber intercepted the shot and sent it back to crash into his attacker's shields.

As they got closer, the cyborg switched fire toward them. He had surface thoughts they could detect and to some extent they could get themselves out of firing arcs in time, but they still took hits on their kinetic barriers, what plasma leaked through was absorbed harmlessly by their armor.

The fire on them let up as Hawk charged forward. He took a few hits from a cybertrooper before skewering it, then got the attention of the commanding cyborg with beams from his palms. Its weapon barked and struck him, damaging the armor repeatedly with each shot.

The beams from Becca went out. She collapsed onto the ground, utterly spent.

Gene and Colin gestalted again without touching, not just their minds but their souls themselves merging into a single will. A rapid succession of attack probes from both of them assailed his mind until they found a pathway that wasn't blocked off by cybernetic void: his motor cortex wasn't enhanced, only the outgoing projections to the rest of his body. They seized control and shut his body down in tonic paralysis; he stiffened like a board.

As the Human cyborg went rigid, Hawk grunted in effort and the energy from his hands intensified. The telepaths present, and Robert, could sense that it was _his_ life now draining away. The twin sapphire beams rippled over the yellow protective field until it visibly weakened, distorted and focused entirely on Hawk.

That left it open on the other side. Robert dashed in, his legs moving with speed normal Humans couldn't match. His lightsaber buzzed in the air as he brought it up into a position parallel to the ground. There was no force shield to stop it as he brought the emerald blade down on the cyborg's arms and chest, severing the former and slashing deep into the latter. Fatally deep. The cyborg Human collapsed, its life fading away.

The defeat of the leader didn't immediately turn the battle, but as there were no remaining officers, the assault lost all cohesion. Individual units started acting independently as their threat assessment programming demanded, costing the attack the coordination that had allowed the earlier success. The telepaths still behind the deflectors were keeping up their fire, sometimes managing hits, but certainly forcing the cyborg forces to keep moving and preventing them from coalescing on the five beings now outside of the defenses.

Those that did notice them tried to attack. Robert felt them coming, deflecting those firing at him and mentally warning the others about the incoming fire. Gene, Colin, and Hawk all reacted, dodging where possible and the two Psi Cops returning fire.

Hawk didn't return fire but instead dashed straight for Becca's prone form. Robert could see the armor around her losing shape, returning to the silvery fluid of before. But now the nanite material seemed to lose its fluidity. Much of it went rigid, in a brittle way, and then started to disintegrate. Only a portion of it returned to inside her body through her wrists and ankles. Robert sensed Hawk's worry at that, uncertain as he was about what he was seeing. But there was no denying that Becca was near death's door as she was.

"Cover me!" Hawk urged, picking Becca up in a fireman's carry. He took off in a run, rushing through the remaining enemy, Robert and the others following and giving cover fire. The telepaths still behind the intact defenses provided what aid they could. One made to lower the deflector in front of her, but this proved unnecessary as Hawk jumped high enough to vault it, slipping just past the inward-curving top of the portable deflector. He rushed to the open bunker door.

It took the others a longer period of time to get back, longer being measured by about ten seconds. Robert kept his weapon in a constant motion while throwing offensive strikes with his will whenever he could. This had the effect of keeping the flanks relatively clear, even if it required him to whirl like a dervish to cover three sides as needed. By the time they got back to the line the remaining defenders recreated the hole Gene and Colin had used to get out. Robert kept the incoming fire, ever-decreasing, from hitting any of them, until he himself backed up to the gap. By this point the defense line had contracted further, the outermost generators folded inward to cover the flanks Robert and Hawk had charged from.

At a mental command from Gene, it started retracting further. In groups the telepaths withdrew into the bunker, carrying the portable generators with them, while Robert used a combination of lightsaber deflections and force waves to keep the attacking forces off-balance so they couldn't take advantage. Gene and Colin aided him, mostly with their guns as the remaining cyborgs were the mindless drone variety, making telepathic attacks more time-consuming than gunfire.

Finally the last deflector was inside, the telepaths with it. Gene and Colin backed into the blast door next as the cybertroopers, by base programming more than anything, started to swarm the opening. They kept up their fire until Robert was completely in their way. At that point he forced his will into as strong a wave as he could throw, as broadly as possible from the opening. The invisible force threw the swarm back, knocking most down in the process. These vital seconds let him finish retreating through the blast door, which Gene promptly slammed shut.

At that point, virtually every combatant collapsed, Robert included. It was only after he set his rear end on the floor by the entrance that he turned to notice Hikaru and the other medical telepaths fussing over Becca. Her skin was pale and her lips turning blue. Her life was virtually spent.

"Massive organ failure," confirmed a short-statured black man named Dr. Hegebe, with a scanner. "But I don't see any accompanying damage."

"You wouldn't." Fatigued as well, Hawk had his hands over Becca's right hand. After a moment Robert realized he wasn't just holding her hand. Two tendrils of silver material linked his wrists to her wrists. "She's lost most of her nanites. It's killing her."

"Just what the hell was that?" asked Colin.

"Combat mode," Hawk replied. "The combat nanites form a power armor. Really badass stuff."

"And it kills you?" asked Robert. "That's why you've never used it before?"

Hawk shook his head weakly. "We just learned about it. After Tira." He drew in a deep breath, as if steeling himself. "It's… the nanites are partly made of that metal stuff the Darglan use for power generation, okay?"

"Naqia."

"Yeah, that," he answered, his voice hoarse. He was visibly weakening too. "That stuff has got a lot of weird properties. One is that it soaks up energy like a sponge. The nanites, they… they store excess energy from our bodies. Makes our metabolism go sky-high. When used normally, we rarely burn through the reserves. But the power armor mode, the thrusters and the palm particle emitters and that crap… it sucks those reserves dry. So the nanites get power where they can."

"Including your bio-electric field," Gene observed.

Hawk nodded. His face was growing pale. Robert felt he was growing weaker. "And if they run out of juice, then their internal failsafe activates. The nanites dissolve so they can't be recovered. Problem is, we… we…"

"Mr. Hawk," Dr. Hegebe interjected. "Your heart rate is dangerously low. I don't want to lose both of you." He wasn't using a heart rate monitor.

The nod in reply was barely such. "...we need our nanites," he continued. "Our bodies… need them… not enough… our functions, they…"

He stopped speaking. A moment later the silvery tendrils linking him to Becca dissipated and he pitched over onto her. Hegebe took him and rolled him onto his back.

"They're still alive," Robert said. "And she's… stronger now."

"They are alive, but… very weak. I don't know if there is much we can do but… maybe if we provided energy to replenish the reserves?" Dr. Hegebe suggested.

Robert nodded in agreement. "Run some IVs, I suppose. I've no idea how the nanites might reproduce themselves, especially without raw materials. And I'll see what I can do." He moved over, not quite standing up. His left arm was starting to hurt despite the medigel infusion, but it didn't keep him from holding his hands over them and trying to will energy into their faltering bodies. "If we keep them alive long enough, well… maybe I can get them help."

"There is still the fundamental problem of energy reserves. They're running low." Dr. Hegebe said, rigging up a pair of IVs full of lactated ringer's solution and glucose. "Glucose will take time but…" He had an idea "We could rig batteries into a circuit. Give the nanites the energy they need."

"I'm not sure this will work, so give it a try," Robert said, closing his eyes and focusing on his efforts.

Gene helpfully provided the power cells from another storage cupboard as well as the electrical connectors, including resistors to keep from electrocuting anyone, and started connecting everything. He clipped the positive terminal to Hawk's right index finger, and then the negative terminal to his left. He repeated the process with Becca.

"The juice is flowing." Gene informed everyone, and waited.

An errant thought touched every mind in the room. _Why aren't they trying to burn through yet?_

Colin looked at the external cameras. There were more dropships landing, but instead of disgorging more troops, they were picking up survivors. Retreating. "I think… we might have won? Maybe?"

 _I hope so_ , Robert thought, even as he struggled to help keep the two fallen figures alive. 

* * *

There was a dearth of opposition on the way back to the bay. Lucy realized why as they approached and nearly ran into arriving troops. They hadn't expected her to show up, Antonia and the twins trailing, and she removed them rapidly by throwing them against the walls, not needing to apply her lightsaber.

At the door to the landing bay there was another group firing in, and taking fire in turn. Lucy closed the distance and started disarming them with lightsaber strikes, in two cases literally. As the dismembered cried out along with the less-literally disarmed, she led the others into the cargo bay.

"We have to hurry," said Antonia. "They're recalling their cyborgs to subdue us."

"I wonder if that's good news or bad," Lucy muttered as the approached the infiltrator, her thought on what was below telling Antonia what she meant. Talara and some of the other telepaths were behind cover, using the landing gears, weapons drawn. Most of Talara's grenades were gone. "Let's go!" she shouted to Talara.

"Everyone else is already in the ship," she said, running toward the rear first. Once there she triggered the cargo bay door to open, allowing the others, plus Antonia and the twins, to board with her.

Lucy went for the port side airlock instead. At a touch of her omnitool the door opened. A jump augmented by her abilities got her high enough to land inside. As the outer airlock closed she heard the pulse guns start opening up. She opened the inner airlock and arrived in the main corridor just ahead of Talara, coming up from the armory. They both ran for the cockpit. "Dropships are landing in the bay," Talara confirmed.

"Let 'em." Lucy wasted no time in triggering the thrusters. "Fire pulse cannons as we leave, I want to inflict as much damage as we can."

As the ship lifted off the forward weapons opened up. Sapphire bolts ripped through the bulkhead ahead, and the sections inward, chewing away at the internals of the ship. As they backed out and began to turn their craft around. Only after they were out of the bay did the infiltrator stop firing, now pointing forward. Its final barrage had blown through several chunks of the cruiser's interior.

Lucy waited as long as she had to before triggering the impulsors to full, bringing the ship into a twist and turn that allowed it to evade the fire that started to come in the moment it was clear of the bay. "Enemy ship is trying to lock on," Talara confirmed. "And their dropships are engaging."

"I noticed." With her life force guiding her, Lucy kept the infiltrator moving, evading fire from both sources while hugging the cruiser. "We need to go for their main weapons. If they're abandoning the attack they might destroy the compound out of spite." While she spoke and acted the pulse guns, set to auto-target, continued to engage dropships whenever they could. One took a stream of pulses from two guns and blew apart in flame.

There were steps from behind. Antonia slid into the third chair. "How can I help?" she asked.

"Do you know how to operate the ship's weapons?" Talara asked.

"No. But I did score very high in the Starfury gunner simulator games in the arcades," she replied enthusiastically.

 _I could use the help_. Lucy responded by letting her memories of the controls surface, allowing Antonia to sense them and operate the forward weapons. She didn't have any particular skill with them, but with Lucy's help she was at least competent. Their talents, in conjunction, allowed them to stay just within the cruiser's deflector while strafing the cruiser's weapons emplacements. One by one the largest plasma cannon projectors were taking debilitating damage, also further damaging the cruiser. Flashes of fire from the smaller, anti-fighter emplacements ripped through the space around them. Lucy put the infiltrator to the test with her rapid maneuvering.

Despite the fact she was still very much in pain, Lucy felt Antonia's spirit soaring as they eliminated the cruiser's main weapons, heedless of the deadly fire around them. She seemed quite happy with the situation; better to be shot down out here than be a slave tortured for the kicks of a sadistic captor. While turning her head slightly to look at a monitor, Lucy could see Antonia through the corner of her eye. Antonia was still wearing her shredded clothing. But she had a pair of black gloves on now, the standard issue ones for the combat suits in the armory. "You were more worried about gloves than an intact shirt?" Lucy asked, incredulous.

"I was tired of being naked, it was so indecent," Antonia answered.

"But you're still somewhat…" Before Talara could finish that thought her attention was drawn to something. "I'm picking up an energy surge… It looks like they're charging their hyperdrives."

Lucy nodded. "With most of their weapons disabled, they must have decided to cut and run." She evaded more fire and started to put more distance between them and the cruiser.

"Their dropships are all returning to the bay now."

 _Good riddance_ , thought Lucy. "Once they're in hyperspace, relay the course to the _Shiloh_ under Robert's command code. Tell them to head that way and see if they find the ship coming out of hyperspace." She said this confident that Robert would approve.

"Doing so now…"

Lucy, meanwhile, relayed sensor information to her station. On the screen the compound was mostly dark, as night time had fallen on that part of the world. From what the systems were saying, several buildings were damaged or destroyed, and there were broken cyborgs scattered around the central structure. With comms open again Lucy triggered them. "Lucero to Dale. Status?"

There were a few tense seconds before she heard Robert's voice, much to her relief. " _Dale here. We're secure._ "

"So are we. And we've got fifty-three people who probably want some warm food and…" Lucy glanced back at Antonia. "...medical care."


	86. Episode 3-15-6 A Certain Point of View

The lighting of the compound was just coming back online when the infiltrator rippled into view. It landed in the compound commons, to the south of the bunker. Aside from the ruins of a dropship and the broken torpedo casings Robert had destroyed, the commons showed none of the sights of battle from before. The infiltrator's lights engaged, illuminating the area further. The cargo bay ramp opened with the ship pointed south, allowing those coming from the bunker to see the door open.

Antonia led out the half-dozen Psi Corps captives, plus the twins who were staying with her. All three were wearing replicated jackets acquired from the infiltrator systems before they landed. Lucy followed, still in her armor. From the bunker Robert approached, his wounded arm now bandaged by Doctor Hegebe, joined by Colin, Gene, and some of the others.

When the ramp opened and dozens of telepaths came into view, the space between minds was filled with a mix of happiness and deep familial concern. A moment later, informed by a telepathic telephone-game relay other telepaths emerged carrying clothes, blankets, and as much food as they could get out of the replicators on short notice.

Colin stepped forward to greet everyone.

"I am so happy you're all alive and safe." he said, speaking what everyone else was thinking, before turning to Lucy and Talara. "Thank you."

Lucy nodded in respect to him. "Thank you for keeping the valiant Sir Robert alive," she said, grinning slightly. "He always does have to play the hero." When Robert gave her a sardonic look, she responded, as always, by sticking out her tongue.

"You got them all?" Robert asked her, if only for form's sake.

"Every last one," she said, her voice fierce. "What they were doing to them up there…" Her mind went back to that bedroom. The red-eyed woman, the instruments of torture, and how they matched the wounds on Antonia, the teenagers flanking her, and some of the others.

"I know," Robert said. "The important thing is they won't be hurt anymore." He focused on Antonia. "Ma'am, I'm Captain Robert Dale, a Paladin of the Alliance. I'm glad to see you're all okay."

"Thank you, Captain," she replied. She reached out for the others and glyphed her relief to be among her adopted siblings again, along with her name and position as a final year medical student out of Genoa. _The things they did to us..._

 _No one will ever touch any of you again._ Gene said to every assembled telepath. _You're as safe as we can make you, even if we have to evacuate this site._ He mentally introduced himself and Colin as well.

 _Hmm. Some of them haven't come out yet…_ Colin remarked.

 _They should all get looked at._ Dr. Hegebe suggested _There's no telling what kind of damage that kind of torture can do, and not just physically. Dr. Petrovich is going to be a busy man..._

Lucy could sense what was on their minds, if not the actual exchange. "We'll show you to our medical supplies. Let me show you aboard," she said.

"Thank you. Our own supplies are starting to run low after…" Dr. Hegebe looked at the bodies, neatly covered in black cloth "That."

Lucy nodded somberly and led Hegebe into the ship. 

* * *

A couple of hours passed and the cleanup was barely beginning. The medical telepaths were hard at work on the injured and the recovered Psi Corps captives were busy being comforted by their compatriots.

Near Robert's infiltrator, benches allowed Antonia and the twins to sit. Robert, Colin, and Gene sat at the bench across from them. Zara was on Gene's lap, refusing to leave either sight or physical contact.

"What happened?" Colin asked "We got your note but…"

Antonia responded by patting gloved hands on the twins' heads. They, too, now wore gloves, and like Antonia were clad in basic suits with Psi Corps pins. "Meet Giulio and Maria Toghatti," she said, her accent emphasizing the Italian names. Like Colin, she was speaking for Robert's benefit. "They're street orphans left homeless after their parents were killed by Nightwatch. They are both P8s by my estimation. But very untrained."

"How did you meet them?" Robert asked.

"While I am attending the University of Genoa School of Medicine, I volunteer my time to a free clinic," she answered. "The twins here often came by for help when they were hurt. Street children can lead a violent life. It was in the clinic that they had mindbursts, one after the other." She gave them a knowing look. "I showed them how to raise walls and called Education. But because of Clark and their parents… they were afraid of the Corps. They ran from the clinic. I pursued. They went to the spaceport."

The children spoke no English, Robert sensed, but they sensed what Antonia was explaining and were open in sharing an elaboration. They knew of a human trafficker who offered discreet passage to the outer colonies. They wanted to run.

"The trafficker had other plans. And when I arrived, trying to speak to them, his people overwhelmed me," Antonia revealed. "I put a few asleep, but it seemed like his whole crew were there…"

"It's not your fault." Zara piped up. "If you'd waited, Psi Cops wouldn't have made it in time to try."

"What she said." Gene confirmed.

"I know." Antonia sighed. "I… tried to shield them as best as I could. The slavers took an early interest in me. But they were a married couple and decided fraternal twins made a more interesting matched set."

Colin, Gene, and Zara shuddered in sympathy and all three of them projected warmth and affection at Antonia, Gulio, and Maria.

"I'm sorry for what you suffered," Robert said. "Whomever these red-eyed people are, the Alliance is going to find out, and we'll make it clear to them that they won't be tolerated."

"Fuck that, we're going to exterminate them." Gene blurted out before he could stop himself. "I don't normally condone wiping out whole groups of people but those… Aristos… they can't be permitted to exist. One way or the other, we'll find a way. They enslave trillions like that."

"When you write up your report, if you can share anything I can give to my superiors…" Robert's left hand lit up with blue light. He tapped the light. "Dale here."

" _Sir, sensors are picking up a gravitational distortion_ ," Talara replied, still aboard the infiltrator. " _It looks like an IU jump point is forming…_ "

Robert blinked. The odds of a blind jump arriving in Tau Atrea were infinitesimal. Unless… "Crap. Where's Hawk?!"

"Right here."

Hawk approached from the bunker, Becca beside him. Each seemed to be supporting the other and both looked terribly weak.

" _The ship's through… sir! It's…_ "

"The _Avenger_ ," Robert finished for her.

A moment later there were several bursts of light around them. Dark-clad figures coalesced from said light, the results of Darglan transporter technology. Most were armed, with weapons lowered. Robert noticed one with ridges on the temple of his head and pointed, ridged ears, matching the description of the enhanced strength alien that had caused such havoc on the _Aurora_ over Tira.

"We're secure," Hawk said to them. "No need for a fight, people."

Two more pillars of light appeared ahead, coalescing into two figures. Thanks to the restored lights of the compound Robert immediately recognized one as Helen Fubuki, Hawk's second and, apparently, his girlfriend.

The other he recognized too, but it took him a moment to let it sink in. Even as it did, he felt the other telepaths' sudden realization and a defensive reaction.

"Hello, Captain Dale," said Lyta Alexander. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Gene got Zara out of there as fast as he could, picking her up and getting her to the rest of the group that was already starting to form a defensive Gestalt. Colin joined them at a remove and took over the collective consciousness, putting himself between Lyta and everyone else.

"That won't be necessary, Colin," Lyta said, before turning her attention to Hawk and Becca. "You two don't look so well."

"What the hell happened?!" Helen shouted, her anger not much different from Hawk's. "This was supposed to be a simple recon!"

"Slavers happened," Hawk said.

Robert briefly wondered if it would be so easy for this to end peacefully. He could sense the Psi Corps telepaths ready for a fight. Hawk's people - including more telepaths, he thought - were itching for an excuse, some already raising weapons. He held his hands up. "We have a truce!" he said, mostly to them. "Weapons down!"

"To hell with you, Alliance bastard," Helen snarled. "After Tira we've…"

"Weapons down now!" Hawk shouted, as loudly as he could manage. Becca weakly broadcasted the same to the other telepaths. "Dale's not lying! We've got a truce!"

Helen's nostrils flared, but she let her fists relax. Her posture eased.

"I told you I could handle it," Lyta admonished her. She directed her attention back to Robert and Colin. "We received intel at Sirius Major that there was a top secret Psi Corps operation here. We assumed it was a black site prison or experiment center. I can see we're wrong."

Colin couldn't stop himself, he'd written yet another white paper on Lyta Alexander but she was right there and he needed to know, needed to hear it from her own lips.

"Lyta, why?" he asked. "Your attack on Mars…It killed twenty thousand people, over a thousand telepaths. Psi Cops I can get but you slaughtered hundreds of innocent people and released disabled children into the tunnels, _butchered_ their teachers. It was a damned research hospital to treat telekinetic children! What… what happened to the kind and gentle girl who I used to look up to like a big sister?"

For a moment Robert felt a surge of melancholy come from Lyta. It was pushed aside. "It's not your fault, Colin," she said. "It's really not. But the Corps… that's what happened. The Director happened, Bester happened, the Vorlons happened." As she spoke her voice grew in heat and intensity. "Sheridan happened, and then… and then I watched Bester and his Bloodhounds hunt down innocent telepaths who just wanted _to live in peace_. The Corps… you want it to be ours. You want to blame all of the camps and the bad things on the mundanes. But in the end, even if they started it, we've let it define us. They made our prison, and instead of wanting to escape and start something new, all the Corps wants to do is drag us back right back into the crab bucket."

"I'm sorry that happened Lyta. I truly am. You deserve better than all of that." He said those words and he meant them, from the terrified depths of his soul as he stared down the telepathic demigod who used to be one of the nicest people he knew. "But we can't change the past, and we can't fix our problems as a people by killing each other and setting the only home we have on fire. What we can do is build a better future, together, on our own terms. The only way to do that is to free the Corps from EarthGov, and by God Lyta I think we can win if we play our cards right." He believed that too. Maybe it was pure optimism or a desperate need for hope, but he did. "All you'll ever accomplish is make that harder or even impossible; do you honestly think that if you win that the Mundanes will ever let telepaths have any self-determination ever again?"

Lyta gave him an intent look. "Oh, Colin. Sweet Colin. I wish I could believe what you're saying. That your revolution will bring a better world for telepaths. But we both know it's going to be Bester and his kind who rule the Corps when this ends. And I'm not going to allow that."

"Appearances for mundanes aside Lyta, Metapol answers to me, Gene, and Marcel Szewczyk. The entire self-government of the Psi Corps is with us. That was over Bester's objections and I fully expect him to try something at some point, but we know where and who his assets are. Come back to us Lyta. We still love you, I still love you. There is still room for forgiveness, reconciliation. There always is."

"I'm aware of how that usually goes, Colin. Quite a few of us in the Underground are," she replied. And yet, while it was a rejection, Robert sensed that there was thought in her. She seemed genuinely surprised at hearing of Colin's rank. Robert had to admit he was.

After several seconds of silence, and a glance toward Hawk, Lyta spoke up. "What do you intend to do about the camps?" she asked. "Or any telepath who wants to go their own way?"

"If the choice is between dosing people on sleepers or providing security ourselves, I choose the third option: divert as many people away from them as we can, and when the time is right, evacuate every telepath before nuking the site from orbit. As for those who want to leave…" Confronted with the choice, Colin had to search through his soul. He'd been ignoring that question but he couldn't anymore. Not with Lyta right there asking him. On the one hand, he wasn't ever comfortable using coercion and he'd never really hunted people who committed no other crime. On the other hand, it was wrong to abandon your family the way rogues did, even if he could understand why they did it. He came down on the side of just being a good person and leaving the rest for history. "Sometimes, when you love someone you have to let them go. So long as it's an informed choice. My only concern is their safety and the safety of those still in the Corps. I'm willing to work out a solution."

From behind them Lucy was stepping out of the infiltrator. She looked to Robert and he looked back, his posture telling her everything was still stable. This let him return his attention to Lyta, who seemed thoughtful. He could sense the conflicting feelings inside of her. On the one hand, her hatred of Bester and the Psi Corps as he represented it was palpable, overpowering. But on the other… she had a genuine warmth for Colin, tinged with melancholy. As if he represented a simpler, sweeter time for her.

She glanced back toward Hawk. "We're partners now," she said. "What do you think?"

"I think the camps have to go," Hawk said. "People should be free. But this guy… yeah, it seems legit to me. He certainly fights like hell for his people."

She answered him with a nod. "And your newest agent?"

"I believe in Doctor Meier," Becca said simply.

"I thought so." Lyta looked back to Colin and Robert and gave a nod. "You might lead Metapol for now, but I know Bester. He has his ways to get what he wants, and what he wants is domination and control. So I'll give you a year, Colin, to prove the Corps can change. We'll probably still go after the camps because I'm not leaving telepaths to those, but we'll be gentle with your people. If they let us." She glanced toward Hawk, who nodded in reply, before returning to look at Colin. "I've been let down by those I thought were good men before, Colin. Don't let history repeat itself."

"I'll instruct them to let you. And I'll do my best not to." Colin replied, he knew she was talking about Sheridan, and his hatred for the man was thick enough one could cut it with a knife.

"Fine. Then we'll call off any further operations."

"Can you?" Robert asked. "With an organization like yours…"

"She can, Alliance stooge," Helen retorted. "And while we're at it, why doesn't your high and mighty Alliance do something about the bastards in EarthDome instead of making kissy-face with them?"

Robert furrowed his brow at that. He had no chance to reply before Lyta said, "If anything happens, it's not us, and I'll deal with any problems personally." She gave Colin a final look. "And congratulations, Colin. It was about time you found room for something other than duty in your life."

"There always was, I just had to find the right people..." Colin replied.

"Let's get you back," Helen said to Hawk and Becca, clearly impatient with the situation.

"Hawk, remember what I said," Robert said, urgency in his voice. "There are better ways to do this. Stop hurting yourselves."

Hawk gave him a measured look. "I've got work to do, Dale." There was something like a hollowness in his voice. "And a lot of injustice to avenge. I'll do what I have to."

"Dammit, think of your friends! Even if you're determined to destroy yourself…!"

Hawk gave him a quiet look, but said nothing else.

"Becca," Max, bandaged and on his feet through sheer force of will, stepped out of the Gestalt "We owe you our lives, and… if you keep going down the path you are there's a good chance you'll lose yours. If it ever gets to be too much, you'll always have a home to come to, for as long as we can keep it standing."

In reply Becca gave him a look that betrayed the ache inside of her. But more powerful than that ache was the guilt. Again telepaths had died, again she'd survived. It was evident to all that she was not going to stay.

Without a further word, Lyta brought her arm up. An amber-toned omnitool snapped into view around her forearm. With a tap of a key, she vanished in a burst of white light. Helen repeated the action. One by one the crew of the _Avenger_ disappeared in similar bursts. The broken remnant of Hawk's shuttle joined them.

Becca and Hawk were the last ones to go. In the final second before she disappeared, Becca's mind opened and broadcast a simple message to the others. Robert thought he heard it, but it sounded like it was in Hebrew, and he didn't nearly know enough of it to understand.

What he did understand were the four characters Becca planted in his mind, in searing, pleading clarity.

And then they were gone.

With the threat past and Becca gone, Colin mentally collapsed. The stress of losing people, almost losing _everyone_ , Becca leaving, and then his conversation with Lyta who in some other lifetime had been like a big sister to him...it was too much and he sank to the ground in tears.

Gene couldn't leave his husband crying there and Zara couldn't stand to watch him in pain like that. Zara clambered up on his shoulders and hugged him around the neck, while Gene got down on his knees in front of Colin, wrapped his arms around them both, and put their foreheads together.

"It's okay babe. We're still alive, shit, Lyta might even leave us alone… I don't know how you pulled that off, but you did it."

"Yeah Dad, Dad is right. We made it and you did the best you could. That's what matters."

Robert looked down at them and nodded, smiling slightly. "From the moment I met her, I didn't think anything could deflect her anger at Psi Corps like that. You should be proud."

Gene looked up "He is but… " Gene looked around pointedly "It's never really enough, is it? Hell, I'll break later." Even then, Robert could feel Colin's mind in Gene's acting like a brace keeping his husband from having the same breakdown.

"This is normal." Zara said "Only one of them at once."

Robert nodded in understanding, in more ways than one. At the moment, he personally wanted to go to his quarters on the infiltrator and collapse.

Which, ultimately, he would get to do. 

* * *

Seconds after they all stepped off of the transporter pad on the _Avenger_ , Helen whirled about and confronted Lyta. "What the hell was that?!" she demanded. "All of the trouble we've gone to and you're going to call off the campaign just because some guy you knew as a kid says so?!"

Lyta gave Helen a look that spoke mostly of contempt. "You don't really have a clue what's going on here, do you Helen? All you care about is getting someone to stab."

"What I care about is putting down these fascist pigs!"

"Communist, apparently," Hawk corrected weakly. He and Becca continued to balance each other.

"Syndicalist," Becca corrected in turn. "Neither. They're a big _kibbutz_." She leveled a look at Helen. "And what they have is better than why my people had on my world."

"Bullcrap," Helen growled. "Did the failsafes actually work? Maybe they pulled the whammy on your mind…"

"They didn't," Lyta said. "I'd know."

"The question is if you'd care."

The glare Lyta gave her was withering. "Why do you think I got involved in fighting the Corps in the first place, Helen?" Lyta asked coldly. "Yes, I damn well care, and that's why I'm giving Colin his year."

"A year for them to recover and be even more ready for us!"

"As usual, you're not thinking strategically," Lyta scolded her. "There are three ways I see this playing out." She raised her hand and three fingers, pulling one back as she listed off the outcomes in mind. "One, Colin's revolution fails, and Psi Corps is dissolved by Earth. We'll need to be ready if that happens because we'll be the only thing between telepaths and a genocide. Two, Colin's revolution succeeds, Bester takes over. The Underground will swell as a result, Earth will resist, and Sheridan will be more than happy to help bring Bester down. Then we make our move. And then the least-likely outcome, Colin wins and keeps Bester out. I don't put a lot of stock into that, but if it does happen then all we have to do is worry about finding Bester." Lyta leaned in to match glare for glare. "And in all three cases, more time means more time for us to train recruits. Gather allies and resources. We'll be even stronger in a year's time."

"Funny this is your plan now," Helen said. "I'd almost think you let that Psi Cop worm his way into _your_ brain."

"Helen, dammit, _please_." Hawk gave her a pleading look. "There's more to this situation than we thought, alright? And with these slaver bastards around, the last thing we need is to make things easier for them."

Helen looked at him and some of her frustration seemed to fade, replaced by concern. "Let's get to the infirmary," she said.

"Let's get home," Hawk corrected. "We both need nanites. And we have to consider our next step."

"Agreed," said Lyta, an angry look on her face. "Someone is making slaves of telepaths. Let's make that our priority for now."

"These people are tough too. Becca and I only got an edge by going combat mode."

Helen's expression showed deep concern for the first time. "You're… you _what_?"

"Yeah. Why else do you think we're so wasted?"

"Then… we'll need a fresh round of infusions," Helen asserted. "To learn more about making it work."

"No, none of that," Hawk said. "New rules. Infusions every six months."

That made Helen glower again. "What?! Come on, don't tell me you bought that brain damage malarky!" The look on Hawk's face told her that yes, he did indeed, and that he wasn't going to be questioned. Helen's impatience was palpable. "It's going to set back all of our timetables! All of the replacements for the people we lost at Tira!"

"I know. We'll make do with on-the-job training."

"It's the right thing," Becca agreed. "It's healthier for all of us."

Helen gave her a dark look. "No one asked you, newbie. We were doing just fine before you showed up." With that she turned and stomped off.

"I need to lay down," Hawk said, rubbing at his head. Another headache was already forming.

After he left, Becca and Lyta remained alone. _Thank you_ , Becca mindcast to her. _For not forcing us to fight._

 _Don't thank me yet, Ms. bat Gurion_ , Lyta cast back. _One way or another, there's going to be fighting._ Her expression softened. _Poor Colin. He really thinks he can make things better with the Corps. He doesn't understand that you can't fix a broken house when it's on a bad foundation._ With that parting remark, Lyta walked off.

For her part, Becca returned to her quarters on Deck 6. They were one of the larger quarters available, a boon for being a nanite-augmented agent. It was an external apartment too, so she was able to look out a transteel window at Tau Atrea 3 below. She put her hand against the window while enjoying the view. It was such a beautiful world. It would be so nice to live there. To have a community again. To be at peace.

But she didn't deserve it. Not that kind of peace. Maybe her world would enjoy it, if Captain Dale followed through on what she sent to him.

Distortions appeared, telling her the ship was going to warp. Right as the planet disappeared she whispered aloud the Hebrew words she'd cast at the others before beaming away.

" _Goodbye, brothers and sisters_." 

* * *

_Personal Log: Robert Dale; 26 September 2643 AST. The Tau Atrea settlement has been fully secured. A Psi Corps vessel provided the promised reinforcements and the necessary defenses to ensure that another raid like yesterday's can never happen again. They also transported several hundred more civilians who are joining in the cleanup effort._

 _The experience of the last 24 hours has been eye-opening. It is clear that the Alliance will need to carefully consider its policies in E5B1 on the issue of telepaths. We'll also need to step up patrols and expand our sensor nets to deal with these 'Aristos' and other slave traders. Dr. Meier has been gracious enough to offer me a copy of his report on what he and the others gleaned from the slaver's mind._

 _I still wonder if my truce with Hawk was the right choice. I have to hope he might listen to us this time. That he is not directly responsible for the bombing of Earth C1P2 does not change much in the long run. He is still legally a war criminal for failing to appropriately punish the man responsible, and his guilt for the attack only seems to further fuel this crusade he is on. And as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved by good intentions._

 _We will be departing today to rendezvous with the_ Aurora. _But there are a couple of matters to settle before we depart._

The morning daylight shined down upon the teams of telepaths clearing away rubble from the area most affected by the fight. The bodies of the destroyed cyborgs were already gone, taken outside the compound and buried in a common grave. Other groups of telepaths were at work with daily chores or giving orientation to the newly-arriving settlers. Another shuttle from the _Sinbad_ , a Psi Corps transport, was already descending to land at the runway at the northwest corner of the compound.

Robert's infiltrator remained in the common, its dark gray hull reflecting sunlight from Tau Atrea. Zara and many of the children were milling around it, gaping in admiration and interest at the sleek, bird-like vessel. Near the back of the ship, a small plastic table had been set up. A number of parts were on it, all from the anti-grav orb toy the children had played with the day before. It was left behind during the evacuation to the bunker and damaged in the fighting.

Robert observed them while standing near the table. He was no longer in armor. He kept the brown robes, battle-damage still showing on them, and wore a plain blue shirt and navy blue trousers with it. After completing a circuit around the ship Zara approached.

"Hi!" Zara said as cheerfully as she could. They were still arranging funerals for those who didn't make it, and while she could compartmentalize with the best of them, she was still in mourning.

"Good morning," he replied. While she was doing well in holding it, he sensed her grief for the telepaths killed in the battle.

"I've been thinking. Shocking, I know." She gave the ship a pensive look. "Your family history, Jayhawkers in 'Bleeding Kansas'. I don't know much American history but I know they fought slavers. You fight slavers, that ship freed over fifty. Seems like a good name to me."

The recommendation brought a gentle smile to Robert's face. It was a good point. "Two of five brothers died fighting the border ruffians, the proslavery men from Missouri," he revealed. "My ancestor was the eldest surviving brother. He marched through Georgia with Sherman's army." He thought back to childhood visits to the county historical center and pictures of that first generation of Dales in Kansas. Over the decades the Dale family had often given family items and photos to the center, given how long they'd dwelled in the region. "I suppose it _is_ a good name."

"Ah, now there's a song Dad" meaning Gene "made sure I knew. _So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea. While we were marching through Georgia!_ " she giggled. It was so anachronistic but yet so perfect. "Glad I could help!"

When Lucy emerged from the armory it drew the attention of the kids. Like Robert she was out of armor now, wearing her blue robes over a Gersallian-style cool weather tunic of brown color and dark black trousers. She held a piece in her hand. By the time she arrived at the table the children were gathering around her. "So you can fix it?!" one of the children asked. Her concern was understandable; they were unlikely to find replacement parts for the device out here.

"Give me a moment…" She used a soldering iron to put the new part in its place. When she was done she set the tool down and held up a hand. The children gaped in wonder as each piece started levitating in the air. They moved together, assembling steadily, as if the parts could assemble themselves without Human involvement. The final bits formed together, creating the gray orb of before, bright lights on the exterior. Lucy levitated the orb toward a wide-eyed Maina, who plucked it from mid-air. "There, give it a try."

He pressed a bright blue button. The orb lifted from his hand. " _Greetings, everyone! Are you ready for another game of Find The Orb?_ "

"Yes!" most of the children chorused.

" _Your last time was twenty-six minutes twenty seconds! Work together and see if you can improve! Remember, you are each the keeper of your brothers and sisters._ " With that final line the orb zipped away. Maina and the other children started to give chase, but Husn remained behind with a curious look on her face.

Robert grinned at Lucy. "Show off."

Lucy replied with a playful grin. A thoughtful look followed. "When I bought one of those to convert into a training device, the rules called it 'Orb Hunter'. And it didn't say anything about working together. The kid who catches it the most in ten tries wins."

"We don't work that way." Husn explained. "We compete, sure, everyone likes to win. But we also work together and make sure that competition _never_ harms. Losing a game isn't supposed to hurt, it's supposed to teach."

"Huh." Lucy gave Robert a meaningful look. "I might have enjoyed kickball in elementary school if we'd had that mentality."

He responded with a chuckle. "I still remember when you kicked the ball into Peter Smith's face. It seemed too random to be unintentional. I guess we know better now, don't we?"

To that she laughed. "Maybe so." She turned her attention to Husn. While the girl's telepathy was easy to sense, there was more to it with her.

Robert nodded.

"So… what was that I felt before? Do I have powers like yours?" She asked Robert directly. She was used to honest questions getting honest answers from adults, except when they _couldn't_ answer.

Robert nodded. He gave his reply mentally. _I felt it. You do have what is called a connected_ swevyra. _It'll be up to you to decide if you want to explore it or not. But you might as well enjoy your childhood first, Husn_. _This power can be an even greater burden than telepathy. It can be spiritually corrupting if used wrong._ Robert briefly gave her impressions from his fight with the SS in the foyer of the _Führerhaus_ and of the earlier battle with _Mastrash_ Goras as he became corrupted with darkness. How negative emotions like fear, anger, and hatred could corrupt one's life force. He remembered the cold energy of that darkness, powerful and intoxicating, but spiritually corrosive. To fall to it would mean personal destruction.

Husn thought about it and recoiled from those negative emotions. _I don't want to end up like that. But I'm not going to refuse a gift from Allah. That would be wrong._ She looked over toward the two Psi Cops, busily working on coordinating repairs and cleanup, and Robert felt that she was outright projecting her thoughts at both of them to make sure they knew. It got both of their attention, and after a brief conference between both of them that Robert couldn't actually pick up, just detect from body language, Colin replied.

 _This is something we'll have to discuss I think… As far as I know Husn, you're the first one in the Corps to have these abilities._ He didn't leave Zara out either, but she knew enough to know it was beyond her pay grade.

 _I can try and see if anyone is willing to come here and show her the ropes. I don't think having her leave to receive training on Gersal or elsewhere will be good for Husn._ Robert gave her an understanding look.

 _Yeah, I don't want to leave. Everyone I love is here and the younger ones need me._ Husn replied.

"There are some teachers in the Order of Swenya, and some of the Dorei orders, who travel looking for the sensitive," Lucy said aloud, understanding what was being discussed. "And there's always other sources. If Kasszas is being nomadic again, he might be interested. Assuming he believes that is where he is being called, I mean." For the benefit of the others, Lucy drew memories of Kasszas S'szrishin to the surface of her thoughts, showing them a blind Zigonian with a walking stick who once helped Julia, Angel, and Meridina rescue Jarod. There were, by her knowledge, no reptilian species like Zigonians known in this universe at present.

"Woah, that's something you don't see every day!" Zara remarked. "And you're right, we don't have any reptiloids so far in this universe. At least not like that. Some people are scaly but not so… Saurian."

Husn thought about things, she thought about them hard. She didn't think adopting the beliefs of a group of people from another universe would work. She had her own. She had her own God, her own values. She didn't want to be in a position where she'd have to pay lip-service to something she didn't believe in or get trapped by rules she had no hand in making that were thousands of years old.

They both sensed those thoughts. "That wouldn't necessarily happen, Husn," Robert said gently. "Although I understand why you're concerned. The important thing is that if you want to use these abilities, you learn about them. In time, maybe you'll figure out your own way to view them."

Husn nodded. Both Psi Cops took a mental step back to watch. "That makes sense. And it might not just be me, I won't be the only one. I'm just the first. I might be the person other telepaths, or even mundanes, come to. So I have to do a good job."

"You've got time," Lucy assured her. "We'll see what we can do. In the meantime, enjoy being a kid."

"Oh that's going to happen either way! I mean, come on! Moving things with my _mind_? Zara won't be the only one inventing new games!"

Lucy gave Robert a slightly worried look. He responded with a small smile and a shake of the head. _She'll be better than you think_. _The others will make sure she doesn't give in to any dark feelings._

 _Still, we'd better find someone to train her, just to be on the safe side. Someone flexible_.

Colin approached, not wanting to interrupt, he waited until they were done before saying anything. "So… Robert, there are about twenty telepaths who haven't left your ship. I meant what I said to Lyta, I won't go in and round them up. On the other hand, a lot of them have been propagandized their entire lives to hate and fear their own people. With your permission, I'd like to go in and see if I can convince any of them to stay. You're welcome to observe if you want."

Robert replied immediately with a nod. "Follow me then." 

* * *

Twenty telepaths sat on the floor and stairs of the armory, the only section of Robert's ship big enough for all of them. Sleeping bags and blankets were still laid out from where they'd slept. They represented the holdouts, unwilling to join the Corps like the other twenty or so that Antonia and the others had convinced before and after their rescue. At least one group was a cohesive nuclear family of unregistered telepaths from somewhere in Latin America - father, mother, and three children ages ten to three - and there was a group of adolescents and teenagers, cousins and siblings, of North American background. There was no disguising the fear most of them felt at the sight of Colin, but Lucy's assurances that their wishes would be respected quieted most.

"Hello. My name is Dr. Colin Meier, and it's… it's wonderful to see you still alive. But I'd like to first apologize from the bottom of my heart, for everything you've been through. You all deserve better and in so many ways we've failed you."

This drew attention, wary attention, from the assembled. Distrust was painfully evident in most, but Robert sensed a few were considering Colin's sincerity. They might not dismiss him out of hand as he'd considered likely.

Colin dropped his defenses, if they wanted his mind was open to them to examine his surface thoughts and assess his sincerity for themselves. "Psi Cops have two jobs. The first is to protect telepaths, but the other job is to enforce the mundane's laws. Those two are in conflict, and for the last sixty years, it's broken many of us. Between that and the Sleepers, the camps, you have no reason to trust me. I understand that. What I can say is this. We're done. We're resolving the conflict by telling the mundanes to get bent. I won't lie to you, that's going to lead to a war, and I understand if you want no part of that."

There was continued silence from the others, but Colin felt several feeling around at the edges of his mind, those trained enough to do so. Gauging his intent. There was curiosity in several of those minds.

"If we win, we can decide what it is we want, as a people, for the first time in our history; but the only guarantee for the future I can make for you is that we're going to fight for our and your dignity as sapient beings. We will not abandon you, nor will we abandon our children being born inside the Earth Alliance and under its laws. Those of you who want to, go outside, talk to people. See what the Psi Corps really is. Then make your decision. You won't be forced, and after you leave, no Psi Cops will hunt you. From now on, we're only going to look for people to make sure they're safe." With that, Colin turned around and walked out, letting them talk among themselves and make up their own minds.

The family didn't move. Neither did a few of the others. Their minds were made up. The one coherent group of adolescent and teenage kids, six in all, did go, as did several more, taking up Colin's offer to investigate..

While Robert and Lucy remained, seeing to the ship and making sure everything was ready, business continued in the compound. As the hours passed some of the others returned. Robert could sense their thoughts; this wasn't for them. For one reason or another they didn't feel comfortable with the people here.

When Lucy returned from checking on all of the vital systems, she counted the returnees. Eleven in all, including the teenagers from the group of kids. Another adult, an African woman, returned through the open cargo bay door a moment later. Robert sensed that she'd made up her mind after some soul-searching; like the others, this wasn't for her, although she now lacked the distrust that had been evident before. She leveled a look at Robert and said, "I am the last. The others are staying."

"Why?" asked the mother in the family, her English thickly accented. "Why would they give up their freedom after all of this?!"

"Some believe the Corps isn't what it seemed before," replied the woman. "A couple believe in the revolution Dr. Meier spoke of more than the Corps, and they want to serve in it."

"Understandable reasons," Robert noted. Sensing Colin was approaching, he walked up to the cargo ramp door.

"Eight. Better than I expected, not as good as I'd hoped but… it's understandable." Colin remarked to Robert. It made him sad, that much was evident on his face, but sometimes things just didn't work out the way one hoped, and he knew that the Psi Corps would be strange to an outsider. Culture shock alone would keep some people from joining. It was common enough with Laters, having difficulty adjusting.

"The Vulcans believe in the principle of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations," Robert said. "One of the things about diversity is that you're always going to find people who don't fit in to what you expect. It's why choice is so important, and why Earth's laws on telepaths must be overthrown."

"One of many many reasons. I think the list is actually longer than Martin Luther's little church flier."

Robert grinned at that. "It would be one way to kick everything off. Pin the list to EarthGov's door."

"Actually… we're almost literally going to do that. A broadcast and public data-dump but close enough." Colin replied with a wry grin before he got serious. "Take care of them. They're still my family. Wherever they go, they deserve to be safe and happy."

"Of course," Robert said. As he spoke he thought of the past of his family. Of being a young teen, hurt by his older cousin's departure from the family farm. From Kansas, off to a distant place. That hurt was much the same as Colin was feeling, tinged as it had been with the painful realization that this was the best for the departed. A chance for them to be safe and happy. _There wasn't much love in the county for Beth after she was outed, after all. Moving to Portland gave her a chance to be herself._ With that in mind Robert offered his hand to Colin.

Colin took the offered hand and shook it. _Believe it or not, I was in the closet too, for almost twenty years. For reasons that are really stupid now that I look back on them._

Robert nodded in agreement. _I think I understand. And don't worry about your family, we'll take care of them._ Aloud he said, "Well, I should be going. I need to report back. But just to set your mind at ease, I've already had Tau Atrea added to our border patrol routes. You've been marked as a telepath refugee camp due to the attacks in Earthspace. Our ships will monitor the area more closely than before. With your new defenses, you should be able to hold out more than long enough for an Alliance starship to respond to any distress call."

Colin breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. When Gene said we were going to have to leave and join our ground forces, he meant to command our ground forces. It's good to know our people are safe and in good hands."

Robert nodded. "I know you're putting a lot into this plan of yours, but it won't hurt if you've got someone at your back," he said. "There's so much the Multiverse doesn't understand about the Corps. For the most part, you're seen as a government agency tasked with controlling and hunting telepaths. This…" He waved an arm at the compound. "...this community, nobody really knows about it. Have you given any thought about trying to change that? Because I have an idea."

"Well getting on ISN isn't really an option, but I have considered it. You should have _seen_ the look on the Director's face when Erika Flores argued a case in your court. We have considered similarly 'bending' the rules, but there hasn't been a good opportunity."

"There's one coming up," Robert replied. "With the end of the Reich War, my cousin's called a summit of current and former repressed peoples to meet on New Liberty, to arrange common diplomatic and economic action and promote endangered nations' needs to the rest of the Multiverse. Along with representatives from these peoples, there's going to be representatives from several major interstellar governments, including the Alliance and the United Federation of Planets, attending the summit. Maybe you should come too."

Colin froze for a moment, considering that. Then he started to giggle. "EarthGov would have kittens! As in live birth, actual kittens! Live, on ISN! Oh God it would be hilarious…" but he sobered after a moment. "Going openly as representatives of the Psi Corps might cause them to kick things off a bit early." He paused, and tried to think of a way to play Solomon and cut the baby in half without the infanticide.

Robert recognized the dilemma. He took a moment to think about it. An insight came to him. "I may have a way," he said. "And it plays right into the telepath-fearing attitudes that you're worried about."

"Oh I bet I'm going to like this…"

"It's going to depend on Max, actually," Robert confided. "He practices from what I see. How does his rabbi feel about the Corps?"

"He officiated at my wedding and gave us access to his synagogue's community center for plays and special events." Colin replied, definitely liking where this was going.

"Do you think he'd be interested in meeting with other universes' Jews to discuss theological matters and how their histories have influenced differences in rites and laws?"

"Given how excited he was when interuniversal contact was made, considering his absolute love of Maimonides? I think Isaac would be interested."

Robert grinned at that. "I think Rabbi Soloveitchik will be glad to meet him then. The Rabbinical Council on New Liberty's been putting a lot of effort into examining interuniversal Judaism. They're always happy to invite rabbis and scholars from other universes for meetings."

"Excellent. So, where does Max fit into this delightfully subversive scheme you have running through your head?" He could look into Robert's head for it, but he didn't. He thought he could see where it was going, but sometimes it was nice to hear someone say it.

"Well, you know how dangerous it is for people to visit to the Alliance," Robert remarked. "Where telepaths go around unmarked and unregistered, and law doesn't recognize surface thoughts as inviolable privacy. Clearly your rabbi friend will need a properly trained member of the Psi Corps along to protect his thoughts from intrusion. Of course, the risk of that Psi Corps member _defecting_ to the Alliance, well… I was born at the end of the 20th Century on my Earth, Colin, so as a kid I watched a lot of old shows about desperate Eastern Europeans trying to defect from the Soviet Bloc, and there was always some kind of secret police agent assigned to watch them and make sure they didn't flee. Clearly Earth will understand if a Psi Cop is sent to ensure this telepath doesn't take the chance to defect to the Alliance."

"Clearly…" Colin replied, snickering. "And neither of those telepaths would ever dream of violating the Psi Corps Charter inside a closed meeting or private conversation with potentially high-level foreign officials while there by discussing the forbidden subject of politics. Obviously, the loyal Psi Cop would prevent that. Now where o' where could we find such an upstanding member of MetaPol, with an unassailable track-record, I wonder?"

"A man of your reputation, Dr. Meier, might work perfectly well," Robert observed. "Hypothetically speaking, of course. As an operative of the Allied Systems, it would be unconscionable for me to interfere in the affairs of Earth."

"Oh, I would never dream of it. Nor would I ever ask any of my official superiors to officially order me to attend such an event. Such a thing would be a perfidious subornation of the lawful authority of the Earth Alliance!" Colin feigned mortification, clutching the wedding band on a chain around his neck like it was a string of pearls.

"I'm glad we understand each other on that matter, then," Robert said, smiling.

"Indeed we do, Rabbi Isaac Liebgott of the Temple Beth Zion on Omega VII will absolutely be needing a telepath bodyguard if he is to venture beyond the pale of settlement into Alliance Space."

"I feel sorry for any rogue telepaths in the Alliance that think they can make him another victim under our inadequate laws," Robert proclaimed melodramatically. 

* * *

They departed to well-wishes and heartfelt goodbyes. Zara sat on Gene's shoulders while the other children were in a group with their educator Mrs. Saunders. Max, Hegebe, Antonia, and many others joined them as the infiltrator lifted off.

Once they were in orbit, Robert checked the sensors. "No ships nearby. Engaging cloaking device."

"The _Aurora_ 's still at B5," noted Lucy. "Want me to set a course?"

"Yes. Parabolic, around Earth space. Engage when ready."

"Doing so now." After she completed the work and they were at warp speed, Lucy said, "You know, Meridina and Dr. Tusana are going to spend hours rooting through our brains to make sure the Corps didn't mind-whammy us."

"Yep," he said. "I already had that happen back on Solaris."

"Just so you know. So, Dr. Meier and Mr. Hendriks. I don't often see two people that intertwined. With their presence in the Flow of Life, I mean."

"I've never seen it before. Not to that extent," Robert noted. "Like their souls are completely bonded."

"I've seen it before," Lucy said. "Never thought I'd see another example of it."

Robert blinked and looked toward her. "Really? Where did you see it before?"

Despite the fact she was piloting the ship, Lucy turned her chair to face him. A small grin was on her face. "You and Julia," she replied.

Robert blinked at that. He didn't know how to react to her saying so. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," said Lucy. "Not the same way, I mean… but whatever the two of you have, it's the kind of closeness most of us can envy. It's very special."

He had nothing to say about that. But he did feel the truth of what she said. And it made so much sense to him. "It is," he agreed.

Lucy nodded wordlessly and returned her attention to the piloting controls. 

* * *

Two days passed and they were nearing the edge of Earth territory when Talara identified the _Aurora_ on long range sensors. After getting their attention and informing them of their approach, it took a few hours to make the rendezvous. They landed at the rear of the _Aurora_ in the secondary shuttle bay. Lucy performed the landing with customary grace, allowing Robert to lead the twelve telepaths still aboard out.

Leo, Dr. Walker, and medical teams were waiting to process the telepaths. Julia and Meridina were present as well and their relief filled him. Unable to stop herself, Julia rushed up to him and gave him a tight hug. He winced a little at the intensity of it, even if it warmed his heart. "Woh, watch the ribs," he pleaded.

As soon as the hug finished Julia asked, "What is this? What happened to a simple recon mission?"

Robert smiled at her. Given what he'd pledged before leaving, he felt sheepish as he admitted, "Well, that's a long story…"

 **Tag**

It was well into the evening when Robert was finished having Meridina and Dr. Tusana thoroughly examine his mind. The Gamma Shift first watch was coming on duty when he walked through the bridge and to the ready office. He found Julia looking over the day's last reports. "Well, good news," he said. "Meridina and Doctor Tusana have finished spelunking through my brain. They're pronounced me free and clear." He made a little face. "They also know about that time you and I glued Ms. Hinds' pens together."

Julia giggled in response to that act of childhood mischief. "It's between over twenty years and I still think she deserved it," Julia proclaimed. "The way she treated Zack was terrible. I'm glad his mom got him into another class, even if it meant he wasn't with us."

"Right." He took a seat at her desk, anticipating what was next.

"I haven't had a chance to read any of your preliminary reports yet," Julia said. "Assuming I get access to them. What happened? Leo's said something about a Psi Corps civilian refuge and red-eyed slavers."

"It's a very long story, and I'll show you my report," Robert promised. "I think everyone should see it. I've had to rethink some things. Like Hawk."

Julia's jaw dropped slightly. " _Hawk_? He was there?!"

Robert nodded. "Turns out he was running the same mission while training a new recruit. We worked together. With the Psi Corps." He set his hands on his lap. "Honestly, I actually feel sorry for him now."

He could sense Julia's incredulity at the comment. "Feel sorry for him? For _Hawk_?" After struggling to find a word, Julia settled for "Why?!"

"Being near him let me connect a little," Robert answered. "Through shouting at him, admittedly. But I was able to sense his memories with my abilities. He wasn't directly responsible for Earth C1P2. It was a rogue subordinate. The one you met on the _Orsala_ , actually." When Julia didn't react to that verbally he continued. "Despite his violent behavior, he wants to do the right thing. He wants to end suffering. He's… well, he's very empathetic. The guilt of what happened to Earth C1P2 is crushing him. It's making his drive to fight even stronger."

"This doesn't change that they've done some terrible things," Julia remarked. "By shielding the real killer, Hawk's making himself a war criminal. They're all going to have to face justice."

"I know," Robert said. "And that's the damned waste of it all. He's taken this cause so far… and there's no telling who he's going to drag down with him before it's over." He mostly thought of Becca when he said that. That her survivor's guilt drove her to remaining with him was saddening. He could only hope she didn't end up a victim of Hawk's cause. That also brought him to the other issue. "And now that they're working with Lyta Alexander, they're even more dangerous."

"Christ. Really?" Julia rubbed at her head. "Things are bad enough as it is."

"When you count these red-eyed slavers, yeah, it's bad."

"And I made it worse," she said quietly. Seeing he didn't know what she meant, Julia said, "The negotiations. Our deal with Earth, it's going to have a secret clause. One that Captain Ivanova introduced to me when we were trying to find a way to keep the talks from failing. Earth is going to suspend searches of Alliance-flagged ships along one of our major trading routes. That way we can smuggle unregistered telepaths to Alliance space without our ships getting searched."

Robert frowned at that. "Or so they think," he said. "The fact is, Psi Corps has its own fleet. And it's bigger than I think people realize. They'll do raids and searches on their own. But at the same time, if the slavers realize what's going on…"

"They'll fake Alliance IDs to take advantage. Maybe even buy Alliance ships. Psi Corps can't catch them all, and we may not have the ships to either. If they even bother coming to our space." Julia's self-recrimination was hard for Robert to take. "God, what have I done?"

"Your job. Your duty," Robert said quietly. "You were required to bring that information to Onaran if you had it."

"No," she said fervently. "I should have listened to my gut. I shouldn't have brought it to him." Shame showed in her aquamarine eyes. "You saved telepaths from slavery, but I may have condemned even more to it."

"Maybe, maybe not. There might be ways we can salvage this," Robert said. "Julia, if this treaty with Earth didn't go through, it'd be even worse. Earth would tighten security, but they'd do it against us. They'd escalate the crisis, force us to focus on them and not the slavers. And they might have even upset Dr. Meier's plans."

"Doctor Meier?"

"He'll be in my report," Robert said. "He's one of the unofficial heads of the Psi Corps. Or rather, the forces preparing for revolution against Earth."

"Elia - Commander Saumarez - mentioned something along those lines," Julia answered. "And I always thought the rumors about Psi Corps taking over were conspiracy theories."

"That's not what he wants," Robert said. "It's more… Reformation. Or something like the Warsaw Uprising. They want to force Earth to end the oppression of telepaths."

At first Robert expected Julia to disbelieve him. But she seemed more accepting than he'd imagined she'd be. "If so, I hope they win," she finally said.

"I expected you to be a little more disbelieving," he admitted.

"I do. Somewhat," she admitted. "But I've come to realize that there's more to the Psi Corps issue than I realized."

"Same here. It helps to be shown different points of view." Robert nodded quietly. "They're not like us. And some of it… I still have trouble understanding why they're like the way they are. This collectivist mindset they have. This whole thing about 'The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father' still sounds cultish to my ears."

"Same here," Julia said. "And they were founded to be a ghetto for telepaths. Why they'd be loyal to it…" She thought back to what Elia said in the Lookout. "Elia is right on that, I guess. The oppressed can take the symbols of that oppression and make them something else."

"They can," he agreed. "And if we're to be fair toward them, we have to try to understand them, and hope they reciprocate."

"That's why he let you take those telepaths with you?" she asked. "Dr. Meier, I mean. To show he understood your point of view?"

"In part," Robert said. "But I think that he also resents taking away their choices. It hurts him that most of what they know about the Corps is propaganda, either from EarthGov or the Underground. But he understands that if things are to change, the Corps has to accept that not every telepath will join. So long as they're safe and happy, he'll live with it."

"Well, that's all we can ask for when it comes to family, isn't it?"

"Exactly. Colin adores his family, every member of them. Especially his husband and adopted daughter."

Julia made a bewildered face. "Wait, husband? What about that eugenics program they have?"

"Not very popular either," Robert confided. "Now, if you'll excuse me... " He stood up. "I need to go call Rabbi Soloveitchik to arrange a visitor from one of his counterparts from this universe." He chuckled at Julia's confused look. "I'll explain later," he promised.

"I hope so…" Julia put her hands together on the desk. "By the way, have you considered a name for your infiltrator ship? It'll make the manifest and the requisitions easier to deal with."

"A clever little girl suggested something," he said. "How about _Jayhawk_? Let's go with that."

Julia chuckled. "Well, it's better than _Noble Steed_ , I'll grant. And so very Kansan of you."

"Well, you know my family history," Robert said, smiling. "We Dales have always been Jayhawkers."

Her response was a laugh.

Just as Robert approached the door, he turned and looked at her again. "Julie?"

"Yes?" She looked up at him.

"I'm home," he said. "I'm safe. It's okay."

With that he left, leaving Julia to sigh in relief. 

* * *

The next day the _Aurora_ was nearly to She'teyal and its second rendezvous with the _Huáscar_ in the span of a week. Robert left his quarters, content with the report he'd filed with Admiral Maran, destined for the eyes of the President. He held a copy of that same report in his hand as he made his way through Deck 6 to his destination: Elia Saumarez's guest quarters. When he arrived he tapped the chime. "Commander, this is Captain Dale. If you've got the time, I've got something I'd like you to see before you beam back to your ship."

"Please come in, Sir," the proper voice on the other side said, and a moment later the door lock cycled. By the time Robert got in, she was already back in uniform with her gloves.

Upon entering Robert got a look at Elia for the first time. She was a middling-tall woman with an appearance more Mediterranean than English, dark hair and brown eyes, lithe in build. She looked born to wear a uniform, as if it was the most natural thing she could be in. The two gold and one black strips of Lieutenant Commander rank were visible on her collar, and the trim of her black uniform was Operations beige, just like Jarod and Tom, compared to the silver of Robert's and lacking the staff aiguillette. "It's good to meet you, Commander," he said. He extended his hand to offer the data pad in it. "I've brought you something. I admit I haven't cleared it yet with Admiral Maran, but given your crew provided us the first inkling that these people existed… I'm practicing Paladin's prerogative in sharing it with you and the _Huáscar_ 's staff." He was open with his thought that this was information that every Alliance crew should be aware of, to make it easier to know what they were facing.

"It's good to meet you too Captain Dale." But it didn't admit any cheer or particular enthusiasm. Elia was obviously drained emotionally and wanted nothing more than to get back to her own ship. Still, she was curious "I would ask where you got this, but I suspect you can't tell me." Elia replied, taking the datapad and staring at it's contents. Her eyes went wide. "Forget where. How? This is extremely detailed."

"I had help," he admitted. "Doctor Colin Meier of Metapol provided me with information he pulled from the mind of one of the slavers. While he and about twenty other telepaths tore the man's mind to kindling." Robert frowned. "Some also came from a Corps medical student named Antonia di Giuseppe. She experienced what these people do first hand. It's all in there, as disgusting as it is."

"I know that name…" Elia muttered, and looked it over, slowly at first, just taking it in. Then with rising horror at what these people were, faster and faster, as rapidly as she could read and digest the pages. Then she remembered where she'd heard that name. Elia had been out of the loop of the Corps for several years and the Corps hadn't passed along the internal org-chart. Then she remembered. He was Metapol's only active forensic psychologist. She also knew of him from somewhere else though, something to do with that Bloodhound from Mars, but she couldn't place it. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention Captain. I… this is horrifying. Do you know how the Corps is going to deal with them? Given the recent… _agreement_." There was a cast on the last word, she stifled snarling it.

"They'll definitely take more interest in trying to cut off trafficking," Robert said. "But I'm not sure to what extent. Dr. Meier has other concerns, after all, regarding the situation with Earth." He wasn't sure how much Elia knew of the internal plans, not being privy to her purpose in the talks. "As for the agreement, Captain Andreys filled me in. And we'll find a way to deal with the problematic elements of this agreement with Earth. Hopefully at the upcoming New Liberty Endangered Nations' Summit."

Elia raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me the Corps isn't _openly_ sending delegates…" she hoped, but also inwardly chuckled at the thought.

"Oh, that would be unthinkable, it'd violate the Charter," Robert answered. "From what I've read of it. From what I understand, a Psi Corps telepath is being hired by a rabbi to escort him to New Liberty for theological discussions with the New Liberty Rabbinical Council. To protect him from all of the unregistered telepaths in the Alliance. And a Psi Cop will be along to make sure the telepath doesn't decide to defect. I can't tell you which, of course." He smiled thinly. "From what I hear, the invitation will bring them around during the Summit. It's the earliest date in their busy schedule the rabbis can manage, I mean."

Elia tried and failed to suppress laughter. It was just damned cheeky. It was so very thin, and yet, it might actually work provided no one blatantly took a podium. When she was done, she smiled warmly for the first time in days. "I needed that. Thank you."

Robert nodded. He'd sensed her mood and knew she needed something to make her feel better, to give her hope. "We've gotten some things wrong," he confessed. "I don't deny that. But we've got a chance to make up for that, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we take it. After what I saw on Tau Atrea, what I experienced, I can't do anything less."

Elia nodded, keeping herself disciplined again. "We'll see how well you do Captain." She sighed "You and I both know the Alliance is sick of fighting and has another war on the horizon. This is going to be another one before too long."

"Maybe. But if things fall the right way, if we do the right things, it might not be so bloody, or so long," he replied. "The Corps was made as a prison, and your people turned it into a society. We may not always understand it, but it shouldn't keep us from realizing you have a right to decide for yourselves what your future will be. And giving you that opportunity." As he spoke he thought back to what Tau Atrea and the settlement were like. The way the children played. The way everyone acted around each other. Thought around each other. He thought about Colin and Gene and Zara, and Husn and Lucas and Maina. He thought about Max and the burden of memories he willingly carried. He thought about Antonia and what she endured for the sake of two scared teenagers. It wasn't life or community as he'd known it. Or even as he'd seen it before. But whatever it was, it wasn't a prison either. Or if it was, it was only because outsiders made it one. And the "inmates" were not going to tolerate that for any longer.

Elia picked up that thought and smiled a little. "Captain I think you're the first person outside the Union who actually gets it, even a little. Thanks for going in with an open mind, that could have gone a lot worse." She wasn't even talking about the slavers. Had he gone in hostile there wasn't a Psi Cop alive who would have hesitated to end him and then simply evacuate elsewhere. She knew it, and she figured he did too, but it was worth saying.

"After seeing Dr. Meier and twenty telepaths use a telescope to tear apart that Aristo's mind while he was still in orbit, I'm well aware of how things could have gone," Robert observed wryly. "I'm grateful it didn't come to that.

Elia snapped her fingers at the mention of a telescope, it was something of a feat with the gloves. "That's where I remember him from!"

"He mentioned he'd done it before."

There was a tone in the air and Elia's omnitool lit up along the back of her left hand. She tapped at it. "Commander Saumarez here."

Jarod was on the other end. " _Commander, just giving you a heads up. We're about to drop out of warp at She'teyal. The_ Huascar _is waiting to receive you. Captain Zhen'var mentioned something about tea waiting for you._ "

"Thank you Commander. Please inform Captain Zhen'var that I will be transporting over shortly, and I would love to take tea." Elia replied.

" _Acknowledged."_

Elia turned her attention back to Robert and replied "Sorry about that. But yeah, he has. Him and the Bloodhound we met at Mars, but they were teenagers at the time, fifty or so others, and the target was the entire crew of a Minbari Warcruiser." Robert could feel that there was more, a certain sort of pride radiated from her even though she was blocking her own thoughts.

"I heard something about that." After that reply Robert considered things for a moment before saying, "Well, I don't want to keep you. This mission has disrupted enough of your life as it is and I'm sure you're looking forward to getting back to your ship. Please, show all of that to Captain Zhen'var and the others. Along with the information on the slaver threat, it includes data on some new, dangerous capabilities in Hawk's organization."

"Thank you Captain. I can't wait to take a look at my backlog." She gave him a wry grin. "I will pass this around our command staff, it's going to prove invaluable. It has been a pleasure meeting you, and I hope we cross paths again under better circumstances." This time, there was real warmth, even if the report made her shudder internally.

"I hope so as well," Robert replied. "Take care, Commander, and _bon voyage_." With that he left her to finish getting ready for her departure.

When he returned to his quarters, Robert took a seat at the desk and noticed he had a response to a query he'd sent into the Alliance Defense Command databanks, concerning the names Colin gave him for the slavers. Since he was due to see the others that evening to share his report with the entire _Aurora_ and _Koenig_ command staffs, he decided this information would be useful to share and opened the file.

His eyes scanned the data. Information via the Allied Systems' diplomatic mission to an Earth government encountered earlier in the year, the Allied Worlds of Earth, Universe Designation A5R0, concerning neighboring states the Allied Systems had yet to establish diplomatic relations with. They listed a political entity of A5R0, the Eubian Concord, an oligarchical monarchy ruled by a genetically-modified class of Humanity.

Namely… the Aristos.

With it was a preliminary report from the Strategic Threat Assessment Staff of Defense Command, using public data provided from Earth sources to determine potential danger. Their findings were listed as "Undetermined", with an explanation that more intelligence was desired to confirm fleet strengths before a final assessment was issued. The only other item of note was that the Eubians were not the only major power in their home universe, but were locked into a long-term cold war with a political entity called the Skolian Imperialate.

But even though there was nothing further on either group, Robert felt discomfort thinking about them. A sense within him that the Aristos were not just another group of slavers, and that they were a greater threat than anyone yet imagined.

But that wasn't the only matter at hand. He found a second message waiting. Admiral Maran's staff confirmed their receipt of the universe coordinate designation he'd sent them. A preliminary survey and contact mission was being ordered.

That made Robert smile. _Wherever you are, Rebekah bat Gurion, don't worry about your world. We'll do what we can for them too. And maybe… maybe you can come home one day._

With that thought in mind, Robert shut down his systems and left for the Lookout. The others were waiting to celebrate his return from another mission. He didn't want to keep them waiting.

It was the least he could do for family.


	87. Episode 3-16-1 Home Invasion

**Teaser**

 _Ship's Log: 14 October 2643 AST; ASV Aurora. Captain Julia Andreys recording. The_ Aurora _is completing its final day in orbit over the planet Coromadir, the capital world of the Aurigan Coalition. We are finalizing trade negotiations with the Aurigan government that will provide for economic improvement in this region of the Periphery of Universe F1S1. In the long term it is hoped that an Alliance presence in this potentially-volatile region will maintain regional stability and contribute to the peace of F1S1._

 _Everyone aboard is eagerly awaiting the completion of these talks. We are due to return to New Liberty to observe the Endangered Nations' Summit and the crew is eager to see how the Colony has fared. It seems to grow faster every time we visit. I wonder what it will be like the day the entire planet is settled._

As Captain of the _Aurora_ Julia took the job of giving the Aurigan ruler a tour of her ship. Kamea Arano, High Lady of the Aurigan Coalition, was following Julia through Deck 20, along with her entourage. She was wearing a rich white gown fringed with red. A fine gold circlet sat her brow, the equivalent of a crown. A fringe of gray was showing through her locks of black hair and there were some lines on her face, especially around her brown eyes, to mark her as middle-aged. Given the data on the politics of the region Julia wondered if the gray also came from the delicate statecraft High Lady Kamea had been forced to practice over the last three decades. Her small nation was in a strategic position in the Near Periphery, on the Rimward border of the Capellan Confederation and Anti-Spinward frontier of the Taurian Concordat. The Federated Suns half of the Commonwealth was a few jumps away using Kearny-Fuchida space-fold drives. That combination was volatile enough, but the Rimward Frontier area of the Near Periphery was also of interest to the Free Worlds League and the Magistracy of Canopus. The Aurigans were thus at a balance point among mutually-conflicting powers, and such positions were inherently stressful for even interstellar nations, especially when they were comparatively less-advanced and developed than neighbors. This made the Foreign Office's interest in improving Alliance relations with them obvious.

That information aside, Julia found herself enjoying the company of High Lady Kamea, who showed genuine wonder and interest in the _Aurora_. There was a quiet strength to her, an idealism tempered by political reality, but not broken. "I remember well the media broadcast of your vessel's first journey through our universe, Captain," Kamea noted. "I'm quite pleased to get a chance to see it firsthand."

"I'm glad to give you that opportunity, Your Highness," Julia replied.

"The stories I've heard about your ship, about you…" Kamea's eyes turned distant. "I am familiar with what it means to become a legend."

"I did read up on your people before we arrived," Julia said. "I admire what you did when you were young, Highness. You saved your people from a brutal dictator, at repeated extreme risk to your own life."

"Yes. Though that had not been my intention at first, I am sorry to say. I launched the War of Restoration to restore my birthright. I had to have my eyes opened by my uncle's brutality before I realized what I should be fighting for." Painful old memories showed on Kamea's face.

"I know what you mean."

"Do you, Captain?" There was no challenge in the question, just an honest interest in determining the matter.

"I've seen my share of forced labor camps and gulags. Outright concentration camps," Julia admitted. She stopped walking, prompting Kamea and her guards and entourage to do the same. "I've seen pogroms in process. I've seen slavery at its worst. Even before the Reich."

Kamea's eyes met Julia's. "I see," the Aurigan ruler said. "It never quite leaves you, does it? That kind of brutality leaves a mark even when you've never suffered it yourself."

"You find out just what people can do to each other. Whether it's hate or ideology or just greed that drives them," Julia replied. "It's why this summit is important. There are so many nations, Human and non-Human, that have suffered. We can do something for many of them."

"Though I am aware of the peoples that suffered under the Reich, I am afraid there is little I can effectively due," Kamea said. "If my people were wealthier, we could contribute. But we are not a wealthy people, not by the standards of interstellar giants such as your Alliance. We strain ourselves just to implement the terraforming technology your Multiverse has provided for our marginally-habitable worlds."

"Given your reputation, your voice alone would help," Julia pointed out. "Sometimes a strong voice can be more important than a deep bank account."

"On rare occasion." Kamea's response to the idea was bemusement. "Although my experience has shown that the bank account is often more useful."

"I'm sure you had to deal with that issue when you were freeing your people," Julia observed.

"I had help," Kamea admitted, frankly. "I suspect you and yours had a similar motivation when you approached the nations that formed the Alliance."

Julia didn't have to affirm that yes, having wealthy and powerful interstellar states backing you up didn't hurt at all. Without the nations that formed the Alliance, the loss of the Facility would have ruined them. Instead the Alliance provided them the means to do even more to help the peoples of the Multiverse, even if it sometimes required political games and restraint.

"The world always balances on the scales of ideals and reality," Kamea continued. "I suppose I am fortunate enough that I have not lost sight of the ideal, despite my position."

"Ideals are important," Julia replied. "They give us something to work toward. Let us imagine making things better."

Kamea laughed lightly. "Yes, you would be the idealist, wouldn't you Captain? If only everything worked that way."

"It doesn't, I know. I've seen it." Julia let Kamea start walking before she did the same, signaling the others to follow. "Even the Alliance has member states that signed up for their own interests, not the greater ideals. I just hope they come to accept those ideals too. Just because idealism doesn't always win out doesn't mean we give it up. From what I've heard, you didn't."

A small smile crossed the face of the older woman. "There were times I wondered. When the war was still fresh in my mind, and all of the choices I had to make. The hard choices."

"Such as?"

"Guldra," she said simply. "Leaving my closest advisor, my friend, to captivity at the hands of my cousin. All so I could gain the information I needed to divide my uncle and his regime from his allies. I had to harden my heart." Again old pain flashed through those striking brown eyes. "It was the hardest decision I made in the war."

Julia nodded in understanding. A conversation two years in the past came to her mind, on the eve of the Nazi War, when she and Robert had argued about the possible necessity of leaving someone behind to save the ship. She'd argued in favor of the need to prepare for it, emotionally. Even if it meant she was the one left behind. It wasn't an easy thing to consider, and it was clear Lady Kamea once made that choice and still had a scar on her heart due to it.

"I sometimes wonder if it makes me so much different from Santiago and Victoria," Kamea mused. "Everything they did, every hard choice, every sacrifice, was because they felt it necessary for our people. How different am I when I made such a choice?"

"But you were, you are." Julia recalled the notes she read on the Aurigan Civil War, and the four year rule of the Aurigan Directorate. Santiago Espinosa and his daughter Victoria had been monsters, and the renegade Commodore Ostergaard's obsession with vengeance had crossed the line repeatedly. "You don't run gulags, Highness. You respect the civil rights of your people. You give them a voice in their government. You're in a completely different league from the Directorate, a better one. No matter what their motivation was."

"That is kind of you to say, Captain. Very kind." The smile grew, a knowing look shining in her brown eyes. "History chooses heroes. I never expected it would choose me, and I still wonder if I deserve it. It pleases me to meet those who do deserve it, unquestionably."

"I didn't start this to become a hero."

"That is the fun part, Captain," said Kamea. "We never do." When Julia let out a small laugh, Kamea looked at her curiously. "This amuses you?"

"I'm just thinking of what you've said," Julia answered. "And the fact that at least one of us always tries to be the hero. Honestly I think he's the reason President Morgan named his operatives 'Paladins'."

"You are speaking of Captain Dale," Kamea remarked. "I was led to believe he lives on the _Aurora_. He is away?"

"He is," Julia said. "No doubt trying to be the hero, as always."

* * *

A universe and a galaxy away, the planet Alignon continued its quiet orbit around its star. The planet was not the most hospitable, even with its atmosphere being marginally breathable by the standards of oxygen-breathing species. A molten, rapidly-rotating core gave the planet a powerful EM field, shielding those who chose to stay on it from easy detection. Only a handful of very sophisticated communication technologies could pierce the interference of said field. Thus the planet was the place to go to hide or deal clandestinely with others.

It was more than enough to explain the presence of the Shadow Broker's base on the planet.

Gunfire filled the loading bay of said base. The security teams were made up of several local species - Turian, Batarian, Human - and armed with the mass effect firearms unique to the M4P2 Universe's Milky Way. They maintained fire at the group seemingly pinned in at the side of the bay.

But only seemingly. With a moment of focus and a rush of metaphysical power bound to the life force of the universe, Robert Dale willed them to go flying back out of the bay. All did, thrown off their feet by a force they couldn't see. Using the momentary slack in the incoming fire, Robert tapped at his omnitool. "North bay, Talara!"

" _On it!_ " replied the Falaen woman.

Behind him, Dr. Liara T'Soni lunged forward and planted a biotic punch to the face of a Collector entity, driving it away from a cryogenic preservation pod. The Asari xenoarchaeologist's attack forced the creature back. Nearby her ally, a Drell named Feron, wrestled with an enraged Salarian, both seemingly intent on killing the other.

The Shadow Brokers' guards were returning, but Robert's purpose in knocking them to the floor hadn't just been to stop their shooting. It'd been to buy time for the last of their group to get in position. The guards found this out to their detriment as Lucy Lucero dropped from the ceiling, creating a shockwave that sent them flying back again. Those who tried to stand their ground had their weapons cleaved into pieces by the shining blue lightsaber in Lucy's hands. A couple of them lost hands and forearms as well.

Robert was free to act. He did by first sabotaging the Collector's ship, a standard model craft the being had undoubtedly procured to look like normal traffic to the rest of the galaxy. His lightsaber flashed to life with green light and he rushed aboard, running it through machinery and then jamming it into the controls. When he left he came to Liara's aid, sending projected force against her Collector foe that not only forcefully threw it away from her, but sent it flying into Feron's foe in the process. As the red-skinned Salarian fell in a heap with the Collector, Liara rushed back to the cryopod. "Where's our ride?" she asked.

Robert answered by looking up as the bay doors opened. The _Jayhawk_ descended, its shape making it look like a great dark-gray bird swooping down toward them. Under Talara's control the ship turned to present its rear cargo bay ramp door to them. It was already in the process of opening before the ship landed.

"Get aboard!" Robert cried out. "It's time to go!" At that Lucy backed away from the fallen guards and the handful still standing, lightsaber scything through the air to deflect incoming fire. Liara pushed the pod up to the ramp door and through it.

"Your defiance will not avail you," the Collector hissed as it got back up, the red-skinned Salarian doing the same. The latter pointed a weapon at them. "You cannot stop what is coming."

In lieu of a more badass kind of reply, Robert replied with a confident "We'll see about that" while helping Feron up. Liara stepped to the edge of the ramp with a pistol raised, her shots barking as she gave cover fire to the others. Lucy turned and ran, crossing the distance with speed beyond that of normal Humans. She got to the ramp as Robert did with Feron.

The Collector charged at them. Robert turned and gripped the creature with invisible force. "They are coming," it said. "And there is nothing you can do to stop them."

Before he could reply Liara's gun came up and fired once. The round slammed between the Collector's four yellow eyes, blasting through the brains of the being and killing it instantly. "We're done here," she said to Robert.

He nodded and followed her into the armory. What guards still had weapons and intact limbs did their best to fire at the ship, but the deflectors easily caught their fire. The pulse guns on the wings blazed away, auto-tracking the Broker's men and forcing them to stay in some cover to avoid getting blasted. This ongoing fire disappeared from view when the cargo bay door came up and closed. The _Jayhawk_ 's inertial dampeners kept them from feeling more than a slight sense of gravitational force as the ship lifted off and shot up through the atmosphere. " _We're entering orbit now. Engaging cloak_ ," said Talara.

"Well, that was fun," Lucy sighed. "I'm starting to get used to being shot at so often, Rob. I'm not sure I like it."

"Tell me about it," he replied. Robert walked up to the pod, but he couldn't bring himself to look inside. "Is it…?"

Liara finished a scan and nodded. "It is. It's her."

"Shepard." Emotion suddenly threatened to choke Robert. It was one thing to be told Jen Shepard was dead. To feel it in the depth of his being when the moment came. But to actually have her body, to confirm it… He wiped at the tears forming on his face. "At least Hannah Shepard will have something to bury," he said.

There was a… sense from Liara in response to that. As if she suddenly felt guilty about this whole arrangement. Which, to be fair, he could understand, since they'd nearly gotten killed fighting the Shadow Broker's personal troops, and had undoubtedly made enemies of the Broker himself.

"Thank you for your assistance, Captain," Feron said suddenly. His voice had the unusual timbre Robert knew to come from Drell. "I'm not sure we would have made it off Alignon if you had not come to assist."

"With everything I owe Shepard, you don't have to worry about apologies. And you're probably going to need to lie low. Going after me and Lucy is one thing; we're Alliance operatives, and the Broker may not want to declare war on the Allied Systems just yet. But you and Liara…"

"I have contacts in other universes I will pursue," said Feron. "But thank you for the concern."

" _Sir, are we returning to Omega?_ " Talara asked over the comms.

"Yes, and I'm on my way to relieve you, Talara," Robert said. "Excellent flying."

" _Thank you_ ," she answered.

As Robert climbed the steps to head to the main deck and the cockpit, Lucy finished hanging her robes up. She sensed Liara's discomfort, her uncertainty, and turned to see her looking over the pod holding Shepard's remains. "Are you okay?" she asked Liara.

"I am… no, I am not." Liara put a hand on the pod. "Although I did not travel with Shepard, we touched minds twice. I felt a link to her, a bond. It hurts to have it severed. And to know she died so terribly and so alone."

"I get that," Lucy said. She walked over and set a hand on Liara's shoulder. "But you did the right thing going after her. These people, who knows what they planned to do with her body?"

"Yes, I agree with you there." Liara sighed. "I suppose I will have to go to another universe as well. If that is enough to stop the Shadow Broker from pursuing me."

"You talked about signing up for the Alliance before," Lucy said. "Why not now? With the war over, the fleet's shifting its way back to emphasizing scientific missions and exploration. A xenoarchaeologist would easily get a berth on a star cruiser. Especially one who knows how to defend herself."

"It is an idea, and I will consider it. But right now I just want to get back to Omega. My contact will take responsibility for returning Shepard's remains and I can move on."

Lucy wondered why they didn't just head to the Citadel and hand the remains over there, but then again, they'd arrived later. Liara's own arrangements were already in place. Less hassle, and it'd get them back home more quickly than putting up with Systems Alliance bureaucracy.

"I am tired," Liara admitted. "I need some rest." She went to the stairs and added, "Please inform me when we arrive at Omega."

"Of course," Lucy replied.

* * *

It was the new day on the Alliance calendar before the _Jayhawk_ departed Omega. The massive space base and habitat, built into an eezo asteroid, was a center of commerce for the lawless Terminus Systems. Thus it was an open port, provided you paid the docking fees, or had someone to do it for you. Robert's operational budget was enough, but Liara directed him to a dock that was already paid for by her contacts. Given the time crunch they were under if they were to get back for his next job, Robert and his team opted not to explore the notorious station. They didn't even leave the _Jayhawk_ , merely seeing Liara and Feron off with Shepard's remains.

Omega's star system was peculiar as having not one but _two_ Mass Relays. The Omega Relay was one of the most notorious in M4P2. No other ship that went through ever came back. Lucy put them on a course for the proper relay. "It'll take a few transits to get back to our space," she observed. "But we should make it to the _Aurora_ soon. Just in time for us to join Meridina in visiting Gersal."

"Enjoy," he said. "And take the _Rio_. Just in case something comes up and I need you back immediately."

"Since you say so," Lucy replied. "You?"

"I'll be monitoring the Endangered Nations' Summit. Under orders from Morgan," Robert said. "A 'just in case' measure."

"Have fun with the diplomats," Lucy said, smiling as she brought the _Jayhawk_ up toward the main relay. Lightning crackled from the relay's eezo core and within seconds the _Jayhawk_ was thousands of light years across the galaxy.

* * *

The United Alliance of Systems was the dream of trillions of people. The promise of a Multiverse united against terrible threats. Because of the peculiar nature of Humanity across the universes, many Earths were included in its membership rolls. And Humans, while just averaging a few centuries of interstellar travel among the various universes, were a plurality of the population. One of those Earths, of L2M1, was where the Alliance was based. Other Human nations provided influence to the body; the humanitarian interventionism of the British Stellar Union of Universe C502 (among other states with similar views), the ability to include different economic systems and concepts through the memberships of the Sol System Republic and the Colonial Confederation from D3R1, the emphasis on personal rights and tolerance for voluntary modification of one's body from the Sirian League of L2M1.

But the world that many considered to have the strongest influence on the young Alliance, the world with the strongest economy, the most advanced society, and the greatest population, was not one of the Earths at all. It was in a universe where Earth was a shattered, radioactive mess.

That distinction belonged to Gersal.

The irony was that the Gersallians themselves classified as near-Human. Externally they completely resembled Humanity. Internally, the differences in physiology were obvious, but yet not significant, such that many theories abounded, ranging from parallel evolution from similar environmental factors to the idea that some ancient species might have seeded modified Human genetic material on primordial Gersal.

One of the things that made Gersal, and the Gersallians, a unique part of the Alliance was the Order of Swenya. Founded three millennia in the past by a great heroine who influenced all of Gersallian society, the Order stood as guardians of peace and justice and defenders of the innocent. The Code Swenya passed onto them, the metaphysical beliefs she taught, informed their actions, telling them to make the universe, the Multiverse, a better place by the alleviation of suffering. The Knights of Swenya - known as _swevyra'se_ in their tongue - would always be the first to raise their blades in defense of the helpless. Each and everyone would give their lives in the name of protection, believing their actions made the Multiverse a better place.

But even such good intentions were not always enough. Now there was a growing ill feeling in the halls of the Order. Even as the Alliance spread its influence, aiding many other societies and crushing the Nazi Reich of S4W8, one of the most horrific hegemons to ever be known, the Order itself was becoming uncertain. Many felt a darkness growing in the world, a sickness of the spirit. And it could not be decided what had brought it about.

 _Mastrash_ Ledosh knew this, and knew it keenly. That knowledge pressed him onward in his work, the difficult work of translating an ancient tome: the _Life of Reshan_. Its secrets held the key to what was wrong, he was certain, and as he read more and more translated text, the more convinced he was of it.

His apprentice entered his office. Gina Inviere was not Gersallian. Nor was she entirely Human, or baseline Human anyway. She was a Cylon - a manufactured infiltrator model of the machine civilization notorious for having committed genocide against the Humans who built them. Gina herself had suffered horrifically at the hands of the Humans she infiltrated. She would have ended her own existence, and possibly that of many thousands of Humans, had it not been for the intervention of Ledosh's former apprentice Meridina, who showed her compassion and mercy when she'd long given up on both sentiments. Now, she followed the footsteps of her benefactor, seeking to use the energies her own being connected her to in order to make the Multiverse a better place, even in opposition to the others of her kind.

There was no hiding that Gina was concerned with Ledosh. For the past several months he was becoming more and more secretive. He performed only the minimum tasks necessary to his position in the Order, then retreated to his office or his cottage to continue studying the _Life of Reshan_. Sensing that concern coming up again, Ledosh closed the books together and looked to her. "Is everything alright?"

"No, it is not, _Mastrash_ ," Gina said. "Everyone can feel it."

"As can I. We are becoming an uncertain people, it seems."

"Is it Goras?"

"He was a symptom, not the source," Ledosh asserted. Below them, the fallen _Mastrash_ brooded in his cell. By all rights he should have been slain as a _swevyra'kse_ \- a wielder of the Flow of Life turned to darkness by giving in to his most negative emotions - but every time the motion came up the Order Council shied away from the choice. Ledosh suspected none wanted to admit Goras even existed now. He was a shame to the Order's record, having attempted to seize control of both the Order and the Gersallian Interdependency itself, until defeated in combat by Lucy Lucero. Ordering his death would mean admitting that shame. And after such a long existence without such issues plaguing it, the Order and its leadership were divided on how to proceed.

"Through all of this, you devote yourself to the book," Gina said, her voice betraying the confusion she felt at this. "As if it is more important than the Order."

"That is not the issue, Gina," Ledosh replied. "Far from it. This book and the information within may be our only hope of salvation."

There was no hiding the skepticism Gina felt at that thought. But after consideration she realized her own being felt the same thing. At a deep fundamental level, at the part of her connected to the Flow of Life, Gina realized he may be right.

"Time is short," Ledosh said. "I should resume."

"Meridina is coming," Gina said. "To speak with you. Lucy Lucero and her student are coming as well."

"I look forward to meeting them," Ledosh remarked quietly. "Until then, I must continue my work. Everything depends upon it."

* * *

Like many worlds, Gersal had a traffic control authority to oversee ship traffic in orbit, especially craft going or from the surface.

But none of its observers could see the vessel that descended through the atmosphere. Unseen, unheard, it flew toward the mountains outside of the planetary capital before coming in for a landing on the side of one of the mountains. Aboard, the single occupant brought up a viewer that showed the Great Temple of Swenya. Individuals milled about, small as ants, and that was how she thought of them. A brief snarl formed on her face, reflexive of her thoughts toward such beings, followed by a bemused smirk at their total ignorance of her presence.

Her communications controls chirped and the woman turned, her ashen gray features focusing on the holographic projector built into the console. With a press of a button the projector came alive, creating a blue-tinted projection of another woman. A projection of her master.

"Master, I have arrived," said the ship's pilot. "Undetected."

" _Good_ ," her master replied. " _Keep only to your objectives. The Circle must be kept whole, Tisiphone. Do nothing that might break it._ "

"I am aware of the stakes, Master. I will not fail you." There was, perhaps, a hint of frustration in the woman's voice. As if she didn't need her master's reminder of the stakes at hand when it came to the Circle. That was the entire point, after all.

The transmission ended. The Tisiphone made sure her ship was still hidden before departing it. She looked down on the Great Temple of Swenya and grinned inwardly. She could sense the darkness even now. _Fools_ , she thought contemptuously. _You have no idea what is coming_...

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"Home Invasion"_**

* * *

The orbital space around New Liberty was busier than the _Aurora_ crew had ever seen it. Ships from across the Multiverse were present, bearing representatives of many governments to the summit being held below. This was certainly going to be the most attention that the Colony had ever received in years.

Finding a geosynchronous position not far from a Federation _Excelsior_ -class vessel, the _Charleston_ , with the _Battlestar Pegasus_ to her starboard, the _Aurora_ took her place among the plethora of vessels currently present. Asari, Turian, Narn, Bajoran… all were among the present vessels. A new Federated Commonwealth _Alexander Davion_ -class battlecruiser, the _Melissa Steiner_ , kept a further orbit, representing the F1S1 universe's continuing adoption of Multiversal technologies.

Aboard the _Aurora_ , Angela Delgado walked through azure-sheened corridors that mirrored the coloring of the ship's external hull. She passed some crew on the way, unavoidable on a ship of over two thousand personnel, before entering Science Lab 2. Her younger sister Caterina sat at one of the work stations, examining what looked like a simulation of a star. Cat was so completely fixed on the sim that she was visibly startled when Angel loudly asked, "Staring at stars _again_ , Cat?"

After recovering from her startlement, Cat turned in her seat to face her sister. While the family resemblance was clear, the two were definitely not twins - indeed, Angel had half a decade on her sister - and they were very different physically. Angel was solid and muscular, with slight curves, her body honed by daily fight training that she'd followed with little deviation since she was an adolescent. Cat, on the other hand, was short and thin, being particularly conscious of the latter. She could run, but she'd never throw a punch capable of flooring a two hundred and fifty pound man.

"The _Maimonides_ just finished a few weeks in the Fracture," she explained. "They found two more T'Vral Distortions, and Philippe sent me the logs so I could compare them to the one I found. This is really interesting stuff. It's giving us a better idea of how space is messed up in the Fracture.

"Philippe? As in Philippe Duwala?"

"Yeah."

"I thought he was science officer on the _Challenger_?"

Cat shook her head. "No, he's been promoted. He's first officer on the _Maimonides_ now."

"And that's a… what, another star cruiser?"

"It's one of the first of the new _Juvap Ky-_ class science cruisers, actually," Cat corrected matter-of-factly. She quickly accessed the Alliance database and displayed the ship in question. It looked smaller than the _Discovery_ -class, with a flatter primary hull and drive hull with no neck between them, and two warp nacelles elevated slightly above both hulls. Between the nacelles, a large rollbar structure was fixed to the top of the primary hull where the shuttle bay normally went on Alliance designs; that was instead built into the top of the drive hull. "Nasira was promoted to command the ship, so she brought Philippe along to be her First Officer."

"A science cruiser?" Angel asked, sounding almost incredulous. "We could end up at war with the Dominion any day and they're building these things?"

"Well, science missions are still important," Cat replied defensively. "They started building them during the war so they could handle that stuff. That's what the pod is for. It's got the best sensor equipment in the Alliance fleet in there."

"Well, I guess it's fair the nerds get a ship. In the meantime, want to get a meal tonight at Carranza's?"

"Oh, uh, I was just going to have dinner in the Lookout," Cat said. "Or maybe just from my quarters' replicator unit. I've got some papers to look over. They're supposed to reschedule that symposium that I was going to present the T'Vral Distortion readings to and I've got to keep up on things."

Angel gave her a look. "You're not going down? You always like to visit Carranza's."

"Senora Carranza is good, yeah, and she cooks it like Mama did… but I've got things to do, Angel."

Angel wasn't fooled. With Violeta gone, Cat was becoming more insular, more withdrawn, as if all of her interest in socialization came through her girlfriend and without her, there was just the science. But Angel was tired of letting Cat remain a recluse and wasn't about to take no for an answer. "I was hoping to introduce you to Tony," she said. "And maybe we can go shopping through the old Market, afterward? You always did have fun with that."

"Angel, I just… I don't really intend to go down this time. I've got things to do up here."

"But Caaaat…"

A bewildered look crossed Cat's face. She turned and watched Angel put on the Pout and continue, "I miss you so much, sister, I want to spend some time with you. Pleeaaase?"

"You're… you're using the Pout." Cat blinked. "You're wheedling me and using the Pout."

Angel nodded. The Pout stayed on her face. It looked almost comical on her, since Cat always saw her big sister's face fitting anger and determination more.

"That's… that's my thing," Cat said. "You're using my thing on me. I'm supposed to be the one doing this to you!"

"Pleeeeeease?" Angel put her hands together in a pleading gesture.

"This is so not fair," Cat protested, but a little giggle came from her. "You're not playing fair at all."

"When it comes to family, I do what I have to," Angel said. She kept the pleading hands and the Pout up.

"Okay, okay, dinner at Carranza's," Cat said in defeat. "We'll beam down in what, two hours? Around 1700?"

"Sounds great." Angel wrapped her muscled arms around her sister, a tight hug just shy of rib-crushing. "I'll see you there!"

* * *

Julia, as was her custom for this time of the standard day, was in her ready office going over paperwork. A glowing report from Consul Hreep, the Alakin diplomat assigned to Coromadir, brought a small grin to her face. The Aurigans' Parliament had already ratified the new trade treaty with the Allied Systems and negotiations were underway for a military assistance treaty to provide them with ships for fighting pirates. That was going to be a trickier thing, Julia imagined: the Taurians and Canopians would likely not feel too threatened, but the Capellans were already suspicious of the Alliance's expansion in influence on its Periphery border. Any further agreement would have to be delicate to avoid Capellan hostility.

She was moving on to a report from Chief Talaverda on crew readiness when Robert arrived. She gave him a sardonic look; after all of these months away, he still hadn't shaved that damn beard or cut his hair back to normal length. "You know, your Grandpa would've thought you were a hippy looking at you now," she pointed out. "And Dad would've agreed."

Robert chuckled and sat down across from her. "I'm sure they'd say that about this too." He playfully levitated a reader from the surface of her desk. "I'll probably cut it eventually."

"The sooner the better," she insisted. She grinned only a moment before asking, "How is Doctor T'Soni?"

"Grieving, like the rest of us," Robert replied. "Something's going on with her, but I didn't want to pry given how raw her feelings were."

"She did the right thing. Finding Shepard's remains. Now Captain Shepard can bury her daughter."

"That's what I thought." Robert put his hands together on his knee. "I am a little concerned about the Shadow Broker. He's not going to take what happened well. I'm a little worried he'll retaliate against Alliance interests."

"He might, or he might stick with his reputation of business being business," Julia pointed out. "The last thing he needs is to get an entire interstellar government after him."

"He usually manipulates those. At least the people inside of them," Robert noted. "I offered Feron and Liara asylum in the Alliance. But they turned me down. Feron's going off to who knows where and Liara, well, I'm not sure what she'll do after making the arrangements for Shepard's remains. Lucy recommended she sign on with the Stellar Navy as a civilian science specialist."

"That's one thing she could do," Julia agreed. "So, the summit."

"It's important to a lot of people," Robert said. "I'll be helping to provide security."

"And to help Dr. Meier network," Julia added, grinning. "When's he arriving?"

"Within the hour, on a Gersallian transport. I'm going to meet them at the terminal." Robert gestured toward the window and the view of the planet below. "Are you going down at all? Besides Beth's pre-summit dinner, I mean."

"Oh, I'll be spending some time with Lee," Julia admitted. "The _Pegasus_ is here escorting Vice President Zarek to attend the summit on behalf of New Caprica."

"Ah." Robert nodded once at that and gave her a reassuring grin. "I'm happy you're enjoying… well, I'm not sure what it is?"

Julia matched the look. "Beyond really good sex with a handsome man who understands what this all means…" She gestured toward her desk and all of the report-laden digital readers on it. "...it's really not much. I'm not exactly in love with Lee, Rob. He's just…"

"Someone who understands you," Robert offered. "What you are, what you do. You can find companionship with him." Almost as an afterthought he added, "And enjoy sex."

"Well, I've not exactly had a lot of luck in that department," Julia remarked drolly. "Before Lee, and outside of you and the others, the only guy I spent any time around turned out to be a clinical sadist and racist who tortured one of my friends because she was going to get him and his dad convicted of abusing immigrants."

The reference to Phil Duffy was not a welcome one. Robert remembered the detestable jerk and his vicious father. He thought back to the night that Duffy Senior had held the gun on him, the same day that Robert had discovered the Darglan Facility. "I try not to think of the Duffys," Robert admitted. "Or what they did to Lucy." _What Phil might have done to you, if he had the chance_.

Whether or not Julia actually knew what he was thinking, it was clear that came to mind too, the way she shivered for a moment. "He was an evil piece of crap, and after I broke up with him… well, if he wasn't also a coward, I bet I might have ended up in that room," she admitted. "His dad wouldn't have stopped him. At best, he would have killed me to protect Phil."

"I'm glad it didn't come to that." Robert shuddered at the idea of it. "As for you and Lee, whatever it is, I hope it works for you. You always focus so much on work, Julie, that I worry about you. You deserve happiness beyond fitness reports and requisitions."

"Thank you," she said. "I wish you had something like that." A small, wry grin formed on her face. "Although the way Zack talks, I'd almost think you and Druni had a thing." The moment Robert blushed she clapped her hands and laughed. "A ha! You did, didn't you?!"

"We became friends," Robert replied.

"Did you count her spots?"

" _Julie!_ "

"Well, did you?" Clearly enjoying herself, Julia added, "And I hear things about those Silver Moon types. They get a little freaky, I mean. Some real BDSM stuff."

"No, not anything like that," Robert sighed. "Tom and his damn porn…"

Julia's reply was another giggle of amusement. "Cultural appropriation is what they call it, I think?"

"Something like that."

"So you _didn't_ tie Druni up while counting her spots." The giggle and matching grin turned lecherous.

"I'm… dammit, I'm going to wring Zack's neck, I swear."

"Good luck, the _Koenig_ is at DS9 doing the joint fleet exercises with Starfleet," Julia said, still grinning in a way that spoke of how much she enjoyed teasing him. "And here I always thought Zack would be the first of us to have sex with an alien."

As the blush on Robert's face deepened, Julia's laugh filled the room.

* * *

The _Rio Grande_ dropped out of warp at the edge of Gersal's Orbital Traffic Control Zone. It took only seconds for the computer systems to verify a safe landing course for the small ship. As Ledosh's apprentice, Gina had given them an access code to the Great Temple's small spaceport annex, located on the far end of the Temple complex. While Lucy brought them in for a landing, Talara was given a chance to admire the Temple's great structures, the rounded buildings being unlike the Human buildings she'd yet seen or her own species' favored methods.

Gina was waiting for them when they landed. "Now is not the best time for a tour," she said quietly, nodding to Talara in particular. "The Council is in session again."

Meridina was frowning. "I sense a… darkness here. Is this truly what the Order has fallen into?"

"It is, I am afraid. All efforts to bring the others out of their uncertainty have failed so far." Gina gestured to a nearby skycar. "I've already made the arrangements. I would go with you, but I must remain here to help _Mastrash_ Ledosh."

"Of course. _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , Gina Inviere."

Gina returned the blessing and left them to the Gersallian-make skycar. It was of a dark blue coloring, an utilitarian look that seemed to put function over elegance. Lucy was aware of how Gersallians designed somethings. Certain things, like their buildings, got elegant-looking appearances, while others were function over form designs.

Lucy took control of the craft so that Meridina could helpfully point out the sights to Talara. The gleaming spires of Jantarihal glinted in the sunlight as they flew down from the mountains into the valley where the city center was placed. "This reminds me of the Royal City," Talara said, thinking of the capital city of Fala. Jantarihal clearly impressed.

"When you're the capital city for an interstellar civilization for a few millennia, you tend to get impressive," said Lucy, admiring the view herself while flying them through the approved traffic lanes toward the residential areas. An arcology at the edge of said area was their destination. It was a sky-rise in appearance. A parking garage for skycars was built into the twentieth floor, which is where she flew them. Meridina's personal code opened the garage for them, allowing Lucy to quickly park the craft.

They found the Lumantala gathered as a unit. Meridina's family greeted all warmly. Gamaya led the way in giving Talara a close look. "You're the first Falaen I've personally met," the young woman replied cheerfully. "And you're a _swevyra'se_ too! By the Light, that is fascinating!"

"This is Lucy's first student, then?" asked _Mastrash_ Karesl, Meridina's father, sizing up Talara as well.

"She is, _Mastrash_ ," Lucy said politely.

"The first student can be the most important. They shape the teacher as much as the teacher shapes them," Karesl noted. Beside him, in the two-seated chair, his wife Drentiya remained quiet and content.

This was the first time Talara was meeting Meridina's family. She recalled Lucy's explanation of the relationships. Meridina was the eldest of the four children and the only one to be like their father, someone with a life force sensitive to the Flow of Life. In order from her came her brother Qalkrsl, sister Gamaya, and sister Leniraya. Qalkrsl's wife Utiriluma sat beside him. Her belly was swelling, doing much to explain the contentment in Karesl and Drentiya, as they prepared to become grandparents. Like Qalkrsl and Drentiya, Utiriluma was a telepath, although the two had decided to become farmers.

In addition, Penrine, Leniraya's enthusiastic girlfriend and former partner in all sorts of childhood mischief, was snuggling next to the youngest of the Lumantala, making their physical relationship no secret. Leni was a telepath as well, although Penrine was not. Gamaya, the third of the children, was the only one without life energy talents or telepathy. She was a budding scientist that Meridina and Lucy likened to Caterina.

"I hope I do well, then," said Talara. "Lucy has taught me much already."

Lucy said nothing, but the others could sense her bittersweet feelings. She viewed herself harshly for bringing Talara down to Germania, causing her student emotional and mental anguish beyond the strain of combat.

"I do so enjoy seeing your world," Talara continued, sensing her teacher's feelings and wishing to change the subject. "It is every bit as beautiful as Fala. It makes me eager to see Fala join the Alliance."

Immediately Talara sensed she might have touched on something of a nerve, but Karesl gently replied, "If that is the wish of your people, I hope they do as well, and that they help make the Alliance stronger."

Mastrash _Karesl is opposed to Gersallian membership in the Alliance_ , Lucy quietly informed Talara mentally.

 _Oh._ Talara couldn't stop herself from blushing in embarrassment.

Karesl smiled gently at her. "Do not concern yourself, Talara. My political views do not preclude my belief that the Alliance is a good thing. It can be, and your people would make it stronger and closer to the Light."

"Ah, yes, I believe so as well, _Mastrash_ ," Talara said respectfully.

The gathering started to move to the dining area. Meridina remained behind, sensing her father's interest in speaking. "There is much wrong with the Order," Meridina said. "The darkness there… it has been many months since I last visited, but I can hardly imagine it would come to this."

"Goras' fall damaged us in ways we could not foresee," said Karesl. "If Maklir were alive we might have come through it. He had sufficient respect to overcome the uncertainty. But Tinaran is not Maklir. He is content to give it time, and continues to hope for Goras to overcome his feelings."

"He will not. A rage and hate that strong…"

"I know. He was one of my closest friends, but he always stood closer to darkness than the rest of us. He felt very strongly about everything." Karesl's face fell. "I have lost all those I called friend."

Meridina immediately knew what he was saying. "I have heard _Mastrash_ Ledosh has been preoccupied."

"Obsessed, some are saying. He spends all of his time in 'private research'. The Council is beginning to grumble about his failure to perform all expected duties of his position," Karesl confided. "If you have a chance, Meridina, please go to him. Find out why he is keeping us out. Keeping me out. I know we've had our disagreements, but I still consider him a friend."

Meridina nodded. "I will try." As she spoke, she wondered just what was causing such behavior in her old master. Why had his work with that book taken over his life?

She decided she was going to find out, even if she had to camp out in Ledosh's office to do it.

* * *

The New Liberty spaceport was busier than ever, given the number of people coming to petition the Endangered Nations' Summit or to otherwise follow it. Robert couldn't remember ever seeing so many people around it. He suspected, given the number of people, that every hotel and inn in the Colony was fully reserved. At least the spaceport seemed capable of coping with the increased flow, but that was little surprise. New Liberty's status as a thriving colony of cultural and social significance to the Allied Systems meant it had the largest spaceport for a colony of its size. It reminded Robert of the airport in Kansas City he'd seen as a child when taking family trips to see his mother's family in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

He stood out among the crowd, if only due to his uniform. His Stellar Navy uniform used the silver branch color for those in intelligence. A aiguillette chain from the left shoulder to the middle of his chest was meant to mark staff officer status, although that was mostly a blind. Sometimes he thought of simply ditching the chain since Paladins, like Citadel Council Spectres, were not operating under cover. His status as a Paladin was not hidden, even if some of his operations could be considered classified.

His presence was due to one of those operations, as was the man he was accompanying. Chaim Soloveitchik was a senior member of the New Liberty Rabbinical Council. He came dressed officially in that role with all of the adornments of a rabbi from what was once the Russian Empire of an 1850s Earth. He was an older man, with a graying beard and hair, and a face that could easily pull of everything from a stern look of disapproval to the warm, polite look he had now.

The display gave official notice that the transport liner _Halraca_ was disembarking at Gate 3. The two men arrived as the first people disembarked. Not many did, as the _Halraca_ had other stops on its route. Taking up the rear of those exiting were three men. Two Robert recognized, the third he did not, but he could guess at the man's identity given those he was expecting.

Colin stepped out of the gate first. He cut a somewhat imposing figure despite his medium height, he was on the athletic side of a medium build but that wasn't what created the visage. It was the way he moved, the way he looked at his surroundings. He wasn't relaxed like he was around other telepaths and his husband in particular, he was on edge; like he felt vulnerable. Immediately behind him was Max, who was in his late fifties and looked it. His hair was steel grey under his kippah and his face was care-worn. He was talking animatedly with a third man who had to be Rabbi Isaac Liebgott in a cheery-sounding Yiddish. He looked like he could be anywhere between fifty and his early eighties depending on how well-preserved he was and the well-manicured beard disguised any wrinkles on half his face. He wore a nice suit and Kippah, mostly because his function here was secular.

Colin spotted Robert and cracked a smile. " _Guten Tag, oder ist es Abend_?"

" _Guten tag_ ," was Robert's response, returning the smile. Outside it was only starting to get into the afternoon of the planet. New Liberty had something like a 24.5 hour day, so it was close enough to Earth to not be too disruptive on the Circadian rhythm. Switching to English, Robert said, "Everyone, this is Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of the New Liberty Rabbinical Council."

" _Shalom_. It is good to see you, Isaac." Chaim extended a hand and nodded his head in greeting. His English was thickly accented with what generally sounded Slavic, reflecting his family's origins in Lithuania. "Thank you for coming to see us. We are quite interested in discussions with the Jews of the E5B1 universe."

" _Shalom!_ " Isaac replied and shook hands. "It's a pleasure, believe me. On our Earth we have lengthy medieval discussions in our _Mishnah_ about what multiple universes would mean for Judaism. Now I live to see those discussions realized."

"Rabbi Lipsky of the C5O2 universe's Rabbinical Council of Israel and Palestine is with us as well, so the discussions should become quite involved."

 _They are part of the British Stellar Union_ , Robert thought openly. _In the C5O2 timeline the British Empire adopted inclusionary practices and became the Union over time, so it didn't fall like in our timelines. Their capital is in New Delhi now, and the Royal Family is primarily Indian._

Max relayed that information to Isaac who lit up like the sun. "Oh this should be fascinating. On our Earth, it took World War Three for the Palestine issue to be resolved. That said, I would like to introduce you to my associates. This is Max Cohen, _nominally_ here to protect me from unregistered telepaths, but really he's a friend and can speak about the experiences of Jewish telepaths in our universe. And then there's his minder, Dr. Colin Meier, he's a goy and mostly German but we don't hold that against him." Isaac winked.

"Germans are fine. Russians, well, another story. Especially Cossacks." Chaim happily accepted handshakes with them both.

Robert kept the smile, given Chaim was clearly going for humor with the exchange. But there was an old pain there, one Robert easily came to from the reference. Memories of a violent pogrom he and the others intervened in briefly came to mind before he banished it.

Meanwhile Chaim turned his attention to Max. "Please, Mister Cohen, feel free to join in the discussions when they begin. The point of view of a Jew who can see into our minds and hearts… I can only imagine what it means for you to have that ability. A blessing and a burden, I suppose."

"Mostly a blessing," Max remarked "Were it not for external considerations… but I'd be more than happy to."

"Yes, Robert has spoken to me of these things." Chaim's expression took on gravity. "There have been misconceptions that must be cleared. I am grateful to serve the truth by helping to do so."

"It's good to meet you in person, Rabbi Liebgott," Robert said amiably, offering his hand as well. "Welcome to New Liberty."

"Good to meet you too Captain. My congregation was close with the telepath community on Omega, thank you for helping them." He enthusiastically shook Robert's hand. He might be old but he was far from frail and managed a firm handshake.

Meanwhile, Colin had yet to actually speak beyond his initial greeting, he seemed lost in thought or worry of some sort, but then he finally did. "It's good to meet you Rabbi Soloveitchik, and thank you for your hospitality. We are… somewhat unaccustomed to being welcomed so well." He'd known what to expect intellectually, but he'd been so used to fear and suspicion walking into a room or exiting a spacecraft that it was strange when it wasn't a thing.

"I understand. I spent most of my life under Tsar Nicholas's rule. I am told the word that future Humans use for him is 'anti-Semite'." Chaim raised a hand toward him that Colin accepted, while using the left to gesture to Robert. "But my young friend here and his comrades, they gave us a world where we would be welcome. Where _all_ would be welcomed. It has not always been easy, politics is completely _mishegas_ I will say… but it is better than the Cossacks and their knouts!"

Colin and Max laughed and Isaac greeted that knowledge with a wry smirk. "I can imagine… Probably a bit like the League of Non-Aligned Worlds that way, and the name says everything you need to know about how that body used to function." Colin replied.

Before the conversation continued, a woman's voice called out, "Robert Allen Dale, just where do you come off not coming by to say hello?"

Robert chuckled and turned in time to see his cousin, Beth Rankin, approach, wearing a formal suit. Her secretary, an African man, and a bronze-skinned woman followed, both similarly attired. "I'm already invited to the dinner tonight," he reminded her.

"So I've heard." The grin told him she was directly responsible for that.

"Gentlemen, my cousin, Elizabeth Rankin, Governor of New Liberty," Robert said, now looking at them.

"My aide, Yasmin Ghali, and my secretary, Ndedi Kiessou," Beth said, introducing the woman and man in that order.

Isaac stepped into his role immediately, with just a touch of humor. "A pleasure to meet you Governor. I'm Rabbi Isaac Liebgott and this my 'mental bodyguard' Max Cohen. Also his co-conspirator and 'minder' Dr. Colin Meier."

"If you're cut from the same cloth as your cousin I suspect we'll get along well." Colin followed up with a grin.

"I hope so, Doctor," Beth replied, grinning.

"I take it you're here to welcome Senator Sriroj?" Robert asked.

"I am. Her ship is due soon," Beth revealed. "As is Princess Syrina's." Her thoughts, and Robert's, made it easy for the telepaths to pick up the respective identities: Sriroj Thiang was a Thai woman and Senator from the Sol System Republic and the Alliance Senate President, and Princess Syrina, ruler of the Principality of Daynuro on the Dorei-colonized planet Astranai, was the current President-General of the Dorei Federation, the Head of State of the central Dorei government, a slightly ceremonial position that was elected annually by the assembled Heads of State of the component Dorei governments.

"Director Anjilo is here too, isn't he?" Robert asked, knowing full well the answer was yes given the materials he'd read. Having the Alliance Senate President and _two_ Heads of State of Alliance member governments was of prime importance to a Paladin assigned to observe the meetings.

"He is." Beth nodded. "My staff is going insane. We haven't had this many leaders on planet since the Alliance Constitution was signed." She turned her attention back to the others. "Rabbi Liebgott, you and your entourage are welcome to attend the pre-summit dinner tonight. As my personal guests."

"Excellent! Thank you. Formal dress code or can my associates relax a little bit?"

"Isaac, you know what happened the last time I wore a turtleneck in public…" Colin faux-scolded him.

"It is an unofficial function," Beth said. "Although many of those here for the summit will attend, so I'm afraid it's not a case of Casual Fridays."

"Oh casual friday for us is still somewhere between business casual and business semi-formal…" Max nodded. "But Colin doesn't need to wear dress-blacks or anything?"

"I wouldn't think so," Beth said. Colin visibly relaxed. The peacoat was far too stuffy and restricted movement far too much.

Miss Ghali looked up from her active omnitool. Unlike Robert's, it was greenish in color. "Madame Governor, Traffic Control just informed us that the _Tratan_ finished landing. They'll be at the terminal in five minutes."

"Princess Syrina's personal yacht," Beth said. "I'd better get going. I look forward to seeing you this evening, everyone. I'm sure we'll have a lot to discuss."

The way she said that sounded innocent, but Robert could sense she had something more in mind, and he suspected the others did too. He said nothing as she walked away with her staff members, not quite rushing to the private gate at the end of the terminal where Princess Syrina would be disembarking.

 _She's scheming something._ Max thought to Colin. _It would be rude to pry so I didn't…what do you think? Good, bad, unrelated?_

 _We'll find out…_ Colin replied, but he felt uneasy. Robert gave him a concerned look, but it wasn't hard for him to guess why.

You okay? Max asked.

 _No, but it's not related to this. Since we got into this universe…_

 _Oh. I guess there are limits to that after all._ Max replied patted Colin on the back. _You'll be back home soon enough._

While Robert wasn't privy to the actual context of their thoughts, he sensed something of them. He was curious as to what Beth was planning as well. _My big cousin the politician_ , he thought. _And when this began, she was struggling to keep a crafts supply store from closing down_ …

* * *

After dinner, Meridina excused herself from the family home and left the arcology. She flew the skycar back to the Temple. Again, she felt a darkness permeating the area, a malaise of the spirit that she knew unsettled the others as much as it did her. Not only did she ache at the sensation, a small part of her burned with a single worry.

 _Is this my fault?_

The Temple Knights gave her no problem in entering the office area. They could tell what she was coming to do, to say, and she thought they actually appreciated that. This did not bode well to her, not at all, and she entered Ledosh's office determined. The inner door was locked, so she set off the door chime. " _Mastrash_ , it is Meridina," she called out. "I wish to speak with you." When no answer came she insisted, "I am here and we must speak, _Mastrash_. We are all concerned for you. You have changed so much. You ignore those who are concerned with you. You ignore your own student! This is not the Ledosh who trained me to be a _swevyra'se_."

Several moments of silence passed before the door slid open. Meridina entered and found Ledosh at his desk, two books open and his hand in motion on a blank piece of paper. An ink pen was in his hand, writing in plain, flowing Gersallian. It was not the beautiful lines he normally drew when writing, but it was clear Ledosh was more concerned with rapidly writing information, not making it look impressive. Indeed, even now he clearly placed more importance in writing than her presence. She watched him closely examine one book, the older looking one, before turning to the other and rifling through pages until he found an entry that satisfied him. "Meridina, my apologies," he finally said. "I am simply very occupied."

"So I have heard," she said. "And it concerns many who care about you."

Ledosh nodded. "I was certain Gina was speaking to you. I would have explained, but the Council… they would not understand. They would take the book from me."

"I am told the Council is starting to become concerned as it is." Meridina slipped into a seat. " _Mastrash_ , this research is consuming you. I can feel the burden of it on your _swevyra_. Please, speak to me."

"The darkness grows," he said. "We all sense it now. But nobody seems to understand what it means."

"It is a darkness of fear. Uncertainty."

"No. Not just that." Ledosh looked up from the books at her. His eyes pleaded for understanding. "Our time is running short, Meridina. A great darkness stirs in our future. The Order itself is threatened."

"You refer to the Darkness? The ancient threat that Swenya helped to fight?"

"Perhaps it is them. Perhaps not. What I do know is that I feel it growing stronger with each passing day. We are running out of time, my student." He tapped the book. " _The Life of Reshan_. So many secrets, but we never thought to look for them. The answers were right there the entire time."

"The answers to what?"

"To everything we lost when Kohbal rose up against the Order and the Interdependency," he replied. He tapped the book. "This changes _everything_ , my student. It reveals the truth of what is happening. It is why we must be ready."

"For what?" Meridina leaned in. "What must we be ready for?"

She sensed Ledosh's worry and it frightened her. The knowledge he was carrying, that he was learning, it was dangerous. She felt that keenly. It would challenge the very core of what their people knew. To spread the word might divide them. Make them even more susceptible to the forces of darkness.

Just as it seemed he might confide in her, a tone came from the comm system. A voice, speaking in Gersallian, stated, "Mastrash _Tinaran has called for a Council meeting. All_ Mastrasham _of the Council, please assemble._ "

Ledosh let out a sigh. He thumped both books closed. "They are agitated enough with me, so I must not keep them waiting," he said. His eyes fixed on Meridina. "I will explain all in time. For now…" _Keep yourself and Lucy safe, and be ready for anything. There are dark forces at work, and the Order is not ready to face them._

Meridina wanted to know what he meant, but his defenses went up. He waited patiently for her at the door, signifying his desire that she depart with him. She was of a mind to insist on taking the books with her, to get to understand what he was working on, but he didn't need to point out that wouldn't work. The Order kept security trackers on all copies of its most venerable and old texts. If she removed it, it would be detected, and only those on the Council could do so. The Temple Knights would quickly apprehend her if she tried.

"Go now. Tomorrow, return with Lucy and the others. I will explain everything I have learned."

 _Let me take your notes_ , she urged. _We can…_

 _No. No, this must not leave the Temple. Now go, I cannot make them suspicious_.

Meridina wondered what he meant by that, but she could not bring herself to distrust his judgement. Ledosh knew what he was doing. She could sense that much, at least. If he said there was a threat, there was one. She carefully constructed her mental defenses as she left. He followed her out and they went their separate ways,.

* * *

Caterina opted for civilian clothes for the visit to New Liberty. A white skirt that went to just below her knees, with pink lace fringing, and a pink and purple sleeveless blouse were her picks for the trip. She arrived at the Transporter Station to find Angel ready for her, wearing a sleeveless tank top over a visible sports bra that bared her muscular belly as well as her arms. The jean shorts were higher than Cat's skirt, revealing her legs.

The reason why her sister was wearing that kind of clothing was the figure beside her. Cat had yet to meet Lieutenant Anthony Zah, a security officer assigned to the _Aurora_ after the Battle of Germania. He was a handsome man, bronze-skinned, with his dark hair long and kept in what Cat couldn't help but think of as Native American fashion even though she knew that the tribes could have differing styles. Brilliant gray eyes glistened with a sort of amusement, but were warm and welcoming. He was in a plain white muscle shirt and jean shorts that, like Angel's, stopped at the knees, but darker in color than her's. Like Angel he wasn't just fit but muscular, built like a professional fighter.

Cat wondered if she'd be jealous if she were straight. But she doubted it, since she didn't really go for muscle-ly girls. At least, not for how Tony would look if he were a girl and not a guy, but then again, if Tony was Toni instead, "she" would look a bit like Angel, and that was just eww to think about and Cat abruptly cut off the entire chain of thought, blaming it on the fact that she'd been separated from Violeta for nearly three months now.

"Hey Cat, you made it," Angel said, grinning. "So this is Tony, my new sparring partner and boyfriend."

"Sparring partner seems to be the more important part for her," Tony teased, grinning. He didn't speak with as much of an accent as either. "So, it's been a few years since I've been down to New Liberty."

"Oh?" Cat asked. "You came from our Earth, right?"

"Yeah," he said. "I came to the Alliance through New Liberty, but that was just a few months after the Alliance was founded. New Liberty wasn't as big then. And I didn't get a chance to find out about Carranza's. Thought it was Italian food, honestly, going by the name."

"Ha!" Angel matched his grin, looking very happy. "Let's go correct that."

* * *

Carranza's was one of the first eateries to open in the Colony, founded by one of the first wave settlers plucked from a bunch of "coyotes" by the Facility crew early on. Among those so-plucked was Julio Carranza, who had identified his older unmarried sister Beatriz and his mother Luisa as family that would be endangered by what happened, resulting in Robert and the others picking them up from Ciudad Obregon before the coyotes' friends could come after them. Luisa and Beatriz, it turned out, were great cooks, and as the Colony's economy developed they opened the restaurant to cater to the laborers planting the first fields and building the first non-prefab housing. Replicated food products were eventually replaced with "proper" food as interplanetary and interuniversal trade opened up and locally-grown food was made available. The Carranzas now had a successful restaurant in the heart of the Colony, one recognized by all residents as a place to enjoy good food and good times.

Julio, who ran the tables and the busboys while Beatriz and Luisa ran the kitchen, quickly responded personally to the arrival of the Delgado sisters. He brought them to a favored table and personally set about taking Tony's order. "It is good to see you with someone who makes you smile, Angela," he said to Angel, who made her relationship with Tony clear by the way they held each other. "What will you have?"

Tony inquired into the available drinks and ordered a beer. Cat made a small face. "Beer? Ew, not for me."

"That's because you were used to your prim and well-cultured Sirian gamer girl," Angel retorted playfully. "You two had wine. We go for beer."

They finished ordering and settled into their place at the table. Angel and Tony kept their behavior just proper enough for being in public, but Cat had the feeling her sister was eager to get her boyfriend back to her quarters. She banished that mental image with the thought of _Ick!_

"Your sister tells me you're the smartest person on the ship," Tony said. "Everything people say seems to back that up."

"Jarod's the smartest, really."

"Yeah, but Jarod's got some kind of mutant brain or something, he cheats," Angel said. "If you had that kind of brain you'd be even better at 'Pretending' or whatever it is than he is."

"If I had that kind of brain, I wonder if some corporation would have come along and kidnapped me too," Cat wondered aloud. "Then I'd have grown up a prisoner."

"Only until I found you," Angel swore. "Then I'd punch a lot of people and get you out."

Cat knew she'd try, but given what the Centre was capable of, she knew that a similar organization wouldn't be so easily dealt with. "I'm just glad something like that didn't happen." She turned her attention to Tony. "So you're… Navajo, right?"

"Mostly. One quarter Mexican. Or more like one eighth Mexican and one eighth Tohono O'odham, or Papago as some people call them."

"Tohono O'odham works," Cat said. "Doctor Walker is one too. Although I'm not sure your tribes got along?"

"They mostly don't like Apaches. We're cousins of the Apache, don't always get along with them either. And as always the whites loved to take advantage of that," Tony noted.

"Then they turn around and growl at us to 'go back where we came from'," Angel groused. "Like they've always owned the land."

"Rob and his family weren't like that," Cat said quietly, remembering a lifetime of getting picked on by at least some of the kids. Usually it wasn't so bad, if only because the bullies knew that Angel would find out, either from Cat or from Susannah Dale, who was in the same grade. But that didn't always work. Some bullies were smart despite the fact they were bullies, and Cat was always a small girl for her age and class.

It could've been worse, of course. Cat spent years terrified of what they'd do if they found out she was into girls instead of boys. The habits that resulted certainly helped keep her in the closet even after the Facility was found.

"It's all different now anyway," Cat said. "We've got the Multiverse. Actual aliens. Making fun of other Humans is silly. Not that I want people to start being bigoted toward aliens, of course…"

"There are always bigots," Tony remarked. "Always."

"They're just not as common here," Angel noted. "So, Cat, have you had any messages from Vee lately?"

"A couple," Cat confided. "Her ship might still be at Gersal. They were repairing after some big fight they had in one of the new universes being explored. But things have been crazy for the _Huáscar_ since their shakedown ended so she's been real busy." Cat made a face. "And misses having a Captain who lets crew book holodeck time for recreation."

"It's not that uncommon. Captains only allowing holodecks for training and such," said Tony. "Captain Kreeptk had the same rules back on the _Talsham_."

"Captain Creep-k? Some of those Alakin names are really…"

Angel stopped speaking when she noticed a woman walk by the table. A hand with dark skin briefly passed over their table and a piece of paper fell out, as if absentmindedly dropped. Angel kept her eye on the woman, convinced from the momentary glance that she'd seen her before.

This allowed Cat to be the one to snatch the paper. She read it and frowned.

"What is it? A secret admirer?" Tony asked. "Or some stalker?"

"It's not for me," Cat said, looking to Angel before reading it aloud. "'Need to see you Angry Angel. Now. Problem for Colony. Corelo.'" The look on her face betrayed her desire for an explanation.

The bewildered look on Angel's face indicated she wasn't going to get one.


	88. Episode 3-16-2 Home Invasion

Angel's reaction was to push against Tony. After a moment he moved the way she was nudging, eventually slipping out of the booth. Angel followed him and stood up. "What is it, Angel?" he asked her.

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Angel insisted. "Cat?" She held out her hand. When Cat didn't react immediately she insisted, "Now. I need to find out what's going on."

"We can come with you," Tony offered. "Back you up."

"No," Angel said. "Hernan's people will get suspicious if I show up with anyone, even my boyfriend and sister. They'll accept me."

"Why just you?" asked Cat, wondering what was going on. "And Hernan… you mean Hernan Corelo? That Cuban guy we rescued who turned out to be an actual crook?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you hanging out with him?" Cat asked, her voice just shy of making it a demand.

"I don't hang out with him!" Angel barked. "I keep an eye on him, and he lets me know if something's up. Now give me the message, Cat. I need to find out what's going on."

It was with hesitation that Cat complied.

"I'll be back soon. Let Julio know he can hold my dinner for a bit. You can eat yourselves if you like." With that Angel turned and went for the door.

They watched her go. "Your sister is a stubborn lady," Tony sighed, sitting back down.

"Really stubborn," Cat agreed.

"It's why I like her, though. She sticks things out."

"And because you think she's hot," Cat noted wryly.

To that Tony smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Strong woman. Love that. Knew she was something special the moment she threw me to the ground. _In the gym_." The final bit was clearly added to clarify the context of what he was saying.

"So you're from our Earth, then?" Cat asked. "I mean, I know some people come out to join the Alliance."

"Some? Ha. During the Nazi War the Alliance had a lot of people signing up, from what I saw. Everyone wanted in on shooting Nazis." Tony smirked. "And who wouldn't want to come out here? Replicators mean cheap food. There are so many colonies and planets that finding a home, finding work, it's a lot easier than back home. People live longer. Go to the right place and racism is almost non-existent. My aunt's telling me the tribal elders might start begging people to stay, so many of them want to go. It's even worse in places like Mexico."

"It is pretty cool out here," Cat agreed. "I got to come out of the closet without being run out of my home." Noticing that Julio was about to get their food, Cat leaned in toward Tony. "Don't break her heart, please."

Tony silently nodded. "I don't plan on it."

"She's… it was hard enough closing the door on Robert last year. Just, be good to her, please?"

Tony answered with a nod. Quietly, a slow teasing smile came to his face. "I'd probably better. Given how smart you are, you could probably come up with some ways to melt my insides with science and nobody would be the wiser."

At that Cat giggled. "The threats are Angel's thing, not mine!" she protested. "Science is for good!"

"And blowing up Nazis?"

"Blowing up Nazis _is_ good!"

"Ah. Well, don't worry about it then. I don't know where this is going, but I will make sure not to break your sister's heart. I just hope she doesn't break my ribs given how…"

"No! No no, no details!" Cat insisted. "I'm into girls, and she's my sister besides. I don't want to hear about the bedroom stuff!"

"Actually, I was talking about the fight training," Tony replied, smiling. "But it does apply there too."

"Ugh," Cat groaned, after which dinner was served. 

* * *

The Market Square of the Colony was bustling with activity even on normal days. WIth all of the visitors for the summit, it was even more active, with locals offering everything from locally-produced snacks and drinks to hand-crafted jewelry. At one end of the square, a band played upbeat Makossa music in the Prince Eyango style.

Julia stood in the middle of the square and allowed herself a little smile. That she'd contributed so much to this place… it could be as humbling as it was fulfilling. She was in standard uniform, since she would be attending the Governor's dinner party soon, and so stood out a bit in the crowd. Some of those passing by called her happily by name. She didn't immediately recognize all, but she knew enough of them, even if the comparative number dwindled. The day when virtually every colonist had met her personally during the Facility ops was long gone.

"Hey." Lee walked up to her, in Colonial Navy uniform.

"Hi." She took his offered hand and planted a small kiss on his mouth. Lee Adama was quite handsome, and she enjoyed his company, regardless of anything else. "Welcome back to the Colony."

"It's gotten bigger," he noted.

"Yeah. It always does." Julia looked around. "After New Caprica, the first New Caprica, I actually wondered why you didn't just move here. There's plenty of land."

"True. But my people still want their own world."

"So you don't feel like you're going to get assimilated." Julia nodded. "I understand. I mean, I do."

"We're still happy to be friendly with New Liberty, just as we are with the Alliance," Lee assured her. "People like Clara make it impossible for us to feel otherwise."

The memory of Clara Davis, a smiling young woman full of compassion, came to Julia. Circumstances meant she'd only met her that one time in the last few years, during the Founding Day celebrations the prior year when Lee and Kara Thrace let her accompany them. Clara's death at the hands of the Cylons was one of many tragedies from their attack on New Caprica, and it had nearly broken poor Zack as well.

"How is Zack?" Lee asked.

"Doing better. He has his command again," replied Julia. "He's off the alcohol."

"And he's not here?"

"No. With the Dominion such a threat now, the fleet's holding joint exercises with Starfleet, and he was sent to join them," Julia explained. "We might be too once the summit is over. Maybe you too."

At that Lee shook his head. "No, I'll be spending the rest of the year - on your calendar I mean - in S4W8. The _Pegasus_ is being assigned to aid operations in the Anti-Spinward sectors."

"So you'll be chasing von Platen's ships."

"Among other things," Lee said. "Mostly it'll be humanitarian missions, I'm told. The Reich stripped those colonies bare to fund their war effort. Most of them are barely functioning, quite a few are being abandoned. The local Remnant groups are among the more militant, and are known to raid former Reich colonies even if they're not German. Von Platen's just making the whole thing worse."

"So, before we go off to be feted by the Governor, would you like to take a tour?"

"I was thinking of renting one of those propeller aircraft," Lee confided. "Take a flight to see the Colony from above. What do you think?"

"That sounds great," Julia said, already imagining seeing their community from such a vantage point. "Let's go." 

* * *

As Angel had expected, the African woman who left the note was waiting for her outside of Carranza's. She was led to a motorcycle with a backup seat. With it, her driver weaved through the inner-Colony traffic and to the major roads leading to the outskirts.

At one time the Cut Throat had been at the fringe of the Colony. Its expansion meant it was no longer on said fringe, but more the midway point, near the warehouse district. Angel stepped in and was not out of place for the grungy dive. Attendees looked to her and there was at least one wolf whistle, which silenced when she shot a glare at the offender. She kept a ready stance and stalked to the bar with the kind of walk she usually reserved for the fighting ring.

The Cut Throat's owner and proprietor was a man named Hernan de Corelo, a Cuban black marketeer that had been picked up by the Facility crew in a liberation of a Cuban prison. Angel noted he was still heavy set, just shy of being outright fat. His dark hair was slick and combed, his light brown eyes locked onto her. But there was no welcoming smile this time. She could almost smell the fear on him. The worry. Without a word he gestured toward the rear door. A stout man in a dark suit opened the door for her while Corelo went through the door behind his bar.

The back room was mostly empty. An X-shaped wooden cross with empty manacles was still on the stage, undoubtedly a prop for the more risque entertainments that the Cut Throat provided for select clientele. A spot of blood on the corner spoke of the other kind of entertainment that might be provided in this room, involving fisticuffs instead of just cuffs.

Or maybe they were from the same. Angel didn't know if she wanted to know.

She slipped up to the bar and took a seat at a stool as Corelo poured himself a shotglass of highly illegal Romulan ale. "Alright, why is my dinner with my sister and boyfriend being delayed?" Angel asked pointedly.

"You know me, Angry Angel," Corelo answered, his accent even thicker than Angel's. "I wouldn't bother you if something bad wasn't going down."

"Like?"

"Word's getting out," he said in a low, hurried voice. "A lot of the offworld gangs are pulling out. Been doing so for a few weeks."

"Why? It's competition or something?"

"That's what I'd think normally, but nobody's moving in to take up the market space," Corelo explained. "I can't explain. Neither can most of my contacts. 'cept one."

"That being?"

"Got a friend with the Miqo'te organization," Corelo said. "A couple days ago, he tells me these Aristo _pendejos_ from A5R0, they're real mad at the Alliance for busting up some attack and killing two of theirs. Might be payback is in the works. That's not good for us." A dark look crossed Corelo's face. "But not for them either. Nobody attacks my home."

Angel fiercely approved of Corelo's sentiment. With the Facility long gone, she and the others had two homes: the _Aurora_ , and New Liberty Colony. As far as she was concerned, anyone who tried to hurt either was going to feel her fists. "So do you have anything for me? Anything I can take to Almerda?"

"Already sent him warnings. But Colony Security, they're overstretched with this summit thing. They're not looking hard. Most are just happy the other gangs are leaving, thinking they've made it not worth their while." Corelo gave his head a shake. "I've got a bad feeling, _amiga_. This summit thing, if someone's looking to send a message, the summit's the place to do it."

"Yeah." Angel frowned and thought about it. "Hell, I'm on shore leave anyway… do you have anything for me? Anything your contacts have told you?"

She was answered with a nod. "Some loads came in through Ys'talla. Supposed to be for transshipment. Lots of folks like New Liberty for that."

"Yeah?"

"They still haven't moved," Corelo continued. "It's a Miqo'te operation. Mostly legit, but not always. Now they've got a shipment that's not going anywhere."

"Have you sent anyone in?" asked Angel.

"Can't. Not without giving up my source," Corelo replied. "Bad for business, Angry Angel. Nobody'll talk to me if I get my sources spaced."

Angel couldn't argue that. "Give me the address," she said. "I'll check it out."

"I need guarantees."

Angel gave him a look. "Okay. My ex-boyfriend, the guy who hauled your ass out of that Cuban prison, is a regular Goddamned Paladin of the Alliance. He can stick his nose in anywhere he wants, and he's got mumbo jumbo powers stuff to explain how he figures things out. As for the rest of us? We're backup to him. Nobody'll know otherwise."

Hernan seemed to consider what she said before nodding. He took a scrap of paper and scribbled a series of numbers followed by the name of a road. "This is the warehouse. My people say security is tighter than it looks. You'll want to check things yourself before going in."

"I plan on it," Angel said, taking the paper. "Keep in touch.'

"You know I will, Angry Angel," Corelo said as she left.

* * *

Cat and Tony were already finished with their meals when Angel got back to Carranza's. They could tell something was wrong by the way she got back into her seat and didn't immediately slide up to Tony. She looked back down to a scrap of paper in her hand and read it again, barely registering when Julio brought her enchilada platter to her.

"Angel, you okay?" Tony asked.

"No," she said. "I'm not." She glanced to him and then Cat. "You two finish your dinner?"

"They already had them finished, so… well, yeah." Cat was apologetic as she spoke.

"It's fine. Let me finish mine, then we'll head to the park." She gave Tony an intent look. "I may need your help with something. Something potentially dangerous."

"I'm here for you, Angel, thick and thin. You know that."

"Same here," Cat pledged.

It was clear Angel didn't want Cat mixed up in it, but she knew better than to coddle her sister. Cat would end up involved if she chose to be, whether or not Angel wanted. "Alright. Let me get started then." She began to eat her dinner while the other to watched in silence, exchanging worried looks. 

* * *

Julia and Lee arrived at the two story-tall Governor's Mansion together. Located a block from the Government Building, the Mansion was a humble affair as the abodes of heads of state went, although it had just enough room for the assemblage of guests inside. A Middle Eastern woman with a headshawl that matched the color of her dark blue Colonial Security uniform checked them against the guest list and waved them in. The Mansion didn't have a foyer or greeting hall so much as it had a small guest living room. Julia noted the presence of an Indian man in a Japanese kimono and a male Bajoran vedek of dark coloration, speaking amiably in a corner.

"Ah, Commander Adama, Captain Andreys." Zarek, the Vice President of the Colonial Confederacy, approached in the company of Sonek Pran, a diplomat from the United Federation of Planets Julia had met several times before. Pran was a unique individual, not just a hybrid of two species but four; each grandparent was from a different S5T3 species, making him partly Bajoran, Betazoid, Vulcan, and Human. He reminded her somewhat of Woody Guthrie with his appearance and demeanor. "I've heard you've met Ambassador Pran?" he asked Julia.

"I have. Ambassador."

"Captain. My congratulations on your promotion," said Sonek. "And on your part in ending the war."

"Thank you," she replied. She didn't remark on how they might have another one soon, given the Dominion.

"Commander, I'd like to introduce you to…"

With that Zarek pulled Lee away, leaving Julia to walk further into the house. She found Robert in the dining room, still in uniform and talking with Annabelle, Beth's wife. Annabelle was biracial, with a brown skin tone, the daughter of a slave and her owner from Earth C1P2. As Julia recalled, she'd been forced into a similar relationship before the Facility crew raided the plantation and rescued its slaves. Now she was wearing an elegant blue and green evening dress, full-sleeved, and looked every inch the elegant hostess, even if the function was effectively an unofficial dinner. "Robert. Annabelle."

"Julia, it's so good to see you," Annabelle declared. Her voice was gentle and smooth, with a slight hint of a Southern drawl to it. She offered Julia a quick hug, her light blue eyes glinting with happy satisfaction. This was the first major function for Beth since the two got married. "You've been busy since the wedding."

"Exploring, negotiating, everything," agreed Julia. "I'm so happy for you both."

"I know, dear." She gave Robert a knowing look, which he let pass. "So when are you going to get some grooming done, Robert? You look like one of the rednecks from back on the old world."

Julia snorted a laugh before catching herself, leaving Robert to sigh and say, "I'll cut it when I'm ready. It just felt like the right thing given everything happening in my life."

"You mean that all of the life force stuff makes you feel like some kind of monk or hermit," Julia teased.

Annabelle laughed at that. "Beth has shown me those ridiculous movies. That's the sort of entertainment you had as children?"

"Among other things."

"I shudder to think of what the old masters, may they rot, would have done with television. Or holonet programming now." Annabelle checked the time. "Well, I'd better see how Deborah's doing in the kitchen. She's making a special set of dishes for the Turian delegate. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to find good dextro food. Y'all enjoy yourselves tonight."

They watched her walk off. For a moment she was intercepted by two other figures in the dining room, recognized quickly as Princess Yvonne Steiner-Davion and Isis Marik, respectively the youngest sister and the daughter of the rulers of the Federated Commonwealth and Free Worlds League of F1S1. "I see we've got Inner Sphere royalty present," Julia observed. "That's surprising. I didn't think this was the kind of summit they'd go for?"

"Well, it's the first big diplomatic gathering since the end of the war," Robert noted. "And while it's mostly humanitarian, some of the things being discussed here might have an effect on actual politics in various powers. I've heard the Vietnamese from S4W8 are already accusing the Capellans of forced Sinization on their population. And the delegate from the Turkish population on New Anatolia is complaining that FedCom authorities are engaging in economic sabotage."

"The Harris Station Charter's supposed to prevent these things," Julia grumbled.

"Yeah, well, the wording left some cracks," Robert lamented, thinking of how things had gone. The way the Reich operated, even a small Germanized minority on a planet made such a world a full part of the Reich, so under the Charter those worlds were considered German worlds that Coalition powers were allowed to claim in the post-war settlement. "Some of those worlds are coming up with deals like the Bulgarians and Japanese on Drachenfeldt made with the Turians, but that's not working everywhere."

"I read the reports from the _Huáscar_ ," Julia said. "They made the difference there."

Colin, who had been in the kitchen perked his ears up at the thoughts related to his favorite ship in the entire Alliance and sauntered in with a small plate of cheese. "Given the ship's Captain and Operations Officer I'd expect nothing less."

They turned to face him. "I was wondering where you were," Robert said. "Julia, this is Doctor Colin Meier, Metapol. Colin, Captain Julia Andreys of the _Aurora_ , and my closest friend in the whole wide world."

Julia flashed him a small grin before extending a hand. "I've read the report on Tau Atrea," she said. "A pleasure to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well." Colin replied and shook her hand. Nothing showed on his face or in his body language, but upon taking her hand he did send Robert a telepathic message. _Closest friend huh? Robert, you love her as much as I love Gene and it's mutual. What are you two doing?_

 _We're being what we always have been. We decided years ago that adding a romantic element might just ruin it_ , Robert replied. As he said so he remembered when they'd agreed on that. After the escape from the Facility, .the roll down the collapsing mound. The thrill of survival and the warm kiss that followed. And then that little worry, that to take it to that level might undermine what they already had… _It works for us_ , he added, a little too intently.

 _I don't believe that and neither do you, but it's your life…_

Not privy to this conversation, Julia finished the handshake and remarked, "I hope you're enjoying your visit to our Colony."

"Very much so! Though I'll admit the others are doing more diplomacy and networking than I am. I'll confess I'm not actually… at my best at the moment. Distracted."

Julia needed only a moment to realize why. "I suppose you miss Mr. Hendriks? For telepaths being that close would be different than for us."

"In our home universe - or I should say galaxy because we haven't gotten beyond the rim yet - we're never actually apart. I haven't been without him for over a year. Thirty thousand light years and I can still p'hear his thoughts, p'see through his eyes. Not now. Now I reach for him and it's just...void."

"It must be like losing a limb, almost? Or a piece of your heart." Julia had an idea what that was like. The months earlier in the year, when Robert was off learning to control his expanded power and Zack had left due to his collapse from Clara's death… those had been the loneliest months of her life. She never wanted them gone like that ever again.

"It's a bit like that, yeah." Colin replied. It was more, but it was the closest approximation a mundane could conceive of.

Colin was the first to notice the nearby mental presence. Robert did a moment later, although he sensed it more as a burst of feeling suppressed by will. Feeling that was part fear, part anger, and all distrust. Julia first noticed the short, almost dwarfishly-so, man who approached. He was dressed well, in a formal suit of navy blue and black. Curly dark hair topped a yellowish face, with dark eyes and a thin face. The man was not an attractive one, but there was a sense of power to him, and his eyes scanned everything as if looking for danger.

For Robert, the identifying mark was the crest on the pin over the man's heart. It was a phoenix of red and orange color, wings spread widely, over a pair of shattered gray manacles. The insignia and crest of the Byron Free Colony.

Julia noticed the smaller man too. And the pin. It made it impossible for Colin to not know, although it was rather clear he did. She approached the man first. "Governor Kuhln, correct?"

"Golmar Kuhln," the telepath replied. "Captain Andreys. Captain Dale." Golmar looked to Colin. There was no hostility in his voice, nor even his face, simply a wariness that was clearly instinctive. "And Doctor Colin Meier of Metapol, I believe? I'm surprised to see a Psi Cop present in these events."

"Well nominally I'm here to keep an eye on Mr. Cohen." Colin winked. _You have nothing to fear from me or mine Golmar. Not here, or anywhere else. Even if I weren't inclined toward better relations with, well...relations… I have a slaver and imminent genocide problem to deal with._

 _You are no doubt here to present the Corps' case to the summit_ , Golmar cast back. Aloud he nodded to Robert as well. "Captain Dale. An honor. I'm afraid we haven't met, but I know how much our Colony owes to you for its existence." _Dangerous, Dr. Meier. I am no fan of the Corps, but I don't want to see innocent telepaths butchered because EarthGov finds out you're trying to win foreign allies._

 _Call that admission an olive branch. But no. Not at the summit. We're here to talk about Judaism._

Robert nodded and accepted Golmar's hand. He could tell the two were in telepathic conversation and gave Julia a look to make sure she knew too. Aloud he said, "People should have a choice, and it's wrong that Earth denies it to the telepaths of her population. I hope the Summit recognizes the situation for Earth's telepath population and provides help in the matter." _Both of you will need it, I think. And there are other matters to be worried about_.

Golmar acknowledged Robert with a nod. _A good cover. I recall the reports from Omega VII on your closeness to the Jewish community there._ A solemn look came to Golmar's face as he looked to Colin. Aloud he said, "I am aware that an attack was made on your enclave some time ago by the militants of the Underground. You have my condolences. Too many people have let their bitterness blind them to the possibilities of the Multiverse. The Free Colony disavows such behavior and will assist in bringing terrorists to justice." It was evident that this was an audible olive branch to match the one Colin had mindcast. It also backed up the public statements of Golmar's government at the B5 negotiations.

"Thank you Golmar, and we know you do. You've always been a man of conscience, we know that." Colin paused briefly wondering how to continue. "We disagree on a great deal, but terrorism, slavery, and mass murder are something we can all agree are wrong, and I'm thankful that the multiverse is full of like-minded people."

Robert noticed Beth at the edge of the room. She gave him and Colin a meaningful look and Robert realized what she wanted. "Doctor Meier, I'd like to introduce you to someone," he said politely while Beth slipped through the door. "If you'll follow me?"

"Of course." _If you can spare a few moments later Golmar? There are some things you should probably be made aware of. They concern all of us._ Colin followed Robert out. 

* * *

Night came to Jantarihal. Meridina returned before her father did, given the length of the Council meeting, as she anticipated Ledosh would be too tired and would need rest. As she retired to her room, tired given the day, Meridina wondered if she was making the right decision.

There was more to it than that. Try as she might, Meridina could not rest. There was an energy in the air, a dark sense of foreboding that even here filled her with dread. Whatever was driving _Mastrash_ Ledosh to devote all of his timing studying… she was feeling it. A gnawing uncertainty tore at Meridina, leaving her unable to rest.

And she was not alone. She felt it in Lucy as well. And Talara could sense it in both, robbing her of rest. Finally Meridina got up and left her room. Lucy and Talara met her in the hall and all were in quiet agreement.

Most of the family were retired to individual rooms as well, so they disturbed none on their way out of the home and into the garden on that floor of the arcology. There the three sat on the ground and began to meditate. Together they tried to find peace in this place. To feel the warmth of the Flow of Life so that it would settle their spirits.

Flashes came to them, images. Ships burning. Cities aflame. Rubble.

Talara was the first to break the quiet. "What does this mean?" she asked. "Will there be another war?"

"Possibly," Lucy answered, worry clouding her blue eyes. "But this… there's more to it than that, I think. I feel something elusive. It's like just being here is clouding everything."

"A veil of darkness on my thoughts," Talara described. "That's what it is."

"Yes." Meridina opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "I feel it too. It is no wonder the Order feels such a spiritual sickness as it does. There is something stirring that we cannot yet see."

"Do you think this is why Ledosh is acting so weird?" Lucy asked.

"I believe so, yes," she said. "He warned of a darkness around us. That we are running out of time."

"Then we should get to the bottom of it," Talara said. "Let's speak to him."

"Yeah. We should." Lucy nodded. "And we won't take no for an answer."

"Agreed." With that, their path was clear. But none could escape the fear that it might be too late.

* * *

While the dinner continued on in other rooms, Beth led Robert and Colin to an upstairs room, a study from the look of it. Once they were inside she locked it and hit a key. "Security sweeps the Mansion daily," she explained. "Just in case. But to make absolutely sure, this room has an electronic privacy field. One of the best. Paid for by the Alliance, in fact." She gestured to comfortable recliners of red and blue color, taking a dark blue one for herself that matched her formal gown. "As you might guess given New Liberty's reputation, we've got strong connections to the Telepath Underground Railroad, Doctor Meier," she said. "At least, to those cells willing to play by our rules. So I'm completely aware of the secret terms of the recent treaty between EarthGov and the Alliance. And I think I know a way to turn those terms to our advantage."

Robert sensed Colin's interest in that announcement. There was good reason for him to be so interested. The secret term, on the face of it, was a good thing for dissenting telepaths in the Earth Alliance. It established that Earth authorities would not subject Alliance vessels along the Earth-to-Gamma 12 trade route to searches, allowing unregistered telepaths to flee Earthspace aboard Alliance ships with minimal risk.

But while that looked good on paper, in actuality, the virtual Aristo takeover of the telepath trafficking market made it a terrible deal. Ships trafficking telepaths to Aristo slavers could easily exploit the line in question, especially with bribery of Earthforce and other Earth authorities. With the ships they had, they might even raid legitimate Underground ships to steal away telepaths for slavery. Given just why the Aristos wanted telepath slaves, letting them claim just one telepath was too much.

"I'm listening. Our fleet isn't large enough to patrol that much space, and we certainly can't legally or even openly inspect ships. The only way we can do much of anything is if we suspect a specific ship of slave trafficking and then...it's rather all or nothing, if you understand my meaning. Get the wrong ship, and… our survival depends on secrecy." Colin really did not like having to kill innocent people, and had thus far not ordered a ship taken unless the intelligence was particularly good, but eventually he'd be wrong.

Beth knew perfectly well what he meant. "And providing you the names of our ships will not go over well with the cells for obvious reasons. But there is a solution. Have you heard of Teyan Station?"

"The name is not familiar, no."

"I remember the name from somewhere," Robert offered.

"It's the new customs clearing station for our trade routes out of Gamma 12," Beth revealed. "Just inside of the Alliance's zone around the colony, and it oversees the only active jumpgate currently in our space." She shifted in her seat slightly. "It is the natural clearing station for the Railroad once it reaches Alliance space."

"I think I see what you're getting at. Would it be possible for the Corps to establish a presence on the station? We'd be doing the Free Colony a favor by screening for actual criminals, as well as preventing the Colony from being used as a…" he struggled to find an appropriate term "unwilling accomplice in kidnapping. In exchange, we recover kidnapped children, and are able to make positive contact with those fleeing the Corps and try to convince them to stay."

Beth set her elbows just above her knee, her hands clasped together. "I can't dictate to the Railroad, but I believe I can sell them on those terms, with qualifications," she said. "I'm aware your Corps practices communal child-rearing. Even if the parents in question would prefer a nuclear family. It is a matter of Earth law, from what I've heard. As you may be aware, some of those who flee are telepaths who never truly wanted to be in the Corps. And they have born children who were put into the communal creches. If a child has a parent who has left the Corps and is on the Colony or elsewhere in the Alliance, I can tell you the Railroad will insist that the parent get a shot at assuming custody. The same will likely apply toward close relations like siblings. I can sell the Railroad a policy on returning children only if you can agree to allowing a neutral arbiter to decide such cases."

"That is reasonable. Best Interests of the Child applies, and the child gets a voice in the hearings if they're over the age of eight. Preferably a Gersellian telepath should arbitrate to insure against any sort of coercion."

"Agreed," Beth said. Robert noted she was writing no notes, but Beth had a good memory and could remember such details. Notes, even secure ones, could be dangerous anyway. "This will work then. And given the slaver threat, I believe I can convince the involved captains and other cell leaders to accept the Psi Corps knowing their ships if the Corps guarantees to not infringe on their passage. This will let you determine our actual ships from those that are only pretending to be Railroad vessels. That way your all-or-nothing response is directed at the right people." Beth smiled slightly. She was a kind woman, very gentle, but she knew something of the way slavers operated, and even the gentlest person could feel satisfaction in ensuring they faced severe retribution for treating people like property. "We'll even give you the identities of suspected slavers based on our own investigations."

"Thank you. That will aid us considerably." Colin replied and he meant every word, sending the relief he felt very gently into her mind as well as through his voice.

"I can add something of my own," Robert said. "As a Paladin I have access to Alliance Intelligence's reports and other materials. I've been actively searching for information relating to these slavers, including individuals and connected ships, financial reports, shell companies. Even whoever in EarthGov and other agencies might be working with or against them. I'll make arrangements for this information to get to both of you." By doing this Robert was stretching his authority greatly, at least in the letter of the law. In the spirit it was a different matter, and he felt certain Morgan and Maran and Sriroj would agree. "I'm also told by Julia that certain Earthforce captains are not happy with the growing slaver threat and that no matter how they feel about the Corps, they'll be open to helping deal with said slavers regardless of what EarthGov or their superiors might want. Julia might be able to make suitable arrangements that will allow some coordination. I'm told her Earthforce contact is already experienced with having to bypass the brass, and EarthGov itself, to do the right thing." He gave Colin a quiet look, certain he would be aware of just which Earthforce officer was being discussed given his knowledge of events, and showing understanding of reluctance for that channel should it come.

"I know who it is, and that's fine." He actually smirked a little. "She's family, after all. Distant to the point of estranged, but family."

"Then it seems we have a deal," Beth said. Clear satisfaction showed on her face. Robert matched it, knowing how Beth loved this kind of thing. "I'm sure Earth didn't intend this when they proposed the safe lane."

"Maybe they'll end up wishing they'd taken Julia's idea of visas," Robert mused. "Instead of stabbing their own people in the back while threatening us."

"We're not their people." Colin gently corrected. "Never have been… well, unless you consider it in a certain way." He sent a glyph to Robert and Beth of the Crawford Memorial House, or as he and many others called it, the Massah House.

"You should be their people," Beth snarled, noticing the reference. Both men could feel the surge of reflexive anger and the related memories, of holding Annabelle close in their bed as her lover wept from the dreams caused by memory, the memories of the pain and violations she'd endured in a building all-too-similar to the one Earth Senator Lee Crawford had once gloried in owning. Without further comment she stood. "I'm glad we sorted this out, Doctor. Now, if you'll pardon me, as the hostess I really must be getting back to my party. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening."

They followed Beth out and back downstairs, taking their time so as to not return with her. After getting to the bottom of the wood-paneled stairway Robert thought of how much he wanted to tell Julia about this. She felt so bad about what happened at B5, but they were going to use the agreement in a way she would feel better about. _I'll have to talk to her later, in secure surroundings_. He looked back up to see Colin glancing around at the home. "Crawford was a piece of work," he said. "I wonder how much of it was his desire for the influence to continue his space program work?"

"He really was a piece of work. No matter your motivations you don't use people like that…Beth, she's the one who had to leave, wasn't she?" And to travel to a whole other planet, that was _really_ leaving. "How… _Special_ is the Earth you're from?"

"It is, from what I know, a relatively normal early 21st Century Earth," Robert noted. "Which can be a bit of a culture shock for Humans from other universes of a more advanced timeframe. Back home there are people who still think it's horrible to allow homosexuals to marry, or to teach Darwin's evolution theory in school as science. I still remember people insisting the Holocaust never happened, that it was a lie by Jews or Communists or some other ridiculous thing. I'm betting they still say the same even with an actual universe where Nazis won the war existing. They were not common, the Holocaust-deniers anyway, but they were there." Robert forced that thought away. "Beth had to go thousands of miles away to Portland, Oregon, to find any happiness. And I think she only really became happy when she ended up here. When all of her management talents had a chance to blossom."

Colin nodded. "I spent twenty years in - god such an antiquated term - the closet. When the Corps was founded, it was institutionally accepting of the whole gender and sexuality spectrum. We were all one people, so accepted all. Then Vacit disappeared and Johnson took over. Our social attitudes never changed, but what the adults could tell the children did. Combine that with a breeding program, and you can guess the result."

"Since you were undoubtedly encouraged to see the breeding program as something to contribute to in order to show loyalty…" Robert nodded. Beth hadn't quite gotten the same treatment, but neighbors had always dropped broad hints that she should really find a nice boy to settle down with. Some of the same - though only some, thankfully - had often asked Robert what he saw in that "violent Mexican girl" and openly encouraged him to find another (white, "normal") girl.

"Not exactly. I saw it as a lack of solidarity. I knew legally that I had a loophole, but what right did I have to use it?"

"I see. It didn't seem fair for you to benefit and not the others." Robert checked the time. "Well, to keep appearances, we'd better get back to everything. After all…" He grinned. "You wouldn't want Mr. Cohen to become so enamored with life here that he decides to slip away, would you?" There was a slight teasing quality in his voice, and the open thought that Max would never do so. But there were appearances to keep.

"Oh, yes. He secretly yearns to leave the Corps, rip off his gloves and run around nude with the anarchists, mentally violating every mundane he comes across." Colin grinned.

* * *

The rented aircar passed through the warehouse district in silence. Behind the wheel, Cat glanced nervously around while on the passenger side of the vehicle Angel and Tony continued to look at the warehouse in question.

The markings outside referred to it as a holding of the M'nhra Clan Trading Company. As warehouses went it was one of the smaller ones in capacity in the entire district, accessible from both the lateral K Street and Farmer Parkway, the largest road leading from the heart of the Colony to its outermost districts.

"I'm not detecting anything unusual. A passive security system, I'm guessing," Tony remarked. "No active attack software for electronic probing, just a standard firewall against external wireless connections. I could probably put together a penetration app in an hour or two."

"Smart and strong, it's why you're so sexy," Angel said playfully, although not in her most playful tone. Cat could tell that her sister was worried. The tease was more of an attempt to not worry than it was actual flirting. "No hidden approaches to the doors," she added as Cat turned a corner. In keeping with their plan she was turning away from the warehouse and toward a nearby residential area, to make it look as if they were just passing through. Angel lowered her arm. "We have a composite scan of the place so we can plan an infiltration."

"I'm not sure we should, babe," Tony said.

"Don't 'babe' me, Tony, not in the mood."

He sighed. This was clearly not the night he'd been planning, Cat figured. "So what next?" she asked.

"I go to Colony Security," Angel said.

"Will they work with you?"

"Chief Almerda will." She gave Tony a reassuring look. "I'm not security branch, yeah, but back in those months between the Facility being destroyed and the Alliance being founded? I spent a lot of time working with Almerda's people. It's how I found Corelo in the first place. If I tell Almerda I'm worried about something, the least he'll do is give me access to records and a tech analyst. Hopefully Broots, he's great at this."

"Maybe you should ask Robert for help?" Cat suggested. "He's got that Paladin authority now."

Angel clearly considered the idea. "I'll give him a head's up," she said. "Once we get to Colony Security. But he's got the summit to watch, and Lucy's off playing tourist on Gersal. So we'll probably be doing this on our own."

* * *

Meridina was barely asleep when her omnitool let off a tone. She reached over to the nightstand, slipping her fingers past her lightsaber and to the frame of the device. A tap brought up the screen and a message.

 _Bring Lucilla and Talara in the morning. I will explain what I can._

At the bottom, the message ID showed it was from Ledosh.

Meridina felt surprise at how much it eased the tension within her, to know her teacher was going to explain what was going in. She found that, despite everything, returning to sleep was quite easy.


	89. Episode 3-16-3 Home Invasion

The morning routine on the _Aurora_ deviated from normal only in who was doing which job. With Julia off on leave mandated by Leo, Meridina on Gersal, and Zack at DS9, Jarod and Locarno found themselves in charge of all of the usual morning activities, including relieving Gamma Shift, seeing to Alpha Shift's watch schedule, and reviewing reports from the previous evening. They did this from the Lookout, enjoying breakfast in the process.

With the war over the fleet channels were fairly quiet, at least compared to the daily list of damaged and lost ships through much of the war. Locarno looked over the reports flagged for fleet-wide notification while Jarod signed off on Lieutenant Takawira's activity log for the shift. "Some unexpected Romulan activity in the Triangle, another ship disappeared in the Attican Traverse. The _Olamte'se_ reported Jem'Hadar ships testing the Alliance frontier at Horizon. The Klingons had a skirmish with them just inside Federation space near Bajor." Locarno shook his head at the list. "Not as quiet as I'd hoped."

"It's a big Multiverse, there's always going to be trouble somewhere." Jarod set the planner down and went to finish the last of his scrambled eggs.

Locarno cut away at a breakfast ham steak. "Well, we've had one war. We may not have fought every battle in it, but we fought enough of them." He glanced to the Memorial Wall, where every member of the _Aurora_ crew killed on duty was listed. Between Germania, 452TD, and Gamma Piratus there were over two hundred names. The Canary Wharf Incident more than doubled that, though it hadn't been part of the war. "I'd like to get back to how things were before the war."

"That's not happening and you know it," Jarod noted. "For better or worse, the war changed the Alliance. Made us stronger in some ways, maybe weaker in others." After finishing his last bite Jarod stood. "Well, I'll see you later. My family's waiting."

"Right, your personal day," Locarno said. "I'll leave the command chair warm for you. How much longer is this supposed to last?"

"Leo insisted Julia take at least two full days of no duty," Jarod said. "And Meridina's not due back from Gersal for another couple of days."

"Right. So until then, it's up to you and me to keep things going."

"And Scotty," Jarod reminded him with a grin.

"Scotty's not working a bridge shift," Locarno pointed out. "He refused to, as I recall."

"'I dinnae plan on sittin' in that chair ever again'," Jarod said, mimicking Scotty's accent. "I'll be back by 1600."

"You'd better," Locarno insisted. He watched Jarod go and returned to his breakfast, noting he only had half an hour to get to the bridge and commence his watch.

* * *

At Beth's insistence, Robert spent the night in one of her guest rooms, enjoying a comfortable bed and the use of the bathroom attached to it when he woke in the morning. He was surprised to find that once he was done with the routine, there was a message waiting for him from Angel, insisting he come straight to Colony Security.

It was there that he found Angel, Cat, and Tony Zah in one of the Security HQ's computer labs. A balding man sat in front of them - Broots, Robert remembered, one of the people from Jarod's Earth. On the screen was a building schematic and side windows showing what looked like financial statements and money traces. Robert noted the sisters and Tony Zah looked quite tired. Angel was holding Tony tightly, making clear their relationship to those who hadn't known of it.

Robert had, of course. Everyone on the _Aurora_ knew. He was happy for her.

On Angel's other side, Cat had fallen asleep, her head resting against Angel's right arm.

"You look like you've been up all night," he said.

Cat stirred as Angel and Tony looked up at him. Broots turned as well. "Well, I've been up much of the night," he confided. "Granted, I'm the night shift data analyst now," he added.

"What's going on?" Robert asked. "Your message said something about a threat to the summit?"

"I thought you'd get here last night," Angel murmured.

Robert shook his head. It occurred to him that if the message had come while he was in the electronically-shielded room with Beth and Colin, it wouldn't have come to his immediate attention. Nor would his omnitool have alerted him afterward given he'd set his systems to only openly alert him to messages of the highest priority, that is, from Morgan or Maran. _I shouldn't have had that last glass of champagne Beth insisted on_ , he thought. "Sorry, everything was set to quiet mode for the dinner," he said apologetically. "What's going on?"

"I got a note yesterday from Corelo, he wanted to meet," Angel said. "He says there may be a threat to the Colony from his end of things."

"Oh?" Robert remembered Hernan de Corelo. His type weren't why the Facility went after prisons in dictatorships, but then again, they'd been less careful in their early forays. "Get people out" had been the overriding concern, not vetting them to separate crooks from dissidents or the like. "What makes him say that?"

"The gangs have been pulling out," said Angel. "Without someone coming in to replace them. When he looked into it, he heard rumors that those red-eyed bastards from A5R0 want payback over some of theirs that died."

"The Aristos." Robert wondered about that. The Alliance government was still investigating just what capabilities they had, although they were clearly a powerful civilization. "From what we know they don't have IU tech of their own. They rely on shipping things through the Earth government of A5R0. If they're going to attack it's likely a terrorist attack of some kind."

"Like, say, a summit," suggested Tony.

"Good idea, but they'll be disappointed if they think New Liberty is easy to deal with," Robert said. "The best security tech in the Alliance is here. Either way, they'd have to have pre-positioned resources given their lack of IU tech."

"That's the other part of Corelo's info. A warehouse down at K and Farmer."

"Currently rented by the M'nhra Clan Trading Company of Ys'talla," Broots noted. "I've got all of the relevant paperwork. Standard-sized warehouse, consumer goods passing through."

"Nothing too suspicious," Robert noted. "The Miqo'te have been expanding their trade networks since signing their defense treaty with the Alliance." Even as he said that, Robert felt something within him make him want to cringe. There _was_ something here, something elusive. Something…

For a moment he was elsewhere. Standing in the Market Square, watching as buildings around him were ablaze.

As quickly as it came, it ended. It was clear to all that he was disturbed by what he saw. "Consider me a believer," he said quietly. "What can you tell us about this warehouse, Broots?"

"Well, we don't normally track cargos once they pass customs," he noted. "Not unless they're flagged, and M'nhra Trading isn't… woh."

Angel and Tony sat up straight. Cat, still seeming very tired, didn't. "What is it?" Angel asked.

"I'm getting a flag on the company now," Broots said. "From the Dorei Federation Security Service. They've got M'nhra flagged as suspected of criminal ties to a Jeaxian warlord. Uharas avam Tithsa?"

"Tithsa," Robert groaned. Seeing the looks on the others, he explained, "Uharas Tithsa isn't just a Jeaxian warlord. He's a slaver, one of the most powerful still in operation in the statelets, with political and economic connections inside the Coserian Empire."

"How high?" asked Tony.

"High enough to hire an entire company, hell, a battalion of cybertroopers, among other things," Robert said, glowering and thinking of Tau Atrea. "Odds are the Aristos would sign up someone just like him to do dirty work."

"Would he go terrorist though?" Angel asked. "Slavers are usually more interested in taking slaves, I mean. Terrorism doesn't help."

"He may not be involved in the actual attack, just acting as a transport middle man," Tony said.

Robert nodded in agreement. "Exactly." He drew in a breath. "I need to see this warehouse. If there's a threat we may need to call off the summit."

"What about us?" Cat asked.

"You'll need backup, sir," Tony said. "Colony Security's stretched pretty thin."

"I wouldn't want them along," Robert remarked. "Too much noise, they might trigger whatever they're planning. Mister Broots?" He looked to the analyst.

"Yes sir?"

"Inform Chief Almerda of what's going on. Lieutenant Zah, let Commander Richmond know. I know she's got a team helping with the summit security, but we'll need more ready if things go bad."

Tony nodded. He didn't look dressed for business - neither did Angel or Cat - but he made up for it with his serious look. "Yes sir."

"What about us?" Cat asked.

"Broots, we need an ops vehicle," Robert said. "Just one. Cat, you and Jarod are our ops control, you stay in the vehicle. Lieutenant, Angel, you'll be with me." Robert reached for his omnitool. "I'll be right back." He finished typing a sequence in and vanished in a burst of light.

When he returned two minutes later, he was wearing combat armor, and he had two cases with him. He handed one of each to Angel and Tony. "Go suit up," he instructed. "We've got an infiltration mission." He smiled slightly at Angel. "Just like old times."

"Old times," she agreed. "What about Julia? Should she know?"

"I've already alerted Locarno and Jarod," he said. "They'll let her know. Jarod's on his way to join us. We'd better get busy."

* * *

It was well past dawn when Julia stirred. The presence of daylight through curtains laid over the window was a novel experience, showing how used she was to living aboard a starship. Equally novel was the warmth of another body pressed up against hers, and not even under the sheets.

After a moment of waking up, she realized she hadn't stirred from any arrangement of an internal clock, but from the repetitive electronic tone coming from the nearby nightstand. She looked over to see a blue light showing over the frame of her omnitool. She blinked, if just to get the haze of sleep out of her eyes, before reaching over to tap the omnitool. "I'm here," she said.

" _Sorry to disturb your rest_ ," said Locarno. " _I'm just calling to give you a warning. There might be trouble at the summit_."

"Oh?"

" _Robert called it in_ ," he continued. " _A possible terrorist threat. He's investigating with Angel._ "

Behind her, Lee began stirring as well. Julia stifled a little yawn. "Does he need me for anything? I can come back up to the ship."

" _That won't be necessary. I've got things handled up here and security's ready to send more personnel to help out_ ," Locarno replied. " _If Robert needs anything more, he'll call._ "

"Still, if there's a threat…" Julia felt Lee's arm move across her belly. He said nothing for the moment. "Keep me informed, and be ready to transport me back to the ship the moment something happens."

" _We'll keep a lock on you. Locarno out._ "

"Work?" asked Lee.

"Maybe. You might want to call Shaw or Hoshi and give them forewarning. There might be a terrorist attack of some kind." Julia turned and laid flat on her back on the bed. Lee laid on his side beside her, his arm still draped over her belly.

"We'll be ready to provide assistance," he promised. "I'll give them a call if you want to use the shower first."

"That sounds nice." Julia gave him a peck of a kiss on the cheek in thanks before sliding out of the bed. Her uniform was laid out over a chair. Everything under it had been thoughtlessly left on the floor. Julia might have blamed the wine from the dinner at Beth's if not for the fact that it had more to do with impatience than inebriation.

When she got out of the shower Lee was waiting with a towel. "The _Pegasus_ is on standby," he informed her. "We're ready to help."

"I just hope it's a false alarm," she said. "I'll call Richmond and see how preparations are going while you shower. Then we can go enjoy a late breakfast?"

"That works for me," he said.

* * *

A short time later they were in the Visitors' Lodge's cafe. A host of breakfast meals from various cultures were available. Julia opted for plain cereal with eggs while Lee gave the _kimchi_ a try, along with a bowl of fish stew. Given the situation both were in uniform. "Any plans for the day?" Lee asked.

"Well, I had been considering taking you on a hike to the Carrey River Falls," Julia remarked. "They're gorgeous."

Lee noted the name, but instead asked, "Where is that, again?"

"About a hundred kilometers to the northeast, along the Carrey River. The falls are at the edge of the mountain range."

Lee noted the name. "You named a river for Zachary?"

Julia responded with a bemused laugh. "It's an old joke from the surveys after we founded the Colony. He fell into it. And since he was the first to touch the river in any way, we decided to name it for him."

Lee chuckled at that. "So the name of the water falls derives from a pun?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes."

Another chuckle came from Lee. "I suppose it's not surprising that things here would be named after you and the others. You founded this place, settled it with the people you helped…"

"Yeah. Although we've asked them to refrain from naming anything in our honor. At least until we're passed on," Julia said. "The river was an exception that was too funny to pass up."

"That works for me," Lee said, grinning. After he took another bite of his food he folded his hands on the table. "So… I've been meaning to ask…"

Julia finished swallowing a piece of fluffy egg and looked up. "Hrm?"

For a moment Lee hesitated, as if he wasn't sure what he was going to say or how he would. Finally he drew in a breath and asked, "So, I'm trying to get a handle on things. On us."

Julia pursed her lips and set her fork down. "Yeah, I imagined we'd get to this eventually."

"I've never been the best at relationships," Lee admitted. "And I'm not sure where this one is going."

Julie folded her hands on the table. "Lee, to be honest, I… I don't see this being a long term thing. For me, it's about having a peer who understands what I go through. Being able to… to find an outlet for a part of me that I've always kept bottled up."

Lee nodded slowly. "So… you want to spend time with me for the sex?"

That prompted a sigh. "Not entirely," Julia answered. "I suppose there's a 'peer with benefits' angle to it…"

"'Peer with benefits'?" asked Lee, confused.

"There's a term, 'friends with benefits'. It means people who are friends and have casual sex without a romantic attachment," Julia explained. "That's… not quite how I see us."

"But it is, a bit?"

That drew another exasperated sigh. "I see you as someone I can spend time with for whatever reason. Someone who knows the pressures I live with," Julia explained. "Who understands what it's like to do this job. And you're kind and you're trying to do the right thing. I appreciate that." She leaned forward slightly. "Is that enough for you, Lee?"

Lee's expression made it clear he had to search his thoughts. "Well, like I said, I've been bad at relationships," he admitted. "They always go wrong. I suppose I was hoping that I'll finally find one that works."

"I hope you do. But I'm not going to commit to a long term relationship, Lee. I don't think it'll work. If this means you want to put an end to it…"

"I'm not saying that," he said, a little too quickly. "I'm just… I'm tired, Julia. Tired of my relationships blowing up in my face. Of things going wrong."

"I understand that. I just want things clear between us. No unintended expectations." Even as she spoke Julia could see Lee's eyes fall a little. _Damn_. "I'm sorry if I let you think I felt differently."

"It's not that," he said. "It's… Gods, listen to me. You're being up front and honest. I'm the one making this complicated."

"You wanted more."

"Yeah, I guess I was hoping for it," Lee admitted. "But I think I'm okay with this. Maybe it's what I need. No expectations beyond, well…"

"Hanging out and really good sex," Julia offered, smiling.

The response was a chuckle. "Yeah."

Julia wasn't sure he entirely meant it. _Robert has it so much easier, being able to sense feelings._ She scraped the last bits of egg onto her fork and ate it. After enjoying the taste for a few seconds and swallowing she said, "Well, given the situation, my plan for a nature walk is out. I don't want to be a hundred kilometers away if something happens. Is there anything you'd like to do?"

Lee seemed to think on it for a moment. "Well, that sport you play, the one like pyramid…?"

"Basketball?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't mind giving that a try."

"I'm a little rusty these days," she admitted. "But sure. We'll use the courts here at the Lodge."

"Sounds fun to me."

* * *

Meridina, Lucy, and Talara awoke early for their planned trip to the Temple. When they left their rooms they quietly accepted a breakfast made by Drentiya. Meridina's mother was a strong telepath and sensed their emotional states. _It is still early, why not rest more?_ she urged.

 _No. We have something to do at the Temple_ , Meridina insisted. _We will be leaving shortly._

 _Your father has already left_ , Drentiya cast back, her concern plain on her face and in her thoughts. _Whatever is wrong… please be careful_.

 _We'll try, Drentiya_ , Lucy promised.

Once they finished their meals, they departed.

* * *

For safety's sake Cat parked the operations van Security provided a block away, putting another warehouse between her and the M'nhra Trading warehouse. She went to the back where Jarod, in civilian wear but with a pulse pistol in a belt-mounted hip holster, activated holo-monitors, tying the van's onboard systems into the omnitools of the others and accessing the Colony's database, including the schematics of the warehouse.

By the time they were ready, the others were in position. Angel and Tony were in dark suits, each armed with a pulse rifle and pulse pistol, and like Robert they had personal cloaking devices. These were active as they crossed an open lot and arrived at the side door of the warehouse. " _I'm opening the door now_ ," Jarod said over their secure comms.

Moments later the electronic lock on the door released, allowing them entry. The side door didn't leave to the warehouse proper but to adjacent offices and restrooms. They passed through there to the storage area, where crates were stacked. Some were on the floor, others on anti-grav pallets. Robert walked up to one and noted it was empty.

"They're all empty," Tony noted, looking in another one.

Robert ran a scan. He found something he'd been hoping not to find. "Residue from explosives," he confirmed. A bad feeling came to his gut. "They've already unloaded whatever they're using. Their plan must be in play."

* * *

Lucy flew the aircar through the assigned lanes over Jantarihal with some urgency. Today there was no sightseeing from Talara, only deep concern at the chilling, foreboding feeling all sensed. "Something is going to happen, isn't it?" she asked. "This feeling in my being. This coldness."

"I wish I could assure you otherwise, Talara," Meridina said. Below were some of the commercial areas of Jantarihal. They were coming up to the roadway that led up to the Temple, used primarily by anti-grav and wheeled vehicles. Lucy gently pulled the craft up. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh undoubtedly believes he protects us by not speaking on the matter. But we must prevail on him to trust us."

"We'll persuade him," Lucy promised.

While a river and the road beside it wound below them, the aircar rose to the mountain plateau where the Temple stood. In the dawnlit sky the Temple looked impressive indeed, as it always did. Lucy kept them on course. Something on the display beside her made her blink. "That's odd."

"What?"

"The traffic control net just went down," Lucy said.

Meridina activated her omnitool. "I will…" She blinked and her face began to pale. "The commnet is down."

Lucy did not want to hear that. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. I am attempting to raise the orbital stations on Stellar Navy channels…" Meridina shook her head. "It appears the entire planetary comm network is out."

Talara was double-checking while Lucy tried to keep the feeling in her gut from becoming nausea. "Try connecting to the _Rio Grande_ ," Lucy urged. "It's got an IU…"

That was when the first explosion flowered from the Great Temple.

* * *

In the Security ops van, Caterina looked over the chemical composition from the readings Robert and the others were sending. "A plastic explosive derivative," she noted. "If you kept it properly separated, it wouldn't show up on customs scans. At least not as obvious explosives."

"So there is a terrorist threat," noted Jarod. He tapped a button on his board. "I'm raising Colony Sec… wait."

"What?"

"The comm network is down," Jarod said. "I can't get through." Jarod tapped at a key. "Robert, Angel, can you read me?"

" _Loud and clear_ ," came Robert's response. " _We're just_ …"

* * *

"...checking everything." Robert moved to another empty crate. This one didn't have explosive residue. "Another empty, no explosives," he called out to the others.

"Same here!" Tony shouted.

"And here!" added Angel.

"What's wrong, Jarod?" Robert asked. Inside he felt a growing sense of wrongness, a chilling feeling of dread.

" _Planetary comms are down. Since we can talk, whatever it is isn't jamming._ "

"Can you raise the _Aurora_?"

" _Trying now_ … _not through the ops van. Let me tie in through our omnitools._ "

"Good. I've got a bad feeling about all of this."

"Hey, we've got a non-empty over here!" shouted Tony.

Robert and Angel converged on Tony. He was in the corner, facing a single crate. It wasn't a large one, two meters long, still on an anti-grav pallet. As they approached Tony generated a hardlight blade from his omnitool and used it to pry the lid open. Blinking lights played over his face. "Is that what I think it is?"

Robert and Angel arrived at the same time to spot an object that, yes, looked fairly familiar. It was not exactly what they were familiar with, granted, but it was clearly based on the same thing.

A green light lit up on one end.

Robert slapped at his arm, bringing his omnitool up. "Dale to _Aurora_ , raise the shields _now!_ "

* * *

On the _Aurora_ bridge Locarno heard the priority call from Robert. As surprised as he was by it, training kicked in. "Raise shields, set ship to Code Yellow," he ordered, after which he added, "This is Locarno on the _Aurora_ , just what is going on?"

" _There's a jump anchor down here_ ," Robert replied, his voice tense with worry. " _And it's been activated._ "

At Ops, Lieutenant Tra'dur spoke, in an accent that bordered on Anglo-Indian, "Sir, the _Pegasus_ and _Charleston_ are both inquiring as to why we are raising shields."

"Relay what Captain Dale just told us," Locarno said.

"Yes sir." After several moments Tra'dur noted, "Several vessels are raising shields as well."

"Multiple IU jump points opening!" cried Lieutenant Amira al-Rashad, currently at the Science station.

Locarno was not used to the idea of such a thing being a sign of danger. IU jump points usually meant help. It meant friendlies. But with everything going on, he knew it likely didn't mean the same now. Even as his mind wondered just who would have the technology and become hostile - One of the Citadel Council races? The Clans? - he barked, "Code Red! Put them onscreen!"

Tra'dur flipped the shipwide intercom. "Battlestations, Battlestations, All Hands to Battlestations, _On the Double_! This is not a drill…"

The holo-viewer activated to show open space just beyond the orbital space of New Liberty. Green vortices were forming, at least half a dozen. Ships zoomed out from within them. Locarno's eyes widened as he took in the vessels, of designs he'd seen before, black hulls, sharp angular shapes, and nacelles with blue ramscoops and blood-red plasma chambers.

And on each one was a black-on-white field swastika and the double lightning bolt rune of the _Schutzstaffel_.

Even as the ramifications jolted through Locarno like lightning, a stunned al-Rashad read off the identification. "Multiple Reich warships of varying classes! Their shields are up and weapons are online! They're firing…!"

As one, the SS vessels opened fire, the emerald energy of their disruptors striking at the _Aurora_ , the ships around it, and New Liberty below.

* * *

Lucy hit the accelerator on the aircar's engines as soon as the explosions flowered from the Great Temple.

The act saved their lives.

As the seconds passed, multiple lights burst into existence in the air over the Temple. The brief flashes resulted in the presence of Cylon raiders, fighter craft that immediately commenced attacks on the temple itself, strafing its structures and its denizens. One fighter, having noticed them upon jumping, immediately bore down on them and fired. Without accelerating the aircar would have been destroyed.

It might still have suffered that fate, but Lucy's piloting kept them from taking hits. She flew onward to the Temple, seeking to land where she could, as it was only a matter of time before the Cylons overwhelmed them in the air. Her concern was proven a few moments later when a flurry of fire blew out the engine just as they neared the Temple proper. "A little help!" Lucy cried out, trying to keep the aircar from hitting too hard with the emergency anti-gravs set to full.

Meridina and Talara came to her aid, concentrating. Together they slowed the vehicle enough that it merely jostled them violently when Lucy planted it in the middle of the courtyard garden. After a moment to gather their bearings they pulled off their safety belts and got out of the car. Around them robed figures were in constant motion, running for cover or, in some cases, not. Several purple-robed figures, as well as some of the red and blue-robed ones, were already reaching skyward or at least looking skyward. One by one, the Cylon fighters started to go out of control, slamming into each other or into the ground.

But that wasn't all. Beyond the clouds, against the dawn sky, lights streaked far above.

* * *

The Gersallians were no strangers to threats. On several occasions the Coserians had sent raids into their space deeply enough to nearly reach Gersal, and so the planet was well-defended.

The issue was that, like many defenses, it took time to fully bring them into operation. Ships had to be sortied. Theater and deflector shields raised. And the system had been geared to expect early warning from long-range sensors.

The arrival of the Cylon fleet in orbit gave no warning. One moment there was nothing, the next, the twisted shapes of Cylon Basestars flashed into existence. Fighters poured from their hangers and the Basestars opened fire with missiles and powerful energy weapons.

The ships in orbit had little time to react before the Cylon fire started ripping through them. Those that managed to raise shields survived the longest, but just as many did not, or had no shields; they were the first to die.

But they were not the last, as the Cylon ships started raining fire down on the surface of Gersal itself.

* * *

Talara was the first to watch the emerald streaks descend from the sky and strike Jantarihal. Beam after beam lashed at the shining capital city of the Gersallians. To her horror, one of the gleaming spires started to collapse after a hit cleaved it in two.

"Swenya's Light," gasped Meridina, now observing the scene. Other members of the Order showed similar shock and horror at the sight of Jantarihal's scourging. Overhead the last of the Cylon fighters was gone, destroyed or escaped. The attack seemed to be over.

Gina approached them. "I need your help," she said, panting. She looked haggard and worn. "The offices, they were bombed… _Mastrash_ Ledosh is still there!"

Before Lucy or Meridina could react to this news, a roar filled the air. Heads turned to witness the pods rain down from the sky. All sensed the presence of dark, cold energy as the pods slammed into the ground, one by one. One pod smashed into the rubble that had once been the Temple Knight barracks, another near the Temple Hall and the Council's meeting place.

Many of those present drew their weapons. Some ignited or activated them, the snap-hiss of lightsabers joined by the metallic shriek of _lakesh_ blades taking form. Lucy, Meridina, and Gina joined them.

The pods opened. From each came a dozen occupants. And they were the same for each pod. Flashes of recognition came from many as they recognized, among these numbers, copies of Gina herself… and of Lucy.

Cylons.

But that wasn't why gasps of horrified familiarity came from some of the Order, or Meridina herself.

The familiarity wasn't from the copies of Gina and Lucy, but rather their garb. For each was clad in a black hooded robe, the hoods lowered, over dark suits of armor with gray belts. Each Cylon had a headband on their brow, black as well, with a red insignia upon it. The insignia was a hexagon divided into twelve parts - two per side - with a sword bisecting the whole.

There was something Lucy found familiar with the garb. As if she'd seen it, or something like it, before…

"It's them," Meridina gasped. "After all this time…"

One of the older models, the "Brother Cavil" one, spoke aloud. "At long last, our time has come." He pulled from his belt a dark-enameled hilt. A blood-red energy blade flashed to life with a snap and hiss. " _Death to the enemies of our Lord!_ " he roared. " _Death to the followers of Swenya!_ "

The courtyard echoed with the snap-hiss of dozens of blood-red lightsabers igniting. " _Death to the memory of Swenya!_ " roared the other Cylons.

And then the battle began.


	90. Episode 3-16-4 Home Invasion

The battle that erupted in the Temple courtyard filled that space with the buzz of lightsabers and the hum of _lakesh_ blades, though mostly the former. The Cylons set upon the present members of the Order with a savage glee, as if years, decades of patience were finally paying off.

Lucy's first foe was a Caucasian-colored male Cylon, one of the models she wasn't familiar with. He moved with a fury and speed that she struggled to match. Beside her Gina was locking blades with one of the D'anna Biers-looking Cylons and Meridina was facing one of the Cavils. Talara, unarmed, had no choice but to keep moving, focusing on avoiding the lethal blade of one of the Sharon Valerii models.

While they held their ground as best as they could, the rest of the Order wasn't doing quite as well. The _Mastrasham_ and the handful of Temple Knights present were also holding their own, but some of the Knights were struggling with the sheer ferocity and power of their foes. Each of the Cylons was gifted with dark power, and they used those powers happily, mixing lightsaber strikes with attempts to choke or bind their foes, or to channel purple-tinged lightning into them.

In ordinary circumstances this may not have been enough. But such circumstances didn't exist. The Order's recent malaise, its clear demoralization, were exacerbated by the sudden shock of the attack. One by one, some of the Knights - especially those not as experienced - fell to the attacks of their foes, while the Cylons suffered fewer losses at the hands of the Order.

Lucy herself was in the fight for her life. The SS men she'd fought in the _Fuhrerhaus_ had been neophytes compared to the Cylon she was fighting. The last time she'd dueled someone this powerful had been Goras himself, and that was when she was far less experienced in the art. She remained on the defensive, using maneuver and short blocking strikes to defy her foe repeatedly. _Talara needs me, I can't let this go on…_

Then her opponent, perhaps sensing her desperation to aid Talara, got overconfident. His attacks were stronger, but less agile, more exposing. After the third such attack, aimed at her head, Lucy twisted in one direction and struck out with her armored boot. It slammed into the knee of her opponent from the side with enough strength to dislocate the entire joint. The Cylon's leg came out from under him. As he cried out, Lucy completed her maneuver with a horizontal slice of her weapon, cleanly taking the head off the Cylon.

A quick check of the battlefield told her the Order was struggling. Meridina and Gina were still in combat and Talara was running out of room to run. Lucy ran to her aid, just to be intercepted by the lightsaber of one of the bald, dark-skinned Cylons. Immediately she was forced on the defensive.

Talara gathered what strength she had left and pushed out with her power, trying to knock her armed foe away. The Cylon absorbed the strike with her own power. Her hand came up and purple-tinged lightning erupted. Talara tried to resist it, but she wasn't experienced enough to do so. It blasted through her attempted defense and seared her body. She spasmed and fell, screaming from the shock. Her foe, grinning, advanced with blade raised to end Talara's life.

And then unseen force slammed into the Valerii-model, into Lucy's foe, into Gina's, into Meridina's. All four Cylons went flying as if struck by a speeding air car. Two collided with such force that their heads smashed together and inflicted fatal head trauma. The four could feel a sense of confident, strong light amongst them, someone openly defying the darkness sapping at them and the rest of the Order. They turned to see the robed figure, his purple robe lined with blue to mark a Council member.

 _Mastrash_ Karesl held out a hand clutching the lightsaber that Lucy had personally taught him how to make. It ignited in a flash of green light. But it wasn't the weapon he used. They all felt raw power gather around them and release, an invisible plow blade that ripped through several approaching Cylons and sent them flying.

It occurred to Lucy that she'd never seen Karesl fight. She always knew he was powerful, very much so. But to see him use that power… it was like how Robert now fought, but refined. Controlled. Completely confident, not restrained.

The sight of _Mastrash_ Karesl joining the battle gave heart to the beleaguered Knights of Swenya, who fought all the more fiercely to protect their temple.

Karesl turned to them. "Ledosh was in his office. See to him!"

"But you'll need…"

Before Lucy could finish, Karesl thundered " _Go!_ " in a voice that brimmed with stern command. She felt the sheer strength in him vibrate in harmony with the command. Here and now he was in charge, and his orders were not to be questioned. Too much was at stake.

"Come, Lucy, Gina," Meridina said, accepting her father's command without protest. "We must hurry." _Be safe, Father_ , Meridina urged mentally as the quartet departed.

 _The same to you, Meri._ Karesl plunged into the fray after sending the thought. 

* * *

Amidst the rubble that had once been part of the Order's organization offices, _Mastrash_ Ledosh gave a final surge of effort. Broken masonry and stone flew away from the protective bubble he'd pulled around himself the moment he sensed danger. Sunlight poured into the ruins around him. Only his desk and the books, with their notes, were preserved.

He could feel the dark power near. A battle raged nearby. His fellows in the Order were struggling against a foe. And in the distance, fire rained down on Jantarihal and other places. His worst fears were realized. _I was too late!_

For a moment despair took him. But only for a moment. He could feel Meridina, Gina, Lucy, all alive. All here. There was still hope. He would not let the darkness drive him to despair, not now.

He grabbed the protective container he used to move the books around from its place by his desk. It snapped open and he quickly stashed both the books and his notes into it, after which he snapped the container shut and slung it over his shoulder.

And then he set off to find Meridina and the others.

* * *

Onboard the _Pegasus,_ now a storied and infamous survivor of thirty or more engagements thanks to the Reich War, Major Hoshi had taken the report of _Aurora_ 's shields going up and alerted Colonel Shaw, who had (like usual) refused leave and remained onboard to drill new arrivals and oversee inspections and repairs. Then he'd asked the _Aurora_ what was going on.

He'd barely finished when Kendra Shaw arrived at a dead run. The short woman was in her uniform trousers and boots and a sports bra, wet from head to toe with the shower she'd been taking and with her uniform jacket draped around her shoulders and flapping open from where it was half tugged on during her run to the bridge.

"Mister Rawlin," she ordered the engineering lieutenant on the bridge without even asking any details, "Spool the jump drive!"

"Sir?"

"That's an order. Mister Hoshi, Report?"

" _Aurora_ has raised her shields and there's an unknown jump beacon active on the planet."

Kendra Shaw's damp brown skin paled. "Shields, now!"

Hoshi had been dealing with Kendra for long enough to know better. The survivor of the Scorpion shipyard had gotten steadily more functional over that period, but she was utterly inflexible in this kind of situation, and..

"Sir, jump-points forming!"

Kendra gazed at Hoshi for a moment like she was going to berate him for not having already raised the shields, but then she just pulled a handset off the wall next to the red toggle switch which she firmly depressed, the alarms immediately sounding around them.

"All hands, this is Colonel Shaw. General Quarters, Set Condition One throughout the ship." She released the toggle on the handset. "DRADIS, what do we have?"

As she asked the question, the _Pegasus_ rocked, but not severely.

"Shields holding, Colonel!"

"Colonel, multiple significant contacts. _Schutzstaffel_ warships emerging from interuniversal jump points. We are taking fire from at least four heavy cruisers."

For a moment, Kendra Shaw's face was fixed and chiseled in place, expressionless. The entire thing was brutally like Scorpion. Hoshi had been unconscious the entire time and the event remained at a remove for him. With her free hand she reached into the pocket of her still hanging uniform jacket and gripped hard at the closed metal form of Cain's razor. Then she spoke with confidence and decisiveness. "Prepare for emergency jump!"

"Sir… Preparing for emergency jump." Rawlin turned back to his console and Kendra watched him, remembering herself in the same position only a few years before. The ship rocked under her again.

"Nazi dreadnought is bearing on us with its spinal mount, Sir!"

"Jump the ship." 

* * *

For the first time in the Colony's history, the space around New Liberty was filled with the violent spectacle of starship combat. The disruptors of the arriving SS vessels lashed out at the unprepared ships in orbit, joined by the visible tailfire of their missiles and torpedoes. The vessels in orbit over New Liberty barely had a chance to begin maneuvering before the emerald beams began to carve through them. One of the vessels, a Narn cruiser, took several hits against bare hull before a terrible explosion blew the vessel in half. A Bajoran ship managed to evade much of the incoming fire due to its small size and maneuverability, until it took a direct hit from a heavy disruptor that blasted through its shields and speared its engine section, destroying the vessel in a white fireball.

Where weapons fire struck the _Aurora_ , it encountered fully-engaged shields. On the bridge, Nicholas Locarno found himself in command of the ship. "Send out a fleet alert," Locarno ordered. "And open a tac comm link."

"Doing so now," said Tra'dur. "The _Pegasus_ just jumped out."

Locarno frowned at that. Not that it didn't make sense - it did, tactically, since Battlestars were primarily carriers and the ship's fighters would need time to be launched - but that it made the job of protecting the Colony even harder. Perhaps impossible.

"Targeting enemy vessels now!" called out Lieutenant Syrandi Luneri, the Dorei woman at Tactical.

As disruptors played over her shields, the _Starship Aurora_ turned to face the enemy. Her weapons began to blaze. One by one, the other ships around her joined in the battle, the cerulean fury of the _Melissa Davion_ 's naval PPCs joined by the amber strikes of the _Charleston_ 's phasers. Both ships contributed missiles and photon torpedoes to the barrage.

Unfortunately, most of the ships were not so lucky. With every passing second more of those vessels in orbit died, many of them civilian ships. Locarno gripped the command chair arms tightly at the thought that there was nothing he could do for those poor people. It would be hard enough keeping his own ships alive given the number of enemy contacts showing up on the holo-display. A destroyer squadron, several cruisers of varying classes, all centered around an _Aryan_ -class dreadnought with SS colors and markings.

Even as they engaged the SS task force, some of those black ships were not responding to the challenge from the orbiting defenders. They were too busy pouring fire into the Colony. 

* * *

Cat and Jarod were the first to hear the boom of explosions from inside the ops van. Jarod scrambled to the front of the van in time to see an emerald disruptor beam stab down from the sky and blow apart a nearby structure. Beyond more explosions flowered, some without aid from the sky. "We're under attack!" Jarod shouted into the omnitool before getting behind the wheel. He brought the van's motor to life and sent the vehicle into gear, pulling out on the road to bring them back to the warehouse the others were in.

Behind him, Cat was looking at the van's instruments in utter shock. "The… this is all… we're under attack." Her voice squeaked the repetition of Jarod's remark. "But I can't get anyone on comms!"

"Sabotage," Jarod said grimly. He tapped at his omnitool as he turned the wheel. "Jarod to _Aurora_ , what's going on up there?!"

" _SS ships just jumped in. They were using IU drives_ ," Locarno answered. " _We're trying to fight them off now, but the comm network is acting up. We aren't getting replies from Defense Command._ "

"New Liberty's comms are down too, try to patch in to Julia and as many others as you can."

" _We're a bit busy, but we'll do what we can_."

They pulled into the parking lot of the warehouse as Robert, Angel, and Tony emerged from the door. They ran toward the van.

As they did so, another pair of vehicles pulled in behind the van, moving to block its exit. From the vehicles several men in civilian clothing emerged, but given the uniform shades of blond hair it wasn't too hard to guess their affiliation.

At a barked command in stern German, the group opened fire. 

* * *

The initial explosions sent the Colony into chaos. They could be heard in every corner as pre-set bombs destroyed or damaged buildings across the city. Some of the targets seemed random, simply to add to the chaos, but with one bomb nearly gutting Colony Security HQ and another damaging the Government Building, it was clear that there was a purpose beyond mere chaos. Only later was it realized that the bombings were well-placed to disrupt the city's power grid, preventing the raising of the protective theater shield.

Moments after the bombs went off, emerald beams struck at the Colony with deadly precision. Entire buildings were demolished with a moment's contact with them. People were vaporized where they stood.

The explosions disrupted the opening session of the Summit, meeting in the Legislative Chamber of the New Liberty Government Building. The entire building shook violently from the blast, although the chamber itself was not directly affected. From her place at the Presiding Table Beth Rankin rose and looked toward the sergeant-at-arms, Sergeant Bomayako. The African woman drew her pulse pistol and spoke into her omnitool. Beth knew something was wrong the moment confusion showed on Bomayako's face. "Communications are down," she said. "Madame Governor, we should evacuate."

"Agreed." Beth looked to the assembled delegates. With the exception of the Narn and Bajoran members, not to mention Governor Kuhln, they all showed various levels of uncertainty or fright. "There is a protective bunker here. Please follow me."

Trying hard to keep her own rising fear and worry at bay, Beth stepped away from the table toward a side door. She opened it… and immediately closed it at noticing the armed man down the hall, firing a Reich-made disruptor rifle into another room. "Armed intruder," she said to Bomayako.

"The other door, quickly!" the other woman hissed, moving to take cover in sight of both doors. "I will buy you what time I can."

Beth didn't argue. She knew better, just as much as she knew Bomayako was sacrificing herself to protect the summit delegates. Beth rushed across the room to another door. She activated her omnitool and found a basic life sign scanner app loaded into it, part of the base firmware of the model. The scanner told her there was nobody ahead, so she opened the door. The corridor ahead led toward various offices for the Council members and their staff, and from there she knew the way to the entrance to the bunker. She motioned for the others to follow and walked out into the hall.

Bomayako watched them go, breathed a silent prayer, and had her gun leveled and ready when the first intruder came through the door.

* * *

The first boom interrupted Julia and Lee in their game. Julia stopped dribbling the basketball and let it bounce away on the court. "What the hell…?"

"It sounds like a…"

More booms could be heard. Going from confusion to worry, Julia went for her omnitool.

Before she could activate it, Lee grabbed her and pulled her toward the west door. Julia nearly stumbled and just managed to keep her footing. "What is…"

Before she could finish, she heard a voice snarl in German. This prompted Julia to glance back at the far door, where an armed man in basic civilian garb was entering, disruptor rifle readied, and more followed. He scanned the room and noticed them just as they got to the door. A moment after Lee pulled Julia through a disruptor beam sizzled through the door, barely missing her.

"Did you bring your sidearm?!" Julia demanded, forcing down the questions racing through her mind. Was it just a coincidence, or was she actually facing some kind of remnant forces of the Reich? Released POWs turned mercenary?

"No," Lee answered, looking ready to kick himself.

"Don't feel bad, I didn't either." They kept running, going past the shower area and toward the front of the lodge. Behind them the armed men burst through the door. Julia, remembering the Lodge layout, pulled Lee with her into a room to their side. It was full of tables and chairs, recognizable as one of the Lodge's rentable meeting rooms. They continued on through the door on the opposite side. "Jeong might, though."

"The owner?"

"Yeah," she said. She activated her omnitool as they came to the end of the recreational area. "Andreys to _Aurora_ , I'm under fire!"

" _So are we_ ," Locarno replied. " _SS warships have jumped into orbit. We're under heavy fire, most of the orbiting ships are already heavily damaged or destroyed._ "

Julia felt a sick feeling in her gut. "They jumped, as in…"

" _They have the IU drive_ ," Locarno confirmed.

The horrible ramifications of that fact bubbled to the surface of her mind. If they had the drive, the SS could attack anywhere. They could hit any target in Alliance space.

But there were more pressing matters to worry about. "Do what you can to keep the Colony and ship safe!" she ordered. "We'll hold out as best as we can."

" _Planetary comms are down, but we'll do what we can to keep comms going through our systems. Stay in touch_."

"I'll try," Julia answered. 

* * *

In the warehouse parking lot, Tony and Angel raised their rifles and opened fire just as the incoming attackers did, nailing one and sending the others to protective cover. Both had to hit the ground before fire converged on them.

Robert's lightsaber flashed to life. Its green nearly matched the green of the disruptor beams fired at him, beams his blade deflected. He moved to guard Angel and Tony and keep any fire from converging on them. They remained prone, firing from the ground.

Several shots hit the van as well, even as Jarod kept it moving. It stayed moving thanks to its construction, being made to potentially end up in a firefight, but it wouldn't take many hits before succumbing.

Thanks to intense practice Robert knew how to multi-task with his abilities. How to maintain his defensive posture while preparing to go on the attack. He carefully divided his will, keeping up his defensive posture while gripping with his will the vehicles the attackers were blocking the van with. His will was that the vehicles would spin outward, both opening the way and slamming into most of the shooters.

The shooters had no time to react when their aircars spun in place, slamming them with the hood areas with enough force to knock most over. The ones not knocked over were momentarily confused by the sudden lack of supporting fire. Robert effortlessly deflected their shots back into them, taking both out.

The van pulled up as Angel and Tony moved ahead to secure the shooters. Both pulled out the zip cuffs they'd brought along in case of prisoners. While they restrained the shooters, Robert took in the sight of disruptor beams lashing down from the skies, slicing through buildings and bridges. The bombardment was indiscriminate, and fires were breaking out across the city.

New Liberty in flames. Just as he'd dreamed for years. Just as he'd dreamed that night before the fateful operation at 33LA, when the fear from those dreams drove him to bad choices. Choices that helped precipitate the war with the Reich.

For a brief moment, the thought _This is my fault_ crossed his mind. He was broken from it by Angel, who called out, "Oh _crap_."

She was standing over one of the prisoners, having patted him down for more weapons. With his shirt pulled up to his arm, a tattoo under his armpit was revealed. A pair of lighting bolt runes. "What the hell is an SS guy…"

"They're here," Jarod said, now hanging out of the van. "They've got ships in orbit, the _Aurora_ and the others are fighting them now."

Angel almost asked how, but she immediately realized what that meant. "They've got the drive. Holy sh…"

"The summit," Robert said. "They're here to disrupt the summit."

"Makes sense, a lot of the attending nations are their old victims," noted Jarod. "So we need to get to the Government Building."

"And Colony Security," Angel said. "Maybe we can get comms going."

"So we need to get back into the city center," Robert said. He eyed the captives. "We don't have room for them. Take their weapons and leave them. We'll…"

A sudden cool feeling came to him. A dark presence, not nearby but somewhere in the Colony. "Let's go, now," he urged, going over to grab some of the SS shooters' guns. Tony and Angel got the others and threw them into the van, piling in with Robert. Jarod got back in the driver's seat and drove between the two dormant aircars. 

* * *

The orbital space over Gersal was filled with the chaos of battle as individual Alliance ships started arriving. Most were Gersallian vessels approaching from the Ring Station around Gersal's moon, others jumped or warped in to respond to the litany of distress calls from ships that were now broken hulks, some already drifting into the atmosphere.

The Cylons greeted the arriving ships with the same fire, taking fire in turn. Some still fired missiles or weapons into the planet's cities. Jantarihal and some targets were facing energy fire from disruptor cannons mounted on the Basestars; other Gersallian cities suffered far worse from the nuclear warheads deployed against them. Across the planet and further out those with sensitivity gasped in horror at sensing the thousands of lives being snuffed out of existence.

The fire against the planet only stopped as, one by one, the civil defense theater shields started coming online. Delayed by sabotage, and some still non-functional due to the same, these deflector shields absorbed the incoming fire with little effort, protecting damaged and intact cities across the planet.

The Cylons reacted by turning their attention to the incoming ships. Their numbers were not great, but until a full fleet response could descend upon them, their cohesion gave them the advantage against an Alliance still reeling from the sudden attack.

Below the engaging ships, another battle still raged in the Great Temple of the Order. Under Karesl the surviving Knights were rallying and holding their own in the Temple courtyard.

And yet, as they ran across the complex, Lucy and the others knew something else was going on. They could feel it in their very being, and in the facts of the attack. The explosions that preceded the Cylon arrival, taking out the Temple Knight barracks and the Council offices. _There is more to this than the Cylons_ , Lucy insisted mentally. She gave Gina a curious look. _None of the other Cylons ever used_ swevyra _before. None except my clone on New Caprica._

 _They are Inner Circle_ , Gina revealed. _It is the only explanation that makes sense._

 _Inner Circle_? inquired Talara.

 _I was with the Consensus, the majority of organic and non-organic Cylon models_. _The Inner Circle directs and advises the Consensus_.

 _They were the ones responsible for the genocide of the Colonies_. That note, not a question, was from Meridina.

 _Yes_ was the simple response from Gina. _They were the ones who told us it was God's Plan_.

They found an intact hall connecting to the Offices. As they went down the length of it they came upon a prone figure in purple robes. Meridina was the first to note the blue trim of the robes and went up to roll the figure over. " _Mastrash_ Tinaran," she gasped, and not just from the sight of the senior member of the Order dead before them.

Sticking in Tinaran's chest, right through his heart, was a dagger. Blood was pooled around the blade and the fabric surrounding it, having run in rivulets to the ground beside him. Meridina and Lucy examined the dagger closely, noting that the hilt guard was marked by a hexagon insignia, the same as the ones worn by the Cylon Inner Circle. Lucy pulled the blade out and looked over the bloodied weapon. It was made of common steel, not memory metal, with a sharp tip for stabbing as well as slashing. "He didn't even defend himself," Lucy said, noting Tinaran's _lakesh_ hilt was still on his hip.

"Treachery," Meridina said. "We must hurry." 

* * *

Far below them, in the dungeons of the Temple, two of the Temple Knights remained on guard over the cells. The two men wore the armor and red robes of their station and quietly meditated, even as they felt the death and violence raging above them.

The attack came without warning. In a split second they sensed the dark energy nearly on top of them, but before either could even pull their blades, blood-red energy blades cut them down despite their armor. The Knights' bodies fell in a thump to the floor.

Nearby the fallen _Mastrash_ Goras sat in quiet meditation, reveling in the fear and death he sensed above. He opened his eyes. Their unnatural gold color betrayed the extent of his corruption. He smiled at the approach of his former "apprentice". "Sister Intalarai," he said. He held up his arms, as if to gesture toward her. But he could not actually gesture for the lack of hands.

"Brother Goras." Intalarai's own gold eyes took in her former master's appearance. Her hair was growing back, coal-black in color, given she no longer needed to keep up the appearance of being his pupil. "Your time has come." She set a case down and, with a gesture, opened his cell.

Goras was still chained, so he summoned the case to him with his power. It slid across the stone floor, rattling as it did, until it was before him. It opened. Inside was a hilt, the same kind that dangled from Intalarai's waist, placed over a set of dark robes the same as hers.

And beside them were two metal hands. 

* * *

Beth's heart pounded in her chest and her body burned from the unexpected exertion of flight from danger. With a line of panicking, worried dignitaries behind her, she turned the corner in the maintenance wing of the Government Building. The entrance to the bunker below the Government Building was now ahead, in a supply room.

The bunker was not originally planned for New Liberty. It wasn't like there were any known enemies in the H1E4 Universe, after all. But starting a couple of years before Robert had insisted on creating them, for reasons she was still not sure of, and with openings in the budget New Liberty had done so.

The bunker door itself was reinforced starship-grade alloy, tied to an isolated computer system. Beth placed a hand on the panel beside the door. The armored door popped open, revealing a flight of metal stairs leading to the underground emergency living area that would keep a population of hundreds alive for at least a month, with an isolated naqia reactor and attached replicators with stocks, as well as living quarters. "Go!" she urged.

The delegates, Human and non-Human alike, surged by her, moving nearly at a panic. Yvonne Steiner-Davion stood beside the door to help guide them in. The redheaded Inner Sphere princess was joined by her older counterpart Isis Marik, both seeming relatively calm and collected despite the situation.

Beth was joined by Sonek Pran. "I didn't see Governor Kuhln," the multi-species Federation delegate said. "I've no idea where he is."

"He's a powerful telepath, so he's probably safe wherever he is." _Safer than us_.

Beth turned toward the hall further down. In their haste nobody in the rear of the line closed the door to the storage room, so she could see the armed man step into the hall. Just as he turned toward them she rushed up and shut the door. Given the situation it was no surprise that she slammed it, certainly giving away their position. "Go go go," she urged the remaining delegates, following them up to the bunker door. Isis took Sonek's offered hand and stepped in with him.

By this time the door behind them was being pounded. Just as Sonek and Isis crossed the threshold, leaving just Beth and Yvonne, the distinctive sound of a disruptor firing came through it, and the door exploded.

Beth acted instinctively. She shoved Yvonne through the door. The younger woman shrieked in surprise as she fell through the portal to safety. With no time left Beth forced the door closed and slammed the emergency lock key on the control panel, putting the bunker door on internal lockdown. Only those inside could open it.

When the attacker stepped through the door, gun raised, Beth was convinced she was about to die. Instead the gunman stomped across the room and slammed the butt of his rifle against her belly. Beth doubled over in pain. A steel-toed boot slammed into her ribs, cracking one, and she fell over moaning.

Fear and pain gripped her while the gunman tried, in vain, to open the bunker door. She heard him speak in German. " _Brigadeführer,_ the door is locked from the inside."

Another voice replied coldly, "It is of no consequence. When the Colony burns, they will burn as well. We have what we came for."

A moment later another foot viciously kicked Beth, this time in the side. She rolled with the impact and looked up to see another man standing over her. To her shock and horror, he was in a dark SS uniform, complete with a red swastika armband. Blond hair, well-combed, was visible under his officer's cover.

But instead of blue eyes, his eyes were an unnatural, vicious gold color.

"Elizabeth Rankin, elected Governor of New Liberty, and the cousin and only living blood relative of Captain Robert Dale," the man said. His expression betrayed hate and disgust. "And a degenerate who entered a sham marriage with a mongrelized half-African whore."

Beth hissed in anger, "Don't you dare call Annabelle anything like that, you…"

Before she could continue, the SS officer's boot crashed into Beth's cheek. She felt two of her teeth break, one popping out. Blood welled in her mouth as she toppled over.

"Shall I execute her, _Brigadeführer_?" asked the gunman who'd caught her.

"No," said the yellow-eyed SS man. "She is the perfect bait for my prey. Bring her!"

" _Jawohl!_ "

Beth was still reeling from the blows, so she couldn't fight back as she was forcibly lifted to her feet and dragged away. 

* * *

The Offices for the Council were barely intact, and half the building was a wreck. As Lucy and the others approached they found another fallen figure in a Councillor's robe, this one a tanned woman with gray hair. " _Mastrash_ Hadisina," Meridina noted as they approached, seeing her face and the look of stunned shock that she'd died with. Another of the hexagon-emblazoned daggers was stuck in her body, this through her back and into her heart.

"She was betrayed," Talara said, her expression betraying her own pain. They could feel the deaths that still came from the courtyard, both of their foes and of the Temple's defenders. "The Cylons, how could they have allies inside the Order?"

Meridina frowned. As shocking as it was, in retrospect she didn't feel surprise. Goras' followers had been more than willing to slay Maklir, after all. And there was the matter of Dralan Olati, who received training but without any record of his existence in the Order, or even the Gersalllian government. "They still exist," she murmured.

"Who?" asked Talara.

"The Brotherhood of Kohbal," said Lucy. "That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

"They were supposed to have been wiped out… but we cannot ignore the facts before us."

"Indeed."

The new speaker drew their attention. From the direction of the demolished section of the building, a dusty and haggard Ledosh approached, bearing a case slung on his shoulder. His free hand gripped his lightsaber. "It is good to see you," he said. "We haven't much time."

"What is it, _Mastrash_?" Gina asked. "What do you mean."

"This is a plot nearly three thousand years in the making," Ledosh said. "The Brotherhood bided its time well. If we are to survive, we must keep them from their goal."

"Their goal being?" asked Lucy.

"These." He offered the case to them. Gina took it. "Inside is the _Life of Reshan_ and Gartanam's translation guide to the written language of Swenya's era, along with my notes. The knowledge you need is in these books. Continue my work. Get the books to safety, and do _not_ let them fall into the hands of the Brotherhood."

" _Mastrash_ Karesl has rallied many in the Temple in the courtyard, they're fighting off the Cylons now," Lucy said. "If you join him you might defeat them."

"The Cylons…? They… yes…" Ledosh nodded. "The lightsaber you found on New Caprica. The connection makes sense now. But the Cylons are not the only threat, we…" Suddenly he became alerted. "You must go. Now. Go and retrieve Swenya's Blade, and leave this place." At their confusion, Ledosh added, "It is the key to Reshan's knowledge! You must…"

The others felt it too now, a dark presence, a _familiar_ one. They turned toward an open hole in the damaged wall, facing the other side of the Temple.

Dark-robed figures were entering said hole. Meridina and Lucy felt a shiver of recognition at the bald head of the leader of the group, clad in black robes, a lightsaber grasped in his metal hands.

"Ledosh," purred Goras. "Meridina. And Lucero. It is good that you are here." A sinister smile crossed the fallen master's face as he ignited his lightsaber. Its blood red beam was joined by those in the group around him, one of which Meridina and Lucy recognized as Intalarai. "You took my hands, Lucero. I will take much more from you before I let you die."

"Gina, Talara, get the blade! _Go!_ " Meridina shouted in the moment before Goras, Intalarai, and their allies charged the group. Ledosh's lightsaber blade ignited and intercepted Goras', leaving Intalarai to attack Lucy and the other robed figures to go after Meridina and Gina. Gina's lightsaber flashed to life as well, but Meridina intercepted the three opponents and forced them back with her will. "We will hold them. _GO_."

"Both of you, go now!" Ledosh added, his lightsaber and Goras' locked together.

Gina nodded. She handed the case to Talara, gripped the Falaen woman's free hand, and pulled her away from the battle. 

* * *

The SS group didn't see the attack coming.

They entered the lobby of the Lodge with guns drawn and moved to clear the room. A pulse blast from near the area of the main desk put the lead man down. His fellows turned their weapons to the desk and opened fire, damaging it and the displays and key shelf behind.

They were so focused on the shooter hidden there that they didn't see Julia and Lee strike until it was too late. They came from the nearby restrooms and rushed across the distance before the gunmen could bring their weapons to bear. Lee immediately punched one and sent the Nazi to the floor. As he went for the man's gun, Julia swept away the rising rifle of the other and struck him in the throat with a chop. While the Nazi gagged for breath, she grabbed his head and smashed his nose into her rising knee, breaking the cartilage and tissue. The blow sent a spurt of hot red blood onto her skin.

The fourth member of the team brought his rifle to bear on her. Another pulse shot rang out and the side of the Nazi's head turned into a blackened mess. He fell over, dead.

Julia reached down and grabbed her opponent in a headlock while Lee struggled with the other for the disruptor rifle between them. Julia's foe was not the largest she'd ever seen, but he was on the larger side, and genetic engineering made him stronger than he looked. Even as her arms cut off blood flow and air through his throat, desperate strength brought him to his feet, lifting even the six foot tall Julia off hers, allowing him to start slamming her against the wall. Despite the pain she held on.

Lee took a punch from his foe that rivaled anything Kara had ever thrown, but held on to the rifle regardless. He replied by headbutting the Nazi in the face, smashing the blonde man's nose with a sickening crunch. The surprise of the blow, and the pain, loosened the man's grip on the rifle enough for Lee to wrench it from his hands. One of those hands balled into a fist and slammed Lee in the jaw. As he stumbled backward, the Nazi followed up with a vicious kick aimed at Lee's knee. The steel in his boot smashed the kneecap, drawing a cry of agony from Lee as he tumbled over.

The Nazi went to reclaim his rifle. He took a shot to the chest before he managed it.

By this point Julia's foe was losing consciousness from her headlock. He smashed her against the wall again for good measure, but before he could try one last time he stumbled forward. Within moments he went down completely. Julia let him drop and winced in pain from the repeated impacts. She noticed Lee writhing on the floor and went over. His smashed left knee was turning purple, as was his left cheek. Blood seeped from a split lip. He looked worse than she did.

Lee noticed her concerned look and forced a grin to his face. "It's fine," he gasped.

"It's a shattered kneecap," she pointed out, helping him up. She brought him over to the desk where Jeong Jin-Taek, the owner and operator of the Colony Visitors' Lodge, rose from behind his desk. The Korean man was middle-aged, with salt and pepper hair, wearing a nice buttoned down dark red shirt and black slacks. He was one of the few Koreans in the Colony who was not rescued from North Korea but had, years before the Facility started liberating North Korean camps, escaped on his own. Family that the crew had gotten from the camps led to Robert and the others contacting him in America, where he quickly agreed to move to New Liberty and help get his family members settled in their new lives. In his arms was a Darglan-model pulse rifle. "Do you have a first aid kit?" she asked.

Jeong nodded. "Over here." His English was thickly accented. He reached down and pulled the kit out.

Julia brought Lee behind the desk. Jeong applied a bandage to the injured knee, with a wrap. "You'll need a medtech," he said to Lee. "I cannot heal with this."

"It's fine," Lee said. "I'll…"

His attention, and Julia's, was taken up from the sight through the glass doors at the end of the lobby. Two air cars pulled up. From them stepped more blond-haired, blue-eyed men cradling Reich-model disruptor rifles. They motioned to each other, one of them clearly giving orders.

"That's not good," Julia said. "But why here?" While Jeong attended to Lee she went over and inspected one of the defeated Nazis. The most prominent object was a hypo-syringe dangling on his belt. From what German she knew, she recognized words for combat and for improvement, showing it was a combat drug of some sort. In the pocket beside the syringe was a datapad. When she activated it, it showed images with the German for "target" on top of the screen. She noticed her face immediately, and Robert's, Jarod's…

"They're after us," she said. "They're after the _Aurora_ command crew. Why?"

"And they don't want you dead." Lee held up the disruptor rifle he'd worked so hard to keep. "This is set to stun."

"They want to capture us, then." The thought sent a shiver down Julia's spine. "They're after me, that's why they're here." She returned to the desk. "There's too many out there. If they attack…"

"You saved my sisters and my father from the camp," Jeong said firmly. "I will gladly fight to protect you, Captain."

"I know, but with Lee in his condition, you won't be able to retreat from here. They'll outflank you…" As she spoke, Julia knew exactly what she needed to do to protect both.

Lee noticed the look in her eye and nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "If I wasn't…"

"It's fine. Help Jeong hold out. I'll draw them away."

"Don't be a hero. Get away from them," Lee admonished.

"That's my plan. I've seen what they do to prisoners," Julia replied.

Jeong stepped into the office behind his desk and came out with a second rifle. "My backup," he said. "Charge clip is old, but we can…"

She took the second rifle instead of his main one. "I'll make do. You're the one facing a siege situation." She slung it over her shoulder. It occurred to her that given she was in clothing meant for playing basketball - white tank top, burgundy red sports bra and shorts that ended above the knee - she looked like she was from some action movie more than anything. _Tom would make some kind of smartass comment about that right about now_.

She and Lee might have exchanged more words, but the sound of the door opening ended all of that. Jeong opened fire from behind his desk. Lee brought up the disruptor rifle he'd taken to do the same. Julia, no options left, dashed for the door they'd entered from. She sprayed the door with fire with another disruptor beam sizzling by her head, an inch or so away from her shoulder. Jeong shot down the shooter.

After Julia went through the door she heard a distant voice barking in German. Figuring they were circling to take the direct exits around the lobby, she ran the way they came, looking to exit out the back. As she did she keyed her omnitool. "Locarno, I'm being pursued by SS, they're after us, as in everyone from the _Aurora_! Warn the others and see if you can find anyone to come help Jeong and Lee, they're in the Visitors Lodge lobby!" 

* * *

Thanks to the _Aurora_ , this transmission was immediately heard in the van. Robert felt a lump in his throat. Julia was apparently on her own and being chased, and the other SS attackers would undoubtedly pursue them as well.

"I guess we know what was going on with that warehouse," Tony noted grimly. "They weren't just smuggling in explosives, they were bringing in SS men too. And weapons."

"Cat, Jarod, can you track where Julia is?" Robert asked. "We can go help her."

"We can, but Colony Security HQ should be our priority," Jarod reminded him. "Not to mention securing the summit reps."

He was right, of course, but the idea that Julia was in trouble… he needed to get to her, to help her, and then together they could deal with the situation.

"Do it anyway, we'll do what we have to," he said. As they went to work Robert tried to quiet the surge of emotion he felt. The idea that the SS were after them, as in the crew of the _Aurora_ in particular.

 _Not that I should be surprised. If he's behind this attack then…_

"There's a general transmission coming from the Government Building," Cat said. "Video and audio."

Robert turned to face the ops van screens. "Put it on."

The image showed the shattered foyer of the Government Building. Beside the broken reception desk stood Erik Fassbinder, in an SS uniform, with the three branch rank tab of a _Brigadeführer_ on his collar. " _I know you are out there,_ Herr _Dale. We have unfinished business from Germania, indeed, from the day we met._ "

"That bastard just doesn't know when to die, does he?" Angel grumbled.

" _Allow me to make it clear. Come to me at your Government Building, and I may indulge in mercy for your colony of pathetic_ untermensch _and leave in peace. Refuse and I will kill everyone. Starting with the ruler of this pathetic place_." Fassbinder turned and the video recorder followed his eyes. Beth was on her knees between two armed SS fighters, bruised and beaten. A third SS trooper smashed the side of her face with a baton, sending a spray of blood from her nose and mouth. Robert felt a surge of horror and blind anger at his cousin being abused. " _Her life is in your hands,_ Kapitan. _Don't keep me waiting_."

When the call ended, Angel immediately said, "Trap."

"Trap," Jarod agreed.

"Trap," said Cat.

"Obviously," added Tony.

Robert nodded grimly. Even as he did, he knew that he had a choice to make. Go to help his cousin, or to help Julia.

It was a choice he never imagined he'd have to make and one he didn't think he could make.

And yet, he'd have to. And do so decisively, with the others watching.

Robert breathed in to steady himself, and then made his choice, praying it was the right one. 

* * *

Near the broken remains of the Order offices, Lucy and Meridina fought with all they had to help Ledosh, who stood alone against Goras. The fallen former _Mastrash_ seemed even more powerful, and even more corrupt, than the day he'd tried to kill Meridina. He wielded the lightsaber in his prosthetic hands with deadly power and skill. Ledosh was clearly not his equal, but had the raw power to stymie Goras' attacks.

Lucy recognized her opponent from the attack on the Alliance Senate. But her hair was growing back now, coal-black in color, and her eyes now had the unnatural yellow of someone given over to darkness. Lucy had the feeling Intalarai had been holding back that day in the Senate; despite her own increase in skill since then, she was struggling even more to hold off Intalarai's strikes. Intalarai kept Lucy on her back foot, her red lightsaber flashing through the air with a speed even Goras never managed, and it was everything Lucy could do to parry the blows.

The three other robed figures were teaming up on Meridina, each eager to kill her. Despite her skill, their training was sufficient to overwhelm her if anything else, and she too was being driven back. But Meridina had an edge they did not. She revealed this when, after buying a moment with another quick retreat, she focused her mind in an attack on her lead opponent. Telepathically she slammed through his mental defenses, altering his perception of reality. Convinced suddenly that gravity had shifted around him, he lost his balance in trying to compensate for what did not actually exist. As he fell over Meridina struck, slicing his arm off at the shoulder. He howled as he hit the ground.

"Goras, what have you become?" Ledosh asked. "I feel it in you. You _embrace_ this madness."

"I have had the scales lifted from my eyes." Goras' blade came within a centimeter of slicing through Ledosh's shoulder before he successfully parried. "I know the truth!"

Ledosh said nothing in reply. Mentally he insisted, _You must go! Get the Blade and leave!_

 _You will be overwhelmed!_ protested Meridina.

 _That does not matter! The books and the Blade must be taken from this place, taken somewhere safe! They are the key to everything! If Goras and the Brotherhood acquire them, they can break the Circle!_

 _What circle?!_ Lucy demanded, jumping to the side and barely avoiding a strike from Intalarai. She parried the follow-up cut.

 _The book will explain! Now go!_ With that Ledosh turned away from Goras long enough to focus his power on the other combatants. Intalarai and her compatriots all went flying. _Go!_ he urged, turning back and barely stopping a strike from Goras.

Lucy and Meridina might have stayed anyway, but they sensed the danger to Gina and Talara. More than that, they sensed that Ledosh was right. Though it hurt, especially for Meridina, they broke out into a power-augmented run to catch up to the others.

Intalarai recovered. With a snarl on her face, she took off after them. Her compatriots were slower to recover, but they followed. 

* * *

The Council Chamber was more intact than other parts of the Temple. One of the bomb blasts left the entire north side a pile of rubble, but the pit where the Council met and where Swenya's relics were kept was untouched. Gina and Talara rushed in and went to the pit and the ceremonial stands there. Swenya's robes and sandals were still in their cases.

Her blade was gone.

"Where is the blade?!" a male voice demanded. The two turned and faced three of the Cylons. One was a doppelganger of Gina, accompanied by one of the Cavils and one of the Valeriis.

And all had their lightsabers active.


	91. Episode 3-16-5 Home Invasion

The Cavil was glaring angrily at them, his eyes burning red like coals. Dark power crackled around him. "What have you done with the blade, traitor?!"

Gina snarled back. "Don't play me for a fool. It's what you're here for, isn't it?"

"You have betrayed your kind, Gina Inviere," her counterpart hissed. "There is no punishment terrible enough, painful enough, to atone for that."

"I've suffered for my part in our crimes," Gina retorted. "And don't pretend that you have the moral high ground. The Inner Circle's been using the Consensus the entire time, hasn't it? All of it, the idea of God's Plan, the promise of a better world, it was all a lie for this!" She swept her hand to the destruction. "All so you could destroy!"

"The Consensus has its place," the man said. "Now give us Swenya's Blade and Reshan's book, and we'll let you die with the rest."

Gina held up her weapon. There was nowhere Talara could run, but if she got them into a fight, Talara might get an opening to escape with the books. "Come and take them," she challenged. 

* * *

The orbital space over New Liberty Colony was littered with the broken debris of destroyed vessels, victims of the sudden SS attack. One of the few remaining ships, the Asari cruiser _Thelana_ , unloaded a full salvo from its mass effect cannons into a struggling _Sedan_ -class cruiser. The Reich-designed cruiser suffered from the impacts, losing a weapons emplacement. Phaser fire from the _Charleston_ raked across unshielded hull and a photon torpedo slammed into the cruiser's nacelle, destroying it.

The _Thelana_ maneuvered to finish off the SS vessel. It never got the chance to fire again, however, as three thick disruptor beams from the spinal mount of the SS dreadnought - the _Reinhard Heydrich_ by its ID code - smashed through the _Thelana_ 's decayed deflectors and tore the ship to pieces.

On the _Aurora_ bridge Locarno noted the loss of the cruiser. That left just the _Aurora_ , the _Excelsior_ -class _Charleston_ , and the FedCom battlecruiser _Melissa Steiner_ in the fight. They were badly outgunned and outnumbered, but to leave would doom New Liberty Colony to bombardment and destruction, so the three ships remained and fought, hoping for reinforcements.

A series of disruptor beams from two of the accompanying cruisers raked over the _Aurora_ 's faltering shields. Syrandi returned fire, sending plasma beams into the weak side of one of the cruisers. The _Melissa Steiner_ 's naval PPCs and refitted plasma cannons fired on the other side. Large anti-ship missiles from the Commonwealth ship erupted from launchers on her side. With new impulsor drives on the missiles they raced across the distance faster than the SS ship could handle, their warheads degrading the ship's deflectors to the point they were losing cohesion.

Another of the cruisers moved in, absorbing further shots for their weakened ally. Disruptor beams and shield-disrupting torpedoes retaliated against the FedCom ship. " _Melissa Steiner_ 's shields are down to forty percent," Tra'dur stated. The _Aurora_ rocked again. "Our shields now at thirty-five."

'Anything on fleet comms?" Locarno asked.

"Still nothing," Tra'dur replied. "I'm not sure if we're being jammed or if something has overwhelmed the fleet comm system."

That was not news Locarno wished to hear. _Three ships against a dreadnought with that many escorts? We're not going to win this_. Aloud he ordered, "Maintain evasive maneuvers. Our priority is surviving until help can arrive!"

"Aye aye, sir," Ensign Rawlins said from the helm.

 _It's still a question of whether we_ can _survive_ , Locarno mused to himself while the ship rocked again. 

* * *

Jarod brought the op van to a stop outside of what was left of Colonial Security's vehicle garage. A bomb had wrecked the place, damaging or destroying every vehicle inside and burying the entrance in enough rubble to make getting through an insurmountable challenge. Upon opening the door Jarod heard the distant whine of disruptors firing, joined by the familiar sound of pulse rifles. He scanned the area and shook his head. "No way in," he said. "This entire side of the building's been gutted."

"Then we go around," Angel said. "They'll need every gun. There's no telling how many people they've lost."

Jarod nodded and drove on. Rubble blocked the nearest road, but the sidewalk was not covered. He drove the van over said sidewalk.

After the next turn, the sight of fighting was visible. A line of aircars were covering the entrance to Security HQ, men in combat suits using them for cover while firing green disruptor beams into the building. With only a second to spare before being spotted, Jarod slammed the accelerator on the van. The engine went straight to the maximum output. The vehicle shot forward, anti-gravs whining in effort, toward the blockade line. A couple of the combatants had time to notice them coming. Warnings were shouted, but far too late. The van slammed between two vehicles, clipping two of the armed attackers in the process, and broke through. Keeping control of the van was one of the hardest things Jarod ever did. The impacts and the speed made it begin to tip. He resisted the urge to correct too far, keeping the vehicle balanced until he could spin it to present the driver's side to the blockade. He immediately ducked down and scrambled to the back, where Angel and Tony were jumping out already. A disruptor beam damaged the glass that had been beside his head a second ago. A second went through just as he was out of the way. He joined Cat in exiting the van and scrambling toward the broken-open door to Security HQ. They had to walk over fallen figures in security uniforms to make it. Inside, rifle-carrying security officers helped them to cover.

By that point the van gave up the ghost. Struck too many times by the enemy disruptors, it fell apart, little more than a skeletal frame. Disruptor beams sizzled into the open door of the HQ. Angel and Tony joined the other security figures in cover, joining them in returning fire when able.

"Jarod! Some help?" The cry came from Broots, who was kneeling beside the fallen form of Chief Almerda. The former Colombian police officer had a severe disruptor burn on his right arm and, from what Jarod could see, a neck injury that likely came from the bombing. He scrambled over to help Broots. "I've done what I can," Broots said.

"And it's good," Jarod said, looking over the injury. He summoned up his own medical knowledge to assess Almerda's injuries. "Where's your medic?"

"Dead," Broots said, his voice hoarse. "The bomb took out the garage and administration." He indicated the cut on his head. "I was just coming back from the bathroom. If I'd been a minute faster I'd…"

"Don't think about it."

He nodded. "Debbie," he said. "I can't reach her. They… they sabotaged the comm net somehow."

"Cat?" Jarod gave her a look.

"Right." Cat nodded in reply. She wasn't a computer expert, but if there was jamming from an emissions source, she could find it. She used her omnitool and went to work.

"Debbie's out there, Jarod, and I know she's scared and…"

"...and you'll see her when this is over," Jarod insisted, hoping that he wasn't wrong. "Now, I need to get Chief Almerda stabilized. I'm going to need your help…" 

* * *

A short distance away, Robert came upon a patrolling unit of SS in the combat uniforms and suits of their Marine detachments. His weapon flashed in the air, deflecting the first shot at him. He allowed no time for them to fire another, sending a wave of violent force outward that threw them into the nearest building violently. His lightsaber literally disarmed the two that got back to their feet. Their cries of pain at their mutilation ended with another jolt that knocked them to the ground, unconscious. He took a second to slice up their weapons.

The Government Building was just a few blocks away. If he encountered no more resistance, he'd be there in minutes. Every sense in him told him that was where he needed to go. But a small part insisted otherwise. Insisted that Julia was in danger and that she needed his help.

 _But Beth needs me more_ , he reminded himself. He clenched a fist in revolt at the entire idea. Having to pick either? That seemed like a cruel joke.

But it was no joke, it was necessity. And everything in him told him he needed to go help Beth. To face down Fassbinder. He went on that path. _Be safe, Julie, please be safe_...

* * *

Once out of the Lodge Julia went for somewhere that would lessen the risk that innocents would be caught in the crossfire. Given the situation, the Lake Park was the best bet, and it wasn't too far away. Even if it wasn't an urban environment, the forested paths and the lake were all places she could lose her pursuers in.

She crossed Suun Avenue. As always the name of the street brought her back to those first months in the Facility, and Suun Tek's team being the first of their number to die. _We got complacent. And here we are, complacent again. The Nazis got the drive and we never saw it coming!_

Julia reacted the moment she heard the scuff of feet against the replicated pavement. The SS man came at her from the nearby alley, weapon raised. With nowhere to go but forward she dropped and lunged. A disruptor beam sizzled an inch over her head, singing some of her blond hair. She crashed into the man and didn't quite knock him off his feet. He was left open to her follow-up strike, a palm strike to his throat that briefly interrupted his breathing. As he started to gag reflexively she hooked her leg under his and brought his foot out from under him, knocking him down. A pulse shot to his chest finished him off.

Julia felt a rush of almost feral joy at her triumph, but it was short-lived. She glanced back and noticed an armed team of SS coming from the direction of the Lodge. They spotted her and shouted a command in German. She replied with a couple shots from her rifle before running for the park.

* * *

Lucy and Meridina could feel Intalarai and the others pursuing them as they crossed back toward the Council Hall. They also felt that Gina and Talara were in danger. Both facts prompted them to run as quickly as possible.

What stopped them was the sight outside of the Initiates' Quarter. The round structure was partially damaged from the bombing; in the shadow of the Council Hall, it was one of the less-adorned buildings, being the housing and living quarters for the children admitted to the Order for training. At its great double doors, now sealed, two dark-clad Cylons were melting through the door with their lightsabers.

The two only sensed Lucy and Meridina coming at the last moment. One, the second of the younger Caucasian male models, brought his blade up in challenge. He successfully deflected Meridina's initial attacks, but couldn't get his blade in place to stop Lucy from sliding her blue blade through his guts. He fell over in pain, defeated.

The other Cylon was a model neither had seen before, a brunette Caucasian. She turned away from the door. Lightning crackled from her hand. Lucy's lightsaber intercepted it, holding the energy back. Meridina went in for the attack and was parried. Instead of slashing again, she attacked mentally. The Cylon's brain was partially technology, but there was organic matter too, organic elements, and she was able to identify the vision center and shut it down. The Cylon's lightning stopped as she lost all sight of her foes, suddenly plunged into visual darkness. Her metaphysical senses still functioned, but the sudden loss of vision threw the Cylon off-balance. She could do nothing before Lucy's lightsaber blade went through her chest.

Lucy stood over the Cylons, one critically wounded and one dying, then glanced toward Meridina. "I've never seen you go after someone telepathically like that," she said.

Meridina was paling and nodded. "I have had experiences recently in the possible range of my gifts," she confided. "On _Babylon-5_. Necessity provided the rest."

Lucy wasn't sure she liked hearing that, but she couldn't argue with the necessity part. Not here and now, with the Great Temple itself a battlefield.

Both turned in time to see Intalarai approach. Far behind her the other dark-robed members of the Brotherhood joined her. "Kill them!" Intalarai hissed to her evident subordinates.

Lucy and Meridina nearly started to run. But they sensed staying would provide the best outcome, so they held their lightsabers ready and prepared to fight. Both met Intalarai, who whirled and twisted between, parrying their strikes one after the other Her lightsaber slashed back, nearly missing Meridina's head one moment, the next singing Lucy's arm through the armor. It was clear she was a strong match for either of them and could fend off both for some time. With three allies, she would have the advantage.

Then there was another snap-hiss. A lightsaber blade of dark purple suddenly went through the torso of one of the approaching attackers. The others turned and were thrown violently away by solid will. Behind them, a red-robed man was now visible.

Meridina sensed him. _Sergeant-at-Arms Hajamar_ , she thought.

The leader of the Temple Knights was already in motion again, his lightsaber flashing through the air. It caught one of the red blades and forced it back, after which he delivered a rib-crunching kick to the black-robed Gersallian attacking him. That one went back down. The one remaining foe on their feet attempted to channel lightning at Hajamar. He contemptuously absorbed it with his hand before gripping his attacker and throwing the dark-robed man into Intalarai. Both went to the ground in a heap.

Lucy favored her injured arm for a moment. "Nice timing," she gasped.

"Fools," Intalarai spat, pushing her ally off. "You've already lost! The time of Swenya's Order is over!" With that declaration Goras' former apprentice seemed to shimmer from sight. Even her essence faded from their senses, as if she wasn't there. The remaining dark-clad figure scrambled to his feet and started to run, but Meridina put him to sleep with a mental command that pierced his mental defenses. He collapsed to the ground.

Hajamar approached them. He was still bald, with his tanned skin a shade darker than Lucy's. Brown eyes appraised both. Given the ease with which he'd taken down Intalarai's allies Lucy couldn't help but think back to the day Hajamar and a half-dozen of his subordinates came to the _Aurora_ to arrest Meridina. Robert had held her back from interfering, and it was clearly a good thing he had. "Commander Meridina. Lucilla Lucero." He nodded to them. His voice showed his respect for them. "Swenya's Light, it's good to see you both alive. Did you find _Mastrash_ Ledosh?"

"He bade us to meet with his apprentice and Lucy's," Meridina said. "He sent them to retrieve Swenya's Blade. He believes these Cylons are after it."

"I see. He and Karesl are the only members of the Council still alive."

"Swenya's Light, no," Meridina replied. "We found Tinaran and Hadisina already dead, but I had hoped…"

"They were betrayed," Lucy said. "Attacked by someone they trusted."

"So were the others," noted Hajamar. His expression was dark. The protection of the Council was one of his duties, after all, and Maklir's death on the night of Goras' _coup_ attempt had been bad enough for him. "The Brotherhood right under our noses all this time… where is Ledosh then?"

"Fighting Goras," Lucy said. "We should go help him!"

"The children take priority," Hajamar said. "I have had one of our transports readied for launch. But the anti-transporter defenses must be lowered before we can evacuate."

"You two stay and guard the children," Lucy advised. "I'll get to the Hall and lower the defenses."

Meridina nodded in agreement. " _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ , Lucy."

" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_."

Lucy took off for the Council Hall. 

* * *

Gina had never faced a tougher battle than the one she was waging. Three foes, each as well-trained as her if not moreso, and Talara had no knowledge with a blade to aid her in the duel. Talara was trying to help as best as she could, throwing loose chairs and items from the damaged room at the Cylons while Gina matched blades with them. Whenever it looked like Talara might escape, one of the three would break off long enough to cut her off, while the other two continued their relentless assault on Gina.

Her best efforts kept her alive, but just alive. Lightsaber scorch marks left damaged portions on her robes and suit, revealing blistered and burnt skin. Gina blocked out the pain - she was used to pain - but slowly her body was being weakened by the damage. She would lose this fight, and only her own will to stand, to oppose these dark beings that corrupted her people, kept her on her feet. She deflected blows from both, knocked back her doppelganger, brought her lightsaber over to block the Cavil's next attack. She watched the Valerii model come in, lightsaber raised for the kill.

The Valerii's lightsaber slashed through the air… and severed the Cavil's head from his shoulders.

Gina's doppelganger had no time to react. The Valerii turned and drove her blade into the copy's forehead. The red blade easily punctured flesh and bone and destroyed the brain and cybernetic pieces within with ease.

Gina and Talara stared at the Cylon in bewilderment. The Valerii model extinguished her lightsaber and placed it on her belt. "I'm sorry for the burns, Gina Inviere," she said. "But you must leave. _Now_."

"Who are you?" Gina demanded. "What is going on?"

"This place is marked for destruction," the Valerii replied. "Once the others know that Swenya's Blade and Reshan's book are beyond their reach, they will atomize the Temple. You _must_ flee."

"She's telling the truth," Talara said. "But why did you turn on your people? Who are you?"

A sad, forlorn look came to the Cylon. "I am her, daughter of Altea," was the reply, the Cylon indicating Gina. "I saw my people turn a grand vision into a nightmare, and I have done what I can to change that. Now, you must go, _please_. The Brotherhood would break the Circle, and the Darkness would win!"

"What Circle?" Gina asked. "Who are you truly? _What is your name and why should we trust you?_ "

Frustration showed on the Cylon's face. Frustration and resignation. "I was once called Athenina," the Cylon confessed. "And I must go now. Please, flee to your ship, and retrieve Meridina and Lucilla. They _must_ survive!" With that she turned and ran.

As the Cylon departed Talara looked back to the stands. "If they don't have the Blade, who does?"

"We'll find out later. Right now…" Gina left the pit area and walked up to the Council's position above the relics and the portrait of Swenya. She ran her hands along the controls while Talara followed. "We need to get out of here," Gina said. "And the quickest way is your ship."

The door to the Hall opened. Lucy raced in. She looked up to Gina and Talara. "Hajamar wants the anti-beaming shields down," she said.

"I'm lowering them now."

Lucy looked to the two fallen Cylons with surprise. "Both at once?" she asked.

"No," Gina replied. "Another of the Cylons, Sharon Valerii's model, she… she turned on them."

"She helped us," Talara added. "She warned us the Temple is going to be destroyed soon."

At first Lucy didn't know what to say. Then a thought came to her. "New Caprica," she muttered. "Someone killed the Cylon who was going to pump poison gas into the bunkers and kill the Colonials." She shook her head. "Never mind. Did you get the Blade?"

"It wasn't here," said Talara. "And the Cylons were still looking for it."

"Dammit," muttered Lucy. By now she was running up to join them. "We'll figure this out later. Right now we need to get those anti-beaming fields down. Hajamar's evacuating the initiates, and if what you said is true, we need to get everyone out of the Temple."

"I'm getting into the system now."

"Do you have a passcode?" Lucy asked.

"No. It's not accessed by passcode," Gina replied. "The system is closed with no access to outside networks. A passcode is seen as redundant."

"Nice to know how secure this place is then…" Lucy went for her omnitool before noticing that comms were still down. She went for the other, less-jammable form of communication, reaching for Meridina's being with her own. She felt Meridina's presence not far away, still with Hajamar, twin bright beacons in the darkness the Cylon Inner Circle brought to the Temple. _Meridina, we're lowering the field now. Evacuate to the_ Rio Grande _. The Cylons are planning to destroy the Temple_.

 _I will join you there. But I must evacuate my father first._

 _Alright. Let me know when you have_. Lucy tapped away at her omnitool. The jamming was a problem, but she managed to get a comm line to the _Rio Grande_ 's systems. "I'm keying the transporter to take us the moment that field comes down," she told Gina.

"Field is coming down… now." Gina hit a final key. The display before her showed the image of a circle of light around the temple retracting.

Lucy nodded. "Good. Let's get to the _Rio_."

* * *

Robert arrived at Landing Circle and found a scene right from his nightmares. Fires blazed from buildings damaged by bombing and orbital fire. Bodies of slain residents were lying everywhere. The green parkland at the center of the roundabout, marking the point where the first survey teams beamed down to begin inspecting the colony site, was ablaze. The sculpture of the surveyors was blackened, if intact.

The Government Building started as a prefab Darglan structure. Since then a facade of marble had been added to the front, including the steps leading up to the main entrance and the foyer within. Debris from a bomb filled the steps, as did several fallen bodies. Robert felt the dark presence ahead of him and, moreso, his cousin's fear. Beth was there, along with other hostages. Staff or other officials, Robert thought, seized for this purpose. He felt a surge of pain from Beth and his steps quickened. He was in a full run by the time he reached the top of the steps. His lightsaber blazed to life in his hand as he entered the broken doors.

On the first floor, damage from the bomb was evident. This had been at or near the blast point. To other side Robert saw a line of SS soldiers, all in combat armor. Two large _Panzergrenadier_ suits were looking straight at him.

Beyond the lines were another line of SS troops. This one stood behind about half a dozen people on their knees, hands tied behind their backs. The one nearest to Robert was Beth. She looked at him through black eyes and cheeks swelling purple from the blows rained on her face. Blood poured from a broken nose and from her mouth. Her expression betrayed her fear and her misery. He felt her sadness at his arrival, knowing she'd been bait for this trap. Worry for her people, for Annabelle, for Deborah, filled the rest of her thoughts, and there were tears in her eyes at the thought of all of the people of New Liberty killed this day.

Without waiting, Robert looked up to the second floor overlooking the foyer. Fassbinder stood there in full uniform, flanked by more SS soldiers, his formerly-blue eyes turned unnaturally yellow from the darkness in his being. "Let them go!" Robert demanded.

"Ah, there you are. Right on time." Fassbinder smiled, and it was an evil thing. "You thought me dead, _Herr_ Dale, did you not? At Gamma Piratus." Fury flashed through Fassbinder's eyes. "Now you will pay for your presumption."

"Yeah. Lesson learned." Robert's face twisted into an angry snarl. "I'll make sure you're dead this time."

Fassbinder laughed at that, although the angry look never left his eyes. "Ah, _Herr_ Dale, such a thing to say for someone following that pathetic drivel the Gersallians believe in," he said with delight. "Perhaps there is some stirring in your watered down Aryan blood. It's quite amusing..."

"Let's get down to it, Fassbinder," Robert growled. "This isn't a negotiation. You wanted me, you got me."

"Indeed. And I am happy to see it. There are many things you must answer for. The torments I will inflict upon you for your crimes…" Fassbinder savored the anticipation. "It is quite appropriate you once thought me dead. You thought the Reich slain too. We, the great nightmares of your past, finally vanquished. Such pathetic vision you and your precious Alliance have. Hitler's vision lives on, and it will remain alive long after your pathetic Alliance has been broken into dust and this colony turned to ash! I will ensure it!"

"After today we'll be ready for you," Robert declared. "The SS won't get to pull off another sneak attack like this."

"We won't need to," said Fassbinder, who chuckled with delight. "The terror we have wrought is a toxin that will do the work needed. And it brings me great pleasure to know I am the one who poisoned your Alliance." He laughed and, sensing Robert's incredulity, continued, "Your people will build defenses, yes. They will take measures against another attack like today's. But the need to maintain these efforts will change them. The Alliance was built on softer foundations than the Reich. It is made of pathetic fantasies of collective security and mutual cooperation. With our threat and your other enemies, we will expose the insufficiency of these delusions. To stop us, you will have to embrace our strength and make it your own. You will have to _become_ us, _Herr_ Dale."

"No we won't," Robert insisted. "The Alliance is strong enough to fight you without going that far."

Fassbinder laughed. "So naive, _Herr_ Dale. So naive! I may let you live long enough to see otherwise. A final torment among all the others. Either way, let us dispense with the charade. You are here. You are mine. I no longer have a need to let this degenerate filth you call family live. Beth Rankin will die and you know it. It's just a matter of how long I wish to enjoy your suffering on the rack of false hope."

Robert glanced around the room and drew in a breath. Fassbinder likely did have him, and the only way for him to escape this trap was to go all-out, to throw everything in an uncontrolled, raw wave of power that might harm Beth and the other hostages.

He felt a sense of warning and raised his lightsaber in defense. Purple lightning shot from Fassbinder's hands. His weapon intercepted the lightning.

But Fassbinder wasn't the only one present with this power. Two more of his SS, these on the ground floor, attacked as well, from opposite angles. Robert couldn't deflect them all at once. The darkness-powered lightning crackled around him. His body spasmed and pain filled him, drawing a cry he couldn't hold back. His weapon lowered and Fassbinder's lightning enveloped him, increasing the agony.

"Rob!" Beth cried out, but she could do nothing. The SS soldier behind her pressed a disruptor pistol to the back of her head.

Robert tried to gather himself to fight back, but the attack he was under was too strong, too intense. He fell to his knees, dropped his weapon, and then to his side. His eyes fixed on Beth, and his mind went to Julia, as he felt he was failing them both.

* * *

When Julia arrived at the park end of Suun Avenue, she nearly ran right into the trap.

Only her caution at rounding the coffee shop kept her from walking right into a kill zone of SS. She fell back just before a disruptor beam sizzled through the space she'd been standing in. Turning back the other way, her pursuers were visible again. She was left no choice but to go into the shop. There was no one inside, no one she could see, and unfinished coffee mugs at the diner-like bar spoke of a hasty evacuation. Julia went to the bar and grabbed one of the mugs. The coffee was stronger and more bitter than she liked, but the caffeine was welcome. Food would have been as well, but there was no sign of that.

She got behind the bar just as the first SS came through the door. She turned and shot him just before he could shoot her. The trooper behind her target fired even as he entered, a shot that struck the wall by her head. Staying low, Julia followed the bar back to the storage area. She heard others entering to knew she had to get out, if she could find a way through the back.

The backroom was somewhat cluttered, giving it a used look, like something you'd expect from a family business. In her rush Julia nearly tripped over a box of coffee filters and she had to squeeze through two piles of big, industrial-sized coffee ground bags. She looked down and noticed one was still on an anti-grav palletjack. She grabbed the handle, twisted it so the jack was on track for the door, and shoved it with all of her might.

The pile of grounds hit the first SS man as he came through the door, knocking him back and off his feet while briefly blocking the doorway.

Julia continued on, entering a small office area, and went for the door beyond. She slammed into it and pushed the handle.

The moment it opened, disruptor shots filled the doorway. One caught Julia in the left arm, deadening the entire limb. She brought the rifle up and fired a shot with the rifle before the door closed. Swinging back the other way, the rifle lined up with a pursuer entering the hall. She pulled the trigger again.

Nothing happened. 

* * *

The situation was growing worse by the time Jarod finally got Chief Almerda back on his feet somewhat. The fire coming in the entrance was escalating. The enemy had reinforcements; they didn't, nor could they get any.

Near the entrance, Angel briefly looked out from cover and laid down a barrage. It hit nothing, only succeeding in compelling a charging SS trooper to drop. A disruptor beam sizzled past her head and Angel fell back into cover. Nearby Tony did the same thing. He too avoided getting shot. The Venezuelan _criollo_ beside him was not so lucky, taking a fatal disruptor shot to the head. Angel swallowed and looked to Tony. "Get Cat out of here, Tony. Her and Jarod. _Now_."

"I'm not leaving you babe," Tony vowed. "You take 'em."

"Dammit, I'm the superior officer here, remember?!"

"And the more badass fighter, yeah," Tony said. "So you'll do a better job protecting them."

Cat came back, although remaining out of the line of fire. "The comm arrays were sabotaged directly, like, physically damaged or destroyed. I'd have to get to one to repair it and get comms back."

"That won't be easy," Almerda said. "The bomb ruined most of the ways up."

"Well, we need reinforcements," Cat insisted.

"You need to get out," Angel said. "You'll be trapped if you go up."

Beside Almerda, Broots looked up. "I'll go," he offered.

"Broots, Debbie…"

"...won't live if we don't kick them out," Broots finished for Jarod.

"And she needs her Dad," Jarod countered. "Cat and I'll go."

"We won't hold them for long," Tony said. "They're getting to the door."

Almerda looked barely able to stand, but he drew his pistol anyway. "Go on, we'll do what we can. But we need reinforcements."

A moment after he spoke that, Angel heard more weapons fire from outside. Not the whine of the disruptor, but the distinctive _whum whum whum_ of pulse fire and the particular thunder of mass effect-field firearms, among other sounds. Shouts in German, Spanish, and other languages abounded, and less and less of it was in German.

Angel crept toward the door and looked out in time to see one of the SS troopers gunned down by pulse fire. The distinctive sound of a Klingon disruptor joined it, creating an emerald beam that vaporized another of the SS troopers. The shooters were coming from the southwest. None were uniformed, all wearing civilian clothing. Some had tattoos over their arms, some didn't, and they were from every ethnicity in the Colony. Angel noticed one couple that looked Vulcanoid and fired Romulan disruptors instead, using them to vaporize another SS attacker.

The SS forces didn't stop fighting, but they did fall back. As the battle was pushed away from the Security HQ door, Angel saw who was leading them and muttered, "I'll be damned."

By the time Almerda came up to the door with the others, they were treated to the sight of the heavyset Hernan de Corelo jumping off of the open bed of a flatbed truck. Bandoleers of charge clips and grenades criss-crossed his torso, making him look like a guerilla more than a bar owner and criminal boss. He met Almerda's eyes, a fierce look on his face. When he finally spoke, it was with a raised fist smacking against his chest over his heart. " _Viva Nuevoliberteños!_ "

Almerda nodded and, despite his injury, repeated the gesture. " _Viva Nuevoliberteños!_ "

Angel nodded to Corelo. "Good to see you, Hernan," she said.

"And you too, Angry Angel," Corelo said. "Like I said before, this is my home, and the people of New Liberty, they are my people. All of them." He nodded to Almerda. "Whatever else, nothing harms them. Nothing hurts them. So if you don't mind, we have some _Nazi_ pendejos _to kill!_ " He raised his voice at the end, drawing a roar of approval from the others.

Corelo and his impromptu, mostly-criminal militia continued on. "And to think I wanted to charge that man," Almerda said.

"You have good reason. He's still a criminal," Angel said.

"True. And I'm here to uphold the law. But on a day like today… whatever his failings morally, Corelo is one of ours, and that's what matters."

"Yeah." Angel approached the most intact-looking of the vehicles the SS left behind. "Cat! Jarod! Come hotwire this damn thing," she said. "We've got to go save Rob and Julia."

* * *

Locarno was gratified to find that Ensign Rawlins was every bit the helm officer he'd expected her to be. The African-American woman's maneuvers were just what was needed to keep the _Aurora_ alive and in the fight, and she showed great judgement in shifting the ship's relative positioning and attitude.

But there was only so much she could do to alleviate the numbers difference, as fire was coming at them from multiple directions. Disruptor fire brought their shields down further. "Shields now at twenty percent," Tra'dur warned.

That was not good. What was worse was the other vessels. Again the spinal mounts of the Nazi dreadnought fired. The _Heydrich_ 's beams were now targeting the _Melissa Steiner_. The FedCom battlecruiser's overtaxed shields couldn't resist a full barrage of all three, but they managed to twist their ship to make the third beam only glance against the hull. Nevertheless the shields of the cruiser were brought to the brink of failure, and the fire it was taking would ensure they failed soon.

The _Charleston_ was in even worse shape. Despite Captain Asmund's best tactics, the _Excelsior_ -class ship's shields were gone. Disruptor beams carved through her big drive hull and missiles blasted holes through her saucer section. Locarno was aggrieved at the sight of the Starfleet ship, which he knew was not going to live long.

And yet… they still had a hope. His eyes glanced toward the clock and back to the holotank. They'd remained alive this long, and their maneuvers had the SS ships out of formation trying to finish them off.

 _Thirty two and a half minutes_ …

The ship shook again. "Eighteen percent shields!"

A second after the thirty-three minute mark, Locarno was relieved to hear al-Rashad call out "Subspace ripple! Someone's jumping in… it's the _Pegasus!_ "

 _Battlestar Pegasus_ reappeared in high orbit of New Liberty in a flash of light. The moment after, Vipers and Raptors seemed to explode from her launch tubes and hangers, with a speed that rivaled the best the Colonial Navy ever managed. Some of the Vipers burned hard for the fighter battle, where the outnumbered remaining wings of the _Aurora_ and _Melissa Steiner_ were holding off the greater numbers of the SS fighters. The others kept formation with the hard-burning Raptors, on course for the nearest SS cruiser.

The next-nearest belonged to _Pegasus_ herself. In her CIC, a fully-uniformed Kendra Shaw ordered, "Fire on target!". The _Pegasus_ ' bow lit up with thick sapphire pulses from the Darglan-tech pulse plasma cannons the ship had been refitted with. Their target, a _Sedan_ -class cruiser already weakened fighting the dying _Charleston_ , suffered a shield collapse halfway through the volley. Entire chunks of the cruiser's black hull were blown away by the impacts. The _Charleston_ , not dead yet, turned and fired a full salvo of photon torpedoes into her tormentor, adding to the carnage besetting the ship. A final burst of phaser fire, joined by a barrage from the _Pegasus_ , finished the cruiser off.

The Raptors fired their first salvo a moment later. A barrage of naqia-enhanced torpedoes slammed into the faltering shields of their target, another Nazi heavy cruiser. Said shields flickered ruby red until they collapsed, allowing several torpedoes to impact directly on the cruiser's hull. Flame and debris erupted from the new wounds in the black hull. One of the torpedoes annihilated the swastika insignia entirely.

On the _Aurora_ , the _Pegasus_ ' return was a morale boost. _The battle might not be so unwinnable now…_ thought Locarno, before he began giving orders to exploit the _Pegasus_ ' entry into the battle. 

* * *

Amidst the ruin of the Temple offices, Ledosh and Goras exchanged another series of strikes. Goras' technique as a swordsman was far superior, albeit rusty, while Ledosh had more experience with the weapons they were wielding. Given the gap in their dueling abilities, it was a major reason why the fight was still raging.

The other was that Ledosh, while not the best with a blade, was more attuned to the life energy within and around him. He combined his attacks with that power, knocking Goras back or channeling energy to hold him in place, forcing Goras to concentrate on his own abilities to break free.

With their lightsabers locked again, Ledosh said, "You have truly fallen, Goras. You revel in this darkness."

"I do. It is the _true_ path for our people. I have had the scales thrown from my eyes, Ledosh. I have seen the truth. Swenya was a fraud!"

Goras pushed off, forcing Ledosh back. Ledosh dodged the next blow and then parried the one after it. "Is this what the Brotherhood has told you?"

The reply from Goras was a smirk. "I can sense the curiosity in you, Ledosh. You, too, have learned more about what Swenya has done to our people."

"She gave us unity. She gave us hope, she made us a better people!"

" _Lies!_ " Goras hissed. " _She deceived us!_ " With fury he drove back Ledosh again. "We were a strong people and she shackled us to her dogma!"

"She gave our people a new future!" Ledosh shouted before parrying another blow from Goras. "She saved us from the Darkness!"

"She was nothing but Reshan's puppet!" spat Goras. "To spread alien dogmas!"

"No. No, that is a twisted claim," Ledosh replied. "Reshan taught her how to reach the Flow of Life, but Swenya forged her own path. She made us what we are!"

"She made us weak! _She was not even one of us!_ "

With that Goras' power surged and he slammed Ledosh with it. Ledosh recovered quickly and parried Goras' powerful blow.

But the blow's power was the point. It forced Ledosh's blade away from the center of his body. Goras' foot came up and slammed into Ledosh's knee. Ledosh didn't go down from the blow, but it left him unbalanced and reeling. In one fluid move Goras' blade whirled in his hand, moving into position so that he could drive it into Ledosh's chest. Ledosh's eyes widened as the pain from the mortal blow filled him. He let out a rasping sound in the moment Goras pulled the blade from his chest. He collapsed at Goras' feet.

"Go to oblivion in this knowledge, Ledosh," Goras rasped. "The Order will die. Swenya's legacy will be wiped from Gersal and our people. Kohbal's way _will_ triumph. And your beloved pupil and those Humans she trained? _They are going to die_ , and with it, your _precious_ Prophecy!"

Ledosh tried to gasp something in reply, but he couldn't find the breath. All he could do was watch as Goras walked away.

* * *

Meridina was back at the courtyard when she felt it. She felt Ledosh's pain and knew he'd been struck down. The pain of that fact… for a moment it overwhelmed her. Ledosh taught her everything. He set her on the path she was following, the path to bring about the Prophecy of the Dawn. To herald a new age for their people.

Now he was dying. At the hands of one of their own. The pain worsened, joined by a hot anger at Goras for his treachery. For turning against the Light.

The courtyard battle was still raging, fallen forms in black robes as well as the blues and greens of the Order, but the Cylons were on the defensive. Her father, ignoring a wound to his leg and to his side, ran his shining blade through another of the male Cylons, killing his foe instantly. Another of the _Mastrasham_ absorbed the lightning from one of the Cylons long enough for a Knight to strike the dark-haired man down.

Meridina's lightsaber came up and she met one of the D'anna models. The woman's yellow eyes burned with fury, but her arm was wounded and her skill poor. Meridina easily parried two blows and drove her blade into the Cylon's chest, killing her. She came up to where her father was finishing off one of the Cavils. "Hajamar is evacuating the Initiates," she said. "The Cylons may be planning to destroy the Temple!"

Karesl took the news grimly. "Then we should evacuate too."

The urgency of that was made clear the next moment as, one by one, the living Cylons were pulled away by the bright light burst of transporters.

* * *

Gersal's orbital space was a debris field of shattered vessels. More and more of those ships were Cylon vessels, with Gersallian and now Dorei ships responding to the attack. A handful of Alliance starships, led by one of the _Excalibur_ -class battlecruisers dropped out of warp next, coming in from the system zenith to cut off the Cylons' options for maneuver.

Even as the fighting grew intense, the central Basestar of the Cylon fleet stopped firing on the enemies in orbit. A brace of missiles descended toward the planet.

* * *

Below, the sense of danger filled every Knight in the courtyard. All understood precisely what was happening… and that there was little they, in their exhausted state, could do to stop it.

Then they, too, started to be snatched away by transporter, while beyond the Temple two ships emerged from the damaged bays of the Temple's private spaceport. One was a blocky personnel transport, the other the runabout _Rio Grande_.

Aboard the _Rio_ , Gina and Talara piloted the vessel free while Lucy frantically worked the transporter, going as fast as she could get the arrivals off. _There are so many left, I know Hajamar is getting the others, but can we get them all?_

The answer was no, no they couldn't.

"There's a ship decloaking in the atmosphere above us," Gina said. "It's firing on the incoming missiles!"

"How well?"

"It's already destroyed the first wave. Now it's going for the second. The Basestar is launching fighters…"

Lucy drew in a breath and, upon the feeling inside of her, made her decision. "Talara, swing us back around! Land in the courtyard, we're letting them board directly!"

Talara didn't need to have the order repeated. She obeyed. "The _Lankam's Word_ is hailing, Sergeant Hajamar wishes to know what we're doing."

"Saving as many as we can," was Lucy's answer. "And Talara, when we launch, don't hesitate to hit full impulse."

"Understood." Talara said nothing about the usual regulations against full impulsor use in atmosphere, with all of the negative effects it could have. The situation made those effects moot.

The _Rio Grande_ descended onto the courtyard. Lucy continued beaming in people even as they landed and the door opened. Outside Karesl and Meridina guided people in.

"The second wave of missiles has been destroyed," Gina reported. "Another two waves coming in, and the ship above is being attacked by fighters."

"Do we have its energy signature on profile?"

"Checking, but nothing yet. We're cut off from the Alliance database," Gina replied.

Moment by moment more robed individuals entered. Some in green robes carried the wounded.

"Third wave destroyed." Gina blinked. "That ship above is something else. Direct hits from the Cylon raiders are barely damaging the shields."

By this point the runabout was reaching peak capacity. Outside one of the elderly green-robed figures stopped and stepped to the side of the entrance. Meridina looked at him with concern. " _Mastrash_ Otanam?"

"You and your father should go, Meridina," the old man said. "You have your own destiny, and your father is the last of the Council. The Order will need you to rebuild."

"I am not leaving," Karesl insisted. "Not until all others are aboard." He said this even as it was blatantly clear the runabout was filling to capacity.

Inside Gina called out, "Fourth missile wave destroyed. Another Cylon basestar is firing!" The console blinked. "Incoming hail. I think it's from the other ship."

"Put them on," Lucy insisted, as she weaved through the others to the airlock door. She found Karesl and Meridina there, facing the others who had now stopped boarding. "We're almost at standing room only. Let's go!"

From within, the comm system played a distorted voice. " _Fools! Launch now! I cannot stop them all!_ "

"I cannot abandon so many," Karesl insisted. As he spoke another pair were pulled away by transporter, presumably the _Lankam's Word_.

"Then we will not board," another of the Knights said. "Not until you and Meridina are aboard."

"I am not even in the Order anymore," Meridina pointed out. "I have made my choice."

"You chose to follow your _swevyra_ , as the Order trained," said Otanam. "And you are working with the Bearers of the Dawn, daughter of the Lumantala. You _must_ survive this day."

It was clear to both that the others would not break, and every moment spent not boarding would simply cost them more time.

Father and daughter alike had tears in their eyes as they stepped into the runabout. Lucy gestured them in, as she did the Knights and others who followed. Finally there was clearly no more room behind her. The runabout was at capacity. Lucy's mind raced, considering what Scotty had done with transporter cycles. _But it takes time to rig them like that, we don't have that time!_

"Go, Lucilla Lucero," _Mastrah_ Otanam said. "You are a Bearer of the Dawn. Your destiny awaits."

The only thing Lucy could think of to say was, "I'm sorry." Knowing she could save no more, and hating every moment of it, she closed the airlock door. "Lift off!" she cried.

Talara responded immediately. The _Rio Grande_ took off. One of the younger apprentices offered to stand in the airlock, allowing Lucy to weave her way back to the cockpit. Seeing Talara and Gina had everything in hand, she went to the back. Meridina and Karesl were crowded in with the others. Healers were working on the badly wounded, who were provided the beds and the table. Other wounded were allowed the chairs, and the place gave Lucy bad memories of the trucks that the Duffys would pack full of illegal immigrants to work on their farms.

 _The unknown ship has gone_ , Gina projected. _The missiles are almost to impact. Five, four, three_ …

Lucy blocked out the countdown. She activated a monitor to show the feed from the rear-facing sensors. With it she could see the battered, familiar buildings of the Great Temple, majestic even with the damage they'd suffered. She could sense all of those left behind, the _Lankam's Word_ 's transporters grabbing them away as quickly as it could. Those remaining worked to find peace with themselves, knowing their deaths were coming. She felt obligated to watch, as if it let her be with them in their final moments.

And then the temple vanished from the screen. Repeated bright lights represented atomic initiations, one after the other, the ship's computers keeping the flashes from becoming blinding. All of those lives winked out in a sudden, terrible moment. Lucy's cheeks ran hot with tears. She heard some sobs from the others, silent weeping, a cry of despair… and felt Meridina's heart simply break. She worked her way over to Meridina and took her free hand while the blasts became an ominous mushroom cloud over what had been the Great Temple.

"The Library, the Forge, the Council Hall. Swenya's Relics…"

"...are safe," Lucy said quietly. "They're packed in storage. I… I made sure to grab them."

Many heard her. She was almost overwhelmed with the gratitude they felt for her.

But Meridina was unconsolable. "All of our knowledge and history. It's lost."

"But the Order is not," Karesl assured Meridina, holding his grieving daughter close. "And we will rebuild."

Meridina heard him, but it did not stop the pain in her heart at the deaths of so many, the loss of so much. She quietly began to sob.

* * *

In the foyer of the New Liberty Government Building, Robert kept looking from Fassbinder to Beth as he writhed on the floor in pain. He could feel Fassbinder's cruel satisfaction, his enjoyment of Robert's pain, of his fear for his cousin, and of Beth's realization she was about to die.

"I think that's enough," the SS officer said, still channeling the lightning into Robert's body. " _Rottenführer_ , kill the degenerate."

In desperation Robert tried to fight back again, but the cold, deadly energy cascading through him kept him from doing so. He felt like his life was being drained away second by second. He was helpless.

He'd failed. He could do nothing to save Beth.

Beth closed her eyes and stifled the sob in her throat. He could feel her determination to die with whatever dignity she could manage, rather than let the Nazis enjoy it.

Seconds passed, in which Robert struggled to break from the lightning. He sensed Fassbinder's bewilderment, Beth's patience… why was she alive?

" _Rottenführer_ , _schießen!_ " Fassbinder bellowed, briefly directing his attention away from Robert and the lightning he was channeling into him.

But the Nazi didn't. He simply stared ahead. Slowly the disruptor pistol he'd held to the back of Beth's head lowered. As it did, blood started to pour from his nose and his lip, the latter from how tightly he was biting into it. Then crimson fluid started trickling from his eyeballs.

Robert felt the pain recede and realized the same was true for Fassbinder's lieutenants. The two other sources of the lightning cascading through him were gone. The SS men were themselves locked in place, bleeding from the eyes and nose and mouth.

A moment later, all three dropped dead.

Beth heard his body fall. Her eyes snapped open in bewilderment, not to mention amazement that she was still alive.

And then a Hebrew-accented voice sounded through the foyer. " _Shabbat shalom_ , Nazi _schmucks_." Then more Nazis started dying. Max was standing in the foyer with death in and coming from his eyes. The small form of Golmar Kuhln stood in front of him, and Colin behind. They lashed out with their minds launching invisible attack probes at the minds of the SS men in the room. Max was lethal enough on his own, but Golmar was somewhere in the liminal space between P12 and P13, and Colin was a fully trained Psi Cop with over a decade of experience tearing consciousnesses asunder. The Nazis were shown no mercy.

Max was particularly fond of making them shoot each other. He seized control of two NCOs, respected by their men, and reveled in their existential horror as their bodies were moved like puppets on a string to shoot their own comrades in the face.

Colin was more utilitarian than that, efficiently attacking their minds, directly erasing their ability to breath, stopping their hearts cold while they were still conscious, lobotomizing them into _Schutzstaffel_ zucchinis.

Golmar was particularly brutal. He didn't use simple fast attack probes. He simply scanned them en masse, sending Nazis to the floor in fully-conscious seizures until their brains literally burned out.

It took a moment for the _Panzergrenadier_ to figure out what was going on and orient on them to begin firing, but Colin put a stop to that. He locked every skeletal muscle in their bodies into contraction until bones broke and tendons snapped, they fell, their armor contorting around them as their own movements overwhelmed the mechanical assist the armor provided and important pieces broke.

Under normal circumstances the mind-screams and open-shut sensations of souls departing the mortal coil would disturb a telepath, traumatize them. Not this time. These were Nazis, and it didn't matter what you did to them, the screaming, audible or otherwise, was reinterpreted into music.

An angry, frustrated look came over Fassbinder, but he couldn't hide the emotion he also felt: fear. He'd learned enough about telepaths to know even the abilities he'd learned weren't an absolute protection. There were many things those with life force powers could do that telepaths couldn't, but in terms of mental powers, telepaths had the clear advantage. Robert smiled at him and, with Fassbinder's doubt interfering with his channeling of his power, Robert was able to focus his own. He forced himself to a knee and, with his arm struggling and twitching, reclaimed his lightsaber from the floor and brought it back up, using the emerald blade to absorb the crackling lightning.

Fassbinder's minions within the SS were dropping like flies. Some silently, some died screaming shot by their own comrades, others died writhing in agony, but there were very few left after a few seconds. Some of them tried to shoot back but there was something about the telepaths that kept their eyes from being able to focus on them. As if their minds simply couldn't pay attention to the telepath's existence, no matter what was done to them. Then, threat of being overwhelmed eliminated, Colin turned his attention to Fassbinder.

" _Guten Tag, Evolutionsbremse!_ " Colin said, beaming, and laid siege to Fassbinder's brain.

The telepathic attack was the last straw. Fassbinder felt the Psi Cop begin to rip through his defenses as if they were barely there, his will to resist mental intrusion and his own terror feeding his defenses were the only things keeping him alive and both were buckling with startling alacrity. Almost faster than he could process. His lightning stopped and he threw himself faster than any normal human could move out of the room, breaking line of sight before Colin could finish the job.

" _Ja, du Feigling! Fliehe vor dem Homosexuellen, dem 'minderwertigen' Liliputaner, und dem Juden!_ " Colin shouted after him in his mother tongue, mocking him.

 _Lilliputian Colin? Really?_ Golmar gave him the side-eye. Colin shrugged.

 _It's better than midget, and I never claimed to win insult contests._

Anger and frustration filled Fassbinder, giving Robert a beacon to home in on. He jumped up to the foyer's second floor and took off after Fassbinder. The chase took him through the halls of the building, halls that became progressively more damaged until, finally, he got to the large wound in the structure. Fassbinder was already outside, running for the trade association building. Robert leapt down, hitting the ground with a small shockwave of air, and took off after him. " _Fassbinder!_ " he shouted, his lightsaber at the ready. His face twisted into an angry expression. After all of this devastation, it was time to put Fassbinder down. Time to…

Fassbinder rounded the corner of the association building. As Robert approached it, he heard a vaguely familiar humming sound. And like that, Fassbinder's dark essence was no longer here.

Fassbinder getting away was bad enough. But Robert could sense that the danger wasn't over, not by a longshot.

* * *

One of the SS destroyers vanished in a white fireball after being speared by the plasma beams coming from the _Aurora_ 's starboard side. This left the SS dreadnought in an increasingly precarious position given it was getting increased attention from the _Pegasus_ ' air wing. Only one of the cruisers remained intact, and it was currently taking fire from the _Melissa Steiner_. The _Charleston_ was effectively dead in space, too damaged to continue fighting, its surviving crew scrambling to restore power and maneuvering.

For a moment Locarno thought the _Heydrich_ would attack the _Charleston_ and finish it off. But he noticed its maneuvers turned it in the wrong direction to do that. More importantly, for the moment weapons fire seemed to be suddenly striking the ship. "Are there shields down?"

"Confirmed, sir," al-Rashad remarked. "But it looks like they lowered… I'm detecting transporter signatures. They're beaming up individuals from the surface."

"All fire on the dreadnought, now!"

Syrandi's hands flew over the console and Rawlins turned the _Aurora_ to bring her bow weapons to bear. Their fire started blasting away the dreadnought's armor. One of the plasma beams sliced away at a smaller disruptor emitter, destroying it.

"The spinal mounts are charging," Tra'dur noted. "It looks… it appears the SS dreadnought is targeting the Colony."

Locarno paled. In its current state, the Colony's defenses were out. It would be destroyed with a single super-disruptor discharge. "Put us between them, _now_!"

Rawlins obeyed. The _Aurora_ 's engines went to full and under the young woman's guidance the ship maneuvered into position. The arrival was just in the nick of time, as three powerful lances of disruptor energy slammed into the _Aurora_ 's shields. Weakened as they were, they collapsed immediately, and much of the damage was taken on the armor. "Shields are completely down," Tra'dur said. "Generator overloads. Damage on Deck 35, multiple sections. Enemy shields are back up and they're charging for another shot!"

"Keep us in place," Locarno demanded, knowing full well the _Aurora_ 's armor could only take one, maybe two more hits before the ship was wrecked. It was still time for something to happen…

"Jump points opening!" al-Rashad announced, a moment before the disruptors fired again. They lanced into the belly of the _Aurora_ , scouring armor and inflicting damage on the lower decks. Locarno didn't need Tra'dur's damage report to know they probably couldn't take another hit.

"On screen," he demanded, wondering if these were reinforcements or the SS coming to finish them off.

The holo-viewer shifted to show the swirling green vortices that the incoming ships had created to transition between universes. From each vortex ships emerged. A handful were vessels of the Alliance.

But it was quickly clear that they had merely opened the jump points for the bulk of the ships arriving. They were of myriad design, a regular hodgepodge of ships and almost all from the M4P2 universe. The most common design were ships with bow sections that looked like wheels, with the rest of the hull trailing from behind. Locarno recognized those immediately, even if he'd only seen them a few times.

"Tac comm links being established," Tra'dur confirmed.

An accented voice distorted by an electronic vocoder came over the line. " _This is Admiral Hans'Gerrel to Heavy Fleet ships. Engage the enemy dreadnought_."

Locarno recognized the name and accent immediately. _The Quarians!_

Another voice spoke, this one female, with the same Quarian accent. " _This is Admiral Shala'Raan. Patrol ships, move forward. Protect our allies._ "

Turreted guns tracked toward the _Heydrich_ and began to blaze away. Some were mass effect cannons, others fired phasers and disruptors and plasma, reflecting the Quarians' readiness to adopt technology from multiple sources.

The _Heydrich_ took the brunt of the Quarian assault. The middling damage taken during the time she was recovering forces from the Colony hadn't been much, but it degraded the shield capacity of the Nazi dreadnought enough that the sudden overwhelming barrage from the incoming Quarians began to make localized penetrations of their shields. Other Quarian vessels moved ahead to engage the remaining light ships, clearing them away from the drifting _Charleston_ and the nearly-crippled _Melissa Steiner_. Hans'Gerrel's heavy ships not only pounded away at the _Heydrich_ but at the last of the intact cruisers as well. The _Pegasus_ joined them in finishing off the _Tannenburg_ -class ship. One of the Quarian mass effect rounds penetrated into the Nazi vessel's fuel bunkerage, turning the ship into a massive white flare from the destructive release of antimatter.

For a moment Locarno thought the dreadnought would fire again, leaving the _Aurora_ as badly off as the other ships, but the dreadnought's commander realized his predicament. The Quarians' fire was too heavy, too vigorous, and certainly too numerous for his deflectors. They would fail completely if he didn't get away. The dreadnought turned away from the Colony, and the battered _Aurora_. A green vortex began to form ahead of it. "All sensors on that vortex, _now_ ," Locarno urged.

"Permission to fire?" Luneri asked.

"No. I need that jump point stable, we have to find out where they're going!" Locarno answered.

The other remaining SS ships were also fleeing, although few would do so successfully given the volume of fire they were taking. The dreadnought made good its escape. Locarno looked to al-Rashad, who sighed and nodded. "I got what I could," she confirmed. "It looks like they jumped for… C1P2."

That brought a small frown to Locarno. "A double jump," he said. "That's what they're doing."

"And the likelihood that we would jump near enough to catch them before they jumped out again is infinitesimally small," Tra'dur noted, her calm voice hiding frustration that the attackers would get away. "And our warp drive is down, so we wouldn't be able to intercept them even if we were close."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Locarno sighed. "Send out a warning to the C1P2 patrols, maybe they'll spot something." He allowed his hands to cease gripping the command chair arms so tightly. "Signal our thanks to the Quarians and the other reinforcements, and to _Pegasus_ for their timely return."

"Yes Commander."

Locarno tapped at his comm controls. " _Aurora_ to, well, anyone still down there. The SS have withdrawn. The Colony is safe."

Somehow, even as he said it, he wondered if that last line was ever going to be true again.

* * *

Far from Gersal, a lone ship drifted quietly in real-space. Inside the cockpit a dark-robed figure again activated her comm system. The blue hologram of her master appeared. " _I have heard the reports Tisiphone. The attack was as fierce as I sensed it would be_."

"Indeed, my Master."

" _Did you acquire it?_ "

"I did." Tisiphone brought up her hand, and the lightsaber hilt it held. "Swenya's Blade now belongs to you."

A pleased expression came to her master's face. " _Now I will get an equal say in the matter. Return to Xanadu. We have much to prepare for, my Fury_."

"Yes, Master."

Moments later, the ship formed an interuniversal jump point and departed Gersallian space.

 **Tag**

From across the N2S7 universe, and indeed from other universes, ships were converging on Gersal. Hospital ships, liners and transports carrying relief workers, doctors, nurses, engineers and rebuilding specialists… everything. In orbit Stellar Navy and Gersallian military teams were already sorting through the wreckage of destroyed ships and orbiting facilities, as well as the remnants of destroyed Cylon Basestars.

On Gersal itself, the attack was over, but the shock was still reverberating across the planet. The death toll was going to reach to the million mark just from the light bombardments against urban targets. The atomic attacks guaranteed it could spike to well over ten times that.

From the living quarters of the Lumantala family, Lucy and Talara quietly looked out at the cityscape. Damaged and fallen buildings were everywhere. The Interdependency government had a planetwide state of emergency in effect as cleanup efforts commenced. As always the Gersallians were coming together as a community. It was almost instinctive to them, the desire to make themselves and others feel better, to find balance in the needs and wants of all. But now it was joined by a fragility Lucy never felt in them. The Gersallians felt… _vulnerable_.

Which, given the situation, was not a surprise.

Nearby Drentiya and Leniraya were tending to Meridina. She shook her head quietly while, nearby, her father examined the dagger pulled from Hadisina's body. "All gone," she murmured.

"She is not just referring to the Temple," Talara observed. "What else…"

"The Temple of Perception," Lucy said, recalling said temple. "And Trubin, and the Temple of Birth. The Cylons hit them with nukes too. The Temple is one thing, it's out in the countryside, but Trubin… it's a… _was_ a fairly-sized city. Over a million people lived there. They didn't have a chance…"

"How could this have happened?" Talara asked. "Surely defenses…"

"They were compromised," Karesl said. His voice was bitter, brittle. He set the dagger down beside him, his emotional control straining. "The Brotherhood sabotaged our defenses for the Cylons. They're working together."

"They're not just working together. They're… one and the same, I think," said Lucy. "They've been hiding for thousands of years. Probably waiting for this chance."

"The Order still stands. You saved dozens of our people," Karesl said. "We will recover."

"But we will never be the same," Meridina murmured, glancing at her omnitool now. "And we have a greater foe than the Cylons and Brotherhood. Or rather, their new confederates."

Lucy blinked. "What?"

Meridina responded by relaying the message to Lucy's omnitool. She stared in horror at the report. "New Liberty, they hit… the _freaking SS hit New Liberty?!_ "

"We have already seen indications that they have links to the Cylons. Now they are confirmed. The darkest of our foes, together…" Meridina shook her head. "The Alliance may never be the same again."

As they spoke Talara opened the pack there and pulled out the two books. She marveled at the lovely calligraphy on the _Life of Reshan_. Inside of it she found a sheath of notes scribbled in very basic Gersallian. Karesl noticed them. "My thanks to you for getting that volume to safety," he said. "It is one of those we did not have a digital backup of."

"Then the other books…"

"Lost," said Meridina. "As is all of the artwork. The catacombs of our greatest. The Forge, where we train to build our weapons, was the work of Gersal's finest architects. They're all gone now. The Cylons, the Brotherhood, they have left us with little save our lives." Her fists clenched from the heartache. "I know I must be strong. I…"

As she broke down weeping again, it was Karesl who went over and cared for her. "This has been the darkest day in the Order since Kohbal fell to darkness," he said. "But the Light is still with us. Many of the others live. The Order can and will rebuild, and in large part thanks to you, daughter."

"There is more to this book than its rarity," said Gina. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh has been studying it for over a year. He tracked down Gartanam's volume to help him translate the meanings of the older dialect."

"He said it was crucial to finding Reshan's knowledge," Lucy said. "And something about protecting a circle. Not letting the Cylons break it."

"I'm not sure what he means," Karesl admitted. "On this matter Ledosh, I am afraid to say, kept his own counsel. It is clear now he cannot be blamed. More than any of us, he may have sensed the hand of the Brotherhood." For a moment Karesl seemed deep in thought. He turned to Lucy. "Lucilla Lucero, I entrust the _Life of Reshan_ to you."

Lucy blinked. "You do?"

"We cannot be certain the Brotherhood did not leave agents who might seize the book from Gersal," Karesl noted. "It will be safer with you. And you and Meridina can continue Ledosh's research. Gina Inviere can assist."

"Of course."

There was an unspoken tension between them. Karesl spoke with a soft tone to relieve it. "I sense your feeling of loss for the death of your teacher, Gina. For now, I would like you to go with Meridina and Lucy. Finish your training with them."

"There's more to it than that, _Mastrash_ Karesl."

"Yes."

Talara was briefly confused, but Lucy made it clear to her mentally. Other Cylons of Gina's model were among the attackers. Members of the Order had seen their own struck down by an enemy with Gina's face. They had fought with that enemy. While Gina's innocence was undeniable, there would likely be an unconscious tension between her and the others. With emotions so raw, it was best for all if Gina came to the _Aurora_. "We could use you," Lucy said aloud. "Robert can officially sign you on as a member of his operations team."

"I will gladly join him," said Gina. She smiled despite her bitterness. "It is much the same work I expected as a Knight, after all."

"One thing still troubles me," said Karesl. "You state one of the Cylons betrayed the others to aid you?"

"Yes," said Talara. "She struck them down to aid us. The way she spoke, it was clear she is not in league with them."

"Whoever she was, she may have been the one who saved the people of New Caprica by killing the Cylon who was left to release poison gas into their bunkers," Lucy added. "Did she say who she was?"

"She compared herself to Gina, and when pressed, called herself Athenina."

Karesl's eyes widened. From the chair Meridina looked up in surprise. Noticing this reaction, Lucy asked, "Okay, so why are you looking like that? You recognize the name?"

"Yes," said Karesl. "From the historical texts. Athenina… she is a figure in Gersallian history."

"Oh? What was she? Who?"

"The apprentice of _Mastrash_ Kohbal," Meridina answered.

* * *

The cleanup effort began the moment the shooting ended. While some of the residents were too shellshocked to act, many went to the work of rebuilding their colony, their home. Hernan de Corelo's militia aided in securing the Colony while Broots and Jarod undid the sabotage inflicted by the SS, allowing communications to be restored. This accomplishment was what allowed Jarod to observe when Broots was tearfully reunited with his terrified daughter, who was among the many children that the schools brought into the bunkers as soon as the attack began.

It gave way to his own tearful reunion with Sydney and Emily, his sister. With his father off-world and safe, it meant Jarod had not faced the loss so many others in the Colony were facing with the attack over.

In their post-attack efforts the people of New Liberty were quickly joined by a people they'd yet to meet, as increasing numbers of envirosuit-clad Quarians arrived by transporter or shuttle to aid in the rebuilding process. They focused on the technical issues, repairing and rerouting utility systems to restore power, running water, and other vital services. The other starships in orbit sent what help they could manage, although most of the aid was from the relatively-undamaged _Pegasus_.

The Government Building, damaged as it was, remained the nerve center of this effort. While doing what she could to direct the recovery Beth was getting her wounds treated by medical staff from the Colony Hospital, a process only interrupted when Annabelle arrived. "Oh Beth," Annebelle wept, rushing to her wife and embracing her. "I was so worried for you."

Beth's eyes filled with tears. "I was worried about you. They were killing everyone."

Robert arrived at that point. He felt relief that Annabelle was okay. Behind him, a line of the dignitaries Beth brought to safety approached. He felt their consternation, even shame, at what Beth had endured for saving them. Sonek Pran stepped to the forefront, flanked by Princess Syrina, Director Anjilo, Isis Marik, and Princess Yvonne. "Governor Rankin, on behalf of everyone who came to the summit, we thank you for doing so much to save our lives," Pran said solemnly. "It warms all of our hearts to see you survived."

"Thank you, Mister Ambassador," Beth replied. Even here, diplomacy mattered.

"New Liberty is not alone," said Yvonne. "The people of the Commonwealth will aid in your recovery, however we can."

"As will the Federation, and all of those assembled," Pran added. "We will show the Multiverse that your people are not without friends, and the strength of the values we all uphold."

"Thank you again, Mister Ambassador. Thanks to all of you. We will humbly accept any aid available in our rebuilding," Beth said. Her voice was somber and withdrawn. Robert could sense that she felt everything to be almost unreal, and her survival the most unreal thing of all.

"Director, my condolences to your people," Beth added, looking to Anjilo.

The male Gersallian, his complexion a mocha color close to Annabelle's, nodded. "My thanks, Governor. We have both suffered today."

"The enemy struck at Gersal and New Liberty because you are both potent symbols of the Alliance," Princess Syrina asserted in accented English. The Dorei woman looked as regal as she sounded, and there was no denying the angry fire in her teal eyes. "We will show them that we are not so easily cowed."

"I think there's more to it than that," Robert said. "Fassbinder has a personal grudge against us."

As he spoke Robert noticed the looks he was getting. He couldn't hide the worry he felt. He noticed the look on Colin's face and didn't bother to hide it from him. Jarod and the others were tracking where Julia went after she fled the Lodge. She'd undoubtedly saved Lee Adama and Jeong Jin-Taek, but that meant facing SS pursuit alone.

There was a tone from Robert's omnitool. He lifted his forearm and tapped the blue light at the back of his left hand. A holo-display screen enlarged to show Admiral Maran. The stress that had so recently left the man's face was back with a vengeance. " _Captain, I've looked over the preliminary reports from New Liberty. I'm grateful that Governor Rankin survived the ordeal._ "

"Thank you, sir."

" _Consider this forewarning to remain on standby for new orders_ ," Maran said. " _This attack… intelligence suspected the SS had more resources than what we accounted for, but we had no indications they independently developed the IU jump drive. Intelligence believed their goal, if they had more resources, was to flee beyond Reich borders and rebuild elsewhere. We never imagined they achieved this. Their alignment with the Cylons makes them even more dangerous._ "

"It's an alliance of convenience for both, but until it breaks up, they could hit anywhere. And they won't hesitate to attack civilian targets."

" _Agreed. Every world in the Alliance is on full alert. We've begun reactivation procedures for the reserve fleet to ensure we have the resources for the necessary defenses. And every measure will be taken to discover their new base of operations._ "

Robert nodded. "I'll be ready to help with the search, Admiral, just tell me…" He looked up in time to see Jarod walk up. He felt his knees wobble at the look on Jarod's face. "Did you find…?"

Jarod shook his head. "She's gone," was all he said. All he needed to say. But he continued. "There's signs of a struggle, but that's it. Cat's scanning to see if there's any… residue from a vaporization."

A sledgehammer of grief and worry crashed down on Robert's soul. His legs nearly gave out from under him. Colin and Jarod rushed forward to catch him if he fell, but he managed, just managed, to keep his footing.

" _Captain_?" asked Maran.

"She's gone," Robert rasped. "Julia's gone."

* * *

With a loud thump, Julia landed on her left side on the deck below her. Zipcuffs kept her wrists bound together at the small of her back, and a similar set kept her ankles immobile. She looked up and kept a blank expression as two gold eyes looked over her.

"Here she is, _Herr Brigadeführer_ ," one of her SS captors said. "She gave us a chase."

"So I see," said Fassbinder. He smiled at Julia before turning away. Her eyes tracked the way he turned, toward a display screen. A voice reported, in German, an incoming communication, and Fassbinder nodded.

On the screen appeared several figures in dark clothing and robes. Julia's eyes widened as she recognized some of the faces: they were Cylons. A Gina model, a Cavil, a Biers, and of that unknown model she'd seen during the New Caprica standoff.

Standing with them were more figures that, after a moment, she recognized. _Goras?!_

" _The Brotherhood of Kohbal thanks the_ Schutzstaffel _for their assistance_ ," said one of the women. Julia was pretty sure she recognized her as Goras' missing apprentice Intalarai, the one Lucy dueled in the Senate.

"And we are thankful for the distraction your attack provided for our own operation."

" _It has been fruitful_ ," said one of the Cavils.

Intalarai nodded. " _After nearly three thousand years, the Brotherhood of Kohbal is whole once more._ " Her wicked smile was full of satisfaction. " _And Swenya's legacy has been wiped from the face of our homeworld._ "

Fassbinder chuckled. "The Alliance trembles in terror at our combined strength," he declared in a delighted tone. "I look forward to the recording of the Great Temple of Swenya being atomized."

Horror and shock nearly choked Julia at that. Meridina, Lucy, and Talara were on Gersal! Were they…?!

" _We have much to plan before we act again_ ," the Cavil model said. " _Until then, may your will continue to dominate the universe around you, Fassbinder._ " With that the image blinked out.

Julia bit back the impulse to call Fassbinder a bastard. She couldn't keep her face from twisting into a scowl.

He nevertheless turned to face her. "I have awaited this day," he said. "Oh, I have long waited to have one of you in my… _care_. The officers of the _Aurora_ , the founders of the Alliance." His expression flashed hatred at her. "Especially now, when you have so much to answer for. Welcome, _Kapitan_ , to your future. Allow me to give you a demonstration of what it will be."

His hands came up and purple-tinged lightning shot from them, enveloping Julia. As her body spasmed and twisted, with cold energy that seemed to be sapping away at her very life, she tried and, after a couple of seconds, failed to bite back a scream of pain.

Fassbinder started to laugh.


	92. Episode 3-17-1 In Enemy Hands

**Teaser**

The Jeaxian and Miqo'te guards of the M'nhra Clan Trading Company warehouse were well-armed, well enough that the local security forces of the independent Miqo'te colony T'Chana always gave the facility a wide berth. They had extra incentive given that the operation was one of many for a powerful warlord of the Jeaxian statelets, Uharas avam Tithsa. Tithsa's past responses to police interfering in his operations had been suitably brutal to encourage the forces of the law to stay away.

So it was a great shock to the assembled when the door was ripped from its hinges. Through the door came Robert Dale and Lucy Lucero, in Gersallian robes and body armor, with a green and blue lightsaber blade flashing to life in the hands of each.

The guards brought their weapons up just to be jolted by a powerful blast through the ceiling. Combat-armed Alliance Marines dropped down on zip lines. More blasted through a side door, including in their number a squad of Marines in full power armor. Major Gabriel Anders lifted a rifle and put a shot between the three eyes of the biggest of the Jeaxians. The other Marines opened up as well while Lucy and Robert rushed ahead, slashing with their weapons while using their abilities to their fullest.

When the dust settled, the remaining defenders were zip-tied and under control. The Marines began an inspection of the crates around them. Many had weapons, including the distinctive disruptor rifles of the defeated Nazi Reich of Universe S4W8.

Lucy's expression hardened when she opened another crate and found a stasis crate inside. Within were two Miqo'te children, a male and a female, who were about the age of four in Human terms. Each wore a collar. Another crate revealed an adolescent Dorei of teal coloration.

With that sight Robert looked back to the line of guards. "You cooperate, you get leniency," he said. "Don't cooperate, we give you over to the Miqo'te and the Dorei for supporting slavery."

"You do not make us fear, Human," one Jeaxian rumbled. "You are a weakling. Why should we fear those who cannot defend their own worlds?"

"Oh, but we did, and we can," Robert retorted. The cold tone of his voice brought Lucy's concerned attention. "We've tracked the SS shipment to New Liberty through this warehouse. Tell us what you know."

"I will not betray Lord Tithsa," replied the Jeaxian. "You do not…"

Robert's voice dropped to a cold hiss. "Tithsa isn't here. _I am_." He swept his gaze down at the others. "Do any of you want to try my patience further?"

It was, perhaps, something in his voice. Something in his eyes. Something that told them this man, with all of these powers, was a desperate man, and like all desperate men, would be willing to do _anything_.

So they talked.

* * *

The orbital space over New Liberty was nearly clear of debris from the efforts of the Quarians. The broken remains of the ships lost to the SS attack were treated carefully, the dead within collected for return to their homes. The process was still underway below as the thousands of dead were identified and prepared for burial.

Among the ships in orbit the _Starship Aurora_ kept her place. Work crews were steadily laboring to repair the battle damage she'd endured, trying to restore her warp power and other systems.

In the Conference Lounge off of the bridge, the staff officers of the _Aurora_ were seated. There was a depressive air to them that none could avoid noticing. A weight on their spirits, not just from the attack on the colony they'd founded, but for the missing figure of their captain. In Julia's place sat Meridina.

On the main screen Admiral Maran spoke to him from his office in Alliance Defense Command, the six-towered structure that stood on the north bank of the Columbia River across from the Alliance capital in Portland. " _The death toll on Gersal is still being counted_ ," he informed them quietly. " _Currently we expect it to reach at least five million_. _Proportionally speaking, I am aware that New Liberty suffered greater loss._ "

"Twenty thousand and nine hundred fifty-three dead," Jarod clarified. "Estimates are as high as twenty-five thousand when you account for vaporizations."

" _I understand._ "

"The death toll on Gersal would have been higher if they didn't manage to get some of their shields going," Jarod added. "We should feel lucky for that.

" _We do._ " Maran's expression slipped briefly. He was clearly exhausted, emotionally and physically. " _We've moved fleet units to protect all major worlds. The reactivation of the reserve fleet we established after the war is proceeding. In time we will be able to protect all of our key systems from surprise attacks. And an overhaul of the communication system is being implemented to prevent another failure._ "

"And the Nazis?" asked Tom Barnes. "What will we do to pay them back for this?"

" _Intelligence efforts are still ongoing. When we locate a central base, the fleet will go and wipe it out. I suspect it will be some time before we can finish annihilating them, however_ ," Maran noted. " _They will be a persistent threat for years with their current capability. How are your repairs proceeding?_ "

"We're gettin' there, Admiral" Scotty answered. "Warp power should be up soon."

" _Alert me when you're ready to depart. On a related matter… Commander Meridina, as of this moment, you are Captain of the_ Aurora _. Depending on matters here in Portland, we will have a new captain out to you in a week or so._ "

"A new Captain?" asked Locarno.

" _I am afraid Commander Meridina's current command experience does not justify a promotion, at least according to the Promotion Board_ ," Maran said.

"You mean Davies would have an epic hissy fit if Meridina got to be a captain," groused Angel.

"It is alright," Meridina remarked. "If we can recover Captain Andreys first…"

" _Personnel is listing her as missing in action and presumed dead_ ," Maran informed them.

"But, we've got no proof she's dead," Cat protested. "And if she's alive…"

" _I'm told the vaporization issue is undetermined_ ," Maran said. " _And given their proclivities during the attack, it is considered likely she was killed resisting, whatever orders to capture they may have had. That is the current determination of Personnel on the matter. Either way, you do have my condolences. Captain Andreys was proving herself to be one of our best. The Alliance will mourn her loss._ "

"She's not dead," Angel insisted. "They have her, and we need to find her."

" _Given their reputation, Lieutenant, I sincerely hope not. For her sake._ "

* * *

The cold metal of the chair was uncomfortable against the bare skin of Julia's arms and shoulders. Bands over her wrists and ankles chafed the skin there, rubbing it raw from when she would press against them.

She couldn't help but do so. They were too strong for her, but it was an inevitable consequence of the writhing from the spasms shooting through her body.

Standing about five meters in front of her, Erik Fassbinder gave her a delighted look with his unnatural yellow eyes. "One would think you would grow tired of this," he said. "That you would start to cooperate."

Her green eyes flashed defiantly at him despite the lingering pain in her body. "Andreys, Julia Megan," she replied, her voice hoarse. "Captain. Serial Number Bravo Zero Zero Zero Three One Zero One Hotel One Echo Four."

Fassbinder's face curled into a manic little smile. His hands came up and purple-tinged lightning shot from them. The lightning enveloped Julia with pain, an agony that seemed to reach from her flesh right into her soul.

She couldn't hold back the scream.

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"In Enemy Hands"_**

With the aid of other ships, the _Jayhawk_ returned to the _Aurora_ swiftly once the mission to T'Chana was complete. Once they were back, Robert, Lucy, and Anders went straight to the conference lounge to meet with most of the others. Scotty and Locarno were not in attendance, as the engineering teams were still incredibly busy, and Locarno remained for the bridge watch.

"We know how they beat our customs scanners on New Liberty," Lucy revealed to the others. "They smuggled the SS operatives and their weapons in on sensor-shielded cargo containers layered with legitimate goods to fool visual inspection."

"We should relay this data to customs authorities. Greater care will be necessary," noted Meridina.

"Did you find out where their base is? Where they might be coming from?"

It was clear the answer was no. Robert confirmed it. "They got the shipments through another neutral world in N2S7. We couldn't track them past it."

"So it's a dead end," Cat sighed. She was taking it as bad as the others.

"They're not stupid," Angel grumbled. "They knew we'd look."

"A usual tactic," Jarod noted. "We have to face the likelihood that the SS aren't based in any universe we are familiar with. Hunting them down will be like finding a needle in a haystack the size of a solar system."

"I don't care," Robert insisted. "We don't give up. They have Julia, and we're getting her back."

"The Alliance is listing her as killed," Jarod said.

"I know. And I understand it. But they're wrong," Robert insisted. "They took her. And we're getting her back. It's just that simple." _I made a promise_ … Seeing their expressions, Robert forced himself into a new conversation line. "Did Dr. Meier and the others manage to get a ship?"

"Beth pulled some strings with Defense Command," said Jarod. "The _Maimonides_ is taking them back."

"Right. Nasira's new ship. I'm sorry I missed her." Robert noticed the concerned looks of the others, especially Meridina, and sighed. "I… thank you for helping with this. I know you're all busy trying to get the ship back into working order after the attack."

"You don't need to thank us," Leo said. "We're here if you need us, like always."

"I know. If you'll excuse me, I need to go file my report to Admiral Maran." Robert got up and departed.

Soon the others did as well, save Lucy and Meridina. Lucy, like the others, couldn't help but notice the fourth gold strip on Meridina's collar. "So you're Captain now," she said.

"Temporarily," Meridina answered. "Admiral Maran does not believe I will be given the permanent promotion from the Board. He is looking into a new Captain to assume command soon."

"That's going to go over _really_ well," Lucy mumbled. It would, of course, not go over well at all. Unless someone like Li Ming-Chung or Madeline Laurent got the command.

"Robert concerns me," Meridina said. "I can feel the weight pressing on his being, on his _swevyra_. I worry that his worry for Julia may drive him toward darkness."

"Tell me about it." Lucy thought back to that warehouse on T'Chana. Robert had been cold and quiet and utterly terrifying in interrogating the guards there. She hadn't sensed any compulsion, of course, but she remembered their fear they'd felt at being confronted by him. And his emotions, the desperate need he had to get information… "He got a little intense on T'Chana."

Meridina nodded in acknowledgement. "His emotions are raw. I have never felt him in this state. He seems unbalanced."

"Robert and Julia… well, you know how they are. They've been together since they were toddlers. They grew up in each other's company to the extent that everyone considers them inseparable. That kind of bond, it can be pretty powerful. I can even feel it, like their souls aren't entirely separate."

"I have sensed the same. But Robert must be cautious. And in the end, he may have to accept she is gone. Or he could become something terrible."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Lucy promised, knowing full well what Meridina was afraid of.

* * *

In his quarters Robert silently read over the reports from Portland. The hunt for the SS base was on, but they had so little to go on. The SS had done an excellent job in covering their tracks when they abandoned _Himmlerwelt_ and flew off to God knew where. All of the leads gleaned from M'nhra went nowhere, it seemed.

He stopped reading and closed his eyes. Tears of fear and frustration welled in them. She was out there. He could _feel_ it. Julia was alive and she needed him to find her, to get her away from Fassbinder.

 _It's your fault_ , a part of him said. _You could have helped her first! You could have stopped them from taking her!_

His mind flashed back over two years. The eve of the war, when they'd just rescued the last surviving Jews of Universe S4W8. Julia had given him a dressing down for staying too long under the guns of the _Eichmann_ , for refusing to accept sometimes people had to be left behind. She'd told him that if it came down to her or the ship, she'd want to be left behind.

The words came back as if they'd been spoken yesterday.

 _"If that day ever comes, Robby... if you ever have to leave me behind to save everyone else, and the bad guys take me and... start hurting me… I want you to forgive yourself."_

 _"I won't be able to."_

 _"Let me finish. Forgive yourself. Focus on your job. Because I won't give them a thing. And no matter what they do to me, I'll know one thing. I'll know you're coming for me, okay? That you're going to save me. Just as I'd save you. Because we'd all do that for each other."_

 _I'm coming, Julie_ , was his response to the memory.

His personal system's controls lit up with a green light, showing an incoming communication. He checked and saw that it was on an encoded frequency. He tapped the key, wondering who it was.

The person that appeared surprised him. Indeed, it was someone he'd only met once, and not on the best terms. His called was an older man, dark-hair just turning gray, clad in a dark uniform with just one adornment on it: a brass pin with the Greek letter Psi.

" _Good day, Captain Dale_ ," said Alfred Bester, the most notorious of the Earth Alliance's Psi Cops. " _You and I need to talk._ "

* * *

After more hours spent alone in the dark, still strapped to the cold metal chair, Julia was finally released from the confinement. Two medium-sized men in SS suits grabbed her arms and roughly bound her wrists with a strip of zipcord. One barked at her to follow, although with their grips on her arms they didn't give her much choice.

She was brought to an SS shuttle. The Reich craft had a wide-winged design, the warp nacelles at the extent of the wings and lifted slightly above the main body of the shuttle. Inside a pilot was already in a seat. Fassbinder was in a black SS uniform as before. Julia felt distinctly underdressed in her gym clothing. The tank top she wore was still damp from sweat.

Fassbinder grinned at her, but said nothing as the pilot confirmed launch checks. The shuttle lifted off and descended toward a planet that looked like a marginal garden world. The seas were more green than blue, it seemed, and the landmass was whiteish when it wasn't brown or dark green.

They descended toward the northern continent. Julia watched the empty space became less so. As they neared the surface, specifically a series of river valleys flanked by rocky ridge lines, the shuttle raced in on one. In the distance a tower was visible. As it drew closer, Julia noticed that the tower was not alone. Spreading out from the tower and linked structures at the center were five more groups of structures that seemed to be based within the soil and ground below, although none were nearly as tall as the central tower. They were laid out in a pentagon pattern around the central tower, not unlike the secondary towers of Alliance Defense Command in Portland. But the design was unique. Like nothing Julia had ever seen before. It was certainly not of Reich construction.

The shuttle landed at an open area between the central tower and the southwestern section. "Out," Fassbinder instructed. After a moment of refusing to move, Julia prompted them to force her out of the shuttle's rear hatch.

An entrance to the southwestern structures was beyond the shuttle pad. Along the path from the pad to the door, lines of men in SS uniforms were standing at attention.

"Go on, _Kapitan_ ," Fassbinder instructed. "Go through the door beyond."

Julia knew it wasn't so easy. At first she refused to move, so Fassbinder pushed her ahead. Sensing she would gain nothing from continued defiance, Julia stepped forward and entered the area between the two lines. She kept a steady pace, steeling herself for what was coming.

It didn't take long at all. One SS man lashed out with a baton, smacking her across the back. A fist flew in and caught her in the stomach. After doubling over for a moment she kept on. A few steps later another baton smacked her in the hip, a fist split her lip, and the attacks of the soldiers lining the way picked up. There was nothing she could do but endure the blows as best as she could, trying to maintain forward progress.

And then a blow came lower than usual. A baton smashed into her knee with enough force to damage the bone. It also knocked her off her stride. She dropped to a knee. A voice barked, " _Who said you could stop?!_ "

At that point all pretense was dropped. More blows rained on Julia. She collapsed to the ground and tried to adopt a fetal position, to protect herself in some way, even with her wrists cuffed behind her back.

But there were too many. Fists and clubs rained on her, joined by shouts and enraged cheers. Muscles burned with pain, skin bruised, bones threatened to break. For a terrible moment Julia wondered if she was going to die here and now.

Then a powerful blow struck her in the head. Everything went dark. 

* * *

Robert considered the image of Bester on his screen. A year before, Bester tried to capture him and Meridina to turn into lab experiments. Whatever his amended views of Psi Corps since meeting Colin Meier and the others at Tau Atrea, Robert did not have any kind thoughts for Bester. "Mister Bester," he replied. "What can I do for you?"

" _Nothing. I, however, can do something for you_." Bester kept a quiet expression. His left hand, gripped as always in a fist, was balanced against his open right hand. " _To begin with, I have been ordered to apologize for the Kalnit Station situation last year._ "

"Alright." Robert didn't keep the impatience from his voice.

" _I know you've got other things on your mind, so allow me to get to the point_ ," Bester said. " _Psi Corps recently raided a slaver vessel aligned with the same people that attacked Tau Atrea. We've obtained intelligence from them, intelligence that confirms the Aristos are trading technology to the SS remnants. They have an alliance forming._ "

Robert frowned at that. "What's in this intel?"

" _We're not sure yet. We just got it ourselves so we've yet to finish analyzing it. But I'm aware of your situation and I'm sending you a copy on an encrypted subchannel._ "

Robert checked the system and confirmed the incoming subchannel. He directed it into an isolated computer drive. Looking back to Bester he said, "Thank you. I owe you."

" _No, you don't_ ," Bester said. " _At Tau Atrea you risked your life to protect my telepaths. Your people saved over fifty of them from the Aristo ship. While I may disagree with Doctor Meier's decisions on some matters, he and I do see eye to eye on the matter of the Corps' position toward you. You saved over three hundred of my family members, Captain. As far as I'm concerned, I'm the one in debt, and this is toward that._ "

Despite Robert's suspicions, there was no denying the genuine feeling in Bester's voice, or the subtle shift in his expression. "You're not used to owing non-telepaths, are you?"

" _No, I'm not. I'm not used to cooperating with them either. It's a rather… interesting feeling, I must admit. It's not very easy. The last time I worked with mundanes, Captain, thirty of my people were used as weapons. But you've paid up in advance. I'll forward you any further intelligence on the SS if we acquire it. Good luck finding your friend, Captain. Bester out._ "

Bester's image disappeared from the screen. Robert turned his attention to the intelligence pouring in. He finally tapped the key on his desk to open a commlink. "Dale to Lucero, Richmond, and Jarod. I need to see you in Science Lab 1 in fifteen minutes." 

* * *

Sixteen minutes later, the three were watching the data Bester provided flash in code format across a screen on an isolated system. Jarod looked up and nodded. "It's clean," he said.

"I figured it was," Robert remarked. "But with Bester, you can't be too careful."

Lieutenant Commander Phryne Richmond, the ship's Chief of Security, went to another screen and started pouring through the actual data files. "Shipping manifests, vessel IDs, IFF codes, bank accounts," she read off in her high-class Australian accent. Her green eyes read along the flowing papers. "And personal identities. A Lord Karex seems to be the primary link in the chain for extrauniversal Aristo operations. He's listed as a Silicate. I'm not sure what that is."

"They're the least-important of the Aristo castes," Robert said. "According to our intelligence on them, Silicates are responsible for economic matters and trade. Primarily the internal slave trade of the Concord, but also foreign trade with the Allied Worlds of Earth and, to some extent, the Skolians."

"Why would anyone trade with slavers?" Lucy asked, incredulous.

"Because they want to make money," Jarod replied.

"That's not what matters right now," Robert said. "There could be a clue in this intel. The next link in the chain leading us to Julia. We need to find it."

"I'll get Lieutenant Liton and his team on this right away," Richmond promised.

"I'll help," Jarod added.

"So will I, but I'm… well." Lucy sighed. "I'm not sure I like getting intel from a bastard like Bester. We all know he got it by mind-raping people."

"Right now, the important thing is that we have it," Robert said. "However he got it, we need it."

Lucy gave Robert a perturbed look. Jarod looked at him carefully. After a few moments he nodded in understanding. "Yeah. We'll go through it and let you know if we find anything useful."

"Thank you," Robert said before departing, Lucy's eyes watching him the entire time.

* * *

An interuniversal jump point over New Liberty drew concerned looks from tactical officers across the system. That concern evaporated when the arriving ship's IFF code registered. The _ASV Koenig_ immediately requested landing clearance from the _Aurora_. Operations officer Sabiha Neyzi agreed to it, opening the support dock to allow the _Koenig_ to dock.

Zack stepped through the airlock and met Tom and Leo. The look on his face said it all. "How's it going?' he asked immediately. "The search, I mean. Robert's been sketchy with the replies."

"The search is just us right now," Leo said. "The Alliance is listing Julia as missing and presumed dead."

Zack's expression turned stormy. "They're _what_?" he demanded. "What… why would they?!"

"We're still not sure if the SS vaporized her or ran off with her," Leo replied.

"Don't tell me you believe that for a damn moment," Tom growled. "That bastard Assbinder's been after us for forever. He's taken her and we all damn well know it."

"I'm sure of it too," Leo said. "But Maran's trying to get defenses up across the Alliance. That's what he's focusing on right now."

"I don't give a damn," Zack said, heatedly. "We have to find her, and if the Alliance is going to abandon her, I'm going to Goddamned resign."

Leo flashed him an annoyed look. "I'm not happy with it either," he said. "But the Alliance has a lot on its plate right now, walking away won't get Julia back. Julia would want us to focus on protecting the Alliance."

Given the glare on Zack's face, Leo was certain his point was accepted, but not liked. 

* * *

In one of the smaller quarters on Deck 6, Meridina stepped into the suite to find Gina Inviere sitting at a work desk. The blond-haired Cylon woman was intent on the two books she'd laid out on the table. Meridina immediately recognized them as the _Life of Reshan_ , and Gartanam's translation guide to Swenya-era Gersallian writing. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh would be pleased to see you continuing his work," Meridina said, fighting back the pain in her heart. She and Gina were both trained by Ledosh, and both felt him struck down by the fallen _Mastrash_ Goras during the attack on the Temple.

"He died for this," she replied. "He believed the key to defeating the Brotherhood and the Inner Circle was in this text."

"What have you found so far?"

Gina looked over one paper of notes. "From what I've seen, the translation guide reveals errors in the text. That the book's text does not completely match the dialect of the time."

"Our people suffered much in that era. More than one language was changed or died out," Meridina pointed out. "This may have been written in an alternate dialect."

"Gartanam's guide suggests differently," Gina said. "Or so _Mastrash_ Ledosh felt. He believed the errors were intentional. Extra characters, extra words."

"As in a code."

"Yes," said Gina. "If he is correct, the first chapters of the book speak of something called 'the Circle', which is vital to the future and the past." Gina set the paper down. "I'm not sure what it means yet."

"We will find out, I promise you that."

Gina nodded and turned her head to face Meridina. "How are you feeling?"

"I am… recovering, I suppose," Meridina replied. "As things are, the crew need me to be strong. I am in command, and everyone has taken a shock."

Gina's expression betrayed her own. "I never imagined the Inner Circle was like that," she said. "They were our leaders. The wisest. They knew God's Plan. But it was all a lie. They weren't wise beings leading the Cylons to a better world, they were… power mad monsters out for revenge. That's all it was in the end. All I suffered for, all the blood on our hands, all for… revenge in some millennia old vendetta."

"I am still wondering how the Brotherhood of Kohbal became involved with the last Humans of our home universe," Meridina admitted. "Or why those same Humans began to worship ancient gods their ancestors hadn't followed in millennia. What were they doing?"

"I'm not sure," Gina said. "Maybe it doesn't matter in the end. The only thing that does is defeating the Brotherhood and the Inner Circle. And if _Mastrash_ Ledosh was right… we need to finish his work."

"For the time being, you can focus on this," Meridina said. "Robert is preoccupied with the SS matter, but Lucy is inquiring about your admission to his team."

"If the Alliance will allow it," Gina said, sighing. "I do not wish to cause him trouble. I can't imagine his superiors being pleased with a Cylon on one of their teams."

"Robert has great leeway in these matters, I am told. And your record since coming to Gersal has been irreproachable. None can deny you stand against the evils committed by your people, Gina."

"Even if they can't, that's not the problem. Trust… it is a fragile thing." Gina glanced back to the books. "I shall resume my work. I know you have much to do. If you need anything, let me know."

"Of course," Meridina answered. "May your _swevyra_ grant you the insight you need." With that said, Meridina departed.

* * *

Julia's head still throbbed when she woke up. She was aware of a strange feeling of… weightlessness. Was she in a zero G chamber? A moment's sensation told her no to that. She felt wet. As if suspended in water. But her face was (mostly) dry, and she was breathing.

When Julia opened her eyes, everything took on a greenish tint. She was in a canister of green fluid. Her arms and legs wouldn't move. She glanced toward her sides and downward to see, through the green fluid, her wrists and ankles secured by metal stocks, holding her feet to the bottom of the canister and her wrists to its sides.

She faced forward again. Through the green haze of the fluid she noticed Fassbinder standing outside of the canister, not far from what looked like controls. "You are awake," he said, his voice distorted in her ears. "How do you feel? Wait… an answer is unnecessary. You undoubtedly feel rejuvenated, yes? Stronger than you have been these past days?" She noticed the satisfied smile on his face. "We healed your worst injuries. I cannot afford you dying just yet, you understand. And this remarkable substance did the rest." He walked over to the controls. "We found it in a stasis field of some sort. Three thousand years and the field never lost cohesion. The technology in this city… magnificent. And yes, it is a city, _Kapitan_. We are unsure of its origins, save that it is not Darglan, merely used by them. But its secrets will be ours soon enough." Fassbinder seemed to fiddle with the controls. "This is a substance that the Darglan listed as 'kohltou'. It is a wondrous biological material with quite potent healing capability. It can stabilize the condition of even the most gravely wounded and even provides needed nutrients to a body. We have also provided you with sustenance. Intravenously, of course. I have no intention to give you even the most basic pleasure of food or drink."

Julia pulled at her restraints, but they did not yield at all. She said nothing.

"Now, you may wonder why I've used such a wonderful healing material on you. The answer is that we have many questions to ask you, _Kapitan_. In your position, your… _special_ status even as a Captain, you are undoubtedly aware of all sorts of interesting facts that the SS might find useful. Collaborators in the fallen Reich, for instance. Alliance plans. Diplomatic arrangements. Things that it is in your best interest to share. Do you understand?"

Julia's response was immediate. "Andreys, Julia Megan. Captain. Serial Number Bravo Zero Zero Zero Three One Zero One Hotel One Echo Four." She spoke plainly, but there was no mistaking the defiant glimmer in her eyes.

Fassbinder responded with a chuckle. "I am aware of your prisoner of war conventions. The Reich did away with such sentimentality long ago. Whatever it is you wish to hide, we _will_ find it out." Fassbinder's hand went to the control. "There is another aspect about this kohltou you should know about. So you don't get too comfortable." He gave her a grin of sheer, sinister anticipation. "It is very conductive." With that, he twisted the dial.

Electricity coursed through the tank.

* * *

Light years and a universe away, Robert was at his work desk, asleep from exhaustion. Suddenly he sat up straight, a scream of pain erupting from his lungs.


	93. Episode 3-17-2 In Enemy Hands

Lucy felt Robert's anguish across the ship and raced from Science Lab 1, fueled more by Hargert's _Milchkaffee_ than anything else. Once she made it to Deck 6 and arrived at Robert's quarters, she smacked the chime repeatedly. "Robert!" _Robert, I know you're in there, what's wrong?!_

After a few moments the door opened. Robert was sitting on the couch, shirtless and in pajama pants, his head cradled in his hands. When he looked up, baggy-eyed and tired, Lucy saw tears streaming from his eyes down to his bearded chin. "I… I felt her, Lucy," he said hoarsely. "I felt Julie. She's alive… Fassbinder… he's.. he's hurting her."

Lucy stared at him for a moment, but she felt his conviction, his certainty. The feeling that he'd personally felt something like an electroshock reverberate through his body, inflicting terrible agony. He certainly wasn't lying.

But the idea of it. Of a connection across universes. It was beyond anything she'd ever heard of. "Are you sure it's that?" she had to ask. "This… it's never happened."

"I know. It sounds insane," he said. "From what we've experienced, the Flow of Life doesn't traverse universes like this. Connections don't. But I _feel_ her, Lucy. I feel Julia! She's alive and she's in pain and _we have to find her_."

"We will," Lucy said. "We're making progress on the intel, we should have something later today."

Robert's response was an impatient look. "This is taking too long," he insisted. "It's been days, Lucy. _Days_. I promised her I'd come for her if this happened!"

Lucy felt his desperation and impatience and it made her heart ache. She wondered how Robert would survive if something would happen to Julia, or if the pain might destroy him. "And you'll get to keep that promise, we all will," Lucy said. "Just… you need to hold it together, Rob. Julia's going to need you to, if we're going to rescue her."

There was a surge of irritation at Lucy's words, as if she was patronizing him. But Robert bit it back. Lucy was trying to help, as always. "I… yeah. I know. It's just…" Robert swallowed. "I saw this coming, Lucy. I've been dreaming of this for years and I still let it catch me by surprise."

"Your dreams of the future have always been potential futures. Not prophecies of what will be. Don't blame yourself for not seeing this coming. _None_ of us saw it." Lucy sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Robert, get some sleep. Get Leo to give you something if you have to. But you need to rest, really rest I mean, because we're going to need to be at tip-top shape for this to work."

Robert nodded slowly to that. "Right. I'll… I'll go to bed."

Lucy looked to his work desk and noted the telltale signs of someone having laid their head on it out of fatigue. He stood and she followed, making sure he laid down before she departed back for Science Lab 1 and the intel that might yet lead them to Julia.

* * *

Among other things, the attacks on Gersal and New Liberty had brought Defense Command in Portland back to its peak wartime level of strenuous activity, with the officers and personnel present directing the reactivation of the reserve fleet so recently taken out of service, along with the necessary infrastructure to support and man those extra ships. The prospect of SS or Cylon ships launching another surprise attack ensured the presence of a fleet in orbit and the heightened activity of the planet's assigned fighter units.

The need for defense fleets for the Alliance's major worlds occupied much of Maran's time now, as this need had to be balanced with other defense needs, like the maintenance of the 5th Fleet at Horizon to face potential Dominion aggression, and the demand for ships to protect the spacelanes of the fallen Nazi empire. The Defense Committee was meeting daily, requiring updates, and President Morgan required the same activity.

It was thus after a long day that Maran retired to his office in Defense Command. The skyline of Portland showed the twilight visage of the Alliance's capital city, located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers. He allowed himself a moment to enjoy that sight before he turned to one matter he'd been required by duty to hold off: the _Aurora_ 's command situation.

The sad truth was that it was unlikely that Captain Andreys would be recovered soon, if at all. It pained him to think that the promise she'd shown was going to be cut short in this manner. Even if she were eventually rescued, after a prolonged period in SS captivity she would be in no shape to resume her command. Likely not ever. The Alliance had lost one of its leading lights and an excellent starship captain.

Another sad truth was that Maran doubted he could arrange a promotion from within the ship's crew. Meridina, as capable a woman as she was, had only the past year of suitable command experience, and Maran doubted he could talk Personnel into giving her command of the _Aurora_. A year ago Commander Carrey would have been an acceptable candidate, even if his experience was primarily in attackers, but his difficulties with alcohol since New Caprica were not unnoticed by Personnel. Restoring him to the _Koenig_ had required extensive work and Zachary Carrey's own continued sobriety, not to mention his conduct on the Citadel and Germania. A promotion and command of a star cruiser was a less likely prospect at the moment, when his restoration was still a fresh one.

Assigning another Facility hand with command experience was Maran's first choice, but only so many of them had command experience, and they were all in the middle of assignments on key vessels. Personnel would resist such a reassignment, and on the sound grounds of those existing assignments being more important. Thus, after days of thinking it over and testing the waters at Personnel, Maran had one prospect left that didn't involve causing such a struggle with his own people.

He returned to his desk and, after noting the local time for his intended contact, brought his interface online. "Computer, activate IU comms, standard encryption. I need a channel to Rohric. The office of Warmaster Shai'jhur." He waited patiently for the system to work through the needed protocols until it opened the requested channel.

The screen on his desk activated. The tired expression of the gray-tinged figure of the Dilgar Warmaster blinked into appearance, with wide yellow eyes gazing, a bit hoodedly, at the Gersallian Admiral. Maran had trusted her to lead the support forces over Germania, and she had served the cause of light with the same calm aplomb which had let her save the rearguard at Third Balos. "Admiral Maran," she acknowledged, harboring no ill-will to any. "It has been a tumultuous week."

"It has," he acknowledged. "I have heard no reports of attacks on Dilgar space. I trust this holds true?"

"Nothing. I thought the Nazis might regard us as a convenient target for their terror attacks, but we also have a fleet out of proportion to our population, and quickly re-mobilised it," she answered.

"That is good. I am uncertain as to why, but it appears the SS exiles have gone quiescent for the moment. Whether or not this is to build up for a large attack, or if their numbers are lower than we expected and their losses at New Liberty were prohibitive, I cannot say. But I have called you on another matter." Maran set his hands down before him. "You have heard about Captain Andreys?"

"I am afraid not. She was slain at New Liberty, I take it, then?" Shai'jhur's face twisted into a peculiar sort of grimace.

"She is considered missing, and is presumed dead," Maran clarified. "There is some uncertainty on the matter. Her crew are insistent that she was taken captive, and some of our analysts believe that a possibility given what we know of the attack's commander."

"Admiral… I must say that she would be better off dead. This is truly unfortunate. The Nazis will hate her for destroying all they had."

"I said as much to her officers." Maran's expression was grave, as Shai'jhur's point hammered home the horror of that outcome. "Either way, the issue at hand is the command situation on the _Aurora_. That is the reason I have called you."

"I have already given you my eldest daughter, Admiral. I am grooming Tia'jhur for my heir, and the others did not follow command tracks, or are too young. Of the ones not my blood, War Captain Fiy'jash is a psychiatric casualty after the death of one of her children to the mercenaries during the Tiran crisis. I am not sure who else I would recommend."

Maran nodded. "I understand. But there is a candidate I have in mind, who could make the transition more smooth for the ship's crew." With gravity in his voice, he said, "I would inquire as to the availability of Captain Kaveri Varma."

"My wife." A fond look crossed Shai'jhur's face for a moment. "Admiral, she may have commanded Explorers, and have been used to being a negotiator, a conciliator; but she is an Earthforce officer, and a Dilgar officer, and stricter than your Aurorans will like."

Maran nodded in acknowledgement. "That is true. But the same can be said of many other candidates being considered. I feel that Captain Varma may be the best chance to prevent the crew from splitting up. I…" Maran, for a moment, felt uncomfortable. The thoughts he had were not those he shared. The one man he might have spoken to on the matter was _Mastrash_ Ledosh, and he was now gone. "There is a… matter, Warmaster. It is a delicate one, and one I myself wrestled with for some time, and it pertains to the crew of the _Aurora_ and my efforts to keep them together despite the opposition in my own service."

"By all means, Admiral, you have my confidence. You know I have faced delicate matters before," Shai'jhur answered, her tone and posture creeping into some sympathy. Shai'jhur's wounds were old; Maran's homeworld had been hammered but days before.

"The crew of the _Aurora_ are the standard bearers of our Alliance. That, alone, merits to me every measure I take to keep them intact, regardless of my peers," Maran said. He kept any remaining doubt about this measure from his voice. He would have to trust someone, after all, and Shai'jhur was among the few he would do so with. "But they are more. To a number of my people, a growing number I suspect, they are the Dawn-Bearers."

Shai'jhur braced her hands against her desk and leaned closer, as if to share a secret in person.

"I myself have only come to this view slowly, after consideration and discussions with the late _Mastrash_ Ledosh," Maran continued. "You are aware of Swenya, and what she was to our people. While we lost much in Kohbal's uprising a hundred years after her death, among those things we remember is a prophecy she is said to have given late in her life, using the gift of foresight that the Flow of Life grants to those sensitive to it. That is the Prophecy of the Dawn." Maran reached over to transmit the text to Shai'jhur, in its entirety, the final line once omitted restored due to his correspondence with Ledosh and Robert. He watched her note the incoming data and waited quietly for her to read it.

"To a Dilgar, without the benefit of thousands of years of context and Swenya's stories, it seems maddeningly vague, Maran," she said, informally. "But, I also recognise a real power when I see it. I saw what Lucy Lucero and Meridina showed. I would _never_ discount this power… Being guided by a hand, toward a purpose. One might disbelieve, but one would truly be a fool to _disregard._ And frankly, from what I have heard of the attack on Gersal… Your _enemies_ may believe it more than we do. That begs the question of whether or not they know something we do not."

Maran nodded grimly. He'd read the reports from Gersal himself. The things said, the things seen. All of the indications that the Cylons were in truth guided by the survivors of Kohbal's dark brotherhood. Given the knowledge lost in that ancient war, how much more did they know of the past than Maran's people? And what was their plan for the future?

With these thoughts still on his mind, Maran continued, "The final lines are, to me, the most important," he said. "There is much my people forgot due to Kohbal, but we remember the stories of Swenya confronting an ancient darkness, and our contact with the time traveling being known as the Doctor confirms that the Darkness do exist. That they are an ancient force, and they are still out in the Multiverse somewhere, on some level of creation, a threat to everything we know. And according to Swenya, the crew of the _Aurora_ may very well be the key to defeating them."

"And if we accept that there is anything good in the universe at all, then… You wish to try and preserve their relevance to prophecy, and also their relevance to hope, as a symbol of the Alliance. You cannot be sure it is enough, but you must try. Am I right?"

Maran nodded. "Yes. We need that symbol. Not just my people, but the Alliance, indeed the entire Multiverse. Especially if our worst fears come to pass, and we do face this ancient threat ourselves."

"Well. Maran, Kaveri is commanding the _Wrath,_ on peacekeeping duties in the former Reich. With this mobilisation her battlecruiser is needed as part of the fleet. But I will raise the idea with her. I will impress upon her the importance, and I will impress upon her the gravity of the request. I had hoped we could be together, but this is serious, and I must convey to her the seriousness of the opportunity. And you can tell the other Admirals of the Alliance that you have her in mind, perhaps that will give you a little more time to find Captain Andreys in."

There was real gratitude in Maran's expression, as stoical as it usually was, and the same was in his voice when he replied. "My thanks to you, Warmaster, and I do understand that I have asked much of you and of your wife. I can indeed buy more time from Personnel with Captain Varma's candidacy. Enough time for Captain Dale's efforts to be fruitful, if they are not done in vain." For Shai'jhur, or anyone that might observe him and know Maran's usual demeanor, there was a visible weariness to Maran he did not normally evince. The attack on Gersal had left its mark on him as thoroughly as any other Gersallian.

"Then you have my blessing, Maran. The storm breaks, still shall we remain."

* * *

At the bar in the Lookout, Zack sat without saying a word to anyone. He asked for no food, no drink, nothing but quiet. He needed the quiet. He felt like his heart was going to break into pieces.

The idea of Julia being dead was bad enough, and the year had already been terrible. He'd lost Clara, lost his self-respect and only painfully rebuilt it, then survived the attack on the Citadel and the Battle of Germania. For the woman he loved to die too… there were few things worse than that.

One of those things was the alternative. That Julia was a captive of the SS. An SS which didn't have other factions holding it back anymore. The things they'd do to her, the kind of torture and humiliation they'd put her through, he could barely stand the thought of it. He tried and failed to keep his imagination from considering all of the possibilities.

After letting out a breath Zack started looking for Albert, figuring a small meal or at least a soda were necessary. It was when his eyes scanned across the shelf on the wall that Zack spotted the tall, square bottle of green liquid. He recognized it immediately as Aldebaran whiskey.

For the first time in months, it struck him. A deep, raw need for the haze, the obliteration of his senses. To make everything numb and forget, for even a moment, his pain. Zack looked at the bottle and _craved_ its contents like a man dying of thirst craves a bottle of water. _One is too much_ , he reminded himself. But with his imagination tormenting him with the idea of Julia suffering, with his fear giving him grief that she was dead, or worse than dead, that he would never see her again, would never hear her laugh, never get to exchange jokes or tease each other or put up with her well-intentioned take-charge mother hen bossyness…

Zack's hand twitched. Just a motion and the bartender would come, and he could enjoy a drink and just… no, no he couldn't do this, not again, not after he promised, not after all he went through… he couldn't give in and yet he just needed a drink, just a little one, just to take the edge off, just to dilute the anguish. One drink to make the pain easier to bear...

"Hey Zack."

Jarod's voice got Zack's attention. By the time Zack looked over Jarod was slipping onto the stool to his right, the last stool at this end of the bar. He motioned with a raised hand for the bartender to come over and said, "Another pitcher, your best."

"Yes Commander," the young man replied in a thick accent.

When Zack gave him a wondering look he answered, "Coffee. For those of us in Science Lab 1 going through all of the intelligence Robert got from, well, an unexpected source." Jarod gave Zack a close look and then followed Zack's eyes to the shelf. "We're all worried for her. And we're all wondering the same thing. That it might be better if she died fighting. If they took her…"

"Yeah."

"She's a fighter. And we'll do anything to find her."

"Even if it means going rogue?" A dangerous look came to Zack's eyes. "The Alliance is writing her off as dead."

"MIA, presumed dead."

"This is Davies isn't it?" Zack asked aloud. "He thinks he can get one of his people in command."

"It's a lot of things, I'm sure. But we're not going to stop looking for her, you can be sure of that." Jarod noticed the dangerous look in Zack's eyes. At that moment he fully believed that Zack would, if it came down to it, steal the _Koenig_ if he needed to in order to save Julia.

Although by that same measure, Jarod was certain the crew would steal the _Aurora_ if they needed to accomplish the same.

After glancing to the Aldebaran whiskey on the shelf again, Zack asked, "Did Sydney ask you to come see me?"

Jarod nodded. "He did. But I would have come anyway."

Zack blinked back tears. "Thanks. To both of you." 

* * *

While Science Lab 1 was the center of the hunt for Julia, Cat was utilizing Science Lab 2 for the same purpose. It was meant for physics and materials sciences, after all, and analysis of the debris from SS ships was part of that. She looked over the twisted, blackened sample she'd acquired from the debris collection now sitting in the lab's analysis chamber. A formidable array of advanced scientific equipment was giving her everything she could imagine on the debris. Its material composition, remnant radiation traces, atomic makeup, every piece of data she might find useful, data that might yet provide a vital clue.

Results from scans flashed over her screens, and Cat set up comparison analysis to see if anything matched. Maybe a unique radiation trace from exposure to a pulsar or some other unique space phenomena. Or if the piece had a unique element or isotope, the origin of which could indicate a possible base.

Minutes passed, hours. Bit by bit, the results came in. And…

...and nothing. Nothing unique. Nothing she could use.

Cat didn't initially notice that she'd started to weep. She just did. She sniffled and let out a small sob full of despair. Julia was out there, she needed help, and Cat could do nothing for her. She didn't have anything to lead her to Julia. Not one damn thing.

The tears were dripping from her chin when the nearest door to Science Lab 2 opened. Tra'dur entered and approached. The young Dilgar pulled up a chair and sat beside her, her feline eyes focusing on Cat. "Cat'Delgado," she said quietly, using the combination of personal and family or clan name that Dilgar always did. "What is wrong?"

"I thought… I thought maybe I'd find something," she said. "Something that would give us a clue on where they came from. Where they might have taken Julia." Cat sniffled and wiped away at the tears flowing from her reddened, fatigued eyes. She glanced at the time display on the nearest screen, which showed the time as 2350. She was due to be up in less than seven hours to report for her morning watch. "But there's nothing. Nothing I can _use._ "

"I see." Tra'dur nodded in understanding. "I know you want to find her desperately, but there will be the next watch to keep the data reduction going. You also need sleep to do your best, Cat'Delgado. That's science, too."

Cat nodded. "But if we don't find her, if I've missed something…" Cat stopped and wiped again at the tears. "I've known her since I was little. I wasn't even ten years old yet, and she was this awesome big kid who could fight my sister and win, and was really cool and nice and… well, she was the first girl outside my family I really liked. Her, and then Susannah. I've already lost Susie…" Cat drew in a breath and the resulting sniffle. "It's funny. Rob was the one who led us into this, and he was the Captain at first, but she was always the one to take the lead for us. To get us to do the job right. And she's done so much and always looked out for us, for me… now I can't even help find her."

"You have tried," Tra'dur replied. "She, the Captain, would understand. She would be proud."

"Yeah, she would. But I just feel… I feel like I haven't done enough."

"Everyone feels that way. Everyone."

"And you?" Cat asked. "Do you feel that way?"

Tra'dur nodded quietly. "Captain Andreys has done much for my people. And she sponsored me through the Officer Training program and gave me my post here. I'll always be grateful to her. I pray that the Gods give her strength and us insight so that we may bring her home."

Cat sniffled again and nodded. "I guess that's all we can do. Pray, I mean." After running her hand over her eyes again, trying to clear the tears, Cat treated Tra'dur to a hug. "Thank you," she said.

Tra'dur, surprised briefly by the embrace, returned it carefully, uncertainly. "You really should get some rest, Cat'Delgado," she said quietly.

Cat responded with a mumbled, "Yeah", and with Tra'dur departed the Lab, bound for her quarters and a good night's sleep.

* * *

Even with everything that happened, daily routines were still a part of the lives for those on the _Aurora_. This included the daily training regimen of Angel Delgado, who was busy pummeling away at one of her punching bags as part of said regimen. Sweat coated her bronze skin, her muscles visibly bulging beneath.

While Angel had a reputation for being hard on the gym punching bags, she was usually not so rough on them. Today was one of those exceptions, as she cut loose, punching and occasionally kicking with enough ferocity that the material of the bag was giving way.

She only stopped when Tony Zah, her boyfriend, called out her name. She turned to face him. He was fresh from a jog, shirtless and in gym shorts. Usually the sight of him like that, with his developed musculature under his tanned complexion, made her appreciate having Tony as a boyfriend. Today she barely gave him a glance.

Tony didn't mind that. He knew why, and he said nothing more until he was beside her. "Want a partner?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She focused on the bag and slammed her fist into it.

"Babe, she's your friend," he said gently. "I understand."

"This wouldn't have happened if we'd been more careful," Angel insisted. "The war ended and we decided it was back to business. We should have been _scouring_ for the damn SS the moment we found out some of them got away! Not building Goddamn science ships!" As she spoke each sentence she picked up the pace of her punches.

"Hey, Babe, look at me?"

Angel turned to Tony, snarling. She looked like she was ready to explode from fury. Wordlessly he stretched his arms open, offering an embrace that by all appearances she was too furious to be interested in.

And yet, she took it, moving up to him and putting her arms around him, letting Tony do the same to her. Tears welled from her hazel eyes. "She's my friend, Tony," Angel said. "They've got my friend."

"I know," he said.

"Aside from Cat, she's the one… I mean, you know about me and Rob, but I met her first. She's my match on the mat. Back in the day, back in Kansas, it was always awesome with her. I'd win, she'd win, and we always shook hands and… and we stayed friends, and did things, and she brought me into the group with the others. As bossy as Julia is, you could, you _can_ always count on her."

"We're getting her back, Angel. Doesn't matter what Portland says, you and the others, you'll find a way. You always do."

The term prompted a small giggle from Angel. The giggle was the only thing stopping a sob instead. "Trying to make me think you're some brilliant therapist type?" she asked.

"I'm just a lunkhead with muscles, what do I know about therapy?" Tony kissed her on the forehead.

"No more than me, I guess." Angel let out a yawn. "I guess I should shower and get to bed. You're due to go on duty soon?"

"Soon, yeah." He let go, and she did too. "See you later for dinner?"

"Your dinner, my breakfast," Angel answered. "Sure."

Tony nodded and walked away. Angel admired the view of her boyfriend from behind before going over to collect her water bottle and towel, which she used to wipe the sweat from her face. _He's a keeper_ , she thought, after which her mind went to the main topic for her. _We'll find you, Julia. We'll get you back. Just hold on until we get there, wherever you are…_

* * *

After being shocked into unconsciousness, Julia spent untold hours in the tank. Her wounds were fully healed by the point that she was fished out, which jolted her back to consciousness.

The men who took her away, two of Fassbinder's troopers, handled her roughly, half-dragging her across the ground. It took several minutes for them to arrive in what was clearly a confinement area. The cells they passed were empty and inactive. All save one, which was to Julia's right. It was to the opposite cell on the left that they took her. One bellowed "Get in!" and drove a black stick in his hand into Julia's ribs. Not only did the impact itself hurt, the stick delivered an electrical shock into her body much like a taser would. Her body seized up painfully. With a contemptuous look they picked her up and tossed her into the cell. The lights around the entrance lit up, warning of an energy field to keep her in.

As they stomped off Julia took in the empty chamber. There was nothing here for her. No bedding, no seats, nothing but a bucket and the hard floor. Fassbinder was determined to make her suffer.

With her energy waning, Julia turned enough to glance to the opposite cell. It was also occupied. She got a glimpse of a figure in red clothing. Before she could notice further detail, her eyelids dropped, too heavy for her to keep them open any longer. Within seconds she was asleep. 

* * *

Robert's sleep was restful enough. When he awoke he checked for further messages. Finding none, he took the time to process the necessary paperwork to confirm Gina Inviere, as a naturalized citizen of the Gersallian Interdependency and member of the Order of Swenya, was being signed on as a non-military operator for his operations team. He expected it to cause some waves in Portland, but he had the leeway in the Paladins' operating charter, and plenty of character witnesses to Gina's capability and trustworthiness.

Next was a check on the new day's intel reports. There were no further reports of SS or Cylon activity. A major Jem'Hadar and Cardassian force was on sensors near Horizon, drawing in the 5th Fleet, but intelligence believed it was a Dominion test of Alliance defense response after the attack. Another report marked the Romulan activity near Altharra and incidents there. Alliance Intelligence believed it had to do with the pretender to the vacant Romulan throne.

He was just starting to read that report, if just to get his mind off things, when he received the call from Lucy to come to Conference Room 1. He turned off his systems, donned his uniform, and went straight there.

Richmond, Lucy, and Jarod all looked exhausted. Meridina and Anders were present as well, as was a small table with breakfast pastries and treats from Hargert's kitchen. And several pots of coffee. He poured himself a cup and snatched up a jelly-filled strudel to appease his hunger.

Once they were all seated Richmond took the lead. "We've found an item of interest," she said, bringing up an image of several manifests and the image of a space station. It was a ring station with an inner cylinder. Some weapon emplacements were visible. "Toutaine Station," she said. "In orbit over the third moon of a rather nasty desert world in SOT5 Wild Space. The planet is neutral and is home to the Yildiz, a Human nation or tribe of sorts. Toutaine has a marginal habitable zone in the temperate and subpolar regions, and they are for the most part a non-industrial agricultural society going by Solarian records."

"And yet there's a space station in their space," Robert said. "Black market?"

"Officially independent by charter from the planetary government, with links to certain Cevaucian figures of import. They do a hefty traffic in various illicit goods, including, going by this evidence, slavery. In fact, the Amir of Toutaine sells families into off-world slavery as a sort of ultimate punishment."

"And the Aristos are involved now?"

"They're using Toutaine Station as something of a customs point. We're still determining the exact nature of how they get jumps back to A5R0."

"Probably the same way the Orion Syndicate and the Batarians and all of these other criminal organizations do it," Lucy noted. "They pay for jumps like any other ship. And if the jump station network ever gets put into operation…"

"However they do it, Toutaine Station is currently a central point for the trade. Not really surprising given that S0T5 also has a large population of telepaths." Richmond tapped a key and highlighted documentation. "The important part is that we have journal entries and manifests confirming the link to the SS. The SS has been trading captive telepaths and certain technologies to the Aristos in exchange for examples of Eubian technology they consider of interest. And Toutaine Station's position in Wild Space, far from standard Solarian patrols, is an optimal location for these exchanges."

"So we need to go there and find the next link in the chain," said Jarod. "Which is the hard part."

Robert already knew what he was getting at. "The distance is too far for the _Jayhawk_ ," he said. "At Warp 6 it would take weeks to get there."

"The _Aurora_ could manage the trip in a few days," Jarod replied. "But Scotty's still working on repairing the warp drive. We're at least a day from warp capability."

"And with the fleet mobilization, we are not free to join you, Robert," Meridina remarked.

"Even if not, I doubt the _Aurora_ could make the journey," said Richmond. "Toutaine is past the far end of Solarian and Cevaucian space. Neither state would appreciate the _Aurora_ entering the area. The Bragulans are another threat. Frankly all of the powers in that region would react badly to the _Aurora_ warping in."

"So what we need is a ship that won't tick them off," Lucy said. "One fast enough to get the _Jayhawk_ to Toutaine." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Meridina, do you think Kasszas might help? Maybe someone at the Enclave has a ship…"

By this point everyone noticed the thoughtful expression on Robert's face. Lucy and Meridina could sense his distaste and growing resolve. He was about to do something he didn't want to, something he knew would come back to bite him in some way, but at this point he'd do anything to help Julia. "I've got someone better in mind. I'll be back as soon as I'm done." With that he rose from his chair and left.

The walk back to his quarters on Deck 6 gave Robert time to run what he was about to do, about to say, through his head. Over and over he considered his options and knew this was the only viable one. Julia couldn't wait for them to get another ship, a slower one, or to get permission from the Solarians, or any other thing they'd have to do in order to get to Toutaine. He had just this one option. And for Julia, he'd do it, even if it cost him in the long run.

When he arrived in his quarters, Robert immediately sent out a message over the interuniversal comm network. It wouldn't take long for it to go along the relays to its destination. Indeed, only a few minutes passed before the system notified him of an incoming encrypted communication. He confirmed his identity with the system and waited for decryption to process.

When it was done, he was treated to the view of an office desk, behind which a sunset sky was filled with skycars and other vehicles. High rise buildings were plainly visible in the distance. But they weren't the focus of his attention. The figure in the fancy chair was, the chair with the emblem of a winged Moebius sign.

" _Hello, Captain Dale_ ," said Sidney Hank.

"Mister Hank, thank you for responding so quickly."

" _It was nothing special. I've been waiting for your call_ ," he said. " _I have been since I learned Captain Andreys is missing, likely dead._ "

"She's not dead," Robert said.

" _Agreed. Anyone bothering to analyze Erik Fassbinder's known history would know that. He's been after you for a while now._ " Sidney smiled. It was a very unsettling smile, as if he was savoring the moment. " _So what can I do for you?_ "

Robert had to fight back the urge to scowl. He drew in a breath. _It's for Julie_ , he reminded himself, before answering, "I need your help, Mister Hank."

" _Ah._ " Sidney shifted himself in the seat slightly. His sky blue eyes focused on Robert. " _Well, let's be honest, Captain, you can't afford me on a Paladin's salary. Frankly it wouldn't matter, I have more money than I honestly know what to do with, so at this level I don't accept cash payments anyway. And while you have President Morgan's ear, I have other ways of exerting influence with the Alliance Government, I don't need a Paladin to speak for me. In short, there isn't anything you can give me as payment for my services._ "

"You're right, I can't," Robert said.

" _Then you know my price?_ "

Robert swallowed and nodded. "I do. Just as you offered to me in your office."

" _A favor…_ "

"...for a favor," Robert finished for him.

" _And you accept this? Unconditionally?_ " There was no denying the immense pleasure Sidney showed at the occasion. While he said nothing, the overtone was clear: he was seeing just how far Robert would go, and if Robert was desperate enough to sell his soul. Given that Sidney Hank epitomized the image of being "a man of wealth and taste", there was a certain foreboding quality to the idea.

"Don't make me act against the Alliance, New Liberty, or those I love, and don't ask me to commit mass murder," Robert said. "Those are my conditions."

" _Oh Captain, you needn't worry. I'm not a cruel man. I have no intention of ripping your precious conscience to shreds by forcing you to do something you'd find reprehensible. I have people I pay for those kinds of things. People who don't share your peculiar obsession with heroism._ " The tycoon snapped his fingers. " _Your condition is accepted, Captain Dale. Now_ …" Sidney leaned forward. " _...how may I be of assistance?_ " 

* * *

Every muscle in Julia's body hurt when she woke up. Her spine protested all of the time spent on the hard floor and her stomach growled a demand for food, food that she was not going to be provided. Her throat was parched dry. Even boiling water would be satisfying.

With her eyes open Julia looked across the cell hall to the other cell and its occupant. Now she could see her fellow prisoner was a Human, a young woman with East Asian coloration and facial features. She had shoulder-length black hair that was disheveled and unkempt. Her clothing was predominately red, a set of loose pants and a short-sleeved vest. Gold trim on the cuffs and neckline, and on the cuffs of the pants legs, provided extra color to her clothing. Julia guessed she was a teenager, or just past twenty at the oldest. Physically she was built solidly, but not thickly, with the faint hint of muscle on her visible arms. The girl's eyes were closed and she looked like she was in a meditative stance.

After a moment's thought Julia prepared to call out to the girl. The sound of stomping feet stopped her. Moments later figures appeared outside of her cell. Fassbinder looked down at her, his unnatural yellow eyes focused intently on her face. One of the troopers with him turned off the cell. "Have you rested well, _Kapitan_?" he asked, sardonically. "Either way, it is immaterial. The time has come for your interrogation to begin in earnest." 

* * *

The chamber Julia was brought to was dominated by one large chair with wrist and ankle restraints built into it. A control panel was visible nearby and, along one wall, a flat viewer screen. Fassbinder stood beside it while his troops put her in the chair.

After she was strapped into it a headpiece was lowered, pushing up against her forehead. THe chair began to spin until she was orientated facing away from the viewer. Fassbinder walked into her vision, wearing that small sadistic smile he'd held ever since Julia was brought before him. "This device is a remarkable interrogation tool, Captain Andreys. I admit the _Schutzstaffel_ did not develop it ourselves. We discovered the builders in our initial extrauniversal explorations. Among them was a rather willful, biologically _unique_ individual who was quite willing to trade technology for data on… _wurmloch_ , I believe is the term? Either way, we had data he found useful, and he gave us this." Fassbinder chuckled, as if privy to a brilliant joke. "I am quite amused by the irony. His people refer to this device as the 'Aurora Chair'. It will allow us to pull information from your mind. You will not hide anything from us."

Julia stared at the wall past him, giving no indication she heard him.

"Activate the Chair, _Untersturmführer_."

 _Something_ ripped into Julia's mind, eliciting a strangled cry from her throat as her entire head became alive with pain. She felt like someone was running drills into her brain. Fassbinder diverted his attention past her, where the screen came alive. She felt the chair grab at a memory in her head, the day Maran asked her to become the Captain of the _Enterprise_ , and heard the conversation play over a speaker.

This memory was followed by others. Memories of battles, memories of meetings. Every moment brought searing pain. She struggled briefly against the braces holding her wrists and ankles before letting out another cry.

Whether it was desperation to escape the pain, a desire to feel better, a subconscious impulse to fight the machine… whatever her motivation was, Julia focused on her happiest, most cherished moments. She focused on memories of warm days under the Kansas sun, playing in the Dale farm's endless fields of golden wheat. She thought of sitting and watching movies with her parents. She immersed herself in these happy memories as if they could shield her from the pain.

They didn't. They couldn't. The device continued to burrow into her mind regardless. But all the pain managed to do was redouble her efforts.

She was too focused on these efforts to notice the growing expression of irritation on Fassbinder's face as those same childhood memories played out on the screen. The pain in her head only seemed to grow worse, as if the machine sensed the defiance in her efforts and was determined to thwart her.

It would be some time before the pain became too much, and everything went dark.


	94. Episode 3-17-3 In Enemy Hands

The jump point generated by the _Aurora_ deposited the _Jayhawk_ in the S0T5 universe. Upon exiting the jump point a wave of nausea filled Robert and the others. Lucy was used to this feeling, but Gina and Talara were not. "I… I do not remember feeling this bad the last time," Talara admitted. "I just felt a little worn."

"You're more sensitive now," Lucy pointed out from the piloting seat. Her skin paled a little. "God, I hate this place."

Robert's stomach was twisting. He could see why the reports on the Fracture were fully justified. The place was simply _wrong_. Everything felt distorted, as if space itself, as if reality, had been smashed with a sledgehammer and twisted up afterward. Robert noticed something on his screens. "There's a ship nearby. Sending you coordinates."

Lucy activated the main engines on the _Jayhawk_. The impulse drives gave the ship excellent speed and maneuverability. It closed the distance to the incoming ship in record time. Everyone looked out at the vessel with increasing incredulity. "It's… a giant donut?" Lucy asked.

The craft ahead was a torus in shape, much like the pastry Lucy compared it with. Its hull was a fine, brilliant silver. Robert noted it was at least a kilometer in diameter. Its surface was mostly smooth and unmarked, but he noticed white light pouring from one section facing slightly toward them. The center of the torus was visibly empty, although sensors detected energy fluxes within the center that would certainly keep them out of it.

From the spare seat Gina was monitoring communications. "We're being hailed. Audio only."

"Put them on."

An electronic voice spoke. " _Greetings,_ Captain. _I am the_ Joyride Madonna _, and I take great pleasure in saying I am the fastest ship in the Pan-Empyrean fleet. I am here to bring you to the Toutaine System posthaste. Mr. Hank's other agents will be waiting for us there. Please land in the designated landing bay. For your safety, it is advisable that you remain aboard your vessel during our flight._ "

"What do you mean you're the ship?" Talara asked.

" _I am a Computational Intelligence_ ," the voice replied. " _I am aware that those outside of Solarian space can be perturbed by excessive interaction with CIs, so I will endeavor to make your trip a pleasant one. Please, inform me if there is anything you need._ "

Course data came through over the channel, which Robert relayed to Lucy. Their destination was the source of light along the surface. Lucy flew the _Jayhawk_ in. As they neared it, no further detail appeared on the vessel. Its surface appeared completely smooth. Robert checked the sensor readings and noted that while it could determine some of the minerals in the hull, the specific material was not on file.

The landing bay itself had a red and gold interior. Several fighter craft were visible, as were personnel shuttles. Worker drones were visible in one corner, inactive but presumably ready to service returning vessels. When the bay door closed it did so as if it were a liquid. "Memory metal?" Robert asked aloud.

"Maybe," Lucy said. "I'd need a sample for an atomic analysis scanner, and I doubt Mr. Hank will approve." She relayed sensor data to the pilot station. "It looks like the ship is building up to a transition to hyperspace. But this pattern, the wavelengths, it's all atypical for S0T5's drives."

"File it for later," Robert said. Everyone felt a sudden, minor shift through the ship. The sick feeling of the Fracture dissipated.

" _We are now in hyperspace_ ," the operating CI said. " _Estimated Time of Arrival to Toutaine is six hours._ "

They exchanged surprised looks. "Only six hours?" Lucy asked. "That's… amazing. I'm not aware of any drive that fast."

" _I am built with only the best in technology developed by Pan-Empyrean, Lieutenant Lucero_ ," the CI replied cheerfully. " _I am fully justified in stating I am one of the most advanced, capable vessels that exists in the Multiverse. If you wish to know more, I am happy to provide answers so long as they do not counter the interests of Pan-Empyrean Holdings._ "

"Right. Well, there's nothing for now," Lucy replied.

" _Very well. I will inform you when we are ten minutes from hyperspace egress. Good day_." The line cut.

"This is… I mean, I thought Sidney Hank was just some ludicrously wealthy tycoon," Lucy said to the others. "But this is… why would someone like him want a ship like this?"

"I have a feeling there's a lot more to Mr. Hank than any of us realize," Robert said quietly. "And we may not enjoy finding out just what he's really up to." As Robert spoke those words he thought again on the deal he'd made. He'd given Sidney Hank something close to a blank check. He wondered when it would be cashed, and just what it could cost him in the end.

Another thought quickly came. Whatever it cost… it would be worth it if he rescued Julia. 

* * *

Julia awoke with a jolt, her right cheek stinging from the impact of a backhanded slap against it. She opened her eyes to find herself laid out on the ground. A set of cuffs held her wrists behind her back. An iridescent powder, something like fine glitter, covered her skin. She blinked at that, wondering just why she was covered in glitter.

"It is good that you are awake," Fassbinder said, standing over her. On his left hand and forearm was a gauntlet with a control panel of some kind. "I sense you are curious about what we have coated you with, _Kapitan_. Allow me to explain." He knelt down beside her and looked into her face while she turned away. "We acquired this technology from another of our new trading partners. They were quite… _eager_ to acquire our telepathic prisoners of war and provided us with useful technology and resources in exchange. This… _glitzerpulver_ is actually composed of nanobots. You are familiar with nanobots, yes?" She didn't have to answer, as he could sense that familiarity. "It can be keyed to DNA. We have done so with yours. The nanobots hook themselves into your skin and extend threads that attach to nerve endings. Allow me to demonstrate." He reached for the gauntlet and pressed a button.

The pain was unreal. The surface of much of her body came alive with it. General, unspecified _pain_ , as if the pain was itself a sense. A choked scream came from her throat at the intensity of the sensation.

Fassbinder let out a satisfied little sigh, as if her agony brought him physical pleasure. He knelt there for several seconds, enjoying the sight before him, the screams and cries of pain sweet music to his ears, before he keyed the gauntlet again. The pain receded and Julia sucked in a greedy breath, the screaming have driven the air from her lungs. "Now, _Kapitan_ , what do you know about the defenses over the Reich's homeworld?"

Grim resignation was in Julia's voice as she responded, by instinct more than intent, with, "Andreys, Julia Megan. Captain. Serial Number Bravo Zero Zero Zero Three One Zero One Hotel One Echo Four."

"Still uncooperative. Let's see how much pain you can endure, then." His finger stabbed at the gauntlet.

The pain returned. 

* * *

Across the _Aurora_ the repair crews were putting the finishing touches on their work. In Engineering Tom looked over the ship systems status display and noted nearly everything was green. The last yellow or red lights went green one by one.

Given that they didn't have the aid of a dockship or a full repair yard, the completion of so many repairs in such a length of time was an accomplishment to be proud of. Ordinarily he would have. But the sick feeling inside of him kept him from that sense of accomplishment. The repair work was all well and good, but it did nothing to get Julia back.

For all of his excitability, Tom Barnes was not normally a hater. He could be angry at someone, utterly livid, but _hate_ was too strong for his usual feelings.

But now he knew what it was like to hate. To hate the SS, who had caused so much misery on his adopted world. Killed so many good people and taken a friend he admired and respected.

The last system went green and there was some applause from the assembled. None came from Tom.

"Tom, how are you feeling?"

The line might have come from Julia, who was missing, or Scotty, who wasn't there. Instead it came through a machine, a vocoder, built into the suit of the speaker. Tali'Zorah took a place beside him and looked over the control display. "Your ship is ready," the Quarian woman said.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help." He glanced toward her. "So you're back with the Fleet? Your Pilgrimage is over?"

"It is, yes," Tali replied. "I offered the _Neema_ captain the Geth data that Commander Shepard allowed me to copy. I'm a member of the _Neema_ engineering crew now."

"Good for you," Tom said, with as much sincerity as he could muster. "How long until you reach chief engineer?"

Tali let out a small laugh. "It will be some time, I imagine."

He nodded.

"I'm sorry about Captain Andreys, Tom. She… she was a good captain."

" _Is_ ," he insisted. "She's still out there, she's alive, and we'll find her. That's for damn sure."

Tali went quiet at that. She could see how much Tom was hurting, regardless of what he said. It was a familiar pain to Tali. She felt it whenever she thought of Shepard.

"I'm sorry about Commander Shepard," Tom said. "She was good people."

"Yes. And it's how I know what you're going through."

"Right. Except you didn't have jerks planning on replacing her." Tom made a fist. "There are people in charge who hate us because we don't salute right or whatever. They'd love to take over the _Aurora_."

Tali looked at his face and understood. Losing his friend was hard enough. Tom was afraid that in the end, he'd lose everything he cared for. His ship, his friends… he might get split from all of them. "I understand, Tom," she said. "What you're afraid of."

Given where they were Tom had already said too much on his private feelings, so he didn't respond audibly. He replied with a nod. "Thank you," he finally said. "Well, I'd better get back to work before Scotty finds me standing around."

"Of course. And I need to get on a shuttle back to the _Neema_ ," Tali replied. " _Keelah selai_ , Tom. If she's out there, you'll get her back."

Tom nodded in reply and returned to work. Tali left Main Engineering. Down the corridor she found Commander Scott in an office space, checking a report. "I did what I could, Scotty."

"I thank ye for it, lass," he replied, his accent strange to Tali's ears. "Th' lad's hurtin' more than he lets on."

"How are you feeling?"

Scott gave her a knowing look. "She's still out there, an' we'll go get 'er, even if I have tae steal th' _Aurora_ t' do it." A dangerous glint in his eye made it clear that this was something he'd given thought to. Tali had the feeling that it was something he'd even done before and wouldn't care about doing again.

"Good luck, then," she said before walking out. 

* * *

The nanobot session was followed by another period of immersion in the "kolhtou", although this time Fassbinder did not turn on the electricity. When the healing session was over Julia found herself being escorted to another section of the "city". That she could even walk was entirely due to the green fluid she was being immersed in. Nevertheless her guards had to half-carry her at points, at one point earning her a vicious punch to the stomach out of frustration and endless insults and curses, some in German and some in German-accented English.

The place she was brought to was essentially an auditorium, or had at least been refurbished as one by the SS. In the seats were various figures, who had just finished listening to an actual SS Choir that had sung the _Florian Geyerlied_ for them, the muscular blondes in uniform filing away as she was brought in. Some were in SS uniforms, others had dark clothing. She recognized one as one of the Cylons, the older male model, indicating the others were Cylons as well. A third visible group were in fine suits and uniforms. She glanced long enough to note their skin was marble white and their hair dark as night-save for one woman, of average height in the group but a powerful figure, whose haughty, perfect face was set with splendid ashen silver-platinum hair and whose eyes glimmered in a lush red bordering on purple, dressed in a black formal dress with white opera gloves. Several other sets of carnelian eyes settled on her, the eyes reminding her of Robert and Lucy's reports from Tau Atrea of the slaving "Aristos".

Her guards marched her up on the platform. The Aurora Chair was sitting in the middle of it, with attached viewer and controls. She was placed in the chair as before.

Fassbinder approached from the other side of the stage. "My fellow Aryans, treasured allies, allow me to introduce our prisoner, the Captain of the hated _Aurora_ , and one of the founders of the Allied Systems. I will now demonstrate the efficacy of this device on her." He walked to the controls.

Julia steeled herself for the chair, but it did little to offset the immense pain of the device drilling into her mind again. She cried out from the intensity of the experience.

"As you can see, it is quite unpleasant," Fassbinder said. "We are still learning how to tune the machine to more accurately attack a Human mind, allowing an efficient extraction of information from the subject. In time we hope to adapt it to other species, including Gersallian."

" _Herr Brigadeführer_ , can the subject trick the device? Resist it?" asked one of the SS officers.

"They may potentially try to guide it, according to our tests so far. We are learning ways to make more targeted scans of the subject's memories. Testing will tell how successful we are." He glanced with amusement toward Julia. "It is that consideration which is currently determining the pace of our subject's interrogation, in fact."

This conversation continued with the backdrop of Julia moaning and struggling against the braces holding her to the chair. Her face was twisted in a rictus of agony all could recognize. Behind her, the screen displayed the sight of a number of Africans, adults and children, running past the viewer. A bolt of blue light appeared from the bottom of the screen and struck an approaching armed man.

The memory of rescuing people during the days of the Facility bubbled up from Julia's suffering psyche. It was a silent plea to the universe, a subconscious one, that after helping so many people, she now asked for the same.

Fassbinder sensed that sentiment and turned, laughing. "As you can see, the subject remembers her days of aiding the weak and unfit," he declared loudly. "The machine shows us this image. In time, it will show everything in her mind. Every memory. Fine-tuning needs aside, there is no secret she or any other prisoner can hide from us once they are in the chair. Over the passage of time, they will be revealed to us."

That brought agreement from the audience, but Fassbinder was more satisfied with how it felt for Julia. He sensed the sentiment of violation building inside of her. While the pain in her head was excruciating, she still had the other senses, enough to hear, enough to know everything being said. Her pain was for the pleasure of others, and the most private memory might yet be plucked out by the Chair for their entertainment.

The idea that her happiest memories could be made into entertainment kept Julia from seeking solace in them. She fought the machine as best as she could, but wherever its drilling probes went, her mind yielded. Memory after memory flashed on the screen.

The pain finally faded. When she was released from the chair Julia thought her head might explode. Her guards roughly handled her, pulling her up and dragging her away.

"Now, if you will follow me, I will answer all questions, while our subject is healed once more," Fassbinder offered. 

* * *

Another of the halls in the city was now made up as a reception hall. The best food and drink the SS could acquire was on display for the delectation of their visitors. The Cylons were clearly not as interested, mostly staying to themselves, but the Aristos behaved as if this was their due, indeed, as if it was insufficient, but accepted regardless as a gesture of magnanimity toward the SS.

That part made Fassbinder bristle a little. While he appreciated the wealth of the Eubian Concord, not to mention their own approach to racial hygiene and their ruthlessness, he found the Aristos' love of luxury utterly undesirable. It gave them a softness he found palpably irritating. Nor was he blind to the idea that they were out to use the SS, and would reduce Aryans to slaves as swiftly as they reduced others.

At the approach of their delegation's leader, Fassbinder forced those thoughts away. "Yes, Lord Karex?"

"An impressive display, _Brigadefuhrer_. Your prisoner's pain was an enjoyable diversion." The Aristo smiled with remembered pleasure. "And such a pretty specimen. If only she were a psion, she would make a lovely provider." Karex laughed at the remark. "But onto more important matters. From what you have said, the machine does not work properly on Humans."

"There are certain inefficiencies that time and testing will wean out, Lord Karex. It is one of many reasons why I intend to keep Captain Andreys alive as long as possible."

"Yes, your leader implied you had a special desire to deal with the Alliance founders yourself," said Karex. "Much as any Aristo would love to deal with the so-called 'Ruby Dynasty'... ah, Lady Taruar?"

"Lord Karex," the woman with her brilliant white opera gloves arrived, her hair pulled back into a bun and still long enough to fall from that in a braid down her back, with a tremendous line of alternating rubies and black opals in a silver necklace around her neck. "You must absolutely take the time to introduce me to the _Brigadeführer._ "

"Of course. _Brigadeführer_ Erik Fassbinder, this is Lady Danaine Taruar, the personal representative, and a most excellent conversationalist I might add, of His Imperial Majesty Emperor Jaibriol III."

Fassbinder appraised the silver-haired woman with interest. He sensed something odd about her. Something he didn't feel in the other Aristos. _It may simply be from her being of the higher Diamond caste. Or perhaps she has the metaphysical gifts too, but if so, they are woefully undeveloped_. "My Lady," he said politely. "I hope my demonstration will meet the approval of your Emperor as much as it does my _Führer_."

She answered in flawless upper-crust old-style German of the First _Führer_ 's days. " _Seine Majestät der Kaiser Jaibriol ist am meisten interessiert diese Wunder das Deutsche Reich uns zur Verfügung stellen kann_."

Fassbinder found his estimation of Lady Taruar increasing. "Such elegant use of my race's tongue," he said in the same. "I was led to believe the Earth of your universe was another sad example where the German people proved incapable of fulfilling Hitler's dreams for them."

"Unfortunately you are correct, however, during the course of my studies into the humanity of Earth, I had the opportunity to take an education in Germany, at the University you likely still knew as the _Königlich-Sächsisches Polytechnikum_ , and I became quite fascinated with the history of that which was, to me, then, without knowledge of the Multiverse, this brief flowering of potential in which the Germanic race seemed poised in the Sun and Lightning to become a true Master Race. Now I meet you, _Brigadeführer_ Fassbinder, and even in your hour of trial, I do not believe the hour of the Germans has passed. You surely must take heart in the stories of Frederick, in Berlin's occupation and liberation during his wars, in the Miracle of the House of Brandenburg."

"Yes," said Fassbinder. "We will yet reclaim Germania, our Earth, our worlds. And the Alliance will burn before this is over."

By this point it was clear to Lord Karex that he was being left out of the conversation intentionally. He stated, in Eubian, "It is pleasing that initiative always wins reward, is it not, my Lady?"

"The only certain rewards are in initiative, when one permits the rival or the enemy to gain initiative one wins victories and rewards alike only by luck, and then rarely. That we have taken this initiative against the Ruby Dynasty means much." She returned her attention to Fassbinder, but kept speaking in Eubian and let the translators handle it. " _Brigadeführer,_ let me assure you, we are also aware of the risk that the Alliance poses with their interuniversal drives, because of the initiative they provide. We would never be concerned about a trifling alliance of weaker, misguided races and peoples united by the popular passions of democracy, except for the enormous strategic advantages of the drive. But because those strategic advantages accrue against all practicality or sense, we are grateful for the profitable relationship we have established, and pleased to see our estimation correct, in that the hour of your possession of the drive at once brought powerful blows to the Alliance."

Fassbinder's own translator - a hated concession compared to what things were like before the Alliance - allowed him to understand all that was said. He felt an impatient tic against the Aristos' love of hearing themselves talk and indirect remarks with potentially hidden meanings and allusions. But his orders from Kranefuss were direct; diplomacy was necessary. "It was a great pleasure to watch New Liberty burn," he said. "That it brought pain to my enemies made it all the more satisfying." As he spoke he decided not to say a thing about the IU drive. There would be no opening given for the Eubians to believe the SS had promised the technology to them, for that would never happen. "Do you have any more questions or concerns I may answer for the Emperor?" Fassbinder felt the flicker of suspicion and dislike from Karex. _He fears the Emperor will assume control of this connection, depriving him of profit_. "I would be honored to assist."

"If I could schedule a meeting with your technical personnel personally to review the documentation and specifications, I would deeply appreciate it. I would like to thank them, and also to ask some questions, on the matters of the faster than light communications and the warp drive. This would be a lovely possibility as well for me to answer any technical questions on our information as well… Of course, Taskmakers deal with the petty details of such things, so we will keep ourselves to high theory and other interesting matters. Your people are much accomplished in technical affairs theoretically and we… Appreciate integrating your worthy contributions to science into our own."

Fassbinder considered his orders and the request. Warp drive was of little consequence, and he'd already made arrangements with Karex for subspace radio, so there was no harm there either. "I will make the necessary arrangements," he replied. As he spoke Fassbinder allowed himself a grin. By now Captain Andreys was back in the kohltou tank. He would have to check in on things when he was done here, and perhaps, test the nanobots on her again. They hurt quite a bit, he sensed.

Lady Taruar saw the grin and how similar it was to the ones on the faces of her compatriots during the public torture session. "My, my, _Brigadeführer_ , we have heard much about the not-psion abilities of these other universes… Can you actually… Sense her continued agony at this remove?"

"If I focused, I would," Fassbinder said, and did. Yes, he did feel his prisoner's lingering pain. "She is not like me, or I would sense her more strongly." As he said that Fassbinder pondered on just how it was that he did sense her as he did, more than others. Did she indeed have a slight capacity? Was it something else? "My enjoyment is not so visceral as yours is. It is not a physiological enjoyment for me, my Lady, simply the satisfaction that my hated enemy is suffering at my hand."

It was quite clear to the others, indeed, that Fassbinder hated his prisoner. It was the kind of hate that you didn't get just from a sense of superiority. It took wounded pride, deep loss, and a need for savage revenge.

"That is why Skolians make such pleasing providers," Karex remarked. "The hate makes transcendence sweeter. Now, my Lady, may I introduce you to one of the Firsts? I am reminded that a common enemy can make for profitable relations."

Fassbinder observed them departing. There was something about Taruar he found vaguely unsettling, but it made her _interesting_ , in a way Karex never was.

In the long run, the only thing that mattered was that these powerful allies were providing him the means for both revenge against his foes, and the chance to reclaim the Reich from those that had destroyed it. 

* * *

Talara sat on the bed in the quarters assigned to her on the _Jayhawk_. The room was small, given the size of the ship, but it was not uncomfortable. In here, she had time to meditate.

On her lap, a digital reader showed the report from Fala. The Defense Fleet was on full alert and ready for a Reich attack. Fala was sending aid to both New Liberty and Gersal. Her parents' reply to her message confirming she was okay was loaded as well. She read it again, if just to reassure herself that they were okay, and returned her focus to herself. To the power within her being.

But it wasn't easy. Robert, across the way in his quarters, seemed to have lost his usual friendly, kind qualities. She sensed anguish and yawning despair. A desperation, a need. He had to rescue Captain Andreys, _had to_ , and she feared that if he were to fail, it would break him.

Any further consideration ended when Gina's voice came over the comms. " _We're ten minutes out from Toutaine_ ," she said.

A moment later Robert replied. " _Suit up_ ," he said.

Talara left her quarters. Robert was already on his way to the cargo/armory area. Lucy emerged from the engineering division at the back of the main deck, discarding her tool belt. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Horrible," he answered. "But I'll live."

He passed her by and Talara approached. Lucy stopped her from following for the moment. "I have something for you," she said.

"Yes?"

Lucy led Talara back toward the four cabins. Her cabin was a little more lived in, with discarded spare suits and clothes over the one available dresser and in the small closet. A collapsible tray by the bed had tools laid on it, along with a crystal of lavender hue, much like the color at the center of Talara's irises.

Talara gave Lucy a surprised look. "You… you believe I am ready?"

"I think you are. But that decision is yours." Lucy put a hand on Talara's shoulder. "Gersal was as bad as Germania. Worse in some ways. And I know it hurt you. But I also saw how you handled it. I think you've found your way to deal with darkness regardless of how sensitive you are. And with everything happening, I want you to be fully prepared. It's up to you, of course. I'll support you either way."

Talara looked to the tray and back to her teacher's face. "I understand," she said, after which she sat down and concentrated on the contents of the tray. She quieted her mind and felt the connection to the Flow of Life, allowed that connection to flow freely, unobscured by thought.

Piece after piece lifted from the table. Talara sensed those pieces, the way they were supposed to flow together, and her will commanded the same of the objects provided. She felt them move toward one another, matching up as they were built to, creating a device of such precision that only those with this power could hope to assemble them.

For a moment, a brief moment, she stopped. This was not a work of art. It was a weapon. It could defend, true, but like any weapon, it could cause harm. It could kill. By crafting it, making it, Talara was accepting that. And a part of her didn't want to.

But Lucy thought she was ready, or she would never have presented the parts to Talara. And as much as she disliked what the lightsaber could do, Talara knew what it represented. What it meant for an increasing number of people in the Multiverse. It was a symbol of hope, of good. The weapon of what she aspired to be, a Knight of Life.

The moment of hesitation passed. Talara's will resumed the task of assembling the pieces and planting the lavender-hued crystal into its cradle in the mechanism. She shifted the housing into place and felt the final pieces snap together. Only then did she open her eyes. She reached toward the silver and blue-colored weapon hovering in the air before her, her will summoning it to her hand. Nearby Lucy watched quiet pride for her to complete the last step. In the confined space of the small quarters there wasn't much room for Talara to do so, but she found enough space to hold her arm out and activate her new weapon. A blade of lavender-colored light surged from the device with a lingering electronic snap-hiss sound.

"Think fast." Lucy tossed a slab of metal toward Talara. Her blade easily intercepted the slab, sending its severed halves between her to thump against the wall of her quarters. "Congratulations, Talara," said Lucy. "You've successfully built your first lightsaber."

Talara extinguished the blade and nodded with respect. "Thank you for your faith, Lucy. I will not cause you to regret it."

"I'm sure you won't. Now let's go suit up. We should be at Toutaine in a few minutes." 

* * *

The _Joyride Madonna_ emerged from hyperspace in the Toutaine system. With unseen engines the toroid moved toward the space station. From the _Jayhawk_ the assembled group monitored communications. They detected the larger ship transmitting a code into the space station. The ship's operating CI spoke again. " _The Wild Geese have secured much of the station. They are awaiting your arrival at the transmitted coordinates._ "

Under Lucy's control the _Jayhawk_ launched and flew from the _Joyride Madonna_. Again Lucy kept the ship clear of the inside of the torus, flying around the Pan-Empyrean vessel and toward the similarly-shaped space station ahead. They entered the provided landing bay and found several combat-armed figures with Solarian rifles waiting for them.

Jason Chandra, the head of the Wild Geese, was waiting when they emerged, all four in the Gersallian-style of robes - Lucy, Gina, and Talara in blue, Robert in brown - and armor - again purple and blue respectively. Her new lightsaber now dangled from Talara's belt, and the others could sense her quiet pride in the accomplishment. It was evident to Chandra too.

"Captain Dale," he said. "Nice to see you again. I hear you've had a career change." He gave a diplomatic, welcoming smile. "I didn't take you for the black ops type."

"We're more white ops," Lucy replied sardonically. "Black ops, but without the ruthless jerkiness."

Chandra flashed her a knowing grin. "We'll see how long that lasts. Follow me."

As they emerged into a corridor of rust-colored metal, they found the station mostly empty save for Solarian combat drones and armed men in Pan-Empyrean markings. "Under Mister Hank's orders we've secured the station. Most of it, anyway. There's a section near the middle that's holding out. We considered storming it, but you might be better able to take it and leave us captives alive to be interrogated."

"Good call Captain Chandra," Robert answered. "Take us there."

"Already was." As they continued on to a cross-walk to the inner core of the station, he continued, "We've rescued about a dozen abducted espers, mostly from Wild Space worlds. Looks like they were being sold into slavery to some foreigner with red eyes."

"An Aristo," Robert growled. "Just as we expected."

"Well, he's in the isolated zone with some cyborg troopers. With your abilities we should be able to break in and take prisoners without needing excessive force."

"Agreed."

Chandra brought them to a hall with a corridor ahead. Energy fire occasionally blazed through it, stopping at a deflector field. At the field were several troopers with the unit. Robert recognized the cyber-modified assassin Matsubara - the one Zack called a "cyborg ninja" after the mission to Solaris - and the diminutive form of Scirocco Montague, the specialist psion of the unit. Her eyes were about as large as any Human's could ever get, her head larger than normal, and otherwise looked physically puny. Robert had good reason to know she was anything but that; her appearance was from the Apexai DNA that she, as a hybrid, possessed, significantly boosting her psionic power.

Scirocco gave him a penetrating look. Robert felt her presence at the edge of his mind, viewing his surface memories and thoughts. Her look lost some of its intensity. "My condolences," she said. She motioned beyond. "Whatever that… _thing_ is, he's nasty. A Blank of some kind. Just feeling his mind is… annoying."

"He's called an Aristo, Universe A5R0," Lucy said. "They're a bunch of slavers who feel pleasure when they sense the pain of others, especially telepaths. They keep telepaths as slaves to torture them for the pleasure it brings."

Scirocco's face hardened. 'Well, I look forward to shredding this one's mind," she said. "I've faced worse."

The others could believe it. "We'll take the lead," Robert said.

"Right behind you," replied Chandra. He started issuing orders.

The four stepped up toward the deflector field. They ignited their lightsabers in tandem. Lucy's and Gina's were blue, Robert's blade emerald green, and Talara's new weapon the same lavender color as the crystal she'd used. "We'll take the lead," Robert said to Talara. "Just watch our backs."

"Yes sir," she replied.

Together they went through the field, the three experienced fighters in front and Talara behind. The energy fire descending on them was vicious and lethal, and each seemed to come within microseconds of taking a deadly hit, but every time their lightsabers intercepted the shots before they could land. They advanced down the corridor and into the besieged section of the station, a residential hall and attached dining area. It was richly decorated, if now bearing the marks of battle.

The defending enemies, cyborgs all, continued to fight back, even as the Wild Geese stormed in behind Robert's team, even as they fell one by one. The last went down to a strike from Gina's lightsaber.

There were survivors left. Human beings, mostly in immaculate, pressed robes and uniforms that Lucy recognized as similar to those she'd seen on the ship that attacked Tau Atrea. They were the servants then, slaves themselves, if favored ones.

Among them was a red-eyed man in the finest garb, his black hair combed immaculately, his skin almost porcelain in its coloring. He stood at the back, unarmed and no threat, but clearly unbowed as well. He looked them over and a sullen smile came to his face. "I recognize you," he said in an accent Robert previously heard at Tau Atrea. "You are the Alliance founder. The one who helped kill Lord Tyral and his wife." He laughed. "Oh, such timing. Such timing… which, it occurs to me, is the point, isn't it?"

"We know you're trading things with the SS," Robert said. "Start talking. Tell us where their base is."

"I am Lord Haron, and I will do no such thing, Alliancer," the Aristo replied. "Do you think I fear your pathetic people? The SS may be pathetic in their own way, but at least they understand how the universe works. They have a will to power, an understanding of racial greatness, not unlike our own."

"Comparing the Nazis favorably to yourself isn't going to do you any favors, jerk," Lucy pointed out.

"Are you aware of what I sold to them?" asked Haron. When they didn't answer he laughed. "In exchange for captives, I gave _Brigadeführer_ Fassbinder a supply of the nanobots we use on our providers. They are specially made just for what he needed."

"The base. Where is it?" Robert demanded.

Haron ignored him. "The machines are keyed to DNA. Once this is done, they affix themselves to the skin of the selected provider. They thread themselves to touch the nerve endings."

Lucy didn't like where this was going. " _The base!_ " Robert shouted. " _Where. is. IT?!_ "

"I have no idea," Haron asserted. 'I do not study the interuniversal system very closely. The universe coordinate is beyond my knowledge. Or that of my taskmakers." He laughed. "Your friend is a captive of the SS, isn't she? Oh, how awful for her. _Brigadeführer_ Fassbinder will certainly use the nanobots on her. Will coat her with them and leave her _screaming_ from the agony the bots will inflict. I can hear her cries now…"

Lucy felt Robert's patience snap. Before she could stop him he lashed out, grabbing Haron with his power and tearing him from the floor. With a wave of his arm Robert sent the Aristo into the ceiling with bone-jarring force. He slammed Haron into the nearby wall next, smashing the Aristo's nose in with the impact. Blood poured down Haron's face as he went flying backward into the opposite wall for another hard impact.

Gina and Lucy exchanged worried looks as they felt the rage in Robert release. He snarled at Haron and held him in the air. " _WHERE IS SHE?!_ " he thundered.

"Screaming," Haron replied, defiant and vicious. "Screaming like a new provider."

Time slowed for Robert, or so it seemed. He felt cold power surge behind his hot, desperate rage, dark power tied to the most visceral and primal of his emotions. In that moment he felt the temptation to give into it. To smash Haron into things until the Aristo's broken body was at his feet. To give release to the fear and anger in his heart.

But he felt Talara's worry, her sensitive nature, and her warm heart. He felt Gina and her devotion to the ways of Swenya, her ability to rise above the pain of her past. And he felt Lucy, who had taught him through example, who understood the anger in his heart but was even now readying herself to intervene and stop him. For his own good.

Ultimately, as much as Robert wanted the Aristo dead, he wasn't going to pay for the pleasure with his soul.

Robert's hand opened and the wounded, battered man fell to the ground, hitting his knees. Blood poured from his smashed nose. His red eyes glared murderous hate at Robert, as if he could incinerate Robert for his deeds.

But that look went blank, replaced by brief terror and then a loud, strangled cry. Haron's body tensed up, his muscles contracting until they started to tear, ligaments and tendons snapping like twigs from the unnatural pressures Haron's body was being forced to exert. His eyes poured blood as well before rolling up into the back of his head.

And then Haron collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut.

Lucy knelt down and examined him. "No pulse," she said. "He's dead."

"That was the point," said Scirocco. "Something like him doesn't deserve to live." She looked a little pale, but just a bit. Contact with the Aristo's mind had been painful. She turned to face Robert, who was breathing heavily and staring down at Haron's body. "I learned a lot of things from his memories while I tore his mind to pieces, but I'm afraid universal coordinates was not one of them. I'm sorry."

"You were able to tear his mind apart? By yourself?" Robert asked quietly. "It took twenty telepaths to do it the last time I saw it happen."

"I'm not just any normal telepath, Captain, as you well know," she replied.

Robert nodded. In his head he did the calculation. If he wasn't wrong, Scirocco was probably one of the strongest telepaths alive. She may even be at the level of someone like Lyta Alexander, if not stronger.

Chandra stepped up. "Command center's this way. CI should be finished soon with an analysis."

Wordlessly Robert walked away, causing the others to follow.

* * *

The woman calling herself Lady Danaine Taruar, as haughty and regal as any of the Aristos, settled into her private quarters on her starship which would, with the assistance of an SS cruiser, take her back to Eube's Glory, or simply Glory to most. She began to compose the message, written in her native tongue, which none in either universe knew, but that she had taught the Eubian Emperor, for the secrecy it provided.

At her side was a glass of some immensely calming natural beverage of one of the worlds of the Carnelian throne, which a taskmaker had provided to her. She was naturally in command, utterly prideful, spectacularly perfect by Eubian standards, a Diamond who had clear hints of pretension toward being a Highton, the perfect kind of person to be used as a high-level functionary by the Emperor himself, and discarded just as perfectly if she pushed beyond her station. Some, of course, made mock of her imitation of the Empress' natural hair colour, the white-platinum which was all the rage now that ranking Aristos near the Emperor were displaying it, instead of sculpting to correct that sign of age. It made her look odd, for she could be a woman in her twenties otherwise, but that was normal enough for a bodysculpted Aristo.

The subtleness of the shade of her eyes, a bit more purpleish than the Carnelian norm, different in a completely opposite and more regal direction from those of interbred half-caste Taskmakers, was remarkable and had helped lead to a few marriage offers already. Those she had demurred. She was the Emperor's woman, not in that sense, she would never think to disrespect the Empress Tarquine so, but if this all worked, she might yet be remembered in the same breath as Talleyrand.

 _Your Imperial Majesty, Hail!_

 _Sire, the situation is dire. The Schutzstaeffel are providing subspace communication capability including all the necessary equipment to arrange for mass production, and also tactical warp drive. Because of the dissemination through the connections of the Silicate caste, it is now inevitable that these technologies will proliferate throughout the Concordate, and thus give us inestimable tactical and strategic advantages over the Imperialate._

 _If Your Imperial Majesty desires to complete Your objectives geopolitically and morally, they will be limited by the realities this situation imposes. Of course, it is clear that the SS does not wish to share IU Drive with the Concordate, however that is not of any particular benefit to Your objectives, it merely reduces the pressure for interstellar war. I would nonetheless warn that such a war is entirely possible due to the activities of the Silicates who have been very aggressive in diversifying the sources of Providers. In short, it is necessary and required to consider kinetic alternatives to the current plan._

 _Honourably Your's,  
Lady Danaine _

The woman smiled for a moment, satisfied at the characters she had put on paper. She folded it up and slipped it into her bodice. "Markeina, prepare my bed for me, I am tired after all these discussions with the Reich officers and scientists, and should rest on my return to Glory." The words slipped from her with all the ease and comfort of someone used to directing servants, and that much about her was indeed very true.

* * *

The station's command center looked as worn and used as the rest of the station. Some of the surfaces used hardlight construct controls, others flat panel touchscreens, and yet others physical switches and dials. Screens showed sensor readings and data files. At the center, Robert and the others joined Chandra and his tech people. "We've completed a search of the systems," one man said to Chandra. "Indexing is finishing now. Give us a search parameter and we'll find whatever's in here."

Chandra looked to Robert, who said, "Anything on SS bases. On the SS period. Universal coordinates too."

"Searching now." After several moments the man shook his head. "While I'm getting some info on SS-linked trade, there's nothing in the files on their bases. Definitely nothing on universes."

Lucy tied her omnitool into the system. She ran her own search parameters. Moments passed and she shook her head. "Nothing," she said. "They probably kept it off the systems on purpose." She gave Robert a worried look. "I'm sorry, but the station's not giving us anything."

She felt the little snap in Robert's heart. He grabbed at a console to right himself as the despair filled him. He let out a low sob at the weight of it all.

He'd promised Julia he'd come for her. He'd _promised_. Now she was being held by one of their worst enemies, one of the most sick and vicious beings they'd ever faced, and _there was nothing he could do_. Every time it looked like he had a way to find her, it didn't pan out, no matter how hard he tried or how much he gave. He'd put himself in the debt of Sidney Hank, a debt he was already certain would be something he regretted, and yet… and yet it would be for absolutely nothing. Julia was still beyond his reach, suffering, waiting for him to come for her like he'd promised.

Lucy set a hand on his shoulder, feeling Robert on the brink of breaking down completely. "It's not over," she assured him. "Trust me. We'll find…"

One of the Pan-Empyrean operators looked up from a console. "Gravimetric spike. Incoming interuniversal jump point."

"Put it on," said Chandra.

The holographic viewer came alive, showing empty space. A green vortex expanded into view. From it flew a blocky, ugly-looking space vessel painted utterly black. Only the lights of its warp nacelles and the visible lightning rune insignia stood out in the void around it.

Lucy was already checking the profile. "It's an SS ship alright. An armed transport ship, _Calypso_ -class."

As she spoke, Lucy felt hope light up inside Robert's being. He looked up with a look of utmost determination. "We've got to get aboard!"


	95. Episode 3-17-4 In Enemy Hands

The others followed Robert as he raced for the _Jayhawk_. Enhanced speed allowed them to get there quickly. By the time they did, Chandra spoke over the comm line. " _They're suspicious, but I've got them on approach again through codes we extracted from Haron's personal CI implant. We'll fire to cripple as soon as they're in range._ "

"And we'll board." Robert rushed up the ladder to the port-side airlock. The others followed.

They were rushing toward the cockpit when all felt a fifth presence on the ship. They turned and faced the black-clad figure of Matsubara. He appraised them with cold eyes. "You will need my services," the figure said in a quiet, cold tone. "Mister Hank ordered me to ensure you recovered the data on your friend's location."

Lucy and Gina felt uncomfortable around the cybernetically-enhanced assassin. Robert merely nodded. "We'll go over by short-range transporter once we're in range. Strap in."

The _Jayhawk_ cloaked and launched from the station. Lucy flew them on a course to keep the ship out of the crossfire when the station opened fire. "They're still on approach," she noted. She turned back briefly. "No shields. We could beam over, but we'd have to decloak."

"Let's leave that on the table for now. Continue the approach," Robert replied. He glanced to Talara. "You'll stay behind and bring us back. The transporter can only handle four at a time at an absolute maximum."

"Yes sir," she replied. Robert sensed she was quietly gratified that she wouldn't face any more violence today.

"They're stopping," Gina observed. "I think they're suspicious."

Robert watched the transport as it hung in space for a moment, not moving. "You're right, they suspect," he said. He glanced at the sensor readings. "They're building a particle charge for a jump. We've got to move _now_ before they…"

Without warning the weapons emplacements of Toutaine Station opened up. Brilliant ruby light played over the warp nacelles of the vessel, wrecking both. More fire cut into the ship's navigational deflector and the sections behind it. On the sensor screen the particle charge dissipated, much to Robert's relief. "Take us in!" he shouted.

Lucy answered and the _Jayhawk_ accelerated, its course and speed now bringing them up to the other ship in seconds. Talara took the helm controls from her so she could join Robert and the others. Lucy tapped at her omnitool. "Remote transport in three, two, one…"

The transporter on the infiltrator snatched them away. The _Jayhawk_ cockpit disappeared in a burst of light. When the light faded they were on a bridge full of men in SS uniforms.

The ship's captain lunged for a control, intending to lock down his ship's database. Just before he could key in the command Robert's power flung him into the air, smashing him first against a roof and then the far wall. Matsubara became a sinister black blur, his superhuman speed and monomolecular-edge blade letting him dismember those whom he targeted. Gina sliced the hand from another officer raising his pistol and pushed away others with force. Lucy cut down one foe before getting to the doors.

Within the span of five seconds the bridge was secure. Two seconds later Lucy declared, "I've locked down the door!" She rushed for one of the nearby control panels and started working her omnitool.

Matsubara seemed to materialize beside her. An interface port emerged from one of his fingers. He pressed it against one of the control surfaces. "Commencing download," he said. "Decrypting enemy database."

"That's fast," Lucy observed. With Matsubara's help her job was easier. The cyborg's software ran smart-decrypt procedures that allowed them to progressively crack the encryption.

Gina looked to one of the consoles. "You'd better hurry. It looks like the engineer is in the middle of shutting down the anti-matter containment system." She started operating the console. "I'll do what I can to stop him, but he's going to cut off my access soon."

Robert went over to the captain and picked him up. "Where is your base?" he asked.

The captain narrowed his eyes at him and said nothing.

"I'm losing access," Gina warned. "We don't have much time left."

"I'm into their navigational data and drive database. Downloading logs, viewing…" After precious, terrible seconds passed, Lucy grinned and looked up. "I've got it! Interstellar coordinates and… universal! N1C4!"

"Containment field going down!"

"Talara, now!" Robert shouted into his omnitool.

The transporter on the _Jayhawk_ yanked them away. They materialized on the small pad in the armory section and dashed for the stepladder leading up to the main deck. Just as Lucy made it to the first step the ship rocked violently, pitching out from under their feet. The lights flickered and went out, replaced by weaker blue and white lights after several moments.

 _The ship exploded_ , Talara explained mentally. _I tried to get us to a safe distance, but we were still too close. I'm reading multiple systems damaged across the ship._

 _We'll get to work on the repairs. Do we have IU comms?_

 _Negative. The transceiver took a direct hit._

 _Then get to work on repairs. Lucy, the data…_

His heart skipped as Lucy looked over her omnitool with consternation. She smiled and nodded, relieving his worry. "It's here," she said. "Computers weren't damaged, and I saved the coordinate data anyway. Universe N1C4. That's where we're going."

Robert let out a sigh of relief. _I'm coming_ , he thought. _I'm coming for you, just like I promised I would_. 

* * *

Another blow from a stun stick jolted Julia's body and caused her to collapse into her cell. The SS guard who'd happily caused the shock spat into her face before departing. The field imprisoning her popped back into existence. Julia, motionless on the floor of the empty cell, heard the guard walk away. Her clothes were soaked from the green healing fluid and days of sweat. Her muscles twitched from the shock of the stick.

Despite this Julia began to move, crawling slowly on the floor until she was facing the opposite cell. There her fellow prisoner was sitting, leaning across the far wall of the small cell. Her brown eyes were of a light tone, approaching amber. For the first time Julia noticed a collar on the girl's neck. A persistent green light blinked at the front. The look on the girl's face suggested barely-hidden frustration laced with resignation.

After a ragged breath came from Julia's lungs, she spoke, her voice still hoarse, "My name is Julia Andreys. Do you understand me?"

After a moment the younger woman nodded. "I can. They put a device in me so I could understand them."

"An auto-translator," Julia noted. "Who are you?"

"My name is Miko," the girl replied. She gave Julia a discerning look. "They've only put me in that chair a couple of times. They just leave me here usually. They must really hate you."

Julia, despite everything, chuckled at that. "Oh, yeah, they do," she said.

"Why?"

"Because my friends and I founded the Alliance. And the Alliance destroyed their empire. We liberated all of the enslaved nations under their rule."

A satisfied little grin crossed Miko's face. "Good," she said.

Julia grinned back before setting her head on the floor. She needed her rest if she was going to endure. 

* * *

With their mission accomplished on Toutaine Station, the _Jayhawk_ returned to the _Joyride Madonna_. The Wild Geese withdrew from the station as well, prisoners and freed slaves in tow, leaving the station's former operators to reassert control when they could manage to regain command of the station's systems.

" _It was interesting working with you again_ ," said Chandra on the screen in the _Jayhawk_ 's small galley. " _I hope the intel you picked up is what you're looking for._ "

"Thank you," Robert replied, seated at the table. Gina and Talara were seated with him. Lucy was at the stove frying an egg for her meal. All four were out of their armor, wearing an assortment of civilian clothing. "I hope those freed captives can find a better life."

" _My boss has some connections to Lyra Saxon and her fellow philanthropists. They'll be well cared for. Chandra out._ "

The viewer disengaged. " _Commencing hyperspace transit now_ ," the _Joyride Madonna_ 's CI informed them. They felt the subtle shift of the ship around them at the transit.

For a moment afterward the only sound in the room was the sizzle of the egg on the stove. "Anyone want some?" Lucy asked, checking the small spice cabinet as she did. "I'm making my mother's recipe."

"Sounds delicious," Robert replied. As he spoke there was a clear weight to his voice, mirrored by the feeling within him that the other three all sensed. He held up a digital reader. "From the information we picked up, it looks like the SS got the universe coordinates from Gamma Piratus. They've set up shop in a Darglan outpost."

"Fassbinder must have accessed the databanks of the Facility during the fight," Lucy observed, glancing back to Robert before cracking open another egg. Again the pan let off a dizzle as the yolk hit the hot surface. "Or maybe some kind of data siphoning device was planted where we didn't see it."

"Possible," Robert agreed, distracted.

"Do we know for sure that Captain Andreys is being held there?" asked Talara.

After a moment of silence Robert nodded. "I can sense it. She is. But even if she wasn't, this is still a lead worth pursuing. Going by the logs this N1C4 universe base they have is one of their major ones." He eyed something on the files he was looking through. "And look who's listed as being in charge?"

With a swipe of his finger he loaded the file onto their omnitools. Gina and Talara read it. "Fassbinder," noted Gina.

"Exactly," said Robert.

"Gina, Talara, can you give us a minute?" asked Lucy.

The two glanced from her to Robert before nodding and leaving. Robert looked at Lucy as she came over and sat down beside him. "Let's talk about what happened on Toutaine Station," said Lucy.

"Not much to talk about," Robert said.

"You almost lost yourself," Lucy said. "I felt it. You let your anger take control. You know better, Robert."

"Yeah." He clenched a fist. "I do." There was clear shame in his green eyes, shame and pain. "But I… Lucy, I've felt Julia in pain. Hearing that monster mock what was being done to her, I just couldn't... "

"I know. I understand. But it worries me. This feeling you have of sensing Julia, I think it's causing you a lot of harm." Lucy reached over and set her hand on his arm. "I'm not saying you're not sensing her, I'm just worried about what it's doing to you. You're becoming unbalanced, frustrated. Angry. You're allowing your darkest emotions to come out."

"Yeah." Robert nodded. "It's just, I… I _can_ feel it, Lucy. He's hurting her. He's hurting _Julie_. She's in terrible pain from what he's doing to her. And we have to get her back, but always seems like something's in the way…" He broke off speaking as a low sob broke his voice. "I can't lose her, you understand that, right? I can't lose her too. I… I don't think I can even stand the thought of it."

"I know." Lucy shifted the chair over and put her arm around his shoulders. "Rob, I do understand. I just don't want to see you break. I don't want you to become something she'd hate."

"I don't either," he said. "But I… what if I can't save her, Lucy? What if… what if Fassbinder moves her before we get there? What if we never get her back, and he just goes on hurting her until she dies from it, and… and I don't keep my promise to her?"

"Don't dwell on that," Lucy urged. "You're just hurting yourself. We will get her back."

He nodded in response. Lucy felt the fear within him persist, fear he struggled against, knowing what it was doing to him. He couldn't quite banish it despite everything. "Maybe Zack was right," he murmured. "Maybe I dragged everyone into this life without appreciating what it could mean."

"We made our choices, Robert, not you," Lucy said.

"But I'm the one who put the idea in your heads. And now… now it might… I feel responsible for this. For this all." Robert gestured at their surroundings. "I know it's not just me, I know you all signed up for your own reasons, but if I hadn't jumped at it, we wouldn't be out here, and Julia wouldn't be…" He shook his head, trying to regain composure, fighting to, and losing. Tears clouded his eyes. "I promised her I'd come for her. I _promised._ "

"And you are. But right now, you need to get a handle on your emotions so you can keep that promise. And you need a good meal." Lucy stood up and returned to the stove. "Including a slightly-singed egg."

He gave her a knowing look. "Only slightly-singed?"

"Well, one is. The other… egh." Lucy made a face and shook her head. "I should've finished cooking before playing therapist."

Despite everything, Robert let out a low chuckle. He wiped at his eyes. "Well, I need to get my game face on."

"Oh?"

"We should be at Avalon soon," he said. "And I'll need to get King Galahad's help for what I've got in mind."

"It won't take much to get him on your side," Lucy remarked. "As long as your epic storytelling has improved since last year."

A determined look came to his face. "I guess we're about to find out." 

* * *

The command staff of the _Aurora_ gathered again in the conference lounge off the bridge. "All systems repaired, sir," Scott confirmed for them. "Th' Quarians did a fine job with th' work, I'll tell ye. Widnae mind havin' a few of them on my staff."

"Perhaps you will one day, Commander Scott," Meridina said. She noted the feelings of the others at seeing her in Julia's chair, wearing a Captain's rank insignia. They bore her no dislike, but the entire situation was a frustration. An understandable one.

"So what are our orders now?" Angel asked.

"Admiral Maran will call shortly to give us our assignment," she replied. "It will most likely be to join a defense fleet. For the time being, Lieutenant Tra'dur will act as Operations Officer and Commander Jarod as First Officer."

Jarod frowned at that, but his nod was one of assent. Tra'dur was up to the task of fulfilling his job. Locarno's second, Rawlins, was still in training for a command role. "It makes sense," he said.

"Have we heard anything from Rob?" Cat asked. "Has he found any clues?"

"Nothing yet, and the _Jayhawk_ isn't responding to hails," Jarod replied. "But given were they're going, I'm not surprised. Whatever means they found of getting out to Toutaine, they're probably still in hyperspace. IU comms don't work."

"Do you think they'll let us go after Julia?" Cat then asked, looking concerned. "I mean, if Robert finds her?"

"It depends on whether they have the response fleet ready, and if they assign the _Aurora_ to it," Locarno said. "I wouldn't get my hopes up."

There was a soft little sound of disappointment from Cat. Her sister, seated beside her, put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Regardless of where we are going, we should make certain the ship is ready for combat. Commander Laurent?"

"Twenty fighters were lost in the battle, twice that number were damaged. Eight pilots and nine sensor officers survived from the lost craft," Laurent said. "That is the final count. We haven't replaced the lost fighters yet, and we won't unless the fleet sends them out. I have deactivated Fox Squadron and reorganized the others to bring the other squadrons up to full strength once fighter repairs are complete. Give us another ten hours and all remaining fighters will be ready for combat."

"We've got a fresh load of solar torpedoes," Jarod confirmed. "And we replaced crew losses with transfers from the _Pisces_ , _Rembrandt_ , and _Maimonides_. If we end up in a combat situation, we're stocked for it."

"Very well. I…"

Meridina was interrupted by a tone and the voice of Tra'dur. " _Captain, we have Admiral Maran on comms._ "

"Please relay him to the conference lounge, Lieutenant." Meridina and the others looked to the main viewer behind her head, where Maran's image appeared. "Admiral, the _Aurora_ is prepared to resume field operations. _"_

" _Good. We're sending you to Avalon, Universe S0T5. King Galahad personally requested your presence to secure the system. You will be under Avalonian command until further notice._ "

Meridina nodded. Behind her the others exchanged looks, many of them hiding their feelings. "Understood. We will arrive as quickly as possible. Might I ask on the effort to find the SS operating bases?"

" _We've made some headway, but we're still gathering the response fleet. The need to establish defenses is delaying us. But we can't afford to allow the Reich to raid our worlds at will, so it's a sacrifice we must make._ "

"Indeed. Is there anything else?"

" _No._ "

"When you have a target, can we be with the strike force?" Angel asked.

Maran considered Angel's request. " _I'm afraid that's unlikely, unless Avalon is secure by that time._ " After a moment he gave them a reassuring look. " _If we secure an SS base and discover Captain Andreys or her location, I will inform you as soon as it is practical. You have my word._ "

"Thank you, Admiral," Meridina said on the others' behalf. " _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_."

"Mi rake sa swevyra iso," he responded, after which he disappeared.

There was no hiding the disappointment in the assembled. Meridina acknowledged it with a nod. "Julia would want us to ensure the Alliance's security," she reminded them gently. "Should the worst come to pass, that is how we should honor her memory."

There was clear anger on the faces of Zack and Angel, but aside from that nobody said anything. Meridina gave Zack a worried look before saying, "You are all dismissed."

The assembled officers got up to leave, all save Zack, who lingered while deep in thought. Meridina turned back to him. "Your anger is misdirected," she said.

"No, it's not," Zack retorted. "It's damn well not. Davies is playing politics, I know it. That's how he operates. It's why Julia's being listed presumed dead, he doesn't want us looking for her because he wants an opening to put one of his people on the _Aurora_."

"I suspect Admiral Maran will be unwilling to do so."

"You're assuming he can stop it. Think about it, Meridina. These attacks happened on Maran's watch. Even if there was nothing he could have done to prevent them, people are going to blame him anyway. It's what people do. And Davies is going to take advantage."

"Perhaps. Either way, we must trust in Robert's efforts, and that Julia will be found."

"I just hope she's alive. And… whole."

Meridina sensed his thoughts at that. Of the catatonic, or nearly-catatonic, prisoners liberated from Nazi control. He was tormenting himself with finding Julia alive but such a broken shell of a person that she was never the same again. Or with not finding her alive at all, but merely confirmation of her death, a lonely and painful death at the hands of SS cruelty. "You dwell very much on such terrible possibilities. Do not forget that Julia is a strong and willful person. She will do what she can to resist, and we may yet recover her whole."

Zack nodded. There was little conviction in it. "That's what I hope to see," he said. "But we all hoped the war was over, and yet… it never was." He stood up. "I'd better get back to the _Koenig_. You may need us."

"A good idea, Commander. Thank you for anticipating the possible need."

Zack said nothing before leaving. 

* * *

The journey to Avalon required two interuniversal jumps and a few hours at warp between them. The second jump deposited them in the arrival zone of Avalon's system. Nearby the garden planet and its single moon continued their slow orbit of Avalon's G3 sequence star. Multiple ships were on site, enough that Jarod outwardly mused, "The system looks pretty secure to me."

"They may fear a major attack, either by the SS or other elements seizing advantage of our current situation," Meridina pointed out. "Inform System Command that we are ready to assume system defense duties."

Tra'dur nodded. "Aye Captain… we are getting a signal."

"They wish to speak with us?"

"No Captain." The Dilgar shook her head. "Captain, it's the _Jayhawk_. They're asking permission to dock and..." She turned back to face Meridina. "...and are advising us to prepare for interuniversal jump." 

* * *

Robert and Lucy arrived on the bridge to find the others waiting, clearly mystified. "We did it," he said, walking up to Jarod and handing him a data disk. "Universal and spatial coordinates for the base where Fassbinder operates from, straight from an SS armed transport."

Jarod took the disk and used his omnitool to scan its contents. "Universe N1C4," he noted. "It's not on any of our lists."

"They got it from the Gamma Piratus Facility." There was an eager tone in his voice. "We should get going. The longer we wait, the more time the SS has to bail out when they realize their location is compromised."

"I am afraid we cannot," Meridina said. "We have direct orders from Admiral Maran to secure Avalon. We are under Avalonian command until further notice."

The others expected Robert to react negatively, or at least insist on taking the _Koenig_. Instead he actually grinned. "Go ahead and put King Galahad on, then. Since he's effectively in command. Actually, if you'll let me…"

Using his omnitool Robert re-established the short-term comm channel he'd used to talk with Galahad earlier. The stout, solidly-built King of Avalon appeared on the bridge holo-viewer, his full beard of gray and white long enough to cover his upper chest, partially obscuring the rich regal robes he was clad in. He looked almost like Santa Claus, if Santa Claus were a hard-partying, boisterous bruiser of a monarch who seemed to be permanently bellowing. " _Ah, Sir Robert!_ " he declared. " _I see your vessel has arrived!_ "

"It has. Captain Meridina is currently in command."

" _Ah, good, good! A Knight of Gersal you are, Lady Meridina, I do recall that. Perfect for the mission of securing Avalon's honor!_ "

Meridina sensed the confusion of the others, much like her own. Robert and Lucy did not share it. "My orders were to secure Avalon, Majesty," she replied politely. "I am ordered to place my ship under your command."

" _Indeed, and as I requested, you will secure our honor by reclaiming the Lady Julia from the foul clutches of our enemies!_ "

Jarod gave Robert and Lucy a bewildered look.

Meridina took a moment to consider the situation before nodding politely. "I understand, Your Majesty. And I thank you for giving us the opportunity to perform this duty. Our honor is also at stake."

" _I would assume so, and it warms my heart to have the chance to grant you this quest! The stories they will tell of this day, why, they will be grand! Knights rescuing knights always makes for glorious tales! Now, I will not keep you any longer. Sir Robert, I will relay the information you provided to Admiral Maran upon your departure. Now go forth, heroes of the Alliance! Go forth and bring Lady Julia home!_ "

Galahad's image disappeared from the screen. The others all looked to Robert and Lucy. "This was all you?" Cat asked.

"Much of it," Robert admitted. "The response fleet isn't going to be ready for another day, at least, and Maran would be reluctant to go in before then. But we can survey the area and be in position to call ships in if they start to flee. And if we have an opening..." His green eyes hardened. "...then we go in. I'm not leaving her with them one moment more than is absolutely necessary."

"And since we took out one of their armed transports at Toutaine, it won't be long before they know we're coming," said Lucy. "So we should get going."

"We've made two IU jumps today already," Jarod noted.

Meridina responded by triggering the ship intercom. "Bridge to Engineering."

" _Engineerin' here_ ," answered Scott.

"Commander, we have the location where Captain Andreys is being held, and orders from King Galahad to see to her rescue. We will need to commence another interuniversal jump. Can the drive take it."

There was no hesitation from the other end. " _To get our lass back? Ye dinnae need t' ask, sir. She'll manage. Might need some time t' get her ready for th' jump home, but she'll get ye there._ "

"Understood," said Meridina. "Lieutenant, set drive coordinates to N1C4. Mister Locarno, use the positioning data provided to plot a course the moment we are through."

"Aye Captain" and "Aye Ma'am" were the responses.

Moments later the _Aurora_ generated and entered an emerald-colored vortex, off to reclaim her captain. 

* * *

As always, Julia had no way of knowing how long she'd dozed off. When she awoke she looked across the way and into the other cell. Her fellow captive was seated up by the field now. One of her fists was clenched with what seemed like frustration. Julia noticed her eyes were reddened, as if she'd been crying. "Hey," she said weakly.

Miko glanced her way. Her amber-toned eyes focused on Julia with equal parts pity and frustration. "You're awake," she said. "What are they doing to you? It's not just the chair?"

"No. They're torturing me between sessions," Julia admitted frankly. She gestured to the way her skin seemed to glitter. "Some kind of nanobots that signal pain into my nerve endings."

Miko's other hand clenched. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Not your fault," Julia said. "You're just a prisoner too."

"How did they take you?" Miko asked.

"They attacked a world, well, it's basically my home," Julia answered. "When I'm not on my ship."

"Your ship? What kind of ship?"

"I command a starship called the _Aurora_ ," Julia replied. "I'm a Captain in the service of the United Alliance of Systems."

"'Starship'?"

"A vessel that travels between solar systems, through deep space," Julia elaborated.

Miko nodded in understanding. "A voidship, then. You command a voidship? My mother used to as well, when I was little. She left the service to raise me."

Julia felt intense curiosity over Miko. Was she Human or simply Humanoid? What kind of culture did she come from? After considering all of the possible questions, Julia started off with the same Miko gave her before. "How did they take you?"

Miko's expression betrayed anger, at the SS and herself. "I was visiting an outlying colony when the SS attacked it. I joined the colonists in trying to fight them off, but they were too powerful. They… they killed so many…" Miko let out a low, pained sob. "And they threatened to kill more if I didn't surrender. So I did, to protect the other people. But…"

Julia immediately saw where this was going. "The SS killed everyone anyway."

"They're so _vicious_ and just evil, I…"

Their conversation came to an abrupt end at the sound of boots on the floor. Fassbinder appeared with guards. He looked into Julia's cell and smiled thinly. "I have seen off my guests and had a short rest, now it is time to resume our session. You may yet have secrets we can find of use."

At the snap of his fingers the two guards lowered the field and entered to grab Julia. She couldn't resist beyond scowling at Fassbinder. They forced her to her feet and dragged her off. 

* * *

Once in the uncharted universe, the _Aurora_ immediately warped away from her arrival point, bound for the coordinates the recovered intel showed for the SS-held base in N1C4. On the _Aurora_ bridge Cat was focusing entirely on her sensor returns.

In the center of the bridge, Jarod gave Meridina an interested look. "You seem distracted," he said.

"I feel an… oddness about this place," she answered. "Within the Flow of Life. But it is not debilitating to me as the Fracture was, so please do not be concerned."

Jarod nodded. "Right." After a moment's pause he said, "Have you thought about appealing to the Promotion Board on the issue? With the fleet re-mobilizing we need all of the experienced Captains we can get."

"That is true. But I have less than a year of starship command experience. A vessel like the _Aurora_ would be unacceptable as a first command to many. Julia's appointment undoubtedly cost Maran much influence."

"A new captain is going to be hard on the crew," Jarod observed.

"I know. But we must persevere. Julia would want that from us." Meridina focused inward for a moment before asking, "Lieutenant Delgado, do you have anything on sensors?"

"No ships yet. Something that might be a faint warp trail. And there's a sort of spatial distortion in this area of space. From what I can tell, we're along the outer edge of it. But unless we get closer I can only speculate on the source. And it could be just about anything."

"Log the results and keeping scanning. We may come upon an enemy ship at any time."

Cat nodded in reply. "Yes sir," she said. 

* * *

Sharp pain filled Julia's head. The Aurora Chair was on, full-power, drilling into her mind to extract memories to display. She let out a breath and focused herself on happy memories. Memories of playing with Robert when they were little, running through the wheat fields of the Dale family farm under a warm summer sun. She thought back to those peals of laughter at all of their games and chases.

The same memories played on the viewer beside the chair. Fassbinder watched the scene with growing frustration. She couldn't hold out much longer… could she? The chair was so powerful. Her mind should be failing to it. But so far… _nothing_. Nothing even remotely useful, indeed, very little even remotely _relevant_.

With a curt hand signal Fassbinder had the chair turned off. Julia lost some of the tension in her body while under the machine's mental invasion. Fassbinder stepped up to the chair and glared into her eyes. "This defiance is pointless," he said. "The more you hold out, the harder the Chair will break you in the end! This petty resistance will do nothing for you!"

Julia met his eyes and bit into her lip, as if denying herself the passionate response she felt in her heart. Instead she leveled a look at him and said, in measured tones, "Andreys, Julia Megan. Captain. Serial Number Bravo Zero Zero Zero Three One Zero One Hotel One Echo Four."

"Still fighting, _Kapitan_? Do you think fighting will make it easier? That resistance will reduce your suffering in some way?" Fassbinder's right hand went for the gauntlet on his left forearm. "We'll see about that." His finger found the key for the nanobots.

Julia screamed. 

* * *

Robert and Lucy were in the Lookout when she noticed the color drain from his face. He gasped in shock and gripped the table. His right hand locked up, releasing his fork to clatter onto the plate before him.

"Robert?"

He took in a breath. "He's torturing Julia again," Robert finally said. "I… I can feel it."

Lucy swallowed and extended a hand. "We're going after her, okay? Focus."

"I… I am. It's different here, though. I can _feel_ it. Not like before, stronger. Like… like whatever he's doing… " He let go of the table. While he was still pale, Robert was at least moving his hand again. "God, Lucy, the pain she's in."

Lucy didn't sense the same, but she sensed how Robert was feeling it. A constant, savage pain, general to the whole body, no obvious cause to promise relief. "She won't be for long," Lucy urged. "Now, focus and try and block it out. Will the connection to quiet."

Robert drew in a breath, a long one. Color started to return to his cheeks. Lucy could sense that he hadn't entirely banished the feeling, however. His connection to Julia was too intense for that. "Doesn't this place feel odd to you?" he asked.

"A little, I suppose. It's not the Fracture, at least."

"God no, just one visit was enough for me." Robert shook his head. "It's just… there's something with the Flow of Life here." As he spoke, Robert felt the pain intensify. He winced in sympathy and kept his focus. _It's not my pain_ , he thought. _I have to block it out, I have to be functional_. As those thoughts filled his head, angrier thoughts about Fassbinder followed, and he forced them away too.

Lucy sensed all this. To help Robert keep his attention focused, she continued their current conversation. "It feels like the Flow of Life is diverted," she said. "Not weakened, just… like it's weaved in with something. Something we can't sense."

"Right." Robert nodded. "I don't think it'll have an effect on what we do, though. It won't undermine us like the Fracture would."

"Agreed." Lucy took another bite. "Something to consider for later anyway…"

Klaxons filled the Lookout, red lights appearing by the doors. " _Ship Status is now Code Red. All hands man battle stations. Repeat, status is now Code Red…_ " the computer informed them.

Robert and Lucy rose from their seats and left for the bridge. 

* * *

By the time they arrived the command crew was in position. Jarod was now in a uniform with burgundy red command trim color, although his rank insignia remained that of a Lieutenant Commander. He sat beside Meridina at the First Officer's chair, turning and looking up at them. "We picked up an SS cruiser on long-range sensors," he explained. "We're on an intercept course now."

"The _Koenig_ just completed in-warp launch, Captain," Tra'dur confirmed. "They are cloaking."

"Fighter squadrons are ready for launch," Jarod added.

With nothing to do on the bridge, Robert and Lucy took seats toward the rear and harnessed themselves in. At her station, Cat called out, "SS cruiser on sensors, _Tannenburg_ -class. I've also got another ship, but the configuration is unknown. And the power signature, it's… new. It's not matching anything I've seen before. Nothing in the databanks either."

"Interception in five minutes," Locarno said. "Maintaining Warp 9.8."

"Are they allied to the SS or opposed?" Robert asked.

"I'm not sure yet. We're not close enough for me to…" Cat stopped long enough to check her sensors. "...okay, they're fighting. I'm picking up weapons fire."

"Accelerate, Mister Locarno," Meridina ordered. "Bring us in now."

"Accelerating to 9.86. Interception in fifteen seconds."

The _Aurora_ dropped out of warp within weapons range of the two ships. The Nazi cruiser looked like any other they'd seen under SS command: black hull, a swastika emblem on the dorsal bow, and the sides of the ship marked with the twin lightning bolt runes.

It was now beside a vessel of dark gray coloring. It was a single-hulled ship, broad and flat in shape. Visible warp nacelles pulsed red, integral to the ship's hull to either side of its aft sections. A visible bridge area was built into the bow. Any markings were in the areas of the hull burnt black from weapons fire, with multiple hull breaches present.

"Hail the other ship," Meridina said.

Tra'dur attempted to do so. "No response," she said.

"Looking at the readings, I think their comm systems are down, possibly destroyed," Cat added.

"SS ship is locking on," Tra'dur warned.

"Fire," Meridina said.

The _Aurora_ 's main guns opened up on the _Tannenburg_ -class ship. The cruiser's shields held briefly under the barrage from the sapphire bolts… and then yielded, broken down by the full power of the _Aurora_ 's bow batteries.

" _Alpha Squadron, on me_ ," Laurent said over the comms. " _Bravo and Charlie, engage_."

The three squadrons raced ahead of the _Aurora_ and hit the cruiser with a full barrage of torpedoes. With its shields broken down, the SS ship was helpless against the attack. One by one, white-blue sparks collided with the SS ship, blasting through armored hull into sections below. A strike to its antimatter fuel reserves atomized it in a white fireball.

"Enemy ship destroyed. And going by these readings, I think they were beaming people over to the second ship while we approached," said Cat.

"Boarding parties," suggested Jarod. "We should probably render assistance."

"Agreed," said Meridina. She tapped her command chair control. "Commander Richmond, Major Anders, prepare teams immediately to repel boarders on a possibly friendly vessel."

As the two gave confirmation, Robert and Lucy released the harness straps holding them to their chairs. "We'll join the counter-boarding teams," Robert said.

" _Mi rake sa swevyra iso_ ," Meridina replied. 

* * *

By the time Robert and Lucy were at Transporter Station 1, the _Aurora_ was alongside the unknown vessel. Over the comms they consulted with Anders and Richmond. Lucy would join Anders in beaming near the other ship's engineering spaces, where weapons fire was being detected. Robert, Richmond, and security forces would beam in close to the bridge. Talara was joining the second wave, as was Gina.

Once they materialized Robert and Richmond headed forward through the ship. The corridors were lined by walls of dark red metal with gray flooring. Along the way they found bodies at some of the junctions. Some were SS, and others were Human or Human-like forms in uniforms of dark red and gold.

Behind him, Richmond and her teams swept forward. "Weapons fire in this direction," Richmond said, facing a corridor leading to port. "Disruptor fire and an unknown signature."

Robert nodded. At the fringe of his senses he could sense something, a ripple in the Flow of Life. "You go that way. I'll go this way." He indicated the way ahead.

"Right. Lindstrom, your squad is with the Captain. The rest of you, with me."

WIth Lieutenant Lindstrom and his squad behind him, Robert moved on. After passing several closed spaces, he found metal steps that led to an upper deck. Robert vaulted up them, leaving his security escort behind. He wouldn't get too far ahead of them, or at least he wouldn't try to, but he was eager to find the source of this feeling he was sensing. The sense was not quite like a biotic, he thought, remembering how Shepard and Kaidan and Wrex sometimes made his heightened senses feel whenever they employed biotics.

A port door ahead slid open. He emerged onto an upper deck area for a large bridge area. Control stations nearby were empty and below him the sounds of fighting continued. He went up to a railing looking out over the main bridge of the ship.

It was clearly meant to be a flag bridge, with what looked like a large command holotank in the center. Around it were stations for command staff officers. Further forward were seats for the command crew and stations for, Robert presumed, the rest of the ship.

The SS boarders were mixed. There were no _Panzergrenadiers_ among them, but there were men in combat armor, and all were firing disruptor weapons at the bridge crew. The bridge crew in turn, clad in the same uniforms he'd seen among the slain, sticked to cover while firing rifles. Beams of purple energy sizzled in the air, a couple hitting SS targets, some not.

But his attention was immediately drawn to figures who were not armed, yet emerged from cover. Again he felt a ripple through the Flow of Life, such that despite the difference he half-expected to see them hurl dark matter or some other form of biotic power at their foes.

But instead of the purplish-blue bolts of biotic power he was familiar with, Robert watched as red-hot flame erupted from the palms and fists of the defenders, creating violent projectiles. It was a surprise to see it, especially as it became clear they weren't using mechanical flamethrowers of some kind, but generating flame from nothing.

No, not from nothing. From their own life energy.

One figure in particular jumped past the others, using the return fire as cover to close with the boarders. The woman was on the lithe side and quite agile, evading a shot as she drew close. She jumped in the air and twirled, her leg outstretched in a kick. Pure blue flame seemed to erupt from her heel as it swept through the air, creating a powerful arc of blue flame that slammed into the SS forces, setting them alight or otherwise forcing them back. The attacker turned when she hit the ground and made a punching motion with her fist. Another tongue of blue flame moved through the air at another of the SS boarders. The man screamed as blue flame enveloped him.

All the while, Robert sensed these attacks through the Flow of Life. It was something he'd never seen before, that he'd never known was possible. But there was no denying the truth of what he was seeing.

Below him more SS forced themselves through a side door. The lead figure was exposed; she would be gunned down before she could retreat to cover. Robert jumped down between her and the SS reinforcements, his lightsaber igniting in mid-air. He intercepted the fire, sending the beams back into their shooters. One disappeared in a haze of emerald energy, two more going down to the reflected beams as well. Robert lifted his hand and willed their compatriots to fly backward. The universe answered his will and they did just that, slamming into the far bulkhead with enough force to knock them out. He repeated the action with the squad behind them, knocking them back through the door they'd entered through. With his will he forced the door shut, cutting off that entry to the bridge. A check of his omnitool confirmed that Lindstrom and his squad were approaching the same, taking the SS under fire. Trapped against the bridge door, they went down quickly.

Robert turned and found the armored figure staring at him. Her eyes were a light brown, amber in tone, and there was an intensity in them beyond the rush of combat. Her hair was dark, brown bordering on black, pulled into a tail at the back of her head kept in place by a gold metal band with a red flame crest on it. Robert sensed she was older than her barely-middle age appearance suggested. Behind her, her crew were turning their attention to him now that the SS boarding teams were driven from the bridge. "Who are you?" the woman demanded. "What are you doing here?"

Given how on edge the woman was, not to mention her crew, Robert extinguished his lightsaber to emphasize he wasn't a threat to them. "My name is Robert Dale, a Paladin of the United Alliance of Systems," he replied, trusting in the auto-translator to make his speech understandable for them. "I'm here to find a close friend of mine captured by our enemies." He gestured toward the fallen SS on the bridge. "We'd like to help you, if you'll let us."

The woman's eyes narrowed slightly. But only slightly, and only for a moment, as she made her judgement of him. Robert felt her concern and surprise give way to curiosity… and a flicker of hope. "I see. We did not expect to find friends," she said.

"Can I ask your name, and what you're out here for?" Robert asked.

"Yes," she replied. Her voice took on a firm, determined tone. "I am Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation, a Captain of the Fire Nation Void Navy, and I have come to free my daughter Miko." She gave Robert an inquisitive look. "We accept your offer of aid."


	96. Episode 3-17-5 In Enemy Hands

Lucy felt the danger and rushed through the engineering spaces of the vessel. The dead and wounded were around her, but for the moment they were best served by stopping whatever the SS had in mind.

She found an entrance leading onto catwalks in an engine chamber of some size. The power plant was visible enough, purple light glowing from its inner compartment, while wounded and dying figures were visible on the catwalks and below on the main deck. Near the wounded, two armed SS men were raising rifles to fire.

Her lightsaber flashed to life with an electronic snap-hiss. The noise drew their attention, too late for Lucy to rip the weapons from their hands with her will. She closed the gap as they went for other weapons. Two slashes were all that was necessary to put them down for good.

Ignoring the sensation of life extinguishing, Lucy looked down at the lower level. The SS teams were trying to get to the power plant, from the look of things, but were being held off by two figures who either were or resembled Humans of East Asian heritage. One was a woman, shaved mostly bald save for a tail of brown hair at the back of her head, wearing monastic robes of yellow and orange that left her thin arms of corded muscle bare. Beside her, a tan-complexioned man in a suit of green and beige stood in a ready stance, his dark hair cut short. Lucy noticed his left hand was held out toward a floating plate of what looked like a metal. It absorbed green disruptor beams that tried to strike both.

Recognizing the danger to the two, Lucy ran up to a point above the two groups before she jumped down. She landed in time to deflect a shot with her lightsaber and into another trooper, who went down with a bad disruptor burn on the shoulder. To keep the SS off-balance Lucy threw out a wave of force, an inelegant but effective strike that knocked two over and left the rest unsteady.

The two defenders behind her joined the attack. She felt energy rippling around her through the Flow of Life, in a way that reminded her somewhat of biotics. The woman twirled on one foot, as if gathering energy, and then thrust her hands forward. A gust of tornado-strength wind slammed into one of the boarders, throwing him back into the bulkhead near the entrance with enough force to knock him unconscious.

The other man made motions in the air with his arms, as if throwing something. Metal plates flew from the man's belt in time with these motions. Some flew in at an angle to cut flesh, others seemed to curve, forming solid bands around the wrists or ankles of the boarders, subduing them and disarming at the same time.

The return fire could have easily killed both, but Lucy's arms were almost a blur as she caught said fire, directing it away. Her lightsaber zipped through the air intercepting every shot while her new comrades of the moment used their unique abilities to their fullest. It was easy to notice the theme; one seemed to control the air, moving and shifting it, and the other focused on guiding his metal weapons in to bind or disarm the SS.

The arrival of Anders and his Marines swiftly brought the fight to an end. Through the doors they came, pulse rifles blazing, and the remaining SS were caught in the crossfire. Seconds after their arrival the SS were down, defeated or dead.

Seeing Anders, Lucy shut off her lightsaber and called out, "I think they were planting bombs."

"They were," he confirmed, his voice somewhat tinny through the electric speakers of his helmet. "I'm trained in EOD, my Marines will handle it."

"Right." She turned and faced the two defenders, who were astonished and curious. She sensed the questions forming in their minds and said, "I'm Lucy Lucero from the United Alliance of Systems. We're here to help."

The two nodded. The woman spoke first. "We are grateful for your intervention, Lucy Lucero. I am Yeshe Beifong. This is my cousin Komin."

"The man I was just talking to is Major Gabriel Anders, the Commander of Marine Troops on the Alliance _Starship Aurora_ , where I'm based from," she explained. "We're already clearing your ship of boarders. We're here to…"

" _Attention all assistance parties_." The voice was Tra'dur, over on the _Aurora_. " _Nazi vessels are entering range. We are raising shields and engaging._ " 

* * *

The arriving SS cruisers were a formidable formation, another two _Tannenburg_ -class ships accompanied by two smaller ships, _Innsbruck_ -class cruisers. Together they posed a formidable, though not insurmountable, threat to the _Aurora_.

On the bridge of the _Aurora_ Meridina responded to the arrival with engagement orders. The holotank beside Jarod's seat showed the relative position of the _Koenig_ , nearby and under cloak, ready to engage. "Are they launching fighters?"

"Yes," Tra'dur confirmed.

Jarod was already at his controls. "I'll detail the fighters and _Koenig_ to deal with one of the cruisers."

"Excellent. Tactical, fire when they're in range."

That range came moments later. The _Aurora_ 's main batteries opened up, battering away at the shields of one of the smaller _Innsbruck_ -class ships. The _Koenig_ rippled into view from "above" the ships, adding its firepower to the attack. The fighter wings of the two groups met in the space between the _Aurora_ and the cruisers, exchanging missiles and energy fire.

Disruptor beams sliced through the open space and into the _Aurora_ 's shields. Angel triggered plasma fire in retaliation, focusing her fire on the weaker _Innsbruck_ -class ships to knock them out of the fight.

Meridina activated the comm system to link to Robert and the others. "Boarding teams, what is the status of the friendly ship? We may need their assistance." 

* * *

On the other vessel, Robert was being joined by Talara and a couple of security personnel when Meridina's call came. He looked toward Ursa, who was seeing to the wounded of her crew. "Enemy reinforcements have arrived," he said. "Can your ship help to fight them off?"

"The _General Iroh_ has suffered extensive damage in our previous battle," Ursa answered. "But we may be able to get sufficient power to our weapons and engines to aid your ship. Another matter is that many of the crew have been wounded or lost in this battle, including our helmsman."

"We'll provide what aid we can," Robert replied. He glanced back to Talara. "Lieutenant, take a look at their helm controls, if you think you can operate them…"

"Yes sir," Talara said, recognizing his intent. While it was likely many personnel on the ship had at least some helm training, helm operation in combat demanded more. She approached the vacant station forward of the command pit and glanced at the controls. They were physical controls, switches and levers and a prominent wheel. She couldn't read the ideograph-based language on the controls. She drew in a breath and focused inward, sensing their intent through her power instead. As she came to recognize the controls in question, she started working them slightly, getting a feel for them.

Gradually she became aware of intense attention from the others. She glanced toward a uniformed man standing beside her. "Is there something wrong?"

"I have never seen a spirit like you before," the man said.

"Spirit? I am a Falaen." A tone from the helm station drew Talara's attention back to it. She didn't recognize the characters that flashed red, but a moment's consideration gave her insight into the meaning. "It would appear that the ship's engines are inoperable. We cannot maneuver."

At her chair Ursa flipped a switch. "This is the bridge. Engineering, concentrate repairs on the engine systems. We need combat capability." Several moments passed without a hint of reply. "Engineering?"

Robert tapped at his omnitool. "Dale to Lucero. What's the status of Engineering?"

" _Secured, but there's some damage in the section. And a lot of dead and wounded._ "

A hard look was on Ursa's face. "Is Chief Lee there?"

A couple of moments passed and another male voice, one Robert was unfamiliar with, came over the line, " _He was wounded, Highness._ "

Ursa seemed relieved to hear the voice. "Komin. You are well?"

" _I am, and so is Yeshe. We received aid from these newcomers just in time._ "

"Can you restore power? More enemy voidships have arrived. Our new allies are fighting them off, but they will need the _General Iroh_ in the fight."

" _I'll get right to it_ ," was the reply. 

* * *

When Komin's conversation with whomever was on the bridge was over, Lucy watched him turn to the reactor. His cousin gave him a look Lucy thought of as wry. "You have always wanted to work on a Varrick generator," she noted.

"I never imagined doing it in a situation like this," he confided.

Lucy walked up to them and to the power plant. She felt a ripple through the Flow of Life from it. It reminded her, somewhat, of what she'd felt from the Balmera crystal powering the _Castle of Lions_. Although the energy itself didn't seem to come from the Flow of Life, merely disturbing it, making ripples in it.

As she examined it, Lucy felt a sense of something wrong. The machine was being held back. She realized it was likely broken or damaged power relays. She followed one of the lines until she found a point of damage, likely from a disruptor bolt. "Here," she said aloud. "Damaged lines."

Komin followed where her eyes were looking. "Good eye."

"Not just my eyes. Let's get to work." 

* * *

With a friendly ship to protect, the _Aurora_ was at an inherent disadvantage. Multiple disruptor bolts struck at her shields, green beams causing blue energy to flicker into view where the deflectors resisted their power. On the _Aurora_ bridge Tra'dur stated, "Shields now at fifty-six percent."

At tactical Angel focused the ship's main weapons on a damaged _Innsbruck_. The pulse plasma cannons built into the bow sent ten distinct streams of thick, sapphire pulses into the enemy ship. This time they slammed through the shields of the SS cruiser and ripped into the main hull, wrecking entire sections of the ship. A spread of torpedoes inflicted further carnage on the light cruiser, leaving it with great massive wounds.

Angel didn't get a chance to finish it off, as one of the heavier _Tannenberg_ -class ships moved into position to take her next shot instead. Missiles erupted from its launcher, aimed directly at the _Aurora_. The particle interceptors spewed fire into the missiles' path to take them out before they struck, but only some were destroyed before the salvo crashed into the shields. "Shields now at forty-nine percent," Tra'dur said.

"I'm doing what I can," said Locarno, "but keeping us in a position to shield the other ship is reducing my choices."

"We must give them time," insisted Meridina, while the ship shook around them again. 

* * *

Lucy's lightsaber made another cut, severing the damaged trunk line for one of the _General Iroh_ 's main power conduits. "There," she said.

Komin nodded. Lucy watched with interest as he used his gifts to move a new section of trunk line into position. She felt his power ripple and the result of it, as the interior lines pressed together until the connection was restored. He rotated his hands together and motioned as if compacting something between them. Metal shrieked lowly and the new section of trunk pressed into shape with the rest.

"That was a five minute welding job," she said aloud. "You did it in less than a minute."

"I'm a Beifong of Zaofu," he replied. "I've been training in Metalbending since I was a child. It runs in the family."

Lucy felt a number of questions welling up within her that she would file away for later. "What's the status on the power systems?" she asked into her omnitool.

" _Looking at their readouts, main power is still cut from the engine assembly_ ," replied Anders. " _But you've restored full life support and weapons_."

"Relay that to the bridge. We'll go to the next break." Lucy moved on, Komin following, both carrying the necessary materials to effect repairs.

"That sword you have," Komin said. "I've never imagined anything like it."

"It's a lightsaber," Lucy said. "It's a personal weapon for people with my abilities."

"I've never seen Bending like yours," Komin said. "I thought you were an Airbender for a moment there, the way you threw those invaders back, but Yeshe didn't feel you move the air."

Lucy gave him a look brimming with curiosity, but she held it back for the moment. "I can discuss my abilities later, but right now…" They came up to another damaged section of power line. "Let's get this ship going."

Komin nodded and pulled out another section of power trunk cabling. Lucy measured it and re-ignited her lightsaber to make another cut. She felt the sense of warning just in time to brace herself. The deck lurched below them. "The ship's under fire," she said. "Let's get this done _now_."

* * *

A second barrage of disruptor fire sliced along the _General Iroh_ 's port side, sundering armor and carving a wound into the ship's hull. Weapon emplacements twisted to face the _Tannenburg_ -class cruiser responsible for the wound. Brilliant purple energy retaliated, meeting the ruby gleam flaring of the Nazi cruiser's deflector shields.

On the other side of the SS vessel, beams of sapphire energy impacted against the cruiser's shields as well, the ship gaining the full attention of Angel Delgado on the _Aurora_. She acquired a hard target lock and continued the barrage, firing the port plasma cannons. Bigger brilliant beams of blue energy stabbed at the SS ship.

Nor did she ignore the other two craft. A spread of solar torpedoes erupted from the aft launcher toward the more stricken of the two _Innsbruck_ -class cruisers, already badly hurt from the attack runs of Commander Laurent's fighters. The sparks of blue-white light crashed into the unshielded hull of the Nazi cruiser, exploding the blood-red port nacelle and blasting huge wounds in its port side. The aft-facing plasma pulse cannons erupted in sapphire furry, the bolts crashing into those wounds. The enemy cruiser blew apart in a series of explosions.

But that was merely one of four ships in the fight. Even as the _Aurora_ moved to aid the _General Iroh_ , two cruisers remained to focus fire on her. The larger of the ships, another _Tannenburg_ , also fired a disruptor barrage into the path of the _Koenig_ , slashing across the attacker's shields as it bore down on the remaining _Innsbruck_.

The bridge shook under Zack's feet. At Ops Lieutenant Commander Magda Navaez, his Operations Officer and First Officer, reported, "Shields now at sixty-two percent."

"Continue attack run," he responded

"Yes sir," came the replies from Lt. April Sherlily at Tactical and Lt. Jean Hajar at the helm.

The pulse phaser cannon emitters installed beside the forward-swept warp nacelles of the _Koenig_ opened up, spitting furious amber-toned energy in bolts at the smaller of the two cruisers ahead. Solar torpedoes followed the bolts in, all crashing against thee cruiser's shields and continuing to degrade them.

As the _Koenig_ peeled away to begin another attack run, Delta and Echo Squadrons from the _Aurora_ fighter wing followed them in, firing torpedoes as well and evading the rapid-fire disruptor bolts of the cruisers' point defenses. One fighter took a direct hit from said defenses and nearly disintegrated, the pilot and sensor officer ejecting from their stricken craft a moment later.

The torpedoes hit home. The _Tannenburg_ -class ship's shields held, but the other cruiser's shields faltered, losing cohesion. Recognizing his opportunity Zack bellowed, "Attack Plan Whiskey on secondary target, now!"

"Aye sir!" Hajar responded while performing the ordered maneuver. Under her control the _Koenig_ whipped around in space, straining the G force-absorbing inertial dampeners as she did.

"Firing!"

The moment Sherlily spoke, her finger triggered the pulse phaser cannons again. The _Koenig_ 's main battery was tremendously effective for a ship of her size. She was, essentially, a flying cruiser battery, and that meant her weapons were a threat to cruisers. With failing shields, the _Innsbruck_ -class ship took damage directly from the _Koenig_ 's bow weapons. The bursts of phaser fire ripped into the Nazi vessel's hull, blasting chunks of metal and material from the wounds in said hull. Flame and atmosphere erupted in the wake of the hits.

And then the torpedoes hit home. One blew off a piece of the cruiser's nacelle, another wrecked a disruptor emitter. The others hit at points along the four hundred meter-long ship's hull, blasting more debris away from it, leaving the _Innsbruck_ -class cruiser with significant system damage.

The cruiser's return fire continued, playing green disruptor beams over the _Koenig_ 's shields and over the _Aurora_ 's. It wasn't out of the fight yet. And its two larger allies were bracketing the _Aurora_ with energy fire.

" _Aurora_ 's shields are down to thirty-five percent," Magda said. "They can't take much more of this."

"Return our focus to primary target," Zack said, frowning. _That other ship had damn well better join us soon..._

* * *

Another disruptor beam played over the dark-colored hull of the _General Iroh_ , slicing away armor and hull material and exposing more sections to vacuum. "Breaches in void hull, forward decks, Sections 3 through 6," stated one of the bridge personnel.

Robert noticed Ursa and one of the older men, a man of kept dark hair and a stern expression, exchange looks. Ursa pressed at an intercom on her armrest. "Engineering, what is our status?"

The reply was from a young woman. " _They are nearly done._ "

"We are under fire, we need power back _now_."

" _That is understood_." 

* * *

The ship rocked again under Lucy's feet, nearly throwing off her aim as she cut free another damaged portion of the trunk line. The moment it fell away Komin moved a replacement into place with his Metalbending, tightening it and twining together the new connections..

" _Princess Ursa is insistent that the ship's power must be restored shortly_ ," Yeshe said over the internal comms.

"I'm sure she is, whoever she is," said Lucy. "But this takes time, even with abilities. We…"

"...are done," Komin pronounced. "That should be the final repair necessary."

Lucy ran a scan with her omnitool, confirming Komin's assessment. "Power's circulating freely through the system."

"Yeshe, the board in Engineering, is it…"

" _...it is, cousin_ ," came the reply. " _The ship's engines have power once more._ "

Lucy immediately keyed her comms to Robert. "We've got engine power," she said. 

* * *

On the _General Iroh_ bridge, Talara noticed the warning signal disappear, turning to another ideograph glowing green. "The engines have power, Captain," she said. "Engaging drives." From her examination of the control board, she identified the engine thrust lever and pushed it forward.

"Present strong side to the enemy," Ursa ordered. "All weapons, fire at will."

Talara nearly asked what she meant, but she sensed Ursa's intentions and turned the ship to port.

The _General Iroh_ 's engines were firing already, due to Talara's initiative. Now they roared to full power. Powerful cannon mounts tracked toward what Robert considered the ship's starboard side. With power fully restored, the weapons were at full effectiveness again. They focused on the _Tannenburg_ -class ship between the _General Iroh_ and the _Aurora_. Brilliant beams of purple light lashed out in sequence, stronger than before, straining away the ruby-tinted shields of the SS vessel.

The _Aurora_ 's maneuvering picked up, the other ship freed now from the need to protect the motionless _General Iroh_. Robert watched its sapphire beams playing over the SS heavy cruiser's shields and knew Angel and Meridina saw the same opportunity; the chance to overwhelm the SS cruiser's shields and finish it off. Its sister ship was still laying into the _Aurora_ , with the _Koenig_ and the _Aurora_ 's fighters harassing it in turn, and the remaining _Innsbruck_ -class cruiser contributing what fire it could given its damaged situation.

The battle wasn't over, but at least they had a shot now.

At that moment, his attention was diverted. Robert collapsed to his knees as phantom pain flooded his being, with it a distant scream of agony echoing in his mind.

Ursa noticed with concern. "What is wrong? Are you injured?" she asked.

"No. Not me," he croaked. "Julia… I can _feel_ it… they're hurting her…" 

* * *

In the healing chamber with the kohltou tanks, Fassbinder observed with satisfaction at the scream coming from Julia. She spasmed from the Eubian nanobots flooding her nerve endings with pain signals. From where he stood he sensed the enormity of it, the inescapable agony, and he delighted in it.

And there was something more to it now, he felt. He could feel something in Julia's being, the faint hint of a tether, a connection. What was it? Who was she connected to? His grin grew as he considered the possibilities and found further cause for enjoyment in them.

That satisfaction faded when he felt Julia's mind shut down. He'd pushed her too far. She was no longer conscious, and her body was failing from the abuse. He tapped the gauntlet key to shut down the nanobots and dialed down the electrical current to nothing. Another step and the kohltou's circulation picked up, ensuring she would heal effectively. That was the important part, indeed, the entire point of using the miracle fluid. It healed her body, restored some of its vitality, and ensured she would not die from the tortures he was inflicting. And there were so many more he had planned once they finished testing the Aurora Chair with her...

He sensed his approaching subordinate a moment before the _Sturmbannführer_ entered the room. " _Sieg Heil!_ " the man shouted, arm held up ramrod straight in a proper salute.

" _Heil Kranefuss_ ," Fassbinder replied, returning the salute. "Report, _Sturmbannführer_."

"We have received a message from _Oberführer_ Franck of the _Dogger Bank_. His squadron is engaged with the Alliance vessel _Aurora_ and one of the local civilization's ships."

Immediately Fassbinder realized the implications. A part of him surged with irritation: he'd hoped to have more time to make preparations before being discovered. But then again, this was precisely what he hoped, wasn't it? If they were coming in alone like this, that meant the _Aurora_ and the Alliance were likely not ready for a major effort either.

"Well, how intriguing," he said. "Thank you, _Sturmbannfuhrer_. I now have much to plan." He looked to Julia's unconscious form floating in the kohltou. "Oh so much to plan," he said, cherishing the anticipation for the scheme forming in his mind.

* * *

Another disruptor beam struck at the _Aurora_ , making the ship shudder. "Shields now to nineteen percent," Tra'dur reported. "Cohesion is faltering."

"Maintain fire."

Angel did so happily as she directed more plasma fire to port on the faltering _Tannenburg_ there. Their new ally likewise maintained a full barrage of brilliant purple energy, scouring the enemy ship and keeping its shields at the brink of collapse. Angel likewise directed a solar torpedo spread to aft at the _Innsbruck_ -class ship limping up toward the rear.

The enemy cruiser's disruptors fired, weakening further the _Aurora_ 's. With her own gone, however, there was nothing to stop the solar torpedoes from striking. The hits to damaged hull proved too much. The light cruiser was blown apart.

"Two targets remaining," Angel crowed.

Meridina replied with a nod. 'Return fire to our main target"

" _Koenig_ is moving to engage as well," added Jarod.

Meridina observed that process. Zachary's ship threaded the needle of friendly and hostile fire, coming in from a third angle on the enemy ship's ventral arc. The belly of the SS cruiser was barely-protected, their faltering shields desperately directed to repel the batteries of the _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_.

With the rapidity of a bird of prey, the _Koenig_ struck, diving "down" (by her own relation) at the belly of the enemy ship and opening up with full forward batteries. The shields on that arc failed after the first torpedo spread. The _Koenig_ swung from left to right (relatively speaking), zig-zagging around oncoming fire as her pulse phaser cannons continued to rip through bare hull. Explosions flowered from the enemy ship at every impact. More solar torpedoes erupted from _Koenig_ 's launcher, each blowing out more and more guts of the cruiser.

The damage was telling. The enemy ship's shields failed, and now the _General Iroh_ and _Aurora_ joined in the slaughter, blue and purple beams cutting into the ship as it fell apart around its crew. The SS ship fired a last few shots in defiance, but did no appreciable damage before the cruiser went completely dark.

The _Koenig_ shot away from it, and with good reason. Meridina steeled herself at the sensation of what was coming. Somewhere on the SS ship, someone on the crew intentionally shut down the magnetic fields confining the ship's antimatter fuel, allowing the volatile substance to make contact with ordinary matter. Opposites met and annihilated each other in a flare of brilliant energy, one that utterly consumed the cruiser in a white fireball.

That left one foe, the second _Tannenburg_ , which was still firing on the _Aurora_ while fending off the remaining fighters of the same. With the odds so clearly against them, the SS cruiser turned away. "They're preparing to go to warp," warned Cat.

Meridina considered the option of pursuit. But a glance at the battle damage told her it was not wise. This cruiser was still fairly intact, not very damaged at all, and the _Aurora_ 's shields were faltering with several systems already harmed in some way. A pursuit would be unwise. "Allow them," she said.

A moment later, the enemy ship warped away.

"Stand down to Code Yellow status, recall all fighters. Lieutenant Tra'dur, signal Robert and the others on the other vessel," said Meridina. "It would appear that we have conducted a first contact mission under fire."

"Yes Captain," replied Tra'dur. 

* * *

**Tag**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 23 October 2643 AST. Captain Meridina reporting. Our mission to recover Captain Andreys has resulted in an unexpected outcome, a first contact with a space-faring Human civilization native to N1C4. They are pursuing the SS exiles for their own purposes involving SS raids on their outlying colonies. We are currently providing assistance in repairs for the vessel we assisted, known as the_ General Iroh _. I have alerted Defense Command to the first contact situation._

 _While there are certain aspects to their technology that are of interest, their 'Bending' capabilities are of the greater interest. It would seem the local Human civilization has developed a unique connection to the Flow of Life. I sense this may be why the Flow of Life feels different in this universe._

The _Aurora_ and the _General Iroh_ were now side by side in the middle of interstellar space. Mongoose fighters from the former were flying outward, forming a perimeter defense should SS ships arrive. The _Koenig_ was patrolling the parsec around them for the same purpose.

Meridina and Jarod beamed aboard the _General Iroh_ with one of the repair crews sent by Scotty. While the engineering personnel went off to help with repairs they were met by Yeshe. Meridina sensed a serenity in the young woman that would have fit well with the more contemplative members of the Order of Swenya. "You are Meridina and Jarod?" she asked.

"We are."

"Please, follow me."

Yeshe led them further into the ship. Their ultimate destination was the officers' wardroom, with a table and chairs of tropical hardwood, the wall adorned with red banners and a gold flame insignia in the middle. Robert, Lucy, Talara, and Richmond were waiting there, with Ursa and Komin present. Meridina sensed vibrant life energy in both, as she did in Yeshe. It was a peculiar feeling, clearly linked to what her people considered an active, connected _swevyra_ , but yet different than she was used to.

"Princess Ursa, Mister Beifong, this is Meridina and Jarod, the Acting Captain and the Operations Officer of the _Koenig_ respectively." Robert turned to the two new arrivals. He seemed pale and tired. Meridina knew it couldn't just be from the fighting. "Meridina, Jarod, Princess Ursa of the FIre Nation and Komin Beifong. You've met his cousin Yeshe."

Meridina nodded. "I am pleased to meet both of you. Your ship's aid was timely in the battle."

"Your arrival was rather more timely," Ursa replied evenly. "We did not expect to find allies against the Invaders."

"That is your name for the _Schutzstaffel_ , then? It seems fitting."

"These… 'Nazis' as you call them have raided several colonies on the frontiers of the Five Nations." Ursa was a woman of clear self-discipline, but the worry of a mother showed through it. "It was their last raid that claimed my daughter. The survivors told us they took her as a prisoner."

"Have they tried to ransom her?" asked Robert. "The SS wouldn't take a prisoner if they didn't need her for something."

"No. Nothing." Ursa clenched a fist. "We have been tracking them for two weeks in the attempt to find wherever their forces are based. We are certain it is not far from here, but the void is vast and the stars spread out."

"It is likely that they took your daughter to the same place they took Captain Andreys," Talara noted.

"The friend you have come to rescue?" Ursa nodded. "We have common cause then."

"That we do."

"You say you are from an Alliance. Will more of your people come to aid us?" asked Komin.

"We've informed them of where we are and of the first contact with your people," Jarod replied. "As things are, we're gathering our fleet to hit the Nazis back, but it may be a day or so before they can join us. We have many worlds that need protecting now that it's clear the SS have copied our interuniversal drive."

That last term caused clear bewilderment and uncertainty in the others. "Interuniversal drive?" asked Yeshe. "What do you mean by that?"

"It is a jump drive that generates temporary transit points between universes," Meridina replied. "It makes our civilization possible. Unfortunately, toward the end of our war with their Reich, the Reich's leadership completed the project to replicate the technology. Or, at least, their SS did."

"I see. So that is how they came to our space, and now you are here as well."

Robert nodded. An old feeling of guilt welled up within him. "We never intended for people like the Nazis to get our technology. I'm sorry that our failure to stop them from copying it has caused your people loss."

"The fault is not yours," Yeshe said. "The fault is theirs."

"We've been telling him that for years now," Lucy remarked drolly, giving Robert a knowing look. He returned it and sighed. "Anyway, your ship should be good to go soon enough. But since we have time, I'd like to know more about your people. The abilities you showed, for instance…"

"I feel the same toward you," said Komin. "You don't move the air or earth, and you don't throw fire, but you seem to know where your enemy's attack is going to be every time. And you threw back the invaders without using any elements."

"We use the connection of our life energy to the universe. Well, it can be more complicated than that, but it's a good starting point. And you?"

Ursa was the one to answer. "The people of our world are divided into the Four Nations. I am from the Fire Nation. Komin is Earth Union, from the state of Zaofu, and Yeshe is from the Air Nation. And there are also the Water Tribes who dwell at our world's poles, Northern and Southern."

"You mentioned that your colonies are from five nations earlier," said Richmond. "The fifth is…?"

"The United Republic," Yeshe replied. "The Republic was founded in the aftermath of the Hundred Years War as a home for people from all nations. Over the last two and a half centuries, the Republic became its own nation. It is the heart of the Five Nations Compact."

"I'm guessing that members of each original nation wield the elements they're named for," Lucy observed.

"Some, although many are non-benders."

"Huh," Jarod murmured. He glanced toward Robert and Lucy. "Is this like your abilities?"

"They may be related," Robert said. It was clear his mind wasn't on the conversation, even with the speed of his reply. "It's something to consider for later. Right now we need to figure out what we know about the SS presence, and how we can get back Julia and Miko."

"Agreed," said Ursa. "Please, tell us more about these SS, and what kind of foe they are."

"I'd like to hear more about your Alliance, and the non-Human life like Talara," Komin added. Noticing Ursa's look, he almost sheepishly added, "When you're done, I mean."

"Very well," replied Meridina. "Allow us to explain." 

* * *

In the quiet of his room, Erik Fassbinder read the reply from his leader. Kranefuss was displeased to learn their prize had been compromised so quickly after the operation. The SS would have to abandon this remarkable place. And they would do so with maximum destruction.

It would be quite a shame.

But an even greater shame would be losing this opportunity. He sensed what was coming. The _Aurora_ crew were aware that they were running out of time, that if they didn't come soon, they would lose the chance to reclaim their friend. The same was true for the local _untermenschen_ and reclaiming that brat in the holding cells. They weren't going to wait for the friendly fleet. They were going to come _now_.

And Fassbinder would be waiting for them. 

* * *

Another stun stick blow caused Julia to collapse into a heap on the floor of her cell. Her guards retreated back across the threshold of the cell's forcefield before activating it, confining her again. She heard them walk away and began to stir. While that green fluid healed her body, it did nothing to ease the ill feelings within her. She crept slowly over to the cell door. Contact with her fellow prisoner was the only thing to help her stay sane.

Across the way, Miko regarded Julia with compassion and clear frustration. Her hands balled up into fists and tears flowed from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said.

Julia looked toward her, thankful to see mercy and sympathy in at least one set of eyes in this hell. "There's nothing you can do about it."

"I know, but still…" With an ever-more furious look, Miko finally drove her fist into the ground beside her, not quite hard enough to crack the knuckles at the impact. A wince came to her face, but it mattered little compared to the tears flowing from her eyes. "What you're going through, the way they keep taking you to be tortured, it's terrible. I should be able to stop it."

To that Julia chuckled. "That sounds familiar," she sighed, thinking of Robert. "Save your energy for battles you can win."

Julia didn't expect the vehemence that came from Miko. "That's just it! I should be able to fight back! To… to get out of this, but I can't!" She gestured toward the collar. "This keeps me from bending! And… and I don't know how else I can fight them, I don't know how to use their weapons…!"

"Be patient," Julia advised. "You never know when we'll get an opportunity." As she spoke she looked over the collar on the younger woman before returning to looking into her eyes. "It's not your responsibility to protect me, Miko."

"That's where you're wrong," Miko insisted.

"I am?"

Miko nodded. 'You are."

"Alright," said Julia. "Can you explain? You're responsible for helping me because…?"

Miko nodded and drew in a little breath. She was regaining composure from the outburst of emotion.

"Because," Miko said, "I'm the Avatar."


	97. Episode 3-18-1 Trial by Fire

**Teaser**

Through the clear forcefields of their respective cells, Julia Andreys looked over her fellow prisoner. The young woman, who had introduced herself as Miko, was on the lean side in build, wearing a slightly tattered sleeveless vest of red with gold trim and pants of matching color. Her dark hair, shoulder length, was disheveled, much as Julia's own blond hair was. Amber-toned eyes looked to Julia with shame and frustration welling inside of them.

All things considered, Miko was the better off of the two of them. Julia herself was ragged from Fassbinder's abuses. For the untold time since the ordeal began, she'd been wearing the same clothes she'd had on when the attack on New Liberty began; a white tank top and burgundy red shorts with a sports bra of matching color below the tank top. The colors were now faded from days of sweat and immersion in the fluid her captors used for healing her.

The question of time was bewildering for Julia. Between the torture sessions and the time she spent unconscious from them, she wasn't sure how many days had passed since she was captured during the SS exiles' attack on New Liberty. She wasn't even sure what happened to the others. Was the Colony gone? Had her ship, the _Aurora_ , been destroyed in the attack? She could remember that Cylon working with Fassbinder, the SS officer who oversaw the attack, talking about a similar strike against Gersal. Was it possible that everyone she knew and loved was dead?

No. No, Julia would _not_ let herself consider that. That was the road to despair, a despair that would crush her spirit far more thoroughly than the torture Fassbinder delighted in inflicting on her.

It was as much to escape such thoughts as it was to satisfy curiosity that she returned her attention to Miko. The young woman brimmed with frustrated energy, unsurprising given what she'd said. That she felt she had to help Julia, to stop what was being done to her, and why she felt that way.

"What did you mean?" asked Julia. "When you said you were 'the Avatar'?"

Miko turned her head to face Julia. "It's who I am. What I am. The Avatar is… I am responsible for the balance on my world. The balance between the Nations, between the Human World and the Spirit World. The Avatar is the only one who can bend all four elements instead of just one."

"Bend?"

"It is our word, perhaps the translation does not work so well with your language." Miko opened her fist. Julia watched as, for a moment, a flicker of flame flashed into being over Miko's palm.

The collar around her neck lit up. There was the distinct sound of an electrical device activating and Miko's body seized up. She let out a cry of pain and clenched the fist again, banishing the flame from existence.

"The Avatar is reborn in a cycle within the Four Nations, one nation to the next," she continued, her voice more hoarse given her earlier cry of pain. "Air Nomads, Water Tribes, Earth Union, Fire Nation. I am Princess Miko of the Fire Nation, and I am the Avatar of this cycle, born the day that Avatar Komin died."

Julia nodded as understanding came to her. "So… the people from each nation can use, can 'bend', the element their nation is named for, but only you can bend all four?"

"Not all are born benders. But yes," said Miko. "It's a heavy responsibility. The Avatar keeps the peace among the Nations. It's my duty to protect people. People like you, Julia Andreys." She closed her eyes, tears brimming in them. "It's why I surrendered to these 'Nazis', so they would spare the people of Tangshan."

"But they didn't."

"No. They opened fire anyway. They made me _watch_."

Julia didn't find it hard to imagine who ordered _that_. "Fassbinder?"

"The one with the evil eyes?" Miko shuddered. "I can _feel_ the darkness of his spirit. The hatred."

"His entire society is built on that. Hating those they consider inferior. Enslaving or exterminating them." Julia grimaced as she shifted into a sitting position. Her body still ached. "Your people are spacefaring?"

"Yes. We first reached into the void during Avatar Korra's lifetime, and it was during Komin's that the Five Nations went to other suns."

"You only said four nations before, what's the fifth?" Julia asked.

"The United Republic. It is a combination of people from all four nations that was founded after the Hundred Year War, created by Avatar Aang and my ancestor Fire Lord Zuko nearly three hundred years ago." Miko's eyes glistened. "It's built around Republic City, the greatest city on my world." After a moment spent considering said city, Miko turned her eyes to Julia. "What of your people? Your Alliance?"

"The United Alliance of Systems is, well, this is the hardest part for people to understand if they don't see it," Julia began. "We're an interuniversal society of multiple systems, including multiple copies of my homeworld Earth, made possible by technology called the interuniversal jump drive. We have worlds, colonies, in many universes, and through them contact with even more nations and species. The Alliance itself has four species currently, we Humans, of many universes, the Gersallians and Dorei of Universe N2S7, and the Alakin of A7R6."

Miko looked at her in some confusion. "When you say other species, you mean... "

"Aliens. Sapient life forms other than Humans. Yes."

" _Amazing_." Miko's eyes widened. "What are they like?"

"Well, Gersallians actually look Human. Dorei look like…"

Julia stopped as she heard the distant stomp of boots hitting the floor in a steady cadence. The noise increased over seconds until two guards arrived. One lowered the forcefield for Julia's cell. The other reached in and grabbed her arm, forcing her up, shrieking at her in German to come. He and his ally both brandished stun sticks to make clear they weren't taking no for an answer.

Julia got up and approached her captors. As she stepped between them both thrust their stun sticks into her torso anyway. She shrieked in both pain and surprise as her body seized up. She fell to her knees.

"Leave her alone!" Miko shouted.

As one guard kicked Julia in the shoulder, knocking her over, the other turned to Miko and snarled at her. "Shut up, witch!" His hand went to a device on his belt. As soon as his finger pressed down on a button, the collar around Miko's neck lit up. She let out a short cry and doubled over in pain.

By the time she looked up, the guards - and Julia - were gone. 

* * *

Light years away, the _Starship Aurora_ and the Fire Nation Voidship _General Iroh_ remained side by side, both ships undergoing repairs from combat. The vessels were possessed of marked differences: the four warp nacelles on the _Aurora_ were arranged at the end of pylons from the drive hull while the _Iroh_ 's were built into the main hull, the visible weapon turrets on the _Iroh_ in contrast to the emitter banks and emplacements on the _Aurora_ , the _Iroh_ 's dark gray hull contrasting to the _Aurora_ 's azure sheen. By size the _Iroh_ was barely half the length of the _Aurora,_ although she looked more heavily-armed for her size.

Activity aboard the _Iroh_ was even more hectic than on the _Aurora_ , with repair teams from the latter ship helping the surviving crew of the _Iroh_ return their vessel to full readiness.

In the wardroom of said ship, those looking to aid Julia and Miko were likewise sharing information about themselves. The specific nature of the United Alliance of Systems, the existence of non-Human life in many universes, the actual existence of the interuniversal jump drive, all of these things were taken in with wonder by Princess Ursa and the Beifong cousins.

The particulars of their world invited Lucy to say, "So everyone born into a particular nation has a chance to be born with the ability to manipulate, to 'bend' as you put it, the element corresponding with their origin nation?"

"Yes."

"Is this true for everyone?"

"There are those in each nation who do not bend," replied Komin. "And only one person can bend more than one element, and that is the Avatar."

"The Avatar is reborn into each nation in a cycle," Yeshe added. "Air, Water, Earth, Fire. Every Avatar is meant to be a mediator and peacekeeper, protecting the world from any force that threatens it and standing apart from the other nations."

"And Miko is the current Avatar," Robert said.

The three gave him an intent look. "How did you know?" Ursa asked.

"I sensed it," Robert answer. "Our life energy abilities give us insights. We can sense the truth of things. Although in this case, it was easy to see she was important in some way that the SS would want her as a captive."

"Our world is in turmoil over the issue," confirmed Ursa. "Some advocate negotiation for her safe return. Others support my efforts to find and free her."

"Negotiation with the SS will be futile," Meridina said.

"So I am convinced. And that is why my uncle, Fire Lord Daizon, authorized me to take the _General Iroh_ out to scout for her."

There was a certain fierce desperation, a frustrated impatience, in the older woman's voice, and in her heart. Those present could easily notice it, whether it was from metaphysical insight, telepathy, or in Jarod's case, careful observance and deduction. Ursa, whatever her skills or capability, was ultimately a desperate mother trying to rescue her child from a threat that, to her people, was still an enigma. And all the _Aurora_ crew could do was confirm that some of her worst nightmares might very well be true, given the tendencies of Miko's captors.

The Beifong cousins were quick to pick up on it as well. "Miko has a strong heart," Yeshe assured Ursa. "And I sense she is still with us."

"Are you two friends of Miko?" Lucy asked. "Given neither of you are Fire Nation, from what I see."

"She asked us to train her," said Komin. "Yeshe is her Airbending instructor. When she has mastered Water, she will come to me for Earthbending."

"Although knowing my cousin, he has already shown her some," Yeshe remarked with a knowing smile.

"Why was she out on this colony Tangshan?" Meridina asked. "Given her importance, and the raids on your colonies beforehand, surely the risk…"

Ursa laughed harshly. "My daughter has a fierce spirit. She did not get along with the Water Tribe instructor we sent her to and believed she would find a better one in the outer colonies. In truth, I think she was trying to assert her independence from me."

"Teenagers often do," Lucy noted. "Most anyway." She flashed a grin toward Robert.

He returned it. Just as he went to speak, he felt a scream fill his being, echoed by intense pain. He gasped in shock at the intensity of that pain. Everyone turned to him and watched Robert nearly bend over.

"What's wrong?" Jarod asked him.

"I feel it again," Robert replied. "He's hurting her!"

* * *

 **Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"Trial by Fire"_**

There were no questions. Not a single attempt at interrogation. There was only the agony, the evil cold energy of the lightning that was a manifestation of all of the hateful and arrogant energy in Fassbinder's twisted soul. And Julia could do nothing but suffer. Her muscles twitched and spasmed, her body burned, and nothing she could do could help her escape it.

Worst of all, she could feel her life slipping away, drained by that dark energy from Fassbinder. An open abyss seemed to open up around her, and she was falling toward it, falling...

Julia was barely conscious when the lightning stopped. She didn't feel herself being freed from the chair, or carried away to another room in this strange city. She remained at the cusp of the abyss until the now-familiar sensation of the soothing green fluid covered her.

From outside of the tank, Fassbinder watched Julia stir slightly. She couldn't move, of course, given the restraints locked around her wrists and ankles to keep her trapped in the open-topped tank. He looked over the controls and noted that her vital signs were improving slowly.

"You should just end her," said a female voice. He turned his head and saw the blond Cylon, one of his teachers in the talents he'd long sought to tap. "Kill the Dawn-Bearer. She is of no use otherwise."

"No," Fassbinder said. "She has not suffered enough. Not nearly enough for what she and her people did to us." The frustrated look gave way to a small, sinister smile. "Besides, do you not sense it? The connection to her?"

The Cylon "Six" seemed to concentrate a moment. "I believe I know what you mean."

"She is connected to one of them. To him, I am convinced. Dale feels what is being done to her. When she suffers, _he_ suffers. And I will use that." The smile grew as his hand went to the dial on the control. He twisted it halfway to full, sending an electrical current into the "kohltou", and watched with satisfaction as Julia's body spasmed despite the restraints. 

* * *

With the discussions over, Meridina and Jarod returned to the _Aurora_. Lucy remained, joining Komin in heading to engineering to help in the _General Iroh_ 's repairs. This left Ursa with Robert. She gave him a searching look as he clasped the side of the door, the color leaving his face. "You are in pain."

"Not physically. I… my friend, Julia, I can feel it. She's in pain. The SS are torturing her right now." He tried and failed to blink tears from his eyes. "I need to get to that base. To get to her, to free her from… from what they're doing."

Ursa approached him and, with great solemnity and sympathy, placed her hand on his shoulder. "I do not understand how these gifts of yours works. How your spirit is connected to hers. But you have the same assurance from me that your people have given us. We will reclaim your friend as well as my daughter."

There was a quiet determination in her voice that Robert appreciated, even if he sensed her own lingering fears and doubts. They were just two ships, two against however many that the SS might call in. And what if their loved ones were moved? There were still so many ways they could fail here. It was frightening.

As such, her words were welcome, a glimmer of hope, and Robert appreciated them. He nodded to her. "Thank you."

"We should see to our duties. Miko and Captain Andreys will not be rescued by our desire alone," Ursa said. He watched her leave to resume command of her ship. 

* * *

In the heart of the _General Iroh_ 's engineering section, Lucy finished patching the power cable line that their earlier repairs had only partially restored. Afterward she checked the integrity of the repair and reassured herself it was done. She glanced toward the reactor. Purple light filled the ports of said power plant. Even now, with its output dialed down, Lucy could feel it creating a ripple in the Flow of Life.

In a way, it was a marvel. The reactor they used tapped into a powerful energy source, more than the fusion or antimatter power that their technological level would otherwise permit. This greatly helped the _Iroh_ 's capability whatever the technological issues they faced. Lucy was unable to hide her interest in that aspect.

And yet… yet she felt wary. Whatever the power systems tapped into, it had some connection to the Flow of Life. She didn't think it was the Flow of Life itself, not in the way the Balmeran crystal worked on the _Castle of Lions_ , but there was some kind of connection there. She couldn't help but wonder if that made the technology dangerous in some way. As she once pointed out to Cat, the Flow of Life was not merely a physical source of power. The same might be true for whatever they were using. And she felt naturally leery about it.

After verifying the integrity of the power trunk with a scan, Lucy turned her head and watched Komin complete a repair as well, using his gift for manipulating metal. After he finished she said, "I suppose that you can move, I mean 'bend', metals so long as they're an earthly compound?"

"That's how it works," he replied.

"Including alloys? Purified metals?"

"That depends. It's possible to purify or alloy a metal to remove the raw earth and make it unbendable. It's what we use in voidship hulls, for instance," he answered. "That's why I carry these." He indicated the metal plates on his belt and trousers.

"I see. Options in case you're not around something earthen or with metal that still has natural impurities." She glanced to the reactor again. "I've never seen a power source like this. It's some kind of energy tap?"

He nodded. "Varrick reactors draw latent energy from an alternate dimensional space. The principles have been around for a couple hundred years."

"And why are they called Varrick reactors?"

"For the family that did the most work in developing them," said Komin. "They were working on these kinds of energy sources as far back as Avatar Korra's time. The Varricks and their company have been refining the technology over the generations." Komin led her over to a board showing the ship's power distribution system. More of the sections were green-lit now, but a few still showed damage. "What kind of technology do you use?"

"Our primary power sources use a material known as naqia, it acts as a power amplifier and absorber," she replied. "Among other exotic properties. We also use fusion reactors as a backup power supply."

"Deuterium-fueled fusion?"

"Usually," she confirmed.

Komin nodded. "We have a backup fusion reactor for the _General Iroh_. The technology was first postulated by Gan Sing over two hundred years ago, but it was another hundred years before Fire Nation scientists successfully tested the first viable fusion core."

Lucy gave him a knowing grin. "Someone's interested in studying the history of power generation science, I see."

"Well… yes, that's me," Komin admitted, grinning slightly. His green eyes glinted in the light with immense satisfaction. "I've always been fascinated with machines. I've spent years studying Varrick reactors, but actually getting to work on one…"

Lucy nodded in appreciation of Komin's position. It reminded her of Tom, whom she decided to introduce to Komin at the first opportunity.

"Did you always want to be an engineer?" Komin asked her.

"Not really," she replied. "It was just a job for me, at first. But it's been useful, and I'm not sorry I became one."

Komin replied with a nod and returned to examining the power distribution network. Lucy joined him. She couldn't read the language on the displays, but the ideograms looked familiar. She used her omnitool to scan them. To her surprise the translations came right up, or at least proposed ones.

Komin noticed and grinned at her. "Those… 'omnitools' your people use are impressive," he said. "I hope to get one. And they must be very well-programmed to read our language so quickly."

"That's just it. It didn't," she said. "The translation programs are reading your language as Chinese."

"Chinese?"

"They're a nation of Earth," Lucy explained. "One of the most populous nations, in fact, and a dominant nation of Asia, our largest continent. So maybe your people are descended from Earth as well?"

Komin shrugged. "I don't know. Ancient history, that's not really my field," he admitted. "I've got a cousin who might be interested, though."

"I'm sure a lot of people will be, once contact is opened up between your world and the Multiverse," Lucy said.

There was a look on Komin's face, one of wonder, that made Lucy smile warmly. _His people are in for quite a shock, just as we were. I hope they take it as well as he is_ , she thought. 

* * *

With her captain a captive, command of the _Aurora_ was now in the hands of the ship's First Officer. Meridina, normally a Commander but currently serving as an Acting Captain, sat in the chair that Julia usually occupied and looked over the things belonging to Julia. The trophies, the family photos, the other personal items… Meridina looked at them all and found herself hoping that Julia would be back here, where she belonged.

But there was more on Meridina's mind than the fate of her superior, someone she considered a friend. For the sake of the others she had to keep a strong appearance, even as her heart still ached with the loss her people suffered from. On the desk viewer, footage from her homeworld played, showing the rescue and cleanup efforts in the wake of the Cylon attack. The reports of the losses taken in the bombardment were stabilizing at an estimate of ten million dead and over twice that number injured.

It wasn't just the dead, though. The Cylons, in their attack, revealed their true nature as followers of the fallen Kohbal, the man who nearly wrecked Gersal in his war to seize control over twenty-nine centuries ago. The attack also revealed that other followers of Kohbal remained hidden after their supposed defeat and expulsion from the homeworld, as said followers had committed acts of sabotage across the planet in the minutes before the attack, ensuring the Cylons complete surprise.

And they had won. That was the worst thing. Meridina, Lucy, Talara, they'd gotten away, as had Meridina's father and many others, but the Cylons succeeded. They destroyed the Great Temple off Swenya in a barrage of atomics. They did the same to the Temple of Perception and the Temple of Birth, as if to wipe Gersal clean of all references to Swenya. Many of the Order's best, many of its wisest, died to the bombs, the blades, or the atomics of the Brotherhood. She had even felt the mortal blow dealt to her mentor, _Mastrash_ Ledosh, struck down by the fallen _Mastrash_ Goras.

It was all so wrong. A nightmare made reality. After all of the fights, all of the hard victories over darkness… darkness, in the end, was not vanquished, and had indeed returned to deal the Light a terrible blow.

And a part of Meridina believed it to be her fault.

A chime sounded at the door. She looked up and called out for the figure to enter. She was surprised to see Doctor Tusana, with her civilian wear, enter. "Doctor, how may I help you?' Meridina asked.

The civilian psychiatrist gave Meridina a knowing look. When she replied, it was with a mental cast into Meridina's mind, a telepath communicating with a fellow telepath. _I am here to help you, Meridina. I can feel your grief._

Meridina nodded in acknowledgment of Tusana's point, if not agreement. _It does not matter. What matters is reclaiming Julia_.

 _Do not ignore your pain, Meridina. It could consume you._

 _I am not ignoring it. I am simply leaving it to the side so that I might do my duty_ , Meridina cast back. _Captain Andreys' life may hang in the balance. I cannot take time right now._

 _You will do her little good if you can't function._ Seeing Meridina's look Tusana shook her head. _I will be here if you need me._ With that she turned away and left the room.

Meridina promptly returned to work. She had little time to complete it before a blue light appeared on the back of her left hand, timed with a tone from her omnitool. She relayed the call to the desk. "Meridina here."

" _I was just lettin' ye know that th' repairs are complete, sir_ ," answered Commander Scott. The Starfleet legend's voice had the usual pride in getting his ship back in action. " _We're ready t' go find th' Captain whenever ye're ready_."

"We will be leaving as soon as our new allies are ready, Commander. Thank you for your timely repairs. Meridina out." She cut the line and sat in the quiet for a moment, considering Tusana's words, and the feeling in her heart. 

* * *

Robert, Lucy, and Talara, along with Komin, stepped onto the _General Iroh_ 's bridge. It was a rather larger chamber than the one they were used to on the _Aurora_ , more like a major command operations chamber for a station, with two levels and multiple stations. Ursa sat in the middle chair with Yeshe standing beside her. Ahead of her, another member of the crew was at the helm, freeing Talara from having to execute that duty again. "I am informed our repairs are complete?" asked Ursa.

"Yes, Highness," Komin answered. "Chief Lee is giving some systems a final check now, but the Sato drive is ready."

"Sato drive?" asked Talara.

"It is a space-warp drive," Komin said. "Based on…" He quieted at seeing Ursa's look, as she was clearly not interested in hearing him recite the history of the technology.

"From what I saw, your ship's best sustainable speed is about Warp 7 on our charts," Lucy said. "The _Aurora_ can easily match that."

Robert didn't quite keep the aggravation at that from showing on his face. Warp 7 wasn't a slow warp speed, not at all, but it was still quite slow compared to what the _Aurora_ could do, even at a leisurely cruise warp, due to the Darglan-designed warp drive. _But they didn't have Darglan data. We should probably be happy they're capable of Warp 7 and not 5._

"Before we depart, I would ask the status of our communications array," Ursa said. "I would like to update Admiral Hanraq on our situation."

Komin shook his head. "Enemy fire ripped away the transceiver completely. We can't contact home."

"Then I will do so," said Yeshe.

Komin gave his stoic cousin an uncomfortable look. "This far out?" he asked. "Has it even been tried this far from into the frontier?"

"I do not believe so," she said. "But I should still be capable of reaching home. I can relay our situation to the others.

"Then do so," said Ursa. "Captain, your… teleportation machines, they do not work at warp?"

"Only if velocities are matched exactly, and they work best if both ships are using them to ensure a connection," Robert replied. "I'm not sure portable transporters would be sufficient."

"Probably not for warp-speed beaming," Lucy offered.

Robert nodded. He had a look of impatience growing on his expression. "I'll be returning to the _Aurora_ before we depart, I have reports to file for our leaders. I'll leave Lieutenant Lucero and Ensign Talara here so that we have working communications between the ships."

"I will arrange quartering for them," Ursa answered. "We should depart now. We cannot give our enemy time to flee."

"Agreed, we can't," Robert said. He tapped at his omnitool. "Dale to _Aurora_ , one to beam back."

He transported out. Moments later, their ships accelerated and made the jump to warp.

For his part, Robert was not entirely truthful when he attributed his return to filing reports. He went straight to his quarters, a desperate plan forming in his mind.

* * *

Sharp, harsh pain filled Julia's head, and her arms struggled in vain against the restraints holding her wrists to the arms of the Aurora Chair. Aside from her instinctive struggles, Julia could do nothing to fight back. All she could do was try to bury herself in other memories, cherished memories.

Whether it was irritation with her condition or perhaps a desire for amusement, the memory she found herself dwelling on was the time Robert put an entire canister of her play-doh into the harvester. She recalled how upset that made her when she was young. "How could you do this, Robby?!" she'd scolded angrily, drawing an uncertain look from her close friend. "That was _my_ play-doh!"

These same words echoed in the chamber. On the screen the image of a young boy dominated, along with an empty plastic container.

Something about the memory drew her in. Not just recalling how upset it made her at the time, but the genuine look of contrition, the realization that an impulsive, selfish act caused harm to someone he cared for. The pain of the Aurora Chair became distant, less a drill boring into her mind and more of a pinprick, a splinter at the edge of it.

"I'm sorry, Julie," the child Robby said. "I just… I thought it'd be fun. I didn't mean to make you upset."

"Why didn't you ask me?! You know better!"

While Julia seemed to grow still, Fassbinder looked at the viewer and frowned. Somehow she was resisting, that he was certain of. How, he couldn't say for sure. There was something about her energy, her being, that the Chair seemed to be failing to reach. But it was infuriating regardless.

"Turn up the chair," he ordered the technician.

"It is already at the maximum setting, _Herr Brigadeführer_ ,' the man replied. "I cannot intensify the effect any further."

Fassbinder considered that for a moment. When he spoke again, it was to bark, "Shut it down!"

The technician did so. Julia's body relaxed. She drew a breath in. Slowly, she seemed to come back to recognition of her surroundings. Fassbinder sensed confusion. "The Chair must be having an effect upon her memory state," he said to the technician. " _Scharführer_ , I want it inspected. Thoroughly."

" _Jawohl_!"

He gestured to Julia. "Take her to the tank," he instructed the others. 

* * *

Light years away, seated on the floor of his quarters' living area, Robert opened his eyes. He drew in a breath as the sharp pain that he'd felt through his head faded, leaving as its mark the sweat covering his brow and the memory of that pain.

Regardless, a small smile crossed his face. "It worked," he mumbled. "It _worked_."


	98. Episode 3-18-2 Trial by Fire

Activity in the SS base was escalating from the preparations for evacuation. Fassbinder noted with approval the efficiency of his men as they took up everything that could be removed. Engineers started the process of preparing demolition, should annihilating the alien city from orbit prove impossible. Others catalogued the stores of everything from weapons to the powerful combat stims that the SS, given its deficiencies in numbers, was issuing to all combat personnel, preparing everything for transport to an evacuation ship.

From his office, Fassbinder monitored all of this from screens. As he did, he considered whether to escalate his prisoner's torment or not. The way she was interfering with the Aurora Chair was vexing, but the data was still valuable. That argued against any further use of the nanobots or the shocks in the tank.

But yet… he wanted to _feel_ her suffer. His hate for Julia Andreys, for what she represented, for what she accomplished, _demanded_ she suffer. The dark energies within him stirred at the thought, urging him to it. _Order them to turn the dial. Commence the shocks. MAKE HER SCREAM_.

"Petty sadism does not suit a man of your power, Fassbinder," said the Twelve. Cosmetic alterations aside, she was a clone of one of the accursed _Aurora_ officers, Lucy Lucero. Whenever Fassbinder looked at her, he couldn't help but remember that Lucero had once batted him aside with barely an effort, back on New Brittany. He looked forward to the day he got a rematch with her.

"You waste time," the Six added. "The evacuation plans…"

"...are proceeding," Fassbinder finished for her, feeling a little irritated. He felt a deep suspicion that the Cylons wanted Julia Andreys' death for some unknown reason. He fully intended to give it to them, but only when he chose to do so. "But my plan to destroy the _Aurora_ requires that she remain alive." Fassbinder checked his reports for a moment before continuing. "Dale will sense her death. That would spoil everything. But so long as she is alive, he will feel it, and he will tell the others so. When she is in pain, they will know, so they will be desperate to end it." Fassbinder grinned ferociously. "And I will use that desperation to my advantage."

The Cylons said nothing in response. Fassbinder turned his attentions to his work while his hand reached for his comm. "Fassbinder to tank room. Return the prisoner to her cell," he instructed the guards. "We will try the Chair again soon." 

* * *

Miko watched in quiet horror when Julia was returned to the cell. She collapsed bonelessly to the hard floor the moment the guards released her, neither bothering to give her a final blow from the stun sticks this time. They turned the forcefield back on and departed. On the other side of it, Julia was on her stomach, unmoving.

"Julia. Are you…" Miko stopped herself from finishing the question "Are you okay?" It was clear she wasn't. She was simply too weak to move.

A deep despair threatened to fill Miko, a despair at never seeing her mother again, nor the Beifong cousins, or her grand uncle… none of those whom she loved. She would be trapped here, alone save for a woman who, at any time, might succumb to the abuse their captives delighted in inflicting on her. And when Julia finally died, she would be truly alone…

 _Or maybe not_ , she considered. She recalled some of what Master Gyatsun taught her about the Avatar's spiritual abilities. It took effort, too, and her situation helped with that. The truth was that Miko often felt impatient at the stodgy old Airbender, preferring to train with Yeshe.

But she wasn't such a poor student that she garnered nothing from those lessons. The spiritual side of who she was, that was important too.

Miko sat on the floor of her cell and began the long, slow work of quieting her mind. 

* * *

The _General Iroh_ had the kind of austere functionality Lucy expected given both their technological level and the behavior of the crew. Her quarters, apparently those for VIPs, were only half the size of those she had on the _Aurora_ , and were quite spartan. The walls were painted in deep reds and golds, presumably to make the living quarters aesthetically appealing, but the bed was little more than a cot and the shower barely a walk-in closet.

After some time using the computer hookup and her omnitool to research the ship and these people, Lucy decided to give the communications system another check. After her trip through the vessel, she found Komin already inspecting the guts of what had been their primary comm transceiver. "What's the verdict?"

"Chief Lee was right," he said. "Even if we could construct a new set, the damage in here is too extensive. They'll have to rebuild the comm system in the docks."

Lucy glanced over it and nodded in agreement. "No secondaries?"

"The designers judged them to be unnecessary, I suppose. Or impossible."

"Or, more likely, a lower priority to other systems. A tradeoff that's biting you in the rear now." Lucy had a thought. "What if we used the _Aurora_ to send a message to your people?"

"I'm not sure your communications are compatible," he replied. "Ours relies on the existence of the Spirit World, and from what you've said, it's unique to our universe."

"Yeah, about that… Different layers of reality are known to us, things like the various bands of hyperspace, but this 'Spirit World' you're talking about…"

"It's linked to our world at a fundamental level," Komin said. "It's played an important role in our development of technology ever since Avatar Korra left the portals open. Observation of the Spirit World is what led Korra's granddaughter Yasuko Sato to the discoveries that proved the possibility of the space-warp drive."

Lucy blinked. "You mean you… you can actually _enter_ this plane? You have openings to it on your homeworld?"

"Three, yes. To enter physically, anyway. There are other ways into it. It's why Yeshe is our best hope of getting a message back to the Republic and the Fire Nation without forcing us to go back ourselves."

"Your cousin?" Curious, Lucy asked, "Is this your way of saying she can enter your Spirit World mentally?"

"She can project her spirit in." Seeing Lucy's increased curiosity, he added, "Follow me."

They went back into the section of the ship with private quarters. In a set of quarters much like her own assigned room, Yeshe Beifong was seated on a map in what seemed a universal meditative posture, legs folded under her and hands on knees.

Lucy felt a kind of rippling in the Flow of Life, not unlike that of the ship's power core. Yeshe's being seemed… diverted, not entirely present anymore. Her body was almost in a sort of stasis, her breathing quiet and shallow, but not labored.

The part that really gained her attention was that the feeling she had from Yeshe was not unlike the general feeling of the Flow of Life in this universe. As if it were also diverted in some way.

"I'm worried for her," Komin admitted.

"Oh?" Lucy turned her head and faced him. The look on his face was drawn and pensive. "Why? Because you're so far from your homeworld?"

He nodded. "It's known that the connection to the Spirit World gets weaker this far out. Our communications systems aren't as effected, but attempting to enter the Spirit World this way is said to be harder. Much harder. There's no guarantee she will be able to keep herself there long enough to find another of the Airbenders, or anyone else, to tell them about what we've found."

"This is dangerous, then?"

"I'm not sure. This isn't something I'm familiar with," he admitted. "Yeshe is convinced she can manage it."

"Then we should have faith in her that she will," said Lucy. "Even if it's not easy."

"You're right, it's just… I've known Yeshe since I was little. I don't want to lose her too." Komin took in a breath before turning for the door. "I'm going to get some rest. You?"

"I think I will too," she said. "I'll see you later."

"Yes."

With that, they parted ways. 

* * *

The lights in Robert's quarters were set just above the dim level. He was in the living area adjacent to the bedroom, seated on the floor on the mat he'd carried with him from Gersal after finishing the training to control his now-enhanced talents. He breathed in and out slowly, focusing himself in meditation.

The link he shared with Julia was stronger than before. He could sense she was resting. Fassbinder was presumably busy with other matters. That he was sparing her made Robert feel gratified, but worried. Given his whole-hearted embrace of darkness, all of Fassbinder's nastiest traits were stronger now, including sadism and hatred. If he wasn't trying to make Julia suffer now, it implied a _reason_.

One such reason was that he might be too busy overseeing an evacuation, which meant they were running out of time to get to Julia and Miko.

The thought of her being gone came roaring back, and the reaction was fear. Solid, unrelenting fear. He couldn't imagine a world without her in it, he didn't even want to try, and having to live in it… the mere idea was maddening. A source of maddening anger.

It had more than one source, more than one target. He was angry at the enemy, certainly, for what they'd done to his adopted home, for what they were doing to Julia, for all of the suffering and terror they'd inflicted.

He was also angry at himself. They were here because of him. Because of his mistakes. He'd helped start the war before the Alliance was ready for it, for one, when he let his fears dominate his decisions at 33LA. Two years on, and that mistake haunted him, all the more since those very mistakes brought about the nightmare he'd foreseen. The attack on New Liberty, Julia taken as a prisoner, Beth nearly dying…

That made him think of New Liberty. If he had come for Julia first… then she wouldn't be suffering. He made the choice to not go to her rescue, to walk into Fassbinder's trap instead. A trap he only escaped because of telepath allies that came to his rescue. Allies that would have rescued Beth anyway while he was rescuing Julia.

 _I didn't know_ , he thought to himself, but the greater part of him rejected that defense. How could he have not known? With all of this power, his talents, how couldn't he see how it would go? How was it that _he didn't know to save Julia instead?_

After all, hadn't he lost enough already? His grandparents, his parents, his sister… why should he have to lose her too?

Robert felt power in this anger. A deep power, cold and hot at the same time. He instinctively drew back from it, as one might pull a hand back from an open flame. But even as he did, a part of him felt a visceral rush at the thought of it. That deep, dark part that lies in any living, thinking being's heart, the one that is drawn to power like a moth to flame, drawn to strength, to the means to impose one's will upon a universe that seemed to just not care…

A treacherous voice echoed in his being. _And if it's what you need to save her? Fassbinder is more powerful now, and he has allies._

At the periphery of his senses, Robert heard his door chime. He ignored it for the moment, dwelling on the problems before him. The chime repeated. When he gave no answer, it went off again… and again…. and again…

"Fine! Come in!" he snapped irritably.

The door slid open. Meridina stepped in, wearing her uniform. The fourth gold strip on her collar was another reminder of Julia's absence. Her very being radiated concern. "I sense it in you," she said. "Your feelings of anger are calling up the darkness within."

"As you've said before, we all have it," he replied. "I'm not giving into it."

"Not right now. But the next time you face Fassbinder?" Meridina took a seat at his small table and apprised him with a worried look. "You are angry and frustrated by him. It is becoming hatred."

Robert's eyes opened and he looked at her, a hard light to his green eyes she'd never seen before. "We had him on Gamma Piratus," Robert said. "He should have died there. But we were sloppy. We let him get away. And then on New Brittany, when he escaped Lucy, and then in Germania… And every time he gets away from us, Meridina, he causes more suffering, and he grows more powerful."

"I am aware."

"We should have made sure," Robert said. "We should have made sure he was dead on Gamma Piratus. Or any of those other places."

"We did all we could," Meridina reminded him. "You know full well that part of being a _swevyra'se_ is knowing that distinction. We do what we can. We do not try. But neither do we regret those things that we cannot do."

"But because we didn't get him, look at what he's done!" Robert's fists clenched. "Look at what he did to New Liberty! What he did to Beth! He was a moment away from killing her! If Colin and the others hadn't…" He lowered his head, replaying the scene in the Government House foyer again. "I felt her ready to die. Beth stopped herself from weeping. She wanted to die with dignity, to not give him the satisfaction of her crying or begging to live, even though she was desperate to live. What he did to her is going to stick with her forever, Meridina. Because we weren't good enough, _I_ wasn't good enough. And now he's got Julia, and he's hurting her, because I didn't see it coming, because I didn't do what I needed to in order to protect them both!"

Something in his words struck the aching wound in Meridina's heart, echoing with her own. _You weren't good enough to forsee the Brotherhood attack. You weren't good enough to save Ledosh from Goras._ Irritation with that thinking filled her. "You are being arrogant," Meridina chided. "Presumptuous. You alone cannot do everything, Robert, and your insistence on this matter is egotistical and vain. You are allowing your expanded power to lead you astray. To 'go to your head', the others would say."

Robert's face, his being, betrayed his surprise at her harshness.

"There are things you cannot do. That we cannot do. If we do not accept this, then we create frustration for ourselves. Frustration and anger, and anger is on the path to darkness. Much as you displayed when you attacked the Aristo on Toutaine Station, an act of darkness that I once thought you incapable of."

Robert remembered that dark feeling when he was on Toutaine, listening to the Aristo who called himself Haron mocking him about Julia, about everything. He'd nearly broken the man himself, but stopped before he could go that far. But only just that far; he'd crossed a line, and he knew it.

That she was right only made him feel worse. It wasn't helped by what he also felt. In his feelings and sentiments, Meridina saw her own mirrored. She was feeling frustrated by what happened on Gersal. Frustrated… and guilty.

Something about that gnawed at him. Here she was, dispensing advice to him that she herself wasn't heeding. She insisted he accept what happened and move on, but she wasn't doing the same for herself. "Maybe you should take your own advice," Robert said, not quite nastily, but coldly.

Meridina's expression blanched.

"You blame yourself for Gersal," he continued. "I can feel it in you. You think you should have been faster. Stronger. More prescient. Then maybe Ledosh would be alive, more of your people would have survived. Maybe even you would have prevented the loss of the Great Temple."

The response was Meridina closing her eyes. His words hit home.

Robert swallowed. A bitter part of him wanted to point out the hypocrisy again. To hammer home that she had no right to demand he do something she would not. He only barely kept that bitter feeling down. "It's more than that, though, isn't it? There's a part of you that wonders if this might not have happened if you hadn't made the choices you did. That you and Ledosh, by promoting the Alliance, investigating our place in the Prophecy of the Dawn, by all of that, you made this attack possible. Maybe inevitable. That if you'd listened to Karesl and Goras from the getgo, none of this would have happened."

Meridina's eyes met his. She didn't need to say it.

"I think you're wrong about that. And I think you know that." Robert nodded at her. "And maybe you're right about me. But you're not the one feeling her pain, Meridina. He's torturing Julia _and I feel it_. And the reason Julia's a prisoner is _my choice_. I _chose_ to go for Beth instead, and if I hadn't have… if I hadn't have, odds are Beth would've lived anyway, that Colin and Max and Governor Kuhln would have saved her, and I could have helped Julia get away. My choices are why Julia is a prisoner now. Why she's not home. Why she's suffering. You're asking me to ignore my part in that outcome, _and I can't_. Please don't ask me to. Not now."

Meridina said nothing more. With pain in her own heart, pain at how true Robert's words about her feelings, she stood up and left without a further word.

Robert watched her go before returning to his meditation. Whatever else, he had to be ready if Julia started hurting again. 

* * *

Julia stirred slowly, fitfully, from her place on the floor of her bare cell, bare save for the bucket that was meant to be her toilet as another act of degradation. While the green fluid she was being repeatedly dumped into was healing her body, she still ached everywhere, especially in her head.

The sound of conversation prompted Julia to turn her head toward Miko's cell. Her fellow captive was seated on the floor in a legs-crossed meditative posture. Across from her was a human figure, a man seated similarly to Miko. An aura of blue light surrounded him, giving him a spectral look. The man's face had a soft expression; he looked to be early middle-aged, with a pointed beard of light gray color, to match the fringe of similar color at the temples that streaked through darker, close-cut hair. He was wearing a suit of dark green fringed with an earthy brown color. His eyes were heterochromatic: one amber, one green. Physically he looked to be in the peak of health even with middle-age, with broad shoulders, although his expression gave the sense of a "gentle giant" sort of person.

Julia had just enough time to take in the features of the figure before he seemed to dissipate into a fog, vanishing completely in the span of a couple seconds. Miko drew in a sigh and lowered her head.

The thought moved through Julia's mind to ask what she'd just seen, but before she could speak, the familiar thumping of boots to the floor heralded the arrival of the SS guards. Julia drew in a quick breath and steeled herself for the resumption of her ordeal. 

* * *

With the hours to their arrival dwindling down, Meridina took what she imagined would be her last quiet meal period left to her. It was necessary to rebalance herself given her discussion with Robert and the emotions it drew up, her fears for him and her feelings over what happened on Gersal.

Hargert, with his customary diligence, seemed prepared for her with a meal suited to lifting her spirits. The _liyume_ , a Gersallian dish comparable to what Humans called "dumplings", had a rich flavor to it that was authentically Gersallian (Hargert's previous experiments in mixing Earth-native spices or ingredients had been of mixed success, and in this case were undesired). Altogether it worked as a comfort food, and Meridina greatly enjoyed it.

But it did not, by itself, lift her spirits. As much as she tried to ignore it, Meridina was working with a broken heart. The horror of that day on Gersal, with the Cylon attack and the fall of the Temple aided by the treachery of the long-hidden Brotherhood, it kept coming back to her. Indeed, even the welcoming dish seemed to sour in her mouth as she contemplated everything that happened.

The sour look on her face was noted by the new arrival at her table. "Do ye mind, lass?" Meridina lifted her head to notice Commander Scott, a mug of coffee in one hand and a plate of food in the other. When she quietly gestured toward a chair he took it, setting his meal down. "Well now, ye dinnae seem t' be enjoyin' yer meal," he said to her. "Still thinkin' of home?"

"The meal is fine. I am simply distracted." She took another bite of it, as if to ward off any further inquiry.

"Nobody blames ye for thinkin' of home," he assured her.

Meridina nodded in reply. But she said nothing. Se could think of nothing to say, nothing that wouldn't admit of the feelings inside of her.

There was no hiding them from the veteran engineer beside her. "Ye're tryin' t' be strong for th' crew's sake. Aye, I get that," Scotty said gently. "But ye cannae ignore what's on yer mind forever, Meridina. Ye have t' face it."

Behind the gentle persistence in the old man's voice, Meridina sensed his warm spirit, and his desire to help her. Not just out of general concern for the younger officers and crew, but from his understanding of the pressures they were under, and of the terrible things she'd endured.

He was right, of course. Meridina couldn't avoid facing her feelings. Not forever, not even for much longer. She had to face her fears, her guilt, if she was to lead them effectively.

The irony made her want to laugh bitterly. She'd never imagined being in this position, having to command the _Aurora_ herself. Being the Captain. Even when she accepted Julia's request and decided to become First Officer, she'd never imagined it coming about, as logical as it was. Now she felt regret for accepting the promotion and new post. This wasn't what she'd wanted with her life, after all. She was, or at least had been, a _swevyra'se_ , a Knight of Life, sworn to the Code of Swenya. Her place was in the thick of danger, using her talents to aid, not sitting in a chair commanding the fates of two thousand people.

Although that didn't really matter in the long run, did it? Regardless of what she wanted, this was where she was, and whatever her choices, Gersal had burned. The Temple was gone, millions were dead, the Order was reeling. Nearly broken, maybe.

What would this do to her people? For the Gersal she knew? Change was inevitable, but would it be for good or ill?

With all of that weight in her heart, it was no surprise that tears formed in her eyes. They began the journey down her face to her chin in seconds, followed by more tears, an even greater flow of them.

"We have lost so much," she admitted to Mister Scott. "The Cylons destroyed the Temples with atomic weapons. They did everything they could to annihilate the legacy of Swenya from our world. Three thousand years of history that inspired my people to be what they have become, and the Cylons annihilated it in less than a day. They knocked down the Yahana Towers in Jantarihal. The fires they caused burned half of Iltahad's parks. And the death they brought. They… they killed millions in Trubin alone. Ten million of my people are dead. Ten million." She shook her head, fighting back a sniffle. "Light help us, we have never taken a shock like this. Not since… the Brotherhood. Which they are led by!"

"Aye, it's a great loss, an' a terrible shock," Scott agreed. "It's more than that, though, isn't?"

She nodded. "I am haunted by the thought that I brought this about. That if I had not pursued the path I did, Goras would not have fallen. The Order would not have lost its heart. It would not have fallen into the malaise that left it vulnerable. We would have seen this attack coming." She wiped at the tears on her face. "Ten million of my people, Mister Scott, and I may have contributed with my choices. How can I continue this with such a weight on my _swevyra_?"

The elder Scotsman listened patiently to her. When Meridina's question came his way, he replied softly. "Ye have t' remember that ye didn't make th' choices that caused all this. Goras is th' one who couldn't accept th' way things were goin'. He decided he'd rather murder ye. And nothin' ye did would've stopped th' Cylons' attack. They were comin' for ye at some point. That's clear t' us all, lass." He reached a hand over and laid it on her lower arm, a gesture of reassurance. "Meridina, my heart weeps for what ye've lost. I dinnae know anyone who wouldn't be wonderin' what ye're wonderin'. But ye cannae forget all th' good ye've done with th' crew. The lives ye've saved, an' everythin' good that's come of that. That Cylon lass ye brought aboard, for starters. Ye showed her mercy when it would've been easy t' kill her, an' she helped save th' people o' New Caprica. Ye taught Lucy how t' use these skills o' yers, an' Robert as well, an' look at what they've done."

Meridina's blue eyes met his, tears flowing freely from them. "They have done so much," she agreed.

"Aye. Ye've accomplished a lot since ye came t' th' _Aurora_ , Meridina. It's no wonder Captain Andreys asked ye t' be the First Officer."

"We both know I was not her first choice," Meridina said. "Jarod and Nicholas turned her down."

"Dinnae change th' fact she asked ye," he pointed out. "An' I think she was right."

"But I… now I must be the Captain," Meridina said gently. "And I am not sure this is what I am meant to be. The role comes naturally to Julia in a way I do not share. The others are concerned with Julia's replacement and that I am not being offered the command, but when I consider myself, I must admit I do not wish it. I would only accept it for the sake of the others."

A twinkle formed in Scotty's eye. "Aye, I know what ye mean."

"You have commanded before, have you not?" she asked.

"Well, lass, back in th' day, I was third-in-command on th' _Enterprise_ ," he said. "When Captain Kirk an' Mister Spock had t' be elsewhere, I was left in command. An' I admit, I was never happy at th' chance, never at all. I only cared t' be an engineer."

That fit with the sentiments Meridina had long noticed in the older man. Scott's engineering spaces were his pride and joy. "But you commanded when necessary. Much as I am now."

"Aye." The twinkle in his eye remained. "Did I ever tell ye about th' time I took th' _Kobayashi Maru_ test?"

Meridina thought of the name. It sounded like it came from the Human language of the Japanese nation, but she was not familiar with the significance. "I do not believe so. I am uncertain of what this test is?"

"It's a simulation that Starfleet used t' run command candidates through, a test o' character ye might say," he explained. "Well, I'd been put in Command School, an' th' test came up. As ye can imagine, I was nae t' happy t' be in there in th' first place…" 

* * *

While Commander Scott's story did not directly pertain to her situation, Meridina found her spirits much lifted by the time her conversation with the engineer was over. Her heart still ached at everything happening, but she knew that for the moment she must cast aside uncertainty and be the captain the crew needed. Julia needed them all, and Meridina would do her best to make sure the ship and crew would come through.

After her meal she returned to the bridge. Locarno, Tra'dur, and Cat were all on duty, with Lieutenant Luneri standing in for Angel to allow her a meal period. At the science station Cat was busy examining readings. "This local space is just… really interesting. Some of these readings remind me of the Fracture, but I'm not seeing anything else that matches. Stars are, roughly, where they're supposed to be, there's no spatial warping effect, and no reports of illness from anyone with psionic or metaphysical perception."

"No sign of a DT field yet?" Jarod asked.

"No. But…" She checked something. "The target system is now on long-range sensors."

"And still no DT field."

"Then wherever this is, it is not a former base of the Darglan," Meridina noted. "Or at least, not one they made after acquiring the dimensional-transcendence field technology. Perhaps it is another repurposed base like the one we found in N2C5."

"Going by sensors, there are signs of power signatures in the system, consistent with starships." Cat examined her readings even more closely. "And I am detecting a warp trail near here, the subspace wake is consistent with the anti-matter pulse reactors the Reich uses."

"So we know the coordinates are good," Jarod noted. "The question is, what's waiting for us there?"

"An excellent question. Do you have a proposal to find out, Commander?" Meridina asked.

"Long range probes could scout the system for us," said Jarod. "Even if they're destroyed, the data we get before they're lost could be invaluable."

"Could the _Koenig_ not go on ahead of us and quietly reconnoiter the system?" Tra'dur suggested. "They have a greater chance of going undetected."

Meridina waited for Jarod's reaction to the suggestion. It was a nod. "That would also work," he agreed. "If they stay under cloak and are careful about transmissions."

"Agreed," she said, before keying the tac comm. " _Koenig_ , we have the enemy system on sensors. I would like the system scouted _."_

" _Sounds good to me_ ," said Zack. " _We're accelerating now._ "

The _Koenig_ 's warp engines intensified the field around the ship. The ship accelerated until she moved beyond the _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_. 

* * *

The drilling agony of the Aurora Chair assailed Julia's mind yet again. She writhed against the restraints of the chair, feeling as if her mind was coming apart under its relentless, mechanical assault. Fassbinder hovered over her like a bird of prey, eager, and frustrated at the prey for not succumbing.

With her brain feeling it was on fire, Julia delved into memories that promised any sort of respite. The pain she was in caused a memory association to form. Her thoughts turned to after Robert's grandmother died. They were just eight years old. That cooling summer day so long ago came back to her; the rolling fields of wheat of the Dale farm, the solemn quiet of the family home… her parents came over to give their condolences for the Dale family's loss.

On the porch, eight year old Julie found eight year old Robby, sitting on the stairway with tears flowing down his face. "Oma's gone," he wept. "Oma's gone."'

Memories of Oma - Anna Dale, Robert's German-born grandmother - were of a warm elderly woman who cooked delicious food and delighted in teaching " _meine kleiner_ " her native language. Those memories reverted back to the porch, where she'd responded by embracing her dear friend and playmate closely, crying with him, not so much for grief over Anna's death as it was sympathy for his grief.

As they embraced, the pain in her brain decreased again. Indeed, it felt like it had never been there. She was just here, a child again, with her poor suffering friend. Her poor Robby, hurt so much from losing his beloved grandmother. She clung all the tighter to him, as if she could banish the deep pain she felt within him.

The image of this on the Chair's viewer brought a derisive, frustrated snort froom Fassbinder. He eyed the technician, who shrugged. "I'm sorry, _Herr Brigadeführer_. The technology is at maximum."

Fassbinder snarled at that. He looked to Julia for a moment before pulling the headpiece away from her forehead, shutting down the machine automatically. In a rapid motion his arm came up. His fist smashed into her cheek with enough force that it broke one of her teeth. "You will yield!" His face drew close, his eyes glaring hatred at her.

The blow jolted Julia back to reality. She looked into Fassbinder's eyes and contempt appeared on her features. She rolled her tongue inside of her mouth until she felt the broken pieces of her damaged tooth. She collected them, and the attendant blood, and in a moment of impulsive defiance spat them into Fassbinder's eye.

Fassbinder recoiled backward. Only momentary instinct kept the chips of enamel from impacting on his eye directly, his eyelid absorbing the projectiles instead. Red blood covered the right side of his face. His expression twisted into a look of deep rage. His hand went for the controls on his gauntlet.

The nanobots on Julia's skin activated, flooding her nerves with pain stimuli. She cried out from the sheer agony of the experience.

"I have a confession," he said, even as she writhed in the chair, barely hearing him through the intensity of her pain. "Your interrogation is, to me, meaningless. The _Führer_ ordered it and I will obey, of course, but I am not foolish enough to think we can gain immediate benefit. Your command codes have been shut off, your access to Alliance databases rescinded. The Aurora Chair may yet pull some useful intelligence from your mind, but with each passing day the worth of that knowledge decreases. Whatever your exalted status in the history of the Alliance, you are still ultimately just a starship captain. Your leaders do not share everything with you."

Julia said nothing beyond letting out another strangled cry. A tightness in her chest kept the cry from reaching the volume of the last, the pain so intense the muscles in her body were contracting instinctively, trying to escape what could not be escaped. Beyond the pain, she felt a growing sense of despair, a sense that her life was going to end like this. That after everything she'd done, everything she'd accomplished, her fate was to be tortured to death by Fassbinder.

"Ah." The SS man chuckled. "Well, I see you have an idea of it. You realize what your fate is to be, do you _Kapitan_?" He leaned in closer, her blood still around his eye. "I savor your suffering like a fine wine, yes. After your _crimes_ against my people, how could I not? So allow me to confirm your fears, Julia Andreys. My sole intent is to torture you. To make you feel pain, over and over and over, without end, without mercy. I want you to _suffer_. I want you and all of your friends to _suffer for what you have done_." His voice became a bitter snarl, laced with deep rage, and his unnatural yellow eyes glistened with malevolence. "Because of you and Robert Dale and the others, your Alliance _destroyed my Reich_. You burned our cities! You tore down our glories! You uplifted _untermenschen_ and aliens at the expense of the Aryan race! You _humiliated us_! And I will have my revenge for that. I will make you suffer as no other human being has ever suffered, _Kapitan_. Your anguish will be my greatest pleasure. And when the time comes and you are utterly broken - _and you will be_ \- and you are a madwoman who can only beg and mewl for mercy… I will continue to torture you anyway. Until your suffering no longer entertains me. Then I will give you to my men to do with as they please, and when it is all over, your broken corpse will be left for your precious Alliance to discover, so that they might all know how deeply they have failed you." He turned to the guards. "Take her to the kohltou tank. And I want the current on. Make her _suffer_."

" _Jawohl_ , _mein Brigadeführer_."

Almost as an afterthought Fassbinder turned off the nanobots, merely for the purpose of making her guards' job of transporting her easier. As Julia was dragged off, a _Scharführer_ entered and saluted. " _Heil Kranefuss!_ "

Fassbinder returned the salute. "What is it, _Scharführer_?"

" _Brigadeführer_ , long range sensors are detecting two of the three vessels that the _Dogger Bank_ reported from its battle. _Sturmbannführer_ Diekmann believes the third vessel, an attacker, is cloaked."

"The _Koenig_ , undoubtedly," Fassbinder said. A thoughtful smile crossed his face. " _Scharführer_ , inform _Oberführer_ Krebsbach to commence the Phase 1 evacuation procedures, and make sure he knows that there is no urgency. He can take his time."

" _Jawohl!_ "

Fassbinder watched the soldier leave and allowed himself a small smile. Everything was proceeding exactly as he desired. Revenge and destiny were at hand.


	99. Episode 3-18-3 Trial by Fire

Robert's efforts at meditation were not working out as he wanted. The anger would not fade, nor the temptations of the power within it. The pain in his head from his efforts to shield Julia, to protect her mind from whatever device or being was attacking it, was making it harder to focus. And with the pain he sensed her in, pain he could only partially absorb for her, a deep, desperate need to get to her side _now_ filled him, in defiance of all other considerations.

With that desperate need came the dark thoughts again. Against Fassbinder and his troops, and his Cylon allies, they would need a lot of power to prevail. Even now he felt the sense that Fassbinder was preparing for them. A trap was being laid, a trap that they had no choice but to spring if they were to get Julia back. To deal with all of that, he needed to be at his best. He needed the power to break them down and…

He cried out in frustration, at the situation and himself. He _knew_ what that power was, why he should never touch it. How corrupting it was. He thought of how he'd described it to Zara Tam and Husn Maina and the other Psi Corps children on Tau Atrea, about how corruptive and toxic it was to the spirit. What good would it do for Julia if he stopped being who he was? How much would he hurt her and the others if he abandoned what they believed in?

Again a small treacherous voice, laced with fear and need, whispered in his being as the sensation of electrical shock gnawed at him. _That harm is nothing compared to what she suffers now._

Slowly he realized the door chime was going off, repeatedly and insistently. His first impression was that Meridina was coming back to scold him, or otherwise try to deal with him. Maybe even to put him to sleep, to save him from these dark thoughts before they tempted him over a line he couldn't return from. But after a moment he could sense it wasn't her. It was another.

The door slid open without him authorizing it. Robert looked up, surprise and some anger on his expression, and he watched Leo walk in, wearing his blue-trimmed medical uniform with a white lab coat over it. Leo's dark skin softly reflected the lighting of Robert's quarters. There was a hint of stubble on his chin. Robert could guess Leo was just finished dealing with the casualties from the _General Iroh_ that the _Aurora_ medbay was asked to handle.

"I didn't actually invite you in," Robert pointed out.

"No. But given my scan of your vitals showed elevated pain indicators, I consider my medical override justified," Leo said. He sat down on the simple couch beside where Robert was seated on the floor and looked down at his friend. His eyes reflected what Robert sensed in Leo's being: compassion, worry, the need to heal that was integral to Leo's heart and soul. "Everyone's worried about you."

"So this is the first step in an intervention?" Robert asked.

"More like I'm the only one who's not busy with something related to getting Julia back," Leo answered. "So it falls on me to help you."

Robert said nothing. A grimace came to his face as he felt the pain escalate.

"Well, that's something I never thought I'd see," Leo said, glancing at his medical omnitool's scan display. "Your body's showing signs of responding to, I don't know, some kind of electrical discharge." A sour look came to his face. "It's how they're torturing her, I guess?"

"Yeah," answered Robert, his voice hollow. "It is."

Leo took in a breath and nodded. "Yeah. I've seen the results of SS handiwork before." He leaned over in the seat and pressed a hand to Robert's shoulder. "It's bad enough that you're already in torment from the worry over her. Having to feel that, to know for certain how they're treating her…"

"It's not just that. I'm… I'm using our connection to shield her," he said. "To try and alleviate the pain." His fists clenched. The charge was being increased on the other end, and through his connection Robert was feeling it acutely. He groaned lowly before continuing. "I owe it to her to help her, Leo. I'm the reason she's there," Robert said. "I could've gone to her on New Liberty. I could've helped her get away."

"And left Beth to die instead?"

"She wouldn't have. Colin and Max would've saved her, just as they did with me there," Robert said.

"Are you so sure of that?" Leo asked patiently, keeping a nervous eye on Robert's vitals. He didn't pretend to understand this metaphysical stuff, but everything on his instruments told him Robert was being subjected to painful electrical shock. "Fassbinder's people probably kept in contact with him. And I know your metaphysical abilities let you sense each other. If he'd sensed you going after her instead of coming to him, do you really think he'd have waited that long?"

Leo's question brought silence from Robert. He thought the answer over and found only a vexing uncertainty.

"Rob, Julia knows how to take care of herself. Beth, well, she does to an extent as well, but you knew she needed that help. That without you coming, she would have died. Julia had a chance to get away. It didn't work out for her. But that's not your fault."

"I've had dreams for two years," Robert said. "Dreams of New Liberty burning. Of Julia being held as a prisoner. I… I had them the night before we launched the 33LA mission, Leo. The mistake I made… this wouldn't have happened if I…"

"That's all the past. Might-have-beens. I have them myself, you know."

Robert nodded, sensing in Leo the memory of a frail, leukemia-stricken boy of barely ten years of age. "Joshua Marik."

"Yeah."

"But it's not just a might-have-been. I should have realized something was wrong," Robert insisted. "I should have seen this coming!"

"And you think that your dreams would be proof enough to get the Alliance to mobilize?" Leo asked. "You really think even Maran could force that through?"

Robert shook his head. He winced again from the pain sensations filling him.

"Listen, I get it," Leo continued. "This… this power you've got. It makes you feel responsible. Makes you think there's something more you could, you _should_ , do. But you're still just Human, Rob. There are some things you can't see coming. Things you can't stop. And dwelling over it, that's not going to help Julia, man."

Leo was right. Of course he was. Robert knew it, he accepted it, but it didn't change the hurt. Not just the torture he sensed and tried to divert, but the hurt inside. The fear. "I can't lose her," he said. "God help me, I can't. She's… she's been a part of my life, a part of me, I can't lose her too." As he spoke he felt the pain recede. He breathed out in relief and wiped at the sweat coating his forehead and face.

"Your vitals are improving," Leo said. "The pain indicators are gone. They stopped."

"For now." Robert swallowed. "Whatever happens, Leo, we have to save her. I don't think I can endure it if she..."

"We'll get that shot," Leo assured him, his answer keeping Robert from considering the alternative. "Just get your head straight first. She can't lose you either, you know."

Robert's reaction was a laugh choked by a sniffle. "Leo, I love her."

"On the 'No Duh' scale, that's an 11 out of 10," Leo responded. "I always find it funny that the two of you seem determined _not_ to hook up."

"We don't want romance to interfere," Robert replied. "All of the emotions that come from it."

"I think I get it." Leo nodded and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm scared. Oh God, I'm scared. For her. For what Fassbinder's doing to her. He's killing her inch by inch, drawing it out just to make her suffer."

"That's the kind of man he is, for lack of a better term," said Leo.

"What if he takes her away before we get there?" Robert asked openly. "What… what if he kills her instead of letting us rescue her…?"

"What if he doesn't, and we get her back safe and sound?" Leo shook his head. "Don't let it beat you up on the inside, Rob. Just do what you can, and we'll do the same, and God willing, Julia'll be back in her ready office clucking away like the mother hen she is."

Despite everything, Robert chuckled at that. Tears still flowed down his face. "Yeah. She does have to be the mother hen. Look out for us."

"We look out for each other. It's how it's always been."

As Robert nodded in wordless reply, Leo's words soothed his spirit. He felt the fear and attendant anger recede away gently, replaced by a cautious confidence. With it went the temptation to tap the dark power within that anger. "Thanks, Leo," he said quietly. "For looking out for me."

"You're welcome," Leo replied. "Now, as your physician, I recommend you get a hearty meal from the Lookout. Whatever this is you're doing to help Julia, your body needs the calories to keep it up." 

* * *

Upon return to her cell, a return she knew would likely be short, Julia laid still on the ground, looking into the opposite cell. Miko sat up and looked at her, despair in the young woman's face. Fatigue set in and Julia's brain, desperately in need of sleep, pulled her into that sleep.

It didn't last, not with the way she felt. When Julia opened her eyes again, Miko was no longer facing her, but rather facing to the side, sitting in a meditative pose like before with her eyes closed and a concentrated look on her face.

Before Julia could speak, blue light formed around Miko. It formed from her, like a fog, and flowed away. A short distance from her it coalesced into a human figure, seated similarly to Miko with legs folded. This time it was a woman with dark brown skin and brown hair. She was in a sleeveless suit of light blue color with white trim lines, a brown animal skin wrapped around the waist of a pair of baggy blue trousers. Blue eyes focused on Miko on the face of someone just on the cusp of middle age, not old, but with the energy of youth tempered by years of hard-earned experience. With her skin color, and the thick muscle of her bared arms, the woman reminded Julia of Angel. There was a gentle softness in the voice that spoke. "Hello, Miko."

"Avatar Korra," said Miko. Her eyes opened. "I… I need your advice."

"Of course." The holographic figure nodded.

"I've talked to Avatar Komin, and he was helpful, but you… you've actually faced this too," Miko said. Her voice cracked and tears formed in her eyes. "I've been taken prisoner. They've made it so I can't bend without hurting myself, and… and I don't know what's going to happen." Miko sniffled. "And… and they've hurt me… and I'm scared. I'm scared I won't be strong enough to get away. I won't see my family and friends again."

The image nodded. "I know what that's like," said Korra. "It's okay to be scared."

"But… but how do I fight it?" Miko asked, almost pleading. "I've never been so scared in my life, but if I'm going to get away, if I'm going to help our world fight this new enemy, I have to be stronger than this. I have to get away!"

"Yes. And to do that, you have to accept your fear. Don't try to hold it down or avoid it. Face it, and then let it go. Do that, and you'll be ready to act when your time comes."

"But without my bending…"

Korra smiled thinly. "I've been there too. It's scary, I know. Without it, it makes you feel helpless. After all, it's part of who we are as the Avatar. When I thought I'd lost my bending, it felt like the whole world was ending." The look in her eyes hardened. "And while it was hard, I accepted it. It helped me, in the end. Your situation isn't the same as mine, but what hasn't changed is that bending doesn't actually make us what we are. It's something deeper than that. You can still fight back, Miko, and find a way out." The image's head turned toward her, and Julia got the sense that whatever this being was, she was not unnoticed. "For you and your friend."

Miko glanced Julia's way. Noticing she was awake, Miko sighed with relief.

"You're not alone in this, Miko," Korra continued. "You've got a friend here, and those who care about you will be coming to help you. Don't hold onto the fear. Face it and let it pass. Believe in yourself, pick your moment to strike, and you'll get home." The gentle smile returned. "Good luck to you both."

The image dissipated back into fog, which thinned until there was nothing left.

"What was that?" Julia asked. "Who?"

"Avatar Korra," replied Miko. "My past life, two lifetimes ago."

"So you really reincarnate…?"

"Yes and no. It's… complicated. We're all bound together by Raava, a powerful Spirit of Light. When one Avatar dies, Raava joins with another in the next nation in the chain, and the connection links us to those past lives. But we're not the same individual each time. Each life is different."

The entire idea was both strange and, in a true use of the word, wonderful. Julia found it astounding even considering all of the other strange and "out there" things she'd seen since the opening of the Multiverse.

"I'm trying to be strong," said Miko. "But I still don't know how we'll get out of this. I can't bend, and with everything they've done to you, you can't even stand. How are we going to fight back?"

"We'll make it work. Trust me on that," Julia urged. "Just be patient and wait for our moment."

Miko almost asked what she meant, but held back at the familiar distant sound of approaching steps. She gave Julia a knowing look as the two guards returned. One opened Julia's cell and the other reached in to force her to her feet.

A little flicker of anticipation built in Miko as she watched Julia's aquamarine eyes. While her face showed weariness and misery, her eyes were busy examining her guards. As Julia was carried off, Miko thought back and realized that was how Julia's eyes always seemed to look.

And despite everything, that thought brought a small smile to Miko's face. 

* * *

Everyone on the _Koenig_ was ready for action when Jean Hajar disengaged the attack ship's warp drives. From her station, newly-minted Lieutenant Commander Magda Navaez, the Colombian-born operations officer and First Officer of the ship, checked the sensor readings. "SS vessels are in orbit over the fourth planet of the solar system," she said aloud. "It looks like a garden world, Class E, just inside the outer limit of the habitable band."

Zack nodded. "What else can you tell me?"

"Not much from here. An exotic power signature indicates a settlement or base of some sort on the surface of the planet, northern hemisphere. I'm detecting transporter activity between the two."

"What kind?" he asked.

Magda checked and double-checked before answering, "Outgoing. Almost entirely outgoing."

Zack gripped the arms of his chair tightly. "They're evacuating," he said.

"It appears so."

"Get the _Aurora_ on the tight-beam," he said. "They need to hear and see this." 

* * *

In the conference lounge of the _Aurora_ , everyone looked at the holo-image above the center of their table. The _Koenig_ 's systems actively relayed to them the sight of SS ships in orbit. _Innsbruck_ and _Calypso_ -class vessels were the only visible types.

The same image, courtesy of the omnitools of Talara and Lucy, was also displayed on the vidmonitor in the wardroom of the _General Iroh_ , where Ursa and the _Iroh_ 's official commander, Captain Saizen, were seated with their officers and Komin Beifong. " _This energy trace you are seeing_ ," Ursa was saying. " _It is more of the teleportation technology?_ "

"It is," Cat said. "Definite beaming activity. Not too heavy, but constant."

" _And it's all going one way_ ," noted Zack over the line. " _They're evacuating._ "

"Then we're out of time," Angel said. "We need to attack now."

"Admiral Maran's response fleet has yet to completely gather," Meridina said. "He requires another ten hours, minimum."

" _We don't have ten hours_ ," Zack insisted. " _We may not even have ten minutes! If we're getting Julia back, we have to strike_ now."

"We do have some time," Robert murmured, his face pale and flushed. Sweat glistened on his brow and he looked very much distracted.

"How do… right." Cat stopped herself and swallowed. "They're… torturing her?"

Robert nodded quietly. "Yeah. I can feel it, and I'm shielding her from it as much as I can. Fassbinder's not pulling out right now if he's busy hurting her."

The others gave him looks that ranged from incredulous to worried. The same went for their new allies.

" _I don't think he's taken Miko either. I don't feel like he has_ ," Lucy added. " _We still have some time._ "

"This feels like a trap," Locarno said. "They have to know we're coming. Maybe we should wait for reinforcements."

Robert and Lucy nodded in agreement. Lucy said, " _It's definitely a trap._ "

" _We have not heard from Yeshe yet about whether she's gotten help_ ," Komin said. " _So we can't promise any_."

"Maran may not agree to committing what he has without knowing the extent of the enemy force," Meridina said.

"What if we were to send in the _Jayhawk_ and _Gonzales_?" asked Major Anders. "Use Marine teams to infiltrate and sabotage their base and retrieve the prisoners."

" _We don't know what kind of systems they may have monitoring the planet_ ," Lucy said. " _If they pick up either or both ships trying to slip into the atmosphere, we'll be sitting ducks without the big ships to cover us. And we have to enter the system anyway, the_ Jayhawk _'s warp drive is still offline due to our damage at Toutaine._ "

"Not that it would matter. They have to see us on their long range sensors by now, so if we stop outside of the system they'll suspect we're sending in insertion teams," Jarod added.

"So let's spring the trap first," Robert suggested, distracted as he was. "Then when we can see what they've got in reserve, we call in reinforcements or withdraw if they're too much for what Maran has ready."

" _And if their forces are too strong for the reinforcements you would summon?_ " asked Ursa. " _The enemy's evacuation could be accelerated after we withdrew_. _They will take your friend and my daughter..._ "

"That's why we use the arrival and withdrawal to sneak the teams in," Robert said. His voice was hoarse from effort, a wince almost permanent on his face. "While their attention is diverted to the _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_."

" _I will be joining you_ ," Ursa said. " _Captain Saizen will command the_ Iroh _._ "

"Of course," Robert said. "We'll go in with our best. Myself, you, Lucy, Gina" - he glanced to her, Gina nodding in acknowledgement from her corner seat - "Talara, Komin, Yeshe if she's awake, and one of Major Anders' Marine platoons. If you want some of your Marines too, we'll bring them along."

" _What do you suggest, we beam straight to the secondary shuttle bay upon arrival?_ " Lucy asked.

"Exactly. We take both ships in and we get our people out. Anders, your platoon will cover our mission by going for their command center. There could be valuable intel we could gain if we take control of their systems."

"Understood," said Anders.

"We have a plan," Meridina noted. "Let us enact it, and trust in the Light to aid us." 

* * *

After everyone was gone, Robert and Meridina were left alone. She gave him a sympathetic look. "I am reminded of our mission to the DMZ, in the hunt for the _Mayala_."

Robert nodded. "When you sensed the torturing of those Maquis by Gul Evek and his Obsidian Order lackey."

"And you offered to link minds with me. To share my discomfort."

"And we ended up broadcasting it across this ship and to the _Enterprise_."

"Yes." Meridina nodded. "It was then that I knew what you could be. And now here you are, sensing the pain and suffering just as I did, and trying to alleviate it."

Robert nodded. Inside he felt pain in his head. Much of his attention was diverted to Julia, to maintaining the construct around her mind to shield it. But he had enough presence of thought to say, "I'm sorry for the harsh things I said earlier. I know this can't be easy on you. Having to focus on duty and not giving time for your grief. I'm so sorry about Gersal."

"Thank you." Meridina nodded gently. "Although your words were harsh, they were not untrue. I was not facing my feelings."

"I've been letting myself stew in mine, and in the darkness of it all." Robert shook his head. "I… I could feel myself slipping to that. A little voice in my head telling me that I needed to wield those dark powers if I was going to save Julia. I still feel it a bit. It's so easy with that power."

"Indeed. Which is why we must never use it. It is too easy. And it does nothing but destroy."

"Yeah. I'll hold it back. For Julie's sake as much as my own. She'd… never accept me if I turned into someone or something like that."

Meridina nodded in acknowledgement and agreement. "I am hopeful of her recovery. Being a captain of a vessel is not a thing I have ever considered as an outcome for my life. I am not certain I wish it. Truthfully, there are times I would prefer being Chief of Security. The role is closer to what I wish to do."

"And you miss being on the away missions," Robert noted. He inclined his head toward her. "I'm not surprised." His left hand went to his forehead unconsciously, as if to banish the pain he felt there from his shielding of Julia. "I miss it. Sometimes," he admitted to Meridina. "Being Captain, I mean. But this was what Julia was meant to do this entire time. She probably should've been the Captain of the _Aurora_ from the first day."

"She is quite capable. Among our many personal reasons, this makes it vitally important that we rescue her."

"That's the plan." Robert checked the time. "I have things to get done before we launch. It's going to be hard enough with…" The wince on his face finished that thought for him.

"Of course," said Meridina.

"And I've got a stop first, something that I need done before we leave."

Meridina wondered just what he meant. Then she picked up on the thought with his intention and smiled gently in recognition. "Yes, of course. Let me know if you need assistance."

"I will." 

* * *

Once again in the Aurora Chair, Julia felt her mind slip deep into memories, the pain sloughing away and becoming, for lack of a better term, bearable. She was back on the _Aurora_ in the first months of their time on the ship, before encountering the Nazis' home universe, before all of this started.

Those memories led her further on to before the war.. To the day they saved the _Tikvah_. She was in the ready room office beside the bridge, still just the First Officer, arguing with Robert for his dangerous decision to risk the ship to save everyone. She told him to save the ship even if it meant leaving her behind.

 _"If that day ever comes, Robby... if you ever have to leave me behind to save everyone else, and the bad guys take me and... start hurting me." She swallowed and closed her eyes. "I want you to forgive yourself."_

 _"I won't be able to."._

 _"Let me finish. Forgive yourself. Focus on your job. Because I won't give them a thing. And no matter what they do to me, I'll know one thing." Julia pulled him into a hug and talked directly into his ear. "I'll know you're coming for me, okay? That you're going to save me. Just as I'd save you. Because we'd all do that for each other."_

Although in her state she didn't see or hear it, the conversation played out over the chair's viewer. Fassbinder observed with mounting frustration. He thought he could sense something in her, something shielding her mind from the pain and the machine itself. This aggravation was infuriating.

That same feeling prompted him to have the chair shut down again. He leaned in and frowned into Julia's aquamarine eyes. "You believe he is coming for you? That he will get to you and bring you away from this place? I look forward, then, to showing you his final moments. To destroying him and everyone else you love. _And I will make you watch_."

For a brief moment Julia considered taunting him. But she reconsidered. This eventuality was why Maran sent them for training back in the time before the Alliance finished forming. Engaging with her captor would violate that training. "Andreys, Julia Megan," she said. "Captain. Serial Number…" She stopped speaking when Fassbinder's hand smacked her on the mouth. Once his hand was away, she continued, "Bravo Zero Zero Zero Three One Zero One Hotel One Echo Four."

Fassbinder scowled at her. He recognized her defiance for what it was, pitting their wills against one another's, and he was not about to accept defeat on the matter.

"When your friends are here, I will bring you here to watch them die, and enjoy the torment that will bring." He looked to her guards. "Return her to the cell!"

The guards took her away. Julia said nothing, gave no resistance, as she was again taken back to the cells. When they arrived her eyes remained on them.

One of the guards responded by punching her in the stomach. Julia went down with a groan, doubling over until the two threw her into her cell. They exchanged remarks in German while stomping away, leaving Julia and Miko alone again.

Miko glared at them as they went. When they were gone, she looked across to where Julia was laying on the ground. "Are you okay?" she asked, more out of habit than expecting any positive answer.

Julia looked up at her. A satisfied smile came to her face. "Better," she said. "Be ready."

Miko almost asked what for, but the look on Julia's face was answer enough to that.


	100. Episode 3-18-4 Trial by Fire

With their arrival imminent, the crews of the _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_ returned to their combat stations. Both crews knew the stakes and were ready for the risks involved.

On the bridge, Meridina nodded to Jarod, who tapped at the station beside him. "Tac comm established.

"Captain Saizen?" Meridina asked aloud.

" _We are receiving you, Captain Meridina_ ," replied the Fire Nation officer. " _The tactical communication link is secure._ "

"Then we are as ready as we can be," she said.

" _Our people are ready for your teleport systems to bring them to your ship_."

"The transport will commence when we drop from warp."

* * *

Lucy and Talara arrived in one of the _General Iroh_ 's storage bays for their transport out with the others. Ursa was present with several of what Lucy took to be her ship's Marines, wearing the same combat uniform as they did. The combat uniform was red with gold trim, with a helmet of the same coloring that looked like someone took a samurai helmet and molded it down to work like a motorcycle helmet.

Yeshe was wearing a suit of lighter red with yellow striping, sections of darker red crossing over her chest and ending at the shoulder blades. From what she saw, it looked like they were held in place by velcro strips.

Komin was in a dark green, beige-tinged uniform. The shoulders had what looked like epaulets fashioned from metal plates, similar plates ringing his belt. A disc with metal wire coiled around it hung from the belt at each hip.

"Any luck with calling reinforcements?" Lucy asked.

"I was able to contact Master Gyatsun," Yeshe confirmed. "He assured me that he would call the United Forces immediately and relay the star coordinates your people provided. But he is unaware of where Admiral Hanraq's forces are right now."

"We shall have to hope he is not far." Ursa nodded to Lucy. "We are ready for your 'transport' Lieutenant Lucero."

"It won't be hard at all, I promise," Lucy said. "Think of it as something like a water slide. You're being shot down a slide through subspace."

The look on Ursa's face, and on several of her subordinates, told Lucy that didn't help.

" _Dropping out of warp now_ ," Jarod's voice said over the line. " _Beaming_."

In a group everyone in the bay was pulled away by the _Aurora_ transporters. They arrived in the secondary shuttle bay of the _Aurora_ , built into the stern of Deck 34 to facilitate the Marines on the ship. The insertion runabout _Gonzales_ and Robert's infiltrator, the _Jayhawk_ , were lined up and ready for launch. Komin took the longest to recover his bearings after the transport.

Robert and Gina were waiting at the rear cargo door of the _Jayhawk_. "Your team should fit in my ship," he said to Ursa. "We should get moving."

It seemed to take him a moment to recognize Lucy was staring at him. When he did, Robert grinned slightly at her and, perhaps for effect, ran a hand over his shaven, hairless chin. His hair was cut back down to what it had been before he left for Umintamil, combed into place.

"So, not the monk look anymore," Lucy said. "Why did… oh. I see."

"It's as good a time as any," he replied. Around him the Fire Nation marines piled into the _Jayhawk_ armory ramp to join the _Aurora_ Marines already aboard.

"And it will make Julia very happy," Lucy observed. "Let's go show her."

They filed onto the ship and went for the cockpit, where Lucy - as usual - took up the helm. With the pre-flight checks already done by Gina, now sitting at Ops, Lucy went right to launching. The _Gonzalez_ left first, wavering out of sight as she did. The _Jayhawk_ 's engines fired and she too emerged from the bay, cloaking as she did. Invisible to sensors and the naked eye, the two vessels turned about their mother ship and made a full-impulsor beeline for the enemy-held planet. The _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_ followed, deliberately drawing attention as they moved ahead, as if daring the SS exiles to react. 

* * *

In the command room at the top of the central tower of the alien structure, Fassbinder stood beside _Sturmbannführer_ Deikmann's station. The advanced sensors of the city displayed the new arrivals to the system on the viewscreen built into the wall. "There are no other vessels on sensors, _Brigadeführer_ ," Diekmann said.

"Then it is as I thought. They came alone. All ships remain on standby." Fassbinder grinned widely and glanced toward another of his men. "And have the Alliance prisoner brought to me. I want her to see this."

" _Jawohl_!"

" _Standartenführer_ , the device, is it ready?"

Another of the officers stood at a different control interface. He faced Fassbinder and nodded. "Ready for activation."

"Good. Do so."

* * *

The familiar sound of the guards' boots stomping on the ground drew Julia's attention, as it did Miko's. She looked up from where she was sprawled out on the floor of the cell in time to see the two SS men appear in the door. "Come, Alliancer," one of them said. "It's time for you to watch your friends die."

She scowled at him as the forcefield dropped. The speaking guard entered. He reached down and grabbed her arm. "Come!" he repeated, his grip bruising in its strength. He forced her to get up, first on her knees, and then to her feet.

Julia's arm snapped forward without warning, her flat hand slamming into the guard's throat in a chopping motion right at the vulnerable Adam's apple. The SS guard's eyes widened in shock and pain as the breath was caught in his throat by the blow, causing him to falter.

His compatriot took a second for training to overwhelm shock at his captive suddenly lashing out despite her apparent helplessness. That second allowed Julia to pull free the first guard's stun stick. With every ounce of strength and will she had, Julia forced her body to move fast enough to dodge the second guard's strike at her, barely succeeding. Her appropriated weapon came up and struck the guard in his unprotected throat and neck, sending a stun shock into him that brought him down. For good measure Julia used the stick on its former owner as well, rendering the wheezing guard unconscious. She reached down and yanked the object she'd spied earlier, a flat device with a pair of prongs at the end, from his belt.

Miko watched the entire thing in stunned amazement. "How… how can you move?"

Julia shook her head, a signal she couldn't talk. And she couldn't. Just that spurt of activity took almost everything she had. Grabbing the second guard, stun-sticking him again, and pulling him to the door took the last of it. The mere act of moving was bringing forth screaming protest from her abused body, demanding every iota of willpower Julia had in her to not just move, but to pull the dead weight of her guard with her. Once she had the unconscious guard close enough, Julia brought the guard's hand up to the control for Miko's cell, ensuring any biometric security for the controls would be bypassed. The field confining Miko dropped and so did Julia, toppling to her side in Miko's cell, her strength spent. She feebly offered to Miko the device she'd pulled from the guards. "For your collar," she said hoarsely.

Miko nodded and took the device in question. She remembered when it was first attached to her and lined up the prongs to her collar. It took her several moments to line them up right, given the port was on her neck and out of sight, moments in which Julia slowly turned and crawled back to the guard she'd used to open Miko's cell. Julia's hand sought out the guard's belt until she felt the shape of a cylinder there and pulled it loose. But that was all she could do. With all of her suffering, not to mention the bare necessity of nutrients Fassbinder allowed her through injections, Julia's body simply could not go on.

There was a loud beep and a clicking sound. The collar around Miko's throat fell free, baring lightened skin there to show how long it'd been on her. She knelt down beside Julia. "Take it," Julia said, her voice strained and raw. Her eyes glanced toward the syringe in her hand. "One for you, one for me. It'll give you the energy you need to fight."

"And you?"

Had she the strength, Julia would've shaken her head. "It should give me what I need to move. But I won't be much good in a fight."

"I'll do the fighting," Miko promised. "Where do I…?"

With effort Julia forced her hand to move again, this time tapping her wrist and the veins there. Miko pressed the syringe there and triggered the device, sending the combat drug cocktail into Julia's body. She went for the syringe on the other guard and did the same to her own wrist.

It didn't take long for them to feel the effects. Julia felt the weakness in her body fade. It wasn't gone, simply hidden under the chemical effects of the drug. When it faded she'd be even worse off. With it working, she rose to her feet, taking the time to pull away the pistol holster. She considered the rifle before dismissing the idea; in her state it might be a little too much to carry.

Miko felt an euphoria fill her, tinged with a need for aggression. Weeks of frustration and terror fueled a fury she was ready to unleash on her long-time captors. She noticed Julia wobble a little on her feet. "If you need to, go on without me," Julia said.

"No, _never_ ," Miko replied, her voice fierce. "I'm not abandoning you to what they're doing to you, will do to you. We both get out." She put an arm under Julia's right shoulder to help stabilize her. "Can you fly us out if we find one of their ships?"

"I don't think we'll need that," Julia replied, her voice no less hoarse than before. "My friends, my ship, are here. They'll send a rescue team for us. But we have to stop whatever trap Fassbinder's laying for them."

"How?"

"Let's see if we can find the power plant."

"Right," Miko agreed, bringing Jula alone. With grim determination on their faces, the two continued their escape.

* * *

The final approach to the planet was done in tense quiet. The _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_ approached openly, their sublight drives at standard acceleration, while the _Koenig_ moved in under cloak ahead of the two smaller insertion ships. Tight-beam communications allowed the cloaked vessels to remain in contact with each other on their approach.

The enemy ships in orbit, being lighter vessels, withdrew to the other side of the planet as the big ships entered weapons range. On the bridge of the _Aurora_ Meridina and Jarod exchanged skeptical looks. Their gifts, different as they were, led both to the same easy conclusion: a trap was laid for them. A trap they had to spring to cover the rescue party. "Maintain standby on jump drives," Meridina ordered in a quiet voice.

"Aye Captain," Tra'dur responded.

Ahead of them, the rescue ships made atmospheric entry. While Lucy flew the _Jayhawk_ , Gina observed the sensor returns and displayed them for Robert and the others. The one artificial structure on the planet, the obvious location of the enemy base, was a great tower surrounded by five groups of buildings. "They have a theater shield raised. I'm looking for weak points… wait." Gina checked another screen. "Ships dropping out of warp."

"How many?" asked Robert.

"Nearly two dozen," Gina answered.

* * *

The same was noted on the _Aurora_ bridge. With the ship already at battlestations no further order needed to be given to prepare for what looked a hopeless fight. The two dozen enemy ships was weighted toward lighter vessels, but with a large _Lutzow_ -class battlecruiser and several heavy cruisers of the _Sedan_ and _Tannenburg_ -classes present, the _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_ were plainly outnumbered.

"Incoming hail from the planet," Tra'dur informed them.

Since every moment bought gave the rescue team more time, Meridina nodded. "On screen."

A chill went through Meridina at the sight of Erik Fassbinder. He and those with him were of a kind - all blond-haired blue-eyed men, all of refined physique brought about by centuries of genetic engineering - with the exception that Fassbinder's blue eyes were now the golden yellow color of a sensitive given over to darkness. His malevolent eyes glinted with satisfaction. " _Ah, the_ untermensch _Knight_ ," he said. " _I invite you to surrender, Gersallian. You and your vessel are outmatched._ "

"We will not," she replied simply. "We know too well the fate of those in your mercies, _swevyra'kse_."

" _Good. I was hoping you would resist. I look forward to showing Captain Andreys your final moments. It should break her spirit quite thoroughly. All vessels engage!_ "

The moment he disappeared, Jarod grinned slightly. "He fell for it. I knew he'd tip his hand."

"Signal Command," Meridina instructed. "Inform them we have found a major SS concentration and request immediate reinforcement."

"Transmitting… Captain, IU comms are not responding."

Cat was quick to explain. "There's some kind of interference pattern coming from the planet. I've… I've never seen anything like it."

"Is it why our comms aren't working?" Jarod asked.

"Likely. The signature acts like a dimensional stabilizer, given the strength of it, it will prevent interuniversal communications or jump drives from functioning in its area of effect."

"And the size of that area?" asked Jarod.

"Most of the solar system, at least," replied Cat.

At that point the ship shook as the enemy's first shots struck them. "Evasive maneuvers," Meridina ordered. "Prepare for warp on my mark."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Locarno said. "They've got us boxed in. A warp-speed collision is likely."

"Then we fight," Meridina said. "Engage at will. Call Commander Carrey into the battle as well."

"Aye Captain," Tra'dur responded, keeping any nervousness about their dangerous situation to herself.

Moments later the _Koenig_ made its entry into the battle, its pulse phasers blazing and wrecking the lead destroyer of a formation approaching the _Aurora_ on a torpedo run. The rest of the destroyers broke away, firing their torpedoes early, and the _Koenig_ immediately came under fire from a nearby _Dresden_ -class cruiser.

And so the battle began.

* * *

While the battle above raged, the cloaked ships approached the SS-held facility, or rather the deflector dome protecting it. Gina and the others looked over the area carefully. "The dome is solid," she noted. "And I haven't found an approach that we can fit through. The river is too shallow and narrow."

"What if we vaporized a tunnel through the north ridgeline?" Robert suggested.

"I doubt our weapons are precise enough to make a working tunnel there," Lucy said. "It'll collapse, and the deflector dome will expand to cover the space."

"I can make you a tunnel," said Komin.

The others turned to face him. Even his cousin and Ursa. "Komin, have you ever moved that much earth?" Yeshe asked, a hint of concern in her otherwise calm voice.

"No. But I know I can do it."

Robert and the others sensed Komin's resolve. A tiny sliver of doubt was inside of it, but he kept that doubt suppressed with the weight of his determination to rescue his future student. "Bring us over," Robert said to Lucy. "Present the rear of the ship toward the ridge." He nodded at Komin next. "Come with me."

Komin followed Robert back down the corridor to the armory, where the squads of Ursa's hand-picked troops were waiting. Robert grabbed a cable from one part of the armory and latched it on to a ring beside the cargo bay door. His hand reached up and smacked the controls, causing the ramp to swing down, revealing the beige-tinted wall of rock ahead of them. He wrapped the cable around Komin's waist to secure him before nodding. "Alright. Do what you can."

Komin nodded and took in a breath before turning his attention to the ridge. He shifted his legs, assuming a solid stance, and raised his arms up. He made a spreading motion with both arms.

The rocky surface of the ridge shifted outward, as if it were a portal opening, and the rock beneath did the same. Each second more and more of the raw earth separated. Sweat dripped down Komin's brow as he continued exerting his will on the stone, prompting Robert to put a hand on his shoulder and reach through the Flow of Life into him. Komin was setting a personal record with this, and it took everything he had. Robert tried to help by applying his own life energy to reinforce Komin's.

Beyond light and air started to show through the opened hole through the ridgeline, with a tunnel at least fifty meters in diameter now present.

Komin went down to a knee, sweat coating his face and caking his dark hair. Robert helped him back in, closing the cargo door as he did, and pulled an energy drink from a container of the same. He offered it to Komin, who started drinking from it. He made a disgusted face. "Ugh, what is this stuff?"

"Energy drink with… hell if I know the flavor."

He took another swig and shook his head, the expression on his face intensifying. "I think it's helping but whoever made it has no sense of taste."

Robert chuckled despite the situation. "Tell me about it."

Lucy's voice broke into the conversation. " _Alright everyone, we're through the tunnel and inside the deflector shield. But it looks like they know we're coming. This is going to be a hot landing._ "

Robert responded by activating his omnitool. "Land the ship and join us, Lucy. We're all going in." A determined look crossed his face. "Let's go get our loved ones back." 

* * *

Julia and Miko didn't make it far before running into a patrol of SS troops. She brought her stolen pistol up to open fire on them.

She never got a chance to pull the trigger.

Miko exploded forward with the kind of eager aggressiveness Julia usually saw in Angel when she was spoiling for a fight. She jumped up to the wall and kicked off of it, bringing her leg up to make a sweeping kick in the air. Her foot hit nothing, but the wave of flame she generated with the move slammed into the four guards, throwing them all back before they could raise weapons. Two recovered by rolling with the hit. As their weapons came up Miko spiraled on one foot before thrusting her fist forward. A gust of tornado-strength wind slammed into the guards and sent them flying into the wall with enough force to take the fight out of them.

Miko turned to check on Julia, who watched with approval at her partner's swift takedown of their opponents. "And I thought I was used to seeing impossible things," Julia said.

That brought a smile to the younger woman. "Let's keep going!" Miko urged. After her time in captivity, the chance to strike at her captors was invigorating, cathartic.

Julia nodded in reply and glanced around. There was still no immediate signs of where anything was in the complex. She doubted the guards' data devices would provide much help on that score either, given the ease of biometric-based security, so she sought out her memories of being taken through the complex. "This way," she said, eyeing one of the paths available. 

* * *

As the two infiltration craft approached the SS base, it was clear that the enemy had some idea that they were coming, with their troops active at all levels. On the _Jayhawk_ Robert spoke into his omnitool. "Major, you start at the top of the tower. See if you can find and take whatever they're using for a central command center. We'll land at ground level and look for the prisoners."

" _Confirmed, Captain. Bring our people home._ "

"Happy hunting. Dale out."

"Bringing us in low," Lucy said. "They still haven't detected us, but the closer we get… woh!" The ship shifted under their feet. "Never mind, they have an idea where we are. Decloaking and opening fire!"

The _Jayhawk_ rippled into view just as a ground-based disruptor cannon sent an emerald disruptor beam sizzling through the air again, barely missing the infiltrator. At weapons Talara retaliated with the _Jayhawk_ 's forward-facing pulse plasma cannons. Bolts of sapphire light slammed into the ground-based cannon and wrecked it.

Others came online and came under fire from the craft's pulse guns, while above the _Gonzales_ rippled into view and started disgorging Marines onto a balcony of the structure.

Under Lucy's control, with Talara's firing, the _Jayhawk_ circled the structure, its main cannons and ventral-mounted pulse gun turrets wreaking havoc on the enemy's weapon emplacements. The return fire the _Jayhawk_ took did not lack for trying. Against another pilot, the infiltrator's deflectors would not have been enough against the volume and resulting successful strikes. But Lucy's skills gave her the means to evade the vast majority of the fire while Talara eliminated the guns.

Once they finished clearing any weapon that could fire on the _Jayhawk_ or _Gonzales_ , Lucy brought the infiltrator in for a landing. The moment the ship hit the ground Robert turned to two of Anders' Marines, an Alakin male and sniper named Sergeant Ijala and a Dorei Marine of lower rank. "Sergeant Ijala, Private Heytam, stay with the ship, you'll be our cover fire for the extraction."

"Lee, Ranjan, you will aid them," Ursa said to two of hers.

Both sets of Marines affirmed their orders. Behind them, Lucy, Talara, and Gina arrived from the cockpit. Komin finished the last gulp of the energy drink provided him with a wince. Lucy noticed it and grinned. "Horrible stuff," she said. "I told him to get the fruit punch-flavored, not the generic."

There was no time for Robert to reply to that before the bay door opened. Outside the _Jayhawk_ 's pulse guns were already firing away, suppressing some of the SS defenders behind cover. Robert, Lucy, and Gina went first, their lightsabers flashing to life and catching incoming enemy fire. Behind them Talara personally protected Ursa while she issued orders to her people. The Beifong cousins went to work disrupting enemy cover, Komin ripping the enemy's protective positions out from under their feet while Yeshe sent blasts of wind into, around, and through them. The Marines opened fire with their weapons, blue-white pulses and purple light striking down enemies deprived of their vital cover.

Robert joined the efforts of the Beifongs while deflecting incoming fire. His will lashed out at the enemy, creating waves of invisible force that smashed their defensive positions.

It was while they were working on this that he got the call from orbit. "Aurora _to landing party, we have a situation_ ," said Jarod.

"Go ahead."

" _We sprang their trap. But they have some kind of IU jammer up, it's keeping us from contacting the Alliance or jumping out. If we're going to get through this, we need that jammer down,_ now _."_

Robert clenched his jaw at that. He wanted nothing more than to go to Julia immediately. To get her out of this nightmare. But he couldn't lose their home, her ship, in the process. And everything inside him told him he needed to see to that first. "Roger," he replied to Jarod. "Alright everyone, let's get this done." 

* * *

In the command center of the base, Fassbinder observed the developing combat in orbit with approval. His ships were arrayed in excellent formation to thwart any attempt at a warp-speed escape, and with the alien jamming device activated, he had the _Aurora_ precisely where he wanted it.

"The second wave of ships is still en route," Diekmann informed him.

"Tell them to come," Fassbinder said. The screens showed that the _Aurora_ 's shields, while holding, were already faltering from the sheer volume of fire she was taking. The ship's evasive maneuvers were excellent for a ship of its size and mass, more nimble than any Reich vessel of equivalent size ever managed. The Darglan technology of the _Aurora_ represented the edge that gave the Alliance its victory in the war. Fassbinder felt lingering irritation at the thought of how, if only that fool Lamper had been more Aryan, they might have taken this ship at the first contact, and its technological secrets put to the use of the Reich. Then they would have won the war, would have had a Multiverse to conquer…

"They do not try to flee," he observed aloud. "They must believe their attack forces will remove the jammers." He turned his head and barked at another officer, "Status of our defenses!"

"We have reinforcements moving to pin down the enemy that landed in the tower," replied the junior officer. "And others are in position to slow those who landed on the ground."

Fassbinder nodded. He sensed the others even now, moving to intercept those attackers. His Cylon allies would have a chance to blood the other students against them. Now all he had to do was wait for the arrival of Julia Andreys and…

" _Brigadeführer_ , we have a radiation spike," declared Diekmann. "More vessels are arriving." 

* * *

Cat noticed the new power signatures coming in later than she might have managed otherwise, given the active jamming of the battle. "Incoming contacts," she said while the _Aurora_ shook under them.

"More SS ships?" asked Jarod.

"No. The power signature isn't right. The signature's similar to the _General Iroh_ … they're dropping out of warp now."

The vessels that appeared all bore some similarity to the _Iroh_ , with some differences of layout and coloration visible. Some were just a little larger than the _Koenig_ , others the size of the _Iroh_ , and one was a little larger than the _Aurora_ herself.

In one great barrage the arriving ships opened fire on the nearest vessels of the SS formation. With their weapons fire concentrated on individual targets, the new arrivals quickly cut up one of the lighter cruisers and a destroyer of the SS fleet. The biggest ship was especially capable with the batteries of guns firing thick purple energy beams that were wearing down the shields of one of the newer _Tannenburg_ -class enemy cruisers.

"General hail from the main ship," said Tra'dur.

"Put them on," replied Meridina.

While the holotank viewer beside Meridina and Jarod kept a tactical display up, the main holo-viewer screen shifted to form the image of a man with a dark bronze coloration. His uniform was red, with service ribbons visible on one breast of the jacket. His long brown hair, whitening at the temples and ends, was braided into a tail at the back of his head. " _This is General Hanraq of the United Forces, commanding from the_ Avatar Kiyoshi, _to vessels_ Aurora _and_ General Iroh _. Please respond._ "

" _Captain Saizen here, General. Commanding on behalf of Captain Ursa. She is with the strike team to extract the prisoners._ "

"General, this is Captain Meridina, acting commander of _Aurora_ ," said Meridina. "We are tying your ships into our tac comm channel. We will conform to your maneuvers and provide our knowledge of the enemy's capabilities."

The man on the screen nodded. " _Thank you, Captain. Transmitting formation coordinates now._ "

"Conform to them, Mister Locarno," said Meridina.

"Aye ma'am," Locarno replied, while under his control the _Aurora_ shifted her position to join her new allies, her faltering shields relieved of some of the fire she was under.

* * *

In the command center Fassbinder did not let the unexpected reinforcements cause any doubt. From experience the SS knew the locals to have somewhat inferior technology, with weaker weapons and deflectors. With equal numbers, they were not as great a threat. At least, without the _Aurora_ they weren't, but the Alliance vessel would tilt the balance if allowed.

"Call in the second wave," he ordered. As he spoke, he felt a sense of developments that made him frown. "What do we have on the prisoners? Andreys should have been brought here by now."

"Base Command to _Rottenführer_ Dietrich. Report status."

At that moment Fassbinder felt a surge of vicious anger. He didn't need to wait for the lack of reply, he could already feel the truth, that his captives were on the loose. That he hadn't before he blamed for his focus on the arriving _Aurora_.

"The second wave is coming in," Diekmann said. "Their arrival is soon…"

"Keep me informed!" Fassbinder barked as he headed for the door.

* * *

The space around the marginal garden planet was now the site of a furious combat between starships. Fassbinder's ships, by arraying themselves in a formation to encapsulate the _Aurora_ , made themselves vulnerable to a concentrated attack from another vector. General Hanraq's vessels exploited this to the fullest, concentrating their firepower on a handful of enemy vessels.

In his command center Hanraq stood beside a plotting table. A bulky holo-projector system built into it provided a three-dimensional view of the battlespace. This was already shaping up to be one of the largest voidship battles of his career.

The _Kiyoshi_ shook under his feet. "The largest of the enemy void cruisers is directing its firepower against us," one of the other officers reported.

"Maintain formation," answered Captain Mushi, the ship's commander. "Direct all cannons on target."

While the _Kiyoshi_ 's impressive array of energy cannons returned fire on the vessel, Hanraq noted the maneuvers of the newly-encountered friendly vessel _Aurora_. Although the ship was nearly the size of his own, it moved like a void cruiser half its size. Its own energy cannons blazed with pulses of sapphire light that pounded away at the enemy vessel's shields, disturbing their coherence. Projectiles of white-blue light slammed into the ruby field around the enemy ship next, making a partial breakthrough of the enemy deflectors.

"General." Beside him, Engineering Captain Sen Yang observed the ship closely with her green eyes. "This unknown vessel's performance characteristics is superior to anything the raiders have shown before."

"Yes," he agreed. "Which is to our advantage. If anything, the analysts who predicted the raiders were exiles of some sort may have been closer to the truth than previously imagined." His eyes narrowed. " _Jagala_ , _Senjo_ , maneuver to your down angle, give firing clearance to the _Zhu Li_." Satisfied that the two lighter ships were following his order, giving an easier firing field to the void cruiser _Zhu Li_ against one of their foes' ships, Hanraq glanced toward a readout of the planet. There was indeed an enemy facility there. _Good luck finding your daughter, Princess Ursa_ , he thought. _Things have been difficult enough for the Five Nations with these raids. I shudder to think of how things would go should we lose an Avatar so young…_

He pushed that worry away, returning his focus to the battle at hand.

* * *

The SS defensive forces were on the retreat from Robert and the others, allowing the group to access the structure itself. They entered the central tower along a path coming from one of the five groups of outlying buildings. One squad of troopers tried to hold the hall ahead of them. Lucy and Robert deflected their fire, giving Yeshe an opening to knock them off their feet with a strong gust of air. Her cousin's arms shot forward. Bands of metal left his belt and raced through the air until they reached the fallen soldiers, at which they wrapped around wrists and ankles, binding the SS troopers in place.

Ursa and Robert took the lead in rushing further ahead. They led the others through a large sliding door that proved to lead to a barracks area. Metal-framed bunks in perfect lines filled the room, save a central area where tables were laid out. Opposite their side of the chamber was another large door leading deeper into the tower.

The group barely had time to enter before that door opened. Through it stepped two figures in dark robes. Lucy, Gina, and Talara recognized their headbands as the same worn by the Cylon Inner Circle, and both female figures quickly reached for their lightsabers. Behind them men in dark suits with SS rank insignia and markings filed in. Some went for rifles or pistols, others for their own lightsaber weapons, which flashed to life with the same red color as the two Cylons' blades.

Only as they approached was it clear which models of Cylon were present. Ursa and the others glanced toward Lucy and Gina.

"They copied my DNA to use as a model," Lucy said, her voice brimming with anger at that fact. "And Gina was once one of their puppets before she turned against them."

Her counterpart grinned in anticipation. "The traitor and two of the Dawn-Bearers. We look forward to striking you down."

The fight only took seconds to break out, at which time the room exploded with the buzzing sound of lightsabers whizzing through the air. Lucy and Gina went after their Cylon counterparts. Robert and Talara eyed the students the moment before they charged, moving ahead through the lines of bunks.

Komin was the first to strike. With a gesture of each arm, the bunks toppled over and fell on the approaching foes. Two got caught before the others caught on, jumping over said bunks, using their own abilities to stop their fall, or simply cleaving through them with lightsabers. Some were thrown back as Ursa and Yeshe joined the fight, sending bolts of flame and powerful air gusts at the attackers, acting as flank guards.

Behind them came the sounds of battle. A Fire Nation Marine called out, "We will hold them, Highness!"

"Very well." Ursa returned her focus to the fight ahead, while in the center of the room Lucy and Gina were already locked in a duel with their doppelgangers. 

* * *

The third SS patrol the two escapees ran into was the biggest, forcing Julia to open fire for the first time with her appropriated pistol. The shot went wide of the target but still sent him into cover, giving Miko an easier time as she tore through the others. She moved with purpose, every punch or kick generating flame and air that knocked around the SS. One brought up his rifle just to have flame superheat it in the man's hands, causing him to reflexively drop it, at which point Miko spun and kicked, creating a gust that tossed him on his back. She pivoted on her foot, evading an attempt to slam the back of her head with a rifle with the motion. Spinning around put her at the back of that foe. Flame erupted from the open palm she thrust at him, enveloping the SS trooper. A cry of surprise at his immolation was stifled by Miko's second blow, this time air that sent the trooper into the wall. He slumped.

Julia's return fire worked to keep two of the foes in cover. When one popped up to fire on Miko she squeezed off a shot that connected this time, the emerald beam of her acquired weapon striking the soldier in the chest.

The other SS trooper charged her. His gambit paid off; in her state Julia was too slow to bring the weapon over to bear on him. He slapped at her hand and knocked the pistol out of it. Pain filled Julia's hand from the force of the impact. She observed the next blow coming and let her training take over, moving to evade it.

Under normal circumstances, Julia could have faced this foe in hand-to-hand with a better-than-fair chance at prevailing. But even with the combat drugs circulating through her body, she did not have the full range of her physical prowess available to her. She managed to dodge and redirect the first two strikes, but the third caught her squarely on the torso with enough force to take the breath from her and crack a rib. She doubled over in pain, allowing a second blow from the butt of the rifle to smash into her right cheek. Bone and flesh cracked under the force of the blow and Julia toppled.

The SS trooper had no opportunity to take advantage of his victory. Miko caught him in the back with a powerful gust of wind that slammed him into the far wall. She gave him a strong punch, no elements this time, to put him down for the count. Once he was she went over to where Julia was struggling back to her feet. "Are you okay?" asked Miko.

"Broken cheekbone," Julia said, wiping at the blood trickling from her mouth and nose. "I think. And a cracked rib. But other than that, nothing hurt but my pride."

"I'll fight better next time," Miko vowed. "You shouldn't have to."

"It's not like we have a choice." Julia drew in a breath. "Do you hear that?"

There was conversation coming from one of the fallen troopers. They approached and knelt over. "The translator, I'm not sure it's working," said Miko.

"Probably a security feature for their comms. I know a little German myself… they're relaying battle information. This place is under attack, there are Marines present."

"My mother has come for me," Miko said, her voice cracking a little. "We should find them."

"Wait…" Julia furrowed her brow. "I'm not catching everything. They're trying to hold out. To delay. Something about a jammer, and my ship's here…" She shook her head. Nothing else useful. But… "This jammer, it sounds pretty important. That's what we've got to take out."

"How?"

"Like I said, the power station. We cut their power, their jammer goes down. I think." She stood to her height and looked around. Her eyes narrowed at a far wall, just around a corner. She stumbled over to it. "Here. This means power plant." She indicated a German word. "This way!"


	101. Episode 3-18-5 Trial by Fire

In the barracks Lucy faced a Cylon doppelganger yet again. It was disconcerting to see her face marked with the sign of corruption, a feeling her very survival forced her to keep suppressed. As with prior Cylons she'd fought, she sensed the raw aggression and anger fueling her copy's movements and power. Her foe was given over, completely, to dark power, and it made the Cylon dangerous.

Given the close quarters Lucy kept to the defensive, goading on her opponent with the swift defensive parries that frustrated all the attacks against her. She willingly gave ground as well, and this for another reason: by doing so, she was bringing her powerful enemy further from the others, especially Ursa and the Beifong cousins, that might otherwise be threatened by her doppelganger's sheer power.

Her opposite went for a series of high attacks toward Lucy's head and shoulders, then dipped low with a swipe at Lucy's belly. Her blue lightsaber intercepted the red five centimeters from her armor. The lightsaber pulled back, but instead of another strike the next blow was from the Cylon's corrupted gifts. Her counterpart willed that Lucy be thrown backward. Lucy could not prevent that motion, but she could will herself to stop before she flew into the wall behind her, allowing her to roll from her back and to her feet. Her lightsaber came up and intercepted the overhead swipe at Lucy's head.

Beside her, Gina fell back from her own doppelganger, evading one swipe at her shoulder and deflecting another. Unlike Lucy Gina did not hold back from any attacks, responding instead with a strike aimed at her counterpart's side. This was deflected at the last moment. Another series of exchanges resulted in frustrated attacks.

Without looking at each other, Gina and Lucy knew what they were to do next, and moved in near-sync with each other. They moved away, side-stepping their attacking foes until they were facing the wall of the barracks. After thwarting attacks, they gathered their will and lashed out with their wills, bound together in common action.

Their counterparts were ready for the attack, but they were mistaken about its intent. They steeled themselves for a solid wave of force against themselves. What happened instead was said force acting against the wall behind them, smashing it down and revealing the outside. Individual chunks of debris showered on them, causing injury and general irritation.

This brought the opening for Lucy and Gina to slam their foes with pure force, throwing them through the open hole and outside of the barracks. Both tumbled across the ground before rolling to their feet, meeting Lucy and Gina's weapons with their own again.

 _Hopefully that will give the others the room they need_ , Lucy thought before she returned her attention to her deadly foe. 

* * *

On the _Aurora_ bridge, the deck shook from a missile impact. Tra'dur noted the loss in shield strength but did not immediately relay it, judging the change insufficient to warrant interrupting the orders Jarod and Meridina were issuing.

At those orders, the _Aurora_ continuing maneuvering and firing. Her secondary weapons were busy spitting sapphire light beams at smaller enemy ships while her main bow battery pounded away at the enemy battlecruiser's shields. The enemy ship's super-disruptors fired in reply, aiming not at the _Aurora_ but the vessels in Hanraq's force. One of their void cruisers fell apart from the sheer damage to its structure from the direct hit.

The _General Iroh_ came up and engaged before another super-disruptor shot could be fired, joining their barrage with one from the _Avatar Kiyoshi_.

With all three ships focusing fire upon it, the Reich battlecruiser's shields were nearly out, and multiple wounds already showed on the dark hull of the SS ship. Around this combat the other ships were fighting Fassbinder's forces to a stalemate, buying time for their ground teams.

Meridina sensed this would not be enough. Whatever shock Hanraq's flotilla caused the SS ships was rapidly fading. They were recovering quickly, and the battle was still one they might win. She looked to Jarod and said, "Have the _Koenig_ break away. They must get out of range of the enemy jamming system as quickly as they can and alert Admiral Maran."

Jarod nodded and transmitted the order. 

* * *

For his part, Zack took the order without emotion. It worried him in that the battle was tight enough that without _Koenig_ in it, the SS could easily take the advantage back. But the reasoning was clear regardless, and the battle had forced a change in the enemy formation sufficient that the _Koenig_ had an opening to get away. "Break us away from the combat space," he ordered Hajar. "Maintain evasives until we're clear to make the jump to warp."

"Aye sir," Hajar answered.

The _Koenig_ twisted, breaking off from a fight with an SS-crewed _A-2000_ gunboat and racing for open space beyond a formation of cruisers. Their disruptors blazed away with lethal emerald light, missiles joining them. Some of these hit the shields of the attack ship, but only some: Hajar's maneuvers evaded most of the incoming fire, and at tactical April Sherlily's skilled use of the _Koenig_ 's weapon systems eliminated a number of the incoming missiles. The gunboat they were engaged with followed, pulse disruptor cannons blazing away as it pursued its quarry. It might have caused them some problems if not for one of the United Republic destroyer-sized ships, which engaged with missiles and a barrage of purple-hued energy fire that forced the gunboat to break off.

A corkscrew maneuver brought the _Koenig_ through the disruptor fire of an enemy cruiser and toward open space. Hajar immediately started the process of powering up the warp drives.

"Enemy warp signatures!" cried Magda from Ops. "They're dropping out of warp right…"

She didn't need to finish. The viewer showed Zack all he needed to see, as another dozen enemy vessels came out of warp ahead of the _Koenig_. Which, by its maneuvers, made itself their first logical target.

The disruptor beams and missiles and torpedoes converged on the attack ship as Hajar swiftly changed her heading. With her impulsors to full the _Koenig_ was agile enough to evade much of the incoming fire, but given the enemy behind them firing as well, they could not evade everything. Disruptor hits degraded shields already worn by the intense fighting, with a couple of the enemy missiles managing partial strikes against unshielded hull.

"We have a plasma leak on the starboard nacelle, shock damage," Magda reported. "Warp drive inoperable."

Zack clenched a fist at the news. _Now we can't escape. They've got numbers on us. The_ Aurora _will never get away. C'mon, Rob, take out that jammer already…!_

* * *

The newly-arriving SS vessels not only stopped the _Koenig_ 's withdrawal, they immediately shifted the battle back in their side's favor. Meridina watched with quiet grief at the annihilation of one of the Republic cruisers, overwhelmed by three enemy cruisers before it could evade the incoming fire. SS destroyers came screaming in on a torpedo run on the _Avatar Kiyoshi_ herself. Angel's quick thinking and quicker trigger finger kept that torpedo run from completiong, as the _Aurora_ 's torpedoes and plasma fire intersected the destroyers' attack vector, forcing them to break off with one destroyer badly damaged. Nevertheless five torpedoes struck the Republic battleship, degrading the shields as they were designed to do.

"Suggestions?" she asked.

"If we could slip a runabout equipped with a portable IU radio out, they might be able to get away," Jarod proposed.

"The enemy's numbers would make pursuit and destruction far too easy," Tra'dur pointed out. The ship rocked from another solid hit by the enemy battlecruiser. "Shields down to twenty-nine percent, Captain."

"We must buy time," Meridina said. "Divert all available power to tactical systems."

"Aye Captain."

 _It is in your hands,_ she thought, considering the ground team. 

* * *

Two crimson lightsabers swung toward Robert while a third nearly clipped Talara's right arm. Her lavender-colored blade came up to catch the next strike. She was holding her own, barely, but with increasing confidence.

Robert caught one of the incoming blades with his own while he maneuvered to the side, allowing the other to harmlessly slash across the very edge of his left shoulder. He felt nothing but a twinge of painful heat, indicating the blow barely penetrated his armor there, not even enough to endanger his arm's function. He continued his maneuver and directed his will toward the SS trooper who gave the successful strike. By instinct he not only hit his opponent with enough power to overcome defenses, he also threw the SS soldier into one of his compatriots menacing the Beifong cousins. Both toppled to the floor. Before they could get up Yeshe bent the air down around them, creating a downward gust to keep them down long enough for Komin to bend the metal frames of a couple of nearby fallen bunks, turning them into ad hoc restraints to tie down the two men.

This opened Robert up to his other opponent, but said foe never got to exploit that opening. A bolt of blue flame slammed into the Nazi before he could strike, throwing him off-balance. Ursa quickly struck him with more bolts, culminating with a vertical kick that created a wave of blue flame that not only set the trooper on fire, it knocked him onto his rear.

Freed from battle, Robert turned to help Talara against her foe. He immediately saw it was unnecessary, as Talara's lavender blade was already scything through the man's extended arms, removing them at the elbow. A cry of surprise was cut off by Yeshe blasting the same with a gust of wind that knocked him back into one of the standing bunk frames. Komin moved his hands in the air and the wire frame parts of the bunks bent with the motions, forming rings around the soldier's arms and ankles to hold him in place.

With only the Cylons left to fight, Robert turned to do so, but they were missing. He'd been so occupied with his own opponents he missed someone blowing out one of the walls, and Lucy and Gina were gone, as were their foes. _Lucy, where are you? We can help!_

 _No! The_ Aurora _needs us to take out that jamming device! We've got this!_

Robert felt worry. Despite the confidence, he could sense Lucy forcing some of the confidence. She was in a difficult fight, as was Gina, and victory was not guaranteed at all.

 _Go Rob!_

Her insistence was persuasive. Robert's own feeling that he needed to heed it decided the issue for him. He motioned to the far door, the one their opponents had originally gone through, and said, "This way."

The others fell in with him. It was just the five of them now, given the ongoing battles around them. They continued a path through the central tower toward its heart. "This jamming device, do you have an idea on where to find it?" asked Talara.

Robert shook his head. "Not sure, but I can feel a pull in this direction. I think it's where we need to be."

Behind them Komin was taking in their surroundings. "The design of this place doesn't give any clues as to where to look. But maybe instead of finding the jammer, we should find the city's power core."

Talara responded by checking her omnitool as they ran. "Power emissions are this way," she said. "If we…"

The sight ahead brought them to a stop. Numerous SS men were unconscious on the floor. None showed signs of being shot by weapons, but they had visible burns in some cases and blunt trauma in others. "None of ours have been this way, have they?" Robert asked.

"I do not believe so."

"Miko," said Ursa. "She is free!"

"Not just Miko." Talara's omnitool was on wide-scanning mode. "I've got blood traces in this hall. They match Captain Andreys!"

Robert felt a surge of elation, followed immediately by worry. Julia being free brought that elation, just for him to consider what it might mean if their enemies got to her first. They might just kill her over escaping.

"I wonder where they're going?" Yeshe asked aloud. "Certainly they would try to leave the complex."

As the Airbender posed that question, Robert's eyes ventured to a sign bolted onto the wall, arrows matched with the SS-preferred Gothic German script. Reading the entries, a small smile came to his face. "I think I know what they're doing," he said. "Come on!"

They turned the corner, and danger prompted both Robert and Talara to turn and raise their weapons, deflecting the incoming fire. A squad of SS troopers was approaching from the other direction. "Go on!" Talara urged. "I'll hold them!"

The Beifongs stepped up to join her. "We'll watch your back, Highness," Komin said. "Get to Miko!"

Robert and Ursa turned and continued on, spurred by the desire to regain their loved ones as much as they were the mission at hand. 

* * *

Miko was the first into the chamber where the city's power was being provided. Julia walked in behind her and fought down the strong desire to just stop. Whatever cocktail of combat drugs had been in that syringe, it was clearly wearing down. Nor was she sure another dose was wise, if it resulted in an overdose.

Fortunately the defenders of the room were not so much that Miko couldn't take them. Again the young woman sprung into action. Julia noted her fighting style and thought she recognized some of it, bringing to mind exhibitions she'd seen of Shaolin practitioners. And another style too, but one she couldn't remember. She was still getting used to the fire and air manipulation involved. Miko's attacks were swift enough that none of the enemy got off more than a wildly-inaccurate shot that hit nothing.

Julia moved on into the room and approached what looked like a control station. It was rigged to a triangle-shaped middle platform, with three distinct circles in the surface with black outlining like a framework, and an orange-yellow glow emanating from within. She examined the station, her knowledge of German tested by the effort.

Behind her, Miko twisted on her foot, her fist coming up in a motion that the air on the floor followed, creating an upward gust of air that blew the weapon right out of the hands of her last opponent. She continued the circular motion and swung her other arm forward, creating a second powerful gust of air, more of a horizontal tornado, that sent the soldier flying into the wall behind him. "Do you know what to do?"

"I'm not sure. My German's never been the best." Julia blinked and forced her tired mind to think. _It looks like the SS weren't sure how this worked either. The power source is beyond their technology… looking at these figures, it's even more advanced than naqia-based power generation. What is…_

Without warning pain erupted across the surface of her body. Julia let out a cry and collapsed, stunned by the ferocity of it. _The nanobots!_ was the agonized thought that came to her.

Miko heard her scream and turned toward her. Through the portal beyond, Erik Fassbinder stood, flanked on each side by a soldier. A sinister sneer formed on his face while malevolent glee shined in his unnatural yellow eyes. He pulled his right hand away from the gauntlet on his left hand and wrist. "Well well, I see you had some fight left in you," he noted. "Perhaps we should have put you through sessions as well."

"Leave her alone!" Miko went into motion a moment later, diving for cover as a green energy beam came at her, narrowly missing. She hit the floor opposite of the power station. Another strangled cry came from Julia as Miko crouched in readiness.

"We have you cornered, _untermensch_ ," Fassbinder continued. "Your… metaphysical talents will not avail you, especially against me." He nodded to the soldiers, who moved forward to flank Miko.

Through the pain Julia tried to command her body to move. To tackle, to retrieve her own stolen weapon, _anything_ , but the nanobots were doing their job too well. She simply couldn't do more than writhe from her body's desperate, instinctive attempt to escape overpowering agony. The only thing her effort gave her was another strangled cry.

"You have much spirit, _Kapitan_ , but it will be broken." Fassbinder tapped at the gauntlet again, or rather an omnitool interface that formed around the same lower arm. A holo-viewer popped into place showing video from orbit. The _Aurora_ was central to it. Blackened patches of hull were visible, and the blue flickering of her deflectors was noticeably weakening. Beside her a small vessel with a dark gray hull was suffering from multiple hull breaches and related fires. "I wanted you to watch as your precious ship dies. With all of your friends aboard."

Through the pain Julia noticed the viewer. Desperation filled her at the sight.

"I have called for reinforcements from the fleet. Your allies on the planet may hold out for a time, but they will be overwhelmed," he continued. "Their rescue attempt will be for naught. I suppose I could just kill you here…" A wicked grin came to his face. "But we have so much left to do, _Kapitan_ , so very many things…"

By this point his troops were almost in position. Each was ready for Miko to pop from cover as well.

Not quite as ready, perhaps, for her to come at one of them.

Which is precisely what she did, with flames streaming from her feet. Instead of bending air or fire at her target, the one coming from Fassbinder's right, she tackled him physically with such speed that both went flying into the wall. Or rather, her foe did, but she jumped away at the last moment, again with such speed that the other soldier was still tracking to shoot at her. She hit the floor hands first and swept her legs parallel to the ground. A wave of flame rushed across the room and slammed into the SS trooper and his weapon, knocking it out of his hands as he hit the ground.

She was turning to Fassbinder when the lightning stuck her. The same purple tinged lightning Fassbinder had tormented Julia with for days enveloped Miko, drawing a cry of agony from her as she went to her knees.

"Do you think your talents are a match for mine?! Against my superior blood, my natural perfection, and the power that it is enhanced by?!" Fassbinder intensified the lightning shooting from his hands. "I know what you are supposed to be, and it makes me laugh! A whelp like you is the champion of your world, their precious Avatar?! How pathetic! You are _nothing_!"

Through clenched teeth MIko forced herself back up to one foot. The pain was excruciating. She felt like the energy assailing her was not just harming her body but her spirit, draining her vitality. It was going to kill her.

She glanced toward Julia, who visibly struggled with the pain paralyzing her. Her eyes were locked on the viewer hovering over Fassbinder's lower left arm, the viewer showing her ship struggling to survive, turning and twisting and taking fire and returning it. Julia's head twisted to face hers, and while there was pain in her green eyes, Miko saw the same determination she'd noticed before.

They'd come so far, despite everything.

And, Miko decided, they would go further still.

With a roar of pain and defiance forming in her throat, MIko gathered her energy and swung her right fist forward. Flame erupted from the air in front of her fist, forming a vast crimson tongue that enveloped Fassbinder's left arm. He let out a surprised, agonized shriek and stumbled backward, the lightning he was channeling into her ceasing. Freed from it Miko rose to her feet and channeled a gust of wind that slammed Fassbinder against the far wall. It didn't knock him out, but it bought her another few seconds.

Her… and Julia.

The flame hadn't merely harmed Fassbinder. Miko's power made it hot enough to melt the circuitry of the composite materials inside his gauntlet. The loss of signal disengaged the nanobots that were tormenting her. The pain filling her body ceased. She remained on the floor for a moment, gasping for air.

Her eyes remained fixed on the screen still beside Fassbinder's forearm, the holo-viewer displaying the ongoing fight in orbit, and her ship, her friends, continuing a desperate struggle to survive… a struggle to save _her_.

 _Why isn't the rest of the fleet here?_ she wondered. _Why haven't they called in help? The comm systems or jump anchor couldn't have been taken out that quickly_ …

Fassbinder got back to his feet and channeled his lightning again. Miko dodged to the side and threw another bolt of flame at him, one he dodged as well with speed beyond normal human levels. Undaunted Miko nearly caught him with a wide-arcing wind gust generated by a roundhouse kicking motion, causing him to fall back into the wall, but not knocking him down.

Julia forced herself to think. _They can't call for help… that's it. That's the jammer mentioned before._ She wasn't sure how, but something about this city - a city that was clearly made by another species, not the Darglan - something _in_ this city allowed the SS to jam interuniversal technology.

How much power would that require? She wasn't sure, but she suspected it might be a lot. And that meant her instincts had been right. They had to disable the power systems.

Her muscles protested Julia's commands to move. She ignored the resulting pain, the ache, demanding her legs and arms to shift. To get her back on her feet. The effort was taking everything she had left, with the combat drugs now nearly depleted, but she _had_ to move. Her ship, her friends, her comrades, _her crew_ , they all needed her to **_move_**.

She got back to her knees while, nearby, Fassbinder caught Miko with a blast of lightning even as she nailed him with another fire blast. Both faltered, which let Miko avoid the follow-up attack. Julia reached up and used the nearby station to pull herself up. She didn't know if she could stand, but at least she could reach the controls. She read over the German language on the display and, by more intuition than knowledge, hit one of the keys.

The three circles on the triangular platform rose. Underneath the flat top of each circle, the rest looked almost like a crystal, still glowing that same yellow color. Black lines ran over the objects. Whatever they were, she wasn't sure, but it was clear they were part of the power system.

Behind her now, Miko somersaulted over another burst of lightning from Fassbinder. Julia overheard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating, and the fast buzz of it scything through the air. Fassbinder grunted a moment later, having presumably missed his attack on Miko.

Julia gripped the station and pulled herself up. Her arms threatened to quit. Her legs didn't want to take her weight. She made them. She _forced_ them. This got her high enough to lean over the platform and start removing the crystalline objects. The light within each died as she pulled them out, one after the other.

When the last one came out, the room's lights temporarily died before flashing back on.

Julia had only seconds to feel victorious before Miko slammed into her, sending both to the ground. Before she could even begin to think of moving, Fassbinder's deadly lightning played over her and over Miko, drawing cries from both.

" _Enough games_ ," he roared, his voice full of impatience. " _Die!_ " 

* * *

The _Aurora_ bridge shook once more under the command crew, straining them against their harnesses. "Shields down to nine percent, cohesion loss is escalating," Tra'dur reported from Ops.

Meridina didn't react. There was no point. The _Aurora_ , while fighting back, was under as much fierce fire as the other ships. The _General Iroh_ was nearly crippled at this point, the _Koenig_ was suffering major damage, and multiple flames and hull breaches were visible on the _Avatar Kiyoshi_. By all appearances, the battle was lost.

And yet, Meridina did not feel like they were lost.

"Maintain fire," she ordered.

On her board Tra'dur noted the damage increasing to the ship's hull. Ensign Mallory, at Engineering, reported the loss of ten percent effectiveness in the armor self-repair systems, while she noted the system damage from the incoming fire no longer being stopped by the failing deflectors.

For the hundredth time since the battle began, Tra'dur checked the IU comm system.

Even as she did, Cat cried out, "Captain, the interference pattern from the planet, it's dissipating!"

Meridina felt the hope fill the others. Tra'dur breathed a silent prayer of thanks to her own gods and preempted Meridina's command of "Contact Defense Command with our situation". She sent the signal out into the network, including a data packet on everything happening, including the enemy concentration.

The ship shook again. One of the remaining Republic ships came apart from an SS-fired missile, leaving only half a dozen of them, most nearly crippled. A disruptor beam created a plasma leak in the lower starboard nacelle.

 _Did they receive us_? Tra'dur wondered. _They should have received us, they're not going to just…_

Her board blinked. "Multiple signatures are locking onto our jump drive!" she called out.

Moments later, the natural result came. "Interuniversal jump points forming!" Caterina cried.

Given the events of the past week, this no longer carried the immediate and instinctive relief it used to, even given Tra'dur's report. Not until Cat added, "They're ours!"

Even as a multitude of Alliance starships appeared, more jump points formed. Cat tried to identify individual ships, but she gave up when their number hit thirty. Her screens showed a varied number of vessels. Earth Confederacy ships, Sol Republic, Colonial Confederation, a number of the Alliance dedicated designs…

...and Gersallians. _Lots_ of Gersallians.

The arriving Alliance fleet engaged with a gleeful vigor. Weapons fire of all types descended upon the SS flotilla. An SS cruiser trying to finish off the _General Iroh_ found itself assailed by an Alakin warbird, two Dorei starbirds, and a Sol Republic cruiser. Gersallian destroyers launched a barrage of torpedoes that blasted away the shields of another SS cruiser, allowing one of the arriving _Excalibur_ -class battlecruisers, the _Zulfiqar_ , to devastate the cruiser with its powerful pulse plasma cannon armament. Another of the same, the _Kusanagi_ , blew apart an _Innsbruck_ with her starboard weapons even as her bow armament wrecked a _Sedan_ -class ship. SS destroyers attempting a torpedo run on the _Avatar Kiyoshi_ found themselves under the gun from multiple _Trigger_ -class attack ships, cousins of the _Koenig_ , and a light Dorei starbird.

The command officers on the _Avatar Kiyoshi_ were more than grateful from the sight, and also quite astonished. The variety of the incoming ships was like nothing they'd imagined.

"We're picking up a signal from one of the incoming vessels," Tra'dur noted. "It's the _Kentan_."

" _This is Admiral Maran of the Allied Systems to friendly vessels_ ," stated the esteemed Gersallian admiral. " _Do what you must to protect yourselves. We will assume your burden._ "

Even as he spoke, Meridina and Hanraq and Saizen and Zack all noted the _Kentan_ joining the fray, turning her guns on the SS battlecruiser trying to kill the _Aurora_ and _Avatar Kiyoshi_. Powerful beams started eviscerating the damaged battlecruiser, which lacked the shield strength to resist the _Kentan_ 's batteries. The tactical officers on the Gersallian flagship proved efficient in their carving up of the SS vessel.

The SS ships responded gradually, without cohesion, with one clear goal: escape. And with that came an end to the threat against the _Aurora_ and the other vessels that had fought so hard at their side. 

* * *

Fassbinder's rage, his hate, poured through his being and into the lightning assailing Julia and Miko. They struggled, they cried out, but nothing could free them from the grip of the lightning.

Fassbinder was so focused on them that he failed to notice the arrival of Robert and Ursa. They stormed through the door to find the sight of their loved ones under his assault. Ursa rushed forward, driven by maternal fury, and thrust both palms forward, screaming, " _Leave my daughter alone!_ "

As she did, Robert took in Miko's features. Recognition shot through his mind. He'd seen her before, in his dreams, in the visions the Flow of Life had often given him. The same red and gold outfit, tattered, the same face and amber-colored eyes.

And beneath and beside her, Julia was laid out, spent utterly. Just seeing her brought a surge of emotions through him. Worry for her condition, relief that she was alive, happiness that he'd found her, he wasn't going to lose her...

He was so intent on that that he didn't sense the danger until it was too late.

The blue flame that came from Ursa's palms was so tight as to almost be a beam. Fassbinder reacted almost immediately, moving just enough to avoid the flame. He turned to face his new foe and the lightning from his hand followed, enveloping Ursa. She stopped in place, seized by it, and struggled to move forward.

Fassbinder didn't give her the chance. He shot forward and plunged his lightsaber into her chest.

Robert was already in the middle of reacting as the crimson energy blade came out through Ursa's back. She let out a surprised, pained choke as his hands came up. Raw power rushed from his being and struck Fassbinder, or rather his gathering defenses. Fassbinder turned his lightning on Robert, who intercepted it with his lightsaber.

Whatever battle they might have had was terminated with a loud, terrible wail. " _Mother!_ " screamed Miko. Grief and horror filled the young woman at the sight of her fallen parent. " _MOTHER! NO!_ " Both combatants _felt_ the power shift in the room, a sudden and terrifying thing.

Again Miko cried out, " ** _NOOOO!_** ", and with that cry power, pure energy, _surged_ and exploded from around her. Her eyes flashed to pure white and the air beneath her wrapped around until it literally picked her up from the ground. She looked to Fassbinder with pain and rage written on her face, while the SS officer was utterly transfixed by the raw power he felt inside of Miko. So transfixed, in fact, that he did nothing to stop the flame that erupted from her outstretched hand. It enveloped the right side of his body, drawing from Fassbinder an agonized and terrified scream. A wind gust exploded from Miko, throwing both Robert and Fassbinder back into the chamber wall, even pushing Julia's prone form at least one meter away from Miko. The wind and the impact put out most of the flames afflicting Fassbinder.

Robert managed to absorb the impact partially with his own power, keeping it from causing injury. He stared at the sight of Miko, her eyes glowing with solid white light, sheer _power_ circulating around her. The Flow of Life itself seemed to burn with the intensity of the energies. Indeed, there seemed to be an entirely new presence within Miko, as if a second being was manifesting within and through her, fueling this display of raw energy.

With the right side of his face a massive burn, Fassbinder reached his left hand out. One of the crystalline power core pieces flew through the air and into his palm. A finger on the right hand, burnt as well, struck at the omnitool interface over his left forearm. He bellowed " _Transport me now!_ " in German and vanished in a column of bright light.

Miko screamed in frustration. Not just at Fassbinder's escape, as Robert could feel her terror at the realization that she couldn't control this power raging inside and around her. The winds still whipped around her, turning Miko into the center of a tornado. Robert took a step forward and felt like the wind might throw him off his feet.

Nearby Julia's head rose. Her eyes widened at the sight of Miko.

"Julia! Julia, help me!" Miko cried. "I… I can't control it!" 

* * *

The sudden feeling of a surge of power interrupted the ongoing duel that had now made its way to the outside of the city. Lucy parried a blow from her clone while Gina, behind her, had an offensive strike parried in turn. These were the last strikes made as all four felt the energy whipping up within the city's heart. "My God, what is that?" Lucy gasped.

Their counterparts briefly seemed ready to keep fighting, but their aggressive intent suddenly vanished. Frowns came to them. "We will end this another time," Lucy's clone informed her, her hand going to her belt. Gina's copy did the same, and both were claimed by the buzzing white light of transporters.

Lucy lowered her weapon. "Damn," she muttered at the escape of their foes. 

* * *

The Six and the Twelve materialized inside one of their heavy raiders, already launching from the tower. They found Fassbinder at the controls with one of the alien power generators beside his foot. The right side of his head was a burnt ruin, as was his right hand, and his uniform was still smoldering. He looked to them with savage fury in his intact left eye and they opted not to inquire. Behind them, more of his personnel were transporting aboard.

The Six sat down beside him at the controls. "Alliance fighters are inbound," she noted. "We must flee."

"The fold drive is already spooled," Fassbinder said. "Get us out of here."

The Six nodded, her disheveled blond locks shifting position on her head as they did. She reached for the controls and tapped several keys. "Rendezvous point coordinates loaded. Jumping."

The Cylon vessel jumped away in a flash of white light. 

* * *

"I can't control it!" Miko wailed. And she couldn't. She knew what this was, of course; the Avatar State, which she'd never experienced before. She never imagined it had so much power, and that power was now wrapped up with her fury, her horror, while before her Ursa was laying on the ground, wounded badly. Mortally, she feared.

Robert watched her with fascination and worry. He'd seen this before. Another of the dreams, the visions from his life force, was now coming to fruition. But he didn't know how this would end.

Hearing Miko's words, Julia tried to rise. It was a struggle to do so, not just from the winds, but from a sheer lack of energy inside of her for such movement. With a cry of effort she managed to get herself up to all fours. Her limbs threatened to quit on her.

They never got the chance. The winds grabbed her first. She felt like she'd been sucked into a tornado and could do nothing as she was pulled into the air.

Robert, panicked by the prospect of Julia being smashed against a wall head-first, reached out with his own power and plucked her from the air. She shot through the winds to his side, and he held tightly to her, spreading his power to protect her from the winds. "We have to get to Miko!" she called out to him.

"Hold on!" With his right arm holding Julia around the waist as tightly as he could and his left stretched before him, Robert forced himself forward one step at a time. The winds threatened to tear Julia from him, or to draw them both off their feet, forcing Robert to focus the power in his own being to absorb the wind. It sloughed around him gradually, allowing him to make the forward movement.

When they were within arm's length of Miko Julia mustered every erg of energy she could to reach up and take Miko's ankle. Robert took it as well. They couldn't pull her down, but the contact helped as Robert projected himself into both. He became the bridge, allowing Julia to reach for the anguished turmoil and fear inside of Miko. Robert reached into the Flow of Life and its warmth, projecting it into Miko, while Julia's voice filled the room. "Miko, it's okay! You're safe. He's gone. We can still help your mother! Please, Miko, you can control this!"

"I… I can't," she protested. "I'm… I'm not strong enough!"

" _Yes you are!_ " Julia insisted. "I know you are! I've seen you! You can do this, Miko! Trust me!"

As she spoke Robert continued to fill Miko's being with the power of the Flow of Life. He felt it resonate within Miko, and through that he felt her own connection to it, through it. He sensed now the presence within her, a great and powerful force. A gentle blue and white light suffused her being in his senses, and a formless being around Miko took on a translucent appearance as if an aura.

"Mother." Tears flowed down Miko's face. "My mother!"

Robert felt for Ursa. She was hurt. Badly. But her life was there, and he connected Miko to it. _Your mother is alive, Miko. She's still with us._

 _I don't want to lose her!_

 _I know._

 _We both do_ , Julia added.

Together, they shared their pain with her. Their mothers, their fathers, were gone. They knew the pain she feared, and they would not see her suffer it. Not here, not in this way.

 _The power is within you, Miko_ , Robert projected into her. _You can control this. Just as I had to!_ He shared with her his fears about his own powers once they expanded. His fears. His need to accept the power, to focus on it and control his use of it.

"You're strong enough," Julia added, speaking aloud. "Take control. You can do it."

Their thoughts, Robert's power, Julia's words, they got through to Miko. She closed her eyes and focused on the power. She felt within. _I am the Avatar. I control this, it does not control me._ With that thought echoing in her head, in her heart and very being, Miko's will focused on the power and directed it. She bid the winds to die down, and so they did. She ordered calm within, and the calm came, grudgingly, but it did so.

Miko dropped to the ground and then down to her knees. Immediately she crawled over to her fallen mother and pulled her up to embrace her. She wept. "Mother, hold on."

Robert turned toward the door in time to see Komin, Talara, and Yeshe enter. They all showed signs of having been in a vicious fight, but none looked deeply harmed by it. Instead their concern immediately went for Miko and Ursa. "Spirits, what happened here?" Yeshe asked.

"She needs medical attention," Robert said. "We…"

Julia reached for his face. "Robert, help me. I know where to take her!"

Despite the hoarseness of Julia's strained voice, Robert understood completely. He picked her up, lifting her feet from the ground in what was effectively a bridal carry. "Get Ursa!" he called to the others.

The Beifong cousins did so, and Komin took the burden of carrying her while Talara tried to focus her power on Ursa's lightsaber wound.

Julia didn't speak, and didn't need to. Robert sensed what she was thinking and where she thought they needed to go, and he led the others out of the power chamber. Their destination was in the tower, indeed on this floor, and while Julia wasn't completely sure of the direction, Robert felt the Flow of Life direct him toward it. He sensed her recognition of the halls, the rooms around them, the stairs they went past.

They entered a room dominated by a tank full of green fluid, attached to a wider series of fluid tanks. "Put her in! Quickly!" Julia urged.

Komin carried Ursa up the metal steps beside the tank, eventually bringing him high enough to set Ursa into it. Talara used her powers to levitate the breather mask onto Ursa's face in the second before they dropped her in with a splash of the green fluid. Robert couldn't help but notice the restraint frame built into the tank, and he wasn't surprised when the controls Julia directed him toward included a dial marked for voltage. Yeshe stepped up beside him and set her hands on it. "I do not understand this," she admitted.

"Raise the circulation," Julia instructed. "That's what I overheard them talking about."

Robert found the controls for such and shared them with Yeshe, who operated the console. Machinery began to thrum and vital signs flashed on a holo-screen. Ursa's body was in bad shape, Robert was sure, but the system seemed to consider her saveable.

Miko stepped up to the tank and looked into it. She set a hand on the tank while, within, Ursa's eyes opened slowly. "Mother," she said, setting her hand on the tank. Tears flowed freely down her eyes.

Within, Ursa slowly did the same.

Robert and Julia watched as he took a seat on the ground, his arms still holding Julia. He turned his eyes to hers at feeling her hand weakly touch his shaven chin. "You shaved? Finally?" she croaked.

"Yeah." Tears were welling into his eyes. "For you."

"For me." Tears formed in hers as well. She let out a small, low laugh. "And you cut your hair. You look… you look like you again." She giggled. "It took all of this to get you to do that!"

He laughed in response, fighting back a sniffle. "Yeah, I guess so."

For a moment they continued to chuckle and laugh, even as the tears flowed down their cheeks. Robert felt the lingering pain inside of her and tried to soothe it as best as he could, and Julia could feel him try. "You were trying to help me," Julia said in realization. "When I was in that chair…"

"I tried. Until I could get to you. Rescue you."

"Like you promised."

"Yeah. Like I promised."

Julia nodded. She still let out a few giggles, but gradually the giggling became sobbing. All of the pain, the fear that she would never get away from Fassbinder, the despair that she would never see Robert, her Robby, again, never see any of them again, it all just came flooding out of her in deep sobs.

Robert felt that. His own fears and despair that he'd lose Julia, his Julie, to the lingering and horrible death Fassbinder planned for her, and that he'd destroy who he was trying to save her, make himself unworthy of her, it flowed out too. His laughter became sobbing in turn, and he tightened the embrace, as if Julia might yet be yanked away, while he felt Julia embrace him with what little energy she had left.

Given the ordeal behind them, there could be no surprise they cried. But there was happiness in that crying.

After all, they were crying _together_.

* * *

 **Tag**

 _Ship's Log: ASV Aurora; 24 October 2643 AST. Captain Meridina reporting. Our rescue mission has been a complete success. Captain Andreys and Princess Miko have been recovered from SS captivity. The SS exiles' forces have been dealt a telling blow with our victory over their trap against us. The Alliance fleet is continuing to secure the system and perform search-and-rescue operations for those vessels crippled or destroyed in the battle, with the aid of another force of vessels from the United Republic and affiliated states. There is much we still have to learn about these Humans and their particular nature, but there is no doubting their courage and willingness to stand against the forces of darkness._

 _While this victory has not removed the threat we now face, I believe it has aided with the morale of not only our crew, but the entire Alliance. I have found my own spirit recovering from the shock of what happened to Gersal and New Liberty._

When Jarod arrived in the ready office, Meridina was staring out the window at the sight of the ships around them. The battered _Avatar Kiyoshi_ was now joined by a sister ship, the _Avatar Aang_ , which looked pristine compared to the damage of the former. She turned from the sight to face Jarod. "What have you found?"

"Anders and his Marines came through for us," Jarod said. "They took the enemy command center before they could complete a memory wipe. We didn't get everything, but we've recovered quite a lot of information and intelligence."

"That is excellent news. Do we know more about their remaining facilities?"

"Some. There are four more SS bases we have coordinates for, and Maran's already sent parts of the fleet to deal with them." Jarod's expression showed his satisfaction at that. "A couple are in universes we haven't entered yet."

"Then we may yet find other allies like Princess Ursa and her world." Meridina returned to her seat. "I feel as if we have made a first contact that, on its own, would have been a momentous occasion."

"People who can literally influence elemental forces with their own will and bodies?" Jarod chuckled. "Oh yeah. I mean, biotics is one thing, there's a physical aspect to it. The same with psionics. But this is more like your abilities. It's all metaphysical. Leo's already confirmed there's nothing in their physiology that powers this."

"Indeed." Meridina gave Jarod an intent look. "And now, Commander Jarod, I would suggest you get some sleep. We all need the rest."

"So do you," Jarod pointed out. Meridina sensed his concern. "Julia… do you think she'll be okay?"

"She has suffered a terrible ordeal. It may be some time before we know for sure," Meridina said. "But I am confident she will persevere. And she will return to us, when she is ready."

"And when the service agrees to it. I'm sure they'll require evaluations before letting her resume command. In the meantime…"

"In the meantime, we will do what we must, to ensure everything is here for her to return to."

"Right." Jarod let out a small sigh. "Well, I'd better get some rest. And so should you."

"As I said, I intend to," Meridina assured him. "And I will see you in the morning." 

* * *

The door to the medbay OR slid open and Leo emerged, Doctors Opani and Hreept behind him. The latter two went to remove their surgical scrubs while Leo approached the waiting patients and visitors in the receiving area. Julia and Miko were in anti-grav chairs. Robert, Lucy, Gina, Talara, and the Beifong cousins were crowded around them. Miko especially showed deep apprehension when Leo stopped in front of them. "Your mother's going to be fine," he assured her. "She took some severe damage to vital organs and her spine, but whatever that healing fluid is down there, it stabilized her condition enough that we were able to repair the organs with replicated tissue. She's not a hundred percent yet, but I'm confident she's going to recover. Right now she needs to recover for a while before we can begin the spinal repair operation."

"Can I see her, Doctor?" Miko asked.

"When we've got her in the Critical Care Ward, yes. The nurses should have her transferred shortly." He turned his attention to Julia. A deep frown came to his face.

"I'll be okay, Leo," Julia said weakly.

"Right. Well, you're going to be here for a few days," he told her. "And no duty until evaluations clear you."

As he spoke, Robert felt Leo's quiet fury at what he'd found attached to Julia's body. The Eubian nanobots were nothing more than torture machines, and they'd left their mark on her nervous system.

"I figured," she said. "And I'll be a cooperative patient, don't worry. Right now I… I'm just glad to be home." Julia's voice cracked as she spoke.

Leo nodded. "I know. Let me go clean up and write my surgical report." He nodded to them and left.

Miko looked toward Robert and Julia. "Thank you," she said, for the hundredth time it seemed. "For saving my mother. I... the last time we talked we fought. We were each angry. I don't want that to be the final things we said to each other."

"I understand that, and no thanks are necessary," Robert assured her.

Miko gave him a small smile before turning to the Beifong cousins, who pushed her chair to take them to wait in Critical Care.

"Thanks for coming for me," Julia said to the others. "Thanks for everything."

"Just returning the favor," Lucy said softly. "You pulled me out of a torture chamber too, remember?".

"Duffy," Julia said simply.

"We should leave you two to talk," Lucy added, glancing to the others. She looked back to Robert and continued, "Although we should talk about Gina."

"I already processed the paperwork to add her to the team," he said.

"There's… another matter involved with that which we need to go into," Lucy said. "But it can wait." After sharing a look with the others, the three walked out.

Robert brought Julia back to the Standard Care Ward and helped her up onto her assigned bed. They were not alone here, as wounded from the battle filled nearly every bed. Julia laid down and closed her eyes for a moment. She savored the simple pleasure of a soft surface beneath her and a similarly-soft pillow under her head. With her eyes closed she didn't see Robert pull up a chair. But she did feel it when Robert took her right hand and held it within his. She opened her eyes and looked at him again. "You look better this way," she said.

"I suppose I let the long hair and the beard go on for too long," he admitted. "A goatee and a mustache, maybe?"

"I like you just the way you are," she replied. Julia felt her eyes droop close and let out a contented sigh. "I was afraid I'd never feel comfort again. Fassbinder was determined to let me have nothing."

"He's a sadistic bastard. He was even before he tapped his potential," Robert said, his voice heated. "And we let him get away again."

"We'll catch up to him eventually. And I can't imagine his bosses are going to be happy with him."

"I wouldn't think so." Robert looked at Julia's face and let out a ragged breath. His emotions welled up within him again, relief being the most powerful. "Julie, I… I'm so sorry this happened. Maybe if I'd come to you on New Liberty…"

"He would have murdered Beth," Julia said. "Just… be happy you got me back. Don't regret what happened, okay? We have enough regrets."

"Yeah." He sniffled. "I…" Robert blinked back the tears in his eyes. "Oh God, I almost lost myself," he admitted. "I was so angry with myself and with Fassbinder, with everything getting between us… I could've become something terrible. I… I just couldn't stand the thought of losing you."

"You didn't," she pointed out. "I was worried I'd never see you again. That you all died on the Colony. And that I was going to die there, alone, in pain. I was so scared that's how I was going to end. It didn't seem fair, not after everything we've done." She shook her head weakly. "I keep thinking back to all the times he was hurting me. How that might have been what the rest of my life was like."

"He'll never touch you again," Robert insisted. "I swear to it."

"Don't. You don't need to, and I don't want it," she said. "I just… right now, I want to stop that thinking. I want to forget it all happened. I just want to rest."

There was little Robert could say at that point. He simply nodded and remained quiet, even as he sensed Julia gently slide into much-needed sleep. 

* * *

After leaving the medbay, Lucy and Gina left Talara to go rest and headed to Meridina's quarters. Meridina was in casual sleeping robes of cream white and blue, seated on her couch and reading a datapad when they entered. She looked up. "You fought a hard battle," she noted.

"Tell me about it. I'm getting tired of my clones trying to kill me," Lucy said. "Hell, I wonder why they cloned me in the first place."

"I am beginning to wonder if they knew, from the start, your potential for a connection to the Flow of Life," said Meridina.

"I don't know. Although I thought it wasn't just hereditary? What guarantee would they have that a clone of me could use it?"

"They might terminate any formed versions of you without the power," Gina said.

"Right. Well, we have other things to discuss."

"Indeed." Meridina set the pad down on her table. "Julia has been recovered. We have damaged the SS exiles. Certainly we have won a victory for the Light to offset what occurred. But so much remains unexplained."

"I've got one big question for you," said Lucy. "Who took Swenya's Blade, and why?"

"It wasn't the Inner Circle, that's clear," said Gina. "And the Order has found no evidence it was taken by one of our own during the attack."

"At least nobody who survived," Lucy said. "But we do have another suspect. That mysterious ship that helped us, the one that bought us time to evacuate people. Who were they and what were they doing there?"

"Who would steal the blade and turn around and help us?" Gina asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"There is something about this we still do not know," Meridina remarked. "This calls for meditation."

"And work," said Gina. "Ledosh gave his life to ensure we got the _Life of Reshan_ , not the Brotherhood. We need to figure out the secret he thought he'd found."

"Well, we'll help in anyway we can," Lucy promised. "You've got the books in your room, right? Maybe I can get Jarod to help out too? He finished learning Gersallian, and he's always up for puzzles."

"An excellent idea."

"I'll take it up with him tomorrow, then," Lucy promised. She let out a tired breath. "I think we should get some rest too. It's been a tough week, and I have a feeling things are only going to get worse."

"Indeed they will," noted Meridina. "The forces of darkness have revealed themselves to us, and their strength is greater than we imagined. We must be ready for their next move."

Lucy and Gina nodded, and left to take up their own rest. Meridina, for her part, returned to her bedroom and laid down in her bed. She would get what rest she could, knowing that it would likely not last long for the Alliance, not with their enemies working together.

But whatever came, Meridina had faith they would prevail in the end.


	102. Episode 3-19-1 Finding Peace

**Teaser**

 _Personal Log of Julia Andreys, Captain. 28 October 2643 AST._

 _Leo's finally released me from the medbay, after four days of observation. I still have to check in with him daily but at least I'm able to live in my quarters again._

 _Well, quarters anyway. My quarters are no longer mine. I've been removed from command of the_ Aurora _. Because of… what was done to me. Command is mandating two months of medical leave. And I can't return to duty until I've passed physical and psychiatric evaluations to the satisfaction of Defense Command._

 _I understand that it's something they have to do. They have to make sure I'm still capable of command after going through that. But I… I hate it anyway. I want my ship back. I want to get my life back to normal… well, as much as this life's been normal anyway. Instead I have to go through this… process, and getting treated like a piece of china that's going to break if you look at it the wrong way._

 _In a way, it's like Fassbinder is still torturing me. Still hurting me. Even though he's not. sigh Alright, I need to finish packing. No more of this for now._

Julia picked up the photograph of her with her parents - and Robert, his sister Susannah, and Angel and Cat Delgado - that was taken after her high school basketball team won the state championship in their division. Seeing her parents always provoked a distant, sharp pain in her heart. If she'd known at that time they only had four years of life left… well, she'd have made different decisions. Robert undoubtedly felt the same way about his parents and sister, taken before their time.

It also reminded her of that frantic night. The tight game, the tension in the air as it went down to the wire, the jubilation when Marcy Lewis hit that three pointer with a minute left and they took the lead for good, and the satisfying swishing of the free throws Julia sunk at the thirty second mark to put the game away. At the time it seemed to be her greatest accomplishment. The idea that she'd end up captaining a spaceship that could jump across universes… that was insanity to the 17 year old Julia in the picture.

 _She never expected she would get tortured by Nazis either_ , Julia mused as she set the picture in the bin. She affixed the lid to the plastic container.

"I know the sentiment," said a lilting voice. From the other side of the room, Meridina looked up from the container she was gently laying Julia's trophies in. Meridina was in uniform, as Julia was, and now shared Julia's number of rank strips as well. For the time being, the Gersallian woman - and even after four years Julia was still sometimes put off by the thought she was alien - was the serving Captain of Julia's ship. Since Julia picked her to be the First Officer, it lacked the sting that someone else holding the post might have had.

"Your life hasn't taken the direction you expected either," Julia said, acknowledging the point. "Without us, you'd still be in the Order of Swenya. A field _swev… sweev_ …. Knight."

"Yes. I had no inclinations to this kind of life," Meridina said. "Only to uphold the Code of Swenya. But our destinies are intertwined, and so I am here, a _swevyra'se_ no longer."

"Do you miss it?"

Julia's question prompted a thoughtful look from Meridina. "Sometimes," she confessed. "When I am compelled to deal with the minutiae of command."

Julia smiled at that. "You're telling me the Order doesn't have paperwork?"

"Not nearly the same." Meridina matched the smile. "And do you miss the simpler life you might have had? Playing these sports?"

The answer was immediate. "No. Not at all." Julia picked up another picture, this one from high school graduation. Angel was in it as well, as was freckle-faced, red-haired Marcy Lewis and dark-haired, blue-eyed Jessica Rockledge, another member of the team. She glanced it over for a moment before setting it in her duffel bag, the last available container for her things. "I mean, the games could be exciting. And I had a lot of responsibilities as captain of the team. But I wanted more. I had faith in my ability to be more. Being out here… it's more than I ever dreamed of, and I'd never give it up."

"That answer is true to who you are, yes," Meridina said. "I can sense that. Hopefully it will not be long…"

"I won't be back until the end of the year," Julia said. She gave her quarters, now empty of her personal items, a look before asking, "So, when are you moving in?"

"I am not going to yet," replied Meridina. "Until Command confirms whether or not I will be held on as Captain of the _Aurora_."

Julia nodded stiffly at that. The thought stung. _Even freed from Fassbinder, he's still ruining my life._

There was a little concern in Meridina's voice when she asked, "I am going to Deck 6 to visit Robert on another matter. Would you like me to escort you to your new quarters?"

Julia's first impulse was to say no, but she reconsidered. There were a few boxes to carry, after all. "Lead the way, Meridina," Julia said. 

* * *

After aiding Julia to her new quarters, Meridina moved on toward Robert's. She met Gina at the door carrying _Mastrash_ Ledosh's protective case. Robert answered the door wearing civilian clothing: a blue T-shirt with the faded insignia of what Meridina knew to be his former "high school" along with a pair of loose blue trousers of Gersallian make. He welcomed them in and to the middle of his living area, where he took a seat while they took the couch. Gina laid the case on the table between them and removed the two books within.

"So this is what Ledosh was working on," Robert said, picking up the newer-looking of the two books. He opened it and read the neat printed High Gersallian text within. "This looks like a book on language analysis," he noted.

"Yes, by a scholar from several centuries ago, Gartanam," noted Meridina. "He studied the dialects of Swenya's time."

Robert checked the other book. It was considerably older and more worn, but the cover still bore fine calligraphy. He read the title. "' _The Life of Reshan_.'"

"The only existing copy," Gina added. "The volume dates back to Swenya's time as well. It was one of a few books to survive the burning of the Order Library during Kohbal's uprising. Some time afterward, the Order Council placed it on a limited access list. Only a _Mastrash_ of the Council was permitted to even touch it."

"Well, that's not ominous," Robert mused openly. "So Gartanam's book helps you read this one?"

"More than that," said Meridina. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh noticed, and we have confirmed, that there are inaccuracies in the text. Words or lettering that have no place in contemporary language of the time, according to Gartanam's research."

"It appears to be intentional." Gina reached into the case and brought out a pile of notes, all in Gersallian. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh believed they were a code of sorts."

"As in, the out of place letters and whole words are actually hidden text?"

"Yes."

Robert found that interesting. He looked over the notes. He knew enough Gersallian to understand what was written. "'The Circle'," he read aloud, looking over one of the notes. "Didn't that sympathetic Cylon say something to you and Talara about that?"

"She did," Gina said. "We don't know what it means, though."

"There's more to decode, I'm guessing?"

"Yes." Gina nodded. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh's notes are allowing me to reconstruct what he learned. I know it was a weight on his soul."

"I'll give what help I can. Now…"

There was a tone from Meridina's omnitool, and a holographic blue light appeared over the back of her left hand. She tapped at it. "Meridina here," she said.

" _We're only ten minutes out from our destination_ ," said Nick Locarno, currently minding the bridge.

"Thank you, Commander," Meridina answered. "I will be coming up shortly." 

* * *

When Meridina arrived on the bridge with Robert beside her, now in his intelligence branch silver-trimmed uniform with the aiguillette that pretended he was a mere staff officer, she found the rest of the command crew were already assembled and at their posts. Even Scotty and Leo, who normally remained in Main Engineering and the medbay, were present. While Ensign Rawlins, a young African-American officer from New Orleans in Universe H1E1, manned the helm Nick Locarno was seated in the First Officer's seat to the right of the command chair, while Lieutenant Tra'dur of the Dilgar was minding her post of Operations, Jarod's usual place.

Scotty and Leo were not the only visitors to the bridge. The allies the _Aurora_ crew made in the rescue of Julia were around as well. Princess Ursa of the Fire Nation was seated comfortably in an anti-grav chair provided by medbay. That she was fit enough to be present was a good indicator from her recovery from the critical wounds she'd suffered in the rescue. Ursa's daughter Miko, rescued along with Julia, was at the chair's handles. The young woman showed keen interest in the _Aurora_ bridge and those upon it. Both she and her mother wore a matching set of something like Japanese kimonos, colored deep red with gold trim, with Ursa's hair held at top of her head by a metal band marked with a golden fire symbol. Beside them, Yeshe Beifong was standing wearing a set of yellow and orange robes that left her right arm bare, revealing thin, corded muscle on the limb.

The three looked like ordinary Human beings, or to Meridina's eyes, Gersallians. Only she and Robert felt the difference within them. The peculiar energy each enjoyed, particularly Miko, that made them and their people such a unique part of the Multiverse. While there were many in all universes who could feel their connection to the Flow of Life, and use that connection to achieve all manner of things, Miko, Ursa, and Yeshe had abilities that were not quite the same, but just as extraordinary. They were known to the people of their world as "Benders": Human beings with the ability to manipulate basic elements with their wills. Yeshe could manipulate air, Ursa could generate and manipulate fire, and Miko could do both, for she was the Avatar, a being born and reborn to each nation of her world and the ability to "bend" all four of the Elements.

 _Truly the Multiverse is a magnificent place, with many wonders to find_ , Meridina considered. She turned her attention to more immediate matters, however. "ETA, Mister Locarno?" she asked.

"We're dropping out of warp in thirty seconds," he replied cheerfully from his chair. "You made it right on time."

"I wonder what the others will think," thought Miko aloud. "About this ship, and your people. We never imagined we would find anything like your Alliance in the stars."

"I only wish we had met your Alliance before we met your enemies," Ursa added solemnly.

"As do we," Meridina replied.

Nothing more was said before Rawlins announced they were dropping out of warp. The warp engines of the _Aurora_ gently quieted and the _Aurora_ was reduced to sublight velocity. Ahead of them a small garden world hung in the void, a distant moon beyond it and a bright yellow star similar to Sol shining in the distance. A series of space stations hung in orbit, two over the poles and three closer to the equator. The amount of space traffic was not quite the level of the most advanced Earths or of major worlds of the Multiverse such as Thessia, Minbar, or Doreia, but every indication was that this was a civilization advanced enough that spaceflight was a part of everyday life.

Tears were shining in Miko's eyes at the sight. "Home," said the young Avatar. "We're finally home." 

* * *

**Undiscovered Frontier  
 _"Finding Peace"_**

For a short time there was quiet on the _Aurora_ bridge as they approached the homeworld of Miko and the others. Most of those present were simply taking in the lines of the massive continent on the screen.

The first sound was a restrained little squeal of excitement from the port side of the bridge. Everyone turned to see Cat busily examining her screens. "These scans are incredible!" she said. "The stability, the wavelengths in the Groenitz-Hallen bands… this is so incredible!"

"Commander?" Meridina asked, inquiring with her tone.

"I'm reading _three_ distinct energy patterns on the planet," Cat said. "Consistent with rifts in the basic fabric of space-time. But they're all fully stable! I've never even _heard_ of anything like this! It's… it's not even like the Bajoran Wormhole! It's entirely new!"

"You must be referring to the Spirit Portals," Miko said. "They provide our link to the Spirit World."

Meridina considered what Miko said while her own senses felt keenly the peculiar diversion in the Flow of Life. It was not such a complete diversion as to leave her incapable of using any of her talents, but it was more significant here than any other world she'd seen in universe N1C4.

 _These portals, they seem to have a link to the Flow of Life in some way. As do the powers of the people here. There is much we have to learn, things about the Flow of Life we may never have imagined._

"Captain." Tra'dur spoke English with the same accent her mother used, with tones that Meridina knew to be associated with the Indian subcontinent of the Human homeworld. "We are receiving a hail from the surface."

"Put them on," Meridina answered.

The holo-viewscreen flashed to show a round table. Over three of the chairs, a flatscreen display showed the features of assorted people. Given the appearances, one was clearly related to Ursa and Miko. Two more of the chairs were occupied, one by a woman in a flowing crimson dress and blue-toned business jacket, the other by a man in a brown jacket and beige dress shirt. His lapels had an insignia, a circle with a square cut out of the middle of it.

Meridina spoke first. "This is Captain Meridina, current commander of the _Starship Aurora_ of the United Alliance of Systems."

The brown-jacketed man nodded. " _I am Sun Lan, Premier of the Earth Union and current Chairman of the Five Nations' Council. The Council and I speak for the Compact and welcome you and your Alliance to our Homeworld._ "

"Thank you for the welcome, Chairman," Meridina replied.

" _We, and the peoples of the Five Nations, thank your people for your critical role in rescuing the Avatar. We are prepared to open full diplomatic relations with the Alliance of Systems._ "

"And we have come with a diplomatic team to do the same," said Meridina. "We will beam down shortly to meet with you."

" _'Beam down'... ah, your teleport technology. Yes. Please, we await you in Council Tower, and look forward to opening discussions._ "

"We will be down shortly," answered Meridina. 

* * *

The _Aurora_ transporters created a spectacle for the assembly waiting for Meridina and the others. She, Miko, and an Alliance diplomatic first contact team led by a blue-skinned, purple-spotted and -haired Dorei woman, Yuria Tashke, materialized in bursts of white light in the South Garden of the Council Tower. Sun Lan was waiting for them with the woman in the red dress and blue jacket. While Sun Lan looked East Asian, she had a darker skin tone and looked more like someone from the Indian subcontinent. Armored figures stood with both, half of them women with their faces painted white.

Also present were news crews, a mix of camera-bearers, reporters for televised news service, and journalists. Meridina noticed the surprise and shock rippling through them. While she looked Human, Secretary Tashke was visibly non-Human, as was her chief of staff, another Dorei of light teal skin and dark purple spotting. One of the cultural analysts was a blue-feathered, gray-skinned Alakin.

Sun Lan was presumably better prepared for meeting alien life. "Avatar Miko. Captain Meridina and honored guests. Welcome to Republic City."

"Thank you, Premier. This is my superior, Yuria Tashke, of the Dorei species. She is one of our diplomats, a specialist in the field of first contact with new civilizations."

"Premier, a pleasure," Yuria said. "I come representing the peoples and species of the United Alliance of Systems, and our President, Henry Morgan."

A Human woman of East Asian background stepped up beside her, looking rather more normal for their hosts. "I am Council Representative Seong Yeo-reum, of the Council Committee on Foreign Relations. I also thank you for the welcome."

Sun Lan nodded again before indicating the woman beside him. "This is Priyanka Dravad, President of the United Republic and Vice Chairwoman of the Council."

"Welcome to Republic City," the woman said, nodding in turn.

As it turned out, the handshake was part of the culture here as well, and so all shook hands, the Dorei keeping their gloves on for the ritual due to their natural touch-based empathic abilities. All the while the cameras kept recording. Meridina sensed the anxiety and disbelief in the assembled, with an undercurrent of excitement that in some cases turned to a sort of giddiness. This was history in the making, something that was to forever transform this world and those who lived upon it.

After everything was complete they entered the Tower. A pair of lifts were waiting to take them up. Meridina ended up in a lift with President Dravad, Miko, and Under-Secretary Tashke. The lifts were windowed and, as they lifted above the structure of the bottom two floors, proved to be on the exterior of the Tower itself, giving an unrivaled view of the city.

"Yue Bay is beautiful," said Miko.

Meridina could not disagree. The waters bordering the city were pristine, a rich crystal blue. In the middle of the bay were two islands. One held the statue of a young man, little more than a boy, in robes similar to Yeshe Beifong's clothing. The other was a series of buildings, all of them being round in structure. Meridina's heart ached at how the architecture reminded her of the Great Temple of the Order of Swenya, now nothing but a memory due to the Cylons.

The bay was ringed by the skyline of a great metropolis. Great and tall buildings soared into the sky, some reaching the heights of the best in Gersal's capital Jantarihal, her hometown. Landward they were framed by the mountains in the distance, snowcapped and beautiful. Yue Bay aside, the city reminded her of Jantarihal.

Yue Bay… and one other thing. While the Bay was ringed by the metropolis, the great towering buildings were missing from the landmass between them. Flanked by two rivers, a peninsula jutted out from the areas to the east of the city center. Only shorter buildings were visible here in similar style to those of the island in the bay. The light of the day did little to obscure the pillar of golden light rising from the peninsula. Even here Meridina could feel a pull through the Flow of Life. Its energies were tied into the pillar at its base. "That is…"

"...the Spirit Portal, yes," said Premier Sun Lan.

"We detected it from orbit, but I was unaware it would look so… beautiful."

"It is the unique one. The portals at the poles are blue in color."

"How were such things made?" asked Under-Secretary Tashke.

"The making of the polar portals is lost to our histories," replied President Draved. "Supposedly the Chaos Spirit, Vaatu, made them long ago, before being defeated by Raava. This portal is far newer. It was created two centuries ago by Avatar Korra to save the city from the tyrant Kuvira's energy cannon."

"The weapon was overloading," Miko said. "Korra re-directed its energies, channeling them into forming the portal."

"I can sense it, even here," said Meridina. "The Flow of Life pools around it. Almost as if it is sustained by the energies of the Flow."

"What is this 'Flow of Life' you're talking about?" asked Sun Lan.

"It is an energy field formed by the life energies of all living things, through what my people call _swevyra_ ," Meridina explained. "Some beings, such as myself, have _swevyra_ that is active, and can connect to the universe and the Flow of Life. It grants us abilities beyond the physical."

"It sounds like you are describing _chi_ ," said Dravad.

" _Chi_ … I believe I have heard this word before. I may need to investigate further…"

The lift came to a stop, and with it the conversation. The groups filed out of the lifts and through the hall beyond into a chamber. The walls were polished beige and gold, and the floor a fine marble tile marked with the repeated motif of five symbols in an arrangement that brought to mind the pedals of a flower. Meridina recognized the five from the materials on this world already provided: the flame crest of the Fire Nation in black, the three spirals of the Air Nation, the blue cresting waves of the Water Tribes, the circle with an open square in the middle of the Earth Union, and the crest of the United Republic.

The same symbol was on top of a circular table with five seats. Attendants brought up many more for the Alliance contingent, albeit smaller ones.

Sun Lan sat in one of the seats and tapped a button. The screens came active, showing three more beings. One, a wizened old woman with many years showing in the wrinkles on her face, wore an elaborate series of red and yellow robes. A blue arrow tattoo covered her forehead, the blue line going up to the top of her head and the hairline of wispy white strands there. The second viewer was of a dark-tanned man with a bearded face, wearing an elaborate garb of blue and white. The third was another man, with a pointed beard and full mustache of gray hair. His clothing matched Miko's in appearance and coloration, and Meridina could see the family resemblance.

"My colleagues," said Sun Lan. "Master Gewa of the Air Nation, High Chief Iqnarak of the Confederated Water Tribes, and Fire Lord Daizon of the Fire Nation."

Tashke and Seong bowed in respect, as did Meridina and the others. Miko did as well, smiling softly at her grand-uncle's image. Meridina thought she saw his expression shift ever so slightly to relief, but whether she did or not, he remained focused on business.

One thing she did sense was an undercurrent of anxiety. Uncertainty. These people were still wondering what they were dealing with, it seemed, and diplomacy would thus be all the more critical.

Again thanks were given for their role in Miko's rescue. Tashke responded with, "We thank the Five Nations' Compact for their aid in the battle with the SS Exiles. It was the heroism of General Hanraq's fleet that saved the _Starship Aurora_ , and granted the time for the enemy's jamming field to be lowered and our fleet to arrive." The Dorei woman nodded her head. "While our first contact was not made under the easiest circumstances, it is clear that our peoples share many values, and we wish to build upon that."

" _Of course. And it would appear we have become part of a much larger community of nations_ ," stated Iqnarak. " _I hope you will understand some nervousness we may have at the prospect. Before our encounter, we had no idea that other Human life forms existed, much less species such as your own, Under-Secretary Tashke. The Multiverse is… a lot for our people to take in._ "

"We have seen such before," said Seong. "And we understand the importance of giving your people time to adjust. If it is your wish that we limit contact for a time, we will do so."

" _That will not be necessary, I think_ ," said Daizon. " _Care will have to be taken, but your people fought and died alongside ours. We are bound by their sacrifices._ "

Meridina opted to bring up a question. "Then would your Council oppose my crew being granted leave rights, to visit your world?"

"They are welcome," Dravad said. "The matter that most concerns me is this 'city base' that the invaders were using. I am told that it is a technological marvel thousands of years old, with technology beyond even your own."

Meridina noticed the tension in the room spiking slightly. "That is what it appears to be," she confirmed at Tashke's nod.

"Then control of this city must be determined, and our rights to it guaranteed," said Sun Lan. "It is, after all, in our home universe, at the frontier of our space."

"It is," Tashke agreed.

Whatever Tashke was going to say next didn't get a chance to be said. Miko spoke up. "There are so many important things we have to discuss. The city can wait. We already share it, don't we? There are Compact and Alliance personnel living there and examining the place. Why fight over it?"

Eyes turned to face her. Some were understanding. Many were not. Meridina felt the young Avatar's notice that her remarks were not welcomed, but nevertheless Miko didn't flinch from the negative attention. She felt her point was valid, and wanted it recognized.

Sun Lan did so with a nod. "The Avatar is correct. As things stand, both sides are holding the city. A final disposition can be settled once we have determined the nature of the relationship to come between the Alliance and the Compact."

"We are ready to discuss these matters at your convenience, Excellency," Tashke said in a quiet diplomatic tone.

That discussion picked up. As it did, Meridina pondered what else that the team at the old city had discovered in the time since the _Aurora_ left them for the Compact's Homeworld. 

* * *

Many light years away, the ancient city in question was in its twilight hours. With night approaching lights were becoming active at all corners of the structure and its five adjoining platforms.

The central structure was the tallest, and it was at the top floor of this tower that Jarod, Tom Barnes, and Lucy Lucero were gathered in a command room, looking over inactive displays.

Nearby, Komin Beifong, cousin of Yeshe, looked over a display of what seemed to be the city. The display, however, showed not five but six of the structures arrayed around it.

They were not alone. A number of personnel, some in Alliance uniform and some wearing the various uniforms of the Five Nations Compact, milled about checking and scanning things. Some of the officers came from the _Aurora_ and others from one of the Alliance ships still present in the system.

Standing with them were personnel from the _Maimonides_. Commander Philippe Duwala, the First Officer and former Science Officer of the _Challenger_ , was a familiar face, being one of the Facility's rescuees-turned-recruits in the pre-Alliance days. Beside him was Lieutenant Commander Treepk, an Alakin female and the Science Officer of his ship, and Lieutenant Tasina T'Seris, an Asari maiden and the Assistant Chief Engineer of said ship. Doctors Charles Talbot and Indira Vajpayee from the _Maimonides_ science labs rounded out their contribution.

Jarod gestured to the data he'd compiled and asked them, "So, this is what we can estimate for how long this has been here."

"Twenty thousand years," Doctor Vajpayee remarked, astonished. "Incredible."

"So this was around long before the Darglan had their day," said Lucy. She glanced to Komin. "Your people, how far back does their history go?"

"The earliest records date to only ten thousand years ago, and beyond records concerning the Avatar, they're very rare," Komin replied. "We have little idea of what things were like before then. A couple of things. Avatar Korra's memoirs, for instance, describe a world overrun by spirits when Wan became the first Avatar, but the physical evidence just doesn't exist." He glanced back to the display. "You're thinking this city has something to do with our ancient past, right?"

"It's a strong possibility," Jarod confirmed. "There's no proof yet, but given your world's solar system and the dimensional phenomena of your world, it seems the most likely reason. It's why we need access to the computer cores so we can confirm it."

"Hard data _is_ what we're here for," Talbot agreed. He and Lucy remained hunched over a console. "But accessing the data cores is difficult. The SS computer engineers were nitwits, one and all. They brute-forced everything, and there's no telling how much data they corrupted…"

"Nazis suck, but that's like saying the sky is blue," Tom groused. "Me, I want more info on those crystals from that power chamber. The power readouts on those things are insane. They're the best power source I've ever seen."

"The jammer is what is most important, right now," Jarod noted. "If we can figure out how it decreases the permeability of the interuniversal barrier in an area, it won't just keep people from jumping out, it can keep them from jumping _in_."

"And we would have a defense against further surprise attacks," Philippe said. "Have you isolated it?"

"We're still examining all of the city's machinery," Lucy said. "But we're pretty sure we found the emitters. There are teams checking the attached equipment to give us an idea on where the central core for the system is located."

"All of this technology." Komin turned away and looked into the empty central chamber again. "It's so much. Especially if this is tied to our past."

The others recognized the sound in his voice and knew the city was only part of it. With the fighting done and the danger out of the way, Komin was facing the new truths of his world. The existence of other universes, of other branches of Humanity and other sapient species, and technologies his people hadn't yet discovered… at some point the sheer weight of it would hit the thoughtful. And then it was all they could think about.

Lucy sensed the slight shift in Komin's thoughts. "What do you think those are for?"

She, Tom, and Philippe all noticed what he was looking at. In the middle of the central chamber, the floor was marked by a series of wide, short steps that abruptly stopped. A groove was visible in the floor there, as if something was meant to fit..

"Maybe it was a transporter pad of some kind?" Tom speculated loudly.

"Another mystery to explore," said Treepk. "Oh so many…"

"We'd better get back to work on the computers then," Jarod remarked. "Our answers could be in there." 

* * *

A gentle smell from incense filled the office of Dr. Tusana, the _Aurora_ 's civilian psychiatrist and counselor. Her tanned complexion matched the color of the wood slowly burning in a bowl on the table nearby, the source of the scent. Julia found it relaxing, which she supposed was the point.

While she was officially on medical leave and forbidden from duty, Julia still appeared wearing her uniform. It was, for her, a habit on her ship she wasn't about to give up. Whatever Command said, she considered the _Aurora_ her ship, and she would dress appropriately as the ship's captain.

Tusana noted that sentiment. Her telepathic talents let her sense everything on Julia's thoughts. Julia's frustration, her determination to return to duty, and the shadow of intense pain that still marked her psyche. She was not the first torture victim Tusana considered a patient, so it was a familiar mental wound to the Gersallian woman.

"You resent being here," Tusana observed.

"No," Julia insisted, and she meant it, whatever thoughts might go through her head. "I mean, I feel… I feel some, but that's just feeling. I know that it has to be this way."

"Does it?"

"Yes," Julia said. She sighed. "I was taken for a week. I was tortured, denied regular sleep, mentally violated by a machine, and nearly killed a couple of times. I can't just go back to my command without reassurances that I'm fit for duty despite all of that."

Tusana nodded. "It is good that you acknowledge the necessity for this, Julia. And just as good that you understand your own frustration."

Julia clenched a fist. "I… I want to be back in my command more than anything. I know I can still do this job."

Tusana considered that remark. She did find it convincing. Julia knew others would too. But Command couldn't return her to her ship based solely on her conviction. Julia had to be ready, physically and mentally, for the challenges of command.

 _Fine_ , she thought. _I proved myself once, I'll do it again_.

"You have survived much," said Tusana. "And I understand your feelings. I hope to work together with you on your recovery. Your admission is a vital first step."

"But not the only one."

"No. It is one thing to admit your feelings, another to live with them. What was done to you, it can bring fresh feeling of resentment, if you are not careful."

"What I need is something to do," Julia insisted. "I can't just sit around all day and stew about it."

"Agreed," said Tusana. "Please, tell me about your other activities…"

Julia explained her sports playing, and her martial arts training, and the occasional movie with friends. Robert was already inviting her to join him for a movie night, to rewatch things they saw as children.

Just as Tusana began to comment on this, a blue light appeared over the back of Julia's left hand. She tapped at it and her new omnitool flashed into existence. " _Captain Andreys_ ," said the person on the other end. The Turkish accent of Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi was one Julia hadn't heard in a while. Ever since Tra'dur came aboard and Lucy Lucero went off to other duties, Sabiha's work was mostly off the bridge, minding the backup bridge or overseeing the rest of the operations department. Jarod being back at the ancient city-base Julia was freed from was the obvious explanation for Sabiha again being on the bridge, likely for Tra'dur's off-watch period in the shift. Once Julia gave her a note of acknowledgement, Sabiha continued. " _I have Admiral Maran for you_."

"Put him on," said Julia. The screen of the omnitool shifted to show Maran in his office at Defense Command, across the Columbia river from Portland. "Admiral, sir?"

" _I won't keep you for long_ ," replied the leader of the Alliance military. " _But I felt you deserved the notice from me in person, not a recording or a note._ "

"Oh?"

Tusana heard what Maran said to Julia, and breathed a small sigh at feeling Julia's heightened frustration.

* * *

With the others doing their own work, Jarod and Lucy found themselves the only ones still trying to get through the SS-installed operating software imposed on the city's computer core. For this work they were in the heart of the city's central tower, down toward the bottom where a large chamber held multiple columns that represented the physical cores of the computers. Each was at a screen examining the ongoing flow of steadily-decrypting data. Lucy was wearing an ops-branch uniform for the job, regardless of her new status on Robert's team.

"So, what do you think?" Lucy asked aloud.

"Hrm?" Jarod looked up from the console. "Think about what?"

"How Philippe's doing? And Nasira and Rodrigo too, really."

"Oh." Jarod tapped at a key, sending a new command into the system. "They're doing well, I suppose. Captain, First Officer, and Tactical Officer on a cruiser-sized ship."

"A science cruiser, but yeah, I had the same thought," Lucy admitted. "It's good to see our people moving up in ranks, y'know?"

"Agreed." Jarod thought back to some of the others they'd known in the pre-Alliance days. He'd joined just as the Facility crew started expanding from their own world to other worlds, such as the 1850s Earth of C1P2. In that time they'd saved thousands, and some of those in turn joined them. "We're not even a drop in the ocean in the Alliance forces these days," he noted aloud.

"We've still got a few. Li's still on the _Shenzhou_ , Madeleine on the _Challenger_. Ibraham will have to be pried off of the _Park_ 's bridge, I think. Now Nasira has the _Maimonides_." Lucy thought back to some of the others. "What about Hava?"

"Hava Ostrovsky? Science Officer on the _Atlantis_ now. Probably one of the oldest fleet science officers active."

"Peter?"

"Peter Kpomassie, from Togo?" Jarod thought for a moment. "The last I heard, he was still in command track and is the Astrogation Officer on the _Ambedkar_."

Lucy was letting more names come to mind of those old comrades, but she stopped when her screen changed. "Jarod, it looks like we've got it."

Jarod came over and looked at what Lucy was seeing: the blocky German text was being replaced by alien text of some sort, completely unfamiliar to him. "I've never seen this kind of text."

"Neither have I."

Jarod used his omnitool to capture the text on the screen. "I'm linking to the _Maimonides_ now, we'll run a search through the database. It should only take a few minutes at most, this language looks pretty unique…"

Twenty seconds later his omnitool flashed a result. Lucy looked to it with him and then exchanged a surprised expression. "That's… wow, that… I never expected that," Jarod admitted.

The screen displayed the result of the search.

 _Sample Match: Language matches samples of language of "Ancients" species, Universe R4A1. Initial samples provided through treaty-compliant research agreement with Stargate Command, R4A1 Earth_. 

* * *

Upon return from the diplomatic meeting Meridina went to the bridge. A quiet watch period would be just the thing to ease her mind from the quiet anxiety and tension she'd felt among the Five Nations Compact's leadership. It was never easy for non- _farisa_ to understand the strain mindwalkers could be under even with relatively passive emotions, especially of that intensity.

Many of the Command staff were present. Tra'dur was back at Ops while Locarno was in the command chair. Ensign Rawlins was at the helm. Caterina and Angel were manning their appropriate stations. The moment she came through the lift door she felt Caterina's forming question. Just before Cat could speak it, Meridina nodded and said, "They have approved leave. We will be provided relevant packets to provide to those exercising leave so they know how to conduct themselves. A currency exchange has been established as well." She looked to Locarno directly. "With Jarod back at the city-structure, I will rely upon you and Master Chief Rohm to arrange leaves with each department."

"Understood," said Locarno.

"I can't wait!" Cat exclaimed. "I want to examine those rifts _so much_."

"As do I," Tra'dur added. "It is fascinating to know such stable rifts exist on a habitable world."

"This has the potential to change…"

Before Cat could finish, Tra'dur's station gave off a tone. "Captain, we have a ship anchoring to our jump drive."

Moments later Cat added, "Interuniversal jump point forming."

The point formed far from the orbiting stations and ships above the Earth-like planet below. The emerald vortex expanded from a point of light. From it emerged a large warship, larger than even the _Aurora_ , painted in the earthy colors of the Dilgar.

Tra'dur was the most pleased. "It is the _Wrath_ ," she said. "Mother-Ka's ship." A light appeared on her station. "We are receiving a hail."

"On screen."

The _Aurora_ bridge's main holo-viewer blipped into existence along the front wall of the bridge module. On the screen was a Human woman in the impressive uniform jacket of a Dilgar Battlemaster, black and bluish-gray with shoulders fringed with golden material. Golden buttons went down the middle in two lines toward the edges of the gray material. Kaveri Varma's gray hair belied her age, but her skin looked young, from all her many years spent in spaceships. A lifetime aboard ships with little or no gravity also played a role in her frail physique, whatever her recent experience with ships employing artificial gravity.

But there was nothing frail about what was within her light brown eyes. Meridina once touched the mind hidden behind them, and knew the strength and belief in the core of the elder Indian woman as a being. One such sign of that belief was the red bindi prominent on her forehead, a mark of a practicing Hindu.

"Captain Varma," said Meridina. "Welcome."

" _Captain Meridina_." Kaveri was using the courtesy of Meridina's acting rank. "Namaste. _It is good to see you and your people together after these past trials. Is everything prepared?_ "

"We are ready to beam you aboard, Captain, at your signal."

" _That is good_ ," said Kaveri. " _Even with everything that has happened, we have much work still to do._ "

"I will have a report on the progress of the talks completed before the evening is out," Meridina assured her. "We will see you shortly."

" _We will._ " The Indian woman nodded. Her image disappeared.

"Ka'var is coming aboard?" Tra'dur's voice betrayed her surprise.

"She's joining the opening contact talks?" Cat asked. "Or, what, representing Shai'jhur to the Five Nations?"

"No, she is not," said Meridina. She stepped up between Rawlins and Tra'dur and looked over the others. "Kaveri Varma is here to assume command. She is to be our new Captain."


	103. Episode 3-19-2 Finding Peace

Normally a Dilgar ship was commanded by a Battle Captain, or even in the case of smaller vessels a Battle Expert, with Group Captains leading sections below that level and acting as XOs of frigates. In the case of the Union, however, Kaveri Varma was a Battlemaster and still in command of a ship. That had generally only been the case with dreadnoughts and assault carriers, but the _Sekhmet_ s had been so rare it had included them as well.

That meant Mai'jon, as a Battle Captain from Tira, was a perfectly qualified officer for the role. The green-eyed Dilgar woman was in a line officer's uniform, but wore the familiar badge of the Mha'dorn and intelligence flashes. She had been Kaveri's Executive Officer for the entire duration of the six month, two week long commissioned life of the _Wrath_ since her reconstruction.

Around them the familiar hum of the _Wrath_ let them know she was a living ship. Fitted with both Darglan shields and Abbai Grav Shields, with an internal warp drive capable of driving her at Warp 8 (at least for a few minutes), and a heavy battery of Hyach spinal lasers, she was a beast by any measure, a capable warship even now. Her secondary batteries were mostly Alliance weapons. She was, in fact, the only Dilgar ship which was not lend-lease from the Alliance to have Naqia reactors (in part) and an interuniversal drive, though all of it had been scavenged excesses from Alliance repair and maintenance depots.

"Battlemaster," Mai'jon saluted on her feet as she came to attention in Kaveri's office. "We have arrived in the Five Nations' Compact space as instructed, using the _Aurora_ 's jump anchor."

"Well done, Battle Captain Mai'jon." Captain Varma had her hands folded behind her, grey streaked in her hair gleaming in the overhead lights as she glanced about. " _Wrath_ and her crew have done everything asked of them in superlative fashion."

"We were ably made into a single fighting body by your presence, Battlemaster," Mai'jon answered. "I do not understand why the Warmaster has requested you assume command of this Alliance ship, but I obey in ignorance and am ready to take command." As a Mha'dorn, her emotional state was reserved, but Kaveri had plenty of experience reading Dilgar and could tell she would have rather had Kaveri lead them back to the reserve depot and decommissioning ceremony.

"Such is a matter of duty. Another who has a harsher hand could destroy the cohesion of the _Aurora_ and her crew, and… it will become clear, in time, as to why such is important."

"I understand, Battlemaster." Mai'jon was silent for a moment. Then, she gently growled and cleared her throat. "Battlemaster, it has been a considerable honour to serve with you. Of course, at first, the crew was terrified, I will be honest."

"Terrified, Battle Captain?" Ka'var, which she had invited the Dilgar to refer to her as, raised her eyebrows in visible inquiry.

"Yes, Ka'var," Mai'jon replied earnestly, wide eyes admitting no deceit. "They wondered if you were an officer of substance, or appointed for the Warmaster's leisure. And they wondered, too, what it would be mean to be Dilgar serving in war under a human. You overcame both quickly, and now, the crew is sad to see you go; they know they are Ka'var's children, and though I might share their fur, I am not sure I can be the same for them, in the short time before we stand her down."

"I shall not be the same to the _Aurora_ \- a permanent command differs from a temporary one, Mai'jon. We need both time and stability to bind a crew together, when we rise to a captaincy."

"It may be a while before I get my chance, then," she replied softly. "They say the active fleet will be reduced to only a hundred and twenty-five ships, and most of them small for policing." That was a bit more than a quarter of the mobilised size, and it showed how thoroughly Shai'jhur was trying to cut costs to let a Dilgar economy grow and motivate people to reproduce.

Ka'var grimaced. "I had intended to retire upon handing _Wrath_ to the reserve depot. The Warmaster… understands what our people can afford to mobilize in peace. I cannot deny it will be painful, Mai'jon. There is an old human toast that describes the more juniour officer's hopes in such a time; ' _to bloody wars and sickly seasons'._

"And this is why we are so similar," Mai'jon smiled thinly. "I understand that sentiment perfectly. Well, what I hope, then, is that I have earned at least the chance to be _Wrath_ 's designated Captain in reserve. Even if I am back on the family's kraal on Tira, to bring her to life for the annual exercise, and the call of need, would be … I admit, I wish for it, badly. She has been a good ship to us."

"I have formally put you forward in my last report to the Warmaster, Mai'jon. I have had the intention since a month into my tenure, that you would follow me in the command chair, as I humbly follow my predecessor."

"Battlemaster An'jash…" Mai'jon shook her head. "Legends will always be whispered about this ship, Ka'var. But it is good we have added new ones. I don't think Dilgar will quickly forget _Wrath_ 's fight with the rest of our expeditionary fleet over Germania. I pray to the Gods it never be forgot."

"There will be a triptych, I am sure. Balos on one side, Germania on the other, and _Wrath_ in the centre. The Divine will never let her be forgotten as long as there are Dilgar to remember."

"And we may have just insured that. Gods, I pray it so," Mai'jon replied fervently.

"So do we both, so do we both."

"Thank you for showing confidence in me," Mai'jon added, her eyes shining. "I will bring her home safe, Battlemaster. But I do have one request for you. A Mha'dorn request."

"I would not have recommended she be given to you otherwise… what is the request, Battle Captain?"

"You are going to a dangerous posting, the _Aurora_ attracts danger, but especially operations with telepaths have lately been problematic in certain respects. You need protection, so our Warmaster is not to grieve in this short tour. You also need assistance in making sure that the crew walks a righteous course. Please take Group Captain Bei'tir with you from the Marines complement. She is a fully trained Category Six," which meant P-7 in conversion, "as a combat telepath." Her eyes flicked and she folded her hands. "We want to make sure you are safe, Battlemaster, but also that Dilgar interests are upheld where they can be."

"A Mha'dorn request." Kaveri leaned back in her chair, her eyes narrowing as she considered the matter. "Her experience outside the Union, Battle Captain, if any?"

"Just this deployment, Battlemaster," Mai'jon's lips twitched into a curled grimace. "I know, a more experienced operative in wetwork might be preferred."

"My daughter needs Battlemaster Fei'nur more than I do. Given the _Aurora_ 's reputation, I think she will do well, for what you suggest. She should be briefed, hurriedly. I will make her aware that some may see a more sinister element in her assignation, but… it will be good and welcome to have a fellow _Wrath_ er aboard."

Mai'jon smiled tightly, and then rose. "Thank you." She saluted. " _Thank you._ We are proud to have had you, and when it's all said and done, we'll organise reunions. Go in glory, my Battlemaster."

"Thank you, _Captain_ Mai'jon." 

* * *

The senior-most bridge officers of the _Aurora_ were gathered at Transporter Station 1 to welcome their new commander. Meridina, Locarno, and Cat waited patiently while the Caucasian transporter operator finished running her fingers over the controls. "Signal received, sir, beginning transport," she said in a slow, partial Southern drawl.

To their surprise, there was not one but two bursts of bright light that accompanied a brief buzz in the air. Within one light Kaveri Varma appeared, while in the other was a Dilgar woman. Both were still in the uniform of the Union, and carrying bags. The awaiting officers stood at attention. Kaveri stepped down from the pad first and looked to them before nodding. "Captain Meridina, Commander Locarno, Commander Delgado. Please, we may be less formal. This is a difficult situation for yourselves and your crew."

They relaxed somewhat, although for Meridina she retained the same stoic posture as always, not so much relaxed as at peace. She sensed the Dilgar was a fellow telepath. "Captain Varma, welcome again to the _Aurora_. It is good to see you." Meridina channeled her gift elsewhere. Given what happened before, and the necessities that occurred, she felt it inappropriate to come too close to entering Kaveri's mind, notwithstanding the telepath accompanying her.

"Welcome, Captain," Locarno added.

"Hello." Cat smiled at her. Tra'dur was her friend, and so she was basically meeting her friend's mother again. That said, she did feel a little awkward, as something within her felt off about everything going on. And she wasn't sure why there was a second Dilgar with Kaveri.

"I thank you all for your welcome, though I understand it is an uneasy time." Kaveri considered the room for a moment. She'd only been aboard the _Aurora_ a few times. The initial visits were not happy ones, coming during the tension and violence over the Dilgar world Tira, and including the brutal assault that nearly killed Shai'jhur. Then there had been the surrender over Germania, a happier occasion certainly, if still as a conclusion to yet more violence.

And now, yet again, she was here in circumstances that were mixed, to say the least.

"This is Group Captain Bei'tir," Kaveri said, introducing the Dilgar. "She will be serving as my adjutant for the duration of my tenure aboard _Aurora_. I would request quarters to be assigned to her near those I shall be using, to the extent possible without disrupting the existing arrangements."

Meridina nodded at the request. Deck 4 was senior officer and staff quartering by design. But there were a couple of open ones for visiting admirals and staff. "I will make the arrangements. She will be quartered on Deck 4 in the fashion you desire. Might I escort you to your new quarters?"

"Of course, Commander, with my thanks."

This was the cue for Locarno and Cat to return to duty, with Cat in particular urgent to finish her backlogged work and enable leave to visit the portals on the planet below. Meridina led Kaveri and Bei'tir out of the Transporter Station and toward the lifts. "I know this has been difficult for you and your crew," the Indian woman said to her as they walked through the azure-lined corridor of the _Aurora_. "New Liberty is a home for many of them. It is the work they put so much effort into."

"It has been difficult, yes," Meridina said. "Rescuing Captain Andreys helped, although we paid a cost." As acting Captain, Meridina had been the one to commit the ship's twenty fatalities to the void in a memorial service. Giving a funeral oration was not something she wished to repeat.

"I am aware my assuming command will cause issue," Kaveri admitted.

"They will adjust, just as they did when Julia assumed command from Robert."

"It is more than that." Kaveri stopped at that point, as they arrived at a lift. The three entered and Meridina instructed "Deck 4". With a gentle thrum the lift began moving through its shaft. "Your ship's command staff includes the leading lights of your Alliance. Its spiritual founders. The very beings whom its existence is owed to. I am an outsider to that, much more-so than you."

"You fear dissension from us?"

"I know you will not consciously attempt to undermine me. You all believe in the Alliance too deeply to be capable of such," Kaveri answered. "But subconsciously… I know it will be otherwise."

Meridina couldn't disagree with that. "It could be difficult for them, yes." She sensed Kaveri's instinctive desire to know which ones she would expect the most trouble from, but the older woman said nothing. "How well do you know them?"

"I am most familiar with you and Commander Delgado, to be honest. And I know something of Lieutenant Barnes' character."

Meridina knew her presence on the list to be understandable. Again, they'd touched minds, and not in an optimum way. James Hawk's accusation of Shai'jhur raping Kaveri in their first encounter, decades ago, with Earthforce official findings to back up the charge, was just the kind of thing that threatened the effort at Tira. Against her own wishes, and Meridina's, Julia insisted on Kaveri proving the charge wrong by allowing Meridina to enter her mind and verify the truth.

Meridina still felt haunted by it. Fewer were the times she'd ever come so close to violating the most important rules that the _Farisa Genut_ laid out for telepaths of Gersal, and Julia's guilty feelings persisted for a long time afterward.

When it came to Tom, Kaveri had been the one to lay the Order of Valor on Tom's neck after Germania, so she knew what he was capable of, and the shy way he'd received the highest military decoration in the Alliance.

As for Cat…

"I imagine your adopted daughter has been fulsome with her experiences on the ship?"

"She has." A small smile came to Kaveri's face. "She can be reserved, given her upbringing, but Tra'dur is living a dream by being posted to the _Aurora_."

"She has proven very able," Meridina assured Kaveri. At that point the lift ceased and they stepped out onto Deck 4 and the officer quartering. Bei'tir remained close, but said nothing. "I imagine your familiarity with Caterina comes from her letters?"

"Yes. It seems that though your Commander Jarod is her immediate superior, Tra'dur spends more time in Caterina's presence, researching in your ship's science labs. And she thinks highly of Caterina as a fellow scientist."

Meridina nodded, aware of the truth of that fact. She often wondered if Tra'dur should be transferred to the science division, but Lucy's re-assignment to serve on Robert's operations team meant Tra'dur fit best with Operations. "Caterina would be pleased to know such, I am sure. She is quite enthusiastic."

It wasn't far from the lift to the Captain's quarters. There was no nameplate, nor was there need for any. "Captain Andreys already removed her personal belongings. The furnishings are standard."

"I will have to call on her at some point," Kaveri said. "But only after the change of command ceremony. I fear things might be too raw for her now."

"Agreed. And on that matter, I have scheduled the change of command to take place at 1200 hours ship time tomorrow. I imagined you would appreciate the evening to acclimate yourself and have time to review our reports on the ship's status."

Kaveri nodded. The doors slid open, revealing Kaveri's new living space. It was larger than she was used to in her Earthforce days, given the Alliance's approach to living spaces. "Very thoughtful of you. I shall see you tomorrow, then?"

"I will be here, yes." Meridina glanced at her omnitool as the screen activated. "And we have an open cabin for the Group Captain four spaces down, in the quartering for visiting senior admiralty staff. I will escort the Group Captain by your leave."

"So granted, thank you Commander." 

* * *

After weighing a trip to the gym or a holodeck, Julia found herself alone in her guest quarters. They were a little smaller than her quarters as Captain had been. There were better quarters, of course, but Under-Secretary Tashke and her entourage took those rooms up.

Not that the bigger ones would make this feel better. She felt exiled on her own ship, sitting here as she did. There was nothing to do. She had no reports to read or write. No commendation reviews to approve. No requisition forms to sign off on. She simply had nothing to do.

Others might have welcomed the break from the grind of command. The relentless monotony of the paperwork, the quiet watches where nothing happened for hours on end. But Julia didn't. Sure, the watches could be boring, and the paperwork tedious… but they were part of the wider whole. They were part of what she was and wanted to be.

For the moment, Julia found herself at a loss of what to do.

The quiet was broken by the tone of her new omnitool. Even though she was on medical leave, she still had a Stellar Navy model device, made clear by the blue color of its holographic light. A blue circle started pulsing over the top of her left hand. Julia tapped at it with the index and middle finger of her right hand. "Andreys here."

" _Captain, we have a signal coming in for you from the surface_ ," said Tra'dur.

"Huh." She went to the desk in the quarters and sat there. "Transfer them to me." She tapped a key on her omnitool control to send the incoming signal to the monitor.

The monitor on the desk activated to show a man in a flowing red and gold-trim set of officious robes. He was in middle-age easily, with gray appearing on his mustache and beard, and from his shape it was clear he didn't let any soft living undermine his look. Dark red walls filled the space behind him.

"This is Captain Julia Andreys," Julia said. "How may I help you?"

" _Captain. I am Kurato, Seneschal of the Fire Lord. I am calling to extend the Fire Lord's invitation. He would like to meet with you and personally express his gratitude for your instrumental role in Princess Miko's rescue._ "

Julia carefully considered her response. Even if the intention was a private one, this was nevertheless a diplomatic situation, and called for her to think like that. The slightest _faux pas_ could cause trouble in the short and long terms for the Alliance.

Even with that consideration, she had no intention to say no. The chance to be even an unofficial diplomat was too much to pass up, compared to sitting around the _Aurora_ until they returned to Alliance space. And declining could very well be taken as an insult.

With her moments of consideration complete Julia smiled politely and nodded. "I am grateful and humbly accept the Fire Lord's invitation."

" _I will inform my lord of your response. Coordinates for your arrival will be transmitted shortly._ " With a final polite nod, the court functionary's image disappeared.

Julia's smile didn't quite go away as she went to find her best-looking uniform. 

* * *

In the heart of the Ancient city-structure was the power core chamber for the city. It still bore the scars of the battle waged between Avatar Miko and her former captors, particularly the scorch marks from her flames and Erik Fassbinder's metaphysically-channeled lightning. Lucy felt the SS officer's former presence with ease, given her prior experience with it.. Fassbinder's dark energy was a shadow in the room, albeit the weaker of the remnant energies given those Miko left behind.

In the center of the room was a triangle-shaped platform. It had three slots for the city's power supply. Those were on a table beside it. Komin looked over the two remaining crystals, now a dull orange-ish yellow with black lines on the surface. They were inactive and had been since Julia pulled them out during the fight. "To think these things have so much power in them," he murmured. "I wonder how they work?"

At the controls for the core, Philippe looked up for a moment. "Professor T'Rya's theory is zero point energy," he answered in his Franco-Cameroonian accent. "That the devices act as a concentrator of sorts to absorb from the zero point field."

"That's pretty impressive. Although maybe not too surprising." Lucy actively scanned much of the room with her omnitool. "R4A1 has plenty of advanced civilizations."

"What is this 'R4A1' you speak of?" asked Komin.

"Another universe we know of."

"Of course." Komin chuckled lowly. "I'm surprised you people can keep it all straight. It's so much to grasp."

"It can be," Philippe agreed. "As for this power system, we should relay our reports so that the liaison officials in Stargate Command can discuss our finding with their authorities."

"Assuming all of this doesn't violate the Protected Planets Treaty with the Goa'uld."

Komin glanced toward Lucy. "What are these 'Goa'uld', and what kind of treaty do you have with them?"

He knew he'd touched a sore spot at the expression on Lucy's face, as it darkened from memory. "They're a species of parasitic worm, snake things," Lucy answered. "They can enter other life forms' physical bodies and take over. As in they basically hijack control of your body, leaving you a prisoner in your own mind while they use your body."

Komin swallowed at that. "It sounds vile. Worse even than these SS we fought. Why does your Alliance allow them to continue?"

"Because, to put it bluntly, they're strong enough that even if the rest of the Multiverse powers we're in contact with joined together to fight them, they might still beat us," Lucy said. "They have access to advanced technology equal to, or even superior, to Darglan tech, and a big fleet to go with it. The only reason we managed to get a treaty with them is because an even more powerful species from a different galaxy backs it."

"I… see." Lucy felt Komin's discomfort at that. It was sobering to think that a civilization like the Goa'uld might have that much power. "The Multiverse is not entirely a nice place, I imagine."

"It has its share of terrible powers," Philippe agreed. "The Goa'uld, the Dominion, the Eubians…"

"And this world you say Humanity comes from in your universes. Earth. What about our world's Humans?"

"From what I've heard, your genetics are a match for us, so you should be from an Earth," Lucy said. "And your language is such a close match to Chinese I can believe it."

"And yet, the Earth is not in this universe," Philippe noted. "Our long range scans have confirmed Sol itself is not where it should be, and probes jumped into the area show only a distortion in space-time."

Something about that tickled at Lucy's memory. It was familiar. Before she could mention anything of her thoughts, a voice came over their comms. " _Treepk to power core team. Do you have the scan results for us yet?"_

"Getting there," Philippe said back. "We are nearly done."

" _Understood. And you may wish to return to the command center soon. We're expecting visitors_." 

* * *

The _Aurora_ 's transporters deposited Julia in the wide courtyard of a grand palace, like few she'd ever seen. The architecture was clearly East Asian, Japanese and Chinese, with red and various dark colors predominating. Around the towers and structures, the earthen walls of a caldera were visible on all sides. Beyond them, massive structures of gleaming glass and steel shot toward the sky, more Chinese-esque markings lining them at points in big, bold lines. It made her think of being in an East Asian metropolis like Shanghai or Tokyo, if any of those cities had a caldera in its heart.

She had just enough time to take everything in when she heard Miko's voice call out to her. She turned in the direction of said voice to face the main palace itself. Miko and Ursa approached, the latter still in the anti-grav chair from the _Aurora_ and being pushed by what appeared to be a servant from the palace. Both smiled at her and she smiled back. "Welcome to the Palace of the Fire Nation," Ursa said.

"Thank you for the invitation," she replied.

"My uncle provided it, although I admit I was quite insistent upon it," said Ursa. "Please, follow us."

She did so. They entered the big double doors of the main building into a hall of red and golden coloring. Paintings and statuary covered both walls, and every few steps a figure in ceremonial red and black armor stood in quiet attention. Occasionally a figure in a red or black-toned robe would walk by. Some looked to be servants and some, Julia thought, might be clerks.

"How old is this palace?" Julia asked.

"The original version was built many centuries ago. For a long time, it remained unchanged," Ursa said. "But after industry spread across the world following the Hundred Year War, the pace of new technology quickened. Fire Lord Zuko oversaw the first reconstruction thirty years into his reign. His grandson Kuzon performed another a century later, to accommodate the new thinking machines of that era."

"Computers, in other words."

"Yes. The last renovation was sixty years ago, by my grandmother Fire Lord Masumi. She added the facilities for space-capable craft and new floors to the main palace."

"And the city grew up around the caldera?"

"Over time, yes," she confirmed. "When the years of peace expanded our industry and economy. The Republic became the most prosperous of the five nations, but the Fire Nation has typically remained close behind."

Julia considered that fact. "How do the other three nations feel about that? I can imagine it can cause resentment."

"It can be a source of some discontent," Ursa added. "The Earth Union, back when it was the Earth Kingdom, was hardest hit by the Hundred Year War, and since the Republic was formed from our oldest colonies on their continent, it's caused trouble before. Kuvira and her Earth Empire, Leng Tu's National Redemption Movement…"

"We are not entirely innocent," Miko pointed out. "We've strived to stay true to Fire Lord Zuko's vision of our nation, but Leng Tu would never have gained the following he had if Prince Zaiban hadn't schemed to detach Omashu from the Earth Union."

Ursa sighed, but there was a small grin on her face. "Komin has influenced you, my little sun."

Miko flashed a grin in reply. "Well, Yeshe too. Komin only cared about Leng Tu and Prince Zaiban because their war involved the first generation of stable Varrick reactors being used."

"Yes. But we can continue this later…"

They went through another pair of tall double doors and entered an audience chamber. At the far end a figure was seated cross-legged on a throne of simple crimson and gold design. A golden ornament in the shape of the flame crest present everywhere showed on top of his head, nestled in the man's hair. His garb was dark red with gold trim, as was those of the individuals around him. Many bore resemblances to Miko and her mother. A few did not.

Julia bowed at the waist, holding it for several seconds. When she looked up, Fire Lord Daizon was on his feet. He bowed as well, although not quite as deeply. When he straightened his back, Julia did so as well. "Captain," he said, his voice strong but not deep. "On behalf of the people of the Fire Nation, we are pleased to have you here, Captain Julia Andreys."

"I thank you for the invitation, Fire Lord," she replied.

"We have been made aware of your critical role in the escape of our grand niece from the invaders. For that alone, the Fire Nation is indebted to you. That she is also the Avatar extends this to our entire world."

Julia blushed a little. "Thank you again, but I cannot take too much credit. Miko did the lion's share of the fighting once we were free."

The bewildered looks on the faces of some of the court prompted Julia to kick herself in her mind. Metaphors like "the lion's share" were best minimized when speaking with newly-encountered cultures, since the context for their meaning was not always available.

One of the younger members of the entourage spoke up. "What kind of lion are you talking about? An armadillo lion? Or a saber-toothed moose lion?"

"Or a lion-turtle," added an even younger one. "Those are _huuuuge_."

Now it was Julia's turn to blink in momentary bewilderment. Alien animal life was one thing, but the translator didn't usually render names like that. _Their language is related to East Asian languages from Earth… are they really describing hybrids of two different species into one?_ Once the thought went through her mind, she returned her attention to the conversation. "Um… it refers to lions from Earth. I apologize for the confusing metaphor. I meant to say that Miko did most of the fighting once we were free."

"Which cannot be held against her," Miko said insistently. "She suffered greatly at the invaders' hands, and still found the strength to defeat our guards and free me."

"So I am aware," Daizon remarked. He focused his amber eyes on Julia. "Captain, I invite you to stay as a guest of the Fire Nation for as long as you please. At your request a room will be prepared for you in the palace. Additionally, I have called for a celebration feast to commemorate the Avatar's rescue. The crews of the _Aurora_ and _General Iroh_ will be invited, and I wish for you and your officers to be among the guests of honor."

The red on Julia's cheeks intensified slightly. "I would be honored to attend, Your Lordship," she answered. "And I humbly accept your offer of hospitality."

"Excellent," was his response. Going by the look on her face, Miko felt the same way.

 _At least it'll get me away from those guest quarters_ , Julia thought to herself. 

* * *

The work day was over for Lucy and many of the others. While they did their own thing, Lucy took the time to meet Talara and take her to one of the many empty rooms in the complex. Outside the window the sun was going down, creating a beautiful twilight sky.

One of the most daunting challenges Lucy faced in the training was precisely how to do it. Meridina's training of her served as a guidepost, but it could only be that. Lucy had to make her own decisions to fit what was best for Talara and her sensitivities.

The Falaen woman, a descendant of the last survivors of a people known as the Alteans, gave her an appreciative look from her eyes. They could have been Human eyes if not for the brilliant lavender point in the iris. Between her eyes and cheeks were blue half-moon marks, following the contours of her eyes, and the silver-blue hair was pulled back to reveal the points of her ears. The two were close in skin tone, although Talara's brown coloration was a few shades darker. "How shall we train today?" she asked.

"Meditation, I suppose," Lucy said. "This place has had enough violence that adding to it, even as training, doesn't seem necessary."

"I have felt it too. Not just the SS, but there is a shadow of violence on this place. Old."

"Yeah." Lucy stepped into the middle of the room and sat down. She sensed the shadow of violence regardless. This wasn't far from the barracks they'd fought in during the attack, and even SS men left the uncomfortable shadow of violence where they departed. "So we will meditate, and it will settle our…"

A tone came from Lucy's left arm, and blue light formed in a circle over the back of her left hand. She sighed and tapped at it. "Lucero here."

" _Would you mind coming back up to the control center?_ " asked Jarod.

"Given we just started training, it'll be annoying. Why?"

" _Because the_ Enterprise _just arrived, and Captain Shaham is preparing to beam down some guests. You should be here._ "

"Fine, we'll be on our way. Give us a few minutes." Lucy stood back up. "Their timing sucks, by the way."

There was a chuckle from the other end. " _Yeah, I suppose it does. Jarod out._ "

"We can simply meditate later," Talara pointed out. "This sounds important."

"It probably is," Lucy agreed. 

* * *

Their arrival at the control center at the top of the tower brought Lucy and Talara into the company of the others. Jarod, Komin, Tom, and Philippe, along with the other _Maimonides_ officers and scientists, were joined by Commander Zan Li, the head of the Compact's research and analysis team, and some of his subordinates from the various services of the Compact.

Jarod signaled the _Enterprise_ they were ready. " _Transporting now_ ," came the reply.

Five pillars of light formed from nothing. As a buzz filled the air the light intensified until it fell away, leaving in place five people. The _Aurora_ crewmembers present recognized the pale look of Ariel Shaham. The Captain of the _ASV Enterprise_ was a lifelong space-dweller, being one of the five thousand surviving Jews of Universe S4W8, with its terrible history of Hitler's triumph over his neighbors and the ultimate conquest of Humanity by the legions of his ideological descendants. Now he commanded the first of the Alliance advanced star cruisers based on the _Aurora_.

It was the four individuals accompanying him that drew the attention of those who knew them, and curiosity from the others. While Shaham was in the black-and-burgundy-red of an Alliance command officer, these four were in camouflage field uniforms. All were Human or Human-looking, with the tallest and largest having a golden serpent insignia on his forehead.

"So." The oldest of the four, a man with a bird insignia on his field uniform, glanced around briefly before settling on Lucy and Jarod. "Interesting place you've got here," said Colonel Jack O'Neill. "Mind if we take the tour?"

* * *

Author's note: Tomyris and Voyager wrote the initial scene with Kaveri and either wrote or vetted her other parts.


	104. Episode 3-19-3 Finding Peace

**Act 3**

In the command center of the old Ancient city, Doctor Daniel Jackson looked over the data display Lucy brought up for him and the rest of SG-1. "It's definitely Ancient," he confirmed. "It matches every other example we've found of the language."

"So the Ancients either developed interuniversal drive or encountered a species that did," said Major Samantha Carter. She looked toward Jarod and Lucy. "That's… it's a profound discovery. We may have to completely reconsider what we know of their history."

"And what do you know of their history?" asked Philippe. "I confess I know little of these 'Ancients' you speak of."

"They had a large civilization in our galaxy thousands of years ago, before the Goa'uld," Daniel said. "They were one of the Four Races that maintained galactic stability."

"The others being…?" That question was from Lucy.

"The Nox, the Asgard, and the Furlings," was the reply. Daniel glanced over the screens again. Lucy felt his curiosity, but sensed he also had a nagging distraction. That made her curious.

"Can you read what it says?" Jarod asked.

"Well, some," he said. "I've visited the ruins on P4X-639 that the Alliance has been excavating, and exchanged several communications with the linguists working on the ruins." Daniel turned back to the screen. "It looks like a damage report. I can't understand the whole thing, but it clearly references major structural damage and a lost… platform? Pier?"

"It makes sense. There are five groupings of structures around the central tower, but the data readouts show six," Tom said.

"The commander of the city ordered structural repairs on what was left. Their power systems were drained but mostly intact, but their engines were disabled."

"So this place, it was a _ship_?" Komin asked, incredulous.

"It seems to have been, yeah." Daniel scrolled the text down to where it ended. "They considered this world the only realistic landing choice."

"It's a marginal garden world, so I can understand it," Jarod said.

"Not fully habitable, you mean?" asked Sam.

"Well, the atmosphere is breathable," Philippe noted. "But the planet's barely got enough land mass to not be considered oceanic. While that alone isn't a barrier to habitability, there's also trace amounts of acidic compounds in the atmosphere, especially concentrated in areas with significant biomass. The _Maimonides_ ' zoological and botanical researchers have already confirmed that the native life contains significant enough levels to be dangerous to non-native life forms. Even skin contact is ill-advised."

"So no stepping on the grass, for example," said Jack.

"Exactly," Philippe responded.

Jarod spoke next. "Around here it's not so severe. It's probably why the Ancients landed here. You would need to be left outside for significant amounts of time for the atmospheric concentrations to become noticable and even longer for it to be dangerous. At least a week of exposure before the compound would begin to penetrate human skin."

By the time he finished speaking, there was a frown on Jarod's face. "You seem troubled, Commander Jarod," noted Teal'c.

"It's because we didn't get that information from the Ancients," Lucy said, starting to frown herself. "The SS were the ones to discover how long it took for exposure to become dangerous. Through experimentation on captives." She swallowed. "It was one of the methods Fassbinder considered for killing Julia when he was done with her."

There was silence in reply. "So, how is she?" Jack asked, finally ending it.

"Recovering," Jarod replied. "And she'll be back when she's ready." Eying the growing impatience of Commander Zhan Li and his contingent, Jarod said, "Major Carter, I believe the power core chamber will be something you're interested in. Lieutenant Barnes can show you the way."

"In the meantime, I'll keep working on this," Daniel said. "The more we decipher of the Ancients' language, the more we can understand the remaining data. It could tell us more about what happened to their expeditions to other universes." 

* * *

There was little noise in Robert's quarters on the _Aurora_ , nothing but the faint sounds of the two Gersallian books on his desk being ruffled while he and Gina Inviere swapped back and forth. Gina was pleasantly surprised to find out that despite Robert's notorious difficulties with pronunciation of Gersallian, he was still quite capable with the language.

Due to their respective gifts, Robert caught that thought and looked up. "It helps that my grandmother taught me to read and write German from the time I was three. Learning multiple languages from childhood helps with comprehension."

"That makes sense," she answered.

Another period of silence continued until Gina held up one of Ledosh's surviving notes. "So far everything he wrote fits," she said. "The errors, when you put them together, are forming whole words. Sentences." She read from the note. "The opening is a statement. 'The true purpose of this volume is to be a guide to those still to come, who must close the Circle to keep our universe whole'."

Robert held up the note he'd been writing out, which said nearly the same, save a couple of wording differences from how he translated the Gersallian text. "What do you think this Circle is?" he asked. "Did any other Cylon mention it?"

"No," she said. "We were only told of everything being part of God's plan." An angry look came to her eyes. "The Inner Circle kept everything else from us. The truth of what they are, what we are…"

Robert looked to her with sympathy. "You were lied to," he said. "And you suffered for it. I'm sorry."

"I've found my new path," she said. "I worry for the others, though."

"I sensed that." After a moment's consideration, he asked, "Have you heard from the Agathons at all?"

"They emigrated outside of our home universe," she said. "To one of the Earths of the Alliance, so they could raise their daughter quietly. Occasionally we exchange messages, but they are quiet about where they actually live."

"I can understand the desire for privacy. I'm just glad they're doing well, and are outside of the grasp of the Cylon leadership." Robert considered another scrap. After moments of thought he flipped through Gartanam's book to confirm a translation, then through Reshan's to check the apparent code. "Well," he began, "that sounds good."

"What does?" asked Gina.

"The translation of the opening bits of the next chapter. If I'm reading this right…" He offered her the note he finished scribbling.

Gina read it aloud. "'The truth is not always what we may wish. Much of what you are about to read will dispel beliefs you may have long held. But it is the truth of the matter, and it is vital you accept that truth.'" She lowered the paper. "There is something more to this, then."

"And whatever it is, the Brotherhood wants to know," said Robert.

"Or already knows, and they wish to keep it from us." Gina looked back to the Reshan book. "Just to ask, are you going to be attending the transfer of command ceremony?"

"I don't see a reason to," Robert said. Even as he spoke, he couldn't quite keep the instinctive bitterness out of his voice. Sensing Gina's curiosity at it, he sighed and said, "I hold nothing against Captain Varma. She's a good woman and Maran chose well in asking her to take the post. I just…"

"It reminds you of what was done to your friend," Gina finished for him. When he nodded, she nodded back in sympathy. "I understand. But given your position on the ship, you may wish to reconsider. Until Captain Andreys can return, you will have to work with Captain Varma. It's probably best if you don't seem to oppose her being here."

Robert considered Gina's advice for a moment before nodding. With a bleary eye he checked the time and noted it was zero two hundred and three minutes. "Well, the ceremony isn't until noon," he said. "I'd better get some rest if I'm going."

"We both should," Gina said. She tucked the notes away in the _Life of Reshan_ and closed the book. "We can continue tomorrow before the ceremony."

"I'll see you in the morning then," Robert said, before turning his attention to the same task of securing their materials. 

* * *

As 1200 ship time approached, the bridge of the _Aurora_ filled with all of the ship's major personalities. Even Hargert was in attendance, by invitation, with Scotty, Leo, Commander Richmond, and Major Anders all present and the _Koenig_ officers and COB as well. Master Chief Levi Rohm, an Israeli-American ex-Navy man from the H1E4 Earth, was present as the ship's senior NCO, with Senior Chiefs Tahrana Fahraz and Isabela Talaverda representing the flight crew and the main crew respectively.

Kaveri arrived with Meridina and Group Captain Bet'tir with several minutes to spare, and the next lift contained Robert, now in his formal fleet uniform. He took up a place near Science, where Cat was seated, to watch the ship he once commanded be given over to another captain.

Meridina started everything at precisely 1200. With a digital reader in her hand she called out "Attention to orders" and won the attention of those present. She began to read aloud. "'To Acting Captain Meridina, Commanding Officer _ASV Aurora_ , 29 October 2643 Alliance Standard Time. You are hereby requested and required to relinquish command of your vessel to Captain Kaveri Varma as of this date and upon completion of her oath of service as laid out in the Affiliated Personnel regulations. You will then resume your normal posting as the First Officer of said vessel. Signed Admiral Tashan Tiyari, Alliance Stellar Navy Personnel Command.'" Meridina looked up and faced Kaveri, ready to begin the extended section of the ceremony due to Kaveri's transfer between services. "Battlemaster Kaveri Varma, in view of your transfer request from the service of an affiliated state of the United Alliance of Systems, your record has been examined and your request accepted. Your experience and capability merit you the rank of Captain in the Alliance Stellar Navy. Do you accept this finding?"

"I do," Kaveri replied.

"And you are willing to provide an oath of service to the Alliance?"

"I am."

"Then please repeat after me." Meridina consulted her digital reader again, to ensure she got the words right. "'I, Kaveri Varma, do solemnly vow that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United Alliance of Systems against all threats, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the service to which I have entered."

With each clause, Meridina paused to give Kaveri a chance to repeat the oath. When it was done, she let Kaveri decide on her final vow. Most Humans she'd known used some variation of "So help me God". Her mind went back to the day, over three years before, when she'd given the oath. Her choice for the end was to state, "With the aid of the Light of Life", which seemed the best way for a _swevyra'se_ already sworn to the Code of Swenya to do it.

Kaveri repeated the oath and added, "I do solemnly affirm and swear upon the Almighty."

Once the oath was given, Meridina nodded and said, "Computer, this is Acting Captain Meridina. Transfer all command functions to Captain Kaveri Varma and restore my permissions to First Officer level, authorization code Meridina Sierra India Tango 3806."

The computer's feminine voice responded, "ASV Aurora _is now under the command of Captain Kaveri Varma_. _Commander Meridina now listed as First Officer_."

"Thank you, Commander," said Kaveri, quiet and easy formality in her voice. "You are now relieved."

"Thank you, Captain. I stand relieved."

Kaveri turned away from Meridina to look about the bridge at the assembled. "I understand this is a difficult time for you all," she said. "I have not come to make it more difficult for you. While I come from another world, another way of thinking, I recognize that what you have built with the Alliance is truly wonderful. I am honored to take part in serving and defending this grand dream. And I pray Captain Andreys' recovery will be complete."

At her nod, Meridina declared. "Company dismissed," and the assembly broke up. The assembled Chiefs and Hargert followed Meridina and Kaveri to the conference lounge, with Bet'tir still at Kaveri's side.

It was only when they were gone that the remaining command officers slowly looked toward one another. "So, this happened," Angel finally said. "They gave us a new Captain."

"They had to," Zack said. "Meridina doesn't have the experience, I'm a recovering alcoholic who drank while on patrol, and Julia's got two months of mandatory medical leave."

"Well, I mean, it could've been worse," said Cat. "Ka'var, she's a nice lady."

"'Ka'var'?" asked Magda Navaez from the _Koenig_.

"Kaveri'Varma's name as said by Dilgar," Tra'dur explained from Ops.

"I wonder how things are going to change," Angel remarked. "I mean, Julia handled things differently from Rob here."

"She did, and Kaveri probably will have her own habits," Robert said. "But I think we can adjust. It won't be for long."

"Will it?" Angel asked pointedly. "Do you really think Davies is going to give up on getting us split up by putting one of _his_ people on the ship?"

"Likely not," mumbled Zack. He could remember Davies' attempts to butter him up and turn him against the others after 33LA. "The man knows how to peddle influence."

"Perhaps, but don't undersell the Captain," said Richmond. "If she's fit, they can't deny her the ship. She'll be back, that I'm certain of."

Anders nodded in agreement. "She's a tough one, yeah."

The others listened to the two, who were relative newcomers to the staff (with Tra'dur), and felt a stirring of quiet pride that they'd convinced them, especially the professional Anders, of their worthiness.

Robert's emotions were more mixed. He was proud that Julia had won such loyalty, but the occasion was the reminder that Julia was still leaving the ship. And due to his own duties, he wouldn't be able to be with her while she recovered.

It wasn't that he didn't have faith in her, because he did. That wasn't the issue. The issue was that Robert knew how much Julia still hurt, and a part of him wanted to be there for her if she needed him, not a Multiverse away.

 _I'd ask for time, but with the attacks… no. All of the Paladins are going to be busy. And Julie would never let me hear the end of it if I shirked work to hover around her._

 _Besides. with our connection, maybe I can still be there for her._ As he thought that Robert turned his attention to the holo-viewscreen, set to show the planet below. Due to the difference in time dawn was now rising over Republic City below, but it was still the middle of the night in the Fire Nation. _She should be asleep…_

And yet, he knew she was not. 

* * *

The glow of the night-lit capital of the Fire Nation filled the sky, and thus the view from the balcony of the guest room where Julia was staying. She stood at it, the light from the city and the half-moon in the sky giving a bright sheen to her silver nightgown. The air was mild, not too warm or cold, which fit the subtropical climate of the capital.

The room was a splendid one, with a soft bed and pillows, silken sheets, and an elegantly carved design for its tropical wood frame. A work desk with a cushioned chair was off to one side, a wardrobe beside it. The bathroom had a big tub with a shower that she'd spent half an hour in before going to sleep.

In ordinary circumstances it wouldn't be so easy to sleep at this time, as this was the afternoon for the _Aurora_. Fassbinder's schedule for the torture sessions hadn't hewed to anything resembling a Circadian rhythm however. Her sleep pattern was all a jumble.

Which was why she was still awake anyway.

Julia stared up at the night sky, the stars hidden by the light from the capital, and found herself idly wondering what it would be like if things were still normal. _I'd be on my bridge watch right now, or having a department head meeting_.

Julia's fist clenched. Everything in her life was in turmoil now. Even being rescued hadn't ended that, not with her ship in the hands of another, and her future still uncertain in so many ways. Whatever her understanding of the regulations and the good reasons behind them, she couldn't keep the resentment out of her heart. She just wanted her ship back, not two months of mental therapy while another sat in her place.

"Dammit," she murmured to herself. " _Damn you_." She balled her fists and wished Fassbinder was before her, right now, so she could punch the bastard. To make him pay. To get some measure of retribution for how he'd disrupted her life.

The mere thought of Fassbinder made her skin prickle with the memory of the nanobots, and how much they hurt. All of that raw pain, inescapable, unavoidable, with nothing to do but scream. Fassbinder's yellow eyes came back to her, the way they gleamed with sadistic glee while he tortured her.

With tears streaming from her eyes Julia stomped off the balcony and into the room. She left the room and entered the halls, the interior lights glinting off the silver material of her nightrobe and pants.

With sleep eluding her and her thoughts so dark, Julia wandered the halls of the Palace. It was a grand home, fit for the royalty that dwelled within, and it made Julia feel self-conscious about her own place here. As a guest she had certain obligations of her own, and diplomatic necessity demanded she be careful in not accidentally failing said obligations.

Her wanderings led her to the reception room for the throne room itself. She looked over the statuary and portraits more closely than the prior day. In a place of honor, beside the entrance to the throne room, was a portrait of a man in the same regalia Daizon wore earlier. There was some family resemblance in the image, although the depicted man was younger. There was a warm look in his eyes, the same amber-like light brown as most of the other Fire Nation royals. The left eye was marked with a vicious, angry scar, a trail of red and pink around the eye trailing backward toward the temple of his head.

At the sound of a slight hum, Julia turned to her left. Ursa approached in her anti-grav chair. She was plainly tired and dressed for sleep, wearing a tan-colored nightgown with the Fire Nation crest in red over the heart. Dragon designs followed the trim lines of the gown and the cuffs. "You have difficulty sleeping as well?" Ursa asked.

"Yeah." Julia nodded. "How is Miko?"

"She is… recovering." A pained look came to Ursa's eyes. "I was holding her until she returned to sleep. She had a nightmare about that strange chair…"

"The Aurora Chair." Julia closed her eyes and felt a phantom pain drill through her forehead.

Ursa nodded. "What was it like?"

"Like having a power drill rammed into my brain," Julia answered. "And then something going through my head, dragging my memories out. Whether or not I wanted them. And all so those bastards could watch." As she spoke Julia's fists clenched. It was bad enough to have Fassbinder and his people seeing her deepest, most fond memories. Knowing that they were broadcast to that audience of Cylons and Aristos, that the latter especially were enjoying the violation and pain she suffered…

"You have both suffered a cruelty that I never imagined possible," Ursa said. "The nightmares are no surprise."

"Yeah." Julia rubbed her face, where the broken cheekbone she'd suffered from a blow during their escape was mostly healed due to Leo. "The physical wounds are the easiest, really. We're both going to need time to heal the mental ones."

That prompted a nod of understanding from the Fire Nation Princess, regardless of her own very obvious physical injury and the fact she was far from healed of it.

Julia looked back to the portrait. "So, this is one of your ancestors?"

" _The_ ancestor, when you consider the modern Fire Nation," Ursa said. "That is Fire Lord Zuko, the peacemaker who ended the Hundred Year War alongside Avatar Aang."

"I notice he had his own scars to deal with."

"He did. The scar was a mark left by his father, the tyrant Ozai, to punish Zuko for a perceived slight." Ursa frowned. "Zuko had a hard life as a child due to his father's abuses. After being his father scarred him in an Agni Kai duel, he was banished from the Fire Nation, and sent on a hopeless mission as his only way to return home. Ozai intended for the experience to break his son, but Zuko proved stronger than he expected."

"What happened to Ozai?"

"He was defeated by Avatar Aang while attempting to wipe out the Earth Kingdom. Upon his defeat Zuko assumed the throne." Ursa looked intently at the portrait. "He was the first Fire Lord in over a century to promote peace and to improve the lives of his people. It took him years to overcome his father's influence, but with time he reinvented our nation from a military-dominated, authoritarian state into one devoted to peaceful industry. Even today his influence is strong in our people and we honor his memory." She glanced to Julia. "My parents named me for his mother, Ursa, the granddaughter of Avatar Roku of the Fire Nation." A wry look appeared on the older woman's face. "It is fitting, I suppose, that I was the mother of the next Avatar to come from our nation."

Julia nodded. As she examined Zuko's portrait further, her mind flashed back, briefly, to her conversation with High Lady Kamea Arano during the visit to the Aurigan Coalition. Barely two weeks had passed since, but for Julia it felt more like two months. "History chooses heroes. Sometimes I wonder what history will say about us?"

"From what I have heard, it will have much to say across this vast Multiverse your people have introduced us too."

"I wonder how much of it will be good." Julia looked toward Ursa and noticed her eyes were drooping. The older woman was clearly exhausted. "May I help you back to your room?"

Ursa's hand went toward the control for her chair, but she only set it gently against the joystick for a moment before pulling it back. "Yes. Mother's spirit would be furious with me if I broke one of the sculptures by running into it."

Julia mirrored Ursa's friendly grin at that while walking around her to take the grips for her chair. The anti-gravs did not entirely cancel out the weight, but Julia found it took little effort to push Ursa through the halls back toward their rooms. 

* * *

With a buzz and a flash of light, Caterina and Tra'dur materialized in the Old Downtown section of Republic City. The sun was just above the snowcapped mountains to the east. Here, on the central peninsula, the structures were shorter than in the shorelines hugging the bay, and the architecture was different. It reminded Cat of older Gersallian structures, with an emphasis on round buildings and circular shapes. The majority of people around them were clad in the yellow and orange of the Air Nation. Several were bald and looked like monks to her.

Soon they were the center of attention. Drawn by the sound of their transport, passers-by were riveted now on the view of the two "Alliancers". They were in uniform, making identifying them easy, but as a non-Human Tra'dur stood out already.

A familiar face emerged from one group of Air Nomads. Yeshe approached and smiled. "Welcome to the Air Enclave of Republic City," she said to the two. "Please follow me."

"Okay." Cat looked around her and waved. "Uh, hi everyone. We're here in peace and stuff. Nice to meet you!"

As they followed Yeshe into the largest of the nearby buildings. The inside was beautiful, reminding Cat of images of Tibetan monasteries with the architectural style, with the emblem of the Air Nation etched into the design repeatedly. Bushes and flowers were planted along the walls, giving the place a natural feel. "You really like your circles," Cat said to Yeshe. "It's in almost everything you build."

"Airbending is based on spiral movements," Yeshe said. She circled her finger in the air and generated an air current. "As the air itself is in constant motion."

They continued on through the chamber. In the middle was a large statue of a man in Air Nation robes. His bald head was marked with an arrow. Noticing their interest, Yeshe said, "This is a statue of Avatar Aang, the seed from which the Air Nomads rejoined the world."

"The face looks familiar," Tra'dur said. "That statue in your bay…?"

"Is Aang as well," Yeshe said, nodding. "As he looked when he defeated Fire Lord Ozai and ended the Hundred Year War." She led them on through the structure. When they paid some attention to another statue, with a resemblance to Aang, Yeshe said, "That is Master Tenzin, Aang's youngest son, and the first Airbender born in over a century. His older brother Bumi became an Airbender as well after Harmonic Convergence awakened the power in individuals across the world, his statue is on the other side of the dome. Tenzin's daughter, Master Jinora, is over there." She pointed to a statue of a serene middle-aged woman.

"You said Aang was a seed?" Tra'dur asked. "What do you mean?"

Yeshe's expression turned somber. "About four hundred years ago was when the Hundred Year War began. Fire Lord Sozin began the war during a time when a comet was passing through the atmosphere. The heat of the comet blazing in our atmosphere acted as a second source of power for Firebenders, greatly strengthening their abilities, and Sozin's armies used this power to annihilate the Air Nomads."

Cat gave Tra'dur a sympathetic look. Tra'dur's feline eyes grew distant.

"They were trying to kill Aang, so that Sozin's plan to unite the world under Fire Nation rule had no opponent. He did not know that Aang panicked on learning he was the Avatar and fled the temples." Yeshe turned and noticed the look on Tra'dur. "What is wrong?"

When Tra'dur did not reply, Caterina did. "The Dilgar were nearly annihilated by their star shedding its outer layer and irradiating their homeworld. And some of their old enemies recently tried to complete their destruction. We stopped them."

"I see." Yeshe gestured toward the exit. "Let us proceed." The subject change was obvious.

Through the exit they arrived in a park. Beyond it a solid beam of yellow light shot into the sky. The walk through the park was quiet, and nobody spoke until they arrived at the edge of a crater covered in grass and vines. Cat's eyes widened at the sight of a sphere of yellow light in the middle of the crater, the source of the beam.

"Yeshe, these are our guests?"

The speaker approached. He was an elderly man, bald like many of the others they'd seen, with sky blue eyes. A blue arrow was tattooed on his head, the end of a line that went down the back of his skull and neck to his back. Smaller arrows were visible on the backs of his hands, their lines disappearing into the sleeves of his garment.

"Master Gyatsun," Yeshe said, bowing once in respect. Gyatsun returned it. "These are Lieutenant Commander Caterina Delgado, the Science Officer of the Alliance void cruiser _Aurora_ , and her compatriot, Lieutenant Tra'dur." She turned to them. "This is my teacher, Master Gyatsun. He is one of the leaders of the Air Nomads."

The two matched the bow Yeshe made. Gyatsun smiled and returned it. "Welcome, friends. You came to see the Spirit Portal?"

"I've been scanning it since we arrived in orbit," Cat said, her tone breathless. "I've never seen anything like it in any of the universes."

"Well, allow me."

As they journeyed toward the middle nothing was said. The two Airbenders kept looking back and noticing that Cat was busy with her omnitool, holding her left hand out at times. "The distortion level is much weaker than I imagined it would be," she said. "It's almost like something is bracing the portal in space-time."

"Really?" Tra'dur activated her own omnitool and confirmed the results. "This defies virtually every aspect of physics. A dimensional breach like this shouldn't be this stable."

"Like I said when we made orbit, it's more stable than the Bajoran Wormhole." Cat was so engrossed in her readings that she nearly ran into Gyatsun, who was no longer moving forward and in fact had turned to face her. "Oh, uh, oops."

"It is alright," the elder Airbender said with a gentle tone. "I am unfamiliar with your technology, may I ask what you're using it for?"

"Well, our omnitools are specialized with improved sensors for scanning, so we're scanning the area to learn more about the portal," Cat said. "And this portal, it's simply… _amazing_."

"Usually the people who come here for the first time can't keep their eyes off the portal itself," Yeshe said. "They are captivated by its presence."

"Well, I mean, it's beautiful, and I'm glad to see it. I'm just interested in these scans too, which are beautiful in their own way." Cat triggered her omnitool to expand its scanner display with the holographic function. It showed a stable pattern of yellow and red within a field of blue. "Normally disruptions in space-time aren't so, well, they don't look like this. This is a _perfect_ field. It's not even fair to call it a disruption, or a rip. A hole, maybe. Or a tunnel."

"The papers we can write, they will be profound." Tra'dur's voice betrayed similar awe. "This kind of phenomena will astound the cosmological community across the Multiverse."

Cat felt self-conscious at the way the two were looking at them and lowered her arm. A blush formed on her cheeks. "Oh, I'm… I'm sorry. This is sacred to you, isn't it? Here I am, having a science geekout over something that's important to you spiritually."

At that Gyatsun laughed. It was a friendly laugh. "It is okay, young lady. You seek knowledge for knowledge's sake. It is a pure endeavor. One many Air Nomads throughout history have worked to fulfill. I could never hold offense."

"You refer to yourself as the Air Nation and the Air Nomads, is there a distinction?" Tra'dur asked.

"Not truly. Once upon a time, it referred to how small the numbers of Airbenders were after Harmonic Convergence. But we have grown and thrived. Our numbers travel the world and the worlds in the void, fulfilling the ideals of Aang, Tenzin, and Avatar Korra."

"Korra was… Water Tribe, right?" Cat asked. "According to the cycle you have."

"She was. And when she was still a young woman, she offered her life freely to save the reborn Air Nation," Gyatsun answered. "While she survived that choice, we consider it a duty to honor her decision by helping the Avatar keep the peace and the balance of our worlds."

Yeshe noticed the look on Tra'dur's face. "You seem thoughtful."

"Yes. My people came close to extinction as well, and it makes me glad to see your example of coming back from that fate," replied the Dilgar woman. "It makes me imagine a future where my people enjoy the same recovery."

"That future will come," Gyatsun assured her. "Now, if you are hungry, our meal hall is this way."

"Oooh. Yeah, that works for me."

"I hope you will enjoy our traditional dishes," Yeshe said.

They were led to the meal hall, another round structure in the complex. It reminded Cat of a cafeteria, as a row of food preparers kept a line of food trays loaded with meals. As they went down the line, Cat accepted something of everything. She noticed Tra'dur was looking from tray to tray with growing desperation. A realization came to Cat and she turned to Yeshe. "Uh, your people… you're vegetarians, aren't you?"

"Yes," Yeshe answered. "It is not our way to eat the flesh of other creatures." Yeshe looked past her and noticed the look on Tra'dur's face. "Is everything okay?"

Cat was prepared to be honest about the Dilgar - namely that they were preferential carnivores - but before she could speak Tra'dur declared, "Oh, it is fine! Everything is okay. I look forward to trying your… cuisine."

Yeshe was clearly uncertain of Tra'dur's insistence, forced as her words were, so Cat said, "It'll be okay." When Yeshe accepted and got a final item for her meal, Cat looked back to Tra'dur and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"I pick our next meal," was the response. 

* * *

In light of the atmosphere the small group that assembled outside were wearing full suits. Lucy checked the reading on her omnitool and nodded. "The acid content is barely registering," she said. "It must be the wind patterns."

"Well, nice to know the atmosphere won't melt our faces off," Jack noted. He, Sam, and Teal'c followed, with Talara and Komin along. "So, this 'Bending' stuff. How's it work?"

Lucy gave Komin an amused smile, and he nodded. "Well, it's like this," he said. He assumed a martial arts stance before stomping his foot on the ground. A chunk of rock erupted in front of him. As it was reaching the apex of its climb, he kicked at it, his foot nearly making contact. The rock went flying until it slammed into the wall of one of the city structures. The impact broke it into several pieces.

"Wait, how did he do that?" Sam asked. "Some kind of telekinesis?"

"Bending is linked to chi," Komin explained. After stating this he made two punching motions. Smaller rocks tore from the ground and smashed against the wall. "Each style has its own form that makes it work. Earth is rigid and strong, you have to stand your ground with it."

He performed another series of moves, pummeling the wall with more stone, until with effort he made a lifting motion and pulled out a large boulder's worth of rock from the earth, at least two meters in diameter. He thrust his palms forward and the boulder shot into the air, eventually landing nearly a hundred meters ahead.

"Woh." Jack smiled thinly. "Now that's cool."

"It is indeed most impressive," Teal'c agreed. "How does it compare with your own gifts, Lucilla Lucero?"

"There's a connection, I can tell you that much," Lucy said. "I can sense it when he or another bender uses their powers. But while it's related, there's some kind of difference between us."

Sam nodded. After a few moments Lucy felt her accept what visual evidence confirmed. This capability existed, the facts were there, so as outlandish and impossible as it seemed, it was a scientific fact. Immediately her mind went to other places. "So what are its limitations? Does it work with refined ore? Do you need raw earth or can a refined material be manipulated?"

"Refined materials are harder, and not every Earthbender can Metalbend," Komin said. "But I've been trained in it." He made a motion and pulled a metal plate from his suit. It followed his hand around as he swept it in the air a few times. "We can bend the impurities inside of metal Even slight impurities. Only the most purified metals and alloys are outside of a Metalbender's ability."

"Huh. Not bad." Jack glanced to the others. "I wonder how they'd do against the lego bugs."

"The what?" Lucy asked.

"The Replicators," Sam clarified. "They're a machine collective that the Asgard have been fighting for millennia. They rebuild themselves from whatever material they can find, so they're often made of metal."

Lucy nodded in understanding. "Explaining why the Asgard haven't put the Goa'uld down. I always wondered what was holding them back."

Komin, meanwhile, was more interested in the very idea of such creatures, although they sounded like a threat as well. "There is a lot of such things in the Multiverse, it seems."

"Well, machine bugs that want to eat everything is on par with some of the nastiest things," Lucy said.

"Yes. There are also things like the Reapers," said Talara. "And those cyborgs from the S5T3 universe."

"The Borg," Lucy said. The _Aurora_ had been on its exploration mission in the Tanatis Sector in A7R6 during the last Borg attack on Earth. Several Alliance ships were lost or damaged in the fight, although under Captain Picard the fleet ultimately destroyed the Borg cube. "And that doesn't count other threats out there. The Multiverse can be pretty dangerous."

"My people learned that before we even knew it was a Multiverse," Komin remarked.

"So, where's Doctor Jackson?" Lucy asked the others. "Is he devoted to the computer readouts?"

"Likely, but he's got some family issues going on," Jack said. "To put it mildly."

"Oh? Oh. Marriage problems, right." Lucy nodded. "Those happen in any marriage, or so I'm told. Anyway, I'm sure Jarod and Tom are waiting for some help with the tech analysis, and Talara's due for training soon. We should go back inside."

"Yeah. I told that redhead from your other ship I'd be joining the exploration teams for the base," Jack said. "What's her name, one of those English cities…"

"I believe you are referring to Lieutenant Manchester," Teal'c offered.

"Right, her. I should probably find where she and that big German guy are at now. Coming, Teal'c?"

Teal'c nodded and joined Jack in returning inside. The others followed to see to their tasks.


	105. Episode 3-19-4 Finding Peace

After the meal with Yeshe and Master Gyatsun, Cat and Tra'dur took a ferry over to the southern side of the city along Yue Bay's southern coastline. "Apparently this is the city's financial center," Tra'dur noted, reading information from a tourist guide that her omnitool was translating. "Republic City is the center of the entire planet's financial system."

"Huh. So, why are we here?"

Tra'dur smiled. "To make up for that no-meat meal we just had to endure"

Cat winced. She'd spent the entire meal worried Tra'dur would break down and start gagging. "I'm really, really sorry about that!"

"I know, and I do not blame you. I understand some species and cultures do not appreciate meat, either replicated or made."

"Yeah. Although… huh. I wonder if the Air Nation will amend its rules to account for replicators? It seems to be a case of them not wanting to kill animals for meat, I mean."

"It will make any future dinners with them palatable." Tra'dur's feline grin took a slight edge. "Ugh, it reminded me of some of the ration meals I had to eat as a kit."

"Yeah. Not a lot of meat can be raised underground, I guess."

They walked through the busy city streets, watching the passing sleek forms of vehicles. Cat blinked at the peculiar sight of some of them having the emblem of a cabbage on them. "That's just _weird_."

Their walk eventually brought them to the edge of a park and a bustling commercial area. It was here that Tra'dur sniffed the air and a gleeful, satisfied smile came to her. "Come on, this way," she said urgently. Cat followed her down one sidewalk and then across the busy street, taking advantage of the crosswalk and the stopped traffic.

Around one street corner were two stands, twenty meters apart. The first one had produce, mostly big heads of leafy green lettuce or cabbage, but the proprietor's attempt to get their attention failed utterly. The second was Tra'dur's stop. Her feline eyes nearly shined with joy at the sight of the rotating chunks of meat over a low flame, glistening from the juices of the meat. With the auto-translator active, she asked the proprietor, "Excuse me, but does any of this contain beef? That is, meat from a cow or another bovine animal?"

At the incredulous expression on the proprietor's face, Cat added, "She has dietary laws from her religion. She's not allowed to eat meat from cows."

"Oh. Like how Air Nomads don't eat meat at all?" The proprietor was bronze-skinned and wore a blue and red outfit. His eyes were a gray color. "Huh, you look like someone crossed a cat and a Human. Are all aliens like that?"

"No, we Dilgar are more Human-like than some other species," Tra'dur explained. "Some species are not even bipedal."

"So… ah, I'm not sure what a 'cow' is, really. Something like a hippo cow?"

"A wha?" Cat blinked and then laughed a little at the mental image of a cow and a hippo combined. "I guess? Just without the hippo part."

"Well, I mostly go with smaller stuff. How about some picken-ka-bobs? Only three yuan apiece!"

Given the first contact was still ongoing an official currency exchange wasn't yet in place, but the Republic's government was authorizing an exchange rate for the Alliance crew on leave thanks to Meridina's efforts. Tra'dur was more than capable of paying for four of the shish-ka-bobs, and Cat decided to nibble on what looked like a Cornish hen on a stick, which she was informed was an arctic hen.

Cat received the hen on a stick and turned to find Tra'dur already gleefully chowing down. "This is delicious," she said after swallowing. "It tastes like pork, but the texture is like chicken."

"Mmm." Cat took a bite of her choice and found that it tasted mostly like chicken, maybe a bit saltier. They walked past the first stall, whose proprietor was loudly proclaiming the quality of his cabbage heads. "So they have hybrid species, but not hybrid plants."

"Yes, very weird," Tra'dur managed between greedy bites.

They got across the street when they heard a loud electronic horn. A loud crash filled the air, the sound of metal and plastics smashing and breaking, followed by another crash. Both turned back to see that a traffic collision resulted in one of the vehicles slamming into the produce vendor's stall. He looked over the broken refuse of half of his inventory and put his hands to his temple in a gesture of hopeless despair. "No, _not my cabbages!_ " he wailed.

Cat and Tra'dur exchanged glances. "Do you think there's something we can do to help?"

"I'm sure their authorities have it well in hand…"

One such authority appeared in the form of a human figure in a green outfit with a metal vest swinging down from above via a wire. A couple more joined in the following seconds.

"So… where to next?" Cat asked Tra'dur. When she received no answer Cat turned and saw Tra'dur chowing down as if she were starving. She giggled loudly. "Alright, I'll pick then…" She brought back up the guide and looked it over. "The Future Industries Air and Voidflight Museum looks interesting…" 

* * *

The sun was coming over the horizon when Julia stirred from sleep again. There were no nightmares this time, no dreams filled with terror and panic and pain, and the sleep she'd enjoyed as restful.

The shower awaited her, but first came her morning routine. Now that she was physically recovered from her captivity, Julia felt capable of resuming that routine to its fullest. With her robe tied close at the waist she walked out onto the balcony and took in the dawning sun for a moment, centering herself.

When she was ready Julia raised her arms into a ready position and assumed her first form. It'd been nearly two weeks since she last practiced and her movements were stiffer and less smooth than usual. But the muscle memory was there to guide her through the exercise. She followed her preferred flow of _t'ai chi_ to _mok'bara_ stances and back again, fusing the Klingon martial art Commander Worf introduced to her with the one she'd learned since she was a preteen. The differences were there, but the principles were compatible, indeed nearly the same, allowing a flow of movement. Sleep faded from her mind and she felt ever more ready for the day.

"Hey!"

Julia stopped and looked to her right. Across the open air of the courtyard below was another wing of the palace, the wing reserved for the royal family. And on a balcony at the same level of hers, Miko was standing, her arm waving. She had on a black and tan-colored set of clothing, pajamas Julia guessed, and her hair was in something of a disheveled mess. Julia waved back and watched Miko take a few steps back.

Then Miko burst into a quick run and leapt from the balcony. Flame erupted from her feet, acting like jets. Her arms whirled in mid-air and a gust of intense wind blew Julia's own hair into her eyes. Through the strands of blond-colored hair Julia saw that the gust was from an intense pocket of swirling air that caught Miko as she landed, cushioning that landing for her. Julia used a hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. "You could have just walked around," she pointed out.

"Ugh, no. My grand-uncle's people would be clinging to me the whole way," Miko answered. "Besides, this way is quicker. And I've done it plenty of times."

"And annoyed your mother every time?"

"Yeah. I always loved that growing up. Annoying Mom was something to pass time when she wasn't dragging me to royal functions." Miko shook her head. "I wasn't the best daughter, I guess."

"Parents understand." Remembering her conversation with Ursa during the night, Julia asked, "So, bad dreams?"

A wan look came to the young woman's face. "Bad ones, yeah," said Miko. "That chair. You too?"

Julia nodded. Over the past couple of days she'd had a few dreams about the chair. As if her subconscious couldn't quite comprehend she was no longer a prisoner. "It wasn't the only way he hurt me, but that chair, it just won't go away," Julia confessed.

"Yeah. I wish we'd smashed it before we left. Maybe the dreams wouldn't be so bad then. Or feel so real."

"Maybe. But dreams don't always make rational sense. That chair left its mark on us and I don't think it'll go away so easily."

Neither of them were interested in continuing that conversation. Miko began the change of subject. "What was it you were doing? I mean, the movements you were making?"

"Oh, my forms? For the last eighteen years I've practiced _t'ai chi_ ," Julia explained. "It's a martial art from various Earths that originated in China. I use it as part of my morning routine."

"Oh." A certain look came over Miko. "Because it looked really familiar."

"It did?" Now Julia felt curious. Given the other signs of a link between this world's Humanity and Earth, this could further elaborate on that link. "In what way?"

"Well…" A small blush appeared on Miko's cheeks. "Actually, it sort of ties into my problems."

"Oh?"

It was clear Miko felt some kind of shame or embarrassment about what she was about to talk about. Julia was about to give her assurance when Miko said, "Because the way you moved? That's how Waterbenders move."

Julia blinked at that. "Huh?"

"Each Bending style, it… it has its own movements, it's own forms."

"And the people who manipulate water like you do fire, they move like they're practicing _t'ai chi_?"

"Yes," Miko said. "I mean, I've seen Waterbending. It's the next element I'm supposed to learn. But I've had trouble with the teachers, and how it works."

"By trouble you mean?"

"Well, the way you move, they move, it's too slow, and it doesn't feel right," Miko said. "Firebending is quick and aggressive and direct. And Airbending is really mobile too. It's about spiral movement, being light on your feet. But Waterbending is… well, it's not those things."

"I see what you mean. _T'ai chi_ isn't aggressive, and it's not so much mobile as fluid. You don't attack or evade, you change the flow of their energy," Julia explained. "You stick to a foe and redirect their strength so you don't have to meet it head on."

Miko nodded in understanding. "It's like that. But I'm a Firebender at heart. I meet power with power. I try to hit harder."

"Well, I can see why…"

There was a knock at Julia's door. Miko went silent while Julia stepped back into the room and went over to the living area of the guest chamber. At the door was one of the domestic staff. "Captain, His Highness the Fire Lord requests your company for breakfast with the family," the man said eloquently. Spying Miko through the door, he added, "And Princess Miko is requested to attend as well."

"Uh, right. We'll be down shortly," Julia said. Once the door was closed she turned back to Miko.

"For you it really was a request, at least, as far as Uncle Daizon is concerned," Miko noted. "But not for me."

"Yeah, I got that feeling. And since I'm a guest in his palace, I can't really deny him and not look like a bad guest." Julia went back to her room. "Well, I'm going to go shower, you should probably return to your room."

"I'll see you at breakfast," said Miko before she went out onto the balcony. With a blast of flame beneath her feet she leapt away.

Julia sighed and smiled softly. "I am never going to get used to that." 

* * *

After the rounds of meetings with the department heads, Kaveri returned to the ready office off of the bridge. The furnishings were nice and there were clear spaces where Julia's mementos were removed.

It was a rather stark reminder of these circumstances. Julia Andreys was no longer captain of the _Aurora_ not due to her own deeds, but to the captivity she endured. Kaveri felt nothing but sympathy for her plight. Kaveri knew enough of the younger woman to know being taken from her command, even after rescue, was not easy.

Such consideration brought with it the reason Kaveri was here. Why Maran asked for her to command, and the secrets he confided to Kaveri's wife, and thus to Kaveri herself. Kaveri's finger found the control for the ship intercom. "Varma to Meridina. Commander, I would like to see you in the watch office."

A short time later the door chime sounded. At Kaveri's prompting Meridina entered. "You wished to see me?"

"Yes. To clear up an important matter, Commander. Please have a seat."

Meridina nodded and took one. Aware of Meridina's telepathic gifts, Kaveri began to recite entries from the _Bhagavad Gita_ in her head, meeting her telepath subordinate halfway as she always tried with the military telepaths she'd served with in her career. Meridina noted the act. "Those are entries from your holy book, are they not?"

Kaveri nodded. "They are."

"I see. You have my appreciation." While Meridina had adjusted to dealing with stray thoughts, it was comfortable to not worry about them for the moment. "Is the ship's readiness to your satisfaction?"

"Yes. You have done well in your time as Captain of this ship. What I would like to speak with you is of a more delicate matter."

"I see. And that is?"

"The Prophecy of the Dawn, and its nature."

Meridina remained still for a moment. "You have been informed?"

"I have. Admiral Maran shared his views on the matter with my wife, and she with me. And your enemies certainly seem to believe something about it." Kaveri folded her hands together. "When they attacked Gersal, your foes were not just launching a terror raid, were they?"

"No. They were not. They were after specific objects. We believe they failed."

"Oh? And what were they looking for?"

Meridina pondered the question for a moment. She felt no deceit or duplicitous purpose from Kaveri. But she was used to not discussing the Prophecy of the Dawn with those outside of the circle who supported it. Even sympathetic Alliance supporters and authorities might have trouble accepting it.

But her own _swevyra_ , it made her feel comfortable with the idea of sharing information with Kaveri.

"They were after the _Life of Reshan_ , a biographical work of Swenya's mentor and teacher, and Swenya's Blade. We know they did not claim them, as Swenya's Blade was already missing when they came for it, and the _Life of Reshan_ is in our possession. We have it now in Robert's quarters."

"Do you know why they wished for these things? One is a relic, the other a book."

"The relic I am uncertain of at the moment, but the book is more than it seems," Meridina shared. "With the aid of a scholarly work on the Gersallian language of that time, we have learned that the _Life of Reshan_ contains hidden passages, disguised as errors in the language and syntax of the period. This hidden information is what we are still decoding."

"Then it is relevant to your Prophecy?"

"Likely," Meridina said. "Although how it is, we are unsure. For the time being the book remains aboard. We are still deciphering the hidden text."

"Please keep me apprised."

"Very well. Would you like me to assign help in bringing your things to your office?"

"No," said Kaveri. "I see no point in it."

"Oh?"

"I am not here to be in command on a permanent basis, Commander," Kaveri explained. "I am a caretaker for this ship and crew. I have no desire to settle in, nor provide the impression that would be given in so doing."

Meridina nodded in recognition. "Because you see this as a temporary stop before you return to be with Shai'jhur."

Kaveri didn't have to answer. Her desire to return to her loved one, after decades apart, was clear through the verses flowing through her mind. Meridina already knew something of that love, and how strong it was, from the telepathic scan to confirm the contact was consensual.

 _You have served so very long a career, Kaveri Varma. With a devotion worthy of the Order's finest._

Meridina hadn't quite intended to broadcast her thoughts. Perhaps she hadn't, and her expression betrayed them. Kaveri reacted with a pleasant look. "I am _kshatriya_ , Captain. Duty is my calling."

"It is."

A tone sounded from the desk. Kaveri tapped the blinking key on her desk control panel. "Captain Varma here. Proceed."

The voice on the other end was Lieutenant Sabiha Neyzi's. " _Captain, Under-Secretary Tashke is ready to resume the talks with the local government._ "

"Understood. Commander Meridina and I will meet her and her team at Transporter Station 1." Kaveri hit the key again to end the call. She tapped a final command into her datapad and stood. "My thanks to you on your report on the talks, Commander. It brought me up to speed."

"Thank you, Captain." Meridina said nothing more while following Kaveri out of the ready office. 

* * *

The family dining hall in the Fire Palace was small, compared to the banquet hall anyway. It was still large enough to fit the _Aurora_ 's conference lounge and the Lookout together. At the central table Lord Daizon sat at the head seat. To his right was his wife Ty Lin, a thin woman with ash-gray hair arranged in a braided tail. To his left was the seat of honor which went to Ursa. Miko was beside her mother and Julia beside Miko. Other members of the family were on both sides of the table, about twenty in all. A variety of pastries and meat dishes, as well as some citrus, were the offered breakfast fare. Julia picked that which seemed the most appetizing for her plate. She waited quietly for Daizon to have the first bite. After he swallowed everyone else dug in.

Julia was finding Fire Nation cuisine to be on the spicy side, which was fitting in its own way. It wasn't quite as hot as Thai, just hot enough that Julia was frequently relieving her taste buds of the heat with the water and tea set before her.

They were well into the meal when Daizon, his plate finished for the moment, looked to Miko and asked, "The Council has asked me to look into how you are progressing, Miko."

Julia could tell Miko wasn't happy to hear the question. "Uncle, I love you, but please don't mince words. They want to know about my Waterbending training."

Daizon nodded. "Yes. I personally understand that you need time, but the Council are concerned with your development as the Avatar. You finished Airbending rather quickly, but now you seem stuck. And given Chief Lantak did not work out… I recall you sought out a trainer on Tangshan?"

"I did. Her name was Jenna."

A cousin further down the table gave Miko a bewildered look. "Jenna Kamak? The former Pro-bender?"

"And one of the most accomplished Waterbenders alive." Miko's eyes fell. "At least, she was."

"Fassbinder and the SS killed her, didn't they?" Julia asked.

"Yes." Miko's eyes teared up. "Her, her husband Hunan, and their children. They lined them up and shot them, and they just… disappeared. As if they never existed."

"You surrendered to spare them, didn't you?" Ursa asked.

Miko nodded. Her fists clenched. "I wish I had burned that yellow-eyed monster to ash," she rasped angrily. "He… he promised he'd let the people of Tangshan go. Instead he made me watch, just to be cruel."

"What kind of monster was this Fassbinder?" another member of the family asked.

"Infected with evil," Miko insisted. "His spirit is dark and hideous."

"Fassbinder's people, they represent a movement that thankfully failed in other universes," Julia said. "The Nazis believe in the racial superiority of their nation. They consider themselves supermen, and other peoples and species are thought to be inferior to some degree or another. There are few atrocities, if any, they'd refuse to commit against a people they think is inferior. Even in my history, where they were defeated, they invented industrial mass murder. They'd march people into gas chambers, kill them, and then burn the remains. They murdered millions in just a few years. The Nazis of Fassbinder's universe? They've slaughtered _billions_ over the centuries. They exterminated entire species, wiped out whole nations of Humans they considered inferior. Other peoples they forced into zoos, making them live like animals. And the SS are the fanatical heart of their movement."

"Monstrous indeed," Daizon said. "Their attacks on our colonies made it clear they were a savage and cruel people, but the depths of their depravity were unknown to us." He looked again to Miko. "I thank the spirits of our ancestors that you were freed from them, dear Miko."

"I do too." Miko closed her eyes. "I only wish I could have saved the people of Tangshan."

"The survivors spoke of your heroism, and of your willingness to sacrifice for them," Ty Lin said. "You have nothing to regret."

"Don't I?" Miko asked bitterly. "Had I refused to surrender, had I kept fighting, maybe we would have held out. Maybe…"

"No." Julia shook her head. "Fassbinder would have just kept killing your people until he took you. And if he couldn't, he would have destroyed Tangshan from orbit. You can't be blamed for not knowing what he, what his people, are like, Miko." She set her right hand on Miko's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Miko. Although I know you'll feel otherwise for a long time, you have to remember that. You acted to protect people at your own expense, and if you ask me, that makes you a hero."

Julia spoke the words calmly, and with utter sincerity that none at the table doubted. Miko heard them and nodded in acceptance. It wouldn't stop her from feeling terrible of course, but it would help.

"You speak with wisdom, Captain," Daizon said. "And from what the history files your people provided the Council show, you are deserving of the same title of hero for your deeds."

Julia blushed slightly. "Thank you, Your Highness. My friends and I, we just came out here to do the right thing. To help people."

"Indeed."

"I would say you have been quite helpful," Ursa remarked.

One of the younger princes looked theri way from further down the table. He was in his mid-teens, from the look of him, a cousin of Miko's. Julia didn't recall his name at the moment. "The news services are saying a lot about your people. And they showed you have aliens that look like Humans. Are they really aliens?"

"The Gersallians? Yes," Julia said. "Externally they look Human, but there are physiological differences under the skin. And they're not the only ones. The Betazoid, for instance, also look completely Human, except they have dark-colored eyes. And are completely telepathic."

It took a moment for the others to parse that, or at least the term that the auto-translators used in their language for the idea of telepaths. "People who can look into your mind? Really?"

"Yes. Betazoids can do it. Some Humans from the S0T5 and E5B1 universes can too. In fact, most species from E5B1 have some telepaths in their populations thanks to genetic engineering by an ancient race known as the Vorlons."

By this point even Miko's attention was focused entirely on Julia. "I noticed there were other species on your ship," Ursa said. "Your Alliance has four, right?"

"For now. We have Human member systems and nations and the Gersallians, Dorei, and Alakin."

"The Alakin are the bird-people, right?"

"Yes," said Julia. She turned her attention from her meal, recognizing that the others were starving for more knowledge of the Multiverse. "There are also other species that are considering membership, and some of them are already serving in the Alliance. The Falaen, for instance, a species once known as Alteans…" 

* * *

The Future Industries Air and Voidflight Museum was a treasure trove of information on the progress of the planet's technology. Cat and Tra'dur wandered its halls and exhibits. "I really should get Tom to come here," Cat said. "Or Lucy."

"It is interesting to see where their designs differ from the Humanity of Earth at these stages of development," said Tra'dur. A torpedo-carrying biplane was in the exhibit before them. Their omnitools provided a translation of the exhibit display, remarking that it was an authentic replica of the Future Industries Mark I Torpedo Aircraft. The unfortunate history of the aircraft, designed and built for the benefit of the failed Equalist Revolution, was laid out.

"'Equalists'?" Cat's brow furrowed in thought. "I wonder what they are?"

"We do have an uplink into the planetary extranet," Tra'dur said. She tapped at her omnitool control. "The Equalists…" The holographic screen shifted to show a man in a hooded suit. A white mask with a red circle on the forehead was hiding his face. Text rendered into Dilgar characters was beside it. "Apparently they were an anti-bender political movement from two centuries ago. Their leader, a man named Amon, could take away the metaphysical abilities of benders, and vowed to do this to every bender on the planet to create an 'equal' society. He was revealed to be a Waterbender capable of..." Tra'dur made an unpleasant face. "...of bending the blood inside of Human beings."

"So, equal except for him, I guess," Cat said with evident sarcasm. "And the whole thing about manipulating the water in our blood? That sounds really scary. And creepy. I mean, with how these powers work, you could twist someone up like a pretzel."

"All of these metaphysical powers have some kind of terrible potential, it seems," Tra'dur said. "Which is no different from science, if you think about it."

"I suppose…"

They continued on from that display to find an aircraft marked as the first jet aircraft. It had the jet engines underslung from the wings like most early jet craft from Earth's history. This led to more advanced jets and a scale model replica of the first rocket to make it into orbit. The image beside the model showed a picture collage of the real one. In the middle was a shot of the rocket in the distance with a group of people standing in front of it. The figure in the center was a green-eyed elderly woman in a dark suit with red shoulders. There was an insignia on the shoulders that the angle partly obscured. Her wrinkled face was split by a happy smile. The engraved plaque below the image identified a list of names. They connected faces to names, with the woman in the center listed as "Asami Sato, President of Future Industries, Design Team Lead".

"Sato? Isn't that the name they use on their warp drives?"

"It is," Tra'dur said. She worked on her omnitool again, but Cat beat her to it. Tra'dur looked around Cat's head and shoulder at the English text shining in blue holographic light. "Ah, quite impressive, I think?"

Cat read off the entry. "Daughter of Future Industries founder Hiroshi Sato, Future Industries President, CEO, and lead designer, wife of Avatar Korra… Look at these accomplishments. The first mono-wing plane, the first generation of flying suits for the Air Nation, co-designer of the first supersonic jet engine, design team lead for the first three rocket types… Tom would fall in love with her, I mean, if she were here…"

"And heterosexual?"

"Well, maybe she was bi? But anyway… ah, here. Under family."

Cat highlighted the extranet link for Tra'dur's benefit, listing under "Family" a link for "Yasuko Sato, theoretical physicist and creator of space-warp drive theory". Upon activating it a new page appeared, depicting a woman of dark brown eyes and coloration with thin features. She looked thoughtful and a little stern. "So she's the grandmother for the lady who first proposed warp drive."

"Impressive, certainly." Tra'dur glanced at the next exhibit down. It was a fixed wing craft, or rather the model of one. "Their first orbiter, it appears."

"First reusable one, yeah," Cat agreed. "It's just so interesting… do the Dilgar have anything like this? Something to trace your history of flight?"

"Not any longer," Tra'dur answered.

"Hopefully you'll be able to build something like this one day. Maybe on Rohric after the spores are gone?"

"Or Omelos, if we can reclaim it," said Tra'dur. "But yes, we will. While we have much to be ashamed of in our history, we should honor those who brought us to the stars. The crimes the Imperium committed were not theirs."

Cat nodded in agreement and they continued on. 

* * *

At Daniel's call, the others headed to the computer access room. They found him looking up from the displays. "Well, it took some doing, but I think I found more files for you."

Samantha and Jarod each took a station and went to work. "This definitely looks like a file directory," Sam noted. "Well done, Daniel."

"Well, it wasn't too hard. Just a few hundred translations I had to figure out…"

"Now you're just grenade-fishing for compliments," Lucy teased. She felt further concern when Daniel, despite his usual readiness to spar wit with wit, only flashed a small smile. "So, what else do we have?"

"Well, we already know this was a ship," Jarod noted. He brought up a full display showing the city and platforms with engine ports underneath. "It looks like the Ancients used them as mobile bases."

"Them, as in plural?" asked Tom.

"They definitely had a fleet of them," Daniel said. "Unfortunately some of the data is just gibberish, from what I've seen."

"The damage to the databank, not to mention what the SS Exiles' engineers did with their methods in asserting control, may have corrupted some of the data," said Sam. "But look at this astrographical time stamp."

Jarod did so and whistled lowly. "Twenty thousand and twenty years since landing. Just as we thought."

"I wonder what happened to them?" Lucy asked. "Why didn't they repair the city to fly again?"

"I'm not sure." Daniel tapped at his screen. "I do know that they came here to monitor planets in this universe."

"Which?"

"It doesn't list them," said Daniel.

"Let me try." Jarod went through the unlocked files. "Even with the corrupted data, there could be a remnant log… found it."

With a key press Jarod brought it up on the screen. Daniel and Samantha looked at it with no obvious recognition. The others weren't sure either.

It was Komin who spoke up. "That's… that's _our_ world."

Everyone turned to face him. "It is?" Daniel asked.

"Yes. I… I can make out the continents easily, even with the different… yes, it's our homeworld," Komin said.

"I've found another planetary profile too," Samantha said. "The data's badly garbled, but I think I can bring up the planet itself." At a nod from Jarod she did so.

The second planet appeared. This time Komin was the one uncertain to what he was seeing. "I've never seen that world before," he said.

"That's okay, because we have," Lucy told him.

"Oh?"

"It's Earth," said Daniel. "The Ancients were monitoring your world and this universe's Earth."

"Then… Earth once existed in this universe," Lucy said. "But why is it gone now?"

"If the Ancients knew, it must be in one of the corrupted files," Jarod said. "As it is, all entries seem to stop about twenty thousand years ago."

"That was when the plague hit," said Samantha. "The plague that wiped them out."

"They last for thousands of years, then get wiped out within twenty years of showing up in this universe," Jarod observed. "Do you think there might be a connection?"

"It's possible," Sam said. "But we don't have any evidence either way."

"Still, we're at least a step closer to the truth," Daniel said. "Let me keep going, I'll see if there's anything else." 

* * *

After breakfast Julia considered what she would do for the day. Miko and her mother were off to a meeting with members of the Fire Nation's legislative council and she still knew little about the rest of the family.

After taking some time to check in with Leo, who wanted her back up for a checkup before the day was over, Julia decided to perform extra training. After donning her white gi and cloth belt she traveled to the ground floor of the palace and out to the gardens. Cherry blossom trees were budding, soon to bloom, and the grass was soft under her sandaled feet. The air was warm and the wind cool, coming off of the pond in the middle of the garden. She stepped up to the side of the pond. Nearby were a line of ducks with turtle-like shells on their backs. They clearly had no issue with Humans as they waddled past her feet and entered the water. As they swam on, quacking much like an Earth duck would, Julia found she was regretting not bringing some bread to feed them.

Instead of assuming her starting stance Julia sat down at the edge of the pond. The beauty of the park and the fresh scents were calming, and something to enjoy. It wasn't often she got to view real nature like this.

"Oh, there you are."

Julia turned and watched Miko walk up. She was still in a formal court robe with the national sigil embroidered in gold on the dark red silk. Her hair was wrapped into a formal bun that she freed with a yank of a ribbon, allowing dark hair to settle on her shoulders. "I see you found the old turtle-duck pond." She sat down beside Julia. "Mother always brought me out here to feed the turtle-ducks when I was little."

"I'm still getting used to your world's hybrid species," Julia said. "On Earth we have several species of ducks, and several of turtles, but I don't think anyone's mixed them."

"You've seen alien animals before, right? How is this any different?"

"Well, alien animals tend to be alien. Sure, there can be some similarities. Targs from Quo'noS, the Klingon Homeworld, look sort of like boars. Big ones, I mean. Varren from the M4P2 galaxy are like big dog lizards. But there's always something different about them that makes it clear they evolved on another world. These are clearly ducks, and they clearly have turtle shells. It's… a little weird, even when you count aliens."

"Maybe I'll feel the same when I see species from Earth," Miko wondered. "I can't imagine a turtle-duck without its shell."

"Maybe you will." Julia reached down and ran a hand in the cool, clear water of the pond. "So, is everything okay?"

"Oh, it's the usual," Miko said drolly. "A bunch of old people telling me how important it is that I learn Waterbending. How I can't be a good Avatar without it. As if I didn't just spend weeks as a prisoner getting my mind drilled by a machine."

Julia gave her a sympathetic look. "It's alright. Take your time. Rushing into a decision isn't going to help."

"Well…"

Something in Miko's voice drew Julia's attention. The young woman gave her an intent look. "I haven't said anything, but I have been thinking of who could teach me. Someone I think I can learn from."

"Oh? You found someone?"

"I think. But I have to ask first."

Julia nodded. "Alright, that makes sense."

"It does. So…" Miko didn't look away. "Julia, will you be my Waterbending teacher?"


	106. Episode 3-19-5 Finding Peace

A silence filled the air between Julia and Miko, only the distant occasional quacking of the turtle-ducks swimming in the pond. Miko's request flashed through Julia's brain once, then twice, as she made herself certain of what the young woman asked her.

"You want _me_ to teach you?"

"Yes."

"To teach your world's Waterbending arts to you."

"Yes," repeated Miko, who nodded.

"Even though I'm not actually a Waterbender? I don't have these powers you do."

Miko shook her head. "Bending comes from the movements and the mentality. That's where I'm having trouble. And you said you've studied the style for years, right?"

"Well, I have," Julia admitted, still quite surprised at what was being asked of her.

"If you teach me the forms, how you move, I think I can put together the rest." Miko shrugged. "If anything, maybe it'll at least get me to a point where even a stuffy old Waterbender like Chief Lantak can bring me the rest of the way."

There was something in the younger woman's eyes that made it hard for Julia to dismiss the request. A vulnerable, needing look. As she considered that look Julia thought she could understand it. With everything that had happened, Miko was looking to get her life back on track, and to do it her way. Having lost control of her life, Miko wanted to take it back.

It was a familiar feeling.

 _It's not like I haven't trained anyone before. Lucy, Robert, Meridina… I've shown them how to do this. Angel too, even if she prefers mok'bara_.

But there was a bit of doubt. Those had been brief teaching exercises, little more than showing the basics. Miko was asking Julia to be her teacher, full stop. That required… quite a bit more than showing the basics. Could she even do this right?

Some of the uncertainty must have shown in her eyes, as Miko shook her head. "I understand if you've never taught before, maybe it you're nervous, but Julia… I think this must be some kind of destiny. Something put our lives on course to meet like we did. I trust you in a way… I know we just met, but I trust you more than most other people I know, and I'm not even sure why. Maybe it was because of how we met each other…"

That was likely. Julia nearly pointed out that their "destined" meeting was hardly a positive one, and that the only hand in it was likely Erik Fassbinder's. But she stopped herself. There was something _earnest_ in the way Miko was asking. Something that didn't deserve a cynical rejection.

"You know that in just a couple months I'm going back on duty, right?" she asked Miko. "When I get my ship back, that's going to demand much of my time."

"Yeah, but that's two months from now," Miko pointed out. "By then I might know enough to make this work. Or at least be closer to the answer I need."

None of the earnestness went away. Miko wasn't begging either, but she was being insistent, in that willful way she was so capable of. Julia considered the request for several moments before saying, "I'll think about it, okay? And I'll let you know by the time of the feast your grand-uncle is throwing."

Miko's face brightened. Julia imagined she felt this was just a deferral of a "yes". "I understand. Take the time you need," she insisted, starting to move her legs as she did. She stood to her full height. "I'll see you for dinner."

"Sure." Julia watched her go and checked her omnitool. Leo would be leaving the medbay for the day pretty soon, as it was getting toward 2000 hours on the _Aurora_. She should see him for that checkup.

* * *

Cat entered the conference lounge off the bridge as the last member of the _Aurora_ command crew to arrive. She took her usual seat beside where Jarod would normally sit, a seat currently taken by Bet'tir, Kaveri's telepath adjutant. Meridina was back in her place across from Bet'tir, at the Captain's left.

A holo-viewer screen was active along the interior wall, showing the command center of what was now known as an Ancient city-ship. Jarod, Lucy, and Tom were present, with Major Carter from SG-1. " _So with Doctor Jackson's help, we've deciphered more of the older programming and data in the city_ ," Jarod explained. " _The Ancients were here for at least twenty years about twenty thousand years ago, then they abandoned the city ship_."

" _The timing matches up with what we know of the end of their Milky Way civilization_ ," Samantha continued. " _That a plague spread through their worlds and destroyed them_."

"Completely?" asked Kaveri.

Sam answered, " _There are some indications some of their ships fled to another galaxy, but we haven't found anything to confirm it_."

" _The most important news is that we've located the mechanical systems for that jamming device the SS used to block our comms and IU drive_ ," Lucy said. " _It's going to take some time to examine it. The_ Maimonides _technology and artifact lab teams will be focusing on that until a full team can be permanently assigned._ "

Kaveri nodded in acknowledgement. "Under-Secretary Tashke is still in talks for a final dispensation with the Five Nations Compact. That will determine the state of a final team."

" _Far be it from me to question the diplomats, but I hope they don't take too long_ ," Lucy said. " _This could be what we need to stop another surprise attack. These jammers, theoretically, wouldn't just prevent IU comms or drives from operating within the field, it would also prevent incoming jump points from forming. It would either hit the other drive with feedback or force the point to form outside of the field. That means warning time._ "

"Agreed," Meridina said. "But it is important that we take care with diplomacy first of all. The people of this universe are understandably seeking a measure of security and we should aid them in finding it."

" _I can't argue with that. The teams here are getting along, but they're assertive about equal access to the findings_ ," Jarod said. " _Anyway, I figured we'd give you a heads up before we left. The_ Enterprise _departs in four hours._ "

"Of course. We await your arrival, Commander. _Aurora_ out."

The holo-viewer screen shut down. "I am aware it is getting late by your ship's clock," Kaveri said to the assembled. "So you are dismissed."

* * *

The SG-1 team was waiting in the command center when the four _Aurora_ officers, with Komin Beifong, arrived to beam out. Nearby Philippe and his commander, Captain Nasira Fanous, were waiting. The Captain of the _Maimonides_ was not a big nor tall woman, but there was a passionate intensity in her eyes that Lucy remembered first seeing years before when the acid-scarred, defiant Coptic girl they'd rescued asked to join the Facility crew. Despite her age - she was about Cat's age, the time with the Doctor not counted - Nasira becoming a commanding officer was no surprise to them.

"Nice to see you all again," Lucy said to them. "I'll tell Zack you said hello, Colonel."

"I'm glad to hear he's doing well," Jack said. His voice was somber. "Tell him that next time I'm around the beer is on me."

"Root beer would be better," Lucy murmured quietly, just loud enough for them to hear. She looked to Daniel. There was something off about how he felt, and it didn't feel like marital problems. "But I'll pass that on."

"Good luck with everything." Tom shook Sam's hand. "It kinda sucks that we won't get to see more of the place."

"I'll pass on anything we find before we leave," Sam promised. She shook hands with Jarod next. "Commander, good luck out there."

"Good luck to you too, Major," Jarod replied.

Talara sized up Teal'c, who looked her over with curiosity. "You are not an elf," Teal'c said suddenly.

"Well, no," Talara answered, confused. "I am a Falaen. Or an Altean, as we were once known."

"Colonel O'Neill and I have a standing wager on when elves will be encountered in the multiverse. He proposed it after we met Secretary Onaran."

"I… see."

Daniel and Sam exchanged knowing, bemused looks.

Nasira and Philippe approached the group. "It is good to see you again," Nasira said to them. "I wish we had more time."

"Congratulations, Nas," said Tom, who offered his hand first.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're off to explore in this universe, right?" asked Jarod.

"We are. It will be the _Maimonides_ ' first long-term mission. We are not due to return to Alliance space for six months."

"Good luck with that," Jarod said.

"I'd love to check a _Juvap_ out at some point," Tom said. "I always wanted to see how adjustable nacelles would work."

"You do not have to maintain them, Thomas," Nasira responded. "Lieutenant Tagiya wishes they had simply accepted the reduced warp performance of the lower arrangement."

"I heard you had some trouble after leaving New Liberty," said Lucy. "Is everything okay?"

"It is." There was grief in Nasira's being that she was adjusting to. "We lost people in a fight with slavers."

"I see." Lucy, having nothing to say that wouldn't sound pat, embraced Nasira to give consolation. "Eubians?"

"Eubians," Nasira confirmed.

"Who?" asked Jack.

"The Goa'uld aren't the only civilization with mass slavery," Lucy said to him after pulling away from Nasira. "And they're not biologically hard-wired sadists who torture telepaths for the intense pleasure it makes them feel."

Daniel winced. Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud, first Nazis, then genocidal robots that look like people, and now this! What's next, horrors from another dimension that eat planets or stars or something?"

Jarod and Lucy exchanged uneasy glances. "Uh, no comment," Jarod finally said.

Jack leveled a glare at him.

"Enterprise _to Commander Jarod. We are ready to depart_ ," said a male voice with a Chinese accent.

"Understood, Commander Xiu." The five lifted their duffel bags. "We're ready to transport."

The five figures disappeared in bursts of blue-white light, a buzzing sound filling the chamber.

"Colonel." Nasira gave Jack a nod. "The _Greek_ will be here tomorrow to pick you up and return you to your home universe."

"The _Greek_." Jack blinked. "Should I be expecting gyros and hummus with olive oil? Or some mob guy offering me deals I can't refuse?"

Daniel gave him a look. "I don't think it means people from Greece, Jack. Or mob nicknames."

Nasira's barely-stifled laughter subsided. "It is an Alakin warbird," she explained, a brief giggle escaping with the words. "We have to find a ship that is compatible with the Goa'uld treaty, and my ship has other orders. Now, please pardon me, I must go and meet with Commander Li from the Compact."

The two officers departed as well, leaving SG-1 to themselves. "Well, now I'm in the mood for a gyro," said Jack. "Let's go see if their replicators can manage to make a good one."

* * *

After satisfying Leo on her physical recovery, Julia checked in with Dr. Tusana. To accommodate all three shifts on the ship the Gersallian psychiatrist kept an open door policy and revolving shifts. Julia idly wondered if it caused her any trouble with rest in the moment before she stepped into the room. Tusana was lighting one of the incense candles when Julia stepped through the door. "Captain." The therapist turned to face her. "I hear you are staying with Miko's family?"

"By invitation. And usually it's best to accept, for diplomatic reasons anyway." Julia took her seat. Tusana took her own a moment later. "Not that I don't prefer it right now."

"Instead of being a guest on your own ship." Tusana nodded in acceptance of the thought. "And yet, something has happened?"

"Yeah, definitely." Julia gave a short nod. "I've been asked to do something, and I'm not sure if I should say yes."

"Oh?"

"Miko wants me to train her in _t'ai chi_ ," Julia explained. "Apparently it's related to the style that the metaphysically-powered people from this world use when manipulating water. Miko's having a lot of trouble with the style and thinks I can help."

Tusana nodded in understanding. By now the room was fully in the embrace of the gentle smell of her incense. "And you are not sure whether to accept."

"I'm not sure I _should_ ," Julia elaborated. "You don't teach _t'ai chi_ in two months. What happens when my medical leave is up and I'm captaining a ship again? I doubt they'll let her come with us. Her own people, I mean."

"Your precaution is understandable, even if premature." Tusana folded her hands together. "Sometimes it is best to leave the future to itself. I presume that Miko, with her status, can easily find another to teach her this art?"

"Likely."

"And she choose you. She clearly trusts you to show her what she needs."

"But I _can't_ ," Julia pointed out. "When I go through my forms, I don't move water at the same time! I don't know the slightest thing about how their metaphysical powers work, how they _really_ work I mean. I can't teach her that."

"Perhaps that is not what needs to be taught," said Tusana. "Your art is more than movements, is it not? It is a way of thinking. Of ordering the body and mind. It may be that this is what she needs."

Julia nodded once. "I suppose it could be."

"I would advise you to consider the request," said Tusana. "Not just for your friend's benefit, but for your own mental health."

Julia looked at her without saying a word.

"You are clearly restless," Tusana said. "And I suspect you are not content with your leave. You wish to be acting constructively. To be accomplishing something."

" _What I wish for is my Goddamned ship back!_ "

The exclamation escaped from Julia before she stop it. Tusana said nothing at the ferocity of it, the pent up resentment in the words.

"I know, we went over it before, and I said I understood why I've been relieved. And I do." Julia's heated words carried through the room. "But I… I don't _want_ medical leave, I want my ship back. I want to move on with my life! And I can't because my life hasn't been given back to me! It's here, on this ship, with my friends and my crew!"

When Tusana remained silent a dread came to Julia. Would this be held against her? A sign of unhealthy fixation? Inability to accept what happened?

Tusana shook her head at those worries. "This resentment is natural, Julia," Tusana said calmly. "You seek a return to normal. That is natural for someone who suffered an ordeal like yours. That you are being denied this, even with justification, that is a natural cause for resentment."

Sighing with relief, Julia sat back in the chair.

"Do you object to the idea of teaching Miko?"

Julia gave her head a quick shake. "No, not at all," she asserted. "I'm honored. Flattered, really. We just met this civilization and already one of its most important figures is asking me to help them? To train them? I'm just worried that I can't give her what she needs."

"I understand that worry, and it speaks well of you. Would you like advice?"

"By all means."

"It is just what you need," Tusana said. "I think this would help your recovery immensely. I would accept. But it is your choice, not mine."

"It is," Julia agreed, thankful for the advice.

* * *

With no further patients after Julia, Tusana decided to take a meal. She departed her office and walked to the Lookout. She found Meridina eating a late meal as well. Albert was quick to arrange food for Tusana, who approached Meridina. _Go ahead and join me_ , Meridina cast mentally.

Tusana did so. _You are having a late night_ she observed.

 _The talks ran long. We are making progress at least._

 _That is good_. Tusana's food arrived a moment later, a plate of _liyume_ with lentils. She started eating away at the contents while her mind remained in contact with Meridina's. _I do sense you are doing well. Are you pleased to be relieved of the Captain's place?_

 _I am_ , Meridina admitted. _And I believe Captain Varma's sincerity in working with us_.

 _She began mental recitations of verses when she learned I was a telepath. It is not often you find Humans who do such to make_ farisa _more comfortable_.

 _Indeed._

 _And you, Meridina? How are you feeling? About the attacks?_

Meridina let out a small sigh. _I mourn the lost. I wish we could have saved more. But I am coming to terms with what occurred. I know no blame falls upon me._

 _That is progress_ , answered Tusana. __And it is good to hear.  
__

* * *

 _

Personal Log of Julia Andreys, Captain. 31 October 2643

_

 _Today looks to be the same as yesterday. I spent the morning, Fire Nation time, having another breakfast where Miko's cousins barraged me with questions about the Multiverse. Miko herself is waiting patiently for my response to her request to be her_ t'ai chi _teacher. I am still considering it._

 _The_ Enterprise _is expected to arrive soon with Tom, Jarod, and the others, and just in time for Lord Daizon's celebration dinner. I'm sure the others will have some difficulty from the time difference, but everyone is going to attend at least, with a skeleton crew coming over from the_ Enterprise _to watch things for us._

 _I'm told Tom has inquired about costumes, since this is Halloween on the Alliance calendar. Now I have a mental image giggle in my head of Tom showing up as a zombie louder giggle like he did for that high school party. Diplomatically mortifying laugh but I'm laughing anyway._

 _Deep sigh I want to give Miko her answer today. But I have a couple of conversations to handle first._

As part of getting her routine back, Julia left the medbay from her daily checkup and went straight for the gym. As usual it had the conflicting scents of sweat and other perspiration from the _Aurora_ 's various species. In the nearest ring a new Falaen crewman was showcasing Falaen-style fighting in a bout with a Dorei Marine. A number of others were using the weight machines in one corner, or the treadmills in the other.

The punching bags were mostly open, so Julia stepped up to one and shed her white gi, revealing the burgundy-colored sports bra underneath. She checked her hair to make sure the pony-tail she'd pulled her hair into was secure. After some warm-up movements she pulled on gloves and started to punch the bag.

Punching something felt good. It had a degree of catharsis to it. If she had a picture of Fassbinder to attach to it, this would be even better.

"So, tired of the palace life?"

Julia heard the words between the sounds of her fists on canvas and turned to where Angel was stepping up to the bag beside her. Unlike Julia she didn't need to pull off a robe or jacket as she was quite happy to stroll through the ship in sports bra and shorts. Showing off her muscles was never something Angel would shy away from. "I thought Leo told you to take it easy?"

"He did," Julia confirmed. "But I want to get back into routine."

"I can understand that." Angel gestured toward one of the rings. "So, want to get in a match? Best of three? It'll really get you back into shape."

"Somehow I don't think Leo would approve," Julia noted wryly. "Can you imagine his reaction if I have to go back to medbay today because I took one of your kicks to my ribs?"

Angel could imagine the reaction. "Oh yeah, he'd be ticked, wouldn't he?"

"He'd probably confine me to medbay again."

The bag beside Julia's shook under Angel's first blow. She gave it a few more before asking, "So, what are you doing for your leave? Go find a beach somewhere and try to get a tan?" She grinned and shook her head. "No, that's not you. You need someone to boss around or you'll go crazy," she teased.

Julia struck the bag again before giving Angel a playful glare.

Angel winked and returned her focus to her bag. After landing a few more punches she held back and glanced Julia's way again. "Seriously, knowing you, you've got to find something to do during your leave or you'll go mad, then they'll never let you come back. So got any plans?"

"Well, there's always going to New Liberty to help with rebuilding," Julia said. "But I've actually gotten a job offer of sorts."

"Oh?"

"Miko asked me to train her in _t'ai chi_."

"Huh." Angel thought for a moment before nodding. "Well, yeah, it sounds good. Especially if you get to live in that nice palace."

Julia rolled her eyes. "It's about more than that actually. Which is why I haven't said yes."

"Well, what else is there to it?"

"Because there's a… metaphysical side to it, you'd say. Their abilities to manipulate elements are channeled in a way that is linked to martial arts, to different styles, I mean. _T'ai chi_ is apparently just like moving water. But Miko's an aggressive fighter. She's a bit like you, in that respect."

"Ah." Angel nodded. "And I've never been one for that 'sticking' and 'softness' and redirecting power that you like to talk about."

"Exactly. She's had trouble with trying to learn it. It's why she was out on that colony when she was captured, she was trying to find a teacher."

"And she wants you to teach her?"

"She does."

Angel finally turned back to her bag and gave it a few punches, prompting Julia to do the same. As Julia's blows picked up in pace Angel spoke up, not letting her own rhythm stop as she did so. "Okay, well, you were her connection when she was a captive. I mean, you two, you bonded, you gave each other someone who was sympathetic. I can see how that would work."

"Can you? We still just met. Come to think about it, there's not a lot we really know about each other."

"Yeah, but there's still a bond there, so it could work."

"You think I should do it?" Julia slowed her punches, trying a few stronger ones.

"Honestly? Yeah, why not? If it works out, hey, good for both of you, and you just made relations with these people even better. If it doesn't, well, you at least tried."

Julia's punches became a little fierce. "Except I don't move water when I do my forms. I don't know the least thing about actually sensing how these powers work!"

"Maybe you don't need to know. She does two elements already, right? I'm sure she'll know what she's feeling."

The point was a good one. Miko likely had some sense of when her movements were actively channeling her powers. Even if Julia wouldn't feel anything, she should. Julia found herself tilting more and more toward agreeing to train Miko.

But she wasn't decided just yet. And she knew just who to talk to to help her make the final decision.

* * *

Robert's focus on the _Life of Reshan_ was intense enough that he almost missed the door chime. "Come in!" he called out without looking up, the fingers of one hand closely following words while the other hand scribbled away at an anachronism in the text.

Of course, he didn't need to look up to know it was Julia. But he did anyway. As she approached he stood from his chair, leaving the book for Gina to continue. "You're looking better."

"Feeling a little better," she said.

"I know that you're not," he replied. "At least, not entirely. You're resentful and upset."

"That's cheating."

To that he smiled and shook his head. "I don't need metaphysical powers to know you're upset, Julie. You want to be back here, on your ship."

"I do," she agreed.

Noticing she was eyeing the couch in his living area, Robert brought her over and they sat down beside each other. "I'm sorry I've been occupied lately," he said. "I figured after all of that time in medbay you'd want some distance.."

"We said what we needed to, it's fine." Julia glanced back to where Gina was working on both books. "What are you doing? Research?"

"Part research, part decoding," Robert answered. "We think that whatever the Brotherhood and Cylons are up to, we can figure it out if we finish translating and decrypting the _Life of Reshan_."

"Ah. That does sound important." Julia nodded in approval. "It's good to do important things."

"It sounds like you're worried you're not."

"More like I'm worried I'll say yes to it and mess it up."

Robert's curiosity picked up. "Oh?"

Julia nodded. "A couple of days ago, Miko asked me to train her in _t'ai chi_. Well, to be exact, she wants me to teach her to Waterbend, which I obviously can't do."

"I think I see her logic, though. Their abilities are tied to martial arts styles. If she's struggling with this one, getting a teacher she feels a bond toward might make things easier." Robert grinned at her. "It's not like you haven't tried to teach it before. You just haven't had a dedicated student."

"And the fact I can't actually do anything metaphysical?"

"Honestly, I think the important part is the mental element. The mentality of the art. Teach her that, and everything should work out," Robert advised. "You're already thinking of saying yes."

Julia gave him a droll look. "Is that intuition or powers?"

"Both," Robert admitted.

"It's been a hard year for the two of us to be together as much as we used to," she observed.

"It has. But I already knew you were going to have to leave the ship. If you remained aboard for your medical leave, if you even could, that wouldn't be good for you." He set a hand on her arm. "I'll miss you, of course. The others will too. But go ahead and take the time to heal, and while you're at it, helping Miko will give you something to focus on."

A slow, understanding nod was Julia's immediate reaction. "So, when I get back…" She put a hand up to his chin, feeling the coarseness of stubble. "Is this going to be back?"

"Only if you want it," Robert said.

"I don't," she laughed. "But don't keep it off on my account."

"It's fine," he said. "I probably did let it go too far."

Playfully Julia teased, "You did. You looked like a hermit. And that's the last thing I want you to be."

"Don't worry. Umintamil was bad enough. No hermitages or abbeys for me," Robert promised, grinning widely. "So, you'll be at the honors table down there?"

"We all will. I've seen the seating arrangements."

"Between our crew and the _Iroh_ 's, that's about three thousand people…"

"I've seen the place, Rob. Trust me, there will be even more there, and we might still have room to spare."

"Then I look forward to seeing it."

* * *

The courtyard of the Fire Nation palace was filled with tables and chairs covered in foods and drinks. The palace entrance was obscured by the platform on which some of the tables were set, including a chair clearly meant for Daizon. The command officers of the _Aurora_ , _Koenig_ , and _General Iroh_ were seated to Daizon's left, the attending family members to his right. Julia and Miko occupied the positions of honor to each side.

Aside from the tables and chairs, a stage at the far end of the courtyard was ready for performances by entertainers. Paper lanterns in red, gold, blue, white, and green were strung up on wires all around the courtyard. Everywhere liveried and finely-attired servants stood ready to begin attending to the gathered attendees.

The scope of it was astounding. Julia suspected Daizon must have spent enough money to build a starship to assemble all of the food and materials and people to make the function happen.

Robert sat to Julia's left, with Captain Saizen to his left, Kaveri to Saizen's left, then Meridina, Zack, and the others on down by rank. Past Miko was her mother Ursa, then Daizon's wife Ty Lin, the rest of the family on from her.

On both sides were some low levels of conversation, but not too loud. "There's enough food here to feed both ships for two days," Julia heard Zack say.

Silence reigned with the sound of a bell. Daizon stood from his seat. A cleverly-hidden microphone ensured his voice would boom across the courtyard. "People of the Fire Nation, of the Compact, and those from beyond our stars, I welcome you to this celebration. We are here to commemorate the recovery of our Avatar, Princess Miko, from the captivity of a vile and cruel invader. The brave beings who dine with us tonight have earned our gratitude and hospitality through their bravery and skill. We are grateful for their service and sacrifices."

"But there are those who are not with us today." When he finished, Daizon looked to a group of elaborately-robed men. Several turned away and thrust their palms in the air. Flames erupted, crossing together and merging into a whirlpool of red flame that reached a series of torches erected in the courtyard. The fuel within them caught alight. Julia marveled at how carefully designed the display was, as it was not a group of simple torches, but used different kinds of fuel to generate different colors. The colors that formed depicted the five symbols of the Compact arrayed beside the Alliance torch insignia burning in blue, green, and white. "In this way we pay homage to the honored dead of the Five Nations Compact and the United Alliance of Systems, who fell in battle with the invader. Through their common sacrifice we stand at the dawn of a new age for our people. We are now part of a greater community of nations, of species, many of them united by common ideals that we too cherish. In the spirit of this new age, let the festivities begin!"

With that announcement a series of sparking trails flew into the sky, exploding into fireworks. On the stage opposite a group of performers started playing music, accompanied with dancers who literally trailed flames from their hands as they moved. The skill of the performers brought applause and cheers.

Everyone commenced eating on their own time. Conversations picked up among the guests until there was a general din of noise, while the sky continued to light up from fireworks.

"Sometimes it astounds me," Robert said.

Julia glanced to him. "What?"

"Everything." He smiled and shook his head. "The Multiverse. The alien worlds, the different ways life can develop. Worlds like this one, with powers and things I never imagined growing up."

Julia nodded slightly. "Yeah, I can understand that."

"I still remember the first time I met Meridina. The idea of someone who could read my thoughts, do the things she does… and when I got used to that, other things came along. This world and its people, its uniqueness, it adds to it all. Sometimes I wonder if anything is possible. Whatever Tom or Scotty say about the laws of physics."

"I suppose everything is possible, in some way," Julia said, smiling. "Do you think it makes everything bad we've gone through worth it? If you could wish away finding that pressure plate on the old mound, would you?"

Robert closed his eyes. Instead of answering his hand reached over and gripped hers. "I… I'm not entirely sure. With what just happened, I mean. And all of the fighting, the violence, the death…"

"It's okay," she assured him. "I don't think I'd change what happened. Even with all the things we've gone through. The good makes it worth it in the end."

"It often does," remarked Daizon. The gray-haired and -bearded Fire Lord turned his head to face them. "My ancestor Zuko was known for saying that good things come from the bad, so long as you didn't let the bad change you for the worse."

They looked back, uncertain of what to say.

Their silence prompted a short laugh from Daizon. "Surely what I said was not that profound? I may be getting on in years, but I am hardly the elderly master dispensing wisdom. Or so President Dravad has said to me in Compact Council meetings, _often_." An amused look betrayed the humor of the monarch.

"It was profound enough," Julia assured him. "There was little point in us repeating the idea."

"Now you flatter me. But I am not so humble that I can't enjoy it." Daizon gestured to the rest of the celebration. "I believe the next act are dancing otter-penguins. It is quite good…"

Taking the hint, they returned their attention to the festivities.

* * *

After some time passed the celebrants started to leave their chairs and mingle, all while performances continued on the stage. Feeling quite satisfied with her share of the dinner, Julia left the table in search of Miko.

She found Miko by the turtle-duck pond in the gardens. From here the lights and sounds of the festivities were muted. Miko was looking skyward and in thought. She turned at hearing Julia's footsteps. "Is everything okay?" Julia asked her.

Miko gestured toward her court finery. It wasn't a dress so much as a formal robe with the Fire Nation sigil etched into the right breast. Miko's hair was kept in a tight bun held in place by a metal band with a pin. "I don't really like wearing these things," she confessed.

To that Julia grinned. "Uncomfortable, right?"

"Yes."

Julia gestured to her own dress whites. "Trust me, there is worse."

Miko laughed. "Since we're the guests of honor, you'd think they'd let us come dressed as we pleased."

"I know, right?" Julia laughed lightly as she took the final step to stand beside Miko. The stars in the sky weren't visible due to the lights of the capital, even if the fireworks weren't going off again. "The answer is yes."

Miko looked to her and Julia thought she could feel the elation filling the younger woman. "You'll train me?"

Julia nodded. "At least until I'm back in command of my ship. We'll have to see what arrangements are necessary after that."

"That's okay. We'll make it work. And I'll tell my mother and Uncle Daizon. Are you going to stay here, then?"

"I might as well," Julia said. "For a while anyway. But I do want to go back to New Liberty at some point and help in the rebuilding."

"I'll go with you," Miko pledged. "Not just for training, but maybe I can help. I know a little bit of Earthbending, actually…" She blushed. "I'm technically not supposed to, but being around Komin all the time…"

"Yeah. I think I understand." Julia offered her hand and Miko took it, exchanging the handshake. "Well, for the rest of the night have fun. We start bright and early tomorrow."

"How early?"

"Dawn sounds good."

"Oh. Only dawn." Miko let out a relieved sound. "Gyatsun would sometimes wake me up two hours before dawn for morning practice. He likes to meditate when the sun's coming up."

Julia chuckled at that. "No. That won't be necessary. And, honestly, I've lived on a spaceship for four years now. I don't get to see dawns very often."

There was a gentle rippling in the pond water that drew their attention. Despite the lower light level they could make out the cyan-colored form that emerged, as if a primordial slime creature was leaving the lake like in a cheesy horror movie. The shape made a "glurp" sound and a device moved across its surface, viewing them both with a blue eye. "Oh, pardon me," an electronic feminine voice trilled from the device. "I didn't mean to startle anyone."

Miko was staring in surprise, which only made Julia's following laugh all the stronger. "This is Doctor Ke'mani'pala," she explained to Miko. "I'm guessing Cat didn't take you down to meet her?"

"No." Miko shook her head. "And it, _she_ , is... a member of your crew?"

"A civilian science specialist," Julia clarified.

"Greetings, young Human. I am a Gl'mulli," Ke'mani'pala informed Miko politely. "And I must say, your pond is quite well-stocked in delicious microbes. It is not often I get to enjoy such a meal!"

"You… ate from the pond? Not the banquet?"

"Oh, seas no! Your foods would be a pain for us to digest, and much of it we cannot."

"I… see…"

Ke'mani'pala trilled with amusement as she walked off, looking like a gumdrop with two stubby wide legs at the bottom.

"The Multiverse is just wonderful," Miko said. "Are there other life forms like her?"

"Yes," said Julia. "There are plenty of life forms without what we'd call humanoid shape. Or even distinctly bipedal shape."

"I… see. There is so much I still have to learn about the Multiverse."

"We all do," Julia assured her. "And we'd better get back to the party before your family sends search parties."

"Yes, I suppose we should," Miko agreed.


	107. Episode 3-19-6 Finding Peace

**Tag**

It was late in the _Aurora_ 's day when the feast started to wind down and everyone began returning to the ship. Robert checked up on the repairs to the _Jayhawk_ and used its secure systems to check the official traffic he was eligible to receive from the Alliance's military and intelligence services. He made sure to take everything that related to slaver activity in E5B1 and relay it through channels to Beth and Dr. Meier.

Afterward he returned to his quarters and found Lucy, Meridina, Gina, and Jarod there. They were all arrayed around his table, covered in the two Gersallian tomes and the associated notes. Jarod was busily checking both and scribbling something down. "What's up?"

"I wanted something mentally stimulating after that feast," Jarod confessed. "Not that I didn't like it, but it put me in a creative mood."

"Well, that sounds good."

"Commander Jarod is finishing his decoding of the next chapter's message," Meridina said.

Jarod looked up. His expression matched the deep shock Robert felt filling him. "Okay, this… it's… _big_."

"What is?" Gina asked.

Jarod finished scribbling and passed the note around. Lucy's eyes widened a little at the contents, Gina's a lot more, and Meridina gasped. Robert took the slip and read it.

" _This book's text is nothing but the protective curtain, hiding the truth from those who must never know it. It bears falsehoods for the same reason. The falsehoods are a necessary evil for there are dark forces that would attempt to use this knowledge to prevent my great work from coming to completion. This is no mere boast for the completion of the Circle is the greatest endeavor I have ever attempted in my life, and with the greatest stakes. For the sake of all of our futures the Circle must be completed._ " Robert read these lines and so far wasn't certain why the others seemed so shocked. It was important, but it didn't seem earth-shattering.

Then he kept reading, and the shock told on his voice.

" _If all goes as planned and foreseen, I know you are reading this, Dawn-Bearers of the Allied Systems_. _Meridina, Robert, Lucilla, Jarod, Gina._ " He read off their names with increasing surprise. " _A great task lies on you. You must find my Temple before the forces of darkness do. Or the Circle will be broken and everything you know will be utterly destroyed._ " By the time he finished Robert's hand trembled. "This… this is…"

"A profound truth," Meridina said.

"It's our names? In archaic Gersallian?" Lucy looked to Jarod. "I mean, the sounds don't always…"

"That's just it," Jarod said. "It threw me off for a brief moment, since it didn't make complete sense in actual Gersallian. The Gersallian lettering doesn't work quite the same. But if you transliterate those parts of the code into the Latin Alphabet, then our names are spelled out."

"This is… " Gina took in a breath. " _Mastrash_ Ledosh knew. He _knew_ …"

"It looks like this was one of the last bits he translated before…" Jarod stopped there, for their sakes. "He knew our names. That's… how did a Gersallian from three thousand years ago know our _names_?"

"It is more than that, Jarod," Meridina said. "The book was written over the course of Reshan's known lifetime. These chapters were supposed to have been written when Swenya was just a child. Long before she wrote the Prophecy of the Dawn."

"Some have always said Reshan passed the prophecy to her," Gina pointed out.

"But the Prophecy doesn't refer to us _by name_ ," Lucy pointed out. "It makes allusions to sisters of fire and heart and leaders and forgers and stuff. Reshan _knew our names_."

"This truth, it is… astounding," Meridina said. "His ability to sense the future through the Flow of Life was so profound he knew our names in the distant past. This is the kind of truth that would change everything we know about Reshan."

"A truth that could divide the Gersallians when they learn of it," Robert pointed out. "I mean, one of their greatest historic legends identifying us as the Bearers of the Dawn, and by name? How many would assume this was some kind of trick or forgery? Especially with the Great Temple destroyed and all of the library records to prove this book's authenticity."

"Which is why they must not, for now anyway," Meridina insisted. 'Not until we have learned more about this."

"And it'd be nice to figure out _which_ dark forces he warned about," Lucy added. "Did he foresee the Brotherhood and Cylons? The Nazis? Or maybe those 'Pretender' things that have attacked us over the year?" She shook her head. "Until we know more, we have to keep this secret."

"Agreed. This doesn't leave the room," Robert said.

They all nodded. Even Meridina, who was already wondering how much she could safely tell Kaveri Varma. 

* * *

Julia made a final check of her guest quarters to reassure herself that she had everything. Almost everything, anyway, save those things being shipped to New Liberty for storage. After her examination was over Julia pulled on a backpack full of things, slung a duffel bag over one shoulder, and clasped a suitcase with the opposite hand.

She approached the door in time to hear its chime go off. Instead of answering she simply stepped up to the door to trigger it to open.

Kaveri stood in the hall. She nodded at Julia. "I hoped to see you before you departed the ship."

"Well, you're right on time," Julia assured her. "Have you settled in?"

"I have." The two began walking toward the nearest lift. "I hope you understand why I have not spoken to you until now."

"I do, and I'm thankful for it." Julia's tone was quiet, meant to be reassuring. "It's not easy, I admit."

"I would think not. And I offer you my promise that I will take care of your people and your ship until you return."

"Thank you." It was a relief to hear it. Julia was aware that, whatever her attempt to instill more professionalism in how the ship was run, other commanders would go yet further, and alienate the others in the process. "I know we don't run things on the _Aurora_ as Earthforce would, but it works well enough, even if a lot of people don't recognize it."

"I confess I find your uniforms lacking, and it is clear some of your crew would not function well in a more military environment," Kaveri admitted. "But I saw your mettle at Tira and over Germania. That is all I need to know. Please do not let worry over your people complicate your recovery, Captain."

"Being the 'mother hen', as Leo likes to call it, I admit I'm always a little worried," Julia confessed. "But I know you can take care of them, so it'll be easy to deal with."

They stepped into a lift and rode it to Deck 3. The lift opened and two lines of senior crew and officers were waiting. Master Chief Rohm, the Senior Chiefs, Hargert, all gave her a farewell. Hargert personally added a strong embrace and handed her an insulated tub. "Stew," he said kindly. "For when you wish a taste of home."

Julia took it and found room in her duffel bag for the sealed container. With Kaveri behind her she moved on, shaking hands as she did. Lieutenant Takawira, Lieutenant Neyzi, Chief Hrakee, Doctors Singh, Opani, and Walker, and yet more. At the door, Commander Richmond and Major Anders bid her farewell.

In the Transporter Station room her friends and others were assembled. Tra'dur was standing beside Cat, Talara and Gina were with Lucy. One by one she hugged them goodbye. Robert received the last hug, and the tightest, before she stepped up onto the pad. "Take care of yourselves, please," she said to them. "And take care of each other and Captain Varma." Focusing on Kaveri, she added, "Good luck, Captain."

"We plan on it," Jarod assured her.

"Aye, now get yerself th' rest ye need," added Scott. "Our girl will be ready an' waitin' for ye tae come home, Captain, that I promise."

After a further chorus of agreement, Julia looked to the silver-horned, purple-skinned Dre'kari crewman and nodded. "Energize."

"Yes Captain." A few key presses came, and with them Julia was whisked away by a burst of light.

For a moment there was silence. Meridina spoke first, saying, "She will do as she needs, and so shall we. Beginning with our departure." After accepting the nod in her direction from Kaveri, Meridina added, "You are all dismissed."

Kaveri tapped at her omnitool's comm key, opening a channel to the bridge. "Captain Varma to Bridge. Take us out."

The _Starship Aurora_ pulled away from the orbit of the unique planet below. The night lights of Republic City and the other cities and towns of the Republic and Earth Union twinkled below as they cleared the orbiting stations and the spacecraft of the unique civilization, the latest of many they had encountered in their time. Once the kilometer long ship was clear, a point of emerald light formed ahead of her, expanding into an interuniversal jump point that took them off to another universe.

* * *

The dawning sun shined lush yellow rays upon the great spires of the Fire Nation capital. Gradually the brilliant orb rose high enough in the sky to reach the palace within the caldera at the heart of the city. Some of those rays shined through the open doors of one of the palace's many rooms.

Julia stepped in through one door and found Miko entering the other. The latter was wearing the same outfit as Julia, a white gi with sashes tied around their waists. Both had their hair pulled back into buns, Miko's arranged closer to the top of her head and Julia's toward the back of her neck.

They stopped about three meters from each other. After a second's pause, Miko bowed at the waist, putting her hands together in a gesture that seemed to emulate the flame insignia of the Fire Nation. "Sifu Julia," she said politely. "Good morning."

"Good morning, student," Julia replied with as much politeness. She bowed and emulated the same hand gesture. "Are you ready to begin your studies?"

"I am, Sifu."

"Good. To begin, _T'ai chi ch'üan_ is more than a martial art. It is a method of meditation, an exercise in mind and body. There are many forms and styles. I've done some checking on your world's Waterbending styles so I'm going to start you with forms that fit them the best…"

The two were soon moving in those forms, Miko closely following Julia's movements. The rays of the rising sun around them continued to banish away the lingering coolness of the night, warming them in the process.

And with it came a kind of peace, a soothing balm to their tried, wounded souls.


End file.
